Montreal Canadiens Top 10 Prospects: #2-#1

Heading into the 2026-27 season, Fowler is expected to reprise his role as the Montreal Canadiens backup behind Dobes. However, with Montembeault still on the team and the possibility of Fowler not getting a lot of playing time, the Canadiens may elect to send Fowler back to the Laval Rocket to start the season so that he can continue to develop with consistent playing time.

In his first full season with the Rocket, Fowler took no time to get accustomed and almost instantly was his team’s best performer. He played 27 games where he had a 2.23 GAA and .916 save percentage alongside his 19-7-2 record and three shutouts. Fowler’s great performance in the AHL as well as Montembeault’s struggles in the NHL changed his development plan. 

Originally, Fowler was expected to play at least a full season, maybe even two in the AHL before making the NHL, but with how much Montembeault was hurting the team, the Canadiens needed to see if Fowler was ready. While he had his struggles, it was evident that he was ready to take on a role in the NHL. 

Fowler is pretty much guaranteed to play NHL games at some point this upcoming season, as he is still seen as the future of the Canadiens’ crease. However, the question remains as to whether or not it’s better for him to start the season in the NHL or if Fowler is better off continuing his development in Laval to begin the 2026-27 campaign. If Montembeault is still around when the season starts, the latter may be the best thing for the goaltender who has been deemed the future of the Canadiens net. Either way, training camp is expected to start on September 16th.

1. Michael Hage, Forward, Michigan Wolverines 

The top prospect in the Montreal Canadiens pipeline going into the 2026-27 season is centre Michael Hage.

What separates Hage from Fowler to claim the top spot in the Canadiens prospect pool is that he has the potential to be a true star in the NHL. Not to mention, while Fowler has Dobes to compete with for the starting goaltender job for years to come, Hage doesn’t have the same level of competition to compete for the second line role. Both players have a chance to be top players in Montreal, but with how bad the Canadiens need a second-line centre, Hage becomes more important within the organization.

While Hage had a solid freshman season at the University of Michigan during the 2024-25 campaign, where he scored 13 goals and 34 points in 33 games, he followed that up with an incredible sophomore year. He really broke out as a playmaker, leading the NCAA in assists with 39 and finishing fourth with 51 points in 39 games. 

On top of that, Hage dominated at the 2026 World Junior Championship, where his 13 assists and 15 points in 7 games led the tournament in both categories. 

As a result of his performances, there is a good argument that he could have potentially made the Montreal Canadiens roster to start the 2026-27 season; however, Hage has decided to play his third season in hopes of winning an NCAA National Championship. He will also get the opportunity to officially be the top centre on the Michigan Wolverines after senior T.J. Hughes turned pro after last season. This in fact could be what makes Hage an even better player in the future.

Hage will have the opportunity to refine his game so that he can assure himself that he is ready to play centre at the NHL level. One area that he needs to work on this upcoming season at Michigan is his faceoff skills. He will also get to continue improving his two-way game. 

While his goal scoring didn’t improve during his sophomore season, it’s not an issue with his shot not being strong; rather, it’s about his overall vision on the ice being his best asset, and he can easily set up his teammates in any given situation. With the fact that he showed he can be the best playmaker in the NCAA, don’t be surprised if he shows more goal-scoring prowess to show just what he can do with his shot this upcoming season.

Hage has all the skills to be an offensive dynamo as the second line behind captain Nick Suzuki. However, by staying in college, both his faceoff abilities and defensive game will improve, making him likely a better player in the long run. 

In case you missed the previous rankings, check them out below:

#4. Alexander Zharovsky and #3 David Reinbacher 

#6. Adam Engstrom and #5. Gleb Pugachyov 

#8. Owen Beck and #7. Bryce Pickford 

#10. Florian Xhekaj and #9. L.J. Mooney

The honourable mentions are those who just missed the list.