One question per Canadiens member before the season: the rest

[content-ads]Mike Matheson: can he limit the defensive mistakes? I repeat: Mike Matheson is very important for this club. But he would be even more important if he played two or three minutes less per game and limited his mistakes on the ice. Alexandre Carrier: can he be exactly the same player as last year?

I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t weep if the Québécois could bring exactly the same to the ice in 25-26 as he did when he first came to town. Arber Xhekaj: can he find his seat? In my opinion, the Canadiens would like nothing better than to see Arber Xhekaj find a seat as a tough but reliable defenseman. If he does, it could be a game-changer. Jayden Struble: can he be consistent? Sometimes Struble looks like an NHL veteran, and sometimes he looks lost. If he wants to play often, he’ll have to be the version Martin St-Louis can count on.

[content-ads]David Reinbacher: can he dominate camp? If there’s one prospect who will have every chance in the world to show what he can do, it’s him. And if he has an excellent camp, he’ll put the odds in his favor to help himself quickly find a place in the best league in the world. Adam Engstrom: can he hold his own in the NHL? Not as highly regarded as Reinbacher, Engstrom is nonetheless ahead of the William Trudeau’s of this world. If he wants a chance at the top (in case of injury to a regular, in his case), he has to show that he’s not going to be a pushover. And that starts at camp.

[content-ads]Samuel Montembeault: can he go for 33 wins? Last year, the keeper had 31 wins in 62 games. That means he won every other game. But in 2025-2026, can he get two more wins… by playing a little less often? Jakub Dobes: can he beat Kaapo Kahkonen at camp? The two goalies are linked by necessity, since they’ll be fighting for the #2 position in Montreal. If Dobes, who is not eligible for the waivers, doesn’t have a good camp, he won’t be putting the odds in his favor. Jacob Fowler: can he dominate right away in Laval? He’s not going to show up at camp with the best chances in the world of breaking into the Habs line-up in October, obviously. But a good camp would give him confidence for his first full season in the pros.

[spacer title=’prolongation’]Martin St-Louis and the coaching group: can they keep the guys bringing their game into the game?Martin St-Louis has figured out how to motivate his guys and how to find a good role for them. But we know that every coach is like a bag of milk: it comes with an expiration date. Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton: can they get a #2 center? This was the #1 issue of the off-season and it hasn’t been done. Will they be able to find him somewhere this season?