Top Canadiens’ Priorities Heading into 2025-26

So, trading Price may not be the top priority per se. However, it’s probably the one that gets addressed first. If it is legitimately the first of several trades, it could be the linchpin that separates a simple playoff finish from a long playoff run, depending on what ultimately comes back the other way.

4) Commit to Playing Xhekaj Regularly

On what is projected to be the youngest team in the NHL, it’s gotten to the point where head coach Martin St. Louis has no choice but to rely less and less on his “veterans.” The young guys will get their ice time, because it’s impossible for them not to, seeing as only eight members on the roster (as it stands today) were born before the turn of the century.

One possible exception could be defenseman Arber Xhekaj who got regularly scratched down the stretch last season, as the Canadiens were fighting for their first playoff spot since 2021. St. Louis only relented come Game 3 of their first-round series against the Washington Capitals, at which point Xhekaj’s physicality shone through as an X-factor that helped seal a victory and give the team hope for an eventual series victory. Alas, it was not meant to be, with the Habs falling in five.

Regardless, right or wrong, the general consensus seems to be the Canadiens can stand to be tougher. It’s why many see Hughes as having signed Sammy Blais as a hypothetical depth forward. The thing is, especially with forward Josh Anderson in the mix, if you commit to playing Xhekaj and developing the 24-year-old’s game further, even in a third-pairing role, you shouldn’t need to rely on a 13th forward like Blais every other game (if that) to stand up for the smaller players.

Xhekaj’s yo-yoing deployment on the part of the Canadiens has been well-documented. While the onus is obviously on him to perform, the Habs bear responsibility to leverage his talents as much as possible and not sit him, when his skill set is effectively what the doctor ordered. Consider this: Do Xhekaj’s critics really believe Blais, who played exclusively in the American Hockey League in 2024-25, is in a better position to play mistake-free hockey? He makes for an insurance policy, but playing the 6-foot-4 Xhekaj (240 pounds) regularly instead should be the priority (No. 4 overall).

3) Determine Where Dach Fits

In Xhekaj’s case, you’re talking about a third-pairing defenseman. His role is relatively minor compared to that of the team’s second-line centre, which is a job many presume is Kirby Dach’s to lose. Rehabilitating a second straight season-ending knee injury (to the same knee) though, Dach is far from a shoo-in to so much as be ready for training camp. And, in his final year under contract, before he hits restricted free agency, the Canadiens can’t waste any time determining if he fits in that role, which they specifically traded for him to play, or on the team in general.

Dach may not pan out down the middle, but it’s far from a given he pans out on the wing either, based on the depth the Canadiens have there. With the North American arrival of top-prospect Ivan Demidov, who’s projected to play right wing on Line 2, not only is one such slot theoretically spoken for, but the stakes have been raised too. Demidov’s ceiling is that of a superstar. So, it stands to reason, the Habs would want him riding shotgun with the best possible centre. On paper, based on the options currently available, that’s a (healthy, mobile) Dach. Hopefully Dach’s body agrees.

You can make an argument to the effect Demidov’s deployment should make this list as well. And it definitely is a consideration seeing as the future success of the team largely depends on him reaching or even coming close to his potential. However, it’s a relative given the entire organization acknowledges how much he and his development means. After all, this was a guy Hughes had on his radar well ahead of selecting the kid fifth overall in 2024. It goes without saying the Habs will take the proper precautions. That’s not necessarily the case with every other item on this list.

2) Make the Playoffs

It’s not so much that the Canadiens need to build on their 2025 playoff finish for 2025-26 to be considered a success. It’s more so that if they don’t, the season should logically be seen as a failure, based on their improvement each year in the standings since they finished last in 2021-22. So, the bare minimum must be a playoff berth, the general hope probably being that they either move into one of the top three Atlantic Division slots and/or make it past Round 1. However, as they’ve still got a ways to go and the presumption is they’ll get eliminated eventually, the team’s top priority must have more of an impact on seasons beyond this one. The Habs may no longer be “rebuilding,” but they’re still building towards something, and that means ensuring the proper pieces are in place.

1) Extend Lane Hutson

Because it’s effectively “playoffs or bust” it’s not as much of a priority to trade pending unrestricted free agents as it has been in the past. In fact, in the cases of Patrik Laine and Mike Matheson, one could argue the Canadiens should actually keep them in the fold in anticipation of a playoff finish, when other teams in their position should consider trading for them to add to their depth.

Even if the Canadiens decide not to trade either player, re-signing them is a different story altogether. The Habs may determine Laine is no longer needed, with Demidov having pushed him down the depth chart. Matheson might feel as though he’ll get more playing time elsewhere on his own. So, Hughes should turn his attention more on his pending restricted free agents, including the newly acquired Zachary Bolduc and Dach and Xhekaj above. While re-signing them each must be explored with varying degrees of criticality, upon ascertaining how well they fit in the organization (under different circumstances in each situation), it’s clear defenseman Lane Hutson does, fresh off his Calder Memorial Trophy win. So, extending him, which could have happened as early as July 1, must be a priority and arguably the top one at that based on how he figures into the Habs’ future.

This coming season is a big one as it should serve as a stepping stone. That means though that the best is probably yet to come, as long as the core, which clearly comprises Hutson, sticks together. There is probably a school of thought out there that the Canadiens could stand to wait it out in case Hutson struggles as a sophomore, which could conceivably bring down his eventual cap hit. However, in a world in which players like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky have each gotten hefty raises right out of their entry-level deals, it’s almost a certainty Hughes has similar plans for Hutson, when the latter (Slafkovsky) has arguably failed to break out to the same extent.

It’s not about being trigger-happy in Hughes’ case. It’s about pulling the trigger strategically (when Dach didn’t exactly get a vote of confidence of the same magnitude upon being acquired in 2022 as a pending RFA). Dach still obviously has a lot to prove, as argued earlier. It’s hard to imagine Hutson being able to prove more than he already has. He certainly could regress statistically, but he’s also a player on whom the Canadiens clearly had few reservations relying last season and into the playoffs. He’s repaid the faith they’ve shown in him with stellar, award-winning play. It’s their turn again… and it must absolutely come this coming season before he can become the target of an offer sheet.