Montreal Canadiens: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Arber Xhekaj’s Contract: His Agent Isn’t Giving Anything Away

It's early September, training camp starts at the end of the month, and two key players are still without contracts. You know exactly who I'm talking about; do I need to say it again?

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The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

Grant McCagg: 'If Hughes didn’t make a trade, it’s because he believes in Kapanen as the second-line center.'

The golf tournament and the rookie tournament are coming up, and hockey is finally in the air in Montreal. Barring a major turnaround, the Habs will head into training camp without a true top-6 center in the NHL.

Montreal Canadiens News / A Winning Habit / September 2

3 Canadiens NCAA prospects fans need to keep an eye on

For most Montreal Canadiens fans, the first time they are introduced to a new prospect is on draft night. It used to be much easier to keep tabs on prospects when most of the best players played in the CHL, but with many electing to play in Europe or the NCAA, it has become much harder to track their progress.

Ivan Demidov News / Professor Press Box / September 2

Ivan Demidov Has a Big Future. Now Comes the Hard Part

Ivan Demidov has been getting a lot of attention in Montreal since the day the Canadiens drafted him. That isn't going away anytime soon. Now Kris Letang has thrown a little more gasoline on the fire, suggesting that if everything goes right, Demidov could be close to a top-five player in the league within three years.

San Jose Sharks News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The ''EA NHL,'' covers since 2000' quiz

How many of the players to grace the cover of each EA NHL video game going back to 'NHL 2000?"

The 'First-overall NHL Draft picks' quiz

The 'Conn Smythe Trophy winners' quiz

The 'Most NHL goals all-time' quiz

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / September 2

One-third of NHL players: Dobson on par with Slafkovsky

This morning, The Athletic published a ranking that's sure to get people talking. The list ranked players in order of importance: MVP, franchise players, stars, and role players.

NHL News / Yardbarker

The best and worst NHL free agency deals since 2000

The NHL has had an interesting new millennium. It was a league sans a salary cap when the 2000s started… and then the owners locked the players out for an entire season.

Montreal Canadiens News / NHL Trade Talk / September 2

Canadiens Insider Believes Montreal Is Building a Real Case to Land 30-Goal Scorer

He’s been linked to more than one team this summer, but speculation connecting Kirill Marchenko to the Montreal Canadiens isn’t going away. The latest report comes from podcast host Tony Marinaro and insider Jimmy Murphy, both of whom think it has real substance.

Owen Beck News / Professor Press Box / September 2

Owen Beck Might Be Better Than Anyone Is Expecting

Owen Beck seems to have quietly fallen into that dangerous category of hockey prospect: the guy people have started writing off before he's really been given much of a chance.

Kent Hughes News / Dose.ca / September 2

Message to Kent Hughes: It’s possible to land a top-6 forward in September

Since the start of the summer, the CH has been unable to sign a top-6 forward. We suspect this is the club's number-one priority, but no acquisition has been made so far.

Kirill Marchenko News / Dose.ca / September 2

Kirill Marchenko in Montreal: 'There’s a good chance it will happen'

Since the start of the offseason, there has been speculation about whether Kirill Marchenko will be traded. It's clear that the more time passes, the more it works against the Blue Jackets.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Sick Podcast / September 2

Montreal Canadiens Top 10 Prospects: #10-#9

The Montreal Canadiens have seen many of their top prospects graduate to the NHL over the past few seasons. Despite this, the Canadiens still have a very solid prospect group. In the next few days, I’ll discuss my top 10 prospects in the Montreal Canadiens organization.

Patrik Laine News / Dose.ca / September 2

Patrik Laine in Ottawa: The Senators Have Been Talking About It

It's September. Patrik Laine still hasn't signed a contract. At this point, with training camps fast approaching, it's becoming increasingly likely that the former Canadiens player will sign a tryout contract with an NHL team for training camp.

NHL News / Yardbarker

The defining figure for every NHL franchise

People will talk about the “Mount Rushmore” for a franchise, which is to say the four people, usually four players, that most define the franchise. Not always the four-best players, but the four that evoke the essence of the franchise.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Sick Podcast / September 2

Montreal Canadiens: The Center of Attention

It has been a remarkably quiet summer in Montreal when it comes to the Canadiens. Aside from extending two young players who still had a year remaining on their contracts, Kent Hughes has been unable, or perhaps unwilling to pay the asking price, to pull the trigger on a deal to address some of the team’s biggest needs.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / September 2

Canadiens’ Bolduc and Xhekaj Contract Talks Fuel Speculation as Camp Nears

The Montreal Canadiens are getting closer to the start of training camp, but there is still some business for general manager Kent Hughes to take care of.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'Multiple 3-HR games in a season' quiz

The 'Season sack leaders by team' quiz

The 'Last 3-HR game by MLB team' quiz

The 'FBS college football nicknames' quiz

Carey Price News / Dose.ca / September 2

Here’s why Carey Price won’t play in the Canadiens alumni game in Winnipeg

Angela Price is always entertaining to follow on social media. After all, you never really know what she'll decide to reveal. I don't know if the Canadiens' PR team would also use the word “entertaining” to describe her… but anyway.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / September 2

'Derek Lalonde would never have been hired without Martin St-Louis’s approval.'

As we know, the CH hasn't made many moves this summer. The club hasn't signed any NHL-caliber players… and its only real acquisition, in fact, came from behind the bench.

Brendan Gallagher News / Dose.ca / September 1

Brendan Gallagher Explains Why the Canadiens’ Rebuild Worked

In recent years, the Canadiens have been rebuilding. The team hit rock bottom for a few years after reaching the finals in 2021, and that allowed them to draft some talented young players.

Juraj Slafkovsky News / Dose.ca / September 1

Slafkovsky Will Be the Habs’ Top Scorer This Season: Anthony Marcotte’s Prediction

The start of the Canadiens' training camp is just around the corner, but while waiting for the action to begin, members of the media often take the opportunity to make predictions for the upcoming season.

Arber Xhekaj News / Dose.ca / September 1

It would be understandable if Arber Xhekaj wanted to leave

Arber Xhekaj finds himself in a somewhat precarious situation. He still hasn't signed his contract for next season, and the Canadiens' training camp is set to begin in just a few days.

Montreal Canadiens News / Trade Talk Sports / September 1

Kris Letang Has Sky-High Expectations for Canadiens’ Ivan Demidov

Ivan Demidov has had Montreal Canadiens fans buzzing from the moment he was drafted, and through his first 84 career games, he hasn’t let them down. The Russian winger was the runner-up to Matthew Schaefer for the Calder Trophy last season and flashed glimpses of greatness during Montreal’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / September 1

Montreal Canadiens’ 4 Most Electric Crowd Moments at the Bell Centre

Since it was opened back in 1996, the Bell Centre has made a name for itself as one of the most iconic arenas in the NHL. It boasts a maximum capacity of 21,273, making it the largest hockey arena on the planet.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / September 1

3 Canadiens’ Prospects Facing Make-or-Break Seasons

The Montreal Canadiens emerged from their rebuild with an appearance in the Eastern Conference Final last season. They also boast one of the deepest prospect pools in the sport, in what amounts to an enviable pairing of having their cake and eating it too.

Mike Matheson News / The Hockey Writers / September 1

Canadiens’ Veteran Mike Matheson Embraces Evolving Role

Watching Mike Matheson in public appearances, in warmups, even during the games, you immediately sense the calm and quiet poise of a man who understands exactly where he sits in the universe.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Lead / August 31

The Montreal Canadiens Can Expect More Stability in Net

The Montreal Canadiens had a successful season culminating in an Eastern Conference Final appearance. Before next season, several questions remain about Montreal’s goaltending.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Sick Podcast / August 31

Montreal Canadiens Top 10 Prospects: Honourable Mentions

The Montreal Canadiens have seen many of their top prospects graduate to the NHL over the past few seasons. Despite this, the Canadiens still have a very solid prospect group. In the next few days, I will be discussing my top 10 prospects within the Montreal Canadiens organization.

Montreal Canadiens News / Professor Press Box / August 30

The Canadiens Made It All the Way; Now What Do They Do With It?

Last year around this time, I wrote that Montreal felt like a team crossing a threshold — scarred in the right ways, finally aligned, with real help still coming.

Montreal Canadiens News / NHL Trade Talk / August 29

The Most Regretted Trades By The Montreal Canadiens

Since their founding in 1909, the Montreal Canadiens have been involved in several trades with teams across the NHL over multiple decades. There have been some high-profile players moved in and out of the team, with the Canadiens by far the most successful team in league history.