Montreal enters 2026-27 with a conference-final run in the rear-view mirror and a tougher question straight ahead: can its young core turn one spring surge into the start of a regular playoff habit? The Canadiens went 48-24-10 last season, finished third in the Atlantic Division and reached the Eastern Conference Final. Martin St. Louis begins his sixth year behind the bench with expectations climbing around a club that opens the NHL regular season Sept. 29.
Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky remain the engine of the attack, giving Montreal a first unit that can match up with almost anyone. The work now is finding enough scoring behind them, particularly at second-line center. Oliver Kapanen posted 22 goals, third among NHL rookies, but managed only four over his final 25 games and appeared in seven of Montreal’s 19 playoff contests. Jake Evans handled that assignment during the postseason and produced two goals and eight assists in 19 games, though his longer-term fit may be in a defensive role.
Kirby Dach is another candidate if he can finally get a clean run physically. The 25-year-old was held to 37 games by a broken foot and an upper-body injury, yet he was productive in the playoffs, averaging 1.40 five-on-five goals per 60 minutes. That ranked second among Canadiens forwards who played at least seven postseason games. Whoever wins the middle-six job will need to take some of the finishing burden away from Suzuki’s line.
A deeper young core and a changing crease
The Canadiens have assembled a group that looks capable of staying in the race for years, led by Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov up front, with Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson and Kaiden Guhle on the blue line. Their ability to handle heightened pressure in what could be hockey’s most demanding division will go a long way toward deciding whether last season becomes a launching point.
Jakub Dobes is positioned to carry the largest responsibility. The 25-year-old displaced Sam Montembeault as Montreal’s primary goaltender last season, then started all 19 games in the playoff run. He signed a three-year deal on July 2 that takes effect this season, and the club will be looking for him to establish himself over a full 84-game schedule.
Jacob Fowler gives Montreal another compelling option in net. In his first NHL action last season, the 21-year-old went 9-6-2 with a 2.43 goals-against average, a .908 save percentage and one shutout. He allowed no more than two goals in 10 of his 17 starts and posted a .917 save percentage at even strength. Fowler backed up Dobes during the trip to the conference final and is expected to press for a larger share of starts.
Montembeault remains in the organization and could serve as the NHL backup while Fowler gets a heavier workload with Laval. But Montreal has a ready alternative should Dobes’ form slip or injury intervene. Fowler’s mid-range save percentage of .911 rated in the 88th percentile last season, and his development suggests the Canadiens could eventually have an effective tandem rather than a question mark in the crease.
On defense, David Reinbacher is the internal addition with the clearest chance to alter the roster. Taken fifth overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, the 21-year-old played the final two regular-season games of 2025-26 for his NHL debut. A hand injury suffered in a preseason game cost him Laval’s first eight games last season, but he recovered to record five goals, 19 assists and a plus-18 rating in 57 AHL outings. At 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds, Reinbacher has the skating and decision-making to challenge for a regular top-six job if his health holds.
Owen Beck is another player worth watching once camp opens. The 22-year-old has spent most of the past two seasons in Laval, where he collected 13 goals and 20 assists in 58 games last year before adding three goals and two assists in five Calder Cup playoff appearances. His NHL sample is limited to one goal and one assist across 28 games, but his awareness, positional flexibility and ability to work on either special-teams unit could make him useful anywhere in the lineup.
Projected Montreal lineup
- Cole Caufield — Nick Suzuki — Juraj Slafkovsky
- Alex Newhook — Oliver Kapanen — Ivan Demidov
- Alexandre Texier — Phillip Danault — Josh Anderson
- Zachary Bolduc — Jake Evans — Kirby Dach
- Mike Matheson — Noah Dobson
- Lane Hutson — Kaiden Guhle
- Jayden Struble — Alexandre Carrier
- Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler
The Canadiens have already shown they can survive the intensity of a long postseason. The next step is more difficult: building enough secondary offense, stability in goal and blue-line depth to make that standard, rather than a one-year breakthrough.
