Eyes On The Prize
Home ice of Carey Price
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Saturday Habs Headlines: Options running out for off-season improvements
Montreal Canadiens news and notes The pool of players that could have helped the Canadiens in 2026-27 is quickly drying up. [ La Presse ] Not only is Montreal’s core locked up long-term, but there are staggered expiration dates of their contracts, and flexible no-trade clauses to work with. [ Journal de Montreal ] Michael Hage is showing the character that the Canadiens organization is always mentioning by wanting to bring everything he can to Michigan after an injury spoiled ...
Grading Aatos Koivu’s 2025-26 season
This is probably the toughest grade article to write this year, not due to Aatos Koivu’s performance in itself, but because TPS Turku has been in shambles, on and off the ice. The Liiga club and Rasmus Bergqvist’s Skellefteå, saw similar experiences for their Montreal Canadiens prospects, but are still poles apart. One team is arguably Scandinavia’s, and Europe’s, top team, the other is at the other end of the spectrum. Coach Toni Söderholm tried to implement a completely new system. Aato...
Friday Habs Headlines: Alexander Zharovsky wants to “arrive ready” for 2027-28 debut
Montreal Canadiens news and notes Alexander Zharovsky wants to “arrive ready” when his KHL contract expires at the end of this upcoming season. [ RDS ] Kent Hughes’s core values have shaped the Canadiens’ remarkable salary structure. [ Montreal Gazette ] Hughes is managing a fine balancing act for the moment. [ Radio-Canada ] Jakub Dobeš addresses the media after his three-year contract extension. [ Montreal Canadiens (Video) ] Dobeš has bought himself peace of mind....
Montreal Canadiens sign Jakub Dobeš to three-year contract extension
One day after locking in Ivan Demidov, the Montreal Canadiens have signed goaltender Jakub Dobeš to a three-year contract extension. Les Canadiens s'entendent sur les termes d’une prolongation de contrat de trois saisons (2027-2028 à 2029-2030) avec le gardien Jakub Dobes. The Canadiens have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension (2027-28 to 2029-30) with goalie Jakub Dobes. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/Sa8xdANqt6 — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 2, 2026 T...
Grading Rasmus Bergqvist’s 2025-26 season
Rasmus Bergqvist is a Swedish champion. Skelelfteå completed the double, winning the league and then cruising through the playoffs to grab the Le Mat Trophy with both hands, and it is difficult to see another team taking it away from them when looking at the upcoming season. The good thing is that Bergqvist played 40 games in SHL, with an average time on ice of 11:02. He was used as a sixth and seventh defenceman throughout the season and was sat for some games. In order for him to get mo...
Thursday Habs Headlines: Deepening the prospect pool
Montreal Canadiens news and notes The eight players selected at this year’s NHL Draft are joining an already impressive prospect pool. [ Montreal Gazette ] Michael Hage decided to return to the University of Michigan for a third year but might reconsider and make the jump to the pros. [ Journal de Montreal ] The Habs first-round pick Gleb Pugachyov was unable to obtain a visa in time to attend development camp. [ Montreal Gazette ] Ivan Demidov’s eight-year cont...
Ivan Demidov signs eight-year contract extension with Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens wasted no time signing Ivan Demidov to a contract extension ahead of the final season of his entry-level deal. On July 1, the first day he was eligible, Demidov was signed for the maximum of eight additional years, on a contract that carries a $9.15 million average annual value, making him the highest-paid forward on the team. Ivan Demidov. 9 seasons. Montreal Canadiens. He is staying. Ivan Demidov has agreed to terms on an 8-year extension at $9.125M AAV. #GoHabsGo...
Samuel Poulin, Ethan Samson signed to two-way contracts by the Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens have been busy on the opening day of free agency filling out the Laval Rocket roster. The organization agreed to two-way deals with forward Samuel Poulin and defenceman Ethan Samson. Les Canadiens s'entendent sur les termes de contrats d’une saison à deux volets avec l’attaquant Samuel Poulin et le défenseur Ethan Samson. The Canadiens have agreed to terms on one-year, two-way contracts with forward Samuel Poulin and defenseman Ethan Samson. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/hizNWRx...
Kaapo Kähkönen signs one-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens
In addition to signing Alex Belzile, the Montreal Canadiens have reached a deal with goaltender Kaapo Kähkönen on a one-year contract extension. Les Canadiens s'entendent sur les termes de contrats d’une saison avec l’attaquant Alex Belzile et le gardien Kaapo Kahkonen. The Canadiens have agreed to terms on one-year contracts with forward Alex Belzile and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/9lU0xP8Tza — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 1, 2026 Like Belzi...
Alex Belzile signs one-year, two-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens have made a move to keep a veteran on the AHL team in Laval. Alex Belzile has re-signed on a one-year contract. Alex Belzile 1 X $850 000 (2 way) @CanadiensMTL @TVASports — Renaud Lavoie (@RLavoieTVA) July 1, 2026 Belzile spent several years in the Canadiens organization before signing with the New York Rangers hoping for an NHL opportunity in 2023-24. After two years spent entirely with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, he was brought back to Montreal l...
2026 NHL Free Agency: Discussion thread & verified insiders list
Photo credit: Zach Werenski by All-Pro Reels | flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 The official start of a new season on July 1 is typically a time when teams sign players whose contracts have just expired, trying to set themselves up for a run to the post-season. This time, it’s less about the players who need new contracts, a class that doesn’t include many big names, and more about potential trades, with some of the game’s elite talent being mentioned in rumours. One of those players is reignin...
Wednesday Habs Headlines: Biding one’s time
Photo credit: Montreal Canadiens rink by Pierre Le Roux | flickr | PDM 1.0 Montreal Canadiens news and notes If you’re hoping for a big splash, we regret to inform you Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes won’t be making one in the unrestricted free-agent pool. [ Sportsnet ] Nine potential targets for the CH. [ La Presse ] Brendan Gallagher was never supposed to mean this much to Montreal. [ HabsWorld | RDS ] Gleb Pugachyov said Montreal tested hi...
Grading Filip Eriksson’s 2025-26 season
Filip Eriksson started the season with a bang: a three-goal, four-point game, and then a three-assist performance in the second game of the season. With seven points in two games, it looked like an incredible season was about to happen. The problem was that Luleå didn’t play up to its usual level and ended up in the bottom half of the SHL. North American players who sat out the start of the season for tax reasons making their way into the lineup along with a short-term signing of Linus Om...
Tuesday Habs Headlines: End of an Era
Montreal Canadiens News and Notes The Habs trade Brendan Gallagher to the Canucks for future considerations. [ TSN | Canadiens | Montreal Gazette | Radio-Canada | CBC | TVA Sports | The Athletic ] Gallagher is thankful for the time he’s had in Montreal, and for the way the Habs handled his departure. [ TVA Sports | The Athletic | La Presse ] With Gallagher officially headed to Vancouver, the impact he has had on his teammates, the organization, and the fans can be clearly seen...
Montreal Canadiens announce 2026 development camp roster, schedule
While there isn’t a star-studded roster like there has been in past years there is plenty of intrigue at Montreal Canadiens development camp, which gets underway on Tuesday with on-ice sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. Thirty-seven players have been invited, including top prospects Michael Hage, Alexander Zharovsky, and 2026 first-round pick Gleb Pugachyov. The team also announced qualifying offers to eight players: Brett Berard, Zachary Bolduc, Kirby Dach, Jared Davidson, Sean Far...
Montreal Canadiens trade Brendan Gallagher to Vancouver Canucks
After essentially publicly announcing his time with the Montreal Canadiens was done at the team’s locker clear out, Brendan Gallagher’s time with the organization came to an expected end on Monday, when he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks for future considerations. Les Canadiens ont échangé l’attaquant Brendan Gallagher aux Canucks de Vancouver en retour de considérations futures. The Canadiens have traded forward Brendan Gallagher to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for future cons...
Montreal Canadiens acquire Maksymilian Szuber from Utah for Joshua Roy
For the third time this off-season, the Montreal Canadiens have traded a mainstay on the Laval Rocket roster. This time, it was Joshua Roy traded to the Utah Mammoth in return for defenceman Maksymilian Szuber. Les Canadiens font l'acquisition du défenseur Maksymilian Szuber de Mammoth de l'Utah en échange de l'attaquant Joshua Roy. The Canadiens have acquired defenseman Maksymilian Szuber from the Utah Mammoth in exchange for forward Joshua Roy. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/xr795yfME1 &md...
Grading Yevgeni Volokhin’s 2025-26 season
Yevgeni Volokhin should have emerged from the shadows with the season that he had, but again it seems he will be held out of the limelight next year as well, considering that all eyes in Montreal will be firmly on Alexander Zharovsky and latest first-round pick Gleb Pugachyov. However, the fact is that Volokhin’s season was outrageous, with 12 clean sheets in the VHL, three of them in the playoffs. He finished second in shutouts, first in save percentage, and third in goals-against average (be...
Monday Habs Headlines: Attention shifts to trade market
Montreal Canadiens news and notes With other teams getting wise to Montreal’s advantage on Russian prospects, the organization has had to get stealthier in its scouting, not even speaking with Gleb Pugachyov until just before the draft to keep people off the trail of a player they watched for over a year. [ The Athletic ] Around the league and elsewhere The top players available in free agency. [ NHL.com ] There may not be many stars on expiring contracts, but there i...
Grading the Montreal Canadiens’ 2026 NHL Draft class
Gleb Pugachyov 26th overall | Chaika Nizhny Novgorod, W, 6’3″ 224 lbs. Grade: A I like that the Montreal Canadiens traded up and got a player they wanted and didn’t think would be there two picks later. This pick is addressing an organizational need: a big, physical player who can take up the reins from Josh Anderson down the line. When it comes to Gleb Pugachyov, there is a lot to like with him. What stands out to me is the fact that he isn’t a player that necessarily gets you ...
Getting to know Montreal Canadiens 190th overall pick Wesley Royston
The second of back-to-back picks in the sixth round saw the Montreal Canadiens take OHL forward Wesley Royston with the 190th overall pick. Birthplace: Oro-Medonte, ON, Canada Date of birth: November 22, 2007 Shoots: Right Position: Right Wing Height: 6’4″ Weight: 190 lbs. Team: Owen Sound Attack (OHL) Royston was in his first year of draft eligibility and just finished his third season in the OHL after being traded from the Erie Otters to the Owen Sound Attack. He had a small...
Sunday Habs Headlines: Gleb Pugachyov hopes to make it to development camp
Montreal Canadiens news and notes Gleb Pugachyov hopes his paperwork is in order in time to join Ivan Demidov and Alexander Zharovsky when the Canadiens’ development camp begins next week. [ Journal de Montreal ] Pugachyov’s media availability, in which he helpfully explains to everyone how to pronounce his name. [ Canadiens.com ] Timofei Runtso said that the Canadiens had been checking in with him for months leading up to the draft. [ Journal de Montreal ] Cooper Cleaves...
Getting to know Montreal Canadiens 189th overall pick Parker Trottier
Dipping their toes into the elite bloodline pool in the sixth round, the Montreal Canadiens selected the grandson of Hall-of-Famer and six-time Stanley Cup champion Bryan Trottier. Parker Trottier may not be coming to the NHL with the pedigree of his legendary grandfather, but being a sixth-round pick likely alleviates much of the pressure that can come with having to wear that name on his back. Currently a member of the US Development Program, and committed to join the University of Notr...
Getting to know Montreal Canadiens 117th overall pick Brayden Klimpke
The third defender taken in a row by the Montreal Canadiens was the first first-year eligible player they took on the second day of the 2026 NHL Draft. Brayden Klimpke doesn’t have one skill that makes you take notice, rather it is the combination of everything he does, his compete level, and his consistency that makes him an intriguing prospect. Birthplace: Calgary, AB, Canada Date of birth: October 8, 2007 Shoots: Left Position: Defence Height: 6’0” Weight:...
Getting to know Montreal Canadiens 93rd overall pick Cooper Cleaves
It’s not every day that a team can draft someone that they had at their development camp, but that is exactly what the Montreal Canadiens did when they drafted defender Cooper Cleaves. Cleaves was an invite at last year’s development camp, and clearly made an impression before spending last season at Dartmouth College. He is in his third year of draft eligibility, and wasn’t seen by many as a potential draft target. The Canadiens have liked going the overage route when drafting players in...
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