The Montreal Canadiens finalized their 23-man opening-night roster ahead of the NHL’s league deadline, trimming healthy players following the conclusion of pre-season split-squad games against the Ottawa Senators. The roster decisions were shaped by pre-season performances, injuries, and a few notable prospect assignments.
Roster Decisions Shaped by Pre-Season and Health
With the pre-season schedule concluding, the Canadiens faced a Monday deadline to reach the league-mandated 23-man limit. One major roster spot was decided automatically when defenceman Kaiden Guhle sustained an injury and was placed on injured reserve (IR). Meanwhile, Bryce Pickford and Lucas Condotta will also begin the season on injured lists while recovering from their respective surgeries and injuries, with both slated to join the Laval Rocket upon recovery.
Before submitting the final paperwork, the club made a series of cuts following a busy Saturday featuring split-squad action against Ottawa. Players assigned to waivers or relocated within the organization included several forwards, defencemen, and goaltenders as management finalized the opening lineup.
The Final Cut Breakdown
The Canadiens trimmed their healthy roster hopefuls across all positions, affecting a mix of veteran depth and young talent. Here is a look at the players who were placed on waivers or moved off the immediate NHL roster:
- Forwards (11): Owen Beck, Alex Belzile (placed on waivers), Dillan Bentley (AHL contract), Brett Berard (placed on waivers), Laurent Dauphin (AHL contract), Jared Davidson, Hunter McKown (placed on waivers), Filip Mešár, Sasha Pastujov (placed on waivers), Samuel Poulin (placed on waivers), and Tyler Thorpe.
- Defencemen (6): Luke Mittelstadt, Owen Protz, David Reinbacher, Ethan Samson (placed on waivers), Maksymilian Szuber (placed on waivers), and Reilly Walsh (placed on waivers).
- Goaltenders (2): Jacob Fowler and Kaapo Kähkönen (placed on waivers).
Among these moves, the omissions of David Reinbacher—who initially looked poised for immediate NHL action based on his early pre-season play—and goaltender Jacob Fowler, who started 17 games last season, stood out as the camp’s most significant surprises.
Surprise Standouts Who Earned Their Spots
While veterans and established pieces filled the bulk of the roster, two notable young prospects played their way into opening-night consideration. Adam Engström earned a spot that is expected to be temporary while Kaiden Guhle recovers from surgery, and Florian Xhekaj secured the 14th forward slot following a hard-working pre-season camp.
| Position | Player Count | Key Names |
|---|---|---|
| Forwards | 14 | Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovský, Kirby Dach, Florian Xhekaj |
| Defencemen | 7 | Mike Matheson, Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, Arber Xhekaj, Adam Engström |
| Goaltenders | 2 | Samuel Montembeault, Jakub Dobeš |
The Official 23-Man Lineup
Here is the complete breakdown of the 23 players carrying the Canadiens sweater into the new campaign:
Forwards (14): Josh Anderson (#17), Zachary Bolduc (#76), Cole Caufield (#13), Kirby Dach (#77), Phillip Danault (#24), Ivan Demidov (#93), Jake Evans (#71), Oliver Kapanen (#91), Chris Kreider (#22), Alex Newhook (#15), Juraj Slafkovský (#20), Nick Suzuki (#14), Alexandre Texier (#85), and Florian Xhekaj (#63), alongside Lucas Condotta (#82) who begins the year on IR.
Defencemen (7): Alexandre Carrier (#45), Noah Dobson (#53), Adam Engström (#42), Lane Hutson (#48), Mike Matheson (#8), Jayden Struble (#47), and Arber Xhekaj (#72). They are joined on the injured list by Kaiden Guhle (#21) and Bryce Pickford (#94).
Goaltenders (2): Jakub Dobeš (#75) and Samuel Montembeault (#35).
