The NHL may be looking at the next potential powerhouse in the league, as the Montreal Canadiens have ascended from potential playoff darling to true contender after reaching the Eastern Conference final with a young core of developing talent.

Nick Suzuki, Noah Dobson, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson, and Ivan Demidov were all 26 or younger last season, with the latter three being 22 or younger. 

The Canadiens are here to stay, and their prospect pool still has plenty of intriguing talent that should add even more firepower to their NHL lineup. Their prospect pool is still quite strong, and they should be a strong pipeline so long as they keep drafting well, as they did this year. 

In our annual series, Tony Ferrari's digging into each team's top prospects, the strengths and weaknesses of its pipeline, an overview of its latest draft class and positional depth chart, and who could be next in line for an NHL chance.

Aside from some exceptions, a player who no longer holds NHL rookie eligibility is considered graduated and no longer a prospect for the purposes of these exercises.

That means the Canadiens are next in our prospect pool overview series.

Montreal’s prospects are impressive, especially considering the depth of young talent already on the NHL roster. By the end of the season, the Habs could have nearly half of their lineup composed of players 23 or younger. Even after some of those young players step into the NHL, they will have some of the most intriguing prospects in their pipeline around the league, especially among the contending teams. 

Michael Hage decided to go back to the University of Michigan for one more season. The highly skilled and play-driving forward is going to be one of college hockey’s best and could walk away with a Hobey Baker as well as a deep run in the college hockey playoffs. Hage is simply the kind of player that leverages his speed, skill, and offensive intuition into making those around him better. He is an elevator for anyone who plays with him. He should step into the NHL when the college hockey season ends, even if it’s straight into potential playoff games. 

After playing in a handful of NHL games in each of the last couple of seasons, it might be time to give Owen Beck an extended look in the bottom six. His pace and skating have been the two factors limiting his effectiveness at times, but he showed growth in those areas last year. He plays a responsible two-way game and seems to have an excellent mind for tactical play with the puck. Beck is a hard-working, intelligent center who could help fill out the Habs' bottom six, giving them the depth that they need. 

When the Canadiens took Alexander Zharovsky 34th overall in the 2025 NHL draft, they were betting on some of the most unteachable, undeniable skill of any player in the draft class. Zharovsky is a truly fascinating player to watch because he can dangle in a phone booth, manipulate defenders into giving him the look he wants, and create chances offensively. He had 42 points in 56 games in the KHL last season, not turning 19 until this past February. He’s shown that he can be borderline dominant with the puck on his stick against men in one of the world’s best leagues. 

Montreal nabbed another of the 2025 NHL draft’s most interesting talents in L.J. Mooney. He is undersized without a doubt, but his skill level is off the charts, and his ability to generate scoring chances was unmatched on the NTDP in his draft year. The slick playmaking winger put up 30 points in 34 games for the University of Minnesota as a freshman. Despite standing just 5-foot-8, Mooney is the kind of player who attacks the middle of the ice both as a passer and as a puck carrier. 

Florian Xhekaj, the younger brother of Habs defender Arber Xhekaj, is one of the most unique forwards in the system. He is a net-front presence who has shown excellent hands and tactics around the net. He isn’t much of a play driver, but he brings some bottom-six tools and habits, physicality, and effort while also having the potential as a secondary power-play net-front option. He has a very specific role but a potential role nonetheless. 

Although he has dealt with some injuries since coming to North America, when David Reinbacher has been on the ice, the defender has been everything Montreal wanted when they drafted him. His size and mobility are excellent tools that he leverages in the defensive zone. His ability to move the puck continues to improve and should give him a solid base as a passer on the breakout. Reinbacher looks like he could jump into the NHL this year.

This past season, we saw Swedish blueliner Adam Engstrom get into 15 games and look decent but a bit overwhelmed at times. He’s been excellent at the AHL level the past two seasons, putting his puck-moving in transition and offensive zone passing on full display. He’s a very solid two-way player who will start the year in the AHL once again, but don’t be surprised to see the 6-foot-2 defender in the NHL at some point this season. 

Last season was historic for Bryce Pickford. The Medicine Hat captain had 45 goals and 83 points as a defenseman in the WHL. Simply put, the 20-year-old was a machine. His shot is dangerous, and he was more than happy to use it from all over the offensive zone. His defensive game has improved over the last couple of years as well. Pickford is a bit of a unique player in that he is a lethal goal scorer from the back end, but the rest of his game will have to take a step or two to reach the NHL. At a minimum, he will be one of the most interesting players in the Habs system to track over the next few years. 

When the Canadiens drafted Bogdan Konyushkov as an overage defender, he was coming off a very strong season in the KHL. Now, they’ve signed the Russian blueliner to his ELC before loaning him back to the KHL for this upcoming season. The time for Konyushkov to come over to North America is getting closer. Now 23, Konyushkov could reasonably come over at the end of the KHL season. The key to his development will be how he handles the North American style of play as he enters the prime ages of his career. 

Jacob Fowler found his way into 17 games last year in the NHL, and this year, he should reasonably play nearly double that if things work out the way the Canadiens hope. Fowler isn’t just a technically sound goaltender with impressive mobility around the crease; he’s also a proven winner. He’s been a champion in the USHL, the world juniors, and a Hockey East champion in the NCAA. He’s won both the USHL and NCAA goalie of the year awards. 

Simply put, Fowler has found a way to be the best netminder in just about every league he’s played in. The Habs are hoping he can even come close to that when he breaks into the NHL full-time, forming one of the league's most impressive young tandems with Jakub Dobes. 

Ivan Demidov (RW/LW), Jacob Fowler (G), Juraj Slafkovsky (RW/LW), Lane Hutson (D), Oliver Kapanen (C), David Reinbacher (D), Owen Beck (C/W), Michael Hage (C/W)

Round 1, 26th overall - Gleb Pugachyov, RW, Nizhny Novgorod  (Rus.)

Round 2, 57th overall - Tim Runtso, D, Victoria (WHL)

Round 3, 93rd overall - Cooper Cleaves, D, Dartmouth (NCAA)

Round 4, 117th overall - Brayden Klimpke, D, Saskatoon (WHL)

Round 6, 189th overall - Parker Trottier, LW, U.S. National Development Team (USHL)

Round 6, 190th overall - Wesley Royston, RW, Owen Sound (OHL)

Round 7, 221st overall - Jean-Samuel Daigneault, D, Muskegon (USHL)

Round 7, 224th overall - Tyler Deakos, RW, Waterloo (USHL)

Over the last few years, the Montreal Canadiens have taken swings at high-end talent in the draft, particularly out of Russia. Players like Ivan Demidov and Zharovsky are excellent examples of that. Montreal went back to Russia this year, taking Gleb Pugachyov, and while he certainly has skill, his game is built on speed, physicality, and all-out effort. 

Pugachyov is a missile on the ice, looking to throw his body at anyone that comes near the puck at times. He’s one of the most effective physical players in the class, striking at the right time and rarely taking himself out of the play to do so. His offensive game is raw and tantalizing because there are moments that can absolutely wow you. His shot is good, and he can make passes in transition to advance play. He will add an element to the Habs lineup that will be both entertaining for fans and welcomed by his fellow players. 

Montreal drafted overage defender Timfei Runtso. The puck mover jumped from the NAHL to the WHL last season, seamlessly adjusting and bringing some impressive puck-moving ability. He lacks a physical edge at times, and he is quite raw for an overager. Runtso is an interesting swing on a player who has some really nice tools while still needing to put them together. 

Cooper Cleaves made it back-to-back overage defensemen for Montreal, but he’s almost the polar opposite. Playing at Dartmouth College in the NCAA, Cleaves is a physical defender who isn’t much of a puck mover. The Habs are looking at Cleaves as a potential depth defender who can play a solid defensive game as they’ve loaded up on puck movers. 

Brayden Klimpke is a defender the Habs are banking on as a capable two-way defenseman, despite being a bit undersized and concerns about whether his high-energy, hard-working style will translate to the pro level at his size. He’s a player who is giving it his all on every shift and plays bigger than he is because of his relentless mindset.

One of the best dark-horse picks off of this year’s NTDP squad is Parker Trottier. He’s a versatile forward who is a capable bottom-six presence as a two-way forward and a smart offensive thinker who could fill in on the second line if needed. He’s a bit of a long-term development project because while playing for the NTDP, he was often playing less than he would have on a USHL squad, which means there could be more offensive skill than we’ve seen. 

Wesley Royston is one of the most up-and-down prospects in this class. His insane speed, heavy shot, and physicality are impressive on face value. But he doesn’t put them together consistently enough, and he is often unimpactful because of that. The Habs are betting on a few incredible tools late in the draft. 

If you like violent hockey, you’ll like Jean-Samuel Daigneault. He played a third-pair role for Muskegon in the USHL for much of the year, but that didn’t stop him from leaving an imprint on his opponents – and often an imprint in the shape of his opponents on the boards. Daigneault is one of the most physical players in the draft, crushing guys all over the ice. 

Tyler Deakos was a flash in the pan this year. With a very good shot and some physicality that makes him even more intriguing, Deakos is a nice swing late in the draft. He started the year in the AJHL before moving to the USHL, where he put up 17 points in 19 games before his season ended in January. If he had kept his play up without an interruption due to injury, we could have potentially seen Deakos go a couple of rounds early at least.

You could talk about center as a strength because they have their best current prospect, Hage, and another promising prospect, Beck, both of whom are centers, while they have some others on the way. You could say right wing because they have so many highly intriguing players at the position, including Pugachyov, their top draft pick from this year. 

The reality is that the Canadiens' prospect pool is strong overall, but the depth of interesting defenders is incredibly impressive. Engstrom and Reinbacher should play games this year. Pickford is one of the most intriguing boom-or-bust prospects in the game, and Konyushkov isn’t far behind. Add in depth prospects like Owen Protz, Luke Mittelstadt, and Carlos Handel, among others, and the Habs blueline looks like it will have plenty of options moving forward. 

The Habs don’t have a glaring weakness. On face value, the left wing is probably the weakest area, but they have centers who might end up on the wing, although most of them are right-handed and will likely end up on the right side. Florian Xhekaj has developed into quite the interesting prospect. Trottier was playing a depth role on the NTDP, so there might be a bit more to give if given more opportunity. Logan Sawyer has been quietly playing some really solid hockey in the NCAA. Even though the Habs have limited prospects at left wing, they have some interesting ones. 

With so many high-flying, high-caliber prospects in their system, a player like Koivu falls out of the spotlight, and the potential for him to be a steady bottom-six center in the NHL one day is seldom spoken of. Koivu isn’t going to be his father, Montreal legend Saku Koivu, but he could be a nice piece for the current generation of Habs teams as they look to fill their team out with a variety of talents and skill sets. Keep an eye on Koivu, even if his offensive counting stats aren’t necessarily blowing the doors off. 

The Montreal Canadiens leaned on Fowler at times last year when their goalie situation became a bit hazy. Fowler is one of the top goalie prospects in the world, but Montreal isn’t in a rush to get him into the lineup because Jakub Dobes was fantastic for them for the majority of the season.

They would ideally trade veteran netminder Sam Montembault and then have Fowler work in tandem with Dobes, but running three goalies as they did toward the end of last year is less than ideal. If Fowler doesn’t start the year in the NHL, he will be getting the vast majority of AHL starts and likely find his way into the NHL by the trade deadline. 

With Reinbacher, the Habs would love to have the 2023 fifth overall pick in the lineup this season. He would have been in the lineup toward the end of last season had he not dealt with injury. The Habs need a defensive-minded stopper who can help fill the defensive gaps for their high-octane defenders and offensive puck movers. If they can get Reinbacher in the lineup for the majority of the season, it would be a big boost to their lineup. 

LW: Florian Xhekaj, Parker Trottier, Logan Sawyer

C: Michael Hage, Owen Beck, Aatos Koivu, Hayden Paupanekis, Ben Merrill

RW: Gleb Pugachyov, Alexander Zharovsky, LJ Mooney, Filip Mesar, Tyler Thorpe, Vinzenz Rohrer

LD: Adam Engstrom, Owen Protz, Brayden Klimpke, Luke Mittelstadt, Rasmus Bergqvist

RD: David Reinbacher, Bryce Pickford, Bogdan Konyushkov, Timofei Runtso, Cooper Cleaves, Carlos Handel

G: Jacob Fowler, Yevgeni Volokhin, Alexis Cournoyer, Quentin Miller, Arseni Radkov

For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of The Hockey News in print.

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