These Canadiens might not be back in Montreal next season.
The NHL off-season always brings some changes to teams' rosters around the league. The Montreal Canadiens will have some decisions to make with their group after a very successful 2025-26 season.
There is a good chance that some players from the Canadiens' current roster won't be back next season. Due to this, let's take a look at a few Canadiens players who might not be back in Montreal in 2026-27.
Patrik Laine
Patrik Laine is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) the Canadiens are likely to move on from this off-season. Besides being limited to only five games this season due to injury, he would simply no longer be a fit for Montreal's top six if brought back, and he wouldn't work in Montreal's bottom six. Due to this, expect Laine to play elsewhere next season.
Samuel Montembeault
It would be surprising if the Canadiens do not move on from Samuel Montembeault this off-season. Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler have both passed him on their depth chart, and the Canadiens should be looking to free up cap space by trading Montembeault.
Joe Veleno
It will be interesting to see what the Canadiens do with pending restricted free agent (RFA) Joe Veleno. The 26-year-old struggled this season for the Habs, posting just two goals and three assists in 61 games. He could be brought back on a cheap one-year deal as a depth forward, but it would also be understandable if they looked to find an upgrade over him for their bottom six.
Sammy Blais
Sammy Blais is another depth forward who could not be back next season. The 29-year-old forward spent the majority of this season with the Laval Rocket after being reclaimed by the Canadiens off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The pending UFA had two goals, five points, and 50 hits in 13 games for Montreal this season. Overall, he was decent when called upon, but it would be understandable if he looked to sign elsewhere for the chance of more consistent NHL time.