In the final installment of the report cards for this season, we delve into the Montreal Canadiens' bottom-six performance.
The Montreal Canadiens had a fantastic season by all accounts. Martin St-Louis’ team went from a 16th-place finish in 2024-25 to a fifth-place finish in 2025-26. While the team relied heavily on its top two lines in the regular season, depth contributors rose to the challenge in the playoffs and were a big reason the Habs made it to the third round.
Jake Evans
In the first year of the four-year contract extension, Evans’ offensive production dwindled. Still, he remained as useful as ever in the faceoff department (55.9% in the regular season and 55.8% in the playoffs) and on the penalty kill. In the playoffs, he landed on the second line with Alex Newhook and Ivan Demidov, which allowed him to pick up 10 points in 19 games, a noticeable increase over his regular-season output, making the most of his extra 1.5 minutes of ice time.
Grade: B+. The way he picked up the slack in the playoffs was admirable. While he’s far from being an ideal second-line center, he gets the job done because he doesn’t get in his own head about how much of an increased offensive role he has.
Josh Anderson
The power forward’s production remained at the same stage as it was last season; he never produced as much as Marc Bergevin hoped he would, but he’s a good veteran leader and a great influence in the room. He knows how to use his speed and size for the greater good, so to speak. In the playoffs, he makes a sizeable impact with his physicality, bringing something that is somewhat lacking in the Canadiens’ lineup. He may not be the player who will get you to the playoffs, but he will certainly help to get you through them.
Grade: B. Anderson is about to enter the final year of his contract, and his postseason performance may well ensure that he goes nowhere at the trade deadline, especially if Kent Hughes cannot find more physicality before then.
Phillip Danault
When the trade for Phillip Danault was announced, many, including this writer, questioned whether it was a good move. Six months later, there’s absolutely no doubt that it was. The centerman has a knack for winning faceoffs, and he did it for Montreal in the regular season (56.2% success rate) and in the playoffs (58%).4% success rate). While his offence has dried up in the regular season (12 points in 45 games), he rose to the challenge in the playoffs, picking up 10 points in 19 games and being Martin St-Louis’ go-to man for the tough defensive mission. When there was a lead to protect, he was on the ice with Nick Suzuki without fail.
Grade: A. Fantastic in a specialist role and provides a healthy dose of veteran leadership, which will come in handy in the wake of Brendan Gallagher’s departure.
Brendan Gallagher
After bouncing back with 21 goals and 38 points last season, it seemed like Father Time caught up to Gallagher this season. He saw his production go down to just seven goals and 23 points, despite spending most of the season on the second power play unit. The will and dedication are still there, but the physical form isn’t what it used to be, and he’s lost the speed he couldn’t afford to lose. Given that his exit appears to be imminent, the venerable veteran will have played 911 games with the Canadiens, putting up 487 points. He’s currently 13th for most games played with the franchise, just one behind Guy Carbonneau, who had 912, 14th in goals with 246, 37th in assists with 241, and 26th in points—incredible achievements for a fifth-round pick.
Grade: C. He was passed over by younger players and ended up being a healthy scratch for most of the playoffs, but his leadership and positive influence still warrant a passing grade.
Kirby Dach
Another year, another injury-plagued season for Dach. The big forward cannot stay healthy, and it’s become obvious that he will never be the Canadiens’ second-line center. In just 37 games, he put up 15 points, which would have worked out to 33 points over a full 82-game season. His inconsistency remains a big issue, and he’s shown he’s capable of the best and the worst in the same postseason. After being pointed as the responsible for the Canadiens’ Game 2 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he bounced back spectacularly in Game 3, putting up a goal and an assist, but he couldn’t keep that kind of level of play all the way through. He put up just five points in 19 games and ended the postseason on the wing of the fourth line. It remains to be seen if the Canadiens will keep him in the fold.
Grade: C-. It’s a shame that he’s been so unlucky with injuries, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Canadiens cannot rely on him.
Joe Veleno
After signing with his hometown team, Veleno embraced a depth role, which was different from anything he had been asked to do in his NHL career so far. He spent most of the season as the 13th forward, but he brought pace and energy whenever he was called upon. He had just five points in 61 games, but he wasn’t there to put up offensive numbers; that’s not what was expected of him. He averaged 12:05 of ice time and did well in the faceoff department with a 51.6% success rate, a career high for him. The Canadiens will need to make him a $945,000 qualifying offer if they intend to retain his services, and it wouldn’t be a bad move; he’s suited to a 13th forward role and gives Martin St-Louis what he needs from a fourth liner.
Grade: C. He did what was expected from a player earning $900,000.
Zachary Bolduc
Acquired from the St. Louis Blues in a trade that sent Logan Mailloux the other way, Bolduc put up 30 points in 78 games. That’s a six-point decrease compared to his rookie season with the Blues, but it was to be expected. Any forward needs time to adapt to St-Louis’ brand of hockey and get used to making the kind of reads the coach expects from his players. He’s got a good shot and would do well to use it more. He put up seven points in 19 postseason games, and while he was on the fourth line, he showed good pace and physicality. He’s a promising player finding his footing in a new system.
Grade: B-. He will be asked for more next season, but this was a good start.
Alexandre Texier
A late free agent addition, the Frenchman showed he could be useful up and down the lineup, even spending some time on the top line while Juraj Slafkovsky was on the second line with Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen. Without him, the Canadiens would have struggled mightily in Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach’s absence. He ended the season with 20 points in 43 games and a plus-nine rating. He added 8 points in 19 playoff games and saw his ice time decline, but overall, he was a good gamble that paid off for Kent Hughes.
Grade: B. Hughes was impressed by the early return and gave Texier a two-year contract extension with a $2.5 M cap hit, a very reasonable amount for a player who can fill in on the top six if needed.
Since Patrik Laine only played five games, it would have been unfair to grade him on such a small sample, and it was therefore decided not to include him.
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