On Saturday, the Montreal Canadiens played the 41st game of their season, meaning they’ve officially passed the halfway point of their schedule. Despite being plagued by injuries, the Habs have done quite well in the first half of the 2025-26 campaign. Without Kirby Dach, Patrik Laine, and Kaiden Guhle since October, Alex Newhook since November, and Jake Evans since last month, Montreal still managed to bank 50 points. Martin St-Louis’s men currently sit in third place of the Atlantic Division, four points ahead of the surging Buffalo Sabres and three points ahead of the second wildcard spot presently held by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It’s time to look back on the first half of the season and give credit where credit is due. Without further ado, here are the three players who have shown the brightest so far and who I feel deserve a star mention.

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Mike Matheson

The rearguard has missed three games this season so far, and the Canadiens’ blueline has not looked the same without him. Playing an average of 25 minutes per game despite being stripped of his power play responsibilities, Mike Matheson has been an absolute force for the Habs this season.

Last season, he finished with 31 points in 30 games, and right now he’s on pace for 37 points in 79 games (assuming he doesn’t miss any more matches). Aside from the points, though, the pairing he forms with newcomer Noah Dobson has been excellent, dominating puck possession and making the transition from defence to attack much more fluid. He currently has a plus-nine rating after finishing the last two campaigns at minus-six and minus-24.

Off the ice, his decision to put pen to paper on a five-year, 30-million dollars contract with the Canadiens proved just how much he believes in this team and its future. Signing for a lower salary than what he could have gotten in free agency also sends a message to other players in the league; playing in Montreal is great, and it’s worth making some sacrifices to do so.

Juraj Slafkovsky

No, he doesn’t lead the team in points, but he’s on pace for 60 points this season, which would be a career-high for him, and he’s really started to come into his own since he was “demoted” to the second line to play alongside rookies Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen.

Playing away from Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, the 21-year-old has shown a great deal of confidence and has dared to make plays he wouldn’t on the top line. Seen as a complementary piece on the first line, Slafkovsky played as such, but with his new linemates, he has shown that he can drive a line and be so much more than a complementary piece. Not only has he become a terrific playmaker, but he’s also learned to use that big frame of his in the right way.

He plays with a lot more consistency than we had seen in the previous three seasons, and he’s so much more solid on his skate. He has played alongside the two rookies for the last 12 games, and in that span, he has put up 14 points.

Ivan Demidov

It’s impossible not to give the young Russian a star for his first half-season in the NHL. The 20-year-old leads all rookies in scoring at the halfway point with 35 points in 41 games, meaning he’s on pace for 70 points on the season. The last time the Calder Trophy winner had more points than that was back in 2017-18 when Matthew Barzal claimed the trophy with an 85-point effort.

He has significantly improved since the start of the season as well. In the first quarter, he averaged 14 minutes and 30 seconds of ice time; in the second quarter, that increased to 15 minutes and 47 seconds. Much more confident, he has recently started shooting more and is now a fixture on the first power play unit.

Progressively, a great chemistry has formed between Lane Hutson and him, and they are a massive part of the reason why the Canadiens’ power play is now eighth overall in the league at 23.9%. He is highly creative and hard to pin down, with plenty of dekes and tricks to turn defences inside out. He has been an absolute joy to watch and is the living proof that the future is indeed very bright in Montreal.

Not so long ago, it would have been impossible to write such an article without including Caufield and Suzuki in the selection. Still, this season, thanks to the awakening of the second line, despite being the highest scorers, they have had to share the spotlight, and that’s something they’re just fine with. They deserve an honourable mention, just like Hutson and rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler.

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