Canadiens News

EASTERN ATLANTIC

Cole Caufield • RW • Canadiens

Cole Caufield Earns Lady Byng Trophy

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield has been voted the winner of the 2025-26 Lady Byng Trophy, awarded to "the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability." This season, Caufield became the first Canadiens player to score 50 regular-season goals since Stephane Richer in 1989-90. He had a career-high 88 points (51 goals, 37 assists) in 81 games. Caufield received only seven minor penalties and 14 penalty minutes. The last time a Montreal player won the Lady Byng Trophy was in 1987-88, when Mats Naslund captured the award. At 25, Caufield has only just gotten started in the NHL and still has untapped fantasy potential.

Jun 5

Nick Suzuki • C • Canadiens

Nick Suzuki Lands Selke Trophy

Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki has been named the 2025-26 Frank J. Selke Trophy winner. He became only the third player in Canadiens history to win the award, which honors the NHL's best two-way player. Suzuki had a standout year, reaching a career high of 101 points (29 goals, 71 assists) and continuing to build his reputation as a strong defensive contributor. The 26-year-old won the Selke Trophy ahead of Anthony Cirelli (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Brock Nelson (Colorado Avalanche). For five consecutive seasons, Suzuki has increased his scoring, and with his prime years just beginning, he still has room to improve, a prospect that should excite fantasy managers.

Jun 5

Brendan Gallagher • RW • Canadiens

Brendan Gallagher to Leave Canadiens This Offseason

Montreal Canadiens right wing Brendan Gallagher has one season remaining on a six-year, $39 million contract, but he doesn't expect to spend it with the team that drafted him in 2010. "It's pretty clear I'll kind of be moving on here," said Gallagher in an emotional exit interview on Monday. Gallagher's contract carries a $6.5 million cap hit, and he hasn't performed up to the required level. This season, the 34-year-old managed just seven goals and 23 points in 77 games. He was a regular healthy scratch in the playoffs, appearing in only three of Montreal's 19 games. Even a change of scenery probably won't help Gallagher reclaim fantasy relevance.

Jun 2

Patrik Laine • RW • Canadiens

Patrik Laine Looking Forward to Free Agency

Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine will not stay with the team for next season. The Finnish forward ended the season on Injured Reserve despite being ready to play soon after New Year's, indicating he clearly isn't part of the plans in Montreal. "I'm excited to see new opportunities and see where it goes," Laine told reporters in his exit interview on Monday. "We'll see where the wind takes me." Laine is set to end his tenure with the Canadiens after posting just 34 points (20 goals, 14 assists) in 57 games over two seasons. He has struggled to stay healthy for several years, which has dropped Laine's fantasy value to an all-time low.

Jun 2

Lane Hutson • D • Canadiens

Lane Hutson Posts a Power-Play Assist in Game 5 Loss

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson contributed a power-play assist in Friday's season-ending 6-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. He set up Cole Caufield midway through the third period. Hutson was among Montreal's leading scorers throughout the postseason, but the Hurricanes proved too tough a nut to crack for the team. The 22-year-old finishes the playoffs with 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 19 games -- only three blue-liners in franchise history have been more productive in a postseason campaign. Hutson also enjoyed a big regular season, totaling 78 points (12 goals, 66 assists) in 82 outings. He's just two years into his NHL career, and the best is definitely yet to come from Hutson.

May 30

Cole Caufield • RW • Canadiens

Cole Caufield Nets a Power-Play Goal in Season-Ending Loss

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield scored a third-period power-play goal in Friday's 6-1 defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes. It was too little, too late, as the Canadiens were once again overwhelmed and eliminated in five games. Caufield had a disappointing postseason. He managed only 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 19 games and was limited to three even-strength points. During the regular season, Caufield averaged at least a point per game for the first time in his career, with 51 goals and 37 assists in 81 contests. He became the first Canadiens player in 36 years to score at least 50 regular-season goals, setting a high bar for himself in the next campaign.

May 30

Ivan Demidov • RW • Canadiens

Ivan Demidov Contributes an Assist in Losing Effort

Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov finished Monday's 3-2 overtime loss in Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes with an assist. He helped Mike Matheson score Montreal's first goal of the game. Demidov registered his second point of the series after being among the goal-scorers in Montreal's big 6-2 Game 1 victory. Throughout the playoffs, Demidov has primarily made an impact on the power play, but each of his last two points has come at even strength. He has nine points (three goals, six assists) in 17 games. One more point would tie the young Russian for the fifth-most playoff points by a rookie in franchise history. Demidov will have at least two games to reach that mark, starting with Game 4 on Wednesday.

May 26

Lane Hutson • D • Canadiens

Lane Hutson Records Power-Play Goal in Game 3 Loss

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson returned to the score sheet in Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, scoring a power-play goal in a 3-2 overtime defeat. Hutson's goal sent the game into overtime, where Montreal suffered a second consecutive loss. It was a painful ending for the team, but the Canadiens will take some joy in knowing Hutson collected his first point of the series. He's played a key role throughout the postseason, recording 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 17 games. However, two-thirds of Hutson's points (10) have come on the power play, and Montreal is facing a team with a 93.5% penalty-kill rate in the Eastern Conference Finals, making it tougher for him to generate offense.

May 26

Oliver Kapanen • C • Canadiens

Oliver Kapanen Sitting as Healthy Scratch Monday

Montreal Canadiens forward Oliver Kapanen will be a healthy scratch for Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night. During the regular season, Kapanen finished third among rookies with 22 goals and had 37 points in 82 contests. But the 22-year-old has failed to replicate that form in the playoffs, going scoreless in all seven appearances. Kapanen will be replaced in the lineup by Joe Veleno, who has been a healthy scratch in each of the last three games. Veleno has one assist in six postseason outings. He will add more muscle to the lineup and provide a strong option at the faceoff dot -- Veleno has won 63.6% of his draws in the playoffs.

May 25

Phillip Danault • C • Canadiens

Phillip Danault Extends Point Streak to Three Games

Montreal Canadiens center Phillip Danault assisted on both Josh Anderson goals in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss in Game 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canadiens managed to tie the game twice, but never got a third chance, as Carolina secured the win in overtime. Danault has come alive late in the postseason. He has strung together a three-game point streak, and nine of his 10 points have come in the last eight games. The 33-year-old has mostly made an impact as a playmaker in the playoffs, tallying two goals and eight assists in 16 games. When the teams return to action on Monday night, Danault will target his second career postseason four-game point streak.

May 24

Josh Anderson • RW • Canadiens

Josh Anderson Nets Two Goals in Painful Loss

Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson provided both goals in Saturday's 3-2 Game 2 loss against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 32-year-old became the fifth player in franchise history to record multiple game-tying goals in the same playoff contest, but Anderson and the Canadiens had their hearts broken early in overtime. After starting the playoffs with goals in back-to-back games, Anderson had lit the lamp just twice in 13 outings before Saturday night. Nevertheless, he can take pride in ranking second on his team with five even-strength goals in the playoffs. Additionally, he has recorded two assists over 16 postseason games.

May 24

Jakub Dobes • G • Canadiens

Jakub Dobes Sharp in Game 1 Victory

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes kicked off the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes with a strong performance, recording 25 saves with a .926 save percentage in a 6-2 win. Seth Jarvis beat Dobes with just 33 seconds played in the first period, but he rebounded well from the early setback. Montreal's offense, which erupted for four first-period goals, also played a major role in the series opener. Dobes is now 9-6 this postseason -- only 10 rookie netminders have had more wins in a playoff year. The 24-year-old holds a 2.48 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.

May 22

Cole Caufield • RW • Canadiens

Cole Caufield Bags Two Points in Impressive Road Win

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield posted his third multi-point game of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday, tallying a goal and an assist in a 6-2 road win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes scored just 33 seconds into the game, but Caufield answered right back at the 1:00 mark. He later assisted Juraj Slafkovsky on Montreal's fifth goal in the third period. This game saw Caufield notch twice as many even-strength points as he had in all previous postseason games combined. The Hurricanes have allowed only two power-play goals in the playoffs, so Caufield's even-strength play will be critical for Montreal in the Conference Finals. After a huge 51-goal, 88-point regular season, Caufield has struggled to generate offense in the postseason. With 15 games played, he has contributed five goals and six assists.

May 22

Juraj Slafkovsky • LW • Canadiens

Juraj Slafkovsky Opens Conference Finals With Three-Point Performance

Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky made his mark with two goals and one assist in a 6-2 Game 1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. He set up Cole Caufield in the first period and produced two third-period goals, including an empty-netter. Finally, Slafkovsky didn't need the power play to make an impact. Entering Thursday's action, the 22-year-old had only one even-strength point this postseason. With Carolina's penalty kill at 95.2%, getting Slafkovsky to score at even strength is huge for Montreal. He has tallied six goals and six assists in 15 games during the team's playoff run.

May 22

Nick Suzuki • C • Canadiens

Nick Suzuki Notches Three Assists in Game 1 Win Over Hurricanes

Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki collected three assists in Thursday's big 6-2 road win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes. He had his first helper just a minute into the game and added two more in the final frame. This was a historic outing for Suzuki, who now holds the longest postseason-opening road point streak in franchise history at nine games. The Canadiens captain will have a chance to match the league record in Game 2. With Suzuki picking up points for fun on the road, he has taken over the postseason scoring lead on his team, bagging 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in 15 games.

May 22

Arber Xhekaj • D • Canadiens

Arber Xhekaj Scratched for Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj will be a healthy scratch on Thursday for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes, Sportsnet's Eric Engels reports. Xhekaj played in all seven games in Round 2 against Buffalo, even scoring a goal in Game 6. But he is expected to make way for Jayden Struble on Thursday. Struble was a regular in the lineup at the start of the postseason but didn't get a look in Round 2. He has recorded 21 hits, three SOG, and a plus-three rating in seven playoff games but is still looking for his first point. The 24-year-old has averaged 10:46 of ice time, limiting his opportunities to make an impact on the offensive end.

May 21

Jakub Dobes • G • Canadiens

Jakub Dobes Seeks More Success Against Hurricanes

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes went an impressive 3-0-0 against the Carolina Hurricanes during the regular season, giving his team hope of staying competitive in the Eastern Conference Finals. Dobes' first start of 2026 was a 7-5 road win over Carolina, and he collected two more victories against them in a space of five days in late March. The 24-year-old produced a 2.67 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage in the matchup during the regular season. In the playoffs, Dobes has yet to lose back-to-back starts, going 8-6 through the first two rounds. For some reason, he tends to play better on the road, winning six of eight away outings.

May 21

Jakub Dobes • G • Canadiens

Jakub Dobes Records 37 Saves in Game 7 Win

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes finished Monday's 3-2 Game 7 victory against the Buffalo Sabres with 37 saves. Dobes couldn't hold a 2-0 lead on the road, but the Canadiens advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals thanks to an overtime tally from Alex Newhook. Montreal's young netminder rebounded well from a poor Game 6 outing, in which Dobes was lit up for six goals. He has done a great job responding to defeats throughout the postseason and hasn't yet lost back-to-back starts. Dobes has an 8-6 record in the playoffs, allowing 2.52 goals with a .910 save percentage. The Canadiens enter the next series as huge underdogs, but they won all three regular-season games against the Hurricanes with Dobes in net.

May 19

Lane Hutson • D • Canadiens

Lane Hutson Contributes Power-Play Assist in Game 7 Victory

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson registered a power-play assist as the team won Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in overtime on Monday night. Hutson had an assist in a sixth consecutive game when Zack Bolduc scored with the man advantage at the 14:29 mark in the first period. In the Conference Finals against Carolina, he has a chance to set a new franchise record for the longest postseason assist streak, currently held by Jacques Lemaire, who had an eight-game run in 1973. Hutson leads Montreal in scoring in the playoffs with 14 points in as many games. All but two of his points have come via assists.

May 19

Nick Suzuki • C • Canadiens

Nick Suzuki Extends Road Point Streak

Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki contributed a power-play assist in Monday's series-clinching 3-2 overtime victory against the Buffalo Sabres. He set up Zack Bolduc for the Canadiens' second goal late in the first period, becoming only the second player in franchise history to open a postseason with an eight-game road point streak. Suzuki has posted four goals and seven assists on the road during Montreal's run to the Eastern Conference Finals. At home, he has zero goals and two assists in six games this postseason. With the Canadiens on the road to start the Conference Finals against Carolina, we might see a couple more big performances from Suzuki this week.

May 19

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