MONTREAL — There’s always Montreal Canadiens news to be absorbed on a daily basis, but there are only so many hours in a day. On Sundays, we recap the most exciting and relevant NHL news stories that you may have missed throughout the week so that you can stay in the Canadiens loop.
Tuesday
TSN projected an early edition of Team Canada’s potential roster at the 2026 World Junior Championship. Craig Button believes Hage will make the squad, playing as a winger on the third line. Hage is a natural centre, but his fantastic play at the Summer Showcase was sufficient evidence to suggest he won’t have an issue on the wing. [Hage and Koivu Take Centre Stage At World Juniors Showcase]
We’ve reached the top 12 of our annual Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings, with feisty forward Tyler Thorpe nabbing the No.12 spot. He owns a fantastic shot, but there are a few things he’ll need to work on if he’s to one day play in the NHL. [Canadiens Prospect Rankings – Violent Tyler Thorpe]
Do the Habs own one of the best defensive squads in the NHL? Thomas Hickey seems to think so, with the driving force being the Noah Dobson acquisition from the New York Islanders. Personally, I’d argue they’re one of the most improved blue lines, but there’s a rather tall mountain left to climb before we can declare them among the NHL’s best.
“The addition of Noah Dobson, that’s a big one, but it’s the growth of players.”@Thomas_Hickey14 is a big fan of Montreal’s defense.@TonyLuftman | @asgrimson | @CanadiensMTL | #NHLTonight https://t.co/lxtMxndClt pic.twitter.com/GjnHtWE3ZJ
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 4, 2025
Ivan Demidov and the gang were back in Brossard, preparing for the upcoming season, just as they have been for most of the summer. Do they know they’re allowed to take a few days for themselves during the offseason?
Ivan Demidov back on the ice in Brossard today pic.twitter.com/bACOenWGce
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 4, 2025
Wednesday
Montreal Canadiens prospect L.J. Mooney is not the tallest player in the system, but he is definitely among the most talented. Standing at 5’7″, the path to the NHL will be difficult, however, he already has a step-up on the competition in terms of hockey IQ and vision. [Canadiens Prospect Rankings – The Electric L.J. Mooney]
David Reinbacher was healthy enough to feature in all four of the final Laval Rocket games of the postseason, but I’m not convinced he was at 100 percent. The good news is that he seems to be moving very well during his offseason workouts in Switzerland.
David Reinbacher’s off-season training in Zurich, Switzerland 🇨🇭 pic.twitter.com/kiMLZ3ETOW
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 5, 2025
This may shock everyone, but forward Ivan Demidov was busy practicing in Brossard.
Again.
I believe he took a few days off last month, but for the most part he’s been spending his summer days practicing. I think we may have found the only other player who loves playing hockey as much as Lane Hutson.
Ivan Demidov & Jakub Dobes back on the ice in Brossard today.
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 5, 2025
Thursday
Adam Engstrom flew under the radar last season, his first in the AHL. He’s arguably the most underrated defenceman in the prospect pool thanks to elite skating and strong offensive instincts. Habs fans voted Engstrom as the 10th best prospect in our annual rankings. [Canadiens Prospect Rankings – The Silky-Smooth Adam Engstrom]
There were some rumours that Kirby Dach had suffered a setback in his latest injury recovery, but Eric Engels was quick to shut them down. According to Engels, Dach progressing very well.
Quick note from vacation:
1. It was never guaranteed Kirby Dach would be ready for the start of training camp, AND it is also premature to suggest he won’t be.
2. Suggestions Dach has had a setback in his recovery are completely false. Not only has he not had a setback, he’s…
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) August 6, 2025
Ivan Demidov and his girlfriend Katya got a puppy, which may or may not actually be a plush toy. Either way, it’s very cute, and they named her Céline, which is perfect.
Ivan Demidov & his GF Katya have gotten a lil puppy 🐶 and they’ve named her Céline pic.twitter.com/Hk58dlZNgb
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 6, 2025
Friday
Talented forward Joshua Roy takes the No.9 spot in our 2025 Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings. Given that he spent most of the year in Laval, it may seem like he took a step back, but it’s much too early to give up on the 22-year-old winger. [Canadiens Prospect Rankings – The Enigmatic Joshua Roy]
We’re yet to profile freshly-drafted forward Alexander Zharovsky in our annual rankings, a testament to the hype level surrounding the Russian prospect. Could he end up cracking the top 5? Stay tuned!
Habs prospect Alexander Zharovsky at training camp with HC Salavat pic.twitter.com/d9EWYUb98e
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 7, 2025
At this point I’m convinced Patrik Laine, Ivan Demidov, Jake Evans, and others have started to sleep in Brossard. They’ve been keeping very busy this summer, practicing as often as possible between weddings and quick trips to Europe.
Notre collaborateur @PatouInfo est en direct du Complexe sportif CN de Brossard où Ivan Demidov et Patrik Laine sont encore présents.
Ils sont accompagnés de Jake Evans, Alexandre Carrier, Joe Veleno, Lukas Condotta, Samuel Montembeault et quelques espoirs.
Ils sont supervisés… pic.twitter.com/JzHIau1qDc
— Frank Well Le Podcast Hockey (@fwell2) August 7, 2025
To be fair to Laine and Arber Xhekaj, Jakub Dobes definitely went with the “Draw me like one of your French girls” pose.
Patrik Laine & Arber Xhekaj trolling Jakub Dobes 😅 pic.twitter.com/FbPd6FftHl
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 7, 2025
Saturday
Prospect Florian Xhekaj enjoyed the biggest jump in our annual fan-driven Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings. The versatile forward was ranked 18th last season, but made his way into the top 10 after an excellent rookie season in the AHL that saw him set a franchise record for goals, with 24. [Canadiens Prospect Rankings – Florian Xhekaj The Unicorn]
We’re yet to profile freshly-drafted forward Alexander Zharovsky in our annual rankings, a testament to the hype level surrounding the Russian prospect. Could he end up cracking the top 5? Stay tuned!
Habs prospect Alexander Zharovsky at training camp with HC Salavat pic.twitter.com/d9EWYUb98e
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 7, 2025
Ivan Demidov and Patrik Laine did NOT spend the entire day practicing in Brossard. I mean, they did spend a lot of time on the ice, but they probably took a break at some point. Right?
Right?
Right?
Notre collaborateur @PatouInfo est en direct du Complexe sportif CN de Brossard où encore une fois Patrik Laine et Ivan Demidov sont présents.
On a droit à un match 4 contre 4.
Équipe Blanc: Patrik Laine, Joe Veleno, le fils de Jeff Gorton, un espoir et Jakub Dobes.
Équipe… pic.twitter.com/MtuMkZ9vY6
— Frank Well Le Podcast Hockey (@fwell2) August 8, 2025
Speaking of practice, there’s a reason why Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis tends to gravitate towards players who give an honest effort every night. It’s because he had to pull out all the stops just to survive in the NHL, not to mention thrive.
Here’s how Marty St. Louis used to train during the off-season back in 2011 pic.twitter.com/xBbLWsw9Id
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 5, 2025