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. In a bid to recoup some energy before the season starts, I took a few Mondays off this summer, but we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming next week.
Tuesday
Talented goaltending prospect Jacob Fowler nabbed the No.3 spot in our annual rankings, as voted on by Habs fans. His time in the NCAA was very encouraging, but despite the fact that he represents the next great hope in the crease, there’s absolutely no need to rush him to the NHL. There are lessons to be learned from the mistakes made while trying to rush Cayden Primeau to the big show. [Canadiens Prospect Rankings – Heir Apparent Jacob Fowler]
It’s the dog days of summer, which means we have a good opportunity to discuss some of the former Canadiens defencemen who graced the ice at the Forum and the Bell Centre. Everyone tends to agree that Larry Robinson was the best defenceman to play for the franchise, though there’s an argument to be made that Doug Harvey had a greater impact on the overall game, as he was essentially responsible for revolutionizing the defenceman position while helping the team win five Stanley Cups in a row.
Few will argue Andrei Markov is the best defenceman in franchise history, and that’s fair, but it’s also important to note that he finished as the second most productive blueliner in Montreal Canadiens history while playing on teams that were slightly worse than the ones that featured Harvey or Robinson.
I would go as far as suggesting Markov is among the most underrated players fans had the pleasure to watch in action in Montreal.
The Habs all time points scored by a defenseman. pic.twitter.com/seHQswXG3O
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 15, 2025
Nick Suzuki’s fantasy value is growing! NHL.com expects Suzuki to hit the 90 point mark next season, while also projecting Lane Hutson will reach 70 points. It’s not exactly a significant step forward from a perception standpoint, as Suzuki finished last season with 89 points, and Hutson rookie season saw him bank 66 points. [NHL]
Montreal Canadiens fantasy rankings, projections for 2025-26 ⤵️https://t.co/f2ODoLdLDc
— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) August 15, 2025
ICYMI: Michael Hage represents one of the most exciting young players in the Montreal Canadiens prospect pool, owing to his ability to drive offence at full speed. His excellent hand-eye coordination and elite skating can’t be ignored, and are a big part of why Habs fans voted him as the team’s 4th best prospect. [Canadiens Prospect Rankings – Supersonic Michael Hage]
Wednesday
Montreal Canadiens defenceman David Reinbacher nabbed the No.2 spot in our annual prospect rankings. There’s no doubt Reinbacher has dealt with a less-than-ideal development path, including a rocky season in Switzerland, as well as a few significant injuries that could have impacted his mobility. The good news is that Reinbacher’s skating is back to 100 percent, and there’s no rush to thrust him into the NHL. [Canadiens Prospect Rankings – Mobile David Reinbacher]
It’s not the end of the world, but it is rather curious that USA Hockey opted not to invite Lane Hutson to their Winter Olympics Orientation Camp, especially when we consider his impact in the NHL, as well as his past service with Team USA. The good news is that Habs sniper Cole Caufield was included in the 44 players invited to the orientation camp. [Canadiens Defenceman Hutson Snubbed By USA Hockey]
Juraj Slafkovsky wants the Habs to make the playoffs next season, but more importantly, he hopes they can take the next big step in their long-term plans, which means winning a playoff round.
Slafkovsky talking about making the playoffs this szn !
source: TVA SPORT via facebook pic.twitter.com/6iIqdfvsP4
— ⁷²𝚅𝚎𝚎²⁰ (@Veehockey) August 19, 2025
Thursday
Ivan Demidov clinched the No.1 spot in our annual prospect rankings, as voted upon by Habs fans. The talented forward started his NHL career with a bang, assisting and scoring a goal in his very first period wearing a Montreal Canadiens jersey. It’s hard to keep expectations realistic in his case, but until the Habs lock down the No.2 centre position, Demidov will face an uphill battle when it comes to producing. Fortunately, he’s among the most talented prospects to ever be drafted by the Canadiens, and he never backs away from a challenge. [Canadiens Prospect Rankings – Ivan Demidov The Gifted]
Nick Suzuki was listed as a top 10 centre on NHL.com, and while that may surprise some, it shouldn’t come as a shock unless they’ve failed to update their opinion of the 26-year-old in the last few seasons. On top of being a captain who leads by example, Suzuki has enjoyed a consistent upward trend since he made his NHL debut in 2019-20. [Canadiens Analysis – Nick Suzuki Is Clearly A Top NHL Centre]
Nick Suzuki moves up our list and kicks off the Top 10! @CanadiensMTL | #NHLTopPlayers pic.twitter.com/RdxRSp2dqQ
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 20, 2025
It turns out Patrik Laine and roughly half the Habs fanbase have something in common, as they all list Lane Hutson as their favourite player.
«Qui est ton joueur préféré, Patrik?», lui demande cette jeune fille.
-Lane Hutson!, répond le 92.
— Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) August 20, 2025
‘Lane Hutson can’t play defence!’
Meanwhile, Lane Hutson:
NHL leaders in takeaways among defensemen last season:
1) Jaccob Slavin: 61 takeaways
2) Cale Makar: 60 takeaways
3) Lane Hutson: 56 takeaways pic.twitter.com/AR0mgfsmw3
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 20, 2025
Friday
Check out the final rankings of Montreal Canadiens prospects, as voted on by Habs fans. We published over 25 articles in this year’s project, which was only possible due to the support from our great community. The project will officially wrap up next week, but in the meantime you can give us your opinion on the top 20 Habs prospects. [Montreal Canadiens 2025 Prospect Rankings – The Complete List]
Nick Suzuki has long dreamed of playing for Team Canada at the Olympics. He was among the players Canada invited to participate in the summer Orientation Camp ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, alongside fellow Habs players Samuel Montembeault and Noah Dobson. [Canadiens Analysis – Nick Suzuki Is Clearly A Top NHL Centre]
Habs captain Nick Suzuki today on potentially playing for Team Canada 🇨🇦:
“It’s an honour to get invited to the orientation camp…it’s obviously a huge goal of mine this season. Since I was a little kid, I wanted to play in the Olympics…” pic.twitter.com/LkXPuCpLNh
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 21, 2025
Speaking of Suzuki, he’s well aware that the bar has been raised now that the Habs have a playoff series under their belt.
Habs captain Nick Suzuki today:
“Expectations are gonna grow. We know that & that’s fine with us. We all want the same goal at the end of the day. We want to be challenging for the Stanley Cup. From now on, that’s pretty much gonna be our goal.” pic.twitter.com/O5joHfex5T
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 21, 2025
Newcomer Joe Veleno was spotted practising in Brossard. The Montreal native signed a one-year contract with the Canadiens that carries a $900,000 salary cap hit.
New Canadien Joe Veleno among #Habs players on ice this morning in Brossard. pic.twitter.com/ioUTxOqTR4
— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) August 21, 2025