It’s no secret the Montreal Canadiens have focused on adding talented skaters to the lineup throughout the rebuild, leading to an exodus of older players and an influx of young players.
All things considered, it’s rather difficult to criticize the approach, and that goes beyond roster construction. Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have maintained transparency with the fans, which, in turn, has led to a very high level of trust from a fanbase that was once deemed too impatient to undergo a rebuild.
There have been a few issues, including some trades that did not bear fruit, but overall, the team has doused the fires of impatience with a heavy dose of smart decisions.
Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks
Not only are the Canadiens a very young team, they’re actually the youngest team in the NHL, and the only club with an average age below 26 years old.
Average ages according to NHL media site rosters :
1. Montreal – 25.75
2. Buffalo – 26.51
3. Chicago – 26.62
4. Ottawa – 26.88
5. Philadelphia – 27.32
6. Calgary – 27.63
7. Anaheim – 27.71
8. Columbus – 27.75
9. Boston – 27.87
10. NY Rangers – 27.91
11. New Jersey – 28.00
12.…
— NHL Rosters (@NHL_Rosters) July 11, 2025
The numbers will change between now and the start of the season, but suffice it to say the Habs are in an enviable position compared to other organizations that underwent rebuilds.
But are they too young?
There is value in having veterans in the lineup, particularly in the playoffs when young players start to feel the pressure.
But as my uncle always reminded everyone that didn’t want to listen to him once he was four Labatt 50s deep at Christmastime, if a player is only good for the locker room, he should stay in the locker room. In other words, experience should not trump talent. Besides, there are always veterans available on the trade market, should the Habs decide they want to add a veteran presence to the roster.
It’s also worth pointing out the Canadiens’ current lineup aligns nicely with statistical primes. Players usually start hitting their primes around 23 years old, and not 30 years old as we once assumed.
And if we take a look back to 1993, the last year a Canadian team managed to win the Stanley Cup, it’s fairly evident the Canadiens ran with a very young lineup in the playoffs. Rob Ramage hardly played, making Guy Carbonneau the elder statesmen of the Cup-winning team at 32 years old. The oldest regularly used defenceman was J.J. Daigneault, who was 27. Everyone else on the blue line was 25 or younger.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the Canadiens are set to win the Stanley Cup any time soon. I’d even go as far as saying there’s a relatively decent chance they may miss the playoffs next season.
But it does speak to the excellent work done by management to put together a group that can grow together within the same age range, which, in turn, should lead to more playoff experience, and hopefully, a legitimate Stanley Cup-contending lineup in the future.