The Montreal Canadiens are currently enjoying a rather impressive upswing in results, powered by their meticulous yet efficient rebuild strategy.

On top of adding players such as Noah Dobson and Zachary Bolduc to the mix, prospect Ivan Demidov is set to begin his NHL career in earnest, powering the discernable optimism from Habs fans regarding the 2025-26 season.

With that in mind, it’s also important to remember it took a series of failures from their opponents simply to qualify for the playoffs last season, and even though the roster has improved, there are no guarantees the team will once again manage to earn an invitation to the springtime dance.

To do so, not only will Montreal count on their core players, they will also need critical contributions from players who are at risk of being lost in the fray due to the inevitable roster turnover linked to rebuilds.

Montreal Canadiens Players With Something To Prove

One of such players is Mike Matheson, the 31-year-old defenceman who happens to be in the final year of an eight-year contract that carries a very reasonable $4.875 annual average value (AAV).

I can hear eyes rolling from here, but if we take emotion out of the equation, there’s no denying Matheson has provided the Habs with fantastic value during his three seasons in Montreal. He’s become one of the designed whipping boys on the team, but it would be unrealistic to expect a player who earns roughly the same amount of money as Jesperi Kotkaniemi to dominate in all three zones while facing some of the best forwards in the NHL.

Yes, Matheson makes mistakes, and some of them are very costly, but if you want to find a blueliner who scores as often as he does without any sort of defensive issues, you’d have to filter the results to include No.1 defencemen who have contracts that pay them twice as much.

That being said, it’s also true that the Habs are evolving, and that Matheson’s workload was lightened significantly once Lane Hutson emerged as a dominant force during his phenomenal rookie season.

In that vein, 2025-26 is setting up to be one of the most important seasons of his career, as he will either sign a contract extension with the team, or risk being moved by the NHL Trade Deadline, depending on how Montreal’s playoff odds at the time. His play in the first half of the season will go a long way in deciding his fate.

Matheson will be joined by a pair of young defencemen who have suddenly found themselves in a highly competitive job market. Both Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble provide the Habs with an important physical presence, and I’d argue that we shouldn’t discount the idea of keeping both players in the lineup, as they formed a very efficient third-pairing last season.

Based on their results, they deserve a roster spot, but there’s no such thing as ‘deserve’ in professional sports, which means they’ll have to fight (figuratively and literally) to maintain their standing in the depth chart, especially since there are a few defensive prospects champing at the bit to earn a roster spot on Montreal’s blue line.

ON TOPIC: Projecting Jayden Struble’s Ideal Defensive Partner

As for the forwards, we’re going to avoid naming the obvious target, Juraj Slafkovsky. In previous years, he certainly had something to prove, but we’re reached the point where it’s clear he can survive in the NHL. Whether or not he thrives is another matter, but back-to-back 50-point seasons should be enough to convince everyone that we no longer have to worry about his NHL longevity. The Art Ross Trophy is out of the question, but his underlying numbers alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are very encouraging, to say the least.  Of course, he’s also entering the first year of a mega contact, which means there’s a risk the pressure may mount if he doesn’t live up to his $7.6 million price tag.

This leads to Joshua Roy taking up the mantle as the prospect with the most to prove. The oft-maligned forward enjoyed a successful season in the AHL, not to mention a very solid production rate in the playoffs, but he’s in the last season of his entry-level contract, therefore the team will go over his professional career with a fine-tooth comb once it’s time for contract extension negotiations.

MUST READ: Canadiens Prospect Rankings – The Enigmatic Joshua Roy

As for NHL players heading into a crucial year, you could pinpoint any three of the Quebec natives that joined the team this summer, Samuel Blais, Joe Veleno, and Zachary Bolduc, owing to the extra pressure that comes with playing at the Bell Centre.

Of the three, Bolduc has the most to prove, as his acquisition cost the Canadiens one of their most offensively-inclined defensive prospects, Logan Mailloux.

The good news is that Bolduc is ready to play any role with the Habs, and youthful exuberance has a funny way of leading to encouraging results, especially if the player in question embraces pressure as a privilege.