The Montreal Canadiens have many excellent top prospects, culminating in one of the best pools in the NHL. However, some of the Canadiens' best won't be at training camp this season, as Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage are playing elsewhere in 2024-25. The rabid Montreal fans will have to wait for their arrival, but that doesn't mean there aren't some intriguing names to watch in preseason. The Canadiens youth movement could make them playoff contenders next season.
Let's look at three of the Canadiens' top prospects to watch at training camp, which opens later this week.
Lane Hutson turned heads in Canadiens rookie camp
The Canadiens hosted a rookie camp to get their preseason festivities underway. The team had a couple of days of practice before playing their arch-rival Toronto Maple Leafs in two games on September 14 and 15. The Canadiens lost those games, but they didn't have any of their prospect goaltenders and needed to pick up netminders from lower leagues to play the game. The Canadiens aren't worried about the losses, as some of their prospects looked promising.
Hutson was an elite puck-moving defenseman at Boston University. He tallied points at the same level as a scoring forward, recording 15 goals and 34 assists in 38 games. He has an unbelievable skating ability, turning opponents inside-out at the attacking blueline and breaking out of the zone by himself while pulling away from some of the best skaters in the NCAA. There were concerns that Hutson's abilities wouldn't carry over to the NHL, but he had two assists in two games last season after signing his pro contract.
The Canadiens traded Jonathan Kovacevic and Jordan Harris in the offseason, who were two left-handed defensemen who stood in Hutson's way of making the team. It seems like the Canadiens were trying to pave the way for Hutson to make the team, which will prove to be a good idea. The Canadiens will struggle to keep the fans at bay after Hutson's rookie camp showing, and the pressure will be high for him to be in the lineup against the Leafs in their season opener.
Is David Reinbacher ready for a shot with the Canadiens?
David Reinbacher will never get the benefit of the doubt in Montreal. Canadiens fans struggled to accept that the front office drafted Reinbacher over Matvei Michkov. Reinbacher's performance at the rookie camp drew some haters, as he didn't stand out against the Leafs. However, it's time for the fans to accept that they need players like Reinbacher to succeed in the future.
Hutson, Logan Mailloux, and Adam Engstrom are the future of the offensive side of the defense for the Canadiens. Any good team has a mix of offensive and defensive blueliners, which will make Reinbacher integral. Reinbacher was a steady force against the Maple Leafs, losing minimal physical battles and playing above-average defense. He will never play first-line powerplay for the Canadiens or lead the blueline in points, but make no mistake: if the Canadiens win a Stanley Cup, Reinbacher will be playing against the Western Conference representative's top players.
Reinbacher has been working on his puck-moving abilities. He looked better in the Swiss league last season with EHC Kloten but still had just 11 points in 35 games. He came to North America at the end of the season and played in 11 games with the Laval Rocket, tallying five points in 11 games.
Reinbacher may not make the Canadiens after this year's training camp, but he will be knocking on the door soon.
Joshua Roy could slot in anywhere
The acquisition of Patrik Laine hurt Joshua Roy's chances of making the Canadiens out of training camp. Most expected Roy to get an elevated role in 2024-25, giving him some extra development and experience before the Canadiens start contending for the Stanley Cup. Laine's acquisition accelerated the Canadiens' contending window, and Roy may not have to take a step back.
Alex Newhook is the early favorite to play on the second line with Kirby Dach and Laine. Newhook won't be their future second-liner, but he could hold a top-six role until Ivan Demidov comes to North America. Newhook's better fit is on the third line, and Roy could open the opportunity for him to settle into that role earlier.
Can Roy steal the second-line spot out of training camp? It would give the Canadiens increased depth down the lineup, as players like Newhook, Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, Joel Armia, Owen Beck, and Jake Evans can make up the bottom six. Roy breaking out in training camp would transform the Canadiens from a lottery team to a club with a deep forward group ready to battle for a playoff spot.
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