The Montreal Canadiens jumped way ahead of schedule in 2024-25 when they surprisingly made the playoffs. It was a season full of highs and lows, but they caught fire and snuck into the last spot in the East. It was a quick exit at the hands of the Washington Capitals, but the experience their young players gained was invaluable. Now, the Canadiens head into training camp for the 2025-26 season with some new additions, a healthy Kirby Dach, and a full season of Ivan Demidov.
The most impactful addition for the Canadiens is Noah Dobson, whom they acquired in a trade and then signed to a long-term contract extension. It solidified their defense, which includes a rising prospect in David Reinbacher waiting in the wings. Montreal has no concerns about their defensive core, as they can compensate for any roster player fall-offs with those players in the American Hockey League.
Where the Canadiens have some question marks is in their forward group. The first line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky has been good, but some players are knocking on the door who could persuade head coach Martin St. Louis to shuffle the lines. The issue for the Canadiens in 2025-26 is who will play in the middle of the second line. While most of the lineup is set in stone, the identity of the second-line center promises to be the most heated battle of the Canadiens' 2025-26 training camp.
Does Kirby Dach deserve to be the front-runner?
Dach's potential for the Canadiens has to be one of the most infuriating things in St. Louis and Kent Hughes' lives. He should be the easy answer for Montreal as their second-line center, but his inability to stay healthy puts that into question. When Dach is healthy and playing well, he is dominant. The issue is that neither the Canadiens nor his first team, the Chicago Blackhawks, has been able to keep him in the lineup for an entire season.
The most games Dach has ever played in a season was 70 with the Blackhawks. The Canadiens acquired him the following season, believing his injury history was behind him; however, in three seasons with Montreal, he played in only 58 games. He missed 80 of 82 games in the 2023-24 season due to a knee injury, and then went down after 57 games for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign.
St. Louis will likely pencil in Dach as the second-line center between Demidov and Patrik Laine to begin the season. Still, there's no way of being fully confident in Dach's ability to stay in the lineup for an extended period.
Alex Newhook was fine for the Canadiens in limited opportunities
Alex Newhook is an interesting player for the Canadiens. He has a winning pedigree, having won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche, and Montreal believed he could reach an even higher level in their organization. He had 34 points in 55 games during his first season with the team, and hopes were high that he would build on that performance the following season.
After Laine's injury in the preseason, Newhook centered the second line. He played well in that role and provided some of the scorers alongside him with defensive reliability, but his offensive game was unable to shine through. The belief would be that he could reach another level playing up in the lineup, but he had just 26 points over 82 games.
A game that sticks out from Newhook's 2024-25 season is the first of Demidov's career. Newhook was given the task of playing with the Habs' newest star, but it was his inability to finish that stood out. Demidov dazzled with a goal and an assist in his debut, but he seemingly could've had two or three more assists if Newhook had finished the chances that Demidov put on a silver platter for him.
St. Louis will want to surround Demidov with as much offensive talent as possible, and he'd have to be cautious with giving Newhook that responsibility.
Canadiens could give Zachary Bolduc a position change
The Newhook dilemma brings us to Zachary Bolduc. Hughes, seeing the influx of defense in the Canadiens' pipeline, traded Logan Mailloux to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for the Quebec-born forward. Bolduc recorded 19 goals and 17 assists with the Blues last season, playing primarily as a bottom-six winger, and could get more of an opportunity in his home province.
Bolduc was a valuable center during his junior days in the QMJHL. He moved to the wing as a professional, but he can still move to center if needed. While the Blues didn't have room for him there, the Canadiens could see their need to put offensive talent on the second line and give Bolduc a chance to return to his natural position.
While questions about the defensive responsibility of a trio of Bolduc, Laine, and Demidov would remain, they would undoubtedly be lethal in the offensive zone. If Dach fails to cement his spot and the Canadiens don't attempt to acquire a second-line center in the trade market, don't count out Bolduc as a potential fit.
