Likeliest Canadiens to Be Odd Men Out in 2026-27 – The Hockey Writers – Canadiens Prospects

The Montreal Canadiens have problems. Granted, they’re pretty good problems to have, seeing as their projected lineup for 2026-27 is filled to the brim with NHL talent, many a time of the elite variety, as their impressive third-round finish last spring would suggest.

The flip side of the coin is there isn’t much room for spots to be won out by farmhands and prospects, especially as their window to contend for the Stanley Cup effectively opens. It’s a phenomenon that speaks further to the absurdity of the situation, considering they also enter the season as one of the youngest projected teams in the NHL (if not the absolute youngest).

There are always a few (potential) exceptions though, depending on how these projected battles in training camp shake out, one at each position:

Owen Beck vs. Florian Xhekaj at Forward

This looks like a make-or-break season for 22-year-old pivot Owen Beck, who’s played significant stretches for the Canadiens over the last few seasons, but has never really stuck. A large part of that has to do with the team’s depth, especially down the middle, but more so his projected ceiling as a bottom-six centre. Them trading for Phillip Danault last season, while re-signing Jake Evans the season before ahead of their successful playoff push, when he had been arguably their biggest chip at the trade deadline, hasn’t really done the prospect any favours.

For context, Beck was taken at No. 33 overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The Canadiens took stars Juraj Slafkovsky at No. 1 overall and Lane Hutson at No. 62 overall. So, Beck’s difficulty in gaining traction within the organization isn’t specifically due to any kind of internal philosophy to bring prospects along slowly. Logic dictates he simply hasn’t impressed management enough for them to entrust him with a permanent role, at least not at the expense of veterans like Danault and Evans.

Even if it looks like there could be at least one spot up front available, Beck could be in tough to make the team out of training camp again. Twelve NHL regulars are poised to reclaim theirs, with sophomore Oliver Kapanen, who scored 22 goals as the team’s second-line centre, realistically the one on the shakiest ground. That should tell you all you need in terms of the former’s chances.

The Canadiens should consider Beck for a 13th-forward role, but they’ll probably also look at winger Florian Xhekaj, who has put up similar overall offensive numbers, but shown greater goal-scoring prowess with the Laval Rocket over the last few seasons. It comes down to what they want more: (a chance at slightly) more offensive pop at the bottom of the lineup or greater versatility in going with a forward they (should be able to) rely on to play centre. Seeing as Danault, arguably the organization’s top two-way centre of the last decade, has one year left under contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent, failing to promote Beck now could end up something of a missed opportunity to have the two work together.

Chances are Beck finally sticks, all that taken into account.

Adam Engstrom vs. David Reinbacher on Defense

While Xhekaj’s older brother, Arber, remains unsigned as a restricted free agent, he remains a valuable deterrent to other teams as a physically intimidating presence on the blue line. Canadiens fans should expect him back as one of seven incumbents. Assuming the Habs go with eight in all (13 forwards, two goalies), the last spot should come down to David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom.

For the same reason, i.e., versatility, that Beck could have the edge up front, the left-handed Engstrom, who was also drafted in 2022 and can play on either side, could get the nod. He probably should in all seriousness, based on his progression, to the point of having gotten in in 15 NHL games last season, and yet… Reinbacher is still the pure right-handed defenseman they coveted to the point of drafting him fifth overall in 2023 (whether that was the right decision or not).

With just Noah Dobson and pending-unrestricted free agent Alexandre Carrier projected to man the right, right now, the Canadiens theoretically have an opening for someone on that side (having resorted to effectively rotating left-handed shots in and out of that spot). And the defensive-minded Reinbacher was effectively drafted amid fever dreams of him and Lane Hutson developing alongside one another to complement each other to form a formidable pairing. Reinbacher obviously hasn’t held up his end of the bargain up to now, albeit largely as a victim of circumstance due to injury.

Despite his developmental difficulties, it’s hard to dismiss reports from TVA journalist Anthony Martineau that the Canadiens remain committed to Reinbacher and they’re keeping the door open for him to earn a spot at training camp. So, will Reinbacher make the cut? The takeaway should be that it’s up to him to force the Habs’ hand. However, if he doesn’t, Engstrom remains a viable option, maybe even to the point they both force their hand to trade someone else and keep them both.

Jacob Fowler vs. Sam Montembeault in Net

There’s more to the Canadiens’ situation in net than there appears at face value. Sure, Jakub Dobes represents the incumbent and nothing should change that in training camp, after he played masterfully down the stretch and into/during the playoffs to effectively steal Sam Montembeault’s No. 1 job (which the latter had admittedly earned to start last season only to falter).

Since the Habs went with top-prospect Jacob Fowler as Dobes’ backup in the postseason (after Montembeault posted putrid numbers during the regular season), logic dictates this is a lay-up. Fowler is seen internally as the better goalie and should have the edge to winning the backup role in training camp, just like Dobes had done in 2025. However, things aren’t that simple.

Fowler remains exempt from waivers. The Canadiens would risk losing Montembeault on waivers if they were to cut him. From an asset-management standpoint at least, they should do the opposite. Nevertheless, because the future is probably seen as Fowler (and/or Dobes) in net and Montembeault is unlikely to be re-signed once his contract expires in 2027, the Habs shouldn’t risk points in the standings just to ensure they hang onto Montembeault, who appears to be an asset declining in value, for one more year. When said aloud, that makes much less sense.

If a three-goalie rotation is out of the question, as it should be, the Canadiens were willing to ride with a Dobes-Fowler tandem in the playoffs. That means they trust those two the most. If they trust Fowler to win games at the NHL level, which he did consistently for all intents and purposes, going 9-6-2 with a 2.43 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 2025-26, there’s little more he can accomplish developmentally speaking in the American Hockey League.

Fowler has to be the guy here. Maybe he even ends up “the guy” over Dobes later, but the Canadiens will never know for sure if they continue to find excuses to put off promoting him. Choosing a goalie on his way out of the organization, one way or another, over Fowler isn’t in any way, shape, or form a reasonable or justifiable solution. The hard decision between Dobes and Fowler will come eventually. This one should be easy in comparison.