Canadiens roster at a glance for Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Montreal Canadiens enter the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs as one of the young up-and-coming teams that could make a splash in the upcoming weeks after a season that saw them go 48-24-10 and finish third in the Atlantic Division. It’s the first time they’ve qualified for the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since 2021, having missed out the next three years. They ended that dry spell last season before being eliminated by the Washington Capitals in five games.

Here is the 2026 Montreal Canadiens roster at a glance:

FORWARDS

Josh Anderson (6-foot-3, 226 pounds), Burlington, Ontario: Montreal’s recent additions of young talent have dropped him into a bottom-six role, but his mix of physicality and sandpaper are coveted traits for playoff hockey. The 31-year-old has scored double-digit goals in five of his six seasons with the Canadiens since being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets for Max Domi and a 3rd-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft on October 6, 2020. He had 23 points (14 goals, nine assists) in 72 games this season.

Zachary Bolduc (6-0, 187), Trois-Rivières, Quebec: The 23-year-old has bounced around between the second, third and fourth lines all season, depending on his level of play at that particular time. He was acquired for Logan Mailloux on July 1, 2025, from the St. Louis Blues, who selected him No. 17 overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. He has 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists) in 78 games this season.

Cole Caufield (5-8, 175), Mosinee, Wisconsin: The first line right wing this season became the seventh player in Canadiens history to score at least 50 goals in a season, joining Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, Guy Lafleur, Pierre Larouche, and Stephane Richer. The 25-year-old, who was selected No. 15 by Montreal in the 2019 NHL Draft, won the Hobey Baker Award (Top U.S. Collegiate Player) in 2021 while playing for Wisconsin. He had 88 points in 81 games this season, his 37 assists matching an NHL career high from two seasons ago.

Kirby Dach (6-4, 221), Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta: The 25-year-old had an injury-plagued seasons, missing 31 games with a fractured foot earlier this season, then 11 games with an upper-body injury that he returned from on April 7. Normally a center, he’s been seeing time as the third line right wing recently. He had 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 37 games this season.

Phillip Danault (6-1, 200), Victoriaville, Quebec: Reacquired by Montreal from the Los Angeles Kings for a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft on Dec. 19, the shutdown center played for the Canadiens from 2015-2021 before signing a six-year, $33 million contract with the Kings on July 28, 2021. The 33-year-old has occupied a bottom-six center’s role and had 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 45 games this season.

Ivan Demidov (6-1, 192), Sergiyev Posad, Russia: The electrifying rookie has earned top-six time playing alongside Nick Suzuki and Caufield, and is a key cog on the team’s No. 1 power play unit. While New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer is the favorite to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year, the 20-year-old certainly is in line to get his share of votes. Selected No. 5 in the 2024 NHL Draft, he had 62 points (19 goals, 43 assists) in 82 games.

Jake Evans (6-0, 190), Toronto, Ontario: The bottom-six center is one of the best checking forwards on the Canadiens, not to mention a top penalty killer. The 29-year-old has spent his entire career with the Canadiens organization since making his NHL debut on Feb. 6, 2020. He had 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 68 games this season.

Brendan Gallagher (5-9, 185), Edmonton, Alberta: The veteran forward is the longest-tenured player on the Canadiens roster, having first stepped on the ice for Montreal on Jan. 22. 2013. The 33-year-old is known for getting under the skin of opponents and isn’t afraid to go into the dirty areas, whether it be in the corners or in front of the opposing net. He had 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) in 77 games this season and has been a healthy scratch at times, given Montreal’s glut of forwards.

Oliver Kapanen (6-2, 194), Timra, Sweden: Selected No. 64 by the Canadiens in the 2021 NHL Draft, the rookie has seamlessly shuttled between center and left wing this season en route to cracking the 20-goal barrier. He represented Team Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics and saw time on the first line with Sebastian Aho and Artturi Lehkonen in the bronze medal game, a 6-1 win against Team Slovakia. The 22-year-old had 37 points (22 goals, 15 assists) in 82 games this season.

Patrik Laine (6-4, 208), Tampere, Finland: The hard-shooting right wing had surgery to repair a core muscle injury at the end of October and is still on injured reserve, although he is skating with the team. The 27-year-old had one assist in five games this season and can become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

Alex Newhook (5-11, 200), St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador: Traded to Montreal by the Colorado Avalanche on June 27, 2023 for defenseman Gianni Fairbrother and a first- and second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the center moved up to second line duties recently and performed well in that role. The 25-year-old had 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists) in 42 games this season.

Juraj Slafkovsky (6-3, 225), Kosice, Slovakia: The big left wing has morphed into the dominant power forward the Canadiens hoped he’d be when they selected him No. 1 in the 2022 NHL Draft. He had eight points (four goals, four assists) for Team Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The first liner became the first Slovakian player with 30 goals in a season since Marian Hossa had 30 in 2013-14. The 22-year-old had 73 points (30 goals, 43 assists) in 82 games this season.

Nick Suzuki (5-11, 207), London, Ontario: Montreal’s first line center is the fifth player in franchise history to have at least 100 points in a season, joining Guy Lafleur, Peter Mahovlich, Mats Naslund and Steve Shutt. The 26-year-old represented Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics and scored two goals and had one assist in six games. A quiet leader on and off the ice, the Canadiens captain had 101 points (29 goals, 72 assists) in 82 games this season.

Alexandre Texier (6-1, 196), Saint-Martin-d'Heres, France: Texier returned to the lineup April 7 after missing seven games with a lower-body injury and was moved up to second line left wing, although that could change in the postseason. Signed as a free agent on November 23, 2025, he represented Team France at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The 26-year-old had 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in 43 games this season.

Joe Veleno (6-1, 201), Montreal, Quebec: Signed as a free agent by Montreal on July 16, 2025, he served as an extra forward for much of the season. The 26-year-old had five points (two goals, three assists) in 61 games this season.

DEFENSEMEN

Alexandre Carrier (5-11, 174), Quebec City, Quebec: Carrier bounced between the second and third defense pairs for much of the season before missing the final nine games of the regular season with an upper-body injury. He averaged 19:05 of ice time per game in 73 games before being sidelined. The Canadiens are optimistic he’ll be ready for the Eastern Conference First Round. The 29-year-old had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 73 games this season.

Noah Dobson (6-4, 200), Summerside, PEI: The top-pair defenseman will miss the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs because of an upper-body injury, the Canadiens announced April 12, adding that he’ll be reevaluated in two weeks. The 26-year-old had 47 points (12 goals, 35 assists) in 80 games and ranked third for Montreal in time on ice per game (22:29).

Adam Engstrom (6-2, 193), Jarna, Sweden: The rookie saw limited duty when called upon due to injuries on the Montreal blue line and spent the majority of the season with Laval of the American Hockey League. The 22-year-old has one assist in 15 games with the Canadiens this season.

Kaiden Guhle (6-3, 202), Edmonton, Alberta: A top four D-man when healthy, he was out from Oct. 16-Jan. 10 with a lower-body injury. He gobbled up minutes when he returned and ranked fourth on the team in ice time at 19:28 per game. The 24-year-old had 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 39 games this season.

Lane Hutson (5-9, 162), Holland, Michigan: The 2025 Calder Trophy winner has not missed a beat in his second season, getting 78 points (12 goals, 66 assists) in 82 games, smashing his rookie numbers for goals (six), assists (60) and points (66). The smooth-skating defenseman, one of the best power play quarterbacks in the NHL, has been durable in his young career despite his diminutive frame. To that end, the 22-year-old hasn’t missed a game in his first two NHL seasons.

Mike Matheson (6-2, 196), Pointe-Claire, Quebec: The veteran was on the top pair for much of the season until Dobson's injury, meaning coach Martin St. Louis will have to do some shuffling for the postseason. He led the Canadiens in ice time at 24:10 and should be relied upon just as much in the playoffs. The 32-year-old has 37 points (seven goals, 30 assists) in 78 games this season.

David Reinbacher (6-3, 207), Hohenems, Austria: The rookie was called up due to Noah Dobson's injury and had an assist in Montreal’s 4-1 win against the New York Islanders on April 12, his NHL debut. The 21-year-old was selected No. 5 by Montreal in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Jayden Struble (6-0, 207), Cumberland, Rhode Island: Struble has spent much of the season as Hutson’s partner on a top-two pair. His stay-at-home style is the perfect complement to that of Hutson, who as such is allowed the freedom to skate up ice and flex his offensive muscles. The 24-year-old had 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in 59 games this season.

Arber Xhekaj (6-4, 240), Hamilton, Ontario: Xhekaj is the muscle on the Canadiens roster, and his hulking size tells you why. He normally occupied a spot on the third pairing or as the seventh defenseman. The 25-year-old had four points (one goal, three assists) in 65 games this season.

GOALIES

Jakub Dobes (6-4, 215), Ostrava, Czechia: Dobes established himself as the Canadiens No. 1 goaltender as the season progressed. He became the 10th rookie goalie in NHL history to win each of his first six appearances in a season. The 24-year-old was 29-10-4 with a 2.78 goals-against average and .901 save percentage this season.

Jacob Fowler (6-1, 223), Melbourne, Florida: The rookie served as the primary backup to Dobes the final two months of the regular season. With 31 saves, he recorded his first NHL shutout on Dec. 20, that coming against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 21-year-old was 9-6-2 with a 2.43 GAA and .908 save percentage this season.

Sam Montembeault (6-3, 218), Becancour, Quebec: Montembeault struggled much of the season after being the Canadiens No. 1 goaltender last season. He became Montreal’s No. 3 goalie down the stretch after being passed by Fowler. The 29-year-old was 10-8-4 with a 3.43 GAA and .872 save percentage.