3 major questions for the Montreal Canadiens with training camp quickly approaching
Training camp is quickly approaching for the Montreal Canadiens as rookies are set to report soon, with veterans about a week after that, and the first preseason game on September 19th. For the Canadiens, even with such a small window between now and then, they have several questions left unanswered.
These are questions that seemingly impact every part of the franchise, from the coaching staff to roster spots to the lineup, which could have a major impact not only on this season but also in the future.
Will Martin St. Louis have a contract extension announced?
One of the top questions is around head coach Martin St. Louis, who is set to enter the final year of his contract. St. Louis took over as head coach for Dominque Ducharme of the Canadiens during the 2021-22 season.
After that season, St. Louis would be named the permanent head coach and signed a five-year contract. It was certainly a risk for Montreal at the time, as St. Louis had zero coaching experience at the NHL level.
However, he has clearly been the right choice to lead the Canadiens through a rebuild and has helped the team improve season after season. This is a deal that probably should have been done much earlier in the summer, but it needs to be done ahead of the season.
If not, it will be a topic of conversation with fans wondering if this could be the final season with him as head coach.
Where will Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj be playing this season?
Martin St. Louis isn’t the only person from last year’s team with contract questions, as Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj, who are restricted free agents, are both still not signed. The conversation around the two players has been very different up to this point, and it isn’t a guarantee they will be back for this season.
Between the two, Bolduc seems the most likely, and the comments and reporting have been more positive. According to Eric Engel with Sportsnet, he doesn’t know when a deal will get done, but he would be surprised if it wasn’t before training camp.
As for Xhekaj, it seems like he wants to remain with the Montreal Canadiens, but they don’t really have a spot in the lineup for him to see consistent ice time. For most of last season, he served as that seventh defenseman, and with the six players ahead of him all back for the 2026-27 season, it is tough to see where he fits without Montreal making another move.
At this point, it looks like the Montreal Canadiens are going to be trading a defenseman at some point over the next few weeks. It is just unclear who it might be.
Who will be the center on the second line?
It is a little surprising that this is still a question because it was a glaring concern during the playoffs and felt like it had to be addressed during the offseason. Unfortunately, general manager Kent Hughes hasn’t been able to get anything done yet, and it sets up a fascinating training camp battle at the position on the second line.
The Canadiens may not have great options, but they have several players who likely will get a chance to win that job. It is a group that includes Oliver Kapanen, who spent most of the regular season there but was a healthy scratch for a large portion of the playoffs. Other players might be Alex Newhook, Jake Evans, or even prospects like Owen Beck.
This will get sorted out during training camp and the preseason, but it is a major question for the Montreal Canadiens at this point.
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