Habs Prospects: 15 Names to Watch This Season

Habs prospects are back on the ice across North America and Europe, and a week into October the picture already looks different from the one painted at summer development camp. Michael Hage is producing at Michigan, David Reinbacher is in Laval instead of Montreal, and Jacob Fowler is back in the NHL because Samuel Montembeault got hurt in practice. Here are the Habs prospects who matter most right now, what each has done so far and when he might realistically arrive.

A note on the numbers: every 2026-27 stat below runs through Thursday, Oct. 8, and most of these players have dressed between one and 13 times. That is an early-season, small sample, so treat it as a first read. Stats come from the Canadiens prospects page on NHL.com and the NHL’s player data, the AHL’s Laval Rocket stats, and the official school and league sites linked at the bottom.

Two familiar Habs prospects are missing on purpose. Florian Xhekaj and Adam Engstrom both made Montreal’s opening-night roster, according to Habs Eyes on the Prize, so they are on the NHL roster rather than in the pipeline for now. Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov graduated from prospect lists a while ago. For the big club itself, our Montreal Canadiens hub has the recaps and our Habs by the Numbers piece covers the first games.

Habs prospects: the top tier

Michael Hage, C, Michigan (NCAA)

Age 20. Drafted 21st overall in 2024 (first round). 2026-27: 2 GP, 3-4-7.

Hage opened his third season at Michigan the way he finished his second. He had two goals and an assist in a 7-2 win over Bowling Green on Oct. 2, then a goal and three assists in a 4-3 comeback the next night, according to Michigan Athletics and the NCAA.com box score. The Big Ten named him its second star of the week. We covered the opener in our Michael Hage NCAA recap.

Still, the bigger body of work is why he sits near the top of every list of Habs prospects. Last season he put up 52 points (13 goals, 39 assists) in 39 games, tied for third in NCAA scoring, then led the 2026 World Juniors with 15 points in seven games for Canada, as listed in NHL.com’s top Canadiens prospects ranking. The assist totals tell you what kind of centre he is. He chose to return to Michigan rather than turn pro, so he is unsigned. Realistic arrival: a contract once Michigan’s season ends next spring, with a full-time push in 2027-28.

David Reinbacher, D, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Age 21. Drafted fifth overall in 2023 (first round). 2026-27: 2 GP, 0-1-1. NHL games to date: 2.

NHL.com ranked Reinbacher first among Habs prospects this summer, and he played a strong preseason, yet he was among the 10 players assigned to Laval on Sept. 27, as HockeyBuzz reported. The issue is the depth chart: Montreal’s right side is crowded, and knee, shoulder and hand injuries have cost him time over two seasons. He is on an entry-level deal through 2027-28, per the Rocket’s roster overview. Realistic arrival: this season, as the first defenceman recalled when an injury hits.

Alexander Zharovsky, RW, Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)

Age 19. Drafted 34th overall in 2025 (second round). 2026-27: 13 GP, 2-6-8.

Zharovsky is the pure skill name among the Habs prospects playing in Europe. He had 42 points in 59 KHL games last season as a teenager in a men’s league, and he is producing again this fall. NHL.com notes he trained with Ivan Demidov in Montreal after development camp and is expected to play one more season in Russia. Watch his ice time in Ufa. Realistic arrival: 2027-28.

Gleb Pugachyov, RW, Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)

Age 18. Drafted 26th overall in 2026 (first round). 2026-27: 6 GP, 0-1-1.

Montreal moved up two spots to take Pugachyov in June, trading the 28th pick and a 2027 third-rounder to Vegas, according to the Canadiens’ draft recap. He is a 6-foot-3 power winger; general manager Kent Hughes said the scouts compared his style to Tom Wilson’s. NHL.com said the hope was a full-time KHL job this season, but so far he is in the junior MHL with Chaika and has one assist in six games, according to the MHL’s player page. He has two seasons left on his KHL contract. Realistic arrival: 2028-29.

Laval Rocket to watch

The Rocket split their opening weekend with Syracuse at Place Bell, losing 2-0 on Oct. 2 and winning 6-1 on Oct. 3, according to TheAHL.com. They do not play again until Saturday in Springfield.

Luke Mittelstadt, D

Age 23. Drafted 197th overall in 2023 (seventh round). 2026-27: 2 GP, 0-3-3.

The steal of this list of Habs prospects so far. Mittelstadt stood out at training camp, and he had three assists in the 6-1 win. He had 21 points at Minnesota last season, then five in nine games with Laval. Entry-level contract through 2027-28. Realistic arrival: a call-up candidate this season, a real roster push in 2027-28.

Owen Beck, C

Age 22. Drafted 33rd overall in 2022 (second round). 2026-27: 2 GP, 0-0-0. NHL games to date: 28.

Beck has already played 28 NHL games, 15 of them last season, and scored 33 points in 58 AHL games in 2025-26. He has four shots and no points this fall, which means little after two games. His path to a job in Montreal is as a dependable bottom-six centre, and that is a role the Canadiens fill from within when injuries pile up. His entry-level deal ends after this season, so the next few months matter. Realistic arrival: this season as a bottom-six call-up.

Bryce Pickford, D

Age 20. Drafted 81st overall in 2025 (third round). 2026-27: has not played.

Pickford scored 45 goals and 83 points in 55 games for Medicine Hat last season, according to his NHL.com player page, and won the WHL’s player of the year award, as Yardbarker noted. After shoulder surgery this summer, he is on injured reserve and will be assigned to Laval once healthy. He is signed through 2028-29. Realistic arrival: 2027-28 at the earliest.

Goalies in the pipeline

Jacob Fowler (21, 69th overall in 2023, third round) is the most important goalie among Habs prospects and, for now, the one in Montreal. He was cut to Laval at the end of camp, went 1-1 with a 1.53 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage on 55 shots, then was recalled on Oct. 7 after Montembeault was hurt at practice, as reported by the Canadiens and TSN. He made 15 saves in the 5-2 loss to Nashville on Thursday. He has 18 NHL games to date and an entry-level deal through 2027-28. Arrival: he is already here; the question is how many starts he gets.

Trois-Rivières native Alexis Cournoyer (20, 145th overall in 2025, fifth round) transferred from Cornell to Wisconsin after going 18-10-0 with a .915 save percentage as a freshman, according to NCAA.com. He won his first start for the Badgers (2.00, .889) and is in a real fight for the crease with Daniel Hauser. Montreal-born Quentin Miller (21, 128th in 2023, fourth round) also changed schools, from Denver to Western Michigan, and opened with a shutout win.

Overseas and in junior, Yevgeni Volokhin (21, 144th in 2023) has a 2.14 average and .912 in six VHL games for Khimik after a .948 there last season, and Belarusian Arseni Radkov (19, 82nd in 2025) has two wins in four games and a .910 save percentage with the Val-d’Or Foreurs, his new QMJHL club. Arrival for this group of Habs prospects: 2028 or later, and only one or two will likely get there.

Long shots worth knowing

Filip Eriksson (21, C, 165th in 2023) went from six points in Växjö to 29 in 52 SHL games with Luleå last season and has four points in seven games this fall. His Luleå contract expires after this season, according to Hockeynews.se, which puts an NHL deal on the table.

Aatos Koivu (20, C, 70th in 2024), son of former Canadiens captain Saku Koivu, has two points in 10 Liiga games with TPS after nine points in 47 games last season.

Sam Harris (22, LW, 133rd in 2023) returned to Denver for his senior season with 52 career goals, the most of any active NCAA player at the time, per Denver Athletics. He has two goals in two games. Montreal has to decide on a contract when his season ends.

Player	Pos	Age	Team (league)	Draft	2026-27 stats	Expected arrival
Michael Hage	C	20	Michigan (NCAA)	2024, 1st rd, 21st	2 GP, 3-4-7	2027-28
David Reinbacher	D	21	Laval (AHL)	2023, 1st rd, 5th	2 GP, 0-1-1	2026-27 call-up
Alexander Zharovsky	RW	19	Ufa (KHL)	2025, 2nd rd, 34th	13 GP, 2-6-8	2027-28
Gleb Pugachyov	RW	18	Chaika (MHL)	2026, 1st rd, 26th	6 GP, 0-1-1	2028-29
Luke Mittelstadt	D	23	Laval (AHL)	2023, 7th rd, 197th	2 GP, 0-3-3	2027-28
Owen Beck	C	22	Laval (AHL)	2022, 2nd rd, 33rd	2 GP, 0-0-0	2026-27 call-up
Bryce Pickford	D	20	Laval (AHL), injured	2025, 3rd rd, 81st	Not played (shoulder)	2027-28 or later
Jacob Fowler	G	21	Montreal (NHL) / Laval (AHL)	2023, 3rd rd, 69th	AHL 2 GP, 1.53, .945; NHL 1 GP, .833	Now
Alexis Cournoyer	G	20	Wisconsin (NCAA)	2025, 5th rd, 145th	1 GP, 2.00, .889	2028-29 or later
Quentin Miller	G	21	Western Michigan (NCAA)	2023, 4th rd, 128th	1 GP, 0.00, 1.000	2028 or later
Yevgeni Volokhin	G	21	Khimik (VHL)	2023, 5th rd, 144th	6 GP, 2.14, .912	2028 or later
Arseni Radkov	G	19	Val-d’Or (QMJHL)	2025, 3rd rd, 82nd	4 GP, 2.17, .910	2029 or later
Filip Eriksson	C	21	Luleå (SHL)	2023, 6th rd, 165th	7 GP, 3-1-4	2027-28 if signed
Aatos Koivu	C	20	TPS (Liiga)	2024, 3rd rd, 70th	10 GP, 1-1-2	2028 or later
Sam Harris	LW	22	Denver (NCAA)	2023, 5th rd, 133rd	2 GP, 2-0-2	Pro in 2027 if signed

Ages as of Oct. 9, 2026. Stats through Oct. 8. Arrival windows are Hockey Informers estimates, informed by NHL.com’s projections where available.

What to watch this month

Sat. Oct. 10: the Canadiens host the Detroit Red Wings at the Bell Centre at 7 p.m. ET (Canadiens schedule). With Montembeault hurt, watch whether Fowler gets the start or backs up Jakub Dobes. Laval plays in Springfield that night.
Oct. 16-17: Michigan visits Denver, the defending national champions, so Hage and Sam Harris share the ice twice.
Wed. Oct. 21: the Rocket return to Place Bell against Syracuse after a four-game road trip, a checkpoint for Reinbacher, Mittelstadt, Beck and Pickford’s recovery.

Pool angle: in keeper leagues that roster Habs prospects, Fowler is the only name here with real value this season while Montembeault is out; Hage and Zharovsky are the long-term holds, and Mittelstadt is the cheap add if your league counts AHL call-ups. More in our analytics section and on the Hockey Informers home page.