Habs Daily: NHL Free Agents, Defensive Pairings At Practice, Demidov
Here are the Montreal Canadiens and NHL news items you may have missed on Tuesday.
Montreal Canadiens News
- Seeing as the Habs failed to land a notable player in free agency or via a trade, it’s a good time to take a look at the remaining unrestricted free agents on the market. Training camp starts shortly, which means the aging players may be willing to accept a short-term deal. [Canadiens Roster Talk: Remaining NHL Free Agents]
- There was an informal practice on Tuesday, featuring different defensive pairings on the blue line. Now, to be accurate, Mike Matheson did not participate in the drills; therefore it’s not necessarily a case of the Habs intending to run new defensive pairings in the upcoming season, but it was still interesting to see Noah Dobson line up alongside Lane Hutson, Alexander Carrier with Arber Xhekaj, and Adam Engstrom slotted with David Reinbacher. Jayden Struble was the player who rotated into the various pairings. [Canadiens Top Prospects: Reinbacher’s Improved Skill Set]
Lane Hutson et Noah Dobson forment un duo à la défense, tandis que Jayden Struble fait la rotation.
Les autres duos sont les suivants :
• Carrier – Xhekaj
• Engstrom – ReinbacherMike Matheson s’est entraîné en solitaire, mais ne participe pas au match intra-équipe.… pic.twitter.com/wGEvrSd0Uw
— Patrick Guillet (@PatGuillet) September 8, 2026
Après le match, quelques joueurs ont profité de l’occasion pour effectuer des tirs de barrage sur Jacob Fowler. Ivan Demidov a notamment surpris le gardien entre les jambières. 👀🏒@DLCoulisses #GoHabsGo #Demidov #NHL pic.twitter.com/VSvduLhWli
— Patrick Guillet (@PatGuillet) September 8, 2026
- Cole Caufield was unavailable, which led to Kirby Dach taking his spot on the first line.
En l’absence de Cole Caufield, c’est Kirby Dach qui complète le premier trio aux côtés de Nick Suzuki et Juraj Slafkovsky. 👀🏒@DLCoulisses #GoHabsGo #Dach #NHL pic.twitter.com/SWNg0NI90J
— Patrick Guillet (@PatGuillet) September 8, 2026
- Here’s your daily dose of Lane Hutson highlights, confirming that the man only has one speed: top speed. He was out there giving his all during the pre-pre-preseason.
Même lors d’un match improvisé un 8 septembre, Lane Hutson se replie comme si sa vie en dépendait 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/sSPie420DF
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) September 8, 2026
- ICYMI: Even though the Habs are looking to upgrade two key positions, there’s a certain risk involved in dealing some of the team’s top young players. On the flip side of the coin, to acquire a top-four defenceman, or a top-six centre, moving one of the best prospects may be unavoidable. [Canadiens Trade Options: Save The Prospects]
Sportsnaut Network
- The New Jersey Devils are not opening camp to find out if Jake Allen is on the roster. They are opening it to find out who plays behind him, how often, and whether the crease they built after Jacob Markstrom can survive an 84-game season without turning into last year’s problem, this time with a cheaper payroll. [New Jersey Devils]
- Matthew Tkachuk has already been a part of a Miami Hurricanes home game. And now, Brady Tkachuk gets to join in on the fun. The Hurricanes announced Tuesday that the two star forwards of the Florida Panthers will kick off Miami’s home opener at Hard Rock Stadium by being the celebrity hurricane siren ringers. [Florida Panthers]
- Though it comes as little surprise to longtime fans of the franchise, EA Sports’ early access release of NHL 27 over the weekend came with a brutal reception. [Carolina Hurricanes]
