3 Canadiens Who Could Be Traded Before Opening Night

The Montreal Canadiens have reached an interesting point in their rebuild. For years, the organization was focused on accumulating young talent, draft picks and opportunities for players to prove themselves. Now, the problem is becoming almost the opposite: there might not be enough spots for everyone.

Montreal enters the 2026-27 season with considerably more depth throughout its roster, and training camp should feature legitimate competition for jobs. The recent addition of Chris Kreider only adds another established NHL forward to the mix, while several younger players will be pushing for larger roles. That leaves general manager Kent Hughes with some decisions to make before opening night. Here are three players that could be moved before opening night.

Alexandre Texier

Alexandre Texier might be one of the biggest victims of Montreal’s suddenly crowded forward group. The Canadiens brought him in as a useful depth option, and his versatility certainly has value. He can move around the lineup and provide Montreal with another experienced NHL forward. The problem isn’t necessarily what Texier brings. It’s how many other options Martin St. Louis now has at his disposal.

Montreal already has a clearly established group at the top with Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov. Players such as Alex Newhook, Phillip Danault, Josh Anderson, Zachary Bolduc and Jake Evans also figure into the equation, while Kreider adds another veteran winger who should occupy a regular spot.

At some point, there simply aren’t enough minutes to go around. The Canadiens also don’t want to completely block their younger players from earning opportunities. If someone forces his way onto the roster during training camp, Hughes could have to create room.

Texier could consequently become an expendable piece. He isn’t necessarily someone Montreal needs to move, but when teams start making final roster decisions around the league, an experienced depth forward could attract some interest.

Samuel Montembeault

The Canadiens’ goaltending situation has been something to watch throughout the offseason, and it isn’t getting any less interesting as opening night approaches. The Habs announced they will carry only two goalies this season.

Jakub Dobes enters camp after establishing himself as Montreal’s leading option during the second half of last season and into the playoffs. Then there is Jacob Fowler, who continues to push toward becoming a permanent NHL goaltender. That leaves Samuel Montembeault in an uncomfortable position.

After struggling during the 2025-26 season, he enters camp needing to show that he can still be an important part of Montreal’s plans. Montreal could send Fowler back to the Laval Rocket and allow him to continue playing significant minutes, which would temporarily solve the problem. However, if Fowler clearly proves during camp that he belongs in the NHL, the Canadiens will have a decision to make.

In that scenario, Montembeault becomes the obvious name to watch. Finding a trade partner might not necessarily be easy after his difficult season, and Montreal shouldn’t move him simply for the sake of making a transaction. Still, teams around the league inevitably run into goaltending injuries and uncertainty. A potential market could develop quickly.

For the Canadiens, the question will be whether keeping Montembeault is worth potentially standing in Fowler’s way.

Kirby Dach

Kirby Dach is probably the most fascinating name of the three. The Canadiens have spent years waiting for the former third-overall pick to put everything together. Injuries have repeatedly interrupted his time in Montreal, and his inability to stay in the lineup has made it difficult for him to establish a consistent role. Now, patience could be running thin simply because the Canadiens have more alternatives.

Dach enters the season on a one-year contract with plenty to prove. Montreal’s forward group is deeper than it has been in years, and there is no longer a guarantee that the Canadiens need to wait indefinitely for him to establish himself.

There is still plenty to like about Dach’s game. His size, skill and versatility remain intriguing, and moving him before seeing what he can do when healthy carries obvious risk. At the same time, his situation makes him someone Hughes could consider moving if another team is willing to bet on his upside.

The addition of Kreider only increases the competition for minutes, while Montreal’s younger forwards continue pushing for opportunities.

None of Texier, Montembeault or Dach necessarily has to be traded before opening night. Depth is valuable, injuries happen and competition is exactly what the Canadiens should want at training camp. But Montreal has gone from searching for NHL-calibre players to figuring out how to fit everyone onto the roster. That’s a good problem for Hughes to have. It also means somebody could eventually become the odd man out.