Canadiens News & Notes: Marchenko, Ranking the Core & More

In this edition of the Montreal Canadiens News & Rumours, general manager (GM) Kent Hughes has his work cut out for him as the team is still in search of the missing pieces to complete its most critical point of the rebuild. The dog days of summer haven’t quieted the rumour mill, and Montreal has been linked to big names. Hughes has several intriguing assets that could be used as trade bait to fill needs or to graduate into the roster and test their development and add to the NHL’s top young core group. 

Defending the Defencemen 

Montreal’s defensive depth is both a strength and a weakness all at once. On the right side, there are gaps, but with players like David Reinbacher nearing the NHL, it may not be an issue much longer. The strength of the blue line is on the left side, where the Canadiens have six NHL-capable defenders.  

One of which is Adam Engstrom, who, according to Arpon Basu of The Athletic during a recent appearance on the summer edition of Le Retour with Martin Lemay, stated that he was the most sought-after player by opposing teams at the 2026 Trade Deadline. This could point to his value being elevated in any trade package Hughes adds him into to fill needs elsewhere.  

Another young defender that holds a high value, this time among the Canadiens fanbase, is Arber Xhekaj. His agent, Brian Bartlett, was on TSN 690’s “The Game Plan” and made abundantly clear he wants to stay. However, the restricted free agent (RFA) has yet to sign a new contract with the club. The 25-year-old is popular for his physical style and ability to intimidate opponents.  

Yet his future in Montreal has become an area of conversation. His limited ice time may be due to a lack of trust from the coaching staff, or he may not quite fit the team’s playing style. Yet if he were right-handed, there is little doubt he would have had a permanent third-pairing role on the Canadiens this past season. Either way, he is a proven NHL defenceman who does hold value. 

Canadiens Linked (Sorta) to Another Russian 

RG’s Daria Tuboltseva reported that the Columbus Blue Jackets are working on finalizing a deal to send Kirill Marchenko to a new team, and their source stated that it is down to two teams. It is believed that Montreal is the front-runner and has been linked to him going back to the start of the offseason.

While one side of the Atlantic has a story, the other side is saying the opposite, but that doesn’t close the door completely; it leaves it open about 1%, just enough for some light to peek into that dark room.

If something like this were to happen later this summer, the acquisition cost in a trade for Marchenko is likely to be a “king’s ransom”, consisting of multiple premium assets. Because the 26-year-old winger has back-to-back 74-point and 67-point seasons, all while carrying a team-friendly $3.85 million cap hit, the Blue Jackets should be demanding top-tier value. Canadiens fans will need to be prepared to see premium young roster players and a top-tier prospect like Reinbacher or Alexander Zharovsky. That being said, is he worth it? Hard to say no when a 30-plus goal-scoring forward with speed and in the same age group as the team’s core is potentially available. 

Canadiens’ Centre Duo Ranking Falls Flat 

The Athletic’s Harman Dayal has ranked every top-six centre duo in the NHL from best to worst, and unsurprisingly, the Canadiens didn’t land very high (From ‘Every NHL team’s top-6 center duos, ranked from best to worst’ – The Athletic, 6/28/2026). Hughes has been trying to fill that glaring need that is the Canadiens’ second-line centre (2C) role, but so far, it has been done internally, and with the expected arrival of Michael Hage by the end of this upcoming season, it may continue to be an ongoing issue of debate, unless something surprising takes place between now and the summer of 2027. 

Last season, rookie centre Oliver Kapanen took the job and ran with it to the end of the regular season, scoring 22 goals, before running out of gas. The young Finnish product had never played that many games in a full season before, and performing under that level of workload isn’t something that just anyone can do. By the time the playoffs rolled around, Jake Evans was taking the reps on the second line while Kapanen sat in the press box for most of their playoff run. 

In 19 playoff games, Evans recorded a very respectable 10 points; however, no one, not even Evans, will say he is a bona fide 2C. At the midway point last season, Hughes stated that he “had no doubt Kapanen could be a 2C in the NHL”. Ideally, Montreal would have a more established, offensive centre in that role. And while Hughes has “no doubt”, of course, he didn’t close the door on looking for reinforcements or seeing his club get another centre. 

Even with all of that explanation, it’s no surprise the Canadiens’ top-six centre options of Nick Suzuki-Kapanen/Evans landed near the middle of the pack in 14th place. It was described as a  “Middle of the pack (Star top line center but with a below-average 2C)”. With a rookie being unable to perform consistently, being replaced at a key moment by someone who is ideally a fourth-line centre, the uncertainty obviously dragged down the final ranking. Clearly, Suzuki, with his 101 points and Selke Trophy win, carried the load. The team captain is one of the NHL’s top centres, and until the 2C mystery is finally solved, Montreal will never have a top duo ranking, or become true perennial Stanley Cup contenders. 

The NHL’s Top Young Core 

While the 2C mystery continues to mystify Scooby and the gang, Hughes has been methodically building a core group of players that has been exceeding expectations of even the Canadiens’ fan base. Recently, Sportsnet’s Sonny Sachdeva ranked the NHL’s under 25 years of age core groups, and the Canadiens landed at the top of his list. 

Take a step back and examine what the spring of 2026 actually signified for this franchise. That wasn’t just a feel-good playoff run; it was a firm declaration of intent. When the Canadiens carved their way to the Eastern Conference Final, methodically taking apart an experienced contender in the Tampa Bay Lightning, then out-muscling a surging Buffalo Sabres team before bowing out to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, they didn’t just exceed expectations; they altered their contention timeline. That run proved the potential long touted by management isn’t some distant vision, but a tangible reality already pushing the league’s elite to their absolute limits. That reality was directly fueled by the young core and the surprising depth that they’ve been able to cobble together. 

What makes Montreal’s positioning so enviable is how seamlessly the core is blending together, led by Suzuki, who bridges the gap to an explosive young core while providing leadership to the entire roster. Up front, you have three entirely different offensive weapons in 51-goal scorer Cole Caufield’s game-breaking finish, Juraj Slafkovsky’s physical evolution, and Ivan Demidov’s emerging superstardom. On the back end, Lane Hutson has already transcended into one of the league’s most prolific, play-dictating defenders, making a future Norris Trophy feel truly possible. At the same time, Kaiden Guhle provides the physical, mobile, shutdown balance that allows the blue line to thrive. 

Throw in a modern, high-upside goaltending tandem in Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler, alongside high-end prospects like Hage dominating the NCAA and Reinbacher refining his top-four pedigree in the American Hockey League (AHL), and the picture becomes clearer. The Canadiens aren’t just climbing through their window right now based on hype or projection. They hold it because their core is already proving they can perform and they still haven’t all hit their ceiling, which remains sky-high. The best news is that their pipeline is also built to sustain and fuel this core. This latest playoff run is only just the beginning. While Montreal may not have as long a playoff run this season, they are already a threat to any team in the NHL in a seven-game series. 

Keep an eye on our THW Podcast Network for all your hockey needs and THW’s affiliated podcast, Habs Unfiltered, for the latest Canadiens news, notes, and rumours.