In this edition of the Montreal Canadiens News & Rumours, general manager (GM) Kent Hughes has his work cut out for him as the 2025-26 season progresses and the hardships begin. The Canadiens have had a blazing start, but now injuries are starting to pile up, and some one-sided losses have fans second-guessing their overly optimistic view of the team in October. Rumours still swirl around interest in acquiring a top-six centre; also, there have been some updates on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Caufield and Team USA
Cole Caufield’s offensive numbers are hard to ignore, with 12 goals and 18 points in 17 games. He is one of the NHL’s top goal scorers, and it isn’t by getting shots through from the perimeter, either. No, he has been going to the dirty areas, scoring most of his goals from within five or six feet of the net. Among American forwards, he’s one of the most lethal shooters, and in a short tournament like the Olympics, scoring goals is at a premium. Yet, Pierre LeBrun announced that Team USA would not choose Caufield if the final selection were made today:
Team USA likely hasn’t shown much interest in Caufield due to his small size or a perception that his game is streaky. But he has been very consistent for the Canadiens this season. That said, Team USA has several talented wingers, such as Matt Boldy, Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk and Chris Kreider, all of whom are big, physical forwards, and they will likely use the same formula they used for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament last February, when they lost to Canada in final, focusing more on playing a grinding physical game rather than one based on speed and playing with pace that led Canada to the gold medal.
However, Caufield creates offence at five-on-five, on the power play (PP) and is on pace for over 40 goals this season. He also holds the franchise record for overtime-winning goals in a career with 11, so far. He is a prolific and clutch scorer who can handle the physicality of the NHL. But if Team USA chooses to ignore him based on his height, Canadiens fans shouldn’t be too upset, as it could be a blessing for the club.
Giving him a few weeks off mid-season to heal any small injuries, bumps and bruises and solve any fatigue issues could help him reset before Montreal enters the stretch run for a playoff push, and this season, they are aiming for home ice advantage in the first round. As it stands, while Montreal has several players who could make their national Olympic teams, only Juraj Slafkovsky is a lock to play, joining Team Slovakia for his second Olympic Games.
Canadiens Hunting for Centres
Montreal is desperately searching for a top-six centre, and according to Marco D’Amico of RG.org, the Canadiens have contacted the Buffalo Sabres about Tage Thompson’s availability. He confirmed that several teams, including Montreal and the Vancouver Canucks have shown interest. Thompson is a huge centre and a power forward who brings a scoring touch (multiple 40-goal seasons). But, according to a well-placed source, Sabres GM Kevin Adams’ response has been consistent: “Not available at this time.”
While the Sabres are looking to avoid making any panic decisions, their season is at a crossroads. Do they look to go all-in and make the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, or do they throw in the towel and hope for a lottery pick? Either way, keeping a 28-year-old veteran, 6-foot-6, 220-pound right-handed centre making $7.14 million for four more seasons is always the right decision. While he might not be listening right now, Adams’ response is also not, ‘No,’ which opens the possibility that he might be willing to shop Thompson, who has a five-team no-trade list, at some point.
If Buffalo does make him available, however, there will be a massive bidding war, given the shortage of centres available on the market, especially ones entering their prime with affordable contracts with term. It would be costly, especially in a seller’s market. The last star centre to be traded was Jack Eichel, who is a better player, and the return Buffalo got from the Vegas Golden Knights included Alex Tuch, who was a 24-year-old power forward coming off a prorated 25-goal season, Peyton Krebs, who was a recent first-round pick, as well as a first-round and a second-round pick.
For the Canadiens, the equivalent would be Juraj Slafkovsky, Michael Hage (who has been playing on the wing for the last few weeks) and a first and second-round pick. That price is far too high for most Canadiens fans to accept. But situations change quickly, and what seems like a sure-fire outcome or value now can be vastly different a month from now. This is a situation to keep an eye on.
Canadiens’ Newhook Injured
Alex Newhook suffered what looked like a significant injury against the Dallas Stars in a 7-0 loss on Thursday night. No official announcement has been issued, but the way his teammates were talking about the injury and his likely long-term absence doesn’t leave a lot of hope for a speedy recovery.
Whether it’s a few weeks or a few months, losing Newhook hurts. He was playing a key role in the top six, helping to stabilize a line with two rookies, Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen, while also providing some significant offensive depth, with six goals through 17 games, putting him on a 30-goal pace for the season. He was also playing a more physical game, at a pace that would see him reach 125 hits over a full campaign, which would have been enough to rank in the Canadiens’ top ten last season.
So, who will the Canadiens replace him? He brought speed and an offensive scoring touch, and he was just starting to establish himself on the penalty kill (PK). His speed was a weapon, much like when Paul Byron was in Montreal. His breakaway speed is well respected – it helped force the PP to keep a player high, which helped stretch out the attackers, opening space for the PK to fill the middle of the ice.
The obvious answer is to promote Zachary Bolduc to the second line. While he doesn’t bring the same intangibles as Newhook, Bolduc plays a hard-nosed, physical game with an excellent shot, which can be an asset on a line with a sublime playmaker like Demidov. Unfortunately, moving Bolduc up would leave a hole in the bottom six, which would need to be filled.
Do the Canadiens Have Interest in David Kampf?
Why mention David Kampf? Well, the Canadiens need to shore up their bottom six. They are also on the lookout for a left-handed centre who can win faceoffs and play on the penalty kill, and it just so happens that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Kampf have had a falling out after he was assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Toronto Marlies, and refused to report. He has since been suspended without pay.
Terminating his contract will cost him roughly $3.4 million in remaining earnings, but it also frees him to sign with a new club immediately. Despite being 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, Kampf is not a physical player, with a career-high 84 hits in 2023-24, for an average of just over one per game. While he checks some boxes, he isn’t the ideal fit for Montreal.
He was in the third season of a four-year deal, worth an average of $2.4 million. Still, Kampf is a responsible, defence-first forward. He should draw interest around the league, and the question is whether he will chase term, opportunity, or the best short-term reset. Montreal may provide him the best option to “stick it” to his former team, but don’t expect Hughes to overpay for a player who can only provide short-term relief.
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