For the Montreal Canadiens, the 2025-26 season isn’t just about what’s happening in the NHL. While the big club has started the season on a positive note, several of the organization’s top prospects are lighting it up around the world. From Sweden to Michigan to the Western Hockey League, young talents like Filip Eriksson, Michael Hage, and Bryce Pickford are making strong early statements and giving Habs fans plenty of reasons to get excited about the future.
Filip Eriksson
Few players in the Canadiens’ system have taken as big a leap this fall as Eriksson. The 20-year-old forward, drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, has been one of the biggest surprises of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) season so far. Through 11 games, Eriksson sits third in the entire SHL in scoring, with seven goals and seven assists for 14 points, already surpassing the total points (six) he produced over 37 games last season.
Eriksson isn’t just thriving, he’s leading his team in scoring and has become a key part of their offensive engine. His improved production reflects not only better confidence but also more ice time. Scouts have long praised his hockey sense and vision, but what’s made the difference this season is his decisiveness.
For the Canadiens, this breakout couldn’t come at a better time. The organization has several strong forward prospects, Ivan Demidov, Michael Hage, and Alexander Zharovsky among them, but Eriksson’s two-way intelligence and rising offensive ceiling give Montreal another intriguing middle-six candidate down the line. If he keeps producing at this rate, it’s not hard to imagine him being invited to training camp next season.
Michael Hage
While Eriksson dominates overseas, Hage is doing the same in the NCAA. The 2024 first-round pick has been nothing short of sensational for the University of Michigan early in his sophomore season. In just four games, Hage has four goals and nine points, ranking among the top scorers in the NCAA.
Hage’s combination of speed, poise, and creativity down the middle has made him the offensive leader of a powerhouse Michigan lineup. He controls play through the neutral zone, wins puck battles despite his age, and displays NHL-ready instincts. Scouts projected him as a potential top-six centre in the NHL, and his early performance is reinforcing that belief.
Within the Canadiens’ long-term plans, Hage is viewed as a potential future second line centre behind Nick Suzuki, and his play so far has made fans dream of that one-two punch. Montreal hasn’t had a legitimate centre pipeline this deep in years, but Hage’s arrival adds another piece to the puzzle.
Bryce Pickford
Not many defencemen start their junior season scoring like a top-line forward, but Pickford has done exactly that. The Medicine Hat Tigers’ defenceman has six goals and nine points in nine games, continuing the torrid offensive pace that saw him score 20 goals in 48 games last season. That type of output is rare for any defenceman, let alone one still developing his all-around game at 19 years old.
Related: Canadiens’ Early Extensions Set the Tone for 2025-26 Season
Pickford’s biggest weapon is his heavy and accurate shot. He’s fearless in joining the rush and has shown the ability to quarterback the power play with confidence. Medicine Hat’s up-tempo system suits him perfectly, allowing him to push offence without sacrificing too much defensively. While some aspects of his game still need refinement, his offensive instincts are elite for his age.
For the Canadiens, Pickford represents one of the more intriguing late-round finds of recent years. Montreal has built an impressive stable of young defencemen, from David Reinbacher and Lane Hutson to Adam Engström, but Pickford’s scoring flair gives him a distinct identity. He’s the kind of player who can change the momentum of a game with one shot.
Eriksson, Hage, and Pickford are all at different stages of their development and playing in different environments, but the common thread is clear: the Canadiens’ development pipeline is thriving. For an organization that has emphasized patience and drafting skill over size, these results are encouraging.
Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have repeatedly stressed that building a sustainable contender requires depth throughout the system, not just one or two good prospects. The early performances of these three players show that philosophy paying off. Each of them brings a unique element.
It’s early, but if they maintain these trajectories, Montreal could soon have a new wave of young talent ready to support its emerging NHL core. For now, though, Canadiens fans can simply enjoy watching the highlights and dream about what’s coming next.
