The Montreal Canadiens have been surprisingly quiet this offseason, and as it stands, they will likely be heading into next season with a very similar roster. Brendan Gallagher, Patrik Laine, and Joe Veleno have departed from the Canadiens. With no major acquisitions to date, the Canadiens will have to fill the voids left by those players within the organization. The Canadiens had a couple of prospects last season fighting to secure a spot on the roster in training camp who did not make it, who will be looking to prove that they made the necessary adjustments to make the team this time around. Montreal did make some minor trades for AHL players who could look to challenge for a roster spot now that they are in a new situation.
Brett Berard
Brett Berard was acquired by the Canadiens in a trade that sent defenceman William Trudeau to the New York Rangers. Two years ago, Berard looked primed to make the jump to the NHL permanent after a 35-game spell where he recorded six goals and four assists, but he took a step back last season. In 13 NHL games last season, Berard was held pointless, spending the majority of the season with the Rangers' AHL affiliate, Hartford Wolf Pack. Berard needed a change of scenery and will now get that chance with the Canadiens.
The loss of Gallagher could open the door for Berard if he shows that he belongs in the NHL during training camp. Berard, like Gallagher, is a diminutive winger who could slot into the Canadiens bottom-six forward group. Berard has shown he can be a point producer at the AHL level, but he has yet to show if he can replicate those numbers in the NHL. The Canadiens could use some more points from the bottom half of their lineup, and Berard could be a candidate to help out with the secondary scoring.
Owen Beck
With Veleno gone, signing with the Rangers at the start of free agency, the door now opens for Owen Beck to get his shot at making the Canadiens roster. Montreal’s 2022 second-round pick has played sparingly over the last two seasons with the Canadiens, primarily on a call-up basis when there are injuries. He played 12 games with the Canadiens in 2024-25 and an additional 15 games this past season, recording a goal and an assist over the 27 games. Being a centre likely limited Beck’s chances to play last season, especially after the Canadiens acquired Phillip Danault from the Los Angeles Kings in December.
Now with Veleno gone, Beck could fill the role left by the now Rangers centre. Veleno became an asset for the Canadiens due to his ability to win faceoffs and being good on the forecheck. Veleno was not a player who played every game last season. He would enter the lineup depending on the matchups before solidifying his spot late in the season as a replacement for Gallagher, who was regularly scratched during the final stretch of the year. Beck’s path could be similar. He may start the season on the roster but not in the opening-day lineup, and will have to fight for his opportunities to get into the game before securing a spot in the lineup by the end of the year.
Florian Xhekaj
The Canadiens are in desperate need to add some sandpaper to their lineup, which was evident during the 2026 NHL Entry Draft when Montreal selected Gleb Pugachyov with their first-round pick. It will be a year or two before Pugachyov is ready to make the jump to the NHL, but the Canadiens have a player who could be ready to join the lineup next season, who could bring some physicality in Florian Xhekaj. The Canadiens 2023 fourth-round pick’s whole game is built on being physical. Xhekaj has led the Laval Rocket in penalty minutes over the last two seasons, and like Berard, could be a player fighting to replace Gallagher’s spot in the lineup.
Xhekaj was one of the team’s final cuts in training camp last season, and could be coming in this year with something to prove. While mainly being a physical presence, Xhekaj can chip in on the offensive side as well. As a rookie with the Rocket, Xhekaj set a franchise record for goals by a rookie with 24. Last season, Xhekaj made his NHL debut, appearing in five games with the Canadiens, recording a single assist. The Canadiens have one glaring weakness, the lack of a physical presence on offence, and Xhekaj could prove to the organization in training camp that he is perfect to fill that role.
Add us as a preferred source on Google