The first week of free agency is officially in the books, and so far, the Montreal Canadiens have not done much to add to the NHL roster. A majority of the free agents that have been added so far have been on two-way contracts and likely will be in Laval.
However, that doesn't mean that it will be the same roster that the Canadiens had that got them all the way to the Eastern Conference Final. The Canadiens have one of the best prospect pools in the league, and there are a few players who look ready to make the jump to the NHL.
When looking at the current roster, these are three players who have the best chance to have a significant role for the Montreal Canadiens in the upcoming 2026-27 season.
Oliver Kapanen
The first player on this list is Oliver Kapanen, who was the center for the second line for most of the regular season. In his first full season in the NHL, he was very productive with 22 goals and 15 assists.
However, the reason he is on this list is that Kapanen would lose that spot in the playoffs. He would end up appearing in only 10 games and had 10 minutes or less of ice time in eight of them. That was why it was considered a roster need for the Canadiens and one they were expected to address this offseason.
It is easier said than done, as teams are not necessarily willing to give up good young centers. There is still time to add before the season, but at this point, the Canadiens will have an open competition during training camp with Kapanen competing with Jake Evans and possibly Owen Beck.
Florian Xhekaj
While the Canadiens didn't add any players, they did see two leave as they traded Brendan Gallagher, and after not extending a qualifying offer to Joe Veleno, he would sign with the New York Rangers. With the open spots, the Canadiens should fill one of them with Florian Xhekaj.
Xhekaj was a fourth-round pick by the Canadiens in the 2023 NHL Draft and spent the past two seasons with the Laval Rocket. He is very similar to his brother, Arber, in that he is a physical player and could end up being a great fit on their fourth line.
Last season, Xhekaj had 17 goals and 12 assists with 182 penalty minutes. As his former coach in Laval described him as a 'unicorn' because he can really help in every area of the game, whether that's power play, penalty kill, 5v5, at center, or on the wing.
It would be surprising at this point if Florian Xhekaj was not on the Canadiens roster to begin this season.
David Reinbacher/Adam Engstrom
Finally, the Canadiens should bring up one defenseman from the AHL, and it will probably be an open competition between David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom, assuming both are still on the roster in the fall. The Canadiens are believed to be aggressive in trying to upgrade their Top 6, and the depth they have on the blueline is a strength. It would make sense that one of these players was included in a trade package to get that upgrade.
If both are still on the roster, then this will be a great training camp battle between two prospects who look ready to contribute at the NHL level. Last season, Engstrom got a little more time in Montreal after playing in 15 games, while Reinbacher made his debut at the very end and appeared in two games.
The question will be whether or not Reinbacher has an edge being a right-handed defenseman, which the Canadiens have primarily left-handed on the roster. However, Engstrom is comfortable playing on the right side, so it might not be as much of a factor.
With six defensemen under contract for next season and Arber Xhekaj a restricted free agent, there isn't a clear path to a spot right now. That could certainly change, and probably will, at some point this offseason with a trade.
There is still over two months left until training camp kicks off, and Kent Hughes will probably keep working the phones to get a deal done. As it stands now, though, these are the players in line for bigger roles in the upcoming 2026-27 season.
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