The Montreal Canadiens have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, with the Daily Faceoff ranking them second prior to the 2025-26 season. This past season, the Canadiens saw their top prospect, Ivan Demidov, have an outstanding rookie season, in which he led all rookies in regular-season and playoff scoring and finished second in Calder Memorial Trophy voting. Montreal has more prospects waiting in the wings for their opportunity to showcase their talents with the Canadiens. Some are closer than others to making the jump to the NHL, but they have all been displaying their talents with their minor league teams, building the fans' excitement for their futures with the organization.
5. Vinzenz Rohrer
Another undersized, highly skilled forward, Vinzenz Rohrer, had an impressive season with the ZSC Lions in the National League over in Switzerland. The Canadiens 2022 third-round pick played with the Ottawa 67’s in the OHL prior to being drafted, but elected to go over to Europe because he believed it would be better for his development. In 41 games this past season with the Lions, Rohrer recorded four goals and eight assists, but was praised for his two-way game. Following the Lions' elimination from the playoffs in Switzerland, Rohrer was reassigned to the Rocket and appeared in the team’s final game of the season before being included in the lineup for the playoffs. In his debut with the Rocket, Rohrer had a goal and an assist, both coming while short-handed. Rohrer was also named to Team Austria for this past season’s IIHF World Championship, where he scored three goals and added an assist in six games. He comes in as the Canadiens fifth-ranked forward prospect, and will garner more attention now that he will be playing next season with the Rocket.
4. LJ Mooney
John Mooney, known as LJ, which stands for “Little John,” was the Canadiens' fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft spent this season with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The diminutive winger, listed at 5’8”, hence the “Little John” nickname, had an excellent first year with the Golden Gopher, recording seven goals and 23 assists in 34 games. Despite his small stature, Mooney effortlessly creates offence thanks to his incredible speed and quick hands. Like Hage, Mooney also appeared at the WJC, playing in five games and recording three assists. It was a disappointing tournament for Team USA as they failed to medal for the first time since 2022. Mooney has the talent to be an effective offensive player in the NHL, but his size will have some saying he is too small. Luckily for the Canadiens fourth-ranked forward prospect, Montreal has Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson to help show him how to be an effective NHLer despite the lack of size.
3. Florian Xhekaj
Florian Xhekaj, the Canadiens' 2023 fourth-round pick, split last season between the NHL and the AHL with the Laval Rocket. He made his NHL debut on November 22nd against the Toronto Maple Leafs and recorded his first career assist in their 5-2 win. Xhekaj appeared in five games with the Canadiens this season, recording a single point, but played the majority of the season with the Rocket. In Laval, Xhekaj recorded 17 goals and 12 assists in 64 games, but like his brother Arber, his claim to fame is his physicality. While the AHL does not post stats for hits, his 182 penalty minutes showcase his physical game, as he led the Rocket in that stat category. Out of all the Canadiens forward prospects, Florian is the most likely to be on Montreal’s roster next season, with a spot opening up on the team’s fourth line now that it is all but likely that Brendan Gallagher will be moving on this offseason. Xhekaj would add some much-needed grit to the Canadiens forward group, and is the major reason why he ranks third in Montreal’s forward prospect rankings.
2. Alexander Zharovsky
After the Canadiens traded both their first-round picks to acquire defenceman Noah Dobson, they used their pick in the 2025 NHL Draft to select Alexander Zharovsky. Montreal believed they were getting a first-round talent in the second round, and in his first season in the KHL with Salavat Yulaev Ufa, he proved exactly that. Zharovsky recorded 16 goals and 26 assists in 59 games, helping Salavat Yulaev make the playoffs. As a rookie, Zharovsky made the All-Star Game and set the record for the most points by an under-19 player in a single season (42). The skilled winger took home the Alexei Cherepanov Award, given to the rookie of the year. It was the second consecutive year a Canadiens player won the award, with Ivan Demidov being the recipient last season. Zharovsky has the potential to be a highly productive player in the NHL, but may still be a year or two away from coming over to North America. However, that does not stop him from being ranked the second-best forward prospect in the Canadiens organization.
1. Michael Hage
The Canadiens' top-ranked prospect, Michael Hage’s 2025-26 season, only boosted his stock among the top prospects yet to play a game in the NHL. In his second season with the Michigan Wolverines, Hage improved upon his numbers from his freshman year, recording 13 goals and 39 assists in 39 games. His season with the Wolverines did not end as he hoped, falling to the Denver Pioneers in the semifinals of the Frozen Four. Additionally, Hage was one of the stars at the 2026 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (WJC), helping Canada win bronze by leading the tournament in assists (13) and points (15). His performances in the NCAA and WJC had fans excited about him making the jump to the NHL next season, but Hage elected to return to Michigan for his junior year. Hage is without a doubt the Canadiens' number one prospect, who has the potential to fill the void Montreal has at centre on their second line.
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