The Canadiens hit the ice Monday for their first official practice of the 2026-27 season at the CN Sports Complex, and the first look at lines and pairings gave an early read on how camp is shaping up ahead of the opener. Twenty-three players took part in the session. For the full picture on the roster heading into the year, the Canadiens’ official team site has the latest.
The lone absentee was Oliver Kapanen, who the team announced prior to practice is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. More on that below.
The Lines
The top line stayed intact: Cole Caufield on the right wing, Nick Suzuki at center, and Chris Kreider on the left. No surprises there — it was the club’s most productive trio for stretches of last season, and running it back as the season-one look signals continuity at the top of the lineup.
The second unit paired Juraj Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook with rookie Ivan Demidov between them, giving the flashy young winger two big-bodied, versatile linemates to lean on as he adjusts to his first full North American season.
Line three had Alexandre Texier, Phillip Danault, and Kirby Dach together — a group built around Danault’s two-way reliability, with Texier and Dach adding size and playmaking on the wings.
The fourth line had Zachary Bolduc on the left side with Jake Evans at center and Josh Anderson on the right. Florian Xhekaj rounded out the forward group as the extra man up front — the same role Adam Engstrom fills on the blue line — giving the staff a ready option without touching the four lines that dressed.
The Pairings
On the back end, Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson worked as the top pair, a new-look duo that pairs Matheson’s experience with Dobson’s two-way game.
Lane Hutson and Alexandre Carrier formed the second pairing, keeping Hutson’s offensive instincts flanked by a steady, stay-at-home partner.
The third pair had Jayden Struble alongside Arber Xhekaj, giving both a physical, north-south look on the third unit.
Kaiden Guhle and Adam Engstrom rounded out the group as the extra pairing. Guhle wore a non-contact jersey — more on what that means below. In net, Jakub Dobes and Samuel Montembeault both took reps. MSL didn’t name a starter — he took the same approach at this point last season — but there’s no real competition to read into it: Dobes is expected to open the year as the No. 1.
What It Means
The headline here is continuity up top and competition down the lineup. Running back the Caufield-Suzuki-Kreider line as the season-opening top unit is the safest possible choice, and pairing Demidov with two big, versatile wingers in Slafkovsky and Newhook is a sensible way to ease a rookie into a bigger role without asking him to also carry unfamiliar linemates.
The real story is in the bottom six, where Florian Xhekaj’s role as the extra forward — the mirror image of Adam Engstrom’s spot on defense — gives the staff a ready-made option if injuries or form call for a lineup change. And while MSL staying quiet on a starting goalie echoes last season, don’t mistake that for a goaltending battle: Dobes is the No. 1 here, no controversy attached.
Guhle Watch
Kaiden Guhle being on the ice at all, even in a non-contact jersey, is the more encouraging half of Monday’s news. It signals he’s far enough along in his recovery to take part in structured practice, even if he’s not yet cleared for the physical side of the game. Worth tracking closely as camp progresses and the club decides when to fully clear him.
As for Oliver Kapanen, a day-to-day lower-body injury this early in camp is more of a minor annoyance than a real concern for now, but it’s worth watching how quickly he’s back on the ice given how much the Canadiens value his two-way game down the middle. We’ll have an update as soon as there’s real news to report.
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