The air in Brossard had a different feel on Monday. After weeks of training camp battles, bubble players holding their breath, and management’s final cuts, the Montreal Canadiens held their first official practice of the 2025-26 season. With the 22-man roster now set in stone ahead of Wednesday’s season opener, we finally got our first glimpse into the mind of head coach Martin St. Louis.
The resulting line combinations are a fascinating cocktail of stability, bold proclamations, and at least one high-stakes gamble that will dominate conversations leading up to puck drop. While the top of the lineup card looks familiar, the bottom six features some eyebrow-raising decisions that signal a clear philosophical direction—and perhaps a pointed message—from the coaching staff.
The Final Cut: Rivalry Fuel and Tough Decisions
Before diving into the lines, it’s worth noting the final transactions that shaped this roster. The team trimmed the fat on Sunday, reassigning prospects Owen Beck, Adam Engström, and Florian Xhekaj to the Laval Rocket—moves that were largely expected. The waiver wire, however, provided a bit more drama. While goaltender Kaapo Kähkönen passed through unclaimed, veteran forward Sammy Blais wasn’t so lucky. In a move that adds a dash of salt to an old wound, the rival Toronto Maple Leafs swooped in and claimed Blais, adding a gritty depth piece at Montreal’s expense.
The final roster consists of 13 forwards, 7 defencemen, and the goaltending tandem of Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobeš. The club will start the year with two key defenders on the shelf; David Reinbacher is still weeks away with a broken hand, and William Trudeau’s recovery from a torn pectoral muscle continues. The 22 men who took the ice Monday are the group tasked with starting the season, for better or worse.
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Certainty at the Top, Questions Below
As St. Louis put his players through their paces, the combinations began to take shape, revealing a blueprint that mixes the predictable with the provocative.
Projected Lines:
- 1st Line: Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovský
- 2nd Line: Zachary Bolduc – Kirby Dach – Brendan Gallagher
- 3rd Line: Alex Newhook – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
- 4th Line: Josh Anderson – Jake Evans – Patrik Laine
Defensive Pairings:
- Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
- Kaiden Guhle – Lane Hutson
- Arber Xhekaj – Alexandre Carrier
There are no surprises on the top line. The trio of Caufield, Suzuki, and Slafkovský is the engine of this team, and keeping them together to build on last season’s chemistry was the most logical move available. Similarly, the blue line appears set. The top pairing of Mike Matheson and newly-acquired Noah Dobson has the potential to be one of the more dynamic tandems in the East, while the all-youth pairing of Kaiden Guhle and Lane Hutson promises to be a must-watch experiment in contrasting styles. But it’s further down the forward lines where St. Louis has truly made his mark.
The Fourth Line Message to Patrik Laine
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Patrik Laine, the owner of one of the league’s most lethal shots, is slated to start the season on the fourth line. Flanked by the speed of Josh Anderson and the dogged determination of Jake Evans, Laine’s placement is less a reflection of a stacked top-nine and more of a clear, undisguised message from the coaching staff.
Frankly, this wasn’t entirely unexpected for those who have followed Laine’s turbulent tenure in Montreal. The talent is undeniable, but whispers of inconsistent effort and a lack of engagement have followed him. It seems St. Louis’s patience has worn thin. This isn’t about easing a player into the lineup; it’s a direct challenge. Laine is being told, in no uncertain terms, that his spot is not guaranteed by his contract or his past accomplishments. He needs to earn his ice time, and that starts with proving he can be a competitive, consistent force, even in a limited role.
This line itself is a bizarre, fascinating creation. With Anderson’s north-south power and Evans’ defensive reliability, it could theoretically function as a high-octane checking line that also happens to feature a 40-goal threat. But the reality is that this is a prove-it assignment for Laine. The puck is on his stick, and how he responds in the opening games will determine whether this is a brief motivational tactic or the beginning of a very long, very frustrating season for the Finnish sniper.
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The Kapanen Gamble and Veleno’s Exile
If Laine’s demotion was the headline, the biggest surprise of the day was the ascension of Oliver Kapanen. The 22-year-old Finn, who impressed throughout camp with his intelligent, two-way play, was rewarded with the third-line center position between Alex Newhook and Russian rookie sensation Ivan Demidov.
This decision is a powerful statement about the organization’s philosophy: youth, speed, and skill are the priority. Kapanen earned this spot, and management is showing they aren’t afraid to give opportunities to young players who seize them. The resulting line is dripping with potential—Newhook’s speed, Demidov’s elite skill, and Kapanen’s steady presence could make for a dangerous offensive trio.
However, every decision has a consequence, and in this case, the odd man out is Joe Veleno. After a solid camp where he seemed to be a reliable veteran option, Veleno found himself skating as the 13th forward. It’s a tough pill to swallow for the 25-year-old, and it raises a legitimate question: Is the team’s unwavering focus on youth creating potential “physical gaps” in the lineup? While the Kapanen-Demidov-Newhook line is skilled, it isn’t one that will physically intimidate opponents. Veleno, while not a bruiser, provides a more established and defensively responsible presence.
St. Louis is betting on upside over certainty. It’s a bold move that energizes the youth movement but puts immense pressure on Kapanen to prove he belongs from day one. For Veleno, it’s a frustrating start, leaving him to wonder what more he could have done to avoid the press box. The battle for that third-line center spot is far from over.
The lines are drawn, literally. This is the group that will carry the Canadiens’ colours into the 2025-26 campaign. It’s a roster defined by its coach’s clear intentions: reward the deserving, challenge the underperforming, and bet on the kids. The pieces are on the board; now we wait to see if the gambles pay off.
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