Montreal Canadiens’ 2025–26 Season Is All About Health and Depth

The Montreal Canadiens are gearing up for what could be a defining season.

Theres real hope buildingno longer the kind tied to long-term rebuilds or far-off prospects, but hope based on whats actually on the roster today.

Still, for all the progress, a few critical questions are staring this team in the face.

Can they stay healthy? Who replaces the guys lost on the penalty kill? And whats going on with Kirby Dach ? The Habs are in a better spot than theyve been in years, but this season is going to come down to how they handle the little thingsstarting with some big unknowns.

The Kirby Dach Situation: Waiting on a Key Piece Lets start with the most talked-about name in Montreal this summer: Kirby Dach.

There was cautious optimism earlier this year that hed be ready for the season opener after undergoing knee surgery back in February.

Now? Thats looking less and less likely.

His recovery is taking longer than expected.

For fans, its frustrating.

This was supposed to be the season Dach took that next step, joining Nick Suzuki to give the Canadiens a legitimate 12 punch down the middle.

Instead, the team might have to open the season with a big question mark at second-line centre.

Sure, guys like Owen Beck or Oliver Kapanen could get a shot, and theyve both shown flashes.

But lets be honesthanding the 2C job to a rookie isnt ideal.

You want them to grow into roles, not be thrown into the fire on Day 1.

Theres also been quiet speculation about potential trades to shore up the position.

Nothing concrete, but if Dachs timeline drags into the fall, its something worth keeping an eye on.

Penalty Kill: New Faces and New Challenges in Montreal If losing Dach for the opener is a concern, the state of the penalty kill might be an even bigger one.

David Savard retired.

Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak moved on.

Thats three of Montreals penalty-killers gone in one offseason.

Not ideal.

The question now is: Who steps up? Josh Anderson has seen shorthanded minutes in the past.

Arber Xhekaj and Alexandre Carrier could also factor in.

And maybe a guy like Owen Beck gets PK time out of the gate.

But thats a big leapespecially when chemistry and timing are so critical on the kill.

Arber Xhekaj, Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images) The Habs cant afford a shaky start here.

Theyre in a division where giving up two power-play goals on a Tuesday night in Tampa could be the difference between making the playoffs or missing by a point in April.

This is where coaching and preparation will matter most.

Martin St.

Louis and his staff need to get the systems rightand fast.

For the Canadiens, Injuries Can Be a Battle That Never Ends If youve followed the Canadiens over the past few seasons, you know the drill.

When theyre healthy, they can surprise people.

When theyre not, the wheels can fall off.

In 202425, the Habs had one of the lowest totals for man-games lost to injury and look what happened: a competitive season and a playoff spot.

But go back a couple of years, and it was the opposite.

Injuries piled up, and so did the losses.

So, its unsettling that multiple key players may be entering training camp still working their way back.

Sam Montembeault (groin), Patrik Laine (finger), and, of course, Dach, might all be question marks.

Carey Price remains on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) , likely never to returnbut still a symbolic reminder of how cruel injuries can be in this sport.

Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens poses with team general manager Bob Gainey (L) and director of player personnel Trevor Timmins (R) after being selected during the 2005 National Hockey League Draft on July 30, 2005 (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) The Habs dont need perfect health.

Nobody gets that.

However, they do need their core players to play close to full seasonsor at least enough to give the team a fighting chance every night.

What It All Comes Down to in Montreal Heres the thing: the Canadiens are finally in a spot where expectations feel reasonable.

Not Stanley Cup dreams just yetbut playoffs? Much more realistic.

A team thats tough to play against? Absolutely.

But its going to take more than potential.

They need someone to grab that 2C spot and run with itwhether its Dach, a prospect, or a newcomer via trade.

They need the new PK unit to gel fast.

And above all, they need to avoid the injury bug thats bitten them too many times before.

Theres real progress here.

Theres excitement again in Montreal.

But for the Canadiens to build on last seasons momentum, theyll need to get the details right from Day 1.

The margin for error? Its still razor-thin.

[Note: Id like to thank Brent Bradford (PhD) for his help co-authoring this post.

His profile can be found at www.linkedin.com/in/brent-bradford-phd-3a10022a9 ].

This article has been shared from the original article on yardbarker, here is the link to the original article.