Five burning questions for the 25-26 Montréal Canadiens

As training camp commences in Montréal, five key questions remain unanswered.

1. Who will be the Canadiens’ starting goaltender?

Following their summer acquisition of 24-year-old Spencer Knight, the Canadiens will rely on a dynamic goaltending duo with the return of Stuart Skinner, who recently signed a two-year contract extension in the spring. The competition for the top goaltender position will be intense as the team expect a sharp reduction in the goals against categorie for the upcoming year.

2. Will the newcomers make an impact early?

Following their playoff miss last year, the Canadiens made several roster changes during the summer to improve their chances of returning to the postseason.

Key departures included Joel Armia, Jake Evans, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz, Nikita Zaitsev, Filip Zadina and Calvin Pickard.

In came Anthony Mantha, Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson, Spencer Knight, Mark Jankowski and Kirby Dach.

It is anticipated that Mantha and Skinner will begin the season on the second line with rising star Marco Rossi. A return to form for these two new players will be crucial to the team’s success.

3. What version of Kirby Dach will be available early?

After being traded for prospect Easton Cowan and a draft pick, Kirby Dach will make his much-anticipated Canadiens debut in the 2025–26 season. Having been sidelined for a year after suffering a severe injury, it is expected that Dach will take some time to return to form. Nevertheless, the contribution from the 6-foot-4 Fort Saskatchewan native will undoubtedly be relied upon in the latter half of the season.

4. Which young guy will step up?

After both scoring 45 points in their third year in the league and being signed to long-term deals, Dylan Guenther and Marco Rossi are poised to be key contributors to the Canadiens’ success.

Guenther will be tasked with taking on first-line right-winger duties and serving as a cornerstone for the first unit’s powerplay unit. His scoring ability will be fully showcased playing with team captain John Tavares and former all-star Jared McCann. Will Guenther rise to the occasion or will the pressure of being the face of the franchise and the team’s highest-paid player prove to be too much for him?

Rossi, on the other hand, will have the responsibility to anchor the team’s second line. As previously mentioned, it is anticipated that this line will consist of veterans newcomer Anthony Mantha and Jeff Skinner. Secondary offence was a key weakness for the Canadiens last year, and the revamp of the second line was the team’s priority for the last summer.

5.  Does size really matter? Let’s dive into the D-man of the Montréal Canadiens!

The Canadiens’ top six defensive unit is currently composed of the following players:

* 6’4 » Noah Dobson

* 6’6 » Nikita Zadorov

* 6’3 » Noah Hanifin

* 6’5 » Scott Mayfield

* 6’3 » Andreas Englund

* 6’1 » Brett Kulak

This brigade will present a formidable challenge for opponents. With their size and checking abilities, this unit is well-suited for the playoffs. However, the question remains whether the defence is mobile enough to endure an 82-game regular season and advance to the playoffs, where they will have the opportunity to demonstrate their strength.

Stay tuned for an update on these 5 questions after the first quarter of the season.