MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #5 Montreal Canadiens – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Prospect System Ranking – 5th (Last Year - 3rd)
GM: Kent Hughes Hired: January 2022
COACH: Martin St. Louis Hired: February 2022

The Montreal Canadiens have officially emerged from their rebuild and re-entered the playoff picture, with expectations building toward a second consecutive postseason appearance. Their young core has taken a significant step forward, and with the addition of high-end rookies such as Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen, the trajectory in Montreal is accelerating. What makes this progression even more compelling is the depth still to come. The Canadiens have consistently found value throughout the draft, with several mid-round selections developing into legitimate prospects.

One of the most notable of the young crop is Jacob Fowler, McKeen’s top-ranked goaltending prospect. Already getting a taste of NHL action, Fowler has established himself as one of the top netminders in the AHL and appears poised to make the full-time jump in the near future. Michael Hage has enjoyed a breakout sophomore season at Michigan and is now competing for a national championship after a standout performance at the World Juniors. He appears ready to transition to the professional ranks. In the KHL, Alexander Zharovsky and Bogdan Konyushkov have both put together strong campaigns, with Zharovsky in particular emerging as a potential second-round steal following an impressive rookie season in Russia. At the AHL level, David Reinbacher, Adam Engström, Owen Beck, and Joshua Roy continue to show progress, with several of those names pushing for NHL opportunities as early as next training camp. Among the most eye-catching developments in the system has come on the blue line. Bryce Pickford has been dominant in the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers, recording 83 points in just 55 games — including 45 goals from the back end. That total ranked among the league’s best and highlights the significant value Montreal may have found with a third-round selection.

With a rapidly improving NHL roster and a deep pipeline still producing high-end talent, the Canadiens appear well positioned to sustain success.

1. Jacob Fowler, G, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Coming off winning the Mike Richter Award, awarded to the best NCAA Division I goaltender, Jacob Fowler is having a phenomenal rookie season in the AHL. Among qualified netminders, Fowler ranks sixth or better in save percentage, goals against average and wins. He’s been the Rocket's go-to in the crease and a big part of why Laval is leading the North division. Fowler plays deep in his crease, which allows him to make small adjustments leading to big saves. He quickly squares up to the play, giving him the best chance to make a save. Sometimes these habits can make it hard for him to make saves on pucks that move quickly east to west just before the shot. Fowler has appeared in 10 games with Montreal already and has done extremely well for a 21-year-old with little pro experience. Fowler projects easily as a starter with potential to be an elite netminder in the future. Despite this potential, Montreal still has Montembeault and Dobes under contract for another year, so unless the Canadiens believe their cup window won’t be open beyond next season, there is no point in rushing Fowler.

2. Michael Hage, C, University of Michigan (NCAA)

Hage, who torched the USHL en route to being a first-round selection, is proving to be the right choice for the Montreal Canadiens. His development has been on an upward trajectory since that big draft year performance with the Chicago Steel. He’s been a point-per-game player ever since joining Michigan in the NCAA, with 34 points in 33 games in his first season to 52 points in 39 games this year. He also absolutely dominated in the U20 World Juniors, consistently being one of the most dominant players on the ice for Canada. He would post up 15 points in those seven games, bringing home the bronze medal. His playmaking abilities are outstanding, as he can create room for himself with his skating and stickhandling skill, while also being more than capable of setting up his teammates with excellent passing and vision. He looks like a potential top-six contributor for the Canadiens down the line, possibly sooner rather than later. The Canadiens continue to get more and more fun to watch, and having Hage pair up with Cole Caufield and friends will be a delight to watch.

3. Alexander Zharovsky, RW, Salavat Yu;aev Ufa (KHL)

Zharovsky has come flying out of the gates this season, looking like one of the steals of last year's draft. His production has been impressive, especially for an 18-year-old rookie. His individual skill is constantly on display, beating opponents with his hands, finding open space and threading nifty passes through traffic. The IQ and ability to read defences allows him to be a threat with or without the puck on his stick, constantly finding open space and facilitating play. His skating has even taken a bit of a step this year. It is still a weakness of his but the straight-line speed has picked up slightly and he does flash good edge work along the walls. Adding strength to his lower half to be quicker and more explosive would help him in attacking that space he finds and give him some escape speed when under pressure. He is at his best when playing with forwards who can do the dirty work for him. Not often is he seen battling for pucks and engaging on the forecheck or in the defensive end. This makes his floor a bit worrisome as the NHLs physicality and pace could prove to be a challenge for him. With that being said, the upside is massive. If his skating and physicality/compete develop he can be a great complimentary top six piece and a weapon on the powerplay.

4. David Reinbacher, D, Laval Rocket (AHL)

David Reinbacher is finally getting his first AHL season under his belt after a knee-injury cost him nearly a full season last year. Reinbacher’s physical traits are what will make him a very good NHL defender. He’s a big guy and there aren’t many attackers he can’t keep up with. He makes it extremely hard to get around him using his combination of speed and a long reach. There are still some areas of growth for Reinbacher, however. He still needs to work on his puck-moving under pressure. If it’s a play that requires an extra step, Reinbacher can get flustered and turn the puck over. Even for a big guy, he struggles against larger opponents who play his body more. His offense is relatively simple, but it’s not his game and with Hutson, Dobson, and potentially Engstrom, much won’t be asked of him. He still projects as a highly versatile top four defenceman who you pair up to take care of a defenceman who’s more offensively minded.

5. Adam Engström, D, Laval Rocket (AHL)

It’s safe to say that Adam Engström is surpassing a lot of the expectations people had for him heading into this season already. Engström went from having 27 points in 66 games last season to 34 points in 45 this season. Plus, he was called up for an 11-game stint with Montreal already. Engström’s potential as an NHL two-way defenceman is starting to blossom in his second year in North America. Engström thrives with the puck on his stick. He’ll show off his stick handling as he weaves through the neutral zone to create a zone entry. He’s a high-IQ player who can run an offense from the point really well. The Candiens aren’t short of young talent at defencemen, so it makes finding where Engström fits in the puzzle a bit harder. Engström projects as a top four two-way defenceman who could play in the NHL as early as next season or dominate the AHL for another year if Montreal can’t make space.

6. Owen Beck, C, Laval Rocket (AHL)

In his second season in Laval, Owen Beck has been one of the Rockets’ most trusted forwards. His high-intensity playstyle creates results on both ends of the ice and leading to more ice time for him. If Laval needs to win an important faceoff draw, there’s a high likelihood they throw Beck on the ice to win it. He’s been dominant in the faceoff circle, winning 57% of his draws thus far. Beck’s offensive numbers have stayed relatively the same as last season, if not declined a little. He’s not going to enamor you with his skill but rather with his work ethic. Although Beck gets some work on the second power play, at the NHL level, he’ll likely work just the penalty kill, but his ability to win draws might win him a spot. Beck’s unlikely floor is a very competent 4C. If he can figure out his offense at the pro levels, he should have no problem filling a middle-six center role for Montreal.

7. Bryce Pickford, D, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

Bryce Pickford is having himself on all-time season for a defenceman in the WHL. While many thought that last season was his breakout year, he is following it up with an even more impressive 2025-2026 campaign. Through 55 games, he currently has 45 goals, 38 assists for a total of 83 points. The Tigers defenceman sits in a tie for second in goals in the entire WHL. No WHL defenceman in the 21st century has had more than 32 goals in a season and Pickford comfortably surpassed that. He finished the year with 45 goals, the most by a defenceman in the WHL since 1991. Obviously, his shot is something that stands out in his game but he is also able to distribute the puck very well, setting up 38 goals for the Tigers this season. His defensive zone play is where the question marks will likely be going forward into pro hockey but if he's able to defend effectively at the next level, after a few years of development in the AHL, there’s no reason to believe that he won't carve out a role for himself on an NHL blueline one day.

8. Florian Xhekaj, LW, Laval Rocket (AHL)

It would have been foolish to think that Florian Xhekaj would be able to replicate his 24-goal season from his rookie year just based on the fact that he did so with a shooting percentage above 25%. While his goal numbers are down, his assist numbers are the same as last year resulting in a dip in points to 29, down from 35. Like his brother, Xhekaj isn’t afraid to chuck knucks, although he isn’t afraid to use his hands to flash some skill either. The big man has an underrated pair of hands and is an ok playmaker. He’s trusted defensively and is good from the faceoff circle. Xhekaj’s biggest drawback comes from his skating. From a standstill and on the turn, Xhekaj can be slow to get going, which allows faster opponents to blow by him. Xhekaj projects as a bottom six enforcer who will likely get another season in the AHL in 2026.

9. Josh Roy, W, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Josh Roy has been on the verge of being a full-time NHLer for what has felt like multiple seasons at this point. The message has been “play with more energy at both ends of the ice,” and it’s been received with mixed results. Roy has looked engaged on the forecheck and is still putting up solid numbers in his third AHL season. The defensive end is still a work in progress in terms of effort for Roy. Although he does some penalty-kill work, he can be pretty absent-minded at times in his own end and still is not competing all that hard. When he’s not on the puck or in scoring position, Roy isn’t a big factor in games. Roy is not a complete liability defensively, but for depth forwards, which Roy projects to be at this point, the vast majority of coaches want significant effort. Once Roy shows some inclination defensively, he’ll see some more time with Montreal unless they decide to move him with his expiring contract.

10. Bogdan Konyushkov, D, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

Konyushkov is maintaining a significant role in the KHL, logging big minutes for Torpedo. After a slight dip in production last season, he is pacing for his best year, gathering points from his simple offensive play. He’s an intelligent player along the blue line, always making the right play whether it be cross ice passes to his partner or throwing low wristers through traffic. For an undersized defencemen, you would hope his skating continues to develop. He can be slow on retrievals and the lack of physicality along the boards allows forwards to slip past him in the corners. He maintains his extremely effective play with his high-end intelligence and compete. He battles hard in front of the net, maintains good gaps, and always seems to be in the right positions to get his stick-on pucks, denying entries or intercepting passes in his own end. He may end up as a high end KHL defencemen, but the ability to effectively move pucks and play intelligent defence, provides a good base for a bottom pair right-handed defencemen if he decides to come over to North America.

11. Yevgeni Volokhin, G, Spartak Moscow (KHL)

Volokhin has had a remarkable season in the VHL, which has the Montreal organization excited. The big Russian netminder is a terrific athlete and it will be interesting to see how he performs in the KHL eventually.

12. Jared Davidson, C, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Back to back strong AHL seasons helped to earn Davidson a look with Montreal recently and he picked up his first NHL point. He’s a hard working, physical forward who actually has good finishing skills. He could definitely be an effective bottom six player for the Canadiens.

13. Owen Protz, D, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

One of the most physically assertive defenders in junior hockey, Protz has seen his offensive production dip because of a reduced role, however, he remains a quality stay at home prospect who could be a PK anchor.

14. Logan Sawyer, LW, Providence College (NCAA)

Sawyer’s sophomore season with Providence has been a positive one as he has emerged as one of the team’s go-to offensive players. Sawyer needs to continue to upgrade his skating and physical play, but he’s on the right track.

15. William Trudeau, D, Laval Rockets (AHL)

A workhorse for Laval, the Canadiens organization will soon face a crossroads in regards to Trudeau. He’s been a solid AHL defender through his four years as a pro, but he hasn’t received a callup to the NHL. Is he not in their long term plans?