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October 19, 2025

MONTREAL — There’s always Montreal Canadiens news to be absorbed on a daily basis, but there are only so many hours in a day. On Sundays, we recap the most exciting and relevant NHL news stories that you may have missed throughout the week so that you can stay in the Canadiens loop.

Monday

It wasn’t pretty, but the Habs managed to build a little momentum by beating the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night. Newcomer Zachary Bolduc maintained his red-hot start to the year, scoring his third goal in as many games. [Canadiens Highlights: Bolduc Keeps Scoring Big Goals]

The first line hasn’t scored an overabundance of goals at 5v5, at least not yet, but the numbers suggest they’re due for a significant uptick in even-strength scoring.


Shockingly, top prospect Michael Hage was kept off the scoresheet in Saturday’s 3-1 win by Michigan over Providence. This was the first time of the year that Hage did not register a point, which means he only has nine points in his first four games of the season. Fellow prospect Logan Sawyer was also held off the scoresheet on Saturday. [Canadiens Prospect Report: Hage Off To Dominant Start]

Bryce Pickford, selected 81st overall last summer, is also off to a great start to his season. The Medicine Hat Tigers captain has an impressive six goals and three assists in eight games.

Laval dropped their opening game of the regular season on Friday night, losing 4-1 to the Manitoba Moose, with Joshua Roy scoring the lone Rocket goal. The good news is that they bounced back on Saturday, earning a 5-2 win versus the very same opponent. Roy scored two twice, while prospects Sean Farrell and Owen Beck also contributed goals.

Tuesday

The big news everyone was waiting for has finally arrived. The Laval Rocket have signed former Canadiens prospect Josiah Didier to a professional tryout. Didier, 32, has spent the last four years serving as a captain in the AHL, splitting time between the Providence Bruins and the Grand Rapid Griffins. The interest in the right-handed defenceman speaks to the current lack of defensive depth in Laval without prospect David Reinbacher in the mix.

In other news, the Canadiens came to terms with Lane Hutson on an eight-year contract extension that carries an $8.85 million annual average value (AAV). The extension is a crucial step forward for a franchise that is looking to re-establish itself as one of the best in the NHL. [Canadiens Hutson Contract Extension Represents The Next Great Hope]

The Canadiens have a decent amount of cap space this season, but the real opportunity will come in 2026-27. With their core players locked in for the foreseeable future, Kent Hughes has plenty of financial manoeuvrability due to the healthy salary-cap situation. [Canadiens Long-Term Salary Cap Situation Including Hutson]

Wednesday

You’d be hard-pressed to argue the five-year contract extensions given to Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton were unwarranted. Now that the team has their core players locked in, not to mention the architects of the impressive rebuild, the Canadiens can enjoy a level of stability rarely seen in the NHL. [Hughes & Gorton A Stark Contrast To Former Habs Management]

The top line continues its excellent play at 5v5, as evidenced by Cole Caufield’s two-goal effort versus the Seattle Kraken. Without taking any of the credit away from Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky, it was super rookie Ivan Demidov who stole the show on Tuesday. He kicked things off with a great assist, and was the author of a very nice game-tying goal in the dying minutes of the third period. [Canadiens Highlights: Demidov Steals The Show In Home Opener]

The Canadiens held a nice tribute to legendary netminder Ken Dryden, one of the greatest Canadians of all time. [Canadiens Legend Ken Dryden Represented The Best Of Us]

Thursday

The Canadiens are reportedly interested in signing Mike Matheson to a contract extension. Only two NHL defencemen have spent more average time on ice than Matheson since 2023–24 (all situations), the driving force behind the current discussion regarding his value. [Exploring Potential Canadiens Contract Extension For Matheson]

The Habs had the day off on Wednesday, in the sense that they weren’t busy practicing, but they did get together for picture day.

There’s an interesting situation arising in Montreal. Despite most players pushing in the same direction, there’s also an important element of internal competition in play, which is crucial for any team looking to become legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

Ivan Demidov produces based purely on vibes. Oh, and talent, a lot of talent.

Friday

The Habs were 15 seconds away from a loss, but late-game heroics by Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield snatched victory from the jaws of defeat versus the Predators. Caufield remains among the hottest and most clutch goalscorers in the NHL, and the Canadiens suddenly find themselves atop the Eastern Conference standings. We also have to give credit to Hutson for his fantastic save in the dying seconds of the third period.   [Canadiens Highlights: More Caufield Late-Game Heroics]

Team USA rectified their mistake by adding Lane Hutson to their preliminary roster ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics. There are no guarantees Hutson will make the lineup, but he clearly deserves to be among the those being considered.   [Canadiens Defenceman Hutson Added To USA Preliminary Roster]

Top prospect Michael Hage continues to make his mark in the NCAA. The 19-year-old centre set-up Michigan’s game-winning goal versus Robert Morris.

Alexander Zharovsky scored a goal and an assist on Thursday, but he was used sparingly by Salavat due to a pair of early-game penalties.

Saturday

From Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson to the top line’s dominance, take a look at some of the early-season statistics that explain Montreal’s success through five games.   [Top 5 Early Season Statistics Driving Montreal’s Success]

Speaking of important statistics…


Lane Hutson was quick to point to Cole Caufield’s excellent shot as a source of envy. Given how well Hutson performs in all other aspects of the game, we’ll have to forgive him for not having the best shot in the league.

The Laval Rocket put together a solid 3-0 win on Friday night versus the Abbotsford Canucks, with Jared Davidson, Filip Mesar, and Xavier Simoneau serving as the goalscorers, while Jacob Fowler stopped all 19 shots sent his way to secure the shutout.

Unfortunately, newly signed Rocket defenceman Josiah Didier was the victim of a dirtbag move by Chase Stillman. After purposely slamming Didier on his helmetless head, Stillman followed it up with a punch, while it was clear Didier was already down and out.

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By Marc Dumont
Marc has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for Journal Metro, The Athletic, The ... More about Marc Dumont

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