Eastern Conference Final Preview
The Eastern Conference Final is set, with the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 on Thursday night at the Lenovo Center. Both teams are four wins away from a trip to the Stanley Cup Final, and both arrive playing some of their best hockey of the season. Carolina returns to the Conference Final for the third time since 2022-23 under Rod Brind’Amour, while Montreal is back at this stage for the first time since their unexpected run in 2021, and the first with their head coach, Martin St. Louis.
Paths to the ECF
Carolina has been the story of the postseason. The Hurricanes swept the Ottawa Senators in Round 1 and followed it up with a four-game sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers in Round 2, becoming the first team to sweep the first two rounds since the NHL went to a best-of-seven format in all four rounds in 1987. Through eight playoff games, they’re 8-0 with a plus-14 goal differential, allowing just 10 goals total and never more than two in a single game.
That dominance comes with a question, though: will 12 days off be a gift or a curse? Carolina last played on May 9, and the layoff is the longest of any team in the conference finals. The history of teams with extended layoffs in the playoffs is mixed. Extra rest can mean fresh legs and full health, but it can also mean a loss of rhythm against a team that’s been in playoff intensity for weeks. Brind’Amour’s group used the time to get fully healthy, run extra video sessions, and skate without the wear of a daily playoff schedule. The Hurricanes have been playing the most cohesive, structured hockey of any team in the postseason, and there’s a real question about whether that timing holds up against an opponent that has been playing high-intensity playoff games for over a month.
Montreal’s path has been the opposite. The Canadiens needed seven games to put away the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1, including four overtime games, before grinding out another seven-game series against the Buffalo Sabres in Round 2. That series included an 8-3 Game 6 loss before the Habs bounced back in Game 7 on Monday night, where Alex Newhook was yet again the game seven hero, scoring the game-winner 11:22 into overtime. Montreal has played 14 games to Carolina’s eight; they arrive battle-tested but on shorter rest, with less than 72 hours between their Game 7 in Buffalo and Game 1 in Raleigh.
Head-to-Head
The 2025-26 regular season series belonged entirely to Montreal. The Canadiens swept Carolina 3-0-0, winning all three games in regulation and outscoring the Hurricanes 15-8. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Ivan Demidov each posted five points in the three games, with Slafkovsky scoring the game-winning goal in two of them. Lane Hutson added four points from the back end. Sebastian Aho led Carolina with six points (two goals, four assists), five of which came in one game, and Andrei Svechnikov added five (two goals, three assists).
The two franchises have met twice previously in the playoffs since Carolina’s relocation from Hartford, with the Hurricanes winning both. The most recent meeting was the 2006 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, a series in which Carolina trailed 2-0 before rookie goaltender Cam Ward took over the crease and helped the Hurricanes win the series in six games en route to a Stanley Cup. This is the first time these two have met in a Conference Final.
Key Players
For Montreal, scoring has come from across the lineup. Suzuki has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 14 playoff games, while Newhook (seven goals), Slafkovsky, and Caufield (four goals each) have all chipped in up front. On the back end, Hutson leads the entire team in points with 14, has been logging 26-plus minutes per game, and is the engine of the Canadiens’ transition offense. Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson round out a mobile defensive group.
Carolina’s depth has been the calling card. Taylor Hall has found another gear in his game, playing some of his best hockey since his MVP season back in 2018, and leads the team in scoring with 12 points. Additionally, Jackson Blake, Seth Jarvis, Nikolaj Ehlers, Logan Stankoven, and Andrei Svechnikov all give the Hurricanes scoring threats across the top three lines. Defensively, Jaccob Slavin remains one of the NHL’s premier shutdown defensemen, and rookie Alexander Nikishin has emerged as a real puck-mover in his first full NHL postseason.
Goaltending
Frederik Andersen has been one of this postseason’s biggest stories. He’s 8-0 with a 1.12 GAA and .950 save percentage, leading all playoff goaltenders in both categories. He’s allowed only 10 goals in eight starts and has two shutouts. The catch: Andersen’s regular season was uneven. He went 1-9-2 over a 12-game stretch earlier in the season before bouncing back with a 9-4-0 record after the Olympic break. His two starts against Montreal came during that rough patch where he went 0-2-0 with a 3.73 GAA and .806 save percentage.
For Montreal, Jakub Dobes has stabilized the crease. He started all three regular-season games against Carolina and went 3-0-0 with a 2.67 GAA and .922 save percentage. His postseason numbers are more pedestrian (.910 SV%, 2.52 GAA), but he’s won when it has mattered and, aside from the full team collapse in game 6, was at his best in the Buffalo series. Dobes leads all goaltenders in saves through two rounds with 363.
Transition vs Forecheck
The cleanest stylistic clash of the postseason runs through the neutral zone. Carolina has been the NHL’s premier shot-suppression team for nearly a decade under Brind’Amour, leading the league in 5-on-5 Corsi at 59.77% during the regular season (via moneypuck.com) and allowing just 23.9 shots against per game, also a league best. The mechanism is their aggressive forecheck, which applies pressure on both the strong and weak sides of the ice, an approach that’s rare in the modern NHL. Their wingers crash hard, their weak-side defenseman pinches down the wall, and their defensive zone coverage relies on man-to-man assignments. The result is a team that spends almost no time in its own end and forces opponents into low-danger looks when they do break out.
Montreal is built to attack that structure in the one place it can be exploited. When Carolina’s forecheck is beaten with a clean first pass, their forwards play so deep in the offensive zone that recovery becomes difficult, and odd-man rushes in the other direction are the most common result. The Canadiens have the personnel to take advantage. They have one of the fastest lineups in the NHL: Suzuki, Newhook, Anderson, and Hutson all rank in the 90th percentile or better at their position in 20-plus mph speed bursts, per NHL Edge. The engine, though, is Hutson. The 22-year-old defenseman ranks among the NHL’s most prolific puck-transporters from the back end, but he’s 5-foot-9 and can be worn down on extended defensive shifts where physicality takes its toll. Carolina’s forecheck with guys like Stankoven, Jarvis, and Martinook is specifically designed to dump the puck to a defenseman’s side and hound him through long retrievals. If Hutson handles that pressure cleanly, Montreal’s offense unlocks. If Carolina grinds him down and forces turnovers in his own zone, the Habs’ best weapon becomes a liability.
The Canadiens’ three regular-season wins over Carolina were very likely powered by exactly this dynamic: clean breakouts, fast transitions, and high-quality looks generated against a team that thrives on grinding opponents down in the offensive zone. The shift-by-shift battle to watch: how Carolina’s forecheckers recover after offensive zone turnovers, and whether Montreal’s forwards consistently arrive in the neutral zone in time to punish those breakdowns.
X-Factors
The X-factors for these two teams are essentially mirror images of each other, both rooted in a longstanding tension between chance generation and chance conversion.
Finishing (Carolina): The Hurricanes are perpetually in this conversation, and 2025-26 was no exception. They led the NHL in shot attempts, scoring chances, and high-danger scoring chances at 5-on-5, yet finished with the 19th-best shooting percentage. The pattern showed up in the regular-season series with Montreal in vivid fashion; Carolina outshot the Canadiens 103-60 across three games and lost all three. Through eight playoff games, the Hurricanes’ shooting percentage has trended back toward the league average, which is a big reason they’re 8-0. Sustaining that against a goalie who has owned them is the question. If Carolina reverts to its season-long shooting struggles, the volume of chances they generate may not be enough to outscore Montreal’s opportunism.
Limiting Chances Against (Montreal): The flip side of Carolina’s chance-generation problem is Montreal’s chance-suppression problem. The Canadiens have been consistently outshot and outchanced through the first two rounds, surviving on goaltending and finishing rather than defensive structure. In the regular season, they ranked fifth-worst in the NHL in high-danger shots against (via moneypuck.com). That’s a manageable issue against the Lightning and Sabres, both of whom run conventional offensive systems. It’s a far bigger problem against a Carolina team specifically built to bury opponents under shot volume. Montreal doesn’t need to flip the underlying numbers; they need to keep Carolina to the perimeter, force them into the low-danger looks that have defined their finishing struggles all season, and trust Dobes to handle the rest.
Wrap Up
On paper, Carolina has every analytical advantage: better possession metrics, better penalty kill, dramatically more rest, and the hottest goaltender in the playoffs. But Montreal arrives with history on its side and a blueprint that’s already worked. They are the youngest team to reach a Conference Final in 33 years, since the 1993 Canadiens, and that team won the Stanley Cup. Add in the regular-season sweep, a stylistic matchup that gives Montreal a real path, and a young core playing with no fear, and the makings of a series far more competitive than the oddsmakers expect are all there. Game 1 drops Thursday in Raleigh.
Playoff Notes: Luukkonen, Veleno, Stone
The Buffalo Sabres have a major decision to make in the crease ahead of tonight’s winner-take-all Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens.
Following a chaotic Game 6 that saw the Sabres erupt for an 8-3 victory to force a deciding match, all eyes are on the net. Starter Alex Lyon suffered a brutal outing on Saturday, getting pulled midway through the first period after surrendering three goals on just four shots. This came on the heels of a shaky Game 5 performance where Lyon allowed five goals on 23 shots.
The early hook proved to be a turning point. Head coach Lindy Ruff turned to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who completely stabilized the crease. Luukkonen turned aside all 18 shots he faced in relief, working as a brick wall while Buffalo’s offense rallied from a 3-1 deficit. While Ruff has yet to officially name his starter for tonight, Luukkonen’s flawless relief appearance makes him the logical candidate to receive the nod with the season on the line.
Additional playoff notes:
- On the other side of the ice, Montreal forward Joe Veleno appears to be tracking toward a return. Veleno was a participant at morning skate and looks available to re-enter the lineup for tonight’s crucial matchup, providing the Canadiens with some valuable bottom-six depth and versatility.
- Out west, the Vegas Golden Knights have some mixed injury news. Forward William Karlsson was spotted on the ice practicing, a highly encouraging sign for his availability moving forward. However, it wasn’t all good news, as both Mark Stone and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon were absent from the practice. Their ongoing absences remain a significant storyline to watch as the postseason progresses.
Arber Xhekaj Fined
- Buffalo Sabres forward Beck Malenstyn was fined $3,515.63, the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement, for goalie interference against Montreal Canadiens netminder Jakub Dobes. The play in question happened midway through the second period of last night’s game three. Malenstyn crashed the net hard and barrelled into Dobes, making seemingly little effort to avoid significant contact with the goalie. He was assessed a minor penalty on the play and Montreal scored on the ensuing power play to make it a 4-1 contest. Malenstyn, a physical fourth-line forward, scored 14 points in the regular season and led all Sabres players with 282 hits.
- Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj was fined $3,385.42, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for roughing Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Carrick. The play in question came at the end of the game, during a scrum. While the players were tussling, Xhekaj delivered a punch straight to Carrick’s head, dropping the veteran forward to the ice. The game was Carrick’s first in the lineup since March 31, as he was sidelined with an arm injury. Like Malenstyn, Xhekaj is one of his team’s most physical players, leading the Canadiens in hits this season with 178 in 65 games.
Canadiens Recall Four Players
The Montreal Canadiens announced today that they have recalled four players from their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket: Forwards Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj, as well as defensemen Adam Engström and David Reinbacher.
The Rocket were eliminated from the Calder Cup Playoffs yesterday, falling in the fifth game of their best-of-five North Division Semifinal against the Toronto Marlies.
These recalls help reinforce the depth of the Canadiens roster as they look to continue their push towards the Eastern Conference Final. Montreal took a 2-1 series lead against the Buffalo Sabres last night, courtesy of a 6-2 win in game three. Game four of the series is Tuesday night in Montreal.
These four players represent some of the best of the Canadiens’ organizational depth, and notably, none of the players recalled are even 23 years old. Beck and Engström were added to the Canadiens organization at the 2022 draft, part of a haul that has already become franchise-changing. Reinbacher was the No. 5 overall pick at the 2023 draft and Xhekaj, who is the younger brother of Canadiens blueliner Arber Xhekaj, was picked in the fourth round that year.
The player that is most immediately NHL-ready is likely Engström, a 22-year-old Swedish defenseman. After he was drafted in 2022, Engström spent two years developing at the professional level in his native Sweden playing for Rögle BK. In 2024, he crossed the Atlantic and made his debut in the Canadiens organization, playing in 66 games for the Laval Rocket.
Engström has had a stellar 2025-26 season, scoring 10 goals and 34 points in 45 games for the Rocket while also earning 15 NHL games with the Canadiens. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic rated Engström as the No. 6 prospect in Montreal’s system, calling him someone who “could become a No. 5-6” defenseman “with some modern elements” to his game.
The Canadiens’ defense already skews to left-shot blueliners, which means he faces stiffer competition in his efforts to land a full-time role in Montreal. That’s not the case for Reinbacher, the team’s No. 4 prospect according to Wheeler. Reinbacher is a big right-shot defenseman who plays a composed, steady game. Persistent injury issues have slowed the pace of his development, putting him behind some of his peers from the 2023 draft class. But he had a strong season playing in all situations in Laval and should be a real contender for an NHL role next fall.
Beck, 22, is Montreal’s No. 7 prospect according to Wheeler and is, like the two defensemen, on the cusp of making the leap to the NHL on a more permanent basis.
A hard-working two-way center, Beck scored 15 goals and 44 points in 64 games as an AHL rookie last season, and scored 13 goals and 33 points in 58 games this year.
He also added five points in five playoff games this season. Beck already has 28 NHL games under his belt and could push for a bottom-six role in training camp.
The fourth player recalled was Xhekaj, a forward who is one of Montreal’s faster-rising prospects. He was picked in the fourth round despite scoring just 25 points in his draft campaign in the OHL. But the Canadiens saw something in the forward that gave them the confidence to draft him in that round despite relatively low offensive numbers. Co-director of amateur scouting Nick Bobrov called Xhekaj a “unicorn” during the team’s pre-draft process.
Since being selected, all Xhekaj has done is reward the team’s faith in him. He became a point-per-game OHL scorer and had a strong rookie pro campaign with the Rocket in 2024-25, scoring 24 goals and 35 points. He also added 175 penalty minutes. This past year, Xhekaj scored 17 goals and 29 points, racking up 182 penalty minutes. His blend of size, physicality, and goal-scoring ability gives him a chance to become a well-liked bottom-six forward in the NHL.
All four skaters recalled today by the Canadiens are players who could very well play a role in the NHL next season. They represent the next wave of youthful NHL reinforcements the Canadiens are set to receive, fruits of a rebuild that already appears to be paying off. While none is particularly likely to draw into the lineup during this run, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some – or all – of these faces in the NHL at this time next year.
Photos courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Evening Notes: Cassidy, Subban, Islanders
Head coach Bruce Cassidy could find his way back to the Pacific Division sooner rather than later. He is believed to be in the mix for the Los Angeles Kings’ coaching vacancy after the club fired Jim Hiller in March, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period on The Hot Stove podcast. The Kings named D.J. Smith to the role of interim head coach. He led the Kings to an 11-6-6 record to close out the regular season, then oversaw Los Angeles in a first round sweep at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche.
Cassidy has a track record of playoff success. He has made the postseason in 10 of his 12 years as an NHL head coach. Those squads made it past the first round in six of those appearances, made the Stanley Cup Finals twice, and won it all once. Where Cassidy goes, long seasons follow – and his experience leading an NHL bench could be invaluable for a Kings team in flux. Los Angeles added a superstar talent in Artemi Panarin this season – but he had to take on a heavy load after injuries to Kevin Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko. Good health for the entire lineup, and the presence of a seasoned head coach, could be enough to keep Los Angeles in playoff contention next season despite Anze Kopitar‘s retirement.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban accomplished his goal of donating $10MM to the Montreal Children’s Hospital earlier today, per the Montreal Gazzette. It was the largest donation to the hospital by an athlete in the country’s history. Subban announced a mission to raise the funds in 2015, amid routine visits to children staying in the hospital. 11 years later, he has completed the feat, with 100 percent of the money raised going to the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation. Subban played 13 seasons in the NHL, including seven with the Canadiens. He scored 278 points in 434 games with Montreal and 467 points in 834 total games in his career.
- The New York Islanders have invited feisty Providence Friars forward Tanner Adams to their 2026-27 training camp per NHL.com’s Mark Divver. Adams wrapped up his junior year at Providence College this season. He filled an important, top-nine role on the offense – bringing aggression and physicality on the forecheck, even despite his sub-6’0 frame. Adams has totaled 28 goals and 67 points in 108 collegiate games so far. He will attempt to wow an NHL organization once again after attending the Toronto Maple Leafs’ training camp last season.
Nick Suzuki Offers Canadiens A Franchise Cornerstone
The Montreal Canadiens are in the midst of a close playoff race – but no matter the end result, the 2025-26 season will mark another step forward in Montreal’s long-term outlook. Top-line center Nick Suzuki reached 101 points this season, marking the first time a Canadiens player has crested the century-scoring mark since Mats Naslund reached 110 in 1986. Suzuki becomes only the fourth Canadien to reach that mark, joining Naslund and some of the core players in Montreal’s six Stanley Cup wins from the 1970s.
Suzuki’s was undoubtedly propelled by the additions of Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield, and Ivan Demidov – who have each posted breakout years early into their career. Hutson has, specifically, offered a jolt to the Canadiens’ offense – bringing a top-tier playmaking that helped him notch 146 points in the first 166 games of his career. But Suzuki has stood tall in the middle of Montreal’s dynamos, offering a full-ice awareness that has proved pivotal to the Canadiens’ movement up the ice for the last two seasons.
That full-ice ability was honored when Suzuki was named a finalist for the 2026 Selke Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL forward who best excels at the defensive side of the game. Only two players in NHL history have won the Selke Trophy and scored at least 100 points in the same season: Doug Gilmour in 1993, and Sergei Fedorov in both 1994 and 1996. Should he win, the 26-year-old Suzuki would join Hall-Of-Fame-company. Even a nomination emphasizes Suzuki’s ability to provide a top-tier impact on both sides of the ice.
Best yet, the Canadiens’ top center is still at least a couple of years away from his prime – and carries a reasonable $7.88MM cap hit through the 2029-30 season. He checks boxes across the board, locking down Montreal’s top-line and capable of performing next to a rotation of wingers – all at a discount price. Those traits, and Suzuki’s clear hockey IQ, were enough to earn him the title of youngest captain in Canadiens history when he was awarded the ‘C’ at the age of 23, in 2022. Four years later, Suzuki is continuing to find new heights in Montreal, while bringing the lineup along with him. His cohesive playmaking helped propel Caufield to 51 goals this season, second-most in the league to Nathan MacKinnon‘s 53 goals.
The Canadiens have pushed into the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after ending a three-year playoff drought last season. They seem well-set to enter the next decade of NHL action as one of the Eastern Conference’s heavy-hitters, on the back of an emerging roster. While questions still remain for some of their young guns, there is no doubt about Suzuki’s spot in Montreal’s future. With a controlled contract and incredible impacts on both ends of the ice, the Canadiens will move forward with Suzuki in a starring role – with potentially even higher heights still yet to come.
Anthony Cirelli, Brock Nelson, Nick Suzuki Named Selke Trophy Finalists
The NHL announced today that Anthony Cirelli of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Brock Nelson of the Colorado Avalanche, and Nick Suzuki of the Montreal Canadiens have been named the three finalists for the 2025–26 Frank J. Selke Trophy, awarded annually to the forward who “best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.” Voting was conducted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association at the conclusion of the regular season.
Cirelli earned his second consecutive Selke nomination after another standout two-way campaign in Tampa Bay. The Lightning posted the NHL’s second-best goal differential (+57) and third-best goals against (229), with Cirelli driving their defensive identity. Despite missing 11 games, he led all Tampa Bay forwards in shorthanded ice time (186:51) for a penalty kill that ranked third in the league at 82.6%. At even-strength, the Lightning outscored opponents 76-42 with Cirelli on the ice, a team-best 64.4% goal share, and the highest mark of his eight full NHL seasons. He also posted a career-high +38 rating and took a team-leading 1,075 faceoffs. Cirelli finished third in last year’s voting, becoming the first Selke finalist in franchise history.
Nelson, a first-time finalist in his first full season with Colorado, played a crucial role in the Avalanche’s defensive turnaround. They captured the Presidents’ Trophy, allowing a league-low 197 goals, 34 fewer than last year and 25 fewer than any other team this season. Nelson logged a career-high 1,591:55 in total ice time and nearly 50% more shorthanded minutes. Colorado’s penalty kill led the NHL at 84.6%, surrendering just 36 goals on 234 opportunities. Nelson also set personal bests in faceoffs taken (1,459) and wins (735, 50.4%). If he wins, he’d become the first player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to claim the Selke, the last Colorado player to reach finalist status was Joe Sakic in 2000–01.
Suzuki, the Canadiens’ captain, helped Montreal win its highest point total (106) since 2014–15 and its stingiest defensive season (251 goals against) in seven years. He played all 82 games, leading the team’s forwards in total ice time and even-strength minutes. Suzuki took 1,449 faceoffs (32.2% of Montreal’s draws) and ranked sixth in the league in total attempts. At even strength, the Canadiens outscored opponents 94–58 with him on the ice, a career-best 61.8% goal share. Suzuki aims to join franchise legends Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau, who won the award seven times.
The Selke Trophy was first awarded in 1977 in honor of longtime executive Frank J. Selke, a key architect of championship teams in both Montreal and Toronto.
The NHL’s awards finalist announcements continue Thursday, May 7, when the league will reveal the three finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy.
Ivan Demidov, Matthew Schaefer, Beckett Sennecke Named Calder Trophy Finalists
Midway through tonight’s Draft Lottery, the NHL announced its latest finalists for an end-of-season award. This year’s Calder Trophy finalists are Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov, Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, and Ducks winger Beckett Sennecke. The Calder Trophy goes to the NHL’s top rookie and is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Demidov is the only one of the three who had NHL experience heading into the season, that coming in the form of two regular season games and five postseason contests last year but that didn’t affect his eligibility. The 19-year-old was the fifth overall pick in 2024 and led all freshmen players in assists (43) and points (62), while playing regularly in a top-six role. He also paced all first-year players in power play points with 20. If he wins the award, he would be the second straight Montreal player to win the award after Lane Hutson did so last season.
That said, Schaefer is widely assumed to be the overwhelming favorite for the award this year. The number one pick last June, he made New York’s roster out of training camp and was put into a top role basically immediately. As a result, he wound up playing well enough to garner serious Olympic consideration for Canada. Meanwhile, he tied for the rookie lead in goals (23) and was third in points (59), setting a league record for goals by a freshman blueliner. He also logged 24:41 of ice time per game, by far the most for any first-year player and 11th overall among all NHL skaters. He would be the first Islander since 2018 to win the award (Mathew Barzal).
As for Sennecke, his third-overall selection in 2024 raised some eyebrows originally but it’s fair to say that Anaheim is pleased with their pick so far. He tied Schaefer for the rookie lead in goals while finishing second in assists (37) and points (60). He also recorded 197 shots on net to lead all rookies while logging more than 17 minutes a night of playing time. If he were to win, he would be the first Anaheim player to take home the award.
There is no word yet on when the NHL will reveal the winners. Last year, they announced some awards through pre-recorded segments while holding an abbreviated awards show in June. It’s unclear if they will do so again this year or do something different.
Canadiens Reassign Adam Engstrom
The Montreal Canadiens reassigned defenseman Adam Engström to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.
The move comes in the aftermath of the Canadiens’ victory in game seven of their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They are set to take on the Buffalo Sabres in the second round.
Top defenseman Noah Dobson returned from a hand injury to play in game seven, pushing Engström down a spot within the Canadiens’ depth chart of healthy blueliners. Arber Xhekaj came out of the lineup to accommodate Dobson’s return. With Xhekaj now available as a spare defenseman, there is less of a need for Engström to be on the NHL roster – hence today’s reassignment.
The status of the Rocket likely also impacted this move. Laval won their first game of their playoff series against the Toronto Marlies last week, but dropped the next two contests. They have surrendered 12 goals over their last two games, and would be eliminated with a loss tomorrow. This reassignment gives Laval one of their top defensemen back for the most important game of their season.
Engström, 22, was one of the Rocket’s top players in his time there this season. The 2022 third-round pick scored 10 goals and 34 points in 45 games this season, a performance that earned him 15 games at the NHL level.
When he was in Laval, Engström was the Rocket’s No. 1 defenseman, playing a heavy diet of minutes in all situations. He was ranked as the sixth-best prospect in the team’s system by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic.
If the Rocket do end up eliminated by the Marlies on Tuesday, expect Engström to return to the NHL roster in short order. But the hope in Montreal will be that he can help engineer a series turnaround for the Rocket and assist as they make a push for their first Calder Cup title in franchise history.
Canadiens’ Noah Dobson A Game-Time Decision For Game 7
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson will take part in warmups and be a game-time decision to play tonight, head coach Martin St. Louis told the media today. The news comes as the Canadiens are set for a do-or-die game seven against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight.
Dobson has been out since April 11 with an upper-body injury. It was initially announced that he would be “re-evaluated in two weeks” after he suffered his injury, meaning this current return window fits within the original projections. St. Louis expressed confidence that if Dobson feels he is able to play, he will be able to do so without limitation.
If the Canadiens do indeed get Dobson back tonight, it would be a significant boost to their lineup. First and foremost, he is one of the team’s top defensemen. The former Islanders rearguard had a strong debut campaign in Montreal, scoring 12 goals and 47 points.
He put up those numbers despite the fact that he does not quarterback the team’s No. 1 power play unit – Lane Hutson occupied that role almost all season. Dobson also skated in two minutes per game on the penalty kill, and averaged 22:29 per game overall. When he has been paired with veteran Mike Matheson, his pairing has soaked up the most difficult matchups for the Canadiens.
Dobson’s return would improve the Canadiens not only because of his own personal ability, but also due to the impact it would have on the overall formation of the team’s blueline. Montreal currently only has one healthy right-shot blueliner in their lineup. Both Hutson and Arber Xhekaj have had to play on their off-side as a result, and while Hutson has shown he can still be effective playing from the right, he is at his best playing from the left.
Dobson’s return, if it happens, may not actually shift Hutson back to the left. He may still end up paired with Kaiden Guhle, or perhaps may stay on the right and return to playing next to Jayden Struble. Struble played his best hockey of 2025-26 when paired with Hutson, showing a greater level of confidence and decisiveness.
In any case, a Dobson return would at the very least mean one fewer Canadien will be playing on his off-side.
It’s not immediately clear where, if healthy, Dobson might slot into Montreal’s lineup. St. Louis has been somewhat flexible with defensive pairings this season, and so partnerships are not fully set in stone. With that said, St. Louis may not be eager to make too many drastic changes in advance of a must-win game, so it’ll be interesting to see who he decides to partner with Dobson if Dobson is able to dress tonight.
Photos courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images