The Montreal Canadiens training camp officially opened on Wednesday, with 60 players invited to take part in the festivities that lead to the start of the 2025 regular season.

Players are busy taking part in medical tests and physicals, but they will hit the ice on Thursday for an on-ice session in Brossard that will include a simulated game between some of the players at camp.

Montreal Canadiens Training Camp Battles
Top Six

There aren’t many high-end roles left to fill in the Canadiens’ lineup, which speaks to relatively significant growth from a rebuilding roster perspective. With that in mind, there is one important gap in most projected lineups, which is, of course, the second-line centre.

As it stands, given that Kirby Dach’s recovery from his latest season-ending surgery has gone well, the Habs will attempt to fill the second-line centre internally. It’s a logical approach, as finding a No.2 centre in the NHL’s Trade Market is quite difficult, and if there happens to be an available centre, the price tag is unlikely to be reasonable.

Dach, 24, has not featured in an NHL matchup since mid-February, which means even if he does quickly find his rhythm, it will take him several games, if not longer, to iron out some of the rust-driven wrinkles in his game.

In other words, patience will be key.

The same can be said about the other internal options the Habs may explore if Dach doesn’t fit the bill.

For example, Zachary Bolduc hasn’t played as  a center since his time in the QMJHL, and while he’s already mentioned that he will play in any situation asked of him, it’s only fair to give him a long grace period if that situation involves playing as a centre in the top six.

Bottom Six

Assuming Martin St-Louis will reunite Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson on the third line, Christian Dvorak’s departure means that a player such as Jake Evans could end up starting the year away from the fourth line. Evans is one of the hardest workers in the lineup, and the dearth of available centres clearly works in his favour.

And yet, you’d be hard-pressed to suggest it’s an ideal role for a player who reached the 30-point mark for the first time of his career in 2024-25, and that was mostly driven by a sky-high shooting percentage to start the season. I’d argue that Alex Newhook is better suited for the role, even if he’s not as adept as his counterpart when it comes to defensive assignments. Playing with Gallagher always improves a player’s underlying numbers, and Newhook offers much more when it comes to his potential offensive impact.

That bring us to the fourth-line, which is far and away the most interesting battleground at camp.

When we originally published our projected lineups following the Bolduc trade, the fourth-line was difficult to establish, as there were simply too many options available.

2025 Projected Montreal Canadiens Lineup (Summer Edition)

Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovsky

Bolduc/Dach – Dach/Bolduc – Ivan Demidov

Brendan Gallagher – Alex Newhook – Josh Anderson

Xhekaj/Blais/Beck/Kapanen – Jake Evans – Patrik Laine

As you can see, I had even placed Laine on the fourth line, not because I wanted to denigrate him or his magical powerplay goal-scoring ability, but rather, because of the second-line centre issue monopolizing the ice time for players who can play down the middle of the ice, like Bolduc and Dach.

In all likelihood, Laine will start on the second line with Demidov and Dach, which means Bolduc is in play for the third or fourth line, alongside a bevy of players attempting to carve out a roster spot with the Canadiens, including newcomer Samuel Blais, as well as a handful of players who stood out from the crowd last season in the AHL with the Laval Rocket.

Florian Xhekaj, Owen Beck, and Oliver Kapanen are all fighting for a job in the NHL, and it’s worth noting that they have experience playing as a centre, which should work to their advantage, at least in the early parts of the roster-building process. Once it comes down to the nitty-gritty, their performance in preseason games will go a long way in convincing Canadiens management that they’re ready to make the biggest jump in their hockey career, or if they need another season playing big minutes in Laval to fine-tune their respective skill sets.

Montreal Canadiens Defencemen

Most of the interest will be paid to the forwards, but there’s an interesting camp battle setting up on the blue  line between the young players hoping to earn a few NHL pay cheques this season, including Adam Engstrom and David Reinbacher.

We can safely assume Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, and Alexandre Carrier will start the season in the NHL, leaving half the third pairing, as well as the No.7 defenceman spot up for grabs.

It won’t be easy to dislodge Jayden Struble or Arber Xhekaj, as they have more NHL experience, and thus have an inside track compared to the prospects, but even if Engstrom and Reinbacher do end up playing in Laval, they will use training camp to jockey for position when the Canadiens come calling due to injuries, or a trade.

It’s also important to note that neither Xhekaj nor Struble can be sent to the AHL without first hitting the waiver wire.

You can click here to see the full roster of Montreal Canadiens taking part in the 2025 Training Camp.