Montreal Canadiens Cut Solid NHL Player, Keep Two Prospects

The Montreal Canadiens have announced the final round of cuts at their 2024-25 training camp.

The Habs assigned goaltender Jakub Dobes, forward Joshua Roy, and defencemen Logan Mailloux and Adam Engstrom to the Laval Rocket, their AHL affiliate.

Montreal Canadiens Forwards

With the cuts in place, the following 14 Canadiens are expected to be in the opening-night roster:

Josh Anderson, Joel Armia, Alex Barre Boulet, Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach, Christian Dvorak, Jake Evans, Brendan Gallagher, Emil Heineman, Oliver Kapanen, Alex Newhook, Michael Pezzetta, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Nick Suzuki.

Montreal Canadiens Defencemen

The seven defencemen remaining in the NHL are as follows: Justin Barron, Lane Hutson, Mike Matheson, David Savard, Jayden Struble, Kaiden Guhle, and Arber Xhekaj.

Montreal Canadiens Goaltenders

Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau will share goaltending duties in 2024-25.

Brass Tacks

Our attempt to project the opening-night roster was not perfect, as we had Roy in the lineup and Emil Heineman in the AHL, but the rest of our projected roster is accurate at this exact moment.

The most significant decision made by the Canadiens is clearly the Roy demotion He will be returned to the AHL, where he has already shown he can dominate during his rookie season. He was also excellent in the NHL last year, and finished the season as one of the best forwards in a laundry-list of important statistical categories.

Basing this decision on a tiny sample size during a very hectic preseason seems silly, but we also have to keep in mind there are other factors at play, such as waivers, contracts, and, of course, the salary cap. To be perfectly fair, Roy had a rough time in preseason action, but it was genuinely an inconsequential sample size in a chaotic environment.

As our community member Tyrone pointed out, the Canadiens also have a rich history of injuries, which means we may see Roy back in the fold relatively quickly.

ON TOPIC: Canadiens Prospect Rankings – Joshua Roy Deserves More Credit For His NHL Play

When it comes to the European prospects, both Oliver Kapanen and Heineman are set to start the season in the NHL, adding an interesting level of talent and professional hockey experience to the mix.

As a reminder, things can change quickly in both cases. Kapanen’s contract status connotes the Canadiens can keep him in the lineup as long as they’d like, as his entry-level contract kicks in regardless of where he plays. In Heineman’s case, he can be re-assigned to the AHL at any time, as he does not require waivers.

The final roster must be submitted by 5 pm, which means there is still a chance more player movement is in the cards, as there were a few interesting players available on waivers that could interest the Canadiens.