Canadiens Daily
Habs Daily: Top Centre Suzuki, Demidov The Wizard, Hutson
Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, stories, and content you may have missed on Wednesday.
Montreal Canadiens News
Ivan Demidov clinched the No.1 spot in our annual prospect rankings, as voted upon by Habs fans. The talented forward started his NHL career with a bang, assisting and scoring a goal in his very first period wearing a Montreal Canadiens jersey. It’s hard to keep expectations realistic in his case, but until the Habs lock down the No.2 centre position, Demidov will face an uphill battle when it comes to producing. Fortunately, he’s among the most talented prospects to ever be drafted by the Canadiens, and he never backs away from a challenge. [Canadiens Prospect Rankings – Ivan Demidov The Gifted]
Nick Suzuki was listed as a top 10 centre on NHL.com, and while that may surprise some, it shouldn’t come as a shock unless they’ve failed to update their opinion of the 26-year-old in the last few seasons. On top of being a captain who leads by example, Suzuki has enjoyed a consistent upward trend since he made his NHL debut in 2019-20. [Canadiens Analysis – Nick Suzuki Is Clearly A Top NHL Centre]
Nick Suzuki moves up our list and kicks off the Top 10! @CanadiensMTL | #NHLTopPlayers pic.twitter.com/RdxRSp2dqQ
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 20, 2025
It turns out Patrik Laine and roughly half the Habs fanbase have something in common, as they all list Lane Hutson as their favourite player.
«Qui est ton joueur préféré, Patrik?», lui demande cette jeune fille.
-Lane Hutson!, répond le 92.
— Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) August 20, 2025
‘Lane Hutson can’t play defence!’
Meanwhile, Lane Hutson:
NHL leaders in takeaways among defensemen last season:
1) Jaccob Slavin: 61 takeaways
2) Cale Makar: 60 takeaways
3) Lane Hutson: 56 takeaways pic.twitter.com/AR0mgfsmw3
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 20, 2025
ICYMI: Montreal Canadiens defenceman David Reinbacher nabbed the No.2 spot in our annual prospect rankings. There’s no doubt Reinbacher has dealt with a less-than-ideal development path, including a rocky season in Switzerland, as well as a few significant injuries that could have impacted his mobility. The good news is that Reinbacher’s skating is back to 100 percent, and there’s no rush to thrust him into the NHL. [Canadiens Prospect Rankings – Mobile David Reinbacher]
National Hockey Now Network
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ off-season is nearly over. The ice is laid, and the players will begin filtering back to Pittsburgh if they have not already. The hotel near the UPMC Lemieux Complex will soon be occupied by prospects and roster hopefuls who don’t yet have a reason to take up more permanent residence. Yet general manager Kyle Dubas still has plenty of questions to answer. [Pittsburgh Penguins]
Three New Jersey Devils players were among those invited to Team USA’s Orientation Camp. [New Jersey Devils]
Florida Panthers defenceman Seth Jones was also on the list for the off-ice event that serves as a meet-and-greet prior to the Winter Olympics. [Florida Panthers]
