Habs Daily: Canadiens Defensive Situation, Plekanec, Marner

Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, stories, and content you may have missed on Friday.

Montreal Canadiens News

By adding Noah Dobson to the mix, the Habs immediately improved their blue line by leaps and bounds. And now that Lane Hutson has a decent amount of NHL experience under his belt, the defensive situation seems much healthier than in the previous season. However, like most defensive squads, there’s still a lot of work to be done before we can consider it an area of strength for the Montreal Canadiens. [Canadiens Areas In Need Of Improvement – Defence]

Tomas Plekanec’s name rarely comes up when discussing potential NHL jobs in Montreal, but there’s no doubt that he is among the smartest forwards to play for the franchise. He quietly put up very respectable offensive numbers while providing stalwart defence on a nightly basis. He was also excellent at avoiding hits, and while some may qualify that as a negative, I’d argue it was a significant reason why he managed to play over 1000 regular season games in the NHL, not to mention how he retired in good health, something very few NHLers can claim. Personally, I believe he could bring a few important assets to the table for the Habs, should they come calling.

Tomas Plekanec when asked if he would work with the Habs organization one day:

“Never say never, right? I’ll think about it when it comes.” pic.twitter.com/9tJAJeH9vv

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 28, 2025

ICYMI: The Habs added a few prospects who are set to play in the NCAA via the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, including the highly talented L.J. Mooney. He will join top prospects such as Michael Hage in the collegiate ranks. [Montreal Canadiens Prospects Set To Play In NCAA]

Speaking of NCAA prospects, we assumed Ben Merrill would join Lane Hutson’s alma matter, the Boston University Terriers, and now it’s been confirmed by the team. I’d also like to apologize for originally listing the team as the ‘Boston University Eagles’ in our NCAA article, which is a cardinal sin in Beantown. In one fell swoop, I managed to insult both Boston College and Boston University.

We’ve got one last day of newcomer introductions, beginning with Ben Merrill! Ben joins us from the Penticton Vees. pic.twitter.com/4BYcrGqkZN

— BU Men’s Hockey (@TerrierHockey) August 29, 2025

Don’t forget to check out our final rankings of the 2025 Montreal Canadiens prospects! In a bid to change how we define the term ‘prospect’, I did not include established NHL players such as Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson, even though they qualify for most prospect lists. It’s an accepted term for players who are relatively young, but it’s not always accurate, given that players tend to hit their primes much earlier than we once assumed.

I’m not sure how long it will take us to change the definition, but I do think it’s time to update the term to reflect the realities of the modern sports landscape. In my opinion, players who have a guaranteed roster spot, especially those playing important roles, shouldn’t be considered prospects. On the flip side, I still go out of my way to correct those who think the ‘A’ on a jersey stands for assistant captain, not alternate, so perhaps I’m not the best person to lead the charge when it comes to updating how we use some hockey terms. [Montreal Canadiens Top 20 Prospects – The Final List]

National Hockey Now Network

The Maple Leafs drafted Mitch Marner fourth overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He’s a skilled, cerebral playmaker fresh off a 102-point season. He should have gone down as one of the best homegrown talents to wear the Maple Leaf. Instead, his Toronto tenure ended with fans booing him off the ice. Marner spoke to TSN’s Mark Masters at Hockey Canada’s Olympic orientation camp on Thursday and opened up about his decision to leave Toronto. [Vegas Golden Knights]

After over a decade with the franchise, Florida Panthers CEO Matt Caldwell is leaving. Caldwell was announced as the new CEO of the NBA Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA Minnesota Lynx. [Florida Panthers]

There was a time when the Detroit Red Wings viewed Russian forward Igor Grigorenko as the top prospect in the organization’s pipeline. Ultimately, though, when the time to deliver the goods arrived, Grigorenko couldn’t pass the test. That cost him his shot at an NHL career. Nearly 20 years later, Grigorenko has failed another huge test. And this one could cost him his hockey career. [Detroit Red Wings]