The countdown to training camp is on for the Montreal Canadiens and the National Hockey League's 31 other franchises.
There are several questions that the Montreal Canadiens will need to answer before the puck drops on the 2026-27 season on Tuesday, September 29th and one of those has to do with the club's blue line. Who fits in where, Who could crack the opening night roster, etc.
Today, we're going to take a look at the blue line and how it could look when the Canadiens take to the ice in downtown Toronto against the Maple Leafs in exactly 41 days from now.
What Will the Montreal Canadiens' Defensive Corps Look Like to Start the 2026-27 Season?
Let's get the easy part out of the way. It's quite likely that we'll see Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson occupy the top pairing, as we saw throughout the 2025-26 regular season and for the majority of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after the latter returned from injury for Game 7 of the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
That being said, you can't rule out Lane Hutson for a spot on that top pairing either. As we've seen ever since Lane Hutson made his NHL debut, the blueliner is capable of playing on both sides, and it's possible he could take either Matheson or Dobson's spot on that pairing. Regardless of where Hutson starts the season, whether it's first or second pairing, he's going to get ample opportunity and his ice time could very well exceed 24 minutes a night.
Hypothetically speaking, let's say Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson is the first pairing for the season opener on September 29th, with Lane Hutson on the second duo. Who could you put beside Hutson? Well, that's a good problem to have as the Canadiens have plenty of depth on the blue line. Kaiden Guhle is an option, as is Jayden Struble. Technically, Alexandre Carrier could be an option as well, but that would require Lane Hutson to play on the left side.
To me, Kaiden Guhle should start the season with Lane Hutson on that second pairing, but we'll have to wait and see what Martin St. Louis thinks is best for him. Guhle's game compliments Hutson's quite well, in my opinion, especially from a defensive standpoint.
Should that happen, that leaves Jayden Struble and Alexandre Carrier as options for the third pairing. While it's safe to assume that Carrier's spot on the opening night roster isn't in question, there could be several players vying for the sixth and seventh defensive roles in training camp, including current restricted free agent Arber Xhekaj, whose future with the Montreal Canadiens has been a topic of discussion lately.
Who Are Vying For Spots on the Opening Night Roster?
Assuming that he's re-signed between now and training camp, Arber Xhekaj will be in the conversation for a spot on Montreal's opening night roster, however, I'm not convinced that he'll still be a member of the Canadiens this time next month. Based on how the way things are shaping up on the blue line in Montreal and him not having a guaranteed spot, it feels more and more likely that a trade could materialize in weeks ahead.
But for now, Xhekaj remains part of the Montreal Canadiens organization and for the sake of this article, we're going to operate under the assumption that he's with the club in camp. Xhekaj will be joined by 2023 fifth overall pick David Reinbacher, Adam Engstrom and Maksymilian Szuber, who was acquired from the Utah Mammoth in late June.
It'll be a tough choice for Martin St. Louis and his coaching staff as only one of those four defensemen will be able to land spots on the opening night roster. Expect to see plenty of them in preseason contests and the Canadiens have a bit of advantage on that front as most teams are only playing four games, while Montreal has five, one of them is Kraft Hockeyville in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
Injury issues early on in his career here in North America have stunted David Reinbacher's development, but he did take some encouraging strides last season. The Austrian made his NHL debut in April against the New York Islanders, picking up an assist. He also appeared Montreal's game against the Philadelphia Flyers two days later. He finished the 2025-26 season with 24 points (five goals, 19 assists) in 57 games with the AHL's Laval Rocket.
Maksymilian Szuber and Adam Engstrom might be on the outside looking in, but it wouldn't be fair to rule them out at this stage. If Arber Xhekaj is traded before opening night, then both of these players, along with David Reinbacher, are going to have an even bigger opportunity in from of them during the preseason.
What Do I Think Montreal's Defensive Corps Will Look Like on Opening Night?
Taking into consideration what I've mentioned thus far, here is what I think the defensive corps will look like when the Canadiens and Maple Leafs do battle on September 29th. I believe Adam Engstrom will earn himself a spot on the opening night roster and will suit up on the third pairing alongside Alexandre Carrier. Meanwhile, Jayden Struble will also be on the opening night roster, but will begin the year as the team's seventh defenseman.
First Pairing: Mike Matheson - Noah Dobson.
Second Pairing: Kaiden Guhle - Lane Hutson.
Third Pairing: Adam Engstrom - Alexandre Carrier.
Extra: Jayden Struble.