It goes without saying that the Montreal Canadiens are well positioned for the present and the future. The current core they have, including Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov are all making significant impacts at the NHL level, helping the club reach their first Conference Final in five years.
While the Canadiens have plenty of talent already in the NHL, the same can be said about their prospect pool. A recent article from The Athletic, the Canadiens prospect pool was ranked third in the entire National Hockey League, up two spots from this time last year.
Today, I'm going to share with you my top-ten Montreal Canadiens prospects, along with some honourable mentions, heading into the 2026-27 season, which is just 39 days away.
Montreal Canadiens Top-Ten Prospect Rankings
1) Michael Hage (2024 - 21st overall) - University of Michigan (NCAA)
Coming in at number one on my summer prospect rankings is 2024 first round pick Michael Hage, who surprised some by opting to return to the University of Michigan for a third season rather than putting pen-to-paper on an entry-level contract with the Canadiens.
Returning to the University of Michigan should do wonders for Hage's overall game and he'll even have an elevated role as he slides into the top line center position. More opportunities at five-on-five, on the power play and maybe even the penalty kill, too. By the time he does arrive in Montreal, which will likely be April 2027, it should be a relatively smooth transition for him, although, I don't think he'll be a center in the National Hockey League right away.
In 39 games last season, the Oakville, Ontario native had 52 points (13 goals, 39 assists), 14 penalty minutes and was a plus-15.
2) Alexander Zharovsky (2025 - 34th overall) - Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)
Zharovsky's offensive abilities are legit and he's poised to become a top-six forward in the National Hockey League, potentially as soon as late in the 2026-27 regular season. With 16 goals and 42 points under his belt during his first full year in the KHL, and expanded role with Ufa this coming season will likely allow him to eclipse that mark with ease.
With the first line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky set for the foreseeable future, it would make a ton of sense for the Canadiens to pair Zharovsky up with his fellow countryman, Ivan Demidov, at the start of the 2027-28 season. By then, hopefully the Canadiens will have addressed the hole down the middle on the second line, but if not, the role could be handed to Michael Hage.
3) Jacob Fowler (2023 - 69th overall) - Montreal Canadiens/Laval Rocket (NHL/AHL)
Since Carey Price suited up for his final game with the Montreal Canadiens in the spring of 2022, the club has been searching for his successor. Jakub Dobes has done a solid job thus far and is going to be a key member of the goaltending tandem going forward, but it's clear who the future in between the pipes is and that's Jacob Fowler.
At every level, Jacob Fowler has dominated. From the USHL to the NCAA and even with the Laval Rocket last season. In his first year of professional hockey, Fowler got his chance to play in the NHL and made an immediate impact, winning his debut against Pittsburgh on December 11th, before picking up his first career shutout nine days later against that same Penguins team.
While I enjoy scouting players, netminders are tough to read, but for what it's worth, I firmly believe the Canadiens have a future star between the pipes in Jacob Fowler and despite some questions about the goaltending situation, he'll get starts in Montreal again this season, especially if they're able to find a new home for Samuel Montembeault.
4) Gleb Pugachyov (2026 - 26th overall - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
With their first round pick in this past June's NHL Entry Draft, the Canadiens turned to Russia once again and selected forward Gleb Pugachyov, who will bring some size and physicality to the team's top-nine down the road.
Pugachyov got his first taste of the Kontinental Hockey League last season with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, suiting up in 13 games where he registered two goals and one assist. While Pugachyov will see some ice time in the KHL this season, it looks like he won't begin the 2026-27 season with the big club. The 6'3" winger will more than likely start the year in the MHL, Russia's top junior league and may even see some time in the VHL, too, which is Russia's equivalent of the American Hockey League.
As for when we might see Pugachyov make the jump to North America, we're likely looking at the end of the 2027-28 season, depending on how far his KHL club makes it in the Gagarin Cup Playoffs, assuming they qualify. I'd say it's more likely he'll officially join the Canadiens organization in time for training camp in September of 2028.
5) David Reinbacher (2023 - 5th overall) - Laval Rocket (AHL)
While I don't think we're necessarily reaching make-or-break territory with Austrian defenseman David Reinbacher just yet, there's no question that the Montreal Canadiens want to see him take another big step this coming season.
To say that Reinbacher's career in North America has been injury-filled would be an understatement, but last season, he was finally able to show why he was taken in the top-five of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Reinbacher finished the season with 24 points (five goals, 19 assists) in 57 games and even got into a couple of games with Montreal in mid-April.
The potential for Reinbacher to become a solid second pairing defenseman for the Canadiens is still there and I do believe we'll see him back in the National Hockey League at some point during the 2026-27 season. A strong training camp could put him in position for a spot on the opening night roster, if the Canadiens do clear up their logjam on the blue line at some point over the next five weeks, although, I think he's likely destined for Laval in late September.
6) Bryce Pickford (2025 - 81st overall) - Laval Rocket (AHL)
When the Canadiens selected defenseman Bryce Pickford with the 81st overall pick in 2025, there was a lot of excitement given the offensive potential he has. During the 2024-25 season, which was his second draft eligible year, Pickford had 47 points in 48 games and then exploded in the postseason with 13 goals & 24 points in 18 games, helping Medicine Hat win a WHL Championship and clinch a berth at the 2025 Memorial Cup.
Many were curious what Pickford would have in store for his fourth season in the Western Hockey League, but no one could've predicted the numbers he finished the year with. In 55 games with Medicine Hat, the Chauvin, Alberta native had a whopping 45 goals and 83 points, earning him CHL Defenseman of the Year honours.
Pickford will make the jump to professional hockey this coming season and is poised to play a significant role on the blue line with the American Hockey League's Laval Rocket. A successful first year in pro hockey for Pickford, in my opinion, would be 35-45 points, but don't be surprised if he exceeds that, especially if he sees time on Laval's top pairing.
7) Bogdan Konyushkov (2023 - 110th overall) - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
Another blueliner with offensive upside, Bogdan Konyushkov has been a key piece on the backend for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod since the start of the 2022-23 season when he was just 19-years-old. Since then, he's contributed plenty for his club, finishing first on his team in points once and in the other three seasons, second.
During the 2023-24 season, at the age of 21, Konyushkov was named captain of his club in the KHL, which just shows the trust his coaching staff had in him and the leadership qualities he showed at such a young age at one of the top leagues in the world.
After setting career-highs in goals, assists and points during the 2025-26 season, Konyushkov signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens. The 23-year-old has been loaned back to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod for the 2026-27 season, but there is a chance we could see him in Laval when his club's campaign comes to a close.
8) L.J. Mooney (2025 - 113th overall) - University of Minnesota (NCAA)
With their fourth round pick in 2025, the Canadiens selected undersized forward L.J. Mooney after an impressive year with the U.S. National Team Development Program. The talent is certainly there, but his size likely played a role in why he wasn't selected until the fourth round, despite some believing he could go late in the second round.
Mooney joined the University of Minnesota for the 2025-26 season and had a strong year - 30 points (seven goals, 23 assists) in 34 games and added three assists in five games with the United States at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. Unfortunately for Mooney, the University of Minnesota had a tough year and they fell to Penn State in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
The West Mifflin, Pennsylvania native will have an expanded role for both the University of Minnesota and the United States at the IIHF World Juniors this coming season and is one prospect that Canadiens fans should keep an eye on all year long. An exciting prospect to watch and it'll be interesting to see how he fits in to the Canadiens organization once he turns pro.
9) Logan Sawyer (2024 - 78th overall) - Providence College (NCAA)
Hardworking and physical are two attributes Logan Sawyer's game has and there's no surprise that the Canadiens scouting staff had him on their draft list back in 2024. Along with his aggressive style of play, Sawyer has plenty of offensive talent, too. In his draft year, the Orangeville, Ontario native had 78 points with the Brooks Bandits, who began the season in the AJHL before leaving to join the BCHL.
It was a bit of a tough transition for Sawyer going from Brooks to the NCAA with Providence College. During the 2024-25 season, his freshman year at Providence, Sawyer had just 16 points (six goals, ten assists) in 37 games, but there wasn't anything to panic about.
Sawyer bounced back in his second year at Providence College, finishing the season with 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists), 18 penalty minutes and was a plus-three in 35 games. The 20-year-old centerman helped Providence College reach the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament, but they fell to 11th seed Quinnipiac by a score of 5-2.
10) Adam Engstrom (2022 - 92nd overall) - Laval Rocket/Montreal Canadiens (AHL/NHL)
And just like that, we've made it to number ten on my top-ten Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings for summer 2026. Coming in at number ten is Swedish defenseman Adam Engstrom, who is set to enter his third season of professional hockey in North America.
The Canadiens selected Engstrom with the 92nd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft after 28-point campaign in Sweden's junior league with Djurgardens IF. Engstrom went on to spend the next two seasons in the Swedish Hockey League with Rogle BK before signing him to an entry-level contract in the spring of 2024.
Last season, Engstrom took his game to a new level, setting new career highs in goals, assists and points with the AHL's Laval Rocket. The Jarna, Sweden native also appeared in 15 games with the Montreal Canadiens. Depending on how Montreal's defensive situation shakes out in training camp, I could see a path to the opening night roster for Adam Engstrom.
Honourable Mentions: Owen Beck (F), Owen Protz (D), Yevgeni Volokhin (G), Aatos Koivu (F).