Habs Wrap: First Round Advantage, X Factors, Prospect News

The Hart and Norris remain extremely tight. Where we stand in every race for the final edition of the 2025-26 season. pic.twitter.com/dG6xZSkrCK

— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) April 13, 2026 Elliotte Friedman suggests Michael Hage’s decision to stay at the University of Michigan was well-received by the organization, even if they hoped he was ready to go pro. Elliotte Friedman: Re Michael Hage returning to Michigan: I would probably bet that the Canadiens preferred slightly that he would go pro; but it wasn't a demand or anything; he notified Montreal on Saturday…he was going back; I think everybody understands – 32 Thoughts (4/13)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) April 14, 2026 Phillip Danault’s opinion on the Selke Trophy likely aligns with many other voters. Phil Danault on Nick Suzuki:

“Selke 👀” pic.twitter.com/oaODpYo8wq

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) April 13, 2026 There’s no doubt about it, the Tampa Bay Lightning have been the better team at 5v5 this season. However, when evaluating Montreal’s numbers versus the Lightning in their four games against each other, the discrepancy is less noticeable, with the Canadiens managing to control more shots than the Bolts. [**Playoff Preview: Canadiens Vs. Lightning Head-To-Head**] The Laval Rocket have lost a few key players to the Habs this year, making reinforcements necessary. Fortunately, Vinzenz Rohrer is on his way to join the Rocket, and will participate in his first practice with the team on Friday. The Rocket are in first place in the North Division, with two games left to play in the regular season. Les Canadiens ont prêté l'attaquant Vinzenz Rohrer au Rocket de Laval.

The Canadiens have reassigned forward Vinzenz Rohrer to the Laval Rocket. pic.twitter.com/tq76w7s933

— x – Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 15, 2026 Two goaltending prospects have entered the NCAA transfer portal, which means they’re looking for a new school for the 2026-27 season. Alexis Cournoyer is moving on from Cornell, while Quentin Miller will no longer play for the University of Denver. Considering John Hicks came out of nowhere and put together a surprisingly fantastic season in Denver (.957 save percentage), Miller’s decision makes a lot of sense. As for Cournoyer, he’s likely hoping to land with a team that has championship aspirations. Alexis Cournoyer (Cornell) and Quentin Miller (Denver) have entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Both #GoHabsGo netminders looking pretty good in college so far. .916 and .915 sv% respectively.

This transfer window has been pretty wild.

— Hadi Kalakeche (@HadiK\_Scouting) April 15, 2026 I have to say it’s rather interesting that the Canadiens are heading into the playoffs with several questions about their second line left unanswered. I’ve been as critical towards Oliver Kapanen as anyone could have been, but in the long run, he’s the player who has managed to capitalize on Ivan Demidov’s excellent playmaking more frequently than anyone else. A bird in the hand… Who should be playing alongside Ivan Demidov on the 2nd line against the Tampa Bay Lightning?#GoHabsGo#thesickpodcast@TonyMarinaro@StuCowan1pic.twitter.com/GxOwOplAss

— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) April 15, 2026 hich day, it will be on Sunday, but the league is yet to release the actual start times. Oh, and we haven’t been advised when Game Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, or Seven will take place yet. Classic NHL! [**NHL Playoff Schedule: Canadiens Vs. Lightning Begins Sunday**] **ICYMI:** There’s no doubt about it, the Tampa Bay Lightning have been the better team at 5v5 this season. However, when evaluating Montreal’s numbers versus the Lightning in their four games against each other, the discrepancy is less noticeable, with the Canadiens managing to control more shots than the Bolts. [**Playoff Preview: Canadiens Vs. Lightning Head-To-Head**] Check out this fantastic playoff pump-up video created by Danielle Lapierre! There was a time when editing on this level was reserved for a few expensive videos per year, but now we’re seeing fan-driven content which outclasses stuff produced by the teams, which is nothing short of excellent. Keep up the good work, Danielle! I’m not saying phenom Lane Hutson HAS to win the Norris Trophy, but it’s a little ridiculous he’s not ranked among the top candidates by the NHL’s voters. Most data-based analysis suggests Hutson should be considered among the front-runners when it comes to deciding the best defenceman in the league. With the regular season wrapping up tomorrow night, who has your vote for the Norris Trophy as the League's best defenseman? 🗳️ #NHLAwards

Read more ➡️ pic.twitter.com/qdbkUkyDY7

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) April 15, 2026 Even though it seems rather clear that the Canadiens aren’t intent on using Patrik Laine any time soon, head coach Martin St-Louis is keeping close tabs on the situation, which can’t be easy for Finnish forward. Que se disent Martin St-Louis et Patrik Laine avant le début de l’entraînement ? 🤔🧐@DLCoulisses#GoHabsGo#Laine#NHLPlayoffspic.twitter.com/sLSNVkZeZs

— Patrick Guillet (@PatGuillet) April 16, 2026 Speaking of players looking to make their mark, rookie David Reinbacher spent plenty of time with skills coach Adam Nicholas on Thursday. David Reinbacher a travaillé en solo pendant plusieurs minutes avec Adam Nicholas après l’entraînement.

Le défenseur autrichien semblait vouloir améliorer sa gestion et sa protection de la rondelle près de son filet.@DLCoulisses#GoHabsGo#Reinbacher#NHLPlayoffspic.twitter.com/6ux0E1z3N5

— Patrick Guillet (@PatGuillet) April 16, 2026 Shockingly, or not, Hutson and Ivan Demidov were among the first players to jump on the ice at practice. Même en séries, les habitudes ne changent pas pour Lane Hutson et Ivan Demidov : ils sont les deux premiers à fouler la patinoire ce matin à Brossard.@DLCoulisses#GoHabsGo#Hutson#Demidov#NHLPlayoffspic.twitter.com/laqm9hAMWQ

— Patrick Guillet (@PatGuillet) April 16, 2026 With Game One of the first-round series between the Habs and the Tampa Bay Lightning scheduled for Sunday, we continue with our in-depth series previews, including a comparison of their respective special teams. [**Playoff Preview: Canadiens Vs. Lightning Special Teams**] We also evaluated some of the X-Factors heading into the series, including the importance of finding open space for Nick Suzuki and the rest of the first line. The Canadiens score a lot of goals, but if Tampa Bay’s shutdown line finds its rhythm, things will quickly turn sour for Montreal. [**Playoff Preview: Canadiens Vs. Lightning Top X Factors**] **ICYMI:** There’s no doubt about it, the Tampa Bay Lightning have been the better team at 5v5 this season. However, when evaluating Montreal’s numbers versus the Lightning in their four games against each other, the discrepancy is less noticeable, with the Canadiens managing to control more shots than the Bolts. [**Playoff Preview: Canadiens Vs. Lightning Head-To-Head**] Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki is now officially a father! The 26-year-old missed practice on Thursday, supporting his wife, Caitlin. They welcomed a daughter, Maya, to the world. Prospect Alexis Cournoyer will play for the one of the best teams in the NCAA next year. The 20-year-old netminder has used the transfer portal, and will feature in games for the Wisconsin Badgers, the team that lost to the Denver Pioneers in the National Championship. Cornell freshman Alexis Cournoyer (MTL 5th round), the ECAC's Ken Dryden Goaltender of the Year, has signed with Wisconsin.

— Brad Elliott Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) April 17, 2026 I promise you that anything authored by Michael Farber is well worth your time. There is no team-town connection in Canada quite like Les Canadiens and Montreal, especially during the playoffs.

"Ça Sent La Coupe."

It's a favourite expression for fans come playoff time and @MichaelFarber3 explains how there's something in the air: pic.twitter.com/bDNBOKAVgj

— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) April 17, 2026 NHL 26 ran simulations ahead of the 2026 NHL Playoffs, and the Montreal Canadiens came out on top. Honestly, this means very little historically speaking. For the most part, the team picked by EA Sports tends to struggle in the playoffs. The sim has spoken 🔮

Your #NHL26 Playoff Simulation Stanley Cup Champions: The @CanadiensMTL 🏆 pic.twitter.com/riaefS08hQ

— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) April 17, 2026 We now know when (most of) the games from the first-round series between the Habs and the Tampa Bay Lightning will take place. It should also be noted that Victor Hedman is not expected return to the Bolt’s lineup any time soon, and that Lane Hutson practised alongside Kaiden Guhle for the Canadiens. [**Canadiens Playoff Preview: Updated Lines, Tampa Bay Injury**] Rookie Ivan Demidov took line rushes with Alex Newhook and Alex Texier on the second line, and he’s feeling confident about the upcoming assignment against the Lightning, which will surely include providing some semblance of sustainable offence. Ivan Demidov on playing alongside Alex Newhook & Alexandre Texier at Habs practice today:

“Pretty good line. All guys pretty skilled and fast and those two fucking strong guys. I like to play with them.” pic.twitter.com/dO3ClWmj9e

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) April 18, 2026 Former Hab P.K. Subban believes the Canadiens and the Oilers will meet in the Stanley Cup final, with the Canadiens emerging victorious. There’s nothing wrong with dreaming in technicolor, but with all due respect to Subban, there’s a lot of very difficult hockey left to play. It seems that every year a disproportionate amount of analysts suggests two Canadian teams will be among the last clubs standing. .@PKSubban1 has the Canadiens winning the Stanley Cup for the 25th time 👀🏆

Stanley Cup playoff action begins TODAY at 3 PM ET on ESPN and the ESPN App! 🍿 pic.twitter.com/9MyPNhs8Lm

— ESPN (@espn) April 18, 2026 Jakub Dobes hasn’t been one of the best goaltenders this season, but the mere fact that he’s not too far outside the top-5 is rather encouraging. Unfortunately for the Canadiens, Andrei Vasilevskiy is ranked fourth in the NHL. The top goalies of the 2025-2026 regular season pic.twitter.com/xy4xMcNxRD

— MoneyPuck.com (@MoneyPuckdotcom) April 17, 2026 Unsurprisingly, seeing as they were the youngest team during the regular season, the Habs will also ice the youngest lineup in the playoffs. It’s a fairly wide margin, too. The Habs will be the youngest team in the NHL playoffs again this year. pic.twitter.com/gU6uyCiSKX

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) April 18, 2026 Head coach Martin St-Louis left no grey area when discussing his allegiance to the Canadiens, and his time with the Lightning. Habs coach Marty St. Louis on facing his old team the Tampa Bay Lightning in the playoffs:

“I don’t have any emotions attached to the Lightning right now. Zero.” pic.twitter.com/yPIBokAo4S

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) April 17, 2026 Many journalists expected the Lightning to make quick work of the Habs, and statistically speaking, there’s a lot of logic behind their opinion. The good news is that the games are played on the ice, not on paper. Sportsnet predictions for the Habs vs Lightning playoff series pic.twitter.com/xIvzEJkzas

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) April 18, 2026 The Habs got off to a great start in the playoffs, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in Game One. Juraj Slafkovsky provided the offence for the Canadiens, as evidenced by his hat-trick performance, including the game winner in overtime. [**Canadiens Highlights: Slafkovsky The Hat Trick Hero**] **Related Headlines**

• Canadiens Highlights: Slafkovsky The Hat Trick Hero
• Habs vs. Bolts Playoff Preview: G1 Lines, Goalies, How To Watch
• Habs Daily: Playoff Preparations, Stanley Cup Prediction, Goalies