The Montreal Canadiens have begun trimming their preseason roster, with 12 players being reassigned to the Laval Rocket as Martin St-Louis and his coaching staff narrow their focus ahead of the regular season.
Vincent Arseneau, Jacob Dion, Aiden Dubinsky, Braden Haché, Hunter Jones and Francesco Lapenna are among the players heading to Laval.
The Canadiens also assigned Aleksandr Legkov, Kevin Mandolese, Kale McCallum, Israel Mianscum, Josh Nadeau and Xavier Simoneau to the Rocket.
With 12 players departing NHL camp in one move, Montreal now has a considerably smaller group competing for the remaining roster positions.
Several Players Were Expected to Head to Laval
For a number of the players involved, Saturday’s announcement wasn’t particularly unexpected.
Arseneau, Legkov, Mianscum, Nadeau and Simoneau were already viewed as likely members of Laval’s forward group entering the 2026-27 campaign.
The same applies on defense, where Dion, Dubinsky, Haché and McCallum were expected to compete for roles with the Rocket.
Montreal’s latest assignments also give Laval more clarity in goal. Jones, Lapenna and Mandolese were all part of the organization’s projected goaltending options for the AHL club.
Canadiens Begin Narrowing the Competition
The significance of the move goes beyond the 12 names involved.
Montreal began training camp with 57 players, meaning St-Louis and his staff had a large group to evaluate before opening night. This first round of cuts removes several players who were already expected to begin the season in Laval.
That should give the remaining Canadiens prospects and roster hopefuls more opportunities to work with the NHL group and make their case.
Laval, meanwhile, receives a substantial portion of its anticipated roster in one move. Arseneau provides additional experience among the forwards, while several younger players will continue their development with the Rocket.
Mandolese also gives Laval another experienced goaltending option, while Jones and Lapenna add further depth between the pipes.
Pressure Increases for Those Still in Montreal
The biggest impact of the first cuts may be felt by the players who remain in camp.
With the roster getting smaller, every preseason performance becomes increasingly important. Players still competing for NHL positions now have fewer opportunities to separate themselves from the competition.
Saturday’s announcement marks the beginning of a new phase for the Canadiens. The early stages of camp were largely about evaluating a massive group of players. The focus is now shifting toward building the roster that will eventually take the ice for the regular season.
And with 12 players already sent to Laval, the next decisions facing St-Louis and his staff could become considerably more difficult.
