The Montreal Canadiens opened the on-ice portion of training camp on Thursday with a practice for Group A, followed by a scrimmage between Groups B and C.
While it is still very early in camp, the groups can tend to give us some insight as to how the team is planning to look this season.
Groupes du Canadien aujourd'hui à l'entraînement. Groupe A présentement sur la glace. Match B contre C à venir à 10h30 Laine, Dach et Demidov dans le même groupe.
— Guillaume Lefrançois (@glefrancoislp.bsky.social) September 18, 2025 at 9:20 AM
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In Group A, Kirby Dach, Ivan Demidov, and Patrik Laine were all included, which seems telling that they will get at least a first look together at camp. Also in Group A, are Oliver Kapanen, Joe Veleno, Samuel Blais, and Florian Xhekaj, who can likely be seen as battling for some of the remaining fourth-line spots on the team.
On defence, Kaiden Guhle and Lane Hutson seem to be a pairing the team will start camp with.
In Group B, Zachary Bolduc and Alex Newhook are both there, as is the trio of Jake Evans, Josh Anderson, and Brendan Gallagher. If you assume that three of those players will be a line (likely Evans, Anderson, and Gallagher with Evans taking the Christian Dvorak spot), then it likely that Owen Beck or Jared Davidson will get a look next to Bolduc and Newhook.
On defence, it looks like Jayden Struble or Arber Xhekaj will take most of the reps next to Alexandre Carrier.
In Group C, there’s no surprise as the Canadiens top line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovský are there together. Also in that group are Joshua Roy and Vinzenz Rohrer, who are both outside shots to make the NHL roster. Rohrer, of course, can’t go to Laval if he doesn’t make the NHL team this season and would return to the Swiss league.
On defence, there looks to be a pairing of Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson to start the camp.
Of course, we won’t know more until we get later in camp, but these groups are interesting as it tells us the first combinations that the staff want to see together.
