New Canadiens Connection: Season Preview

We’ve spent a lot of time this summer talking about what the Montreal Canadiens have done and what they haven’t done. And we’ve delved into what we can reasonably expect from this team heading into the new season on the podcast.

The Habs will enter the 2026-’27 NHL season without a major roster overhaul, specifically adding a second-line center and a right-shot defenseman. With training camp just days away, Kent Hughes signed 35-year-old Chris Kreider to a one-year, incentive-laden contract. Is this enough? Where is the improvement going to come from?

Even after the surprise free agent signing, questions remain. How does this team measure up against the competition it’s going to face? Sometimes it’s helpful to step back and get an outside perspective on where Montreal really stands.

To help us look at the Canadiens from a broader perspective, we’re once again joined by someone who has become a familiar and very welcome voice on Canadiens Connection. Sam Cosentino is an NHL and draft analyst for Sportsnet and the NHL Network. Sam has been joining us for nearly a decade now, and every year he brings a national perspective that gives us a chance to look at the Canadiens a little differently.

This Week’s Show

This time, we’re looking ahead to the 2026-27 season, and there are some fascinating questions to explore about where this team is headed, what could make it better, and whether the path Montreal is taking is the right one. On this week’s episode of the Canadiens Connection podcast, we invite you to join us to listen to Sam’s take on the Canadiens as they get ready for another important season.

NEW PODCAST: Montreal Canadiens Season Preview with Sportsnet Analyst Sam Cosentino | Canadiens Connection ep 417

We also discussed these important topics on this week’s episode of the podcast:

What is the health status of Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle?
Canadiens associate coach Derek Lalonde participates in a Q & A session.
We review audio from Canadiens’ players participating in Montreal’s Rookie Camp.

CC Question of the Week: Is internal growth enough for the Montreal Canadiens to compete at the top of the Atlantic division this season?

It is our ninth season, with a new episode of the podcast dropping every Saturday afternoon. Be sure to subscribe using your favorite podcast app! Or watch our episodes on YouTube!