The Montreal Canadiens are back at practice on Monday in preparation for the upcoming 2026-27 NHL campaign, which will officially begin for them on Tuesday against the divisional and historical rival Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto.
The Canadiens are already without defenseman Kaiden Guhle, who underwent adductor/groin muscle surgery and is expected to return in late October.
However, the Canadiens announced the loss of a key young forward who burst onto the scene last season as a rookie with 22 goals in all 82 games played.
The Montreal Canadiens Announced A Concerning Update On Forward Oliver Kapanen
The Canadiens announced that forward Oliver Kapanen, who scored 22 goals last season in his first full NHL campaign, would not be taking part in today’s practice because of a lower-body injury.
“L’attaquant Oliver Kapanen (bas du corps, évalué quotidiennement) ne participera pas à l’entraînement d’aujourd’hui. Forward Oliver Kapanen (lower-body, day-to-day) will not participate in today’s practice,” the Canadiens wrote in both French and English on their official X account.
Kapanen was taken by the Habs in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft and began his pro career with KalPa in Finland. After three seasons there, he moved to Sweden’s Timra IK in 2024 and signed his entry-level deal with the Canadiens that summer.
Kapanen made his NHL debut during the 2024-25 season and recorded his first point with an assist before returning to Timra, where he posted 35 points in 36 games.
He later returned to Montreal and made his first NHL goal count in 2025-26, picking up a SHG against the Maple Leafs. He ultimately skated in all 82 regular season games, scoring 22 goals with 15 assists for 37 points.
Helping the Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight year, Kapanen appeared in seven of Montreal’s postseason games, but didn’t register a point.
The Canadiens Cut Several Players Ahead Of Their Regular Season Opener
As all NHL rosters must be set by Monday afternoon, the Habs made several roster moves Sunday, reassigning a group of players to the American Hockey League affiliate Laval Rocket as they continue trimming the roster ahead of the regular season.
Along with goaltender Jacob Fowler and defenseman David Reinbacher, the Canadiens also sent Filip Mesar, Owen Protz, Tyler Thorpe, Laurent Dauphin, Owen Beck, Jared Davidson, Dillan Bentley and Luke Mittelstadt to Laval.
The Canadiens play the Maple Leafs on Tuesday evening starting at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Canadiens Lose 22-Goal Scoring Forward On Regular Season Eve