Phillip Danault enters contract year with renewed confidence in Montreal

Phillip Danault will open the 2026-27 season feeling far more settled than he did a year ago. Speaking Friday at the CN Sports Complex, the Montreal Canadiens centre described himself as confident and clear on his responsibilities as he enters the final season of his current contract.

Danault acknowledged that rejoining the club partway through last season made for a complicated return on and off the ice. Now, he says he is in a much better place mentally and believes that stability is showing in his play. He expects to carry a major role for the Canadiens, particularly in tough matchups and key situations.

The Victoriaville native also feels he has earned strong trust from the coaching staff. Martin St-Louis highlighted the veteran’s defensive impact down the middle while noting that he can help generate offence as well. The staff’s aim is to keep relying on Danault’s shutdown game while giving him the freedom to contribute at the other end.

Set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, Danault insists his contract status is not on his mind day to day. He is focused instead on team results and his presence in the room, leaving any decisions about his future for later in the year.

New faces settling in around Danault

Defenceman Alexandre Carrier, who like Danault joined the Canadiens mid-season last year, underlined how different it feels to start from training camp with a new team. From his vantage point, Danault remains a quick, driven centre who sets a strong pace in practice despite being well into his thirties.

New winger Chris Kreider is also using camp to adapt after arriving from Anaheim following a long stint with the New York Rangers. He pointed to the challenge of jumping into a group that has been together with the same head coach for several seasons, with established habits and chemistry already in place. Kreider described the Canadiens’ room as welcoming, which he says has made the transition to the intense Montreal market easier.

Having played in both large and smaller markets, Kreider explained that he manages outside pressure mostly by raising his own internal standards. He would like to log more preseason games to build timing and familiarity with his new teammates, especially in special-teams situations.

Guhle returns earlier than expected as special teams take shape

Friday’s session also brought a notable surprise when Kaiden Guhle stepped on the ice in full gear and completed the entire practice. The young defenceman underwent surgery on an adductor muscle on August 10 and had initially been projected to miss several more weeks. His presence prompted an enthusiastic reaction from director of development Adam Nicholas, who was watching from the ice level.

Even with this encouraging step, St-Louis cautioned that Guhle will probably not be ready to play when the Canadiens open their season in Toronto on September 29. The head coach declined to delve into medical details, saying he simply acts on the updates he receives from the training staff about when a player is cleared to skate.

Another positive sign for Montreal was the return of Ivan Demidov, who had missed the previous two practices but took part in Friday’s session. While newcomers continue to find their footing, the coaching staff used the day to drill special teams. Under new assistant coach Derek Lalonde, the penalty kill is being built around a more aggressive pressure approach. The Canadiens will wrap up their preparations with a split-squad matchup against the Ottawa Senators, with games scheduled simultaneously at the Bell Centre and Canadian Tire Centre.