While the Habs had a solid game on Saturday, their play in previous weeks has been concerning. Instead of being in a battle for top spot in the division, they’re out of the playoffs with key injuries mounting.

Every Montreal Canadiens season begins with a question. The 2025-26 campaign begins with several of them with a few wild card players who could vault the team into contention or see them slip in the standings.

The Habs have had some good contracts on their books over the years but they’ve also had some particularly rough ones. Here’s a look at some of the contracts in the latter category.

Mitch Marner has been a key player for Toronto for the last nine years. Now set to hit the open market next month, there’s a case to be made that the Habs should try to get him to switch sides in their long-term rivalry.

Mike Ribeiro and Guillaume Latendresse’s experiences as hyped teens in Montreal now serve as cautionary tales for prospects like Ivan Demidov—just as the Montreal Canadiens prepare to face the Washington Capitals in the 2025 playoffs.

Christian Dvorak was once a key offseason acquisition for the Habs. However, he hasn’t had much success with the Canadiens and has the lowest usage of any Montreal centre, making it likely that he’s in his final half-season with them.

The Habs have shown some flashes of upside at times this season but they’ve also shown a lot of the potential pitfalls of this roster. Nearing the one-quarter mark of the year, we’ve seen more of the latter than the former.

Once hailed as a state-of-the-art facility, the Bell Centre is now one of the oldest arenas in the NHL. What will the future hold for the home of the Canadiens?