For the last 22 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 23^rd annual review will appear here on Dobber Hockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are taken into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

** Be sure to pick up your copy of the 2025-2026 Fantasy Hockey Guide **

Gone: Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak, Emil Heineman, Logan Mailloux, Justin Barron, Michael Pezzetta, Rafael Harvey-Pinard.

Incoming: Noah Dobson, Zack Bolduc, Sammy Blais, Kaapo Kahkonen, Marc Del Gaizo, Joe Veleno.

Impact of Changes: No disrespect to guys like Armia, Dvorak, and Barron, but the only piece worth discussing in this section with any legitimate fantasy value is Dobson – one of the biggest names to change cities this offseason. A swing-for-the-fences-type move from front-office savant Kent Hughes has armed an already talented club with yet another young weapon, adding a second dangerous puck-moving D-man who can skate to a blue-line group already flaunting the top rookie in the NHL in Lane Hutson.

Since the 2021-22 campaign, Dobson has been a bit of a fantasy hockey yo-yo, giving GMs fits by looking sensational one year then dipping the next. The 25-year-old rearguard followed up a career-high 70-point season two years ago with a ho-hum 2024-25 showing of only 39 points but heads into Montreal ready for a fresh start on a much more offensively gifted club who should make noise come spring.

A major question about the addition of Dobson when it comes to his overall fantasy potential is his deployment: Will head coach Marty St. Louis pair him with Hutson on the top unit leaving a lot more upside when it comes to power-play production? Or, will he have to play in Hutson's shadow and eat less minutes and opportunity on the second unit? Could he even knock Hutson out of the top-unit role altogether? Training camp is right around the corner and this query will soon be answered, but one thing definitely already holds true for the Canadiens without any shred of a doubt: Expectations and pressure in La Belle Province are higher than they've been in a long time and that's good news for their top fantasy targets.

Ready For Full Time: Oliver Kapanen and Owen Beck deserve a shoutout here as both should get a solid taste of action with the big club, however, it's more likely that a majority of their seasons remain getting increased minutes in Laval with the Rocket. That's not really a knock on either forward's ability but more so an indication of how solid Montreal's top-nine looks with a healthy Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach rounding out a group that now touts one of the more exciting young players in the NHL in Ivan Demidov and the criminally underrated rising stud Zack Bolduc.

For the purposes of this section, Demidov is the name to know and one that's already turned heads on both sides of the pond. Demidov is worth the price of admission and if his cult-like support that already follows him with each touch of the puck is any indication of where his level of stardom is heading, he has a chance to be one of the next great Habs to ignite the league's most ravenous fanbase. However, he will have to do that on the ice and not just via folklore, meaning playing a complete 200-foot game will be key to him getting the minutes needed to earn St. Louis' trust and keep fantasy GMs happy. Demidov should be good for at least 50 points and shouldn't be around much after the seventh or eighth round in deeper formats. Grab him if he's still around to round out your offensive lineup.

Fantasy Outlook: Some fantasy hockey pundits might be a little shy in saying this, but it's become an undeniable fact: The Montreal Canadiens are a fantasy goldmine, plain and simple. With so many attractive names to choose from up-and-down the lineup, from Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky up front to Hutson, Dobson, and even Michael Matheson on the back end, and a potential sleeper goaltender pick in Sam Montembeault, the future is now for the Habs in terms of elite fantasy options.

However, that does not immediately translate into success in the standings. The Atlantic is stacked and if we still consider the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, and reigning two-time Cup champ Florida Panthers as the top dogs, then there are going to be some solid clubs in the likes of the Ottawa Senators and Canadiens fighting for wild-card spots. For now, it's all systems go for the Habs and that means a team loaded with fantasy hockey options that any GM would want on their squad. If this team takes the step that it should, the price on these names will be going through the roof. Get in on 'em while you can.

Overall Grade: B+ (Last year: C+)