Canadiens submit qualifying offers to eight players

Canadiens submit – General manager Kent Hughes announced the Montreal Canadiens have submitted qualifying offers to eight players: Brett Berard, Zachary Bolduc, Kirby Dach, Jared Davidson, Sean Farrell, Hunter McKown, Maksymilian Szuber, and Arber Xhekaj.

BROSSARD — The announcement came on a Monday morning, but it landed like a lineup locked into place: the Montreal Canadiens have submitted qualifying offers to eight players, as Kent Hughes outlined the club’s next step in a busy personnel window.

The forwards getting qualifying offers are Brett Berard, Zachary Bolduc, Kirby Dach, Jared Davidson, Sean Farrell and Hunter McKown. The offers also went out to defensemen Maksymilian Szuber and Arber Xhekaj.

For Berard, it was a year of split-time opportunity. The 23-year-old played 13 games in the NHL with the Rangers in 2025-26, then logged 41 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL last season, totaling six goals and 16 assists.

Zachary Bolduc’s case comes with the kind of production that travels through both halves of a season. In 78 regular-season games in his first year with the Canadiens in 2025-26. he scored 12 goals and added 18 assists while collecting 28 penalty minutes. Bolduc also played 19 playoff games from the first round to the Eastern Conference Final. posting seven points (3G. 4A). including the game-winning goal in the third game of the second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres.

Kirby Dach brings a different kind of detail to Hughes’ list. The 6-foot-4, 221-pound forward played 37 games with the Canadiens last season, finishing with 15 points (8G, 7A) and 31 penalty minutes. He also skated in his 300th NHL career game on March 14, 2026, against the San Jose Sharks. Dach, a Fort Saskatchewan, AB native, ranked first among the team’s regular forwards with 1.30 takeaway per 60 mins.

Jared Davidson’s path has been smaller in the NHL, but measurable. He appeared in 10 games with the Canadiens in 2025-26, recording one assist. In the AHL with the Laval Rocket, Davidson played 53 games and produced 25 points (16G, 9A) while serving 59 penalty minutes.

Sean Farrell’s numbers tell a story built in the AHL. He totaled 53 points (17G, 36A) in 72 games with the Laval Rocket last season, ranking second on the team in assists and third in points. Farrell also added two helpers in five AHL playoff contests.

Hunter McKown’s qualifying offer comes right after a trade. with timing that matters to teams trying to manage what happens next. The 23-year-old centerman was acquired on Thursday from the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 63 games with the Cleveland Monsters in the AHL in 2025-26, he scored nine goals and added 16 assists. McKown also produced two assists in eight AHL playoff games.

On defense, Maksymilian Szuber arrives with a fresh headline of his own. Acquired earlier today from the Utah Mammoth. the 6-foot-3. 215-pound rearguard played 65 games with the Tucson Roadrunners in the AHL last season. posting 27 points (11G. 16A). Szuber led his team in goals among defensemen and ranked third in points.

Arber Xhekaj rounds out the eight with a blend of physical identity and playoff memory. Xhekaj played 65 regular-season games with the Canadiens in 2025-26, producing four points (1G, 3A) and serving 116 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound rearguard led the team in penalty minutes, ranking fifth in the NHL, as well as in hits (148). In 13 playoff contests last season. Xhekaj notched his first career playoff goal on May 16. 2026. during the sixth game of the second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres.

Taken together, the qualifying offers map out a club that is trying to keep core pieces while also holding onto players who have shown different kinds of value—ranging from defensive takeaways and goal-scoring punch to penalty minutes and playoff impact—across both the NHL and the AHL.

Montreal Canadiens Kent Hughes qualifying offers Brett Berard Zachary Bolduc Kirby Dach Jared Davidson Sean Farrell Hunter McKown Maksymilian Szuber Arber Xhekaj