Canadiens complete surprising roster move involving 4 players ahead of game 4
Owen Beck is back with Martin St-Louis, and the Canadiens just made their playoff depth chart a lot more serious this morning.
Montreal recalled Beck, Adam Engstrom, David Reinbacher, and Florian Xhekaj from the Laval Rocket as black aces, a move that says plenty about where this series could be headed.
This isn't just paperwork.
It's a playoff reinforcement package, and it gives the Canadiens more cover down the middle, more support on the blue line, and another layer of internal competition around the bench.
Beck stands out first because he fills the most urgent kind of playoff need.
He can slide into a bottom-six role fast, take draws, handle pace, and keep structure intact if St-Louis needs a lineup change on short notice.
He already played 15 NHL games this season and won 58.7 percent of his faceoffs.
That's not a minor detail in May.
That's trustable depth.
Engstrom gives Montreal another mobile option on defense.
In 45 games with Laval this season, he put up 34 points, the best total among Rocket defensemen.
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That matters now because playoff series change fast.
One injury, one bad night, one matchup wrinkle, and the Canadiens need someone who can move the puck without the moment looking too big.
This is a bigger move than a routine recall for the Canadiens
Reinbacher may be the most interesting name in the group.
He posted 24 points and a +18 rating with Laval, and Montreal already got a look at him during a late-season NHL recall.
That makes this recall feel less ceremonial.
The Canadiens aren't bringing in passengers. They're bringing in players the staff could actually lean on if this round gets heavier.
Xhekaj adds a different element.
He's played 5 NHL games this season, and even in a limited sample he showed he can bring energy, pressure on the forecheck, and a little edge around the puck.
Montreal also made this move while holding a 2-1 series lead over Buffalo.
That's the part fans shouldn't miss.
Teams don't bulk up like this in the middle of a quiet week.
They do it when the stakes rise and the coaching staff wants every option available.
St-Louis now has extra center depth, two more right-shot defense considerations, and another winger who can change the tone of a shift.
For a club trying to push deeper into the playoffs, this was a loud morning move. And Beck is right at the center of it.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 10, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Cutter Gauthier | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Mitch Marner | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Alex Newhook | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Cole Caufield | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Rasmus Dahlin | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Alexander Killorn | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Beckett Sennecke | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Tage Thompson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jack Eichel | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Jake Evans | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Lane Hutson | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Zachary Bolduc | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Kirby Dach | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Pavel Dorofeyev | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Mikael Granlund | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Tomas Hertl | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brett Howden | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Ian Moore | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Juraj Slafkovsky | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | 1 | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||