Four Canadiens Prospects Now Need Waivers Before AHL Assignment

Four Montreal Canadiens players will require waivers for the first time in 2026-27 before they can be assigned to the AHL's Laval Rocket, according to PuckPedia's waiver tracker.

The group consists of forwards Brett Berard and Sasha Pastujov and defensemen Ethan Samson and Maksymilian Szuber. Montreal must make its final roster decisions by the NHL's Sept. 28 deadline, when clubs are limited to 23 active players.

Berard joined the Canadiens in a June trade with the New York Rangers and signed a one-year, two-way contract in July. Samson also signed a one-year, two-way deal with Montreal after splitting last season between the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Syracuse Crunch.

The Canadiens acquired Szuber from the Utah Mammoth in June and signed him to a one-year, two-way contract in August. Pastujov arrived in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks and later signed his own one-year, two-way deal.

The waiver requirement does not mean the four players have been cut. It means Montreal would have to expose any of them to the league's other clubs before assigning them to Laval. A player who clears can then report to the Rocket.

Montreal opens its preseason Saturday with a split-squad game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The waiver-eligible group will use camp and the preseason to compete for NHL roster spots before the final deadline.