Author: Dose

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A $92 million contract for Martin Necas in Colorado

The Avalanche have just settled a huge deal.

Martin Necas has signed an eight-year contract extension(the contract will begin next summer), which will pay him $11.5 million per season. That’s a lot of money.

We’re talking about $92 million for the full term of the agreement. Necas will also have a no-movement clause for the first seven years of his contract:

Necas has won his bet.

In the summer of 2024, he decided to sign a contract for just two seasons to bet on himself. It worked… because today he was able to break the bank in Colorado.

Things have been going well for him since he was traded. He’s become one of the Avalanche’s most important pieces, and the club sees him as a player who can help in the long term.

The Avalanche’s next big deal will be Cale Makar.

The defenseman’s contract ($9 million per year) will expire at the end of the 26-27 season, and we agree on one thing: he’ll get a lot more money annually with his next pact.

He’s still considered one of the best players in the National League (and the best player at his position)… and we know that salaries are skyrocketing in the National League.

The salary Necas will receive with his contract extension is a fine example.

So much the better for the Avalanche, though, who found a way to “replace” Mikko Rantanen properly. The club didn’t have the luxury of losing Necas for nothing on the free agent market next summer, since he was acquired for Rantanen, who is among the NHL’s elite.

That would have really hurt Colorado.

Extension

Martin Necas is on track for a 96-point season if he can keep up his current pace.

He really seems to have found his niche with the Avalanche, to put it another way.

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Samuel Montembeault to play Saturday

We wondered which goaltender would be in uniform Saturday against the Senators.

And now it’s been confirmed by Martin St-Louis: Samuel Montembeault will get the start at home, following the club’s return from its Western trip.

Note that the Habs announced this 48 hours in advance.

Montembeault, by necessity, will have some pressure on his shoulders. After all, he hasn’t had a great start to the season, and people wanted to see Jakub Dobes at home.

But at some point, Monty must also be given the chance to pull through. Solo work in practice is all very well, but he needs to put it into practice.

This is the first time in two weeks (October 18, at home) that the Québécois will play a game that isn’t a “two games in two nights” affair, and he’s going to have to be good.

In my opinion, he’ll be hungry.

It’s interesting to note that the Saturday night game at home, for which MSL places a lot of importance, goes to whoever is officially #1.

Details to follow…

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Jordan Kyrou: The Habs will be interested in him if he becomes available

This summer, Jordan Kyrou’s name was very popular in Montreal.

The Canadiens were looking for a top-6 player, and Kyrou fit the bill. There were a thousand and one rumours about him… although in the end, nothing materialized in terms of a transaction.

Does that mean we should automatically forget about the project? Perhaps not, no…

After all, things are going badly for the Blues at the moment. The club hasn’t had a good start to the season, and if that continues, we could see some guys become available on the trade market.

If that happens, Kyrou’s name could end up in that group. And Marco D’Amico sees the Canadiens taking an interest in the principal interested party if the Blues decide to go that route… and if the principal interested party wants to lift his no-trade clause in order to be traded to Montreal.

It’s likely to cost a lot of money, and maybe that’s where Kent Hughes comes in.

But at the same time, we know that the GM of the Canadiens will be ready to pull out all the stops and overpay to make a deal. He’s open to the idea.

It’s been a long time, after all, since we’ve seen so much demand for a top-6 player or a top-6 center in the NHL. And as Cam Robinson (Elite Prospects) reports, the price for a player like this is, and will be, quite high.

We’ve been talking about Jordan Kyrou as an interesting player for the Canadiens for a long time now, and that’s truer than ever with the team’s success in Montreal.

Because in reality, adding a talented guy like him to the team’s current roster would be a really interesting move. It would help the Canadiens to have a real second line with Kyrou and Ivan Demidov, and it would add depth to the attack.

This is one file that obviously doesn’t refuse to die.

Overtime

– That’s a good one.

– Love this.

– Hello, Josh.

– Great mentality.

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Treatment day for Kirby Dach and Brendan Gallagher | David Reinbacher in Laval

This morning, for the first time since the club’s return to Quebec, the Canadiens practiced in Brossard.

There are a few things to note about all this. But the first is that two forwards were unable to take part, as they were receiving treatment.

We’re talking about Brendan Gallagher and Kirby Dach.

Right now, the Canadiens only have 18 healthy skaters up top, if you count Dach and Gally. After all, yesterday, Joshua Roy and Marc Del Gaizo were traded to the Rocket.

Will Dach and Gallagher be able to play on Saturday? Who knows.

After all, just because the guys aren’t able to skate today doesn’t mean they won’t be able to play on Saturday. It’s too early to say.

However, we still have to wonder, more than ever, if a recall or two isn’t on the table in the short term.

Among the Canadiens’ other announcements, we see that the club has confirmed a tip from colleague Maxime Truman: the Habs have traded David Reinbacher to the Rocket.

He was injured up top during camp, so he wasn’t on the Rocket roster. It’s just a technicality, really.

What this probably means is that the Canadiens consider the defenseman ready to make a comeback. We should see him play soon, then.

And that’s good.

extension

– Jakub Dobes is practicing with the team.

– We like that. #BâtonJaune

– Interesting. Obviously, he didn’t practice.

– Defenders practice their mobility.

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The Canadiens are the second-best NHL team since the Four Nations

Things are going well for the Canadiens this year.

Currently, no one has more points than the Canadiens’ 16 since the start of the regular season. It’s a nice surprise for fans of the club, though.

Sometimes, when a club turns the corner on rebuilding, it does so quickly. The Habs seem to be a good example of this.

But in reality, it goes further than that. And why is that? Because since the break from the Four Nations Confrontation, the club has been on fire.

To what extent?

As Denis Gauthier told L’Antichambre, since the end of the tournament in Montreal and Boston, the Canadiens are the second-best team in the NHL in terms of points percentage.

The #1 team? Vegas.

In 37 (regular-season) games since then, the club has 23 wins and 14 losses, including six in overtime . The points percentage is therefore 70.3.

Dominique Ducharme’s Golden Knights are at 73.6%.

The 37-game sample is starting to look pretty significant. It’s not as if it’s only been two weeks since the action resumed following the February tournament.

However, I’m keeping in mind that all 37 games took place at high-intensity times. Martin St-Louis’ players have been in playoff mode since February… and right now, there’s the buzz of getting back into the game.

However, the trip out West, under difficult conditions and without Kaiden Guhle, gives the prospects hope that the Habs will do well in some of the less easy or challenging phases of the calendar.

In short, things are looking up for the Canadiens.

overtime

– Interesting stuff.

– Really?

– Of course.

– He needs to give more.

– Machine.

– To be continued.

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Jakub Dobes one of the favourites for the Vézina and Calder among book buyers

There’s a lot of talk about the Canadiens’ goaltenders’ start to the season.

Samuel Montembeault (whose birthday it is today) and Jakub Dobes are off to quite different starts. Dobes is simply on fire, as you know.

And by necessity, on social networks, it’s been Monty’s party for several days now. Every post about the goalkeepers has the Québécois eating shots, even if that’s not the basic objective.

By necessity, the Canadiens announce their colors through their goaltending. At the moment, Jakub Dobes is playing more often than not, which says a lot about the club’s short-term plan.

Recently, the club has been playing on the road… but Saturday’s game (at home against the Senators) will tell us even more about goalie management.

What is something to behold is the fact that Dobes’ start to the season (officially a rookie) is an eye-opener in just a few weeks.

How eye-opening?

When we look at Sportbook, a betting site, we see that Jakub Dobes is the third favorite for the Calder, behind Ivan Demidov and Matthew Schaefer. His odds are +650.

In any case, he would be Renaud Lavoie’s choice right now.

What’s more, he’s fifth for the Vézina, behind Igor Shesterkin, Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Logan Thompson. His rating is +1700. That’s crazy.

He wasn’t there at the start of the season – and I’m willing to say that even though I didn’t check until the season started.

The 2025-2026 campaign is still very young (October hasn’t blown by yet), but Dobes is impressing. Will he be able to stay consistent for months on end?

To be seen.

overtime

– Interesting.

– The Habs will practice at 11:30 this morning in Brossard.

– Politics and sport will always be linked.

– Six goaltending controversies in Habs history. [JdeM]

– For those interested.

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Phantoms remain invisible in Laval

The Laval Rocket wanted to extend their winning streak at home, and that’s exactly what they did on Wednesday night, blanking the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 3-0. Pascal Vincent’s men thus remain unbeaten at Place Bell (3-0-0-0), in a one-sided encounter in which the defense and young goaltender Jacob Fowler shone.

The game got off to a scrappy start, with both teams trading penalties and missed chances. The Rocket failed to capitalize on an early powerplay, but it was Adam Engström who finally opened the scoring late in the first period. The Swedish defenseman completed a superb play orchestrated by Laurent Dauphin and Jared Davidson, who literally mystified the opposing defense.

Engström’s goal seemed to give wings to the Rocket, who took complete control of the game in the second period. Laval dominated 23-9 in shots after 40 minutes, multiplying offensive presences and long sequences in enemy territory. The Phantoms, for their part, seemed overwhelmed and unable to keep pace, despite the efforts of goalkeeper Aleksei Kolosov, who held the fort for a long time.

Late in the second, Owen Beck doubled the Rocket lead with a well-executed four-minute power play. The young center completed a beautiful play prepared by Florian Xhekaj and Tyler Thorpe, scoring his second goal of the season at the perfect time, just before intermission.

The third period was a formality. Laval continued to impose their tempo, and Davidson sealed the outcome with a superb breakaway goal, his fifth of the season. Captain Lucas Condotta was at the heart of the play, collecting the puck in the neutral zone before allowing Davidson to thread the needle.

The crowd, in full attendance despite the fact that it was a Wednesday night, applauded a complete Rocket performance, as efficient as it was disciplined. Fowler earned the shutout with 17 saves, while Dauphin once again showed his intensity and creativity.

The Rocket thus scored a convincing 3-0 victory and proved that they’re hard to beat at home. As for the Phantoms, let’s just say they lived up to their name: they were simply invisible on the score sheet.

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Mourning the loss of a friend: Brad Marchand takes time off from the Panthers to coach U18s

Villains aren’t always who you think they are.

In fact, someone’s villain is often someone else’s good guy.

Take Bad Brad Marchand, for example: we learned to hate him for 15 years in Boston, but as soon as he put on the Canada vest, we started to like him. Even he and Brendan Gallagher seemed to hate each other in the NHL… and love each other with Team Canada.

Same thing with Richie Laryea and Jonathan Osorio in soccer..

Back to Brad Marchand. On Tuesday, the Panthers gave him the day off against the Ducks (in Florida). The reason given by the Panthers: mortality in his family. Until now, everything had been (sad and) normal..

But the story took a much more emotional turn last night when Brad Marchand was spotted behind the bench of a Halifax U18 team. What was he doing there? He was filling in behind the bench for a good friend of his (March & Mill Co Hunters head coach JP MacCallum), whose 10-year-old daughter (Selah Panacci-MacCallum) recently died of cancer. Although the team lost 7-0, I’m sure Marchand’s presence warmed the hearts of many whose moods were at zero before the game.

First, the family the Panthers mentioned in their press release was a very good friend of Brad Marchand’s. Love ’em.

Second, Brad decided – and the Panthers agreed – to return to Nova Scotia to support his friend who is going through an extremely difficult bereavement. I love it even more.

The Panthers could have said no since Marchand is the team’s leading scorer and Barkov AND Tkachuk are both injured… but they said yes. #Hats off

Note that the Panthers lost a game they should have won to the Ducks in Sunrise; if the playoffs started today, they wouldn’t be in it. However, I’m convinced that the simple fact of having acted with respect and understanding will bring them more victories in the future. The guys are treated like real people, not just numbers, in Florida. And that makes a difference in the long run!

It should be noted that Brad Marchand also promoted a fundraiser in Selah’s honor.

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A post shared by Brad Marchand (@bmarch63)

The Panthers play their next game on Saturday in Florida, before hitting the road for the American West (four games in seven nights). Marchand will definitely be on the plane to California, but I think he’ll also be back in Florida for the game against the Stars this weekend. We’ll see.

overtime

– Quite a game on his part.

– Anthony Mantha talks about Sidney Crosby. [BPM Sports]

– What do you think?

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Adam Engstrom: the Rocket intends to be tough on him

Adam Engstrom left a great impression on Montreal during training camp.

So much so, that some fans were calling for Mike Matheson to leave the team and make room for him. That didn’t happen, and when the Habs needed a call-up for their trip out West, he wasn’t chosen.

It was a logical choice for both Engstrom and his coaches, Pascal Vincent and Daniel Jacob. Both spoke to Mikael Filion of RDS.

Vincent and Jacob have a clear task: prepare Engstrom for the NHL. He wants him to arrive ready to dominate in the big league, and won’t go easy on the prospect.

“The NHL is faster and the execution is better. What we want from him is NHL performance in the AHL. So I’m going to be tough on him. He knows it, he’s ready for it, and that’s what he wants.” – Daniel Jacob

The Swedish defenseman sees things the same way. He said he agrees 100% with his bosses’ decision and is happy to play more in the AHL.

I like what Jacob said about Engstrom. That’s what he wants, for us to be tough on him. The Rocket assistant coach wouldn’t do that with just any player.

I think Jacob takes it personally to prepare his young defenseman for the big league.

I think the Habs have found Mike Matheson’s eventual replacement. He has similar tools to the Québécois defenseman and is progressing well. In fact, he added a goal to his season-to-date tally tonight.

I like the Canadiens’ plan with him and wouldn’t rule out the possibility of seeing him play a few games in Montreal between now and the end of the year.

Jacob Fowler, another excellent Habs prospect, picked up his second shutout of the season tonight in a 3-0 Rocket win. He stopped all 17 shots thrown by the Leigh Valley Phantoms. After a few more difficult performances, he’s starting to find his rhythm. Let’s not forget that this is his first season in the pros.

Overtime

– Many opposing opinions.

– Interesting perspective.

– Low for his standards.

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Cayden Primeau gave away six goals yesterday: his start to the season criticized in Toronto

So far this season, Cayden Primeau has played three games for the Maple Leafs. And he’s given up 13 goals.

On October 14, he won against the Predators, but gave up four goals. On October 25, he gave up three goals in an overtime win over the Sabres.

And yesterday, he gave up six goals in a 6-3 loss to Columbus.

It seems that the fact that he’s picked up two wins has had the effect of not setting off alarm bells in Toronto. But yesterday’s loss makes the folks in the Queen City realize that he hasn’t been playing against big powerhouses, and that his stats are ugly.

The sample is small, but his 4.30 average and .838 efficiency rate are not reassuring. He’s in the top-6 worst goaltenders this season in both categories.

Of course, the fact that the Maple Leafs were forced to turn to a 10-under following Joseph Woll’s absence explains Primeau’s presence in town.

But in an NHL where it takes two goalies to win, Cayden Primeau doesn’t give his team many chances. Let’s put it this way.

Let’s not forget that the Maple Leafs gave a chance to a goalie who is clearly too good for the AHL, but who can’t establish himself in the NHL.

What happened in 2024-2025 in the Habs organization is the ultimate proof.

I don’t know how patient the Maple Leafs will be with Primeau. After all, he was obtained from the waivers and Brad Treliving must be looking at his options as we speak.

Unfortunately for the former Habs man, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Ironically, there’s also a goaltending controversy in Montreal. It involves #2 doing better than #1, not the other way around, that said.

But Kent Hughes must be glad his duo isn’t Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau this morning.

extension

Yesterday, there was only one game in the NHL. The Maple Leafs lost 6-3 to the Blue Jackets, which wasn’t exactly glorious.

Mathieu Olivier had four points. So did Charlie Coyle.

(Credit: NHL.com)

We’ll note that Samuel Blais, who signed with the Canadiens in July and was lost in the waivers, played his first game of the season yesterday. He picked up a goal and an assist.

Tonight, there will be 11 games on the schedule. 16 on Tuesday… one yesterday… 11 tonight… there’s no middle ground in the NHL.

(Credit: Sportsnet)