Author: Dose

Categories
Uncategorized

Zachary Bolduc injured, announces the Canadiens

Bad news in town: Zachary Bolduc will not practice with the Canadiens today due to a lower-body injury. The Habs have just announced that

Details to come…[content-ads]

Categories
Uncategorized

Issues to watch out for between now and the end of the Canadi camp

As the Canadiens’ training camp draws to a close, the club will practice in Quebec City this morning before returning to the city for tomorrow’s game. Then, next Wednesday, the club’s season gets underway, and between now and then, of course, there will be other practices. And that will give us a chance to analyze a few things. Like what?1. Patrik Laine’s role is unclear. After all, the player was the only regular yesterday practicing on a line where he was the only one guaranteed a regular position. What does that tell us? The

2. With the groups split up at the start of camp, it was hard to know which players would play on the first wave of the powerplay. It’s the same for the second wave. We don’t know any more right now… [content-ads]3. The Senators, right now, are having fun scrapping their practice camp by playing hams instead of making sure they’re properly prepared for the season. Will this affect the Habs line-up for tomorrow? If not, one wonders which youngsters will be tested by Martin St-Louis, which injured players will play and what the trios will be. The last game of the camp must be significant in preparing for the season.4. The Canadiens are expected to cut Adam Engstrom, Florian Xhekaj and Owen Beck. That leaves one goalie and (maybe) one forward to cut, but the waivers will come into play. I can’t see Kent Hughes risking losing Joe Veleno to the waivers, and I can see the GM keeping Samuel Blais at the top.Oliver Kapanen is noteligible for the waivers, but he seems to have made the club.So basically, we’ll have to keep an eye on the waivers for Kaapo Kahkonen, who shouldn’t dislodge Jakub Dobes for the #2 spot in Montreal. Spacer title=’Overtime’]- Who will move to Pittsburgh?

– The Rocket in action today.

– When will Connor McDavid get a contract?

– Wishing the Maple Leafs success.

– It’s hovering around $72M right now, yes.

Categories
Uncategorized

Senators: Travis Green thinks his team is getting eaten up physically at camp

The Quebec Senators haven’t had it easy lately, and we can (or should) refer to Tuesday’s game against the Canadiens. The Sens, who dressed hams to stir, lost at their own game. Because yes, they were the ones who got stirred. Then, in preparation for yesterday’s game against the Blues, the club decided to hit the same nail on the head by recalling new hams. But the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results…Yesterday, the Sens lost 7-1. And it wasn’t fancy.

Recalling bad players makes the club eat volleys, which isn’t good. It doesn’t prepare the guys for the season, and the Habs are in a good position to say that in 2024, resting the regulars at camp didn’t help.But on top of that, after the game, the Sens coach said (as reported by Renaud Lavoie at BPM Sports with the morning guys) that his club has been getting eaten up physically since the start of camp.[content-ads] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUao7omkwEs But still, that’s what hams are for. So tomorrow ,it’s going to be a bumpy ride. Against the Canadiens, I expect the Sens, with all the foresight in the world, to put on another ham fest.If you want to be entertained, you know what to do: open your TV. And hope that injuries aren’t an issue.And it’s also worth mentioning that hams aren’t always the bravest. After all, Nick Cousins made his Instagram account private after the game against the Canadiens…[content-ads]

We can understand the coach being worried, in Ottawa. But on the other hand, if he’d played the game the right way, maybe he wouldn’t be in this position. On that note, I’m going to go make myself some bacon to go with my toast. Talk of ham just made me hungry.[spacer title=’en rafale’]- What a bad call last night.

– A new contract for the Oilers coach.

– To read.

– Good question.

Categories
Uncategorized

Lane Hutson has a tax advantage over Luke Hughes

Every time a player signs a big contract in the NHL, comparisons are made, and that’s normal. That said, no two cases in life are alike. It’s like the famous “for the same talent, we’ll draft the little Québécois” that we often hear…For GMs and agents alike, you have to take advantage of the differences between two cases in your own negotiations.

Obviously, the fact that Luke Hughes signed for $9 million per campaign (over seven years) has an influence on Lane Hutson’s file. The Canadiens’ defenseman’s agent can say that Hughes took a discount because he knows that his brother Jack is in town… and that his brother Quinn is coming.

But Kent Hughes also has an argument. As Renaud Lavoie explained yesterday on TVA Sports, Kent Hughes also has trump cards up his sleeve. And not just “Montreal is fun” or sentimental arguments…[content-ads]

In fact, an American like Hutson could take advantage of the retirement agreement we have here. According to the journalist, Hutson could save $1.14 million per year on the terms of an $8 million per season contract. That’s quite a difference. And maybe that’s why Jeff Gorton was saying that the Habs know how to ignore the tax aspect, which is a topic of conversation in Canada when you compare the situation to that in the U.S. By placing part of his money in such a trust, Hutson could take advantage of a convention that offers financial gain to away players. This advantage doesn’t exist for a Devils player, for example. And that’s good to know…[content-ads]And don’t forget that using signing bonuses (time is running out, as they will be limited in the future) can save Hutson, who spends time in the U.S. during the off-season, on taxes. For those interested, Marco D’Amico (RG media) also touched on the subject, analyzing the numbers.

[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Unbelievable.

– Still.

– Eh boy.

– Who killed the Montreal Expos? Interview with Jean-François Poisson. [

Categories
Uncategorized

State of the Force: Habs 14th in NHL.com rankings

The Canadiens lost some big pieces this summer, and I’m talking about three guys in particular: David Savard, Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak(who looked like Connor McDavid tonight). These players were useful to the Habs in their own way, as they played an important role in Martin St-Louis’ line-up – especially in the power play. But the Habs also acquired Noah Dobson and Zachary Bolduc in recent months, and they’ll be able to help the club on the ice this season. Oh, and the arrival of Ivan Demidov may change things too… I mention all this because the NHL has published its strength rankings for next season, and the Canadiens find themselves in 14th place.Which is good, in fact. It means that the Habs are recognized as having what it takes to have a good season… and it’s also special to see that the Canadiens are placed above the Rangers in the list:

[content-ads] For fans, this is really exciting. And the reason is simple: it’s been a long, long time… since the Canadiens have had this much talent in their line-up. When you look at the line-up on paper, you realize that the club has the resources to be dangerous at every position:Suzuki, Caufield, Slaf, Laine, Bolduc, Demidov, Newhook, Dach (?), Dobson, Hutson, Matheson, Guhle, Monty… If these guys produce at the level of their talent, the Canadiens are likely to have an excellent campaign:

(Credit: Screenshot / Daily Faceoff)

The stars have to align to see the Canadiens enjoy much success. But the elements are there, right now. And for the first time in a long time, seeing the club start the season among the league’s top 16 in the eyes of the NHL… it’s encouraging. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Richard Labbé, on the other hand, sees things a little differently…

– Oops.

– Big acquisition.

– Too bad.

– It’s done.

Categories
Uncategorized

Video : When Christian Dvorak looks like Connor McDavid

Christian Dvorak has never been a bad hockey player, but in Montreal… he’s been known as a guy who wasn’t blessed with huge offensive potential. The center has been able to produce a little (around 30 points per season) and has shown flashes here and there. We know, however, that he has certain skills. The former Habs player – who now plays in Philadelphia – picked up a magnificent pass on a goal scored by Travis Sanheim. D-Vo stole the puck from the Islanders, made a nice breakaway… and passed the disc between his legs to Sanheim, who was able to complete in an abandoned net. When Christian Dvorak looks like Connor McDavid… it goes like this:

[content-ads] It really is a beautiful play. Dvorak knew that his defender was following him… and he foiled everyone by pulling off a rather unexpected maneuver. Looks like Christian Dvorak in junior… or Connor McDavid:

No joke, it’s special to see him play this way. We’re talking about a preseason game and the matchup has no bearing on the NHL standings, but still: a game like that deserves to be shared. Good for him, honestly. He signed a one-year ocntrat in Philly and has banked on himself to show his worth, and it’s by making plays like that that he’ll earn even more points. Again, we knew he was capable of being offensive because we saw him do it a few times… but his pass today just shows how much instinct he has in his game. Seeing him make a move like that in Montreal would have been cool… hehe. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Please note:

– To be continued…

– Indeed.

Categories
Uncategorized

16:36 average playing time: Zharovsky won’t have the same problem as Demidov

It’s a well-known fact that young players tend to play less in the KHL, especially when they’re playing for a big-name club. We saw this with Ivan Demidov last season, when the Canadiens’ prospect was really badly used by Roman Rotenberg and SKA St. Petersburg.But that didn’t stop him from having a great season, because he found a way to showcase his talent, despite everything. Right now, though, it’s a different story with Alexander Zharovsky. The Canadiens’ prospect has been one of his coach’s most-used forwards in his first two games of the season (15:24 and 17:49), and he’s taking full advantage. In two games, Zharovsky already has three points(including a superb goal) on the board. And he scored those points in fine style:

[content-ads] Given quality playing time, Zharovsky will have the opportunity to showcase his skills. And that’s exactly what’s happening so far. His coach, Viktor Kozlov, has faith in him and the results are there too – which is interesting for the Canadiens organization. We knew he had skills after his selection in the last draft, but it’s also nice to see him producing like this at just 18 years of age in the KHL, which is one of the best leagues in the world.

But it’s the way Zharovsky handles himself on the ice that really stands out: the forward looks confident, he’s not afraid to use his creativity to create plays and it seems that talent is coming out of both his ears. And so much the better, if he’s able to play en masse to help his club, because that can help his development too. It’s different from Demidov last year, that’s for sure… [spacer title=’Overtime’] –

coming up

– New contract for P.K. Subban at ESPN.

– Well done.

– Big win for the Guardians.

Categories
Uncategorized

Saturday’s match: Travis Green intends to use his troublemakers again

The Canadiens and Senators got into it Tuesday night. The two clubs, who obviously don’t like each other very much, took advantage of their duel in Quebec City to, let’s say, trade courtesies.And no, I don’t mean “please” or “thank you”, like that.What’s interesting is that yesterday, the Senators announced that they had recalled eight players from their club-school. We wondered if this had anything to do with the game they’ll be playing tonight… or with Saturday’s game, which will still be against the Habs.Avoiding dressing regulars in a game like this is defensible… andtoday, Senators coach Travis Green was talking about all this… and what we understand is that he won’t stop himself from using his troublemakers again on Saturday night.

[content-ads]The coach defends his decision by saying that these guys are fighting for positions right now and that he won’t hesitate to send them back into the fray given that the club still has decisions to make. That said, he didn’t defend his players: in particular, he criticized Hodgson (the hit on Newhook) and Sebrango (the hit on Dach) for their actions in the match.He wants to see if these guys can keep their cool in a match… but obviously, he wasn’t going to say otherwise.In the face of all this, it will be interesting to see what Martin St-Louis does. We know that last year, in a similar situation, he hid his regulars… and then said he regretted that decision.Will he take the risk this time? And if he does, will the Xhekaj brothers be part of the equation?Clearly, then, there’s a world in which things could be brewing again on Saturday night, this time at the Bell Centre. It really is time for this preparatory schedule to come to an end.[spacer title=’Overtime’]-

– Cool!

– What do you think?

– Nice catch for ESPN.

– A blow for the Blue Jays.

Categories
Uncategorized

Arber Xhekaj (really) likes to fight with Florian by his side

Since the start of practice camp, there’s been a lot of talk in Montreal about the Xhekaj brothers. While Arber looks like a transformed defenseman, Florian has the knife between his teeth and looks like he really wants to start the year in the NHL.The odds aren’t necessarily in his favor… but the fact that he’s still in camp is a good sign.And of course, we know that both guys can fight. It’s one of their main assets, as we saw on Tuesday night, when both brothers showed their mettle in a very physical match, notably by throwing down the gloves. And today, Arber was asked about playing with his brother… and you can tell he really, really likes it:

Getting into scrimmages with him is incredible. You thought fighting a Xhekaj was difficult? Now you’ve got two.

–

Arber Xhekaj

[content-ads]Arber gave his younger brother some love, noting that the two guys are similar despite playing different positions. And for Arber, being in the same uniform as Florian is pretty special.The two guys have had the opportunity to play together twice since the start of camp… and there could be a third opportunity on Saturday, if both guys are still there.

We know that the Sheriff, when talking to the media today, mentioned that the club hasn’t necessarily targeted any particular players, but he’ll have a long memory when it comes to certain dirty tricks.I imagine that if the Habs intend to play that game, we could see both brothers in uniform on Saturday. But then again, the Senators could very well hide their players, you know.

😳

What’s clear, that said, is that the two Xhekaj brothers really like playing together. And clearly, those are words that could work in Florian’s favor.Because even if he doesn’t start the year in town, he’s clearly shown that it’ll be hard for the club to ignore him if they have to issue a recall.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Andrei Vasilevskiy is okay, according to Elliotte Friedman.

– Will he make it?

– News from CF Montreal.

Categories
Uncategorized

Olympics 2026: Aleksander Barkov’s injury opens the door to Jesperi Kotkaniemi

We recently learned that Aleksander Barkov will miss several months of activity. The Panthers’ captain suffered a major knee injury in practice, and is expected to be out for seven to nine months.A return at the very end of the season is therefore still theoretically possible… as is a return to the playoffs, should the Panthers make it there.That said, what is certain is that Barkov won’t be at the next Olympics. Finland will therefore be without one of its best players… and will have to find a way to replace him. All this means that there will be a position opening up… and there’s one player who could benefit from it: Jesperi Kotkaniemi.After being ignored at the 4 Nations Confrontation, he could represent Finland.

[content-ads]Obviously, KK wouldn’t be placed on the first line like Barkov. Instead, we should expect to see guys move up a chair (Anton Lundell, for example, will be under quite a bit of pressure to replace Barkov both in Florida and at the Olympics), but there will be a center position likely to be available,so we have to think that Kotkaniemi has a chance of representing his country, possibly on a fourth line.Finland isn’t banking on a ton of NHL-caliber center players, after all. If they want to keep Roope Hintz on the wing, Kotkaniemi is behind Sebastian Aho, Anton Lundell and Mikael Granlund in the pecking order.But obviously, he’d better be ready this season… because if another player stands out, you’d think Finland wouldn’t have too much trouble choosing that player over a Kotkaniemi who struggles to score 30 points in a season.

We’ll see how it all pans out, but Kotkaniemi could well be playing with Patrik Laine (who, barring a surprise, will be on his national team’s top-6) and Finland this winter.It‘s up to him to seize the opportunity now.

[

– Waivers

–

– Wow.

– Cale Makar, next in line for $17M a year?