Author: Dose

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Nordiques: “We have to sell Quebec to billionaires, Canadians or Americans”

In about 30 minutes, the Canadiens will take to the ice at the Centre Vidéotron in Quebec City to face the Ottawa Senators. Thefirst line won’t be playing, as will Kaiden Guhle and Noah Dobson .But as for the rest, all the regulars should be there.

And of course, this will be an opportunity for fans in Quebec City to leave another great calling card. But, as Renaud Lavoie points out, it may not be the NHL that the city needs to leave that calling card. Speaking to JiC this evening, the informant talked about the case of Quebec City, and in his eyes, it’s not the NHL (which knows Quebec City well) that the city needs to convince:

Quebec City needs to be sold to billionaires, be they Canadian or American.

–

Renaud Lavoie

[content-ads]The informant is right: the problem with Quebec City’s bid isn’t that the league isn’t aware that the market is an excellent one.Names have been bandied about in the past (Pierre Karl Péladeau has long dreamed of it, and Luc Poirier has come forward in recent months), but there’s nothing concrete at the moment.For an investor from away, Quebec City’s bid is attractive in the sense that the fan base is already established and there’s already a quality arena in place. It has the potential to be a huge success for those reasons… and attracting investors from outside Quebec could lend credibility to the Quebec City bid in the event of expansion.In the current context, I wonder how unwelcome it would be for an investor south of the border to get involved in what’s going on in Quebec City, that said. Perhaps at this level, a partnership with a Québécois investor (who would be more in the spotlight) would be more strategic,so we’ll see if the atmosphere at the Centre Vidéotron tonight will interest outside investors. Spacer title=’Overtime’]- I love it!

– Wow.

– Well done.

– News from Jack Eichel.

– Big win for the Cubs.

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Mike Babcock in the running for KHL head coaching job

There are some names in the hockey world that instantly trigger a reaction. Mike Babcock is one of them. We’re talking about a controversial coach, after all… especially after his stints in Toronto and Columbus.

It didn’t end well for him with the Blue Jackets: he didn’t even manage a single game before the club showed him the exit door because of his rather bizarre behavior.

He had asked to go through his players’ photos and phones to “get to know them”, and that didn’t go down well.

At the time, we all thought it was the end for him as head coach. But that doesn’t seem to be the case… because according to the Hockey News Hub (X) account, Babcock is in the running for the AK Bars head coaching job in the KHL.

[content-ads] Has he learned from his mistakes? Can joining the KHL help him get back to his old ways, those of a coach who will do anything – for better or for worse – to win on the ice, even if it means not treating his players right?

These are two questions I’m asking myself, because in reality, we’re talking about a coach who’s had a lot of success in the NHL… but who also has a certain reputation in the hockey world. Yes, he’s won. Yes, he has a resume full of trophies. But the stories about his behavior will never go away either..

Because with the testimonials we’ve heard from so many people, we realize that Babcock didn’t treat players like humans. He no longer has a good image in the NHL and, obviously, that doesn’t affect the possibility of seeing him back behind the bench of a KHL team, so I can’t wait to see what happens with this story

[spacer title=’Overtime’] – Poor Gally.

– It’ll never change.

– Yep.

– Es** I can’t wait!

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“I wouldn’t be surprised to see Reinbacher play 15-20 games in Montreal this season”

Let’s face it: David Reinbacher hasn’t had much luck since joining the Canadiens. He hasn’t had the chance to show his full potential, because he’s found himself sidelined more often than not. Now, the young Austrian defenseman, the 5th overall pick in 2023, has been injured again at practice… and that can be worrisome to many. It’s easy to understand why, too.

The Canadiens made a mistake by selecting him 5th overall in 2023… ” “We can already talk about a flop…” It’s boring, but these phrases have already found their way into some people’s heads. That said, Simon Boisvert explains it well in the latest episode of his podcast(The Sick Podcast – Trust The Process): Reinbacher has been really unlucky… and it’s hard to judge him just because of the injuries.

And Snake takes it a step further, saying he sees Reinbacher playing 15-20 games in Montreal at some point this season, after December, when the defenseman is healthy and back in form in Laval.

[content-ads] The ultimate goal, clearly, is to see Reinbacher play as many games as possible next season. We agree it was a shame to see him injured last week …. but if he’s able to return to action quickly(even if there’s a chance he’ll miss more than four weeks) and find his rhythm easily in Laval, that’ll help him for the rest of the season too.

And if he does well and a defenseman gets hurt in Montreal, the Habs could have him in their sights for NHL play in 25-26.Sounds like something I’d like to see happen to him…In closing, it’s too early to throw in the towel on David Reinbacher. Far too early, in fact. He’s 20 years old, and we’re talking about a guy who still has great potential… but who hasn’t been lucky in recent years either. If everything falls into place and he avoids the infirmary as often as possible, the Canadiens may be able to count on him for several years… and that’s the goal of the Canadiens organization, because we know that they believe (a lot) in him.[spacer title=’Overtime’] – 4-1 CH. What’s your

– It’s up to you.

– A real one!

– Great performance from the pitcher.

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Trevor Zegras says he suffered from SAD in California

In his first three NHL seasons, Trevor Zegras showed he had real potential. We all knew he was really good and had good hands, but his two campaigns of 61 points (21-22) and 65 points (22-23) at ages 21 and 22 proved just how talented he was. We know: it got a little out of hand afterwards, because he was injured a few times, but there’s more to it than that, too. In an interview with Greg Wyshynski(ESPN), the American revealed that he had suffered from seasonal depression in Anaheim, California. Zegras maintains that this may have played a role in his performance on the ice… and that he’s ready to get back to the best version of himself in Philly.

I need winters. Every day was exactly the same for five years. It was weird. SAD is real. I swear it’s real.

–

Trevor Zegras

[content-ads] In Philadelphia, Zegras will have the opportunity to write a new chapter in his history.

And the Flyers want to see him succeed: Rick Tocchet has moved him back to center (the Ducks had converted him to winger in recent years) and the American is likely to start the season with Matvei Michkov and Owen Tippett on the club’s top-6. He’ll have the resources to get back to his old game, to put it another way… and he also has his coach’s confidence.

Rick Tocchet likes what he sees from Zegras – especially off the ice – and if the Flyers coach’s comments are anything to go by, the player is doing what it takes to improve what’s not going so well in his game:

Let’s remember that the Flyers really didn’t have to give the moon to get Zegras out of Anaheim (Ryan Poehling, a 2nd round pick and another 4th round pick) and that it’s a nice calculated risk on Daniel Brière’s part. Because if it works out, the Flyers GM is going to look like a genius. Then again, we know Zegras has talent coming out of both his ears… and when put in the right situation, it could get interesting pretty quickly too. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Congratulations

– Rocket camp got underway today.

– Of note:

– I like Patrik Laine’s style.

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Matvei Michkov ahead of Alexander Zharovsky: the Snake is “not safe

The name of Matvei Michkov will always be a polarizing one in Montreal, where many people were hoping the Canadiens would draft him fifth overall in the 2023 auction. Matvei Michkov now belongs to the Flyers, with whom he has been playing for the past year. Meanwhile, the Habs had to deal with David Reinbacher’s injuries. The Canadiens gambled that it would be better to go after the right-handed defenseman, but more importantly, they gambled that they would be able to go after top forward talent otherwise. Drafting Ivan Demidov obviously helped, but let’s not forget Alexander Zharovsky either. After all, the Canadiens’ top prospect of the 2025 crop is also enormously talented and important to the organization. How important? To the point where the Snake (Simon Boisvert) isn’t sure whether he’d take Michkov before Zharovsky. That’s what he said on the heels of the Mathias and the Snake podcast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oziOKAYM2eM [content-ads]Obviously, Mishkov is a better player offensively. But since it’s hard to get the Flyers member to play 200 feet, the Snake wonders if Zharovsky might not be his choice before Michkov. But for a scout who likes circuits in terms of offensive potential and for a guy who loves Michkov, it remains a frankly interesting question. Of course, as the prospects specialist mentions, we mustn’t forget that Zharovsky is two years younger than Michkov. We can’t wait for him to arrive in Quebec, in any case. https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=0iEcxYZTrtswkWzf&v=0PBy1UdUhm8&feature=youtu.be [spacer title=’Overtime’]- For CF Montreal fans,

– Interesting.

– To note.

– Good question.

– Mass is well attended.

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Practice: Demotion for Patrik Laine, promotion for Brendan Gallagher

Patrik Laine is the talk of the town these days. At practice this morning, Patrik Laine started it off by being alone on rink #1 at Complexe CN de Brossard before the official start of practice. The other guys were on rink #2, sothey joined him and Laine chatted with Martin St-Louis.

Then, when practice started, we saw that Laine was on a line with Owen Beck and Joe Veleno, two guys who aren’t guaranteed to play on October 8. How much does that line, which we should see tonight in Quebec City, mean? Do we want to give Veleno a chance or send a message to Laine?

[content-ads]While the regular first line won’t be playing (and practiced separately this morning), we saw Brendan Gallagher get a promotion to the top-6. Tonight, he’ll be with Kirby Dach and Zachary Bolduc.That trio will work… except at center?The line-up of Oliver Kapanen, Ivan Demidov and Alex Newhook was intact, and Florian Xhekaj took Gally’s place with Jake Evans and Josh Anderson. Defensively, the six healthy defensemen will basically play. So no Kaiden Guhle and Noah Dobson, who practiced with the others yesterday and apart from this morning, in action at the Centre Vidéotron.# On the

Expect Samuel Montembeault to start the game. Note that this is probably his last chance to test himself. On Saturday, on the heels of the last preparatory game, expect the line-up to be fairly complete. [spacer title=’en rafale’]- To be continued.– Wow

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– Wow

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Kirill Kaprizov signed the biggest contract in NHL history

The Kirill Kaprizov saga is over. According to what Kevin Weekes reported, the Minnesota Wild player has signed a contract to stay with his club for the next few hockey seasons. And quickly, we realized, via other informants, that Weekes was right.

According to Elliotte Friedman, Kaprizov has signed for eight years and over $16M per season. This is the biggest contract in NHL history. And there will be quite a few signing bonuses. content-ads]

We have to wonder whether the Wild will have the means to fulfill their ambitions and be able to surround their star with the right people for the future. All eyes are now on Connor McDavid, who is still out of contract for next season. How will the Wild’s contract affect negotiations with McJesus?In fact, will #97 let himself be influenced by the Russian’s contract?That’sa better question.If he wants to, McDavid can beat that. But we don’t know if he wants to sign for that kind of money, and we don’t know if he wants an eight-year contract right away.Details to come…

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“I’m willing to bet Reinbacher will miss more than 4 weeks of activity”

Tonight marks the final stretch of the Canadiens’ training camp. All the players still with the team at this stage of camp will travel to Quebec City today for tonight’s game against the Senators. They won’t all be playing, of course, but they’ll be in 418, as the saying goes, andthe team will remain in Quebec City after tonight’s game until Friday PM. It remains to be seen what the players will do other than skate in the morning at the Centre Vidéotron... It’s not hard to imagine that the Habs will follow in the Sens’ footsteps by taking part in a few activities in the Quebec City community…The end of camp for the Habs also means the start of camp for the Rocket. Pascal Vincent and his men will conduct the Rocket’s first official practice sessions this morning at Place Bell in Laval. An intra-squad game is scheduled for tomorrow, while preparatory games will be played in Ontario on Friday and Saturday (in Belleville). We spent the summer wondering if it was October Yet? Tomorrow is October 1st!#35 players – including Filip Mesar, Sean Farrell, Joshua Roy, Alex Belzile, Laurent Dauphin, Jared Davidson and Jacob Fowler – will take part in the Rocketcamp. Looking at the list of invited players, it’s obvious that the Rocket will once again be very competitive in 2025-26.

Especially since Adam Engstrom, Florian Xhekaj and Owen Beck are expected to be sent back to Laval in the next few days.

Reinbacher, the team’s fifth overall pick just over two years ago, was injured (again) during a pre-season game against the Maple Leafs, this time to his hand. If the doctors’ prognosis is good, Reinbacher could play on October 24 in Rochester, by which time he would have missed only five games, which would not be catastrophic, we agree. Especially since he’s currently able to keep his cardio with his hand in a cast or splint. It’s always easier to stay in shape when you have an arm or hand injury, rather than a lower-body one.#Except that an employee of a Québécois medical establishment – and reader of the site – wrote to me over the weekend to say the following:

“If David Reinbacher is ever able to completely heal a metacarpal fracture in four weeks, it will be quite a medical surprise. A simple fracture without displacement, which is the best possible diagnosis here, means three to six weeks of immobilization. After that, if all goes well, it’s a minimum of two weeks’ rehabilitation. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m willing to bet that Reinbacher will miss more than 4 weeks of activity. It’ll be at least 5 to 6 weeks. According

to this health professional, Reinbacher is more likely to miss ten or so regular games, rather than five. Nothing catastrophic, but with the accumulation of missed games in his case, that would be far from ideal. That said, I’m not going to bet a cent on David Reinbacher’s health, whether our health reader likes it or not. content-ads]Note that I can understand the Habs unveiling a fixed timetable of just four weeks rather than saying four to six, or four to eight weeks. Or even six weeks, that’s it!Who else but me is going to count the days and weeks to see if Reinbacher according to the Habs’ estimates? Theonly thing the Canadiens didn’t see coming in this case is that if Reinbacher isn’t in uniform with the Rocket by October 24, they’ll have to deal with headlines like: Delay in David Reinbacher’s recovery, or Catastrophe and MAJOR turnaround in Reinbacher’s case. Except that these second and third titles won’t be published on DLC; they’ll be published on sites that don’t respect you as readers.

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Connor McDavid understands more than Kirill Kaprizov

You’ve all heard the rumor that Kirill Kaprizov turned down $128 million from the Wild, or $16 million over eight years. If the guy doesn’t want to stay in Minnesota, that’s one thing. He doesn’t have to waste his last few good years with a franchise that’s never won anything.But we don’t know if that’s the case. If Kaprizov wants to stay with the Wild and said no to that, we agree that we have to wonder if he really wants to win and if he really wants to play as part of a team. The Russian is excellent, but $16M right now is a lot. And even if we know that the cap will go up, $16M at the end of his contract will also be a lot of money if he slows down. That said, the more time goes by, the more I think the guy might regret (if his goal is to stay with the Wild, of course) having said “no”. Why would he do that? Because of Connor McDavid, who might lower the bar for guys like Kaprizov. The Oilers’ player (who deserves such an amount) isn’t even signing for $16 million a year, according to the rumor mill.

[content-ads]Now, we knew that. But Frank Seravalli wondered if McDavid might take advantage of the last few days when a guy can sign a contract with deferred money to do so. Between now and the start of the 2025-2026 season, it could still happen.

–

This would give the Oilers even more payroll muscle to try and surround McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their quest for the Stanley Cup. And if a tipster like Seravalli is raising the possibility, it’s up in the air. And if McJesus is thinking about it, it’s because he’s willing to give it up to win [spacer title=’Overtime’]- Habs practice is at 10:30 this morning. Après : départ vers Québec.

– Starting today,

– Ouch.

– Ça change.

– I don’t think so.

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Oliver Kapanen doesn’t have a reputation for courage: that’s to Joe Veleno’s advantage

At the moment, there are 16 forwards left in the Montreal Canadiens camp. 11 of them are guaranteed to make the club, and five others are fighting for their place in the sun. Oliver Kapanen, Samuel Blais, Joe Veleno, Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj are the guys in question. What do we know about this race? 1. Xhekaj, Beck and Kapanen can join the Laval Rocket without any problem. Veleno and Blais, on the other hand, would have to go through the waivers to go to Laval. 2. Yesterday, four of these five guys wore blue jerseys to practice… and Oliver Kapanen wore a regular jersey. He also practiced alongside Ivan Demidov and Alex Newhook, two of the club’s top-9 guys.

3. Since the start of the summer, Samuel Blais has been expected to play a 13th forward role with the Canadiens. And since the start of camp, he’s shown he’s capable of filling that chair, once occupied by Michael Pezzetta. 4. Beck is a player who is not yet ready, in my opinion, for the NHL. He has the potential to establish himself there, but he needs some mileage down there to keep progressing. 5. Xhekaj impressed at the start of camp and left a fine calling card. But in recent days, he’s been less in the spotlight. Is his return to Laval imminent? And if so, how long before a recall?All this would mean that Joe Veleno and Oliver Kapanen would potentially be fighting for the last two available positions.

The fact that Kapanen was wearing a regular jersey yesterday is a telling clue. Even if Joe Veleno had a good game last Saturday in Toronto. But there’s another aspect to consider. According to Renaud Lavoie on BPM Sports this morning with Anthony Désaulniers, Anthony Marcotte and Gilbert Delorme, Kapanen has a reputation for not being the bravest. In the eyes of many in the NHL, this works against him. Could this force the Habs to keep Veleno and Blais as the club’s 12th and 13th forwards?[content-ads] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfj5kuBJIsk No one here is saying that Kapanen is the most fearless player in the NHL. But according to the TVA Sports journalist, the buzz around the European player is that he could be braver, and if he’s going to spend the year in Montreal, he’s going to have to shake off that reputation, which dates back to last year.

According to Renaud Lavoie, if you think a player isn’t ready to play in the playoffs against the nasty Florida Panthers, where it’s impossible to hide on the ice, it’s a bad sign. So Joe Veleno has an advantage in all this. Of course, a player can adapt, or even change. Yesterday’s inclusion of Kapanen among the regulars speaks volumes about the Canadiens’ intentions at the moment. But if his courage doesn’t shine through at the start of the season, the Habs are under no obligation to keep him up there for 82 games. [spacer title=’Overtime’]- Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVUjAewjd6k – Will the NHL ever return to Quebec City?[NYT] – Love it or hate it?

– Davis Alexander couldn’t wait to play.[BPM Sports] – No surprises here