Author: Dose

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“The Penguins have been trying to trade Sidney Crosby for over a year now.”

This summer, there’s talk of Connor McDavid and Kirill Kaprizov among the stars who are a year away from complete autonomy, but a year ago, it was Sidney Crosby who was at the heart of these rumours. He spent his summer saying he was going to stay with the Penguins, and that’s exactly what he did, signing a contract worth $8.7 million a year from 2025 to 2027.It was unveiled publicly on September 16, a year ago to the day.

Even so, a year ago, Kyle Dubas’ Penguins were already on the verge of a Mathias and the Serpent rebuilding process. And since then, it’s been even worse. Alain Crête had a good one this morning. On the heels of his column on BPM Sports, the journalist said that, according to his sources, the Penguins have been trying to trade Crosby for a year (more than a year, in fact).

[content-ads]We’ll agree that if Crosby hasn’t been traded, it’s because there are two possible theories. The first is that he doesn’t want to leave Pittsburgh, but if Crosby, who opened the door to leaving recently and has publicly said he doesn’t want to play for a rebuilding club, didn’t want to leave, he wouldn’t have been shopped a year ago. Right?

In my eyes, the Penguins didn’t get what they wanted for the services of their legend. In my opinion, Crosby signed his contract extension so that the Penguins wouldn’t lose him as a free agent… but he really does seem ready to leave. Speaking of the wolf, Mathias Brunet, in his podcast Mathias et le Serpent, mentioned that the Canadiens were keeping an eye on the matter. And if the Penguins start their season badly… It’s not the first time we’ve heard that about Crosby and the Canadiens. I don‘t know how much the Habs would be willing to pay to get Crosby, but I really feel it’s a real possibility. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trIrj1H7Psc

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Lane Hutson: not signed because of the Panthers?

The Panthers may have changed many a team’s mind by winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, but they did so in a very specific way: by having a big defense with mobile defensemen who can also hit. There were no defensemen under six feet tall in the Florida lineup on either occasion, and we saw the results. And today… it’s harder in the NHL for defensemen under six feet tall. The Chicago Blackhawks granted a professional tryout (PTO) to Matt Grzelcyk, a 5’10 defenseman who scored… he could have been expected to land a contract this summer, given his production last season. 40 points for a defenseman is nothing to sneeze at…

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[content-ads] But in all of this, there may also be a link to be made with the Canadiens… and Lane Hutson’s contract. We know, after all, that the defenseman would have liked to settle his contractual situation this summer and that it hasn’t been done yet. That said, it makes you wonder if the Panthers’ success with their big defensemen has anything to do with the way the Canadiens see things. At 5’9, Lane Hutson isn’t the biggest guy on the ice – even though he’s insanely talented offensively – and to see a team win the Stanley Cup two years in a row with a huge defense like the Panthers’, that may have some impact.

Because in reality, all the NHL clubs really seem to have taken notes on team building in Florida. It’s easy to realize this when you look at the latest draft: 30 players out of the 224 selected this year are under six feet tall… and among those 30 players, there are no defensemen.None.But there, mind you. I’m not saying that the Canadiens don’t like Lane Hutson and that he won’t be playing in Montreal for a long time, but it’s relevant to ask whether all this (the Panthers’ success and Lane’s size) has a role to play right now in the discussions between the two sides and how Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton see the state of play.

[spacer title=’Overtime’] – Can’t wait to see this.

– News from CF Montreal:

– L’Armada au top.

– Well done.

– That goes without saying.

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Salary cap could rise to $170 million within a few years

After the COVID-19 and the freeze on the salary cap, the NHL has recently compensated with big increases promised on the payroll for the next few years. It will start next year, when the cap will jump by $7.5 M, and it could continue at this rate for several more years. It will therefore be at $95.5M in 2025-26 and we can expect it to be at $104M in 2026-27, which is quite incredible. This obviously gives management a lot more leeway to improve their team and secure their future by signing promising long-term players. Marco D’Amico, of RG Media, added to this by saying that in nine years’ time, the salary cap could almost double, based on the current $95.5M. According to D’Amico, the salary cap could be around $170M, as reported by NHL Rumour Report.

[content-ads]If this turns out to be true, executives will be licking their chops, as will the players, who will be able to demand a much bigger salary. Take Kirill Kaprizov, for example, who should get the biggest contract in history (unless Connor McDavid extends his contract before him). If he signs for eight years and the salary cap is indeed $170 million, the Russian will certainly be salivating at breaking the bank (again). And the same can be said of Lane Hutson, who, if he extends for eight years, will also be asking for the moon (and more) when this contract ends with a $170 million payroll. These two players (and many others) could therefore negotiate their future contracts in a completely different market. And if they continue to dominate as they are doing, it’s going to cost their respective clubs a lot of money.No, but imagine a cap at $170 million per season. Fourth-line players could all easily make $3-4 million a season, third-pair defensemen would earn as much or even more, and what can we say about goaltenders replacing elite goaltenders...It’s enough to make you dream, but even so, it would still be a far cry from the salaries of other major professional sports leagues. Spacer title=’Overtime’] –

– Great company for the current Habs captain.

– That’s a great point.

– Must read.

– What a dive and a relay.

😮‍💨

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Martin St-Louis is clear: he loves Arber Xhekaj

Arber Xhekaj still has a lot to learn in the NHL if he is to establish himself as a regular defenseman with the Montreal Canadiens. He has strengths and he knows how to use them, but it’s not all about physical play. This season, we’ve seen good progress in his overall game and that’s quite encouraging. He’s still young and can become even more of a threat with experience. On the other hand, many fans believe that Xhekaj is far from Martin St-Louis’ favorite, who passed on him on a few occasions last year. But make no mistake, in an interview with RDS, MSL set the record straight: Xhekaj knows that his head coach likes him, and the feeling is mutual. “Perception can sometimes cloud a few deals”.

[content-ads]To hear that from the coach is positive for Habs fans, especially Sheriff fans. A guy like Arber Xhekaj can be extremely useful to a club, especially when the going gets rough. But let’s also add that St-Louis won’t be planting his player in front of the media either. St-Louis was keen to reiterate that he shouldn’t focus solely on his physical game, even though he excels at it:

“That doesn’t mean you’ll have an opportunity to be physical every time you show up. Sometimes, if you only look for that, you’re going to take yourself out of the game.”

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Martin St-Louis

And the coach is absolutely right on that score. If Xhekaj is only looking for the big check, he’s more likely to take himself out of the game, and that too often costs goals at this level. But as the Habs head coach mentioned immediately afterwards, he may have three opportunities in the next shift to use his greatest asset. He just has to be patient, pick his moments, and in 2024-25, we began to see Xhekaj more reluctant to look for the hard-hitting check. Obviously, when you change aspects of a player’s game, there’s always a period of getting used to it, and the more he plays that way, the more he’ll make the right decision on the ice. St-Louis then went on to mention that he prefers to hold back an aggressive player, rather than push a timid player to be more aggressive. In short, Xhekaj will have to keep working on himself if he doesn’t want to put his club in too much hot water this season and get more playing time. spacer title=’Overtime’] – Indeed.

– Interesting.

– He’s not the first player to reiterate this point of view.

– Too bad for the Kings.

– Everything is going swimmingly for Yesavage.

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ÉCJ 2018: “At least three of these players should be playing in the NHL this year”

Last week, we finally learned what’s in store for the five players involved in the 2018 ÉCJ legal saga over the next few months. After being acquitted, the five players will be able to sign new contracts as of October 15 (one month from now), then return to action on December 1.We could therefore see them back playing in the NHL before the end of 2025.And of course, Carter Hart is the name that has caused the most talk, given that he is a goaltender and has an interesting track record as a player. That said, according to Chris Johnston, he may not be the only one of the five to play this year. The tipster, on a recent episode of The Chris Johnston Show, talked about the five players… and he expects to see more than one of them play this season:

At least three of these players are expected to play in the NHL this year.

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Chris Johnston

https://youtu.be/rZRctKpIWaI?si=1tAWlMpeYrKe_UkS&t=949 [content-ads]The three players in question, according to Johnston, are likely to be Hart, Michael McLeod and Dillon Dubé. We’re talking about three guys who’ve already shown they’re NHL-calibre and who could help a team.To the point of risking an awkward situation with the fans (and possibly in the dressing room), maybe not… but who knows.As for the other two, Cal Foote could also get along with a team and play this season, but we’re talking about a guy who was kicking ass in his NHL days. And Alex Formenton is a special case: his rights still belong to the Senators, so he can’t sign with the team of his choice on October 15. Remember that he signed a contract in Switzerland to finish the year 2026, and theoretically, the Senators could trade his rights to another team to allow him to sign elsewhere.There’s also a world in which the Sens decide to sign him… but I have a hard time seeing these players pursue their careers in Canada. And no, I definitely don’t see Dillon Dubé ending up on the Maple Leafs’ top-six

We’ll be following all this over the coming months, but we can expect to see several of these players back in the Bettman circuit this season.

Let’s see in what uniform we’ll see them now.[spacer title=’En rafale’]- Nice read.

– Interesting.

– Love it.

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Islanders: Patrick Roy sees Jonathan Drouin on his first line

On July 1, Jonathan Drouin made the decision to continue his career with the Islanders. After relaunching his career with the Avalanche, he signed a two-year contract that will pay him $4 million a year.And for a guy who scored 37 points in 43 games last year, it has the potential to be a real bargain. The question, though, is what role awaits Drouin on Long Island. We know that the Québécois has benefited from playing with Nathan MacKinnon for the past two years, and the Isles don’t have a player of MacKinnon’s caliber, but today Patrick Roy was asked about his trios for next season… and in sharing his top-9, he placed Drouin on the…he’s on the left of Bo Horvat and Maxim Shabanov.

[content-ads]With Horvat and Shabanov, Drouin will be playing alongside two very talented forwards. He’s a long way from MacKinnon, but he’s got some good linemates, sowillhe beable to maintain his offensive production?It‘salso worth noting that Roy’s top-9 does not include Emil Heineman, acquired in the deal that sent Noah Dobson to Montreal.After all, the Isles didn’t go looking for him to send him to the stands… even though Patrick Roy wouldn’t confirm this.So we’ll be watching to see what happens with Drouin and Heineman, who are both starting a new chapter in their careers on Long Island. Spacer title=’Overtime’] –The guys are having fun.

– Scott Wheeler ranks the NHL’s top players under 23.

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Talks to extend the contracts of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton reportedly underway

Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have been together for a few years now, and the duo we like to call “HuGo” continue to work on their plan: to build a team that can enjoy long-term success on the ice. And clearly, we like what we see from them… because, according to Renaud Lavoie, discussions are already underway to extend the VP’s and GM’s contracts. What you need to know is that Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes’ contracts will expire at the end of the 2025-2026 season, so they’re in the last year of their current agreement with the Canadiens… And we know the Canadiens have been in good hands since they’ve been in Montreal. Seeing their respective contracts extended would be great news:

[content-ads] Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, after all, have completely metamorphosed the Canadiens organization.

There’s been a change in culture, there’s been a change in results, there’s been a change in the way things are done… The club entered a rebuilding phase following their hirings, and today, we see that it’s working. The Canadiens made the recent NHL playoffs, the team improved this summer with the acquisitions of Noah Dobson and Zachary Bolduc, and there are several young players in place within the organization who can/will help the club in the long term on the ice. Because in reality, it didn’t just happen because of the transactions made by the GM: it also happened because the club has drafted well since their arrival in Montreal.

And let’s face it: a large part of the Canadiens’ current success can be attributed to Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, who are doing a great job in Montreal.Having a duo like that for the long term can only help…[spacer title=’Overtime’] – I like it.

– Logical.

– Yikes. There’

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Kent Hughes: “The most talented team we’ve had since I’ve been in Montreal”

On paper, the Canadiens have a great team, with some talented players on the roster, and that’s exciting for fans of the club, who’ve had a tough time of it in recent years. There will be expectations for next season… because this summer, the Canadiens seem to have improved – even if they have lost some quality players in David Savard, Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak. But in reality, the additions of Noah Dobson, Ivan Demidov and Zachary Bolduc may change the game. And in the eyes of Kent Hughes, it’s relatively simple: right now, this is the most talented team the Canadiens have had since the GM arrived in Montreal.That’s a big sentence:

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[content-ads] Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, Kirby Dach (healthy), Alex Newhook, Zachary Bolduc, Lane Hutson, Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, Noah Dobson, Samuel Montembeault… This is a talented group. And Kent Hughes isn’t lying when he says this is the most talented team he’s seen since he arrived in town, because if the players named above perform up to expectations, the Habs are likely to reap more wins than losses. We’ve seen that the guys are capable of playing at a high level, since in the final stretch of last season, the Canadiens became one of the league’s good teams thanks to the contributions of just about everyone. That doesn’t mean, however, that the Canadiens can’t improve even more in the coming months…

But when you think about it, it’s also true that the additions made this summer are important. Bolduc brings some offensive punch to the attack, Dobson solidifies the defense since we’re talking about a good #1 defenseman in the National League… and Demidov really seems to have all the assets to be very successful very quickly. The Habs have a good group right now. It doesn’t mean anything off the ice… but with the talent on the team, it’s normal to think about positive results. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Absolutely.

– What to expect from the Capitals this season

– Speaking of the Caps…

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The Habs have a plan to get Kirby Dach ready for game one

The state of Kirby Dach’s health is getting a lot of attention at the moment: everyone’s wondering whether he’ll be ready to start the season – and play an important role in Martin St-Louis’ line-up – because he’s known to be recovering from a serious injury.

But at the Habs’ annual golf tournament, Jeff Gorton made no secret of the fact that the organization has a plan in place for him to be able to play the first game of the campaign. Gorton even went so far as to say that Kirby looked very good / in shape.All in all, that’s encouraging. And for many reasons…

[content-ads] A few weeks ago, Kirby Dach looked rusty. I saw him on the ice in Brossard and he didn’t necessarily give the impression that he was 100% fit. But as time went by, he became more comfortable. His skating stroke has become more fluid, there’s more explosion in his movements… and it’s important for him to take it one step at a time so as not to risk anything. That said, it may be more difficult at first too. That was the case last year, when we waited to see him regain his confidence… and he had a tougher time of it at the start of the season. But the plan is simple: Dach will take part in the practice camp, and the Canadiens will go quietly / gradually with him. Let’s hope the results of this plan are positive, though.

The Canadiens need a healthy Kirby Dach to be successful.Ivan Demidov needs a healthy Kirby Dach to be well surrounded.Kirby Dach needs to be confident to produce on the ice.If all this happens… we’ll no longer be talking about the “problem” at the second center position. There seems to be a hole at the moment – especially if Dach isn’t 100% ready for the start of the season – and we know that this can have a negative effect on the club’s results.Good NHL teams have a fine line of centers, after all. And Kirby Dach is possibly the biggest X Factor of the Habs season… [spacer title=’Prolongation’] If Dach doesn’t work out, we can expect to see Kent Hughes move. Jeff Gorton said it, after all: the Canadiens want to be better than last year. And with a quality second center, that can happen.

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Andrei Markov doesn’t care what Marc Bergevin has become

Andrei Markov, nearing the end of his NHL career, didn’t have an agent, so he talked to Marc Bergevin himself. I have the impression that the main interested party quickly realized why players have agents, after all, negotiating is hard work. Idon’t use the word “hard” in the sense that he can’t do it. I use it to say that negotiating and seeing an executive raise elements for which you deserve less money than you think is hard on the morale. Of course, we know that the negotiations that forced Markov to leave North America for Russia were difficult. The Russian was still beloved in Montreal and was 10 games away from the 1,000-game plateau. We know that this meant he and Marc Bergevin didn’t invite each other to dinner every Saturday night. Let’s put it this way…On this subject, we understand that years later (eight years later), Markov has moved on. He doesn’t wake up at night to hold a grudge against his former GM, but… But in an interview with Jonathan Bernier (Journal de Montréal), it’s clear that he wants nothing more to do with Marc Bergevin. In

fact, I don’t even know what he’s become, what he’s doing now.

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Andrei Markov on Marc Bergevin

[content-ads]Of course, Markov hasn’t completely turned his back on the Habs. After all, he keeps abreast of the club’s activities, knowing that Ivan Demidov spent his summer in Québécois.And above all, we know that he will be honoured by the Canadiens on December 3 for his great career.

But as for Marc Bergevin, who’s been an assistant in the Kings organization for the past few years, he’s not keeping up with what he’s doing.

If he’s telling the truth, Markov hasn’t changed a bit[spacer title=’Overtime’]-

– The story continues to be talked about.

– Former Stars coach chatted.