Author: Dose

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Brendan Gallagher says he’s ready to play shorthanded

Brendan Gallagher is a much-loved player… at least among Montreal Canadiens fans. In the rest of the NHL, that’s another debate, because he’s a real hater when you’re on the other side.

He has everything it takes to be the beloved of the Montreal club, and I don’t need to tell you why, because we all know him very well in Montreal.

Although he’s been slowing down lately (his style of play doesn’t spare his body at all), he certainly has his uses on the team.

Recently, the habs’ little warrior was on TSN 690 to discuss a little bit of everything, and he mentioned something interesting about what he can bring to the table.

Gallagher is said to be ready to play short-handed next season.

You can hear him say this at the 59th minute of the episode.

It’s pretty interesting that #11 suggests this, as it can certainly come in handy in this situation.

We know that Gally isn’t afraid to sacrifice his body while playing, and he could block shots.

In his career, he averaged 0.46 blocked shots per game, which isn’t huge, but still respectable.

With some short-handed playing time, he could very well boost that statistic.

He’s had shorthanded time in the past, but no longer plays in that situation since there were guys like Jake Evans, Christian Dvorak or even Joel Armia.

However, you have to bear in mind that the latter two may not be back next year, which will leave room for a guy like Gally.

On the other hand, just last night, Arpon Basu raised the possibility that Dvorak could re-sign with the Habs, but only after testing the waters in the free agent market.

But in any case, if Dvorak does return, he’ll be playing center, since he’d be the only left-handed center (besides Alex Newhook) and Gallagher would be playing on the short-handed wing.

Gallagher could logically take Armia’s place.

We can also expect Josh Anderson to find himself on one of the short-handed lines, as he has taken over and done very well.

In short, the options are there, but we can expect Evans, Suzuki, Anderson and possibly Gallagher to evolve short-handed (if Armia and Dvo aren’t back).

But let’s not rule out the possibility of Oliver Kapanen or even Owen Beck forcing the Habs into the final line-up and eating up some shorthanded minutes.

Overtime

– It would be interesting for the Ducks.

– That, my friends, is a throw.

– Everything seems to be going swimmingly for the Alouettes against the Ottawa Rouge et Noir tonight.

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Martin St-Louis thinks Nick Suzuki can be even better

This season, Nick Suzuki has truly been the cornerstone of the Montreal Canadiens.

The captain has taken his game to the next level, which includes him in some discussions as one of the NHL’s very good center players thanks to his versatility and, above all, his hockey IQ. After all, only five centers in the NHL this year have scored more points than Suzuki.

In 2024-25, he really took his game to the next level, and his 89 points can attest to that.

And coach Martin St-Louis had good things to say about his captain’s potential.

Some may think he’s approaching his potential as a first-rate center, but the coach believes he has even more to offer.

That’s what he mentioned on the Missin’ Curfew podcast.

Clicking on the YouTube video above will take you directly to the excerpt about the captain.

As St-Louis explained, he’s really taken a big step forward in the impact he’s having on the Montreal club.

MSL also wondered if there’s more to his potential, and he says there is, because his hockey IQ is so high that it’s hard to say no.

And that’s what makes Suzuki Suzuki.

He’s a real brain on the ice, doing literally everything apart from throwing down the gloves and demolishing opposing players with big checks the way Arber Xhekaj can.

Offensively and defensively, he plays a crucial role in the team and can only imagine breaking 90 points next year, especially with Ivan Demidov on the first powerplay.

And all that’s without mentioning the fact that he hasn’t missed a single game since the very beginning of his professional career. That adds a lot of value, for sure, because you can be pretty sure he’ll play the entire season (don’t worry, I’m touching wood as I write this).

And to hear St-Louis talk, he’s just scratching the surface of his potential.

The Habs can be very lucky to have a guy like Suzuki who makes the others better, who brings out the best in all players.

He’s not the most talkative captain, but he leads by example, and the members of the organization have quite a role model to follow.

Let’s just say there’s not much, if anything, to criticize in his game.

Overtime

– For those of you wondering where the trial of the 2018 Junior Team Canada scandal stands, the trial is over and the decision will be handed down on July 24.

– If you’re not sure who was nominated for the individual trophies this season, here’s a summary.

– According to Frank Seravalli, the Stars won’t trade Jason Robertson unless they get the right offer for his services.

– Nice message from Zibanejad on Chris Kreider.

– Hey there…

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EXCLUSIVE: The end is in sight for Jonathan Drouin in Colorado

When Jonathan Drouin became a free agent in the summer of 2023, we suspected he wouldn’t be back in Montreal. The Québécois looked like a guy who was due for a fresh start… and of course, Colorado quickly stood out as the logical destination.

The reason? Nathan MacKinnon, with whom Drouin broke it off in junior, wanted to reunite with his old teammate.

And with the Avalanche, Drouin enjoyed two fine seasons. He amassed 56 points in 79 games in 2023-24 and 37 points in 43 games this year. Clearly, a move to Colorado was good for him.

However, Drouin will become a free agent again on July 1… and according to colleague Maxime Truman, there’s reason to believe that Drouin’s time with the Avalanche is coming to an end.

The chances of seeing him again in Colorado next year would be “very slim”.

Colleague Truman notes that Drouin has a few teams on his list, but those teams are mostly in the West. A team like the Stars, for example, could make sense for Drouin, for whom there will be interest on July 1.

In addition to the Stars, other teams in the West could be interested in the Québécois: think of the Sharks and Blackhawks, for example, who have money to spend and could benefit from a talented guy like Drouin to mentor their young core.

And if we ever look east, maybe the Blue Jackets could make sense as a destination.

We’ve also learned that the Québécois would like to sign a contract longer than one year. Remember that his last two contracts, signed in Colorado, were one-year deals… and obviously, you’d think he’d want a bit of stability in his next deal.

Of course, everything can change quickly in the hockey world. That said, as of today, there’s reason to believe that Drouin’s future in the NHL may not be in Colorado (which must be thinking about Cale Makar’s future and just gave Brock Nelson a big contract).

But as we all know, everything can change with one call…

Overtime

– Good news for the Québécois.

– Minor NHL transaction.

– Nice read.

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“I can confirm that Mitch Marner will not be back in Toronto.”

In less than three weeks, the NHL free-agent market will open. And unsurprisingly, the name that’s got everyone talking is Mitch Marner.

It’s rare for a player of this calibre to become a free agent, after all.

The big question, then, is where the forward will play next year. Just about everyone expects him to go south of the border… but there was still a possibility of him returning to Toronto.

It wasn’t huge, of course… but now it’s even smaller.

Andy Strickland, who’s pretty well connected in the hockey world, posted a piece of information about Marner this afternoon: he says he can “confirm” that Marner won’t be back with the Maple Leafs next year.

He will therefore be playing for a new team.

It’s important to note, however, that this doesn’t automatically mean he won’t sign his next contract with the Maple Leafs. It is possible, for example, that Marner could sign an eight-year contract with the Maple Leafs (because unless his rights are traded by July 1, only the Leafs can offer him an eighth-year contract) before being immediately traded.

This is commonly known as a “sign-and-trade”.

For the Leafs, it would allow the team to pick up something… while for Marner, it would allow him to pick up an eighth-year contract while trading his uniform for that of another team.

That said, this is more of a technicality than anything else: the bottom line is that by 2025-26, Marner will no longer be wearing the Maple Leafs’ colors. There are a ton of teams eyeing him, and we’ll see which one he chooses.

And for the Leafs, the important thing now will be to try to “replace” Marner… but that’s a lot easier said than done.

Overtime

– I like to see that.

– What do you think?

– Logic is respected.

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Rumor mill: Frank Seravalli wonders if the Blues will trade Kyrou

Back in March, I wrote an article in which I said… this:

If I were Kent Hughes, I’d be targeting Jordan Kyrou this summer.

I was very interested in the idea because Kyrou is an effective player in all three zones of the rink. He’s good offensively, he can hold his own defensively… and he’s got two-way qualities.

But getting him out of St. Louis wasn’t a guarantee at the time either.

That said, maybe Kent Hughes will get a chance to talk to Doug Armstrong about Kyrou.

In fact, I say this because Frank Seravalli wonders if the Blues will trade Kyrou this summer before his no-trade clause kicks in:

The clause in question will kick in on July 1.

So… to trade Kyrou, the Blues could use the next few weeks to do so before it gets more complicated.

The question is, why would they let him go? Kyrou (27) is relatively young and can be a long-term success in St. Louis… but, if the offer is good, perhaps Doug Armstrong would be tempted to trade him.

And if the Canadiens are looking for guys who can score goals…

Money first for Marchand?

Brad Marchand is 37 years old.

And this summer will be his last chance to sign a big contract before he hangs up his skates.

The result?

For the occasion… it wouldn’t be the team that matters to him.

According to Greg Wyshynski(The Sheet), it’s… the money:

Marchand wants to secure his financial future, and that’s okay too.

However, I would have thought that his primary goal would be to win one last Stanley Cup before the end of his career. Which would have been logical, given his character…

But nobody can be mad at a guy who wants to get his cash. So I can’t wait to see how it all turns out… because it seems to me that if I were him, I’d really like to stay in the hot Florida sun for the last few moments of my career.

Mitch Marner in the West?

There’s been a lot of talk about Mitch Marner lately.

And that’s understandable, because he’s one of the most popular players around at the moment due to his situation.

All indications are that he’ll decide to test the free agent market in a little over two weeks… and if he doesn’t stay in Toronto, Elliotte Friedman (32 Thoughts Podcast) sees him continuing his career out West.

Anaheim? Chicago? San Jose? Los Angeles?

If I had an old $2 to bet, I’d give the Kings a shot.

They’ve got the goods to lure him to LA because they’ve got a big club, the weather’s good year-round and the market isn’t necessarily media-heavy.

Mitch Marner with the Kings makes sense in my mind.

Aaron Ekblad may test the market

Aaron Ekblad may be the best defenseman available to any team on July 1 – if he doesn’t sign a new contract in Florida.

And there will be a lot of interest in his services because he’s already established himself as one of the league’s good players at his position.

But it’s also possible that he’ll decide to stay where he started his career.

The only problem?

The Panthers want to give him a contract worth around $6 million per season. And Ekblad will clearly be able to fetch more money on the open market…

The Panthers don’t want to spend too much, and that’s normal too.

They need to make room to sign Sam Bennett… and we know that’s going to be expensive.

That said, Ekblad may not continue his career in Florida because the Panthers probably won’t have enough money to pay him what he’s worth.

And any NHL club could benefit from a big, right-handed defenseman who can fill the #1 chair, night after night…

Ivan Provorov, a Rangers target

When Ivan Provorov was selected with the 7th pick in the 2015 draft, we thought he was going to be one of the NHL’s dominant defensemen.

And without criticizing him for it… that’s not what happened.

We’re talking about a reliable player who puts up some 30 points a season, and we’re talking about a player who will be as free as a bird as of July 1.

The Rangers are currently one of the clubs interested in his services, according to RG Media :

According to RG Media, Vladislav Gavrikov is also a target for the Blue Shirts.

Both pitch from the left… and with rumors surrounding K’Andre Miller, the Rangers may have to find a replacement for him this summer.

It remains to be seen whether they’ll be able to lure one of the two Russians to New York.

Overtime

– Still…

– Oh!

– Love this.

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Remontée: Corey Perry stood up in the locker room after the 1st period to motivate the Oilers

In Montreal, we got to know Corey Perry.

He quickly became a fan favorite because he gave it his all, night after night.

Oh, and his leadership qualities also charmed everyone in town. Today, at 40, he continues to help the Oilers in his own way…

The veteran has been scoring goals (9) since the start of the playoffs, but his impact is even greater than that.

Because yesterday, after the first period, when the Oilers were losing 3-0 to the Panthers in Game 4 of the final… Perry got up to talk to his boys.

He may well have changed the story of the game, because he made it clear to his teammates that he didn’t like the way they had responded in the first 20 minutes.

The result?

The Oilers rallied to tie the game at 3-3 and scored in overtime, when the score was 4-4.

Great Corey Perry.

After the game, the Oilers’ top players made a point of throwing him flowers.

Leon Draisaitl praised him, saying that Perry is such an important part of the Oilers on and off the ice… and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had something similar to say :

He’s a guy that everyone in the dressing room respects enormously because he’s been through it all. So when he speaks, it means a lot and I think we reacted well. – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

It’s often said that the presence of veterans and guys who have already won within a club is important.

And seeing Perry act like that and help his teammates keep their heads is a wicked good example.

So much the better for the Oilers, if Perry is able to help the club at this level.

And that’s why I’d like to see them win the Stanley Cup – for McDavid and Draisaitl… but also for Perry, who deserves to lift the trophy one last time before he retires.

Overtime

– Times change!

– Good point.

– To be continued.

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Martin St-Louis sang the praises of Arber Xhekaj

This season, Arber Xhekaj was left out a few times.

There was a certain surplus of defensemen in Montreal – especially on the left – and this didn’t work in the Sheriff’s favor.

Arber even had to watch two games of the series against the Capitals from the top of the catwalk, while his club was getting shuffled around…

But according to Martin St-Louis (who appeared on the Missin Curfew podcast) Xhekaj has what it takes to become an important player in Montreal, because he has some really useful assets.

The Habs head coach sang his player’s praises: according to St-Louis, Arber “doesn’t just fight” because he has a well-stocked tool bag.

Martin St-Louis speaks of Arber as a youngster with “great potential” and clearly wanted to give him some love:

We’ve heard some people say in the past that Martin St-Louis doesn’t like Arber Xhekaj.

That said, we understand that the Canadiens’ coach wasn’t about to go and plant the defender in the public square… but when you hear him talk, you can really believe that St-Louis likes what he sees in his youngster’s progression.

Because that’s what it’s all about: you can’t ignore the fact that Arber Xhekaj has really progressed in the last two years. He’s learning to become more complete instead of always thinking about throwing down the gloves, and perhaps that’s why St-Louis is stricter with him.

He wants to see him learn, and we know that Arber is working hard to improve too.

By giving him time, it could help #72 understand certain things even more… and if Xhekaj becomes responsible in his zone, improves his decision-making and continues to have a good first pass, it will help him succeed in the National League.

Martin St-Louis is able to put himself in his place because he went through some tougher times early in his career.

And the Habs head coach is perhaps the perfect person to teach the little things to Xhekaj, who has the qualities to become a key player in Montreal.

Overtime

– Attention all interested parties:

– No surprises here.

– Interesting.

– He wanted in on his race.

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Jonathan Marchessault and Alexis Lafrenière: the latest rumours about the Québécois

Right now, two Québécois are the talk of the town: Jonathan Marchessault and Alexis Lafrenière.

Both guys are seeing their names circulate on the market because their respective teams, the Predators and Rangers, haven’t necessarily had seasons that lived up to expectations.

Who here saw both clubs out of the playoffs?

But just because the two men’s names are circulating doesn’t automatically mean they’ll be traded. In fact, at the moment, it seems to be the opposite.

David Pagnotta is of the opinion that Marchessault is not, barring a drastic change, on the way out.

As for Lafrenière, Renaud Lavoie, who spoke to TVA Sports about the subject, doesn’t exactly seem to believe in a move away from New York for the first pick of the 2020 auction.

He’d be very surprised to see him go, in any case.

Elliotte Friedman, in his 32 Thoughts, made a similar point: if Alexis Lafrenière is ever available, it’s not the most widely known fact across the NHL.

So we can probably expect him not to be traded between now and the draft or July 1. And often, big trades don’t necessarily happen at the end of the summer.

It’s important to remember that things can change quickly, but the way things are going, it would take a change of course (i.e., a big, unexpected offer) to make the Rangers or Preds change their minds.

Stay tuned this off-season, though.

overtime

– Speaking of the Rangers.

– Interesting.

– Jonathan Toews in Tampa Bay?

– A name to keep an eye on, in any case.

– Mérité.

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Chris Kreider file: the Maple Leafs have been left behind

I’ve said it before: the Maple Leafs had to get Chris Kreider this summer.

Why? Because the Queen City club needs help up front in terms of players with character who can make a difference in the playoffs.

Talk to the Habs: they can make the difference…

Finally, the Maple Leafs saw the Anaheim Ducks pick him up. They were on his no-trade list, but the club managed to convince him to say yes and move.

According to Elliotte Friedman, Joel Quenneville’s presence made the difference. Having a veteran coach like him can really make a difference for the California club.

And now we understand that the Maple Leafs did indeed have their noses in the matter.

But according to David Pagnotta’s report, the Ducks were too far advanced in the file and were able to table a decent offer, which the Rangers – and the main interested party – accepted.

Would the American have wanted to go to Toronto? History doesn’t say.

But to me, there’s no denying it: the club had to push harder to get Chris Kreider’s contract from the Big Apple for two years and $6.5 million a year.

With Mitch Marner on his way out, it’s clear that the club would have had room in terms of payroll. And he fits the identity the Maple Leafs are trying to find.

Better luck next time… especially with Sam Bennett likely to elude them, as he’s likely to stay in sunny Florida. So, how will the club change its identity?

overtime

– A page turns in Toronto.

– Coming up.

– Interesting.

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Another Canadiens target: a scorer for the middle trios of the line-up

The Canadiens are looking for a second-line center. No one’s denying that.

In an ideal world, the Canadiens are also looking for a defenseman who can eat up the minutes David Savard was able to take last year.

But that doesn’t mean they’re not looking for something else. And it doesn’t mean that a more “minor” addition should be ruled out.

In fact, as David Pagnotta and David Bernstein reported for The Fourth Period, the Canadiens are also evaluating their options for something else.

Like what? Like a goal-scoring midfield winger (i.e., second or third line).

Clearly, in an ideal world, the Canadiens would add a little scoring help. After all, scoring goals hasn’t been the Habs’ greatest strength this season.

If only Patrik Laine could be a reliable solution…

If the summer plan doesn’t change too much, a player like Kirby Dach or Alex Newhook could play on the wing with Laine, Ivan Demidov, Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson and Emil Heineman.

Adding a marker wouldn’t be a luxury.

Whether it’s playing with Ivan Demidov on the top-6 or on the third line, Martin St-Louis is going to need goals to repeat the feat of making the playoffs.

We’ll see what happens.

overtime

– Good morning, Taylor.

– Makes sense.

– To watch.