Author: Dose

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The Habs have three of the NHL’s top 50 prospects, says Steven Ellis

There’s a growing sense that the Canadiens are turning the corner in their rebuilding process. The main elements of the club’s young core have almost all arrived in the NHL… and that makes the next few years promising.It may still take a little time for the group to mature, but it’s getting closer and closer.But despite everything, the club still has some excellent prospects in its bank. And today, Steven Ellis(Daily Faceoff) ranked the 75 best prospects among the league’s skaters, and the Habs have three names on that list… and all three are in the top-50:Ivan Demidov, David Reinbacher and Michael Hage.

[content-ads]Unsurprisingly, Demidov is the highest-ranked Habs prospect… but he’s not at the top of the rankings. Instead, it’s Matthew Schaefer who has earned that honor, while Demidov finds himself in second place.And Ellis seems really optimistic about the young Russian forward: he’s only giving the edge to a defenseman he sees being a Norris Trophy contender for 15 years.The habs’ other two prospects, Reinbacher and Hage, rank 42nd and 49th. Ellis likes both guys a lot, and sees them as big pieces of the CH’s future.He’s confident that Reinbacher, if he can finally have a normal season, will show the extent of his talent… and he sees Hage as a guy who can really become the Canadiens’ second center, behind Nick Suzuki.As the years go by, the Canadiens are likely to have fewer and fewer big names in this ranking… and that’s normal. But today, having just reached the playoffs, the club still has three in the league’s top-50. That’s really, really encouraging… and even more so when you remember that Jacob Fowler exists, too.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Nick Suzuki, Noah Dobson and Samuel Montembeault will be in Calgary tomorrow.

– Mavrik Bourque has a new agent: Olivier Fortier. He also represents Noah Dobson, by the way.

– She didn’t last long at the U.S. Open.

– He’s so happy. With good reason!

– Yep.

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It’s about time Nick Suzuki got the recognition he deserves

Nick Suzuki is coming off his best season since his NHL debut, with 30 goals and 59 assists (89 points)… an elite performance from a player who finished the season as the NHL’s 6th-highest-scoring center… andit’s abouttimethathappened.And it’s about time.After all, he’s been racking up at least 60 points in a single season for four years now. His progress has been steady… and today, he’s established himself as one of the world’s top players in his position

  • 61 points (21 goals) in 21-22
  • 66 points (26 goals) in 22-23
  • 77 points (33 goals) in 23-24
  • 89 points (30 goals) in 24-25

Mike Rupp, who knows the game (609 games of experience) and is now an analyst for NHL Network, admits it: Suzuki impresses. And the former Bettman Tour player isn’t afraid to say that he didn’t see him being as good as he is.Then again, the captain is starting to get the recognition he deserves.

–

[content-ads] Suzuki has become excellent offensively… and what helps the Canadiens even more is seeing him be so good in his zone. The captain is capable of doing anything on the ice. Martin St-Louis can give him defensive assignments, he can use him for everything, and Suzuki is able to produce against the NHL’s best opposing trios too.Hard to ask for more, we agree.And maybe that’s why NHL Network also ranked him 10th among the league’s best centers…

If you call the NHL the best hockey league on the planet, the Canadiens currently boast one of the 10 best center players on earth. And that’s something when you think about it that way. The good news in all this? The captain is only 26 years old. He’s already proven himself, he’ll continue to improve over the next few years… and he’ll have the opportunity to produce even more with the talent that’s coming to town. Does he have what it takes to score 100 points in a single season at some point? At least, Stu Cowan and Pierre McGuire see him reaching that plateau this season… and that just goes to show how much Suzuki is respected right now. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Wow.

– What kind of season for Owen Beck in 25-26?

– Yikes.

🫢

– Sick.

– Interesting!

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Jake Evans must be #2 center until Kirby Dach, according to Rick Springhetti

Ahhh, that famous debate about the Montreal Canadiens’ second center for next season.Several rumors circulated on the subject this summer, but for the time being, the club would remain intact (barring a surprise acquisition like the signing of Jack Roslovic, who is still a free agent). Kirby Dach seemed to be the backup solution for this position, but with the development of his rehabilitation, one wonders if he’ll be ready to start the season. If he isn’t, it’s starting to get a little more complicated. Alex Newhook has the profile to play on a top-6 with his speed, but personally, I don’t really see a center in him. Although he’s improved defensively, I don’t think he has the ideal profile to be the CH’s #2 center. We know that Grant McCagg isn’t giving up on Oliver Kapanen as a second center, but many find this idea highly unlikely. And in his most recent Habscast Recrutes, McCagg went ahead with his projected formation, which once again included Kapanen at top-6 center.

(Credit: Recrutes Habscast)

[content-ads]His lack of experience doesn’t work in his favor, that’s for sure, and it’s the main reason why he’s unlikely to be the Habs’ #2 center to start the season. What if Jake Evans were the Habs’ #2 center to start next season?

On this very Habscast, Rick Springhetti sees him in just that position.

The fact that he’s the best option in the face-off circle would greatly benefit Ivan Demidov (and possibly Patrik Laine) to have possession of the puck as often as possible.

And his defensive reliability would allow these two talented players to focus on their offensive game to generate as much offense as possible. Evans has already proven he can play an important role in the NHL, unlike Kapanen. And it would allow Newhook to bring some offense to the third line with Zachary Bolduc.

The next debate would be whether or not Newhook should be the center of the third line. As I mentioned earlier, Newhook’s profile doesn’t really fit a center, so I’d put him on the wing. On the other hand, that would mean Joe Veleno would be the third center, so a player like Florian Xhekaj would have to break through.

This would be my ideal scenario, as I often say that the younger of the two Xhekaj brothers would bring a very interesting dimension to the fourth line, but realistically, Florian Xhekaj would have to play another season with the Laval Rocket to fine-tune his game.

Let’s wait and see if Dach is ready for the first game of the season and then who will surprise us at training camp [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Filip Eriksson impresses so far.

– To be continued.

– That’s a good one.

– There are certainly a lot of good candidates already.

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Lane Hutson: here’s the other reason he wasn’t invited to the U.S. camp

This week, we learned the identity of the players invited by the United States to the orientation camp for the upcoming Olympics. The Habs were obviously keeping an eye on Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson… and while the former was invited, the latter was ignored.We knew it was in the air (Tony Marinaro reported it at the beginning of the month), but it was confirmed this week.And of course, it got people talking. Hutson, after all, has just racked up 66 points and won the Calder Trophy, so it’s a bit surprising that he wasn’t even invited, especially when 16 other defenders were.His absence from the Worlds was cited as one reason for his absence, but in reality, there’s another that makes sense: the fact that Quinn Hughes exists.Because on the same team, there’s not really room for Hutson and Hughes.

[content-ads]Hutson, in terms of pure talent, would undoubtedly have deserved to be invited to this camp. In fact, even in a world where he has no chance of making the team, it’s a bit special for Team USA not to invite Hutson who, one day or another, may well be part of the country’s brigade in international competition.Inviting him to acclimatize him would have been wise, but we opted for another avenue. At this level, it’s true that it’s ridiculous not to have invited him,but in reality, there’s no place for Hutson on the U.S. brigade. Hughes will already be there to lead the first wave, and Zach Werenski is capable of handling the second.Could Hutson have done it? Yes, without a doubt… but two small defenders in the same brigade would have been daring, especially after what happened at the 4 Nations Confrontation.

[content-ads]When you look at the other left-handed defenders who have been the talk of the town (for example, Brady Skjei, Jackson LaCombe, Alex Vlasic and Luke Hughes), you’ll notice that these guys are all slightly bigger defenders who are capable of filling different roles. Hutson is objectively much better than Skjei, for example, but the latter is a little more versatile in terms of the hats he can wear. If, for example, Quinn Hughes were to get injured between now and the Olympics, I havethe impression that the Habs defenseman could quickly be considered, despite his absence from the Worlds. But since both guys fill exactly the same role (and there’s no point in having two guys fill that role), we might as well invite other players to try and fill the other roles, which are a little more prone to competition.Because yes, sooner or later, Hutson’s turn will come. Especially if he really has the knife between his teeth this season.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Jake Evans is now the father of twins.

– Ah.

– Well done.

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The Habs’ Mount Rushmore in the 21st century: Nick Suzuki edged out by Saku Koivu

This October will mark Nick Suzuki’s seventh season in a Canadiens uniform. The center, who only gets better with each passing year, is now clearly established as a true #1 center in the NHL,having just collected 89 points in one season. It’s been almost 20 years since Montreal has seen a campaign with more than a point per game.In six seasons, Suzuki has collected 375 points in 455 games, an excellent harvest. And all of this means that, looking at his record, it’s logical to see him as one of the best players in the Habs’ recent history. That’s why it’s a little peculiar that Bleacher Report, in their Mount Rushmore exercise of the best players on each team in the 21st century, didn’t choose the Habs’ current captain.Especially since among those ahead of him is Saku Koivu.

[content-ads]It’s important to remember that the period that counts is everything that’s happened since the 2000-01 season, but not before. In that time, Koivu has racked up 418 points in 502 games, a pace comparable to Suzuki’s. However, Suzuki has the advantage of having played in a Stanley Cup Final with the Habs, something Koivu has never done. At the time, Suzuki shone with 16 points in 22 games, at just 21 years of age,and in the last two seasons, Suzuki has scored 77 and 89 points, marks Koivu has never reached in a single campaign. Suzuki also has two 30-goal seasons, while Koivu has never surpassed the 22-goal mark in a single campaign.It’s possible to defend both points of view (Koivu has the longevity argument, while Suzuki has the peaks reached argument), but it seems to me that, as of today, there’s real reason to give Suzuki the edge.

And I have a feeling that if we do the same exercise again in a year’s time, he’ll be there… and if we do it again in a few years’ time, maybe Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov and Cole Caufield will earn some love too.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- What do you think?

– Happy birthday

– Interesting. He’

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Hostile offer sheets: teams afraid to make them because of Gavin McKenna

Last year, the St. Louis Blues took everyone by surprise when they made two hostile offers on two Edmonton Oilers players, forward Dylan Holloway and defenseman Philip Broberg. Hostile offers are a rare phenomenon in the National Hockey League, but the Blues didn’t hesitate to do it, and it was extremely beneficial to them in the end, as both players performed very well.

We thought that, with the Blues’ two blatant successes, offer sheets would be more popular this summer, but in the end, there was radio silence. It’s an option that several teams considered this summer, according to Elliotte Friedman, but in the end, nothing materialized.

Moreover, in the case of Mason McTavish, whom I mentioned earlier this morning, we learned that he and his clan would have liked to receive a hostile offer and were waiting for such a scenario to put pressure on the Ducks, but it never happened in the end. Hostile offers are therefore very unpopular this summer, but why? Well, according to Elliotte Friedman, it’s because of Gavin McKenna.

[content-ads] Indeed, as he explained in the most recent episode of his “32 Thoughts” podcast, Friedman sincerely believes that teams are afraid to make hostile offers, because they don’t want to risk losing their chance of getting Gavin McKenna.

NHL teams are terrified of giving up a first-round pick via a hostile bid, because it won’t be protected, and it could very well allow a team to get their hands on Gavin McKenna, a generational player who is seen as the consensus top pick in the 2026 draft. So it’s understandable that teams (at least those who still have their own draft picks) would rather keep their first-round pick, and trade it protected, than use it for a hostile offer.

This makes sense, as no team would want to lose the chance to get their hands on a player like Gavin McKenna, and winning a hostile offer sheet would be worthless if the compensatory pick were the first overall pick in the next draft.

In short, this is a big part of the reason why we haven’t seen any offer sheets this summer, despite the fact that several compensated free agents have remained uncontracted for quite some time. There are still a few left, including Mason McTavish and Luke Hughes. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – With good reason.

– Incredible.

– Bravo.

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Mason McTavish file: the Ducks want to re-sign him (they need a 2C too)

The Montreal Canadiens will clearly have bigger ambitions next season, with the playoffs, not the mix, likely to be the goal. It’s clear that the Canadiens have a great team on hand that will give them hope of qualifying for the playoffs again.

With Kirby Dach expected to miss the start of the season, the Habs are left with very few options, and more importantly, they’re pretty ordinary options, not to mention Alex Newhook and Jake Evans.

So we’re still hoping that Kent Hughes can pull a rabbit out of his hat by completing a transaction that would fill this hole at the second-line center position. And the most interesting option is clearly Mason McTavish. The 22-year-old center would fit perfectly with what the Habs are looking for, namely a talented, scrappy second center capable of playing tough and creating great plays. The problem? The Anaheim Ducks need a second center too.

[content-ads] So, you see, the Ducks basically have their ideal second center on hand, and it’s Mason McTavish. As Eric Stephens explains in his recent article answering readers’ questions, the Ducks want to keep McTavish, and they want to re-sign him.

The Ducks see the 22-year-old Canadian center as an important member of their roster, and they want to keep him as their second center, so why all the rumors about him? Well, the two sides can’t agree on a new contract, because McTavish wants a lot of money over the very long term (7-8 years), while the Ducks prefer the bridge contract route (3-4 years).

And so, like any good NHL issue where contract negotiations stagnate, rumors are born. Obviously, the situation could get out of hand, as McTavish could get fed up with not having a contract and ask for a trade, but we’re not there yet. The Ducks love McTavish, and they need a second center, something they literally have on hand with the stroke of a pen.

In short, McTavish’s dream in Montreal can be pretty much forgotten, even if he’d be the perfect option to play with Ivan Demidov and Patrik Laine or Zachary Bolduc. Overtime] – To read:

– Very cool!

– To be continued.

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“Lane Hutson has potential, but he needs to toughen up for the playoffs” – Sergei Gonchar

Seriously, when you think about it, it’s really refreshing to see the Montreal Canadiens being carried along by talented young players who represent the future of the club. For a long time, the Habs were a team of veterans with varying degrees of talent, relying on Carey Price to save the day virtually every game. So it’s really great to see that things have changed, and that now the Habs are relying on extraordinary young talents like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson and, soon, Ivan Demidov.

Of course, in the case of the latter two, there’s still no guarantee that they’ll establish themselves as well in the NHL as the former two. Hutson is off to a great start, but he still has a long way to go to truly be the Habs’ #1 defenseman in the long term. Sergei Gonchar agrees that, yes, Hutson has potential, but he still has a number of important things to polish and improve in his game.

[content-ads] Indeed, as he explained in an interview with RG Media’s Daria Tuboltseva, the former NHL star defenseman sincerely believes that the next few seasons will be critical in Hutson’s development.

For Gonchar, there’s no doubt that Hutson has demonstrated incredible defensive skills, but he will now have to concentrate on building his defensive game and becoming physically stronger.

Author of 811 points in 1301 career NHL games, and former defensive development coach with the Vancouver Canucks, Gonchar knows what he’s talking about, and what he believes will be most important for Hutson is finding a way to toughen up for the playoffs:

“He needs to develop his defensive game and get physically stronger. Cale Makar is tougher. In the playoffs, toughness is the key.”

–

Sergei Gonchar

So it’s understandable that despite Hutson’s incredible 66-point rookie season, in addition to his Calder Trophy, Gonchar remains cautious and has some reservations. The Canadiens’ Russian former defenseman (2014-2015) certainly sees great potential in Hutson, but he believes the latter will have to work hard to be a complete defenseman despite his size. Fortunately, we all know that Hutson works extremely hard, and never stops.

He’s always on the ice, and that was the case this summer once again, so we can be sure that #48 knows what he needs to improve and fine-tune in his game.[spacer title=’En Rafale’] – Bravo!

– Big foul from the ghost!

– Whew. That’s tough…

– To be continued for those interested.

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“No commissioner has more power over his sport than Gary Bettman”

The NHL is doing well and is in good financial health, and one of the reasons for this success is Gary Bettman. The commissioner has been in office since 1993, and has helped turn the National League into a true side-by-side league, with several expansions into the southern and western U.S. Of the four commissioners at the helm of the four biggest sports leagues in North America, Bettman is by far the longest-serving, and according to Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Toughts podcast, the one with the most power over his sport

Would Bettman, after 32 years at the helm of the NHL, have too much control over the league and the owners? Friedman says that would be one of the reasons why Fenway Sports Group put the Pittsburgh Penguins club up for sale for $1.75 billion.

Fenway Sports Group also owns the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC and RFK Racing, and the organization is used to having more control over its teams. The departure of David Beeston, the group’s leading hockey fan, also contributed to the loss of interest in an NHL team.

Nonetheless, Fenway Sports Group will make a good move with the team, which the company acquired in November 2021 for $900 million and could resell for almost double that amount four years later.

[content-ads]No worse investment!However, one might wonder about Bettman’s stranglehold on the NHL. Does the commissioner have too much control over his sport?

And if so, is this a problem for the NHL? We know he can be stubborn at times, as we saw with the Phoenix Coyotes, but on the whole, most of his decisions have been beneficial to the League, so it’s hard to be critical of all his work.

However, after 32 years at the helm of the National League, it might be time to bring a new, younger vision to hockey [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Montreal CF win.

– Magnifique!

Dante

– The winning goal.

– A 62-yard punt!

– A Québécois podium.

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Matt Rempe could finally fight Milan Lucic

Recently, we learned that the St. Louis Blues have granted Milan Lucic a professional tryout. The tough guy hasn’t played in the NHL since the start of the 2023-24 season. First, he injured his ankle, but was also arrested by the police for domestic violence while rehabilitating… What’s more, he also went through the player assistance program.

In short, he’ll have to prove that he still belongs in the NHL at the Blues’ next camp before he can return to the NHL. And if he manages to sign a contract for the season, he’d already have an opponent to face. Last summer, during an autograph session, Matt Rempe was asked which player he’d like to face in a fight, and his answer was Lucic

[content-ads]Knowing all this about Lucic, Rempe will finally get his wish, if Lucic manages to carve out a spot in St. Louis. Rempe is known for taking on the toughest in the NHL, without necessarily having much success in general. He takes too many big hits and when he faced Mathieu Olivier, he understood that fighting in the NHL doesn’t just require a big frame.

Having thrown down the gauntlet against Olivier, Ryan Reaves, Arber Xhekaj, Nicolas Deslauriers, Dylan McIlrath and more, he could add to his resume by taking on Lucic.It would round out his fighting portfolio nicely, even if Lucic isn’t the same guy he used to be.

Although Lucic is now 37, he’s still a tough guy, and Rempe shouldn’t take him lightly, otherwise it could hurt… a lot. On the other hand, not only does Lucic have to make the club in St. Louis, but he also has to be dressed when the Blues take on the New York Rangers. What’s more, Rempe still has things to prove, as he was still shuttling between the club-school and the NHL in 2024-25. In short, the chances of this happening are slim, but they’re not impossible. Overtime] – Gerard Gallant introduced himself to his new KHL team:

– These are some… interesting choices.

– Worth reading. There’

– Good news for the Blue Jays.