Author: Dose

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Samuel Blais to be recalled on return from Western trip

The Canadiens claimed Samuel Blais in the waivers on Thursday, before sending him to the Laval Rocket a few moments later.

However, Blais’ stay in Laval may be shorter than expected.

During Renaud Lavoie’s appearance on Jean-Charles Lajoie’s JiC show on TVA Sports on Thursday, the two men discussed Blais’ return to the Habs organization. He could be recalled by the Canadiens at the end of their Western trip.

Nothing is confirmed in this case, but it’s an avenue that seems logical.

Two young players recalled from the Laval Rocket are currently playing with the Canadiens: Jared Davidson and Florian Xhekaj. They’re not doing a bad job, but just like at the end of the game against the Mammoth, Martin St-Louis wants to rely on veterans.

Inserting Samuel Blais and Alexandre Texier into the line-up would add a little experience to the Habs’ brigade.

Jean-Charles Lajoie wants to see Samuel Blais with the Canadiens, but he’d also like to keep Davidson and Xhekaj in the lineup. He’d love to see the Habs try to form a fourth line with these three players.

But bringing Blais back to Montreal would mainly serve to send a youngster back to Laval. Davidson and Xhekaj don’t play much with the Habs, but they’d get plenty of playing time with the Rocket.

The Canadiens will soon be facing the Senators and Brady Tkachuk. They’ll need a guy like Blais to bring some physicality to the game. If one of the two youngsters has to stay in this situation, it would probably be Xhekaj, who isn’t afraid to fight.

We’ll have to wait and see how things pan out over the next two games before we have a clear answer, but the idea is far from bad.

Samuel Blais is the kind of player who could bring some toughness and energy to the Canadiens on a fourth line.

He’s also capable of collecting points. He collected three in eight games with the Maple Leafs.

Canadiens fans would also be happy to see a Québécois in action in Montreal. A lot of people liked him during the Habs practice camp.

Overtime

– It would be surprising.

– Florian Xhekaj is doing a great job.

– The Canadiens didn’t panic despite the Mammoth’s three quick goals.

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“Everything points to Alexandre Texier making his debut tomorrow”

Alexandre Texier is set to play his first game in a Canadiens uniform on Friday against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Frenchman reached an agreement with the Canadiens on Sunday, and watched Wednesday’s game from the bridge.

Texier should have a chance to impress Habs management on Friday, according to Renaud Lavoie on TVA Sports’ JiC .

If Texier plays a first game, a Habs forward will have to step up. So we’re keeping an eye on the two players recalled from the Laval Rocket, Jared Davidson and Florian Xhekaj.

For Renaud Lavoie, the decision would be to remove Jared Davidson from the lineup.

Davidson hasn’t done badly, but he still has no points in five games and a minus-2 rating. A game in the stands wouldn’t do him any harm.

Texier isn’t the only veteran forward who could come and stir things up for the Canadiens.

Expect Samuel Blais to be recalled as soon as the Canadiens return from their trip. He was claimed by the Habs in the waivers and sent to the Rocket in the meantime.

This will be Texier’s fourth career game against the Golden Knights. He has collected three points in as many games against the Vegas troupe over the course of his career.

Texier has played eight games this season with the Blues. He collected just one assist during that stretch.

Overtime

– The Canadiens are not a team that gives up easily.

– A beautiful addition to the family.

– He played very well.

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Matheson contract and its non-movement clause : Here’s what you need to know

I have to admit it: I’m happy. Really happy .

Mike Matheson is such an important player for the Canadiens, and nowhe’s in Montreal to stay. The news of his contract extension is really positive for the organization because the Habs need him.

And at that salary… it’s a really good deal too. $6 million a year for a quality defenseman like Matheson: wow!

We wondered if there’d be a no-movement or no-trade clause in his contract, and now we have more details. Here’s what you need to know: for years one to three of his contract, Matheson will have a no-movement clause.

This means he can’t be traded, waived or demoted to the AHL without his consent.

For year four of the contract, Mike Matheson can have a list of 14 teams he doesn’t want to be traded to. And for year five of the contract, the defenseman may have a list of five teams to which he does not wish to be traded.

Oh, and it’s also pertinent to know that $20.8 of the $30M he’ll earn will go to him in signing bonuses. An important detail, nonetheless.

Did Matheson’s full non-movement clause in the first three years of his deal cause his annual salary to drop for the duration of the contract?

Probably.

But in any case, Kent Hughes did a really good job on this one. He knew very well that Matheson wanted to stay in Montreal, he found a way to get along with him at a very respectable salary… and in the end, we’re talking about a deal that’s really pleasant for everyone in town.

For the player, for the organization and for the team’s fans.

And it also shows, in a way, how Matheson has kept his word. He kept saying he wanted to stay here, and maybe he’ll get the chance to finish his career in Montreal too.

There are so many positive elements in this news.

Overtime

– Magnifique.

– Yeah!

– Not crazy.

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Message to Sidney Crosby: Mike Matheson isn’t going anywhere

And then? Are you happy with today’s news?

Mike Matheson is the latest example of a guy who clearly liked the Canadiens’ corporate culture. His five-year contract ($6 million a year) proves it.

Once acquired for Jeff Petry three and a half years ago, the Québécois is home to stay. And he’s happy.

Clearly, the Habs players love the team culture in the club’s locker room. It seems like no one really wants to leave: it’s relatively easy to agree to take a discount to be in Montreal.

But how much of an impact does this have on the rest of the NHL?

I’m sure people across the circuit are spreading the word that it’s cool to play here. After all, even if it’s not obvious right now, the future is rosy.

More than rosy, in fact.

And we’re going to make some connections with Sidney Crosby, since the name of the Penguins legend refuses to die in the city… but also because Mike Matheson’s contract is a game-changer.

Let’s not forget that, according to Renaud Lavoie, the relationship between Matheson and Crosby is excellent… and in order to get Crosby, Matheson may have to sign a contract.

As if the Habs needed another reason to keep Matheson….

Not sure if that still holds up since the Penguins are better than we thought. But if Crosby wants to come to Montreal, he knows that his friend Matheson would be there for the whole thing.

overtime

– Coming up.

– Interesting.

– Good question.

– Good old news control.

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The Canadiens have seven players signed (at least) until 2030

Five years, six million dollars a year for Mike Matheson: it’s a big move by Went Wughes.

So on July 1, instead of becoming a free agent, Matheson will start counting for a little more than his current $4.875 million on the Habs’ lot.

This will be the case until 2031.

And in fact, the Canadiens now have no less than seven players under contract until at least 2030.

That’s more than four years away.

We’re talking about Nick Suzuki, Kaiden Guhle, Mike Matheson, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Noah Dobson and Lane Hutson. Three of these guys (Guhle, Matheson and Caufield) can leave in 2031, which will be a big year.

Starting next summer, these seven guys will be worth a total of $53.23 million.

Defensively speaking, this means that next year, five guys (Hutson, Dobson, Guhle, Matheson as well as Alexandre Carrier, who counts for $3.75M per year until 2027) will earn $33.65M.

The guys who will complete the defensive brigade, barring a drastic change, won’t earn much. So the club’s defense won’t be very intrusive on the payroll.

The team culture is strong. Does Ivan Demidov see this coming and take notes?

So the Canadiens can look ahead to what’s next, knowing that Matheson is here to stay. And unlike all the other guys, his contract only buys years of complete autonomy.

overtime

– Noah Dobson is happy.

– For real?

– It’s truer than ever.

– He’s respected.

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Official: Mike Matheson to earn $6 million a year

In the last few minutes, we learned that the Canadiens had offered Mike Matheson a contract extension. But we still didn’t know how much was attached to the deal.

But now the Canadiens have confirmed it.

In fact, the Québécois will earn just $6 million a year. The new five-year contract will cover the 2026-2027 to 2030-2031 seasons.

We imagine the Canadiens and the player must be happy with the price. Otherwise, there was no press to settle the matter this early in the season.

And at that price, fans can be happy.

Matheson wasn’t really greedy, as he wanted to keep the salary balance and Kent Hughes’ roster under the cap for the next few years.

He could have asked for at least $7 million a year, in my opinion. Even more…

Mike Matheson’s contract is further proof of Montreal’s incredible team culture. After all, to stay at that price, the defenseman had to feel at home in the dressing room.

He’s entering his fourth year, and if he makes it to the end of his contract, he’ll do nine years with the club of his childhood.

This means that at the end of the season, only Patrik Laine, Alex Belzile, Samuel Blais, Nate Clurman, Marc Del Gaizo and Kaapo Kahkonen will be free as a bird in the organization.

The biggest file by far has been settled.

Details to follow…

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Mike Matheson: five-year contract extension, according to David Pagnotta

Excellent news.

According to David Pagnotta, the Montreal Canadiens are on the verge of announcing a five-year contract extension for Mike Matheson.

We knew it was talk, but now it’s more concrete.

Marco D’Amico also spoke on the subject. According to his info, we’re talking about a four- or five-year deal… but he too is talking about a potential announcement today.

Interesting stuff.

Does this mean that negotiations have made good progress recently? Yes, and it’s also likely to mean that they’ve been going on behind the scenes, just as the Canadiens wanted.

Remember that Kent Hughes was his agent when he signed for eight years in Florida in the past.

Details to follow…

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The standings are incredibly tight in the East, with 10 teams separated by just two points

Yesterday was Thanksgiving in the United States. The NHL calendar is therefore representative enough to analyze.

In the East, no fewer than 10 clubs are currently separated by just two points in the overall standings.

You read that correctly.

(Credit: NHL.com)

If you take out the three best and three worst clubs in the Association, all the teams have between 26 and 28 points. So tonight’s games can change everything.

That explains why nobody wants to sell in the East: everybody’s in. Except, like, the Sabres.

The Canadiens are currently on the doorstep of the playoffs, in ninth place in the East. However, the picture could be a little different tomorrow morning.

Every game is important, under the circumstances.

And while the last few weeks have been tough on everyone’s mind, it’s still impressive to see the Habs in such a position, when you put things in perspective.

Why is that? Because the club is so young and played six rookies the day before yesterday. To still be in the playoff mix a quarter of the way through the season isn’t all that bad for a club turning the corner on its rebuild.

Obviously, the hardest part is yet to come, as 3/4 of the season is still to be played. The teams at the bottom of the Eastern standings still have a chance to bounce back.

Nobody’s going to bury the Maple Leafs or the Panthers just yet.

But given that it could come down to just a few points at the end of the season, it’s good to see that the Canadiens are getting a bit of a head start on some of their rivals as the season draws to a close.

Better than the other way around, at least.

overtime

– Good question.

– Normal.

– Four years already.

– Well done.

– Andrei Markov is still loved in town.

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Samuel Blais’ return puts Florian Xhekaj’s place in the NHL in jeopardy

The Canadiens currently have four major injuries: Patrik Laine, Kaiden Guhle, Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook. No return is imminent, let’s face it.

The solutions, for the time being, include recalls (Adam Engstrom, Joshua Roy, Jared Davidson and Florian Xhekaj have all had their chance) from Laval.

There are also a couple of low-cost additions in terms of assets: Frenchman Alexandre Texier and Québécois Samuel Blais, who has just returned to the organization.

Currently, because the Canadiens are out West, Blais has been traded to the Rocket, where he has joined Joshua Roy and others. But it’s logical to believe that his return to the Canadiens is imminent.

If so, it will age a group that is currently very young (six rookies played against the Mammoth) and bring some Stanley Cup-winning experience.

It may help avoid overtaxing certain guys, as we saw in the third period on Wednesday.

But hey. In all of this, we have to look at what the Canadiens will do with their new depth. How will Martin St-Louis deploy it?

Today, it looks like Alexandre Texier will take Jared Davidson’s place against the Golden Knights. We also wonder whether Adam Engstrom will still be in Arber Xhekaj’s chair.

The same questions also apply to the skaters for tomorrow’s game in Colorado.

But the real question is what the Canadiens will do when they return home from Saturday’s game. Because normally, at home, the club is used to keeping only 18 skaters healthy.

And let’s just say that for the next two weeks, the Canadiens will mostly be playing at the Bell Centre.

(Credit: NHL.com)

In any case, we can expect Jared Davidson to return to Laval. And if Blais were to be recalled, would Florian Xhekaj be penalized for keeping only 12 forwards instead of 13?

And if the Canadiens had 13 forwards, who would be the extra? Xhekaj, who deserves a chance to play? Texier, who signed in Montreal to play? Blais, who would have been recalled for nothing? Veleno, who would leave just three centers in the line-up?

It wouldn’t be Veleno. But I name him the same.

Martin St-Louis (and Kent Hughes, who will make the personnel moves between Laval and Montreal) will have plenty to play for. And starting today, he can give Florian Xhekaj the portrait to let him know that he’d better get up early to stay up.

It’s also worth mentioning that defensively speaking, there are seven defensemen with the big club. The Habs don’t like rolling with seven guys when they’re at home since the start of the season.

Arber Xhekaj was reminded that he may work hard off the ice, but it’s his decisions on the ice that put his place in the sun at risk.

In reality, should the Canadiens decide to keep only six guys when they return from the trip, we know that Adam Engstrom would be the one to bail out. But will it happen?

Find out in the next few days.

overtime

– Indeed.

– Interesting stuff.

– Wilfried Nancy: an inspiring story. [BPM Sports]

– It’s not just the Habs playing tonight.

(Credit: Sportsnet)
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Andrei Markov confirms: he had an offer to continue his career in Montreal

Andrei Markov has had quite a career with the Habs. Despite a few serious injuries, he left his mark and will be rightly honoured next week at the Bell Centre. He stopped the clock at 990 games, despite the fact that he would have liked to play many more.

Markov was the guest of La Poche Bleue tonight, and he opened up with a smile about his time in Montreal, and especially the end.

He and the Canadiens didn’t come to an agreement in the summer of 2017, and the Russian defenseman opted to finish his career in his native Russia.

“I remember I had talks with the Habs that year. I wanted to play two years, I wanted to play two years and then retire. They (the Canadiens) only offered me one year” – Andrei Markov

The former No. 79 admitted that the thought of not being able to play 1,000 games with the Habs in the following years had been on his mind, but that since then, it’s all been forgotten.

He’s happy to say he’s played every game with the same organization.

Markov came back to town twice last year with his family and loves it when people still stop to talk to him or ask for a photo.

For me, he’s another player we’ve taken for granted with the Habs. I remember back in 2017 when then GM Marc Bergevin thought his defense was going to be better without Markov. It was a mistake to let him go, especially considering he still had some good hockey to give. The Habs’ defense certainly didn’t improve, and it took a long time to recover.

Then, the Habs should have allowed him to play all 1,000 games, no matter what the circumstances. That was another big mistake. I’m glad to see he’ll be honoured next week. He certainly deserves a big ovation.

Overtime

– The Oilers can’t be patient any longer.

– Another story to follow.

– Good news for the Sens.

– Dany Dubé sees Matheson long-term with the Habs.

– A facet to work on.