Author: Dose

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Jacob Fowler really does rank higher than Jakub Dobes among prospects (by The Athletic)

Canadiens fans are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Jacob Fowler in Montreal.

In fact, ever since he was drafted, there’s been this aura around the American. Everyone feels that if he develops well, he has the potential to become an excellent goaltender.

It won’t happen right away, because prospects need time, but still.

Fowler did well in his two seasons in Boston, in the NCAA, and he was also good in Laval at the end of the season. He didn’t break everything (which is normal, at his age), but he showed that he’s up to the task.

With just a few months to go before his first full season in the pros, his popularity in the NHL hasn’t waned – quite the contrary.

According to Scott Wheeler, who covers prospects for The Athletic, Fowler is the second-best prospect among goalies who belong to an NHL team.

Yaroslav Askarov (Sharks) is first. And the two goalies are the only ones in Wheeler’s “Category 1”, meaning they’re in a class of their own, in effect.

Basically, this means the Canadiens have Ivan Demidov, who is in the top-3 of all The Athletic prospects, David Reinbacher (a stud at the blue line) and Fowler in front of the net who all have little or no NHL experience. #TheFutureIsRose

Regarding Fowler, Wheeler repeated what he often says.

He’s the kind of goalie that, if he sees the puck and can move, will stop it. – Scott Wheeler on Jacob Fowler

Note that the top-20 analyst has two goalies in his #1 category, 16 goalies in his #2 category… and Jakub Dobes is 19th, in the third category (out of three) of the ranking.

Wheeler doesn’t see the Habs’ backup goalie of last season at all in the same class as Fowler.

overtime

– Please note.

– Indeed.

– The Baseball All-Star Game is tonight.

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David Ettedgui: Sidney Crosby was strongly advised against coming to Montreal

The name Sidney Crosby refuses to die in Montreal.

Will the legendary Penguins center-forward ever play a game for the Canadiens? We know that many people in Montreal would like to see that happen.

If the past is any indication of the future, you’d think not.

The reason I say this is that, according to David Ettedgui, who tweeted on the subject, Crosby was “strongly” advised against going to Montreal by a former Habs player.

Without that, the odds were good he’d be in town as a free agent eight years ago, according to the former agent.

Crosby was never a free agent, and his contract that just expired was for 12 years, not eight. Did Ettedgui forget to take this into consideration, knowing that contracts are now limited in terms of years?

Or would Crosby have waited to sign long-term in Pennsylvania (he signed in June 2012 to stay from 2013 to 2025) if he had really wanted to come to Montreal and hadn’t been discouraged otherwise, as Ettedgui points out?

Sidney Crosby is fine where he is in Pittsburgh. And to change teams would mean risking a situation where he wouldn’t fit in / where things are done differently.

In Pittsburgh, he knows what to expect. But he also knows to expect defeat…

For added context, let’s remember that in the summer of 2012, Marc Bergevin was the club’s GM. But he had just arrived to replace Pierre Gauthier and had just named Michel Therrien as coach. Crosby knows Therrien well, of course.

All that to say, the important thing is to ask yourself what Crosby thinks of the current Canadiens, not of Pierre Gauthier or Marc Bergevin. And the Kid won Olympic gold with Martin St-Louis.

overtime

– Really?

– Justin Carbonneau wanted to stay loyal to the Armada. [98.5 Sports]

– Nice photo.

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Canadiens: one of the only teams currently over the salary cap

Salary cap warnings.

In summer, the 32 Bettman Circuit teams can exceed the salary cap by 10%. But by the first day of the season, everything must be back to normal, of course.

Why is this? To give teams flexibility in building their rosters.

In Montreal, the desire to avoid placing Carey Price on the off-season injured list (there are advantages to waiting until the first day of the season) means that a lot of off-season work is cut.

Not surprisingly, on Cap Wages, the Habs are one of only three clubs currently over the salary cap. The Panthers and Canucks are in the same boat, according to the site.

(Credit: Cap Wages)

Not all sites calculate the salary cap in the same way. But even so, on PuckPedia, there are three teams currently over the cap… and the Habs are one of them.

The calculation is different, since CW doesn’t necessarily count Laval’s youngsters, while PP adds Oliver Kapanen and Joshua Roy to the line-up right now, in order to have a more realistic roster. But either way, the Habs are over the cap.

(Credit: Puck Pedia)

Whichever way you look at it, Kent Hughes has less leeway than before. He can thank Geoff Molson for agreeing to spend so much: not every owner wants that, with the cap rising.

The difference with 2022, when Hughes took over as GM? There were more big, heavy contracts. There are still some today (Carey Price, Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson), but time is taking its toll and these contracts are less onerous than they used to be.

The big contracts today are mostly those of younger guys who will be there to try and win the Stanley Cup and who are part of the core.

The addition of Noah Dobson and the signing of Juraj Slafkovsky and Kaiden Guhle are examples, as are Nick Suzuki (signed by Marc Bergevin) and Cole Caufield.

The club may not have a lot of clout, but the lineup is shaping up nicely. But it’s clear that going after Jordan Kyrou, for example, wouldn’t be easy, since you’d have to free up some salary to do it.

Remember that the Habs must also sign Jayden Struble, but that the American defenseman won’t be asking for the moon and won’t drastically change the Canadiens’ salary structure.

overtime

– It was a good contest.

– Nice.

– Wow.

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Sidney Crosby’s future: “You can’t dismiss the Kings too quickly”

Sidney Crosby has certainly been the talk of the town for some time now.

Many wonder if he’ll finish his career in Pittsburgh, or if he’ll decide to go elsewhere to get another shot at the Stanley Cup.

Because, yes, it’s Crosby who will decide his future in the NHL.

Obviously, the Montreal Canadiens have been linked to the generational player, as he has already mentioned Montreal as a possible destination to end his career. Not to mention the fact that he grew up a Habs fan.

The Colorado Avalanche were also seen as a potential destination, because Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon know each other very well.

But the Avalanche don’t necessarily have what it takes to acquire #87, unlike the Habs.

On the Shaun Starr Show, Marco D’Amico made it clear that we shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss the Los Angeles Kings from the equation.

Here’s the clip.

D’Amico spoke briefly about Pat Brisson, Sidney Crosby’s agent, and there are certainly connections to be made between the Kings and Brisson.

First, although not really a factor, Brisson has lived in Los Angeles for quite some time. He knows the city very well and could undoubtedly give Crosby some tips on the big Californian city.

But what really comes into play is that Pat Brisson is a very good friend not only of Luc Robitaille, the Kings’ President of Hockey Operations, but also of Marc Bergevin, the Kings’ Senior Advisor to the GM.

Brisson is a long-time friend of both of these fairly influential Los Angeles Kings, so this would definitely give the Kings an edge over the vast majority of other NHL teams.

What’s more, Los Angeles is a very desirable sports market, and that could attract Crosby.

When you can finish your glorious career in California with a franchise like the Kings, you think about it more than once.

On the other hand, D’Amico adds the fact that the Kings are doing a fantastic job of destroying their prospect bank, so there aren’t many interesting prospects to offer the Penguins.

Goaltender Carter George is one of the Pens‘ most attractive prospects, but don’t discount Liam Greentree (26th overall in 2024), who racked up 119 points this season in the OHL.

He has also amassed 24 points, including 14 goals, in 11 playoff games.

Pittsburgh will certainly want to target these two prospects to replenish its prospect bank.

Overtime

– Speaking of Crosby.

– Great news for Buffalo and Byram.

– For those who want to rinse their eyes.

– Read more.

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“K’Andre Miller will be better in Carolina than Noah Dobson will be in Montreal”

Noah Dobson is in Montreal to bolster the Canadiens’ defensive brigade, especially on the right flank.

The Montreal club saw David Savard retire, and although he was no longer the David Savard of the golden years, he played an extremely important role on the team.

Dobson’s latest season has many worried, but it’s worth bearing in mind that the Islanders were the fifth-worst team in terms of goals per game last year.

Only 2.71 goals per game, you don’t get very far with that.

And let’s not forget that the Islanders’ defensemen took issue with Patrick Roy’s defensive system.

There’s another important defenseman who changed addresses via transaction this summer: K’Andre Miller.

The former New York Rangers defenseman is now a member of the Carolina Hurricanes and will play an important role in the top-4.

On this subject, Jonny Lazarus of Daily Faceoff made a rather surprising statement.

According to him, Miller will be better in Carolina than Dobson in Montreal.

However, Lazarus points out that Dobson is a better defenseman than Miller, but the impact Miller will have with his new team will be greater than the impact of the Habs newcomer.

Lazarus added to his point by saying that the Hurricanes’ style, the way they play, is more suited to the left-handed defenseman, but he sees it mostly in the long term.

“I think four years from now, the way we talk about K’Andre Miller will be very different than it is today.” – Jonny Lazarus

That’s a fair point, and it’s hard to compare the two defensemen, since they play two completely different styles.

But I’m still of the opinion that Miller won’t have a bigger impact than Dobson, even if the latter probably won’t get any playing time on the first powerplay.

He will, however, have a very important 5-on-5 role, will bring some offense and could be the quarterback on the second wave of the powerplay. He will play on this wave with good offensive players such as Kirby Dach, Zachary Bolduc and possibly Mike Matheson and Alex Newhook.

He has an imposing frame too, although he’s not the most physical player on the ice and will still be able to clean up in front of the net in his own zone.

He also has a cannonball that will mystify his opponents.

In short, Montreal has acquired an excellent defenseman, possibly a top-7 right-handed defenseman in the NHL, which is worth a lot in a team like the Habs that lacks right-handed defensemen.

Overtime

– Pastrnak is certainly one of the NHL’s best forwards.

– Elias Pettersson takes the blame for his disappointing season.

– Bummer.

– Quite surprising.

– Now that’s a slap in the face.

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Mike Morreale sees Zachary Bolduc as a very promising player this season

Many wonder how the Montreal Canadiens will fare in 2025-26.

We know the team is young, and the departure of veterans like David Savard, Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak certainly hurts.

On the other hand, there have been some fine additions this summer, and the club can also count on Ivan Demidov to electrify every game as a rookie.

Zachary Bolduc is undoubtedly a very interesting acquisition, as he has a flair for scoring goals and can also contribute physically.

However, few see him as a player who can surprise for the 2025-26 season.

In a recent article on the NHL website, Mike Morreale named players who could explode this season, and Bolduc is on that list.

As Morreale mentions, not only is he a promising goal-scorer, but he’ll certainly have a bigger role in Montreal and more playing time per game.

And there’s always the possibility of seeing him play with a certain Ivan Demidov (who, incidentally, is seen as the next Kucherov), a combination I’d prioritize at the start of the season. With a center like Kirby Dach, it would make a really intriguing line-up.

What’s more, NHL Fantasy has compiled a list of the best players aged 23 and under in the Atlantic Division, and Bolduc ranks 8th.

However, what really stands out is that the Habs have FOUR players in the top-8 of this ranking.

The Habs are on a roll this season.

It’s really impressive to see so many players from the same club invading the standings like this.

We know that the Habs’ core is very young, but to see Lane Hutson at the top and especially Demidov (who has only played seven games in his career) in 7th place says a lot about the club’s future.

To these four players aged 23 and under, we add a core made up of Nick Suzuki (25), Noah Dobson (25), Cole Caufield (24) and Kaiden Guhle (23).

The future is (very) bright in Montreal.

Overtime

– This is a beautiful drawing.

– Tony Marinaro got to drink in the Stanley Cup thanks to Roberto Luongo.

– Imagine Erik Karlsson returning to Ottawa.

– Interesting.

– Read more.

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“Some see Ivan Demidov becoming the next Nikita Kucherov”

At the end of the season, we got a taste of Ivan Demidov with the Canadiens. The talented young Russian forward only played a handful of games in Montreal, but already we could see the talent coming out of his ears.

He wasn’t quite ready for the NHL, and that’s perfectly normal. But having had a taste of it, he’s better prepared for the season ahead.

That said, in 2025-26, Demidov will spend the entire season in Montreal. We’ll have the chance to see him shine for 82 games… and, above all, to see just how much he has the potential to change everything in Montreal.

Because yes, Demidov has that kind of potential. And in a text on the NHL website, where they present the players most likely to explode in 2025-26, Mike Morreale names Demidov and adds this about him:

Some see [Ivan Demidov] becoming the next Nikita Kucherov. – Mike Morreale

Kucherov is unquestionably one of the NHL’s best forwards, with 113, 144 and 121 points respectively in his last three seasons. He’s one of the best playmakers of his generation and has an almost unrivalled offensive flair.

He’s almost indisputably one of the top five forwards on the Bettman circuit, after all.

And that just goes to show how much potential Demidov has as a young player. There are ways for him to have a great career without necessarily becoming as dominant as Kucherov, but he has the potential to become that kind of player.

It’s not for nothing that he’s the stuff of dreams in Montreal, after all.

In the same article, Zachary Bolduc is also mentioned as a player who could explode in 2025-26. Shawn P. Roarke, who chatted about Bolduc, sees him taking a step forward into a bigger role in Montreal.

He wouldn’t be surprised to see him reach the 25-goal plateau.

So, there’s reason to be excited about Montreal’s young group of forwards, but Demidov will undoubtedly be the most talked-about guy in the coming months. He’s a special talent the likes of which the Canadiens have rarely seen in recent years.

And if he reaches the level of a Nikita Kucherov, the Habs will really, really be on the road.

Overtime

– Speaking of the wolf.

– Another big name to watch at the next draft.

– Nice photo.

– Ah.

– Too bad for Montreal.

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For Jeff Gorton, the acquisition of Noah Dobson is similar to that of Artemi Panarin

Noah Dobson was the Habs’ big acquisition this summer. The club had been looking for a true top-notch right-handed defenseman for a very long time (in fact, ever since Shea Weber retired), and in Dobson they got a player who fits the bill.

He’s not the same player as Weber, obviously, but he’s a top-tier right-handed defenseman in the Bettman circuit. And that’s worth its weight in gold.

That said, the acquisition of Dobson also sends a big message: the Canadiens are ready to make some big moves to lend credibility to their rebuilding project. And Dobson, in the eyes of many, is a prime example of this: the Habs paid for a big name.

And it’s not unlike another acquisition made by Jeff Gorton in another life: that of Artemi Panarin as a free agent while with the Rangers. Speaking to The Basu and Godin Notebook, Gorton was asked if he saw any parallels between the two acquisitions.

And the Canadiens’ VP hockey admits that, while he didn’t see it that way at first, it’s true that there are similarities between the two.

The two players don’t play the same position and weren’t acquired in the same way, of course, but both came to the team at a time when it wanted to give credibility to its rebuilding project and seemed ready to turn the corner. In that sense, then, there are some very interesting parallels to be drawn between these two players.

And just as Panarin wanted to play in New York, Dobson wanted to play in Montreal. That’s another thing they have in common.

Gorton admits he hopes Dobson will have the same impact on the Habs as Panarin had on the Rangers, and he’s far from the only one in Montreal hoping for that. The defenseman was acquired with great fanfare, after all, and if he plays up to his immense talent, he could change the game in Montreal.

And with a squad already banking on Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle (and, in the longer term, David Reinbacher), it’s starting to look pretty solid on the blue line.

Overtime

– Speaking of Habs defensemen.

– Well deserved.

– What do you think?

– New contract for Garrett Wilson with the Jets.

– Great read on Gabriel Diallo.

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Top-100 prospects (The Athletic): Ivan Demidov ranks 3rd

Even though he only played a few games in the NHL (regular season and playoffs), we saw Ivan Demidov’s talent.

Some were quick to wonder why he slipped all the way to No. 5 in the 2024 draft… and that’s likely to be the case for years to come.

He’s that good.

Demidov is one of the NHL’s top prospects, and that’s no secret.

Scott Wheeler, who is an expert in this field, decided to make his annual top-100 list of the NHL’s best prospects (who have already been drafted)… and Demidov’s name comes in at #3.

Matthew Schaefer (#1) and Michael Misa (#2) are ranked ahead of him.

The list also includes David Reinbacher (39th) and Michael Hage (51st) among the Canadiens’ prospects:

Seeing the Habs have three prospects in the top-51 is still telling.

And to see the Habs have one in the top-3… so is it.

In Demidov’s case, it’s special because we quickly realized that he has the skills to become an impact player in the National League before too long.

He picked up a point in his very first appearance on the ice… and a goal in his third against the Chicago Blackhawks.

And we agree: Demidov’s first goal was simply magnificent.

Canadiens fans have reason to be excited about what’s to come with Ivan Demidov now in Montreal for the next few years.

He looked good at the end of last season… and I have a feeling it’s going to be the same in 25-26.

I can’t wait to see how he does, and I know I’m not the only one on my island who thinks that way.

Overtime

– Interesting.

– Eh boy.

– Nice shot.

– The end of an era.

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Calendar 25-26: The Canadiens’ season kicks off on October 8

The more things go on, the closer the Canadiens’ season gets.

Agreed: we’ll have to wait a few more months to see the 25-26 campaign take off in the National League.

But it’s going to happen sooner than we think…

The Canadiens’ schedule will be released on Wednesday, but The Hockey News has already got its hands on one of the copies.

And there are a few important things to know:

  • Game 1 in Toronto (October 8)
  • game 1 at the Bell Centre on October 14 (against the Kraken)
  • 1st trip out West at the end of October
  • 2nd trip out West at the end of November
  • Bolduc to face Blues on December 7
  • Crosby and the Penguins in Montreal on December 20
  • Holiday road trip
  • Only 4 games in February (Olympic Games)
  • Last game of the season on April 12

Ah… and it’s also relevant to know that the Habs will play two games in two nights 17 times (!) next season.

That’s a lot of games. But with the schedule having to be condensed due to the Olympics, it’s normal in a way.

Clearly, the Habs will have to find a way to manage their energy.

17 times we’re going to see back to backs, it’s probably going to be really draining… and it’ll be important for the club to find a way to stay healthy too.

It’s also worth noting that the Canadiens will end their season with two games in two nights, on April 11 and 12.

This means one thing: if the Montreal club is in the thick of the playoff race and hasn’t yet clinched its ticket to the dance by then… these two games are likely to be really interesting for the team’s fans.

It’s likely to be a very important moment in the season, at least.

It promises to be!

In Overtime

– Nice goal.

– Victor Eklund signed his entry-level contract.

– So much the better!