Author: Dose

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Kuznetsov: There’s a reason why he hasn’t signed a contract yet

The Canadiens acquired Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders.

The Habs were also able to pick up Zachary Bolduc from St. Louis, a guy with great potential who could really help the club offensively.

But there’s one thing the Habs haven’t been able to do so far. And you see me coming…

No, Kent Hughes hasn’t achieved the goal he set himself at the end of the season.

The GM is still looking for a guy who can play center on the 2nd line… and Evgeny Kuznetsov has been the talk of the town in recent days. The CH is interested in him… but you also have to remember that the Russian isn’t the Habs’ #1 option right now.

Eric Engels explained it well on Tony Marinaro’s podcast, after all: there’s a reason why Kuznetsov hasn’t signed a contract yet.

He’s not a priority for any club… and he’s not proving to be a super enticing option either.

Does Kuznetsov have what it takes to fill a 2nd center spot in Montreal?

That’s the main question on my mind.

He scored 37 points in 39 games last season in Russia (along with Ivan Demidov), and the talent is there. He’s 33 and it’s not as if he can’t keep up either.

But… let’s not forget that in 23-24, his production dropped drastically. He racked up 24 points (eight goals) in 63 games with the Capitals and Hurricanes: we agree that’s not… extraordinary for a player renowned for his offensive style.

Oh, and there’s also the “attitude” factor, because we know he doesn’t necessarily have a great reputation. And we know that in Montreal, it’s often more difficult for these players…

The bottom line is that Kuznetsov shouldn’t be the CH’s #1 option.

IF the Habs can’t get their hands on another guy and Kuznetsov is willing to accept a very minimal contract to play in Montreal, fine.

But don’t think of him as the silver bullet. He’ll be a last-resort solution… and that’s okay, too.

In gusto

– Meh.

– Scary stuff.

– Bon.

– Nice contract.

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Joshua Roy: it’s reassuring to see that he knows time is running out

Joshua Roy is at a crossroads. Whereas this time last year, he had a training camp spot to lose, this year, a place with the big club would be almost an achievement for him.

He had no one to blame but himself for his under-performance last season, and he’s determined to avoid a repeat in 2025-2026.

As the team progresses, he’s well aware that he needs to arrive at camp more ready than ever.

“It’s going really well. It’s going to be a big summer, it’s probably going to be my most important season,” he told reporters at the Jonathan Huberdeau Golf Tournament.

He added that he was smart enough to realize that he still had a lot of work to do to get a permanent NHL job, but that he was willing to do whatever it took.

It’s reassuring to have Roy’s realization. He definitely has the talent to play in the NHL. The rest, , is up to him. His work ethic and consistency on the ice must now follow. If all the elements are in place, he can look forward to a career in the Bettman circuit, here or elsewhere.

I no longer believe he belongs with the Habs, at least not in the short term. Perhaps a trade would be the best thing for him. He could serve as a complementary piece for a transaction to get a second center for the team.

Overtime

– Podcast to listen to.

– He’s making a name for himself.

– The Alouettes are going to have to bounce back.

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Hurricanes: the club unveils a cap with a “Canadiens” logo

In the “ouch, not sure” category, the Carolina Hurricanes have just won the award for the day and maybe even for the week.

They’ve teamed up with MLB Raleigh, an organization dedicated to bringing MLB baseball to North Carolina, to create a baseball cap.

The problem is, the logo on the cap bears a strong resemblance to the Canadiens’ early logos.

The colors are different and the letters “C” and “H” represent the team’s initials, but all the same, we’ll pass for originality.

I wonder who could have approved such a decision. You don’t have to look far to know that the Habs had a similar logo in their early days.

These caps should be available in a week’s time, but I wonder if the team will reconsider its decision.

First of all, I don’t think that having a logo on a cap that resembles that of a rival would be well received by an NHL organization.

Secondly, could the Habs take legal action against this logo? The resemblance is pretty striking, that’s for sure.

It’s amazing that the Hurricanes are still linked to the Habs in such an unusual way. We’ve had the “Sebastian Aho” saga, the “Jesperi Kotkaniemi” saga and now this cap.

Overtime

– The Jays are on fire.

– Very true.

– He did well in Colorado.

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The Canadiens currently have no scouts assigned to the QMJHL

The subject of Québécois players with the Canadiens is one that always gets people talking. The fact that the Habs are based in Québéc puts pressure on them to seek out Québécois talent and, as far as possible, make them part of their squad.

Next year, for example, the club should be counting on four Québécois in Zachary Bolduc, Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier and Samuel Montembeault. Samuel Blais could also be there, but his position is not guaranteed.

As a result, the club often looks to the QMJHL for talent. At the last draft, for example, Alexis Cournoyer and Carlos Händel were selected by the Habs.

However, the TVA Sports website made an interesting discovery today: when you look at the Habs hockey operations staff, there is no scout assigned to the QMJHL.

Donald Audette, who used to occupy that role, now has the title of “professional scout”. His focus is on players already in the pros rather than prospects.

Serge Boisvert, another Québécois scout, occupies a “multi-territorial international” role. So he doesn’t seem to be focusing on the QMJHL.

On the site, Albie O’Connell is listed as head scout in North America, while Ben Shutron is assigned to Canada. Joey Tenute, Mark Mullen and Nick Carrière are three of the organization’s other amateur scouts whose work location is not specified on the team’s website.

It’s safe to assume that Martin Lapointe, who is the department’s big boss (along with Nick Bobrov), is aware of what’s going on in the QMJHL. That said, at the moment, the Canadiens’ official website seems to indicate that there isn’t a single scout assigned to the QMJHL within the organization.

It’s quite peculiar, we agree… especially when experts are projecting a guy like Xavier Villeneuve, who plays with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, as a Habs pick in the next draft.

Overtime

– Will Martin Necas move again?

– Ilya Sorokin traded to Utah for 4th pick: reportedly circulated at last draft.

– That’s right.

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L.J. Mooney: a serious knee injury helped him fall in the draft

For the past few days, L.J. Mooney has been a popular prospect in Montreal. The diminutive forward, selected in the fourth round of the last draft, impressed at the development camp.

Colleague Marc-Olivier Cook, who was on hand, noted how Mooney shone on the ice during the camp.

But of course, talent has never been an issue with Mooney. We knew he was brilliant on the ice, but there were factors that caused him to fall in the draft regardless.

The most obvious, of course, is his size. He’s (really) not big, and in an NHL where the Panthers’ big players have just won back-to-back Stanley Cups, small players aren’t popular.

However, as we learn from a report by Nicolas Cloutier (TVA Sports), there are other reasons for all this, including a serious knee injury sustained last year.

Nick Fohr, who managed Mooney in the U.S. National Development Program, acknowledged that this injury, sustained early in the season, bothered Mooney during the year. You have to wonder how much it slowed him down, but it was a factor.

And it goes back to another reason mentioned by Cloutier: the fact that the forward has difficulty avoiding big checks. This is a particular strength of Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson, but also of most smaller players.

It makes sense, after all: these players usually learn to compensate for their small stature by being good at avoiding hits, which limits their chances of serious injury. But in Mooney’s case, that’s a shortcoming.

Hopefully, the kid ‘s knee won’t be a problem in the future, but more importantly, he’ll learn to be better at avoiding shots. He’s capable of playing physical, but his small stature means he’s more at risk of serious injury in the event of a good check.

Maybe guys like Caufield and Hutson could help him with that, you know…

Overtime

– Nice read.

– This was circulated at the time. Nick Suzuki would never have arrived in Montreal if that transaction had taken place.

– Read more.

– Will he be traded by the end of the month?

– To watch.

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Back to the KHL: Bob Hartley accepted the job to honor the memory of his late friend

Last Friday, we learned from Russia that Bob Hartley would be making a comeback behind the bench of a KHL team, Lokomotiv. This came as a surprise to many, given that we knew he had retired from coaching, but he obviously got the bug again.

And after all, knowing Hartley, no one was really surprised to see him back behind the bench: he eats hockey.

Today, however, we learned that it wasn’t for nothing that he decided to come out of retirement with Lokomotiv. For those who remember, it was Lokomotiv who were the victims of a plane crash that took the lives of almost all the members of the team.

And of the lot, there was Brad McCrimmon, the club’s coach (who didn’t have time to manage a single match), who died in the crash. And via BPM Sports, Hartley explained that it was to honor the memory of McCrimmon, a close friend, that he accepted this position.

Running the club that McCrimmon was to practice was something that spoke to him.

We don’t know if the coach’s contract is a multi-year one, but for the time being, Hartley will have the chance to lead the club that his friend was supposed to lead some fifteen years ago.

And he’ll be well paid for it: he’ll earn just over 2 million US dollars a year, a higher salary than many players in Russia.

Hartley also arrives at the helm of a team that has just won top honors in Russia and will be largely unchanged from last year. He will therefore have the opportunity to be at the helm of a team that should be competitive in an environment he knows well in Russia.

Lifting the Gagarin Cup at the helm of the team his good friend was to lead would be a fine way of honouring him.

Overtime

– What do you think?

– Very cool!

– Retirement for Tyler Johnson.

– He was in complete control against world #1 Jannik Sinner. Too bad.

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2026 Olympics: Nick Suzuki in NHL.com’s projected lineup, but not Samuel Montembeault

More and more, we’re starting to prepare for the 2026 Olympics, when NHL players will be making their comeback. We’re wondering what the different teams will look like, and in Montreal, we’re trying to figure out who will join Juraj Slafkovský and take part in the competition.

Slaf was among the first six players chosen by Slovakia, but no other Habs player was among the first six chosen by his country.

The NHL’s official website has been making these projections for some time. For the United States, for example, Cole Caufield was selected, but not Lane Hutson.

On the Canadian side, however, it’s also interesting to look at all this. We know that the Habs are banking on Nick Suzuki, Noah Dobson and Samuel Montembeault, all of whom have a chance of going…

But according to the league’s website, Suzuki is the only one currently on the projected roster.

It’s interesting in that Montembeault represented the country at the 4 Nations Confrontation. He was the team’s third goalie at the time and didn’t see any action, but he was still the team’s pick a few months ago.

Logan Thompson, who had a big campaign in Washington, would take his place.

As for Dobson, the site notes that the defender has a real chance of making his mark if he makes a strong start to the season in Montreal. Pietrangelo’s absence means that there’s a position opening up on the right, and there could be competition between guys like Dobson, Evan Bouchard and Mackenzie Weegar, among others.

The site has Bouchard ahead of us at the moment, but we feel that this position is subject to competition.

As for Suzuki, we know that the fact that he excels over 200 feet makes him an interesting candidate. He can excel in both an offensive and defensive role, and his versatility could help him gain points in this race.

His strong finish to the season after being ignored by Team Canadiens at the 4 Nations Confrontation doesn’t hurt either.

We’ll have to wait and see, but if the NHL website’s projected line-ups are anything to go by, only the Habs’ first line will be taking part in the 2026 Olympics. Let’s see if other players can make their mark in the coming months.

Overtime

– He’s a popular player.

– Gavin McKenna will play at Penn State this season.

– It’s true.

– We wish him the best.

– Dougie Hamilton: a name to watch.

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Joe Veleno: According to Tony Marinaro, the Habs have abandoned the project

Joe Veleno’s name has been circulating in Montreal for a few days now.

But that doesn’t mean he’ll be playing for the Canadiens next season.

In fact… we can forget it, according to Tony Marinaro.

In a tweet, Marinaro reports that Habs officials have evaluated the possibility of bringing him to town. Veleno has some interesting qualities, he’s young… and signing him to a respectable contract wouldn’t have been the biggest risk on earth.

But according to Marinaro, the Canadiens have decided to pass on Veleno.

Veleno’s camp has been in talks with the Habs, Avalanche and Predators since last week.

Clearly, the Habs felt it best to move on to another call.

They didn’t seem to think it was best to bring him to Montreal (even on a small contract), and perhaps that’s because there are already plenty of forwards in town right now.

After all, the Canadiens are counting on…

  • Nick Suzuki
  • Cole Caufield
  • Juraj Slafkovsky
  • Patrik Laine
  • Alex Newhook
  • Kirby Dach
  • Jake Evans
  • Brendan Gallagher
  • Josh Anderson
  • Samuel Blais
  • Zachary Bolduc
  • Ivan Demidov

Already there are 12 guys who could be in the line-up from the first game of next season. And there are also some prospects in Laval who will be fighting for a spot: Owen Beck, Joshua Roy, Oliver Kapanen…

Perhaps, in the end, the Canadiens felt they already had the resources to complete their bottom-6 , even if another left-handed center wouldn’t have hurt. The argument is different for the top-6, because Kent Hughes is still looking for a good quality player… but hey.

Obviously, Joe Veleno in Montreal… forget it.

Overtime

– Hiring in Tampa Bay.

– A new role for Joel Bouchard.

– Right.

– Whew.

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Betting sites: Habs to select 8th overall in upcoming draft

The Canadiens made the playoffs last season.

And it was a surprise, in fact, because we didn’t see the club succeeding in this mission.

One thing’s for sure: the rebuilding is going the right way.

On the other hand, it’s impossible to predict how the Canadiens will perform in the coming campaign.

Technically, we can expect to see some progress… because on paper, the team will be better with the additions of Noah Dobson and Zachary Bolduc.

But that doesn’t mean a playoff spot is guaranteed either. And according to several betting sites – which is what Corey Pronman based his 2026 mock draft on – the Canadiens will select 8th overall in June 2027.

It would not be good news to see the Canadiens take a step backwards like this.

The team needs to get better every year… and that’s how they’ll one day get to where they want to be.

But in Pronman’s article, there’s also an interesting element to the fact that the Habs would select at No. 8: the prospects expert would see the Canadiens selecting Xavier Villeneuve, a small defenseman (5’10 and 150 lbs.) who’s been very successful in the QMJHL.

We’re talking about a mobile player with an excellent skating stroke, really quick hands and a simply undeniable offensive flair.

His style is very, very similar to Lane Hutson.

That’s where I have some questions, because the Habs don’t need two players like Lane Hutson. Especially with Noah Dobson having just arrived…

Clearly, it’s too early to make plans for the next draft because we don’t know how the Canadiens will come out in 25-26.

But, knowing that some see the club drafting in the top-10 is still special.

And to know that the Canadiens could select a left-handed defenseman from Quebec, when the organization is counting on a lot of depth at that position… that’s pretty special, too.

Overtime

– Bedsy works hard.

– For sure.

– He’s (definitely) not the first to say so.

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Frank Seravalli: “Mike Matheson could get traded”

There are two ways of looking at the idea of trading Mike Matheson.

1. The Canadiens are counting on him, and the defenseman has an important role in the lineup. If Kaiden Guhle gets injured,the depth on the left side of the defense becomes more fragile… and the Canadiens can’t necessarily expect much success if that happens.

2. Matheson has value on the market and right now, the Habs are looking for a guy who can play on the top-6 – preferably a center. The Québécois could be used in a trade to fill that hole.

But what’s really catching our attention is the fact that we’re hearing Matheson’s name in a number of rumours.

And the latest was shared by Frank Seravalli on the Kevin Karius podcast: Matheson could be traded at some point in the next few months (or before the next trade deadline).

Seravalli linked this to the salary demands of the main interested party, saying that if Matheson charges too much, the defenseman could change his address.

The Canadiens have a certain payroll structure, and we know that Kent Hughes wants to respect it.

That said, if Matheson wants to stay in Montreal but is too greedy about his next contract… that could change things too.

On the other hand, we know that the defenseman likes it here and has said in the past that he’d like to play for the Canadiens. Here again, he recognizes the fact that he has an important role in the city (even if it could diminish over the next few years) and Matheson is also aware of the fact that he could be part of a good club in Montreal over the next few years.

So I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens, but I also have a feeling that Kent Hughes isn’t going to send him away just like that.

If Matheson is traded, it will be for a quality player who can help the Canadiens right now.

And if Kent Hughes deems it best to keep him because he doesn’t have what he wants on the market, we could also expect to see Matheson sign a contract extension by next summer, when his deal is up.

Overtime

– Two names to watch for the Penguins.

– Bruins goalie enjoys his summer.

– Can’t wait to see this.

– Well done.