Author: Dose

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Kent Hughes: Elliotte Friedman says there isn’t a more aggressive GM

As soon as the Montreal Canadiens’ season came to an end, everyone’s primary goal for the off-season was to get their hands on a second center.

It was pretty clear that this was the mandate Kent Hughes would have between now and the start of the next campaign.

Well, here we are a few months later, and Kent Hughes has improved the team, but has not added the sought-after second center.

While everyone expected the Habs GM to get his hands on a top-6 forward, Hughes went for a top-4 right-handed defenseman in Noah Dobson.

This came as a surprise to many, including Elliotte Friedman, who stated in his final 32 Thoughts episode of the season that Kent Hughes was clearly the most active and aggressive general manager since the start of the off-season.

Friedman stated that Dobson wanted to join the Canadiens, so Hughes did what was necessary to improve his team, given that we can never have enough offensive talent coming from our defense.

But the fact remains that the Habs are still lacking something offensively, especially with the losses of Emil Heineman, Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia.

And according to Elliotte Friedman, Kent Hughes could very well be on the move by the start of the season, because he’s exactly the kind of general manager who’s never done working.

Indeed, as he explained in the latest 32 Thoughts, during his segment on the Montreal Canadiens, Elliotte Friedman sincerely believes that Kent Hughes needs to look at his forward right now and tell himself that he needs to improve it.

The Habs’ biggest concern is Ivan Demidov’s future.

Elliotte Friedman was clear when he said that the Habs are still trying to build and solve the Ivan Demidov puzzle so that he’s as well surrounded as possible for the future.

And so, Kent Hughes could very well try to settle two issues with a trade, deciding to improve his forward group now by adding a forward capable of surrounding Demidov now and in the long term.

Of course, the Habs may start the season without another trade, but Elliotte Friedman remains skeptical that Kent Hughes will be gone by the start of the season.

It doesn’t get much more aggressive than Hughes, and we can’t expect him to recline comfortably on his chair back.

Overtime

– Message from Zachary Bolduc to the St. Louis Blues.

– Kakko and Lindgren are happy to be back in Seattle.

– It’s so clear!

– What a season for the Blue Jays so far.

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Luke Mittelstadt: the Habs would really have liked to see him join the Rocket in 25-26

The Montreal Canadiens’ development camp is always an interesting event to follow, as it features the vast majority of the Habs’ prospects, from the most obscure to the best-known.

And that’s what makes it so interesting, to see in action prospects we’ve heard much less about, and to have the chance to observe and analyze them to get an idea.

In fact, at this week’s development camp, in addition to the expected Michael Hage and L.J. Mooney, some little-known prospects shone.

One of these was the Habs’ seventh-round pick (197th overall) in 2023, Luke Mittelstadt.

The 5-foot-11, 174-pound defenseman has been a solid presence at the Habs’ development camp, showing great fluidity on skates and consistency in his play.

Even though he’s a seventh-round pick and a rather obscure prospect, the Canadiens really like Mittelstadt.

The Habs like him so much, in fact, that they’ve made him a contract offer to join the Laval Rocket for the upcoming season.

Indeed, as Marc-Antoine Godin explains in the latest episode of Tellement Hockey for Radio-Canada Sports, the Habs would have loved to see Mittelstadt join the Rocket for next season.

Unfortunately, the American defenseman declined the Habs’ offer, as he wanted to return to the University of Minnesota for his fourth and final year in the NCAA to try and win a championship.

Now, I can see you all telling me that the real reason Mittelstadt turned down the Habs’ offer is that, at the end of his final NCAA season, the 22-year-old defenseman will be a free agent, and could therefore sign with the team of his choice.

This could have been the case, but as Godin reported, Mittelstadt has a verbal agreement with the Habs that he will sign in Montreal after his NCAA season no matter what.

Having already been passed over twice rather than once in the draft, Mittelstadt places a lot of importance on the fact that the Habs are the team that believed in him, and so he says there’s no doubt he’ll sign with the Canadiens.

Mittelstadt will join the Habs (and/or the Rocket) after his NCAA season.

As for this obscure prospect, it’s worth noting that he’s extremely popular internally with the Canadiens.

The Habs love his game, given that he’s very intelligent and does everything well on the ice, both defensively and offensively, while executing his zone exits very well.

Mittelstadt is so adored by Habs management that, at a meeting with all the Habs’ defensemen, Rob Ramage used Mittelstadt as an example.

Indeed, as Godin explains, the Director of Player Development was keen to show all his defensemen that they don’t have to be 6’4″ and 220 lbs to dominate on the ice and do everything well.

Mittelstadt does just that at 5’11”, thanks to his legendary consistency, as specified by Francis Bouillon.

In short, the American defenseman could really surprise everyone when he turns pro in Montreal, when he could very well make it in the NHL.

But for now, let’s keep an eye on the University of Minnesota Gophers, where he’ll be able to take L.J. Mooney under his wing, given that the Habs prospect will be playing there in 2025-2026.

Overtime

– This will be an important season for him, when he’ll have to blossom.

– What do you think of this list?

– Read on.

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Jakub Dobes agrees to a two-year contract with the Habs

After all the action of the draft and free agents, only two contract files remained on the Montreal Canadiens’ table.

Jakub Dobes and Jayden Struble remained restricted free agents, and therefore needed a contract for next season.

Well, after seeing Struble apply for arbitration yesterday, today the Canadiens announced the signing of Jakub Dobes.

The Czech goaltender has signed a two-year, one-year deal that will pay him $965,000 per season.

Details to come

In Prolongation

It’ll be really interesting to see the battle for Samuel Montembeault’s second spot between Jakub Dobes and Kaapo Kahkonen.

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The Messi Show: Montreal CF players didn’t like hearing their fans chant his name

Lionel Messi was in Montreal yesterday to take on CF Montreal.

The greatest soccer player of all time took to the turf at Stade Saputo with his Inter Miami team-mates for the second time in his career.

And unlike on May 12, 2024, when Messi was rather subdued in Inter Miami’s 3-2 victory at Stade Saputo, this time the world’s best player was on full display.

It didn’t start well for the #10, who served up a perfect decisive pass to CF Montreal forward Prince Owusu, who gave the Montreal club the lead after just two minutes.

Montreal took the lead thanks to a Messi blunder.

The rest was looking pretty good for the Montrealers, but that was without knowing that this big mistake had just set Miami’s number 10 on fire.

Not only did Messi wake up, he also dazzled the crowd with two spectacular goals of his own.

After providing the assist for the equaliser, Messi put in a fine individual effort to give Miami the lead.

But it was his second goal that really caught the eye, as he literally ripped through the entire Montreal defense.

In short, Messi put on quite a show last night in Montreal, much to the delight of the Montreal fans gathered there to watch and cheer him on.

It was madness at Stade Saputo, as the crowd went wild, even chanting Messi’s name loud and clear after his second goal.

And the Montreal CF players didn’t appreciate it, as Caden Clark declared.

We can really understand Clark and his teammates, because hearing an opponent’s name being chanted by your own fans AT HOME is very hard.

It hurts the players, but it also hurts the real fans of the Montreal club, who follow the team above all else.

But you have to understand the Messi effect despite everything.

It’s not every day that the best soccer player of all time arrives in Montreal, and any soccer fan can only admire the greatness of a player like Messi.

Personally, I don’t blame the fans who came out to cheer on Messi rather than CF Montreal.

They paid a BIG price to see him in action, and they got their money’s worth.

But I do understand the frustration of the players and the real CF Montreal fans, because this insult only adds insult to injury in a season that’s already horrible enough as it is.

In short, it remains to be seen whether this was the last time we’ll see Messi in Montreal.

Overtime

– Exactly.

– He’s one to watch.

– Read more.

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Draft: the NHL would like it to come back (often) to Montreal

The NHL’s decentralized draft was (really) not all the rage last week. In theory, the idea wasn’t bad… but between technical problems and a gloomy atmosphere, it didn’t make for a pleasant spectacle.

And we know that the draft is a big event for the league. But this year, we completely missed it.

Just about everyone expects to see a centralized formula again next year. That’s what the NHL’s amateur auction is all about, and it should be back in 2026.

We still don’t know where the draft will be held… but on today’s episode of The Shaun Starr Show, Marco D’Amico revealed that he’s learned in recent days that the league is evaluating the option of holding it in Montreal.

And not only could it come back to Montreal as early as next year: it could come back to town very often.

What D’Amico notes is that the league is evaluating its options, but there are two cities that stand out in particular: Montreal and Las Vegas. Both cities are known to have hosted a recent draft (2022 for Montreal, 2024 for Vegas), and both were a resounding success.

The idea of holding it in the Sphere in Vegas put on quite a show, and in Montreal, the excitement of the fans was quite something. Remember the reaction of the people there when the trade that brought Kirby Dach to Montreal was announced: it was incredible.

What D’Amico notes is that the Confrontation des 4 Nations has really solidified Montreal’s place as the city to host events where people are passionate. The league wants to make sure it doesn’t relive the gloomy atmosphere of the last draft in Los Angeles, and in Montreal, we know the fans will respond.

That’s why the league is considering the option of a two-city rotation (Montreal and Vegas) or a three-city rotation (Montreal, Vegas and a different city each time). And of course, for hockey fans in Quebec, having the draft in town every 2-3 years would be a godsend.

It’s not set in stone, but Montreal’s popularity rating with the NHL is very high right now. At least, it’s higher than in Toronto, which the NHL finds a little too corporate for its taste.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on this, but don’t be surprised if the draft is held in Montreal next year. And above all, don’t be surprised if he returns to Montreal on a fairly regular basis: that would be great news for the city and the fans.

Overtime

– It would be a good trade for both teams.

– New duos formed during the off-season.

– Hendrix Lapierre re-signs with Capitals for one year.

– Oufff…

– For those who missed Messi’s first goal:

– At 38, Messi takes care of CF Montreal a little too easily… It started well for Montreal, though.

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There’s about $275 million under the salary cap across the NHL

As we all know, the salary cap skyrockets next season, and will continue to rise by several million dollars in subsequent years.

This means that teams will have more money to spend on filling out their rosters.

But it also means that players will be greedier.

On the other hand, according to Allan Walsh, there is currently $275 million available (approximately) across the NHL.

And the most frequent comment from teams, again according to Walsh, is that there are no players to spend that kind of money:

It’s pretty surprising that there’s so much money to be spent across the NHL. However, one can imagine that players who will eventually be placed on the long-term injured list (like Carey Price) are not being taken into consideration.

I’m willing to believe that the cap goes up by $7.5 million, but as I mentioned, players are/will be greedier about their new contracts. And we’ve seen it lately with the salaries some players have signed up for. Just think of Christian Dvorak at $5.4 million…

The biggest names have already found a buyer, but there are still a few interesting players who are still without a contract.

TVA Sports has drawn up a portrait of the free agents still available:

Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (39 assists last season) and forward Jack Roslovic (22 goals) are undoubtedly the most attractive.

These two players could command relatively high salaries, as they could have a fairly important role, depending on where they sign.

Then there’s Québécois Joe Veleno, whose Habs would be among the three finalists.

The Habs have made an offer for Veleno, so we can expect a decision soon.

Otherwise, Joel Kiviranta, Max Pacioretty and Jeff Skinner are still out of contract, but they won’t be the players to break the bank either.

Anyway, let’s see what happens in the next few days, but even if all these players sign somewhere, there’s still going to be plenty of space available across the NHL.

The contract extensions that could happen this season (like Lane Hutson) are likely to be quite high. We can certainly expect more than $9 million, or even more than $10 million a year for Hutson.

Overtime

– I can’t wait to see Mike Cammalleri Zachary Bolduc in Montreal.

– Would the Sabres have been better off taking Brandon Carlo instead of Michael Kesselring in the JJ Peterka trade?

– Youth with experience.

– They’re on fire.

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Kaapo Kahkonen: The Rocket won’t put him in their projected lineup

After the arrival and departure of certain players within an organization, it’s always exciting to know who will be playing with whom.

It’s also interesting to know whether certain players will play in the NHL or the AHL.

With the Canadiens, several cases are still uncertain, and we may not know until after their performances at the official training camp.

Sammy Blais and Kaapo Kahkonen are two newcomers, and no one can say for sure where they’ll be playing.

But there’s also David Reinbacher, who could surprise many and carve out a position for himself.

On this subject, the official page of the Laval Rocket has published its projected line-up for the 2025-26 season, and some names are conspicuous by their absence.

Kahkonen, Jakub Dobes and Blais are not on the roster, which suggests that the chances of them starting their season in Montreal are higher.

As for Dobes, he’s still out of contract, which explains his absence from the Rocket roster. And since it’s past 5 p.m., he won’t be able to go to arbitration, unlike Jayden Struble.

On the other hand, if Dobes signs, he could start in Montreal, unless he doesn’t impress during the team’s official camp and is traded to Laval, since he wouldn’t have to go through the waivers (should he be traded down 24 hours before the start of the season).

But if both he and Kahkonen perform well, it will be difficult to give up one of them to Laval, and we could end up with another three-way tie.

Since Kahkonen has more NHL experience than Dobes, if one of them is demoted, Dobes is the one most likely to go to the minors to perfect his game.

As I mentioned above, Sammy Blais is also not on the Rocket’s projected roster, which would suggest that he would start the season in Montreal.

Even if he isn’t one of the top 12 forwards, he would be an excellent candidate as 13th forward (definitely a better option than Michael Pezzetta).

As for Reinbacher, he’s in this projected lineup and will have to impress at the Habs’ practice camp to earn a spot.

We can expect Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson and Alexandre Carrier to be regulars on the blue line. It would be very surprising, if not impossible, not to see them in the Habs’ season opener.

Struble is currently in arbitration and Arber Xhekaj often skipped his turn last year, so their role is far from guaranteed.

This would give Reinbacher the opportunity to muddy the waters and force the Habs to keep him up top to start the season.

But since he missed a good part of the season with a serious injury, it would be more prudent to start him in Laval and have him recalled as needed, depending on his performance.

Let’s wait and see what training camp has in store, because that’s what will determine who breaks into the Habs lineup.

Overtime

– Alex Romanov had some advice for Ivan Demidov.

– Here’s the full list of players who have opted for arbitration, including Jayden Struble. Jakub Dobes is not on the list.

– Still, interesting.

– Read more.

– Another day, another Springer Dinger.

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Jayden Struble has requested salary arbitration

Jayden Struble is currently a restricted free agent. The Habs defenseman, who just completed two 56-game seasons with the club, needs a new contract for next season.

That said, by virtue of his contractual status, Struble had the right to request salary arbitration.

He had until 5pm to make his request.

And now we learn from PuckPedia that Struble has indeed requested arbitration.

He is one of five players who have done so.

More details to come…

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Expansion: Gary Bettman “hears about Quebec City

There’s a growing sense that the NHL may be expanding over the next few years. After the arrival of the Golden Knights and the Kraken in recent years, the league dealt with the problematic Coyotes, so that everything is under control across the league’s 32 markets.

And inevitably, at this point, the idea of expansion (which would generate a ton of revenue for the league) comes back on the table.

In Quebec, the idea of bringing a team back to the capital is one that comes up every time there’s talk of expansion. We know that steps have been taken in the past, but it didn’t work out.

What’s interesting, however, is that these efforts seem to be continuing. During his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Gary Bettman talked a bit about the cities that are in the running for a possible expansion… and he noted the following:

We’re hearing about Quebec City. – Gary Bettman

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That said, the capital isn’t alone: the commissioner indicated that no fewer than eight cities (including Indianapolis and Cincinnati) would be discussing the matter with the NHL. Bettman notes that he’s not keen to go ahead with expansion at any price… but that there are elements that could prompt the league to consider it.

And those elements are the market, the ownership group, the arena and the aspects associated with expansion that would make the league “stronger”. It’s safe to assume that, right now, it’s the second element that’s hurting Quebec’s bid a little… unless someone has stepped up behind the scenes.

Basically, Bettman would be open to expansion if presented with a project that was already well advanced and well managed, but would also add a little something to the league. And shortly after talking about all this, he noted how strong the league is in Canada, mentioning in particular the new (English-language) TV rights deal.

Is he mentioning this because he’s open to expansion in Canada? If so, that’s good news for Quebec City… but there’s also the possibility that it could be elsewhere in the country, for example in the Toronto area, where the idea of a second team in the area has been mooted for some years.

The commissioner insists that he is in no hurry to expand, but that if an interesting project is presented to him, he will present it to the owners for evaluation.

To be continued… but there seems to be some action behind the scenes.

In Overtime

– Bob Hartley: a (very) big contract to return to practice in the KHL.

– Interesting.

– A new coach for the Avalanche’s club-school.

– The mood is good at the Blue Jays.

– Pole for Max Verstappen at Silverstone.

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Projected line-up: Cole Caufield would go to the Olympics, but not Lane Hutson

In a few months’ time, the Olympic Games will be held in Milan-Cortina, Italy. And for hockey fans, it will also be the first time in 12 years that NHL players will be taking part in the Olympics.

The last time we saw NHL players at the Games, Martin St-Louis was there… as a player.

And since the players from the Bettman circuit will be there, it’s interesting to wonder which Habs players will be there. We already know that Juraj Slafkovský will be representing Slovakia, but for the others, nothing has yet been confirmed.

In recent days, Nick Suzuki and Samuel Montembeault(but not Noah Dobson) have been put forward as names to watch for Team Canadiens. But south of the border, Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson are guys who will also be considered.

And in a piece for the NHL website, Tom Gulitti had some fun making a projected line-up for Team USA… and what we notice is that Caufield is there, but Hutson isn’t.

Remember that this time, unlike the 4 Nations Confrontation, teams can bring 25 players instead of 23. This means there are more positions available, and Caufield is one of those who, according to Gulitti, could benefit from this

Note that according to this line-up, guys like Chris Kreider, Brock Nelson and Vincent Trocheck, who were at the 4 Nations Confrontation, would not be returning. That, too, would help Caufield’s bid.

We do know, however, that what could work against the Habs forward is the fact that it’s difficult to project him into a supporting role. If he’s not a top-6 (or, at the very least, a top-9), he’s not a team’s most valuable player. And it makes you wonder whether he’ll be an extra forward if he’s selected.

In Lane Hutson’s case, his path to the tournament is likely to be even more complex. At the moment, it’s hard to see a world in which he would pack Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski, Jaccob Slavin and Jake Sanderson, the four left-handers selected by Gulitti.

And much like Caufield, the Habs defenseman’s biggest selling point is his offensive game. If he’s not in such a role, it’ll be hard for him to shine… and that’s why we have to wonder if his only chance to participate would be in the event that Hughes or Werenski, two guys who are going to play on the powerplay, can’t take part in the tournament for whatever reason.

We’ll be keeping an eye on everything over the coming months, but both Caufield and Hutson will have something to prove in the first half of the season. And if that motivation can make them even better for the Habs, the club won’t say no.

Overtime

– Whew.

– Arseni Radkov follows in the footsteps of Samuel Montembeault.

– He has yet to lose a set since the start of the tournament.