Author: Dose

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Surprise for the Rocket: Xavier Simoneau returns for the 25-26 season

Kent Hughes’ primary mandate as General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens is to make the Habs the best team they can be in order to win the Stanley Cup.

But behind this main mandate, the Habs GM must also take the time to manage his training club, the Laval Rocket.

It’s important to field a competitive team in the AHL, so that the club’s young players can develop in the right environment.

Last season, the Rocket finished first in the AHL, so it’s clear that for the 25-26 season, Kent Hughes will have to find a way to maintain a competitive club-school.

And that requires a good mix of young players and important veterans.

So, Hughes has to let several players go and sign others.

And sometimes there are surprise returns, as in the case of Xavier Simoneau, whose new deal with the Laval Rocket has just been announced.

This is truly a nice surprise and especially very good news for the Laval Rocket, considering that Simoneau has been an important piece of the team’s success over the past three seasons.

The 24-year-old Québécois had not received a qualifying offer from the Habs, and so everything pointed to him leaving the organization.

But then, a few days later, Simoneau agreed to terms on a one-year AHL contract with the Rocket.

It’s rare to see a player agree to such a contract after his NHL debut, and it shows just how much Simoneau wanted to stay in Laval.

In short, this is really good news for the Rocket, as Simoneau will once again have a very important role in the dressing room, and will bring a lot of positives to the young players.

Note that the Rocket also signed defenseman Josh Jacobs to a one-year, one-way contract, in addition to initialing two-way deals (Rocket and Lions) with goaltender Hunter Jones and defenseman Darick Louis-Jean.

Overtime

– It’s now official.

– Let’s see if there will still be a lot of Messi jerseys.

– Read more.

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Logan Cooley: a contract extension could come as early as this summer

More and more teams in the National Hockey League are initialing contract extensions with their young players before they even complete the three years of their NHL entry-level contract.

Teams want to lock up their young players quickly, and this makes perfect sense, especially in the case of young players with high potential.

We’ve seen it in Montreal with Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, and we’re likely to see it more and more across the NHL, including with the Utah Mammoth.

Like the Habs, the Mammoth have several solid young players in their ranks, and are looking to sign them to long-term contracts.

First on Utah GM Doug Armstrong’s list would be Logan Cooley, with whom contract extension discussions have already begun.

It was Armstrong himself who revealed that conversations with the Cooley clan were already underway, and that they had been very positive so far.

In fact, the Mammoth GM says that everything is going according to plan.

This suggests that the young American sensation could sign a contract extension this summer, a year before his entry-level contract expires, as was the case with Juraj Slafkovsky last summer.

Armstrong stated that Cooley is a very important part of the franchise’s future, and that he sincerely believes the young American sensation will become a star.

These are fine words from the GM to his young player, and we can therefore assume that Cooley could sign a long-term deal, just like Slafkovsky.

Remember that both players were drafted the same year, in 2022, at 1st and 3rd respectively.

So it’s only natural that they should be compared, and that we should see how they progress.

The two contracts will be clearly compared once Cooley has signed.

We can expect an annual amount above Slaf’s $7.6 million, considering that the cap has risen considerably since the Slovakian’s extension, and that the Mammoth forward has posted better NHL numbers so far.

L.J. Mooney’s cousin scored 65 points, including 25 goals last season, surpassing Slaf’s 18 goals and 51 points.

In short, it will be very interesting to see how the Cooley situation develops in Utah.

Overtime

– Another prospect from the recent draft signs his NHL entry-level contract.

– Truly a horrible tragedy in the world of soccer.

– Of note for the Alouettes.

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Demidov and Zharovsky: the “Russian factor” is an advantage thanks to Nick Bobrov

For some years now, Russia has been a hot topic around the world, and so it is in the National Hockey League, given the large number of Russian players.

Everything to do with Russia generates more doubts and tensions, which in turn affects the decisions made by the various NHL teams at the draft.

The “Russian factor” has become a real fear for many teams, leading many talented Russian prospects to slip down a few ranks.

Russian prospects often come with several question marks, leading many teams to avoid them, since no one on their scouting team has been able to go and observe them in Russia.

However, the Montreal Canadiens have not avoided them for two years in a row (Ivan Demidov and Alexander Zharovsky), making them the team’s top draft pick.

The Habs seem to be taking advantage of other teams’ concerns about the “Russian factor”, because the Habs’ scouting team has access to privileged information.

And that information comes from Nick Bobrov.

Indeed, as Martin Lapointe points out in his interview with TVA Sports’ Nicolas Cloutier, Bobrov provides the Habs with crucial information on Russian prospects.

Thanks to Bobrov, the “Russian factor” has become something of a secret weapon and a strength for the Canadiens.

As Martin Lapointe himself points out, his colleague Bobrov enables him to work with much more precise and in-depth information on each of the Russian prospects.

“When I work with Nick, I’m lucky enough to have information that he can get. His father is often in Russia, and Nick is himself a Russian who can go there. And Nick’s a hard worker. He’ll go really deep for information.” – Martin Lapointe

What we understand from Nicolas Cloutier’s excellent article is that Bobrov has the power to change a club selection in favor of a Russian prospect, or on the contrary, to disadvantage the selection of a Russian prospect.

This is a major asset for the Habs, who don’t have to be afraid of young Russians thanks to Nick Bobrov’s privileged information.

It’s not for nothing that the Habs’ first selection in 2024 and 2025 was a Russian prospect.

Of course, I can see where you’re coming from with the Matvei Michkov issue.

In 2023, the Habs had the chance to draft Michkov, a top Russian prospect, but didn’t, while Bobrov was already in place as co-director of amateur scouting.

We all thought it was because of the “Russian factor”, but the recent selections of ivan Demidov and Alexander Zharovsky completely belie this theory.

I guess Bobrov’s information about Mishkov wasn’t positive.

In short, let’s hope that Bobrov’s secret weapon has made the Habs the best team they can be in the long run.

Overtime

– It’s all happening today.

– Coming up.

– Ouch.

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VERY thin NHL market: some 20 teams have contacted Nikolaj Ehlers

Forward Nikolaj Ehlers was the last big fish on the National Hockey League’s free agent market.

In the end, he waited until two days after the market opened to decide on his new destination: the Carolina Hurricanes, with whom he signed a six-year deal worth $8.5 million annually.

It was expected that Ehlers would choose Carolina, but the former Winnipeg Jets player took the time to consider every option on the table.

And let’s just say that the 29-year-old Dane did well to take his time, because contract offers, well, he was in over his head.

Indeed, Ehlers’ own agent, Andy Rufener, said that he and his client had been in contact with some twenty NHL teams.

Yes, yes, you read that right, around two-thirds of the league’s teams were reportedly trying to get their hands on Ehlers.

That’s what the Dane’s agent said in an interview with the Journal de Jura.

The former Winnipeg Jets forward was therefore spoilt for choice, and had the luxury of signing with the team he was most interested in.

In the end, all the better for Ehlers, but the most important thing to remember about this information is that the market is extremely thin in the NHL right now.

For there to be around 20 teams ready to sign Nikolaj Ehlers speaks volumes, and that’s with all due respect to Ehlers, who is an excellent hockey player.

But the fact remains that, for all his talent, he’s a forward who struggles to stay healthy, and has never reached the 70-point plateau.

8.5 million per season is a lot, and it’s less than some other offers, according to Ehlers’ agent, given that money wasn’t the most important thing for the 29-year-old Dane.

What this tells us, then, is that virtually every NHL team was looking to improve significantly this off-season, even though the market is very weak.

This makes free agent signings and even transactions very difficult, because no one wants to part with their good players, and everyone wants to go out and find good players.

This explains in part why Kent Hughes, who has surely worked very hard in spite of it all, hasn’t been able to improve his top-6 forward position so far.

Options are VERY limited, and those that are possible and available are already being monitored by several other teams.

So, yes, we can criticize Kent Hughes regarding the Habs’ top-6, which still lacks a reliable second center, but in the end, the current NHL market has a lot to do with it.

Let’s hope Hughes pulls a rabbit out of his hat, or that Kirby Dach manages to pilot the second line.

Overtime

– The Panthers are clearly still the favorites.

– Read more.

– To listen to for those interested.

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Habs: a nucleus approaching the elite | Flash analysis of the development camp

Noah Dobson, Ivan Demidov, Zachary Bolduc and David Reinbacher should all be in the starting line-up next October.

Reinbacher may be less certain, but I like his chances. At worst, it’ll be during the winter.

Will these “newcomers” make the Canadiens a better team on paper than the one that started last season?

Not necessarily, because we haven’t (yet) replaced everyone who left. And the Habs are also likely to field an even younger line-up than last year’s.

Seen from this angle, the playoffs are far from a certainty for the spring of 2026.

But by adding four players of this quality to its NHL core, the organization is taking a big step towards the much higher medium- and long-term goals Hughes and Gorton have in mind.

And that’s much more important than whether or not the club will be better in Game 1 of the next calendar…

Few clubs have such a core, and the Habs’ is still a few years away from maturity.

A core worthy of the elite?

Following on from my analysis last year, here’s a new version of the Habs’ projected core compared to that of recent Stanley Cup champions and runners-up, the Panthers and Oilers.

Category

Value (points)
Generational 20
Elite 17
Superstar 14
Vedette 11
Impact 8
Categories / Cores Montreal Edmonton Florida

Generational: No need for a big definition here!

 McDavid
Elite: A player with exceptional qualities, including a far superior hockey IQ. Just below the so-called “generational” players. One of the best players in his position. The crème de la crème. Dominant and can sometimes be a “concession” player. Makes other players better. Capable of consistently executing exceptional plays with ease. Generally above-average level of competition. Pulls his club up every season. Exceptional career, often rewarded with individual and team honours. Hall of Fame almost assured early in career. Draisaitl

Barkov
Superstar: Player with similar qualities, but usually just a little less complete, consistent and dominant than the elite. Production generally well above average. Superb career punctuated by more dominant or productive periods. Often “second-best players” of aspiring or champion clubs. High chances of individual honors and/or Hall of Fame induction. Generally among the top 3-4 players of their vintage. Hutson
Demidov		 Tkachuk
Star: Above-average player with a good number of dominant qualities or several fine qualities, but who won’t necessarily drag his club along on his shoulders. Significant impact, abundant and consistent production without being “exceptional” over a good number of years. Very fine careers. Aspiring or champion clubs often have several players in this category. Easily ranks among the top 5-10 in their draft. Suzuki
Slafkovsky
Dobson
Caufield

Bouchard
RNH

 Reinhart
Bennett
Marchand
Jones
Ekblad
Bobrovsky
Impact: Above-average player. Generally ranks among the top 15-20 players in their draft. Stands out in at least one facet of the game, but lacks one or more elements to be considered a star player (regularity, consistency, efficiency, production). Also includes former glories nearing the end of their careers.

Reinbacher
Guhle
Matheson (future?)
Bolduc (Laine?)
Dach (Hage?)
Montembault (Fowler/Dobes)

 Hyman
Ehkolm
Nurse
Perry
Kane		 Verhaeghe
Lundell
Forsling
Total core value 120 99 121

Once again, this isn’t an exact science, but it does give a good idea of the potential (and increasingly actual) strength of the Canadiens’ core compared to the current elite.

With its “12 players”, the Habs’ core has much more depth than the Oilers’ (9).

It’s a model more akin to that of the Panthers, but perhaps even closer to that of the Blues in 2019, since it’s built more by the draft.

So it’s easy to see the coherence and relevance of the Habs management’s plan. A core of 12 rising impact players, including several stars and a few superstars (almost “elite”), is a formula that can work.

But let’s make a few additional comments.

0. I’ve revised the rankings of some players, modified/cleaned up the weight of the categories a little and removed the “complementary player” category. Although they can be very useful, these players (Newhook, Rodrigues, Arvidsson, for example) are often interchangeable and it’s too risky to count them in a core.

1. I didn’t dare include the “new sensation” Alexander Zharovsky in the equation. But he was undoubtedly drafted with a view to his becoming part of the core sooner rather than later in Montreal, at least as a top-6 impact player. Lapointe and Bobrov would even have selected him 16th or 17th, they happily confessed… Let’s wait and see how he fares over a full season in the KHL.

2. Perhaps Hutson and/or Demidov will be among the “elite” in the not-too-distant future. Hutson came close. He’s already “elite” in many ways. But given that he’s not yet playing shorthanded and still has a few things to work on (his shooting, among other things), I was a little embarrassed. As for Demidov, the sample is still too small to project him among the elite with any certainty.

3. Suzuki needs to repeat last year’s season or, ideally, even surpass it before he can be considered a “superstar” on the level of Matthew Tkachuk. He really isn’t that far off…

4. It’s still a bit of a projection to classify Slafkovsky as a star player, but he’s already a “unicorn” in his own way. At the same age, Suzuki and Caufield had yet to have a single 50-point season. Slaf has two. He’s still among the top three players in his (low) draft, along with Hutson and Cooley.

5. Matheson is still there. But Kent Hughes’ very short “yes”, without further explanation when asked if he “sees himself continuing with Matheson “, left me puzzled. At worst – or at best, depending – Matheson will be traded for an impact forward. So, it’ll all add up.

6. I don’t really count Laine among the Habs’ future core and would be very surprised if he extends his career in Montreal beyond next season. That’s why I’m already giving Zachary Bolduc his “chair” as an impact player.

7. Dach still has a chance of staying in Montreal and becoming a core impact player. But if it’s not him, it could very well be Michael Hage. I’ve only counted one of the two, but it could eventually be both…

8. Call me crazy, but I don’t hate L.J. Mooney’s chances of being part of this core someday… Kind of like how I almost included Evan Rodrigues in the Panthers’.

9. In addition to their impressive core, the Panthers’ strength lies in the quality of their complementary players, the Rodrigues, Schmidt, Mikkola, Luostarinen, Samoskevich, Boqvist and company. Not all big guys, but intense players. In this respect, we really don’t dislike the Canadiens’ approach. There will, of course, be a few “big boys” (F. Xhekaj, Paupanekis, Thorpe), but there are also intense players like Beck and Mooney who could well support the core.

Speaking of the youngsters, a few of them were in action this week at the development camp. Let’s take a quick look.

Extension

Unlike my colleague Marc-Olivier Cook, I wasn’t on site in Brossard this year, but I did enjoy watching the intra-squad game from the development camp on Youtube.

Well, we certainly won’t be drawing any major conclusions from this little fifty-minute four-on-four game, but that won’t stop us from making a few observations.

1. I like the four-on-four formula. It gives everyone a chance to show what they can do, and to come up with some great offensive or defensive sequences, whether it’s a display of intelligence, a heightened level of intensity, a rush, a sequence along the boards, a brilliant pass, a sense of anticipation, a harpoon or a check. In short, it’s the ideal formula for seeing, in different ways, who manages to stand out.

2. Michael Hage: It looked easy for the alpha male on the ice. Perhaps a little too easy at times, he could almost afford to take it easy… Powerful, fluid skating stroke, big frame, long reach, excellent hands. Not easy to take the disc from him, as Pierre would say. But he’ll have to work on his intensity level if he wants to become an excellent second-line center/player and rise to the top 10-15 players in his draft (2024). He’s got the talent. And what’s more, he speaks French like the wind. We’d almost forgotten about him!

3. L.J. Mooney: The game doesn’t often die with him. Very creative and dynamic. What a pass on Thorpe’s first goal! Vigorous and hard to contain along the ramps; an essential quality for players his size to reach the NHL. A very encouraging performance from the 113th pick in 2025. This guy’s been eating hockey up since he was a kid. The Habs are onto something with him.

4. Hayen Paupanekis: “Big Paupi” has a dream physique for big boy hockey. Very good skater. Wide skate. Good hands. Great reach. Some passing ability. Correct feel/understanding of the game, but still needs to develop, as does his level of sturdiness. His progress next season in Kelowna (which will host the Memorial Cup) will be most interesting to follow. A great bet for the Habs in 69th place last week…

5. Filip Eriksson: You can see he’s starting to get a bit of pro hockey under his belt. Executes quickly and well. Not a bad feel for the game. Quite a good skater. The kind of player we’ll want to see in Laval a year from now. Still a marginal prospect. Not great stats in the Swedish first division last year (SHL), 6 points, differential of -11, in 37 games. Will change clubs to join Lulea, next season’s SHL champions…

6. Félix Trudeau: “Little guy” from Terrebonne! Atypical career path. Never played in the QMJHL. Two goals! Makes himself forgotten, gets into the slot, draws fast! 23 in September, played at Sacred Heart University (NCAA), where he was nominated for the Hobey-Baker Trophy. Could he earn a contract in Laval or Trois-Rivières?

7. Sam Harris: Complemented Hage quite well. You can see the experience he accumulated in the NCAA, where he made the third all-star team last year with his 23 goals and 35 points in 43 games. Will turn 22 in the fall. Ready for the AHL soon, but has chosen to play at least one more year at the University of Denver. No guaranteed chair for him in Montreal, that said…

8. Bryce Pickford: Perhaps one of the only defensemen to stand out a bit with Owen Protz. Great goal. No bad hands, good attacking sense. Unless I’m mistaken, did nothing wrong defensively. Should have another big WHL season at 19. Will be 20 next April. Provides good depth on the right side. Not a bad replacement for Mailloux in the prospect bank… Will probably finish the season in Laval.

9, Tyler Thorpe: “The Thorpedo” has gained a bit of speed since last year. The guy can play hockey and has a major-league wrist shot. Pretty good hands. Confident, calm, protects his puck well. At 6″5, this 5th round pick in 2024, also plays “big boy hockey” and should be doing so (alongside Florian Xhekaj?) in the AHL as early as this fall. He’s part of Montreal’s future plans at the bottom of the line-up.

10. Aatos Koivu: Aside from his very nice jump-shot goal and a good wrist shot, didn’t show anything very convincing at four-on-four. Often looks more like a “hockey boy than a hockey player”, to use Martin St-Louis’ language… Very discreet at 18 with TPS in Finland (8 points, 1 goal, in 32 games), will have to show more next season. No one’s holding their breath here…

11. Logan Sawyer: I expected more. Decent skater, but nothing more. Not very good hands. But converges at the net, plays “direct” with a bit of dog and seems to want to get into the pay zones. Can’t wait to see if he improves in Providence after a pretty good first season (16 points in 37 games)…

12. Makar Khanin: Some nice flashes. The guy wanted to show us his puck-possession skills and good hands, but his ordinary stats (10 goals, 19 points in 34 games) at age 19-20 in the Russian junior circuit (MHL) call for the utmost caution. Maybe this 7th-round pick in 2024 can get out of St. Petersburg and continue his development in Laval one day, but he’s also the kind of guy we might never see again in America…

Well, that’s that! I’ll be back in the coming weeks with my traditional ranking of the Habs’ top prospects and other analyses here and there to fill the “dog days of summer”!

It’s always a pleasure to trade with you on FB and Twitter!

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Several teams wanted to bring Marc-André Fleury out of retirement

One of the stories of the season was certainly Marc-André Fleury’s retirement.

The 2024-2025 season was his last in the NHL. After the Wild’s elimination, he still competed at the Worlds, but another season in the Bettman circuit is off the table.

Allan Walsh admitted that, on July 1, several teams called him to see if his client wanted to sign a one-season contract.

According to Walsh, five teams wanted to know Fleury’s availability.

According to him, the goalie has made it clear: he doesn’t want to come back. His retirement is more than official at this point.

The goaltending market was a bit disappointing this off-season. There weren’t any quality goalies on the market, which is why Fleury attracted so much attention.

Last season, in 26 games, he maintained a .899 save percentage and a 2.93 goals-against average. He’s an excellent reserve goaltender, and I’d like to think he’s still got some good hockey left in him. But unfortunately, at 40, it was better for him not to look back.

Before signing Kaapo Kahkonen, was the Canadiens one of five teams interested in the goalie? Fleury at $1.15 million, I’d still take him before Kahkonen at the same price.

If he really didn’t want to play anymore, I respect that.

Overtime

– Of course not: Toronto got Nicolas Roy.

– Well done.

– A big event.

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“Wait until after the Olympics when the Habs get Sidney Crosby.”

Sidney Crosby has been, and for a long time will be, linked with the Canadiens.

People dream of seeing the Penguins’ captain in the metropolis, and a very reputable tipster in Nick Kypreos believes it will happen… in 2026, after the Olympics.

On Sportsnet 590, one of the hosts asked his colleagues: “Will the Canadiens make the playoffs, true or false?” Both colleagues said yes, especially after Kent Hughes’ recent acquisitions. Kypreos followed up with “wait until after the Olympics, when the Habs get Sidney Crosby.

Well, maybe it’s more of a wish or a joke than inside information he got, but it’s good to know that even Toronto informants, working in a market outside Montreal link Sid to the Habs.

By many accounts, Montreal is the most likely club to acquire him.

The Olympics in Italy will take place in February 2026 (6 to 22), just a few days before the trade deadline. It would therefore be logical/probable, especially considering that the Penguins are likely to be at the bottom of the overall standings and, consequently, will be sellers, to see Sid traded.

But I doubt it, because such trades, especially for a legend, are rarely made in the middle of the season. But who knows? Maybe, after a great Olympic tournament for Captain Canada and a gold medal, Hughes will finally decide to pull the trigger.

Imagine this forward line-up in the second half of the 2025-2026 season:

Slafkovsky-Suzuki-Caufield

Demidov-Crosby-Dach

Bolduc-Newhook-Laine

Gallagher-Evans-Anderson

Easily a forward on a championship team.

Overtime

– Coming up.

– Will they be traded?

– Interesting reading.

– Great news.

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2nd center in Montreal: why not Nazem Kadri?

We’ve said it before, but Montreal didn’t find its second center at the draft or on the free-agent market.

Kent Hughes tried, but in the end, the price was too high and too many teams were in the running to acquire a top-6 center.

Over the years, several centers have been linked to the Habs, but Nazem Kadri’s name has rarely (if ever) come up. Today, on the season finale of Tellement Hockey, Marc Antoine Godin asked himself, “Why not Kadri?”

He admits that his four-year, $7 million-a-year contract is a bit long, but the Habs can’t necessarily afford a short-term option.

Why can’t they? Well, because Michael Hage, who is the best in-house option for the position, isn’t certain to be a center in the NHL. Martin Lapointe may like the young man and his abilities, but seeing him become a center is far from assured.

So yes, Kadri could be an interesting option.

On a team that didn’t score many goals last year (Calgary), he collected 67 points in 82 games. He’s a good scorer, a hard-nosed player and an excellent teammate. Seeing him with Ivan Demidov for the next four years is something I’d try (at the right price). Does the right price mean giving away, among others, Joshua Roy, whose future in Montreal is increasingly doubtful?

Seven million dollars may be a lot, but it’s the price of a second center, unless you’re the Edmonton Oilers, hehe.

So why not Kadri in the metropolis? Note that the Tellement Hockey gang hasn’t given up on Kirby Dach, who should return to form in 2025-2026. In any case, this is his last chance season.

Overtime

-Speaking of second centers, would Evgeny Kuznetsov be a good fit in Montreal?

– Great story.

– Looking good.

– Nice read.

– Ah well.

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Mathias Brunet has the impression that the Habs are shopping Patrik Laine around

The Canadiens have done a great job these days.

They’ve acquired their number-one right-handed defenseman and a very important player in the middle of the lineup. They still need a second-line center, however.

Could Patrik Laine, among others, be shopped for a center? Mathias Brunet has the impression that the Habs are shopping him around.

We’ve heard rumors that both sides are talking contract extension.

The Finn will be in his last contracted season and on July 1 will become a free agent. I don’t think he’ll be coming back to Montreal, and like Brunet, I wouldn’t be surprised if he got traded.

A team like the San Jose Sharks might be interested in his services (his contract) to reach the salary floor. Maybe Hughes could do a two-in-one deal and include Carey Price’s contract as well… That would take close to $20 million off the Montreal payroll.

That would be a big coup! Unfortunately, there aren’t many big names left on the free agent market.

But maybe by freeing up that much money, there’ll be room to acquire a player via trade. You know, there’s an $8.7 million player in Pittsburgh who could be on the Habs’ books…

To conclude on Laine, I wouldn’t be disappointed if he were to stay in the metropolis.

After all, despite his shortcomings, he was an important forward and without him last year, Montreal wouldn’t have made the playoffs. He scored 20 times in 52 games in 2024-2025.

Overtime

– Ah well.

– The answer is perfect.

– Nice set.

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Mason McTavish is not happy to see his role diminish in Anaheim

Mason McTavish is a talented player.

Very talented.

The 3rd overall pick in 2021 has all the qualities that any team in the NHL is looking for: he’s big (6’1 and 219 lbs), he’s got skills, he scores goals, he makes sublime passes, he’s responsible in his zone…

But in Anaheim, his role has diminished since his rookie season.

McTavish has lost importance in the Ducks’ lineup with the emergence of Leo Carlsson … and he’s not exactly happy with the situation either.

On the Leafs Morning Take podcast, David Pagnotta wondered what the Ducks’ future looks like:

There are connections to be made with the Canadiens de Montréal.

Because in reality… the Habs are looking for a 2nd center who can contribute offensively and defensively.

McTavish is capable of filling a chair like that.

The problem is that Kent Hughes no longer has all the assets he wants to make a big deal. He parted with his two first-round picks in the last draft to acquire Noah Dobson, and he traded Logan Mailloux to St. Louis to get Zachary Bolduc.

Unless he wants to use Mike Matheson to fill the famous need that remains in Montreal…

But knowing that McTavish isn’t super happy with his use, that could open a certain door too.

Pat Verbeek (GM) won’t trade him for peanuts, we agree. But if the player becomes really unhappy with his use and his situation in Anaheim, it has the potential to change things in the end.

I don’t see him leaving Anaheim because the Ducks would be crazy to trade him, but hey: you never know.

And we know that Kent Hughes likes the style of these players…

Oh, and McTavish is eligible for an offer sheet right now.

Overtime

– I love it.

– Exactly.

– Nice moment for Jonathan Toews.