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Noah Dobson, Alexander Zharovsky and the 2025 draft analysis

As expected, there was a lot of movement leading up to and during the 2025 NHL Draft.

On Friday afternoon, the Canadiens stole the show by trading picks 16 and 17 along with Emil Heineman for Noah Dobson.

Then, at the start of the second round, they did it again, trading two picks (41 and 49) to get a player Nick Bobrov and Martin Lapointe had in their soup, Alexander Zharovsky, at 34th.

Lapointe even candidly admitted (listen from 8:40) that the young Russian – the first skater from “Uncle Vladimir’s” country to be selected in 2025 – was on their list exactly where the Habs were supposed to draft in the first round…

According to Lapointe, Bobrov and Simon “Snake” Boisvert, Zharovsky has an excellent chance of becoming a top-6 forward.

Personally, I have my doubts because of his skating (that’s being corrected…). But I could see him going to Winnipeg 28th in our recent mock draft.

So count me in the “satisfied” camp with this selection.

Zharovsky is under contract in Russia for two more seasons, but we know he could also arrive sooner…

But there’s more to life than just Canadiens hockey.

The Penguins, Flyers, Islanders and a few other teams have not been outdone in terms of the buzz generated around the league during the interminaaaaaaaaaaaaable first round hosted by its “big star”, the ineffable Gary Bettman!

In short, let’s analyze (almost) everything!

Dobson, a good trade? Probably!

The ever-relevant Mathias Brunet has been talking about the possible arrival of Noah Dobson since last winter.

The idea, which already made sense, finally materialized on Friday.

Bravo Mathias! That deserves another tomahawk (seriously!)!

Dobson – who really didn’t seem too, too keen on the idea of continuing his life on Long Island – got his wish and will continue his career with the Canadiens for the next eight seasons.

A good trade for the Habs?

Certainly for the next two or three years, as Eklund (16th), Aitcheson (17th), Reshny (18th) Carbonneau (19th) Reid (21st), Zonnon (22nd) and company should have no real impact in the NHL during this period.

What happens after that remains to be seen. That’s when the real gamble for the Habs begins.

But by my standards, and obviously by his new $76 million contract, Dobson, the 12th pick in 2018 – nine spots behind a certain Jesperi Kotkaniemi (!) – is already a star NHL defenseman.

In his case, we’re really talking about a notch above a mere “impact player”.

More in order than out of order, here’s a list of the “other” best right-handed defensemen in the league: Makar, McCavoy, Seider, Pietrangelo, Ekblad, Doughty, Bouchard, Jones, Faber, Hamilton, Carlson and Karlsson.

Where do you rank Dobson among these individuals?

Still in the early stages of his prime, averaging 52 points in his first four full NHL seasons, with an overall differential of -3 on a very ordinary club, Dobson has to be placed somewhere between the 3rd and 7th best defensemen, at least in terms of his market value.

The chances that the remaining picks at 16th and 17th – let’s say, Eklund and Aitcheson for short – will become two players capable of “docking” that kind of value are not huge, we agree.

But they do exist.

Especially if Dobson doesn’t play up to his talent and contract.

That said, as we speak, the acquisition of the Prince Edward Island native – we salute all golfers! – is perfectly consistent with the Gorton-Hughes plan, which continues the work begun under the Bergevin era: Suzuki (2018), Caufield (2019, Guhle (2020), to stick with these “old” core members.

At 25 years of age, Dobson enters the average age of the core and will be a key part of this plan.

In the short and medium term, Hughes and Gorton – who have taken advantage of Darche’s somewhat uptight and perhaps still a little “green” in his duties? – have therefore maximized the value of picks 16 and 17, and are betting that the next eight years will prove them even more right.

All in all, we like their chances of getting closer to the Stanley Cup in the timeframe expected with this kind of transaction.

A setback for Reinbacher and Mailloux?

Without saying that the acquisition of Dobson is a disavowal of Reinbacher and Mailloux, let’s just say that it’s a decision that acknowledges reality.

There are simply (too) many question marks surrounding these two right-handed defensemen.

The first because of the questionable state of his knees. Nothing to do with his talent.

The second because his hockey IQ is highly questionable.

In short, there was no certainty that these two players would fit easily into the Habs line-up next year, let alone play a regular top-4 role for 82 games.

Need further proof that we have doubts about Reinbacher and Mailloux’s future? Lapointe and Bobrov provided two more yesterday.

Despite the presence of Laval’s two first-round picks in prominent roles, the duo at the helm of Montreal’s recruitment added three right-handed defensemen to the draft: Bryce Pickford, Carlos Handel and Andrew MacNiel, towards the end of the draft.

Pickford and Handel don’t come to town with the same fanfare as Mailloux and Reinbacher, but still.

The former, already 19 and in his second year of eligibility, was simply sensational in the playoffs for Médecine Hat (13 goals in 18 games!) and at the Memorial Cup. What a wrist shot!

But because of his age and the fact that he was playing for a very big club, it’s important to put his offensive and defensive exploits into perspective… We’ll no doubt be seeing him in Laval very soon.

It’s just the opposite for German Handel in Halifax. A fine young player, a fluid skater who was playing for a weak club in Year 1 of his new cycle.

Reminiscent of a right-handed Adam Engstrom. Quite good with the puck in offensive situations, but still needs to improve under pressure in his zone.

Drafted 177th, Handel was ranked much higher on a number of lists, but has seen his star fade in recent months. With a slightly more seasoned club next year, here’s an excellent candidate for a spectacular breakthrough.

Anyway, adding Dobson, Pickford and Handel – not forgetting Konyushkov, if you must! – let’s just say that this sudden depth on the right side of defence “opens up options” in the coming months or years for Kent Hughes.

Options that could interest the rest of the league…

Radkov and Cournoyer: two more “goalers”!

There’s nothing more normal than drafting one or two goalkeepers to fatten up the nursery. You never know who will be the next Shesterkin or Montembeault or whoever. On average, goalies take 6-7 years to develop.

What a nice young man Alexis Cournoyer is, picked 145th! A great story about a guy who doesn’t give up! Good luck !

On the other hand, if Gabriel D’Aigle (84th) becomes the “next Marc-André Fleury” and Belarusian Arseni Radkov (82nd) makes the potato, it could create a small blemish on the organization’s “home-grown player” file…

Radkov will continue his career in Massachusetts in 2026-2027.

We’ll keep an eye on all this…

Paupanekis and Mooney: beautiful big and small stingers

After a fine start to his season in Spokane, Paupanekis, 6’5, close to 200 lbs – a Leafs and Auston Matthews fan who grew up in Winnipeg! – inherited a heavy mandate when he arrived in Kelowna, having to play first center on a weak team. Big defensive challenges every night that end up hurting the differential…

That said, Paupanekis, whose father hails from the Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba, was a real specimen of nature at the last combine.

(Screenshot Facebook page: Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs)

A fluid skater with fairly good hands and a good shot, this is a very interesting “project” that could one day pay off at the bottom of the line-up and… in the playoffs. We seem to be a long way from the finished product in his case.

With L.J. Mooney, 5’7, around 160 lbs, we’re going in a completely different direction, with a home run bet.

Lapointe described him as a pure “talent player”. But Mooney is also a hard worker who will soon be reporting to the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

A one-point-per-game scorer with the USNTDP, Mooney’s speed, creativity and excellent hands should keep him going offensively, and we’ll see where that takes him.

In the same style, he strikes me as more dynamic,elusive and fiery than Sean Farrell at the same age. The man nicknamed “Little John” (after his father John) compares himself to Connor Garland, who plays with a lot of dog and excels in the playoffs.

I really don’t hate his chances of reaching the NHL…

Mini analysis of the 2025 draft

There really were no real surprises in the top-10. There was just a bit of shuffling of chairs on the deck of the Titanic while it was safely moored in Southampton harbour, unaware of the anxieties to come.

It was afterwards that some clubs stole the show and the trades multiplied like we’ve rarely seen.

The Penguins!

Following the Dobson pre-draft trade, the Penguins selected Ben Kindel at No. 11 for a loooooooong, but very interesting first round… especially if you had the “register” and ” fast forward ” options!

Unless I’m mistaken, only the Snake had ranked Kindel in those waters. Bravo Simon!

I placed him 20th.

Bob McKenzie had him at 22nd.

The Penguins are in the early stages of their rebuild and wanted to go with the player they felt had the most offensive talent.

Kindel, a big Habs fan by the way, projects well enough as a decent second offensive center, but he also knows how to play 200 feet.

A “nice risk”…

As much as Kindel is a “risky” pick at #11 for the Penguins, Zonnon is a safe bet at #22. In fact, that’s exactly where yours truly placed him in our recent mock draft. It’s just that I had him destined for the Flyers, but Dubas and Brière stepped in with a major transaction involving ranks 12, 22 and 31!

An underestimated talent, the feisty, determined, brilliant and efficient Zonnon will bring a dimension not seen much in recent years to Pittsburgh. A proverbial “culture” player, as they say…

We wish them the same luck with big Will Horcoff, son of Shawn. We understand the “need”, but we’re not so sure the talent is there. But there was still plenty of talent available in 24th place…

We were therefore treated to three very “different” selections by the Penguins in the first round, but two out of three leave me rather perplexed…

Jack Nesbitt 12th in Philadelphia: wow!

I haven’t seen left-handed center Jack Nesbitt’s name this high on any list.

I had sadly overlooked him when I posted my final list, but as stated here and here in the last few weeks, I would have liked him in Montreal in the first round, no doubt like Bob McKenzie whose poll of a dozen scouts ranked him 17th!

But after Luchanko at #13 last year, Nesbitt is a HUGE surprise at #12 for the Flyers.

Without saying that he will necessarily become a better player than Luchanko, I still prefer this new Flyers gamble to last year’s one.

Coming back to the trade between the Flyers and the Penguins, it will certainly be interesting to watch the parallel development of Nesbitt and Zonnon. At ranks 18 and 22, I really didn’t have them very far apart in our mock draft…

The Islanders aren’t doing too badly!

Matthew Schaefer (1st), the fiery Victor Eklund (16th), the powerful Kashawn Aitcheson (17th) and the brute Daniil Prokhorov (42nd), these are four very solid selections. No doubt the Islanders, a club “not in reconstruction”, are quite happy with this quartet. They lost Dobson, but gained talent and depth this weekend.

The big Flyers are back!

I don’t know if we can call this the return of the Broad Street Bullies, but by adding Porter Martone (6’3) and Jack Nesbitt (6’4) in the 6th and 12th spots, the Flyers have acquired two great (and potentially big) players who are very skilled in the pay zone and capable of upsetting the opposition. Philly was beginning to miss these kinds of individuals…

Conclusion

Marc-Olivier Beaudoin and I did quite well in our mock draft, with 26 players out of 32 selected in the first round, including 4 in the exact positions (Schaefer, Desnoyers, Hagens and Zonnon). But above all, we were often very close to reality with several players, including several at the end of the first round.

Misa, Frondell, O’Brien, McQueen, Eklund, Cootes, Smith, Carbonneau, Hensler, Reid, Brzustewicz, Potter and Ravensbergen were all within one, two or three places.

We placed Cameron Reid 23rd in Nashville, but the same Preds made a deal to select him… 21st!

Compared to my personal list, which this year was a top-20, I’m 16 in 20. Reid (21st), Ravensbergen (31st), Murtagh (40th) and Schmidt (94th!) were all selected a little or a lot later than desired!

Finally, to get back to the Habs’ weekend, we added a defensive pillar by completing one of the biggest trades of the last 30 years, the biggest since the Max Pacioretty trade that landed Suzuki.

We can’t wait to see the rest of the Hughes-Gorton duo’s summer!

As for Zharovsky, Paupanekis, Pickford, Handel Mooney and the others, we’ll see, but overall, I liked the Habs draft. Several good bets on interesting players.

The team is getting better and we’re adding some great prospects to the collection.

It’s hard to ask for more.

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Rumours about Jordan Kyrou in Montreal: “It’s real”

The Montreal Canadiens stole the show this NHL draft weekend.

First, they acquired Noah Dobson, one of the NHL’s best right-handed defensemen, to fill that famous need.

To do so, they traded their two first-round picks (16th and 17th overall) as well as Emil Heineman.

With one of their two first-round picks, the Habs mentioned that they would have chosen Alexander Zharovsky, who was ultimately selected 34th by the club.

As they say: the Habs are in the car.

But there’s still a hole to fill in Montreal: a top-6 forward, ideally a center.

My colleague Charles-Alexis Brisebois recently wrote an article on Evgeni Malkin, who has been linked to the Habs.

But there’s also the name of Jordan Kyrou, who has often been linked to the Habs in recent weeks, and the rumors are starting to gain momentum.

Jimmy Murphy of RG Media recently published an article about Jordan Kyrou.

An NHL executive also linked the St. Louis Blues forward: “It’s real.”

In the article above, the same NHL executive also mentioned that there has been more than one conversation between the two teams regarding Kyrou.

The Blues’ #25 can play both center and wing, which could be very useful to the Habs.

It would obviously add punch to the top-6, but Kyrou is also very responsible defensively.

And by the time Michael Hage is ready to play on a second line, the Habs will have decided whether it’s better to play him at center or on the wing.

Kyrou would bring great stability and put everyone in the right chair, a bit like when Alexandre Carrier was acquired for Justin Barron.

Of course, it’s going to take a lot more than a guy like Barron to add a right-handed forward, but we know the Habs have everything they need to add a guy of Kyrou’s caliber.

David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux, Joshua Roy, Owen Beck, Oliver Kapanen are all elements that could attract the Blues in a deal.

Let’s see what Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have in store for us.

In Overtime

– Very good contract for the Blue Jackets, who will retain Fabbro’s services for another three years,

– That’s quite a beating.

– Another story of betting in professional sports.

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NHL executive links Evgeni Malkin and the Canadiens

After the madness of the last few days, the Canadiens are now looking for help up front. In an ideal world, it would be a center forward, but it’s not impossible to think that a winger could come to town.

And in an ideal world, it would also be a player in his prime.

But if Kent Hughes can’t get his hands on a player in his twenties in a saturated market, he could look to the veterans to fill the position.

And that brings us to Evgeni Malkin.

Could the Penguins center, who will surely be in his last year with the Penguins in 2025-2026, be traded to bring some return to the Penguins?

If we’re talking about a Sidney Crosby deal, we could also do the same for the Russian.

According to Jimmy Murphy, who discussed the subject in a piece for RG media, one NHL executive sees added value in the idea of the Russian being traded to the Canadiens, the team that employs Ivan Demidov.

I mean, would a club like Montreal be interested in having him mentor Ivan Demidov?

Demidov, who grew up idolizing Malkin, could have a quality center by his side to help him take his first steps in the NHL. And Malkin would have a better chance of winning than in Pittsburgh.

Especially if he were to sign a one-year contract extension to stay until 2027.

Because Malkin has slowed down (50 points in 68 games this season for the man who will be 39 in a few weeks), he wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. If Kent Hughes can’t hit a home run in the next few days, this could be an idea.

Maybe Malkin won’t want anything to do with leaving, but it doesn’t hurt to try. No?

overtime

– Nine years already…

– Interesting.

– To be continued.

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Habs draft: The Snake gives a grade of 9/10

Even if the decentralized draft didn’t go down too well, it’s fair to say that the Canadiens did well this weekend.

Of course, we can’t talk enough about the addition of Noah Dobson for a fairly low return (in addition to having extended Dobson’s contract for eight years at a reasonable price).

Yesterday, rounds two through seven took place and the Habs had several picks left to make.

Twice, they went for the player they had in mind, including Russian(and childhood friend of Ivan Demidov) Alexander Zharovsky. The Habs had Zharovsky fairly high on their list and could have had him with one of their two first-round picks (before the Dobson trade).

All in all, a successful mission (once again) for Kent Hughes and his team.

Simon “Snake” Boisvert also sees great success for the Montreal organization.

He gave the club a 9/10 rating in his review of the draft on Processus.

Zharovsky’s selection at 34th was the steal of the draft, according to Snake.

And rightly so. If you look at his MHL highlights, the guy’s got talent spilling out of his ears.

In fact, the Snake sees Zharovsky becoming a top-6 forward with the Habs soon.

When a second-round pick has the potential to become a top-6 forward, it’s very encouraging. Even more so when the Habs have long been in need of pure forward talent.

As for the rest of the Habs draft, we know that the club selected a lot of big defensemen, which is always useful, especially in the later rounds.

One such defenseman was Bryce Pickford, an almost point-per-game right-handed defenseman with the Medicine Hat Tigers (Gavin McKenna’s team).

Pickford was selected 81st overall with the Vancouver Canucks’ pick for Casey DeSmith, and the Snake could easily see him going out in the second round.

Another first-round coup for the Habs.

And in the fourth round, we can also talk about LJ Mooney, Logan Cooley’s cousin, an extremely talented, but 5-foot-7 forward.

The Snake added that if he were 6 feet tall, he’d come out between 20th and 25th.

Not saying he’d become a Logan Stankoven, but he’s a pretty similar player and the comparison was made by Simon Boisvert and Mathias Brunet.

Let’s not forget that these are all relatively late picks and the chances of them reaching the NHL are pretty slim.

In the Process episode above, at around the 23-minute mark, Boisvert points out that there may only be one player drafted this year who reaches the NHL.

Brunet added to that by saying that if there is just one, without any first-round picks, that’s a win.

In short, the Habs seem to have made some very good choices, and in the worst-case scenario, they’ll have gone for Noah Dobson, which is a win in itself.

Overtime

– Interesting stuff.

– Already 23 seasons for the King.

– Two double-header signings for the New York Islanders.

– Well.

– To be continued.

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Mike Matheson file: Edmonton Oilers show interest

With the acquisition of Noah Dobson, the Canadiens have a very fine defensive brigade for the upcoming campaign.

The Habs will have a number of options for defensive combinations, which represents a very nice problem for the future.

However, it’s worth noting that this beautiful problem of having several solid defenders and other young defenders on the rise could lead to at least one more transaction between now and the start of the 2025-2026 season.

Indeed, when you look at the Habs’ defensive brigade since the acquisition of Noah Dobson, you realize that veteran Mike Matheson becomes subject to a trade.

Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle are the Habs’ first two left-handed defensemen, while Noah Dobson and Alexandre Carrier are the club’s first two right-handers.

Before the addition of Dobson, Matheson was an ideal option to fill in on the right side, as he often did last season, especially with Lane Hutson, but now the Québécois seems to be stuck on a third pair.

And let’s just say it’s not an ideal position for a veteran who has been used extensively by Martin St-Louis over the past two seasons.

So, with Matheson somewhat surplus to requirements, he becomes a very interesting option for a trade, given his value.

And to that end, well, the Edmonton Oilers are reportedly interested in the Québécois defenseman.

Indeed, as Marco D’Amico reports in his latest article for RG Media, the Oilers want to improve their defense, and they value Mike Matheson’s style of defense.

The Oilers really like Matheson’s mobility and agility, qualities they feel are important in a defenseman to complement the offensive play of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

There’s clearly a connection between Matheson and the Oilers, so it’s easy to see why Edmonton is interested in the Habs’ number 8.

However, there’s nothing imminent in Matheson’s case.

The Habs aren’t looking to trade him right now, and Kent Hughes might be tempted to wait until the market for defensemen shrinks, and several teams call the Habs after missing out on the free agent market.

Teams looking to improve their defense and unable to sign Vladislav Gavrikov or Ivan Provorov, for example, could very well be interested in Mike Matheson.

And if there is a market for Matheson, there will be an overbid, allowing Kent Hughes to get as much as possible for his defenseman.

We know that Hughes always has a price for his players, and that he almost never deviates from it. It would therefore be surprising if Hughes let Matheson go at the first offer.

In short, this is an issue we’ll have to keep a close eye on between now and the start of the season, because the acquisition of Dobson is clearly a game-changer for the Habs defence.

Right now, here’s what it could look like, if we make sure to respect each defender’s natural position.

Hutson – Carrier
Guhle – Dobson
Matheson/Xhekaj – Struble

And that’s without mentioning Logan Mailloux, David Reinbacher and even Adam Engstrom, all of whom will be looking to make their mark in Montreal.

It will be interesting to see what the Habs do with Matheson.

Overtime

– To be continued.

– Several interesting files.

– The fierce battle between the McLarens for the drivers’ championship continues.

– A beautiful moment, as Alonso congratulates Gabriel Bortoleto on his Formula 1 debut.

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Mitch Marner: the Golden Knights want to buy the Maple Leafs’ silence

Amid all the excitement of the second day of the NHL Entry Draft yesterday, a rumor with the effect of a bombshell resounded throughout the league.

We learned that the Vegas Golden Knights were working on a deal to acquire Mitch Marner’s rights, in order to sign him before the free agent market opens.

We knew that Vegas was interested in Marner, and that he would be a strong potential destination, but we hadn’t heard anything about a trade before July 1.

Yesterday, we also learned that Québécois forward Nicolas Roy would be part of the return package sent to Toronto.

Elliotte Friedman stated on the latest episode of his “32 Thoughts” podcast that the Maple Leafs will seek to report the Vegas Golden Knights for poaching, should Marner end up in Vegas.

The Leafs could therefore accuse the Golden Knights of talking to Marner about signing a contract BEFORE they had the right to do so.

And the best part of all is the link between this news and yesterday’s trade rumour.

The Golden Knights are reportedly looking to buy the Maple Leafs’ silence by sending them compensation in the form of Nicolas Roy.

It’s a crazy story that’s obviously still a rumor, but when it comes from Elliotte Friedman, you know it’s almost guaranteed to be true.

And knowing the history of the Golden Knights, plus the fact that Marner’s family has visited homes in Vegas, it’s really not hard to believe this story.

What we understand, then, is that the Golden Knights, without any concrete evidence at this point, would have contacted Mitch Marner about a contract offer before they could do so, starting July 1ᵉʳ.

Marner is still officially owned by the Leafs, so it’s illegal for any team other than the Leafs to discuss a potential contract with him.

But, that’s what Vegas would have potentially done regardless, and the Leafs would have realized it, hence their interest in denouncing and accusing the Knights.

And to save their own skin, and avoid consequences, Vegas would seek to buy the Leafs’ silence by obtaining Marner’s rights before July 1, to make the discussions and negotiations with Marner legal.

It’s crazy that a team is willing to pay a good support player like Nicolas Roy just to avoid the penalties and consequences of an illegal act.

It just goes to show once again how poorly Vegas manages its players on a human level.

We all remember how Marc-André Fleury was treated.

In short, this is an issue to be followed closely between now and Tuesday, as the full story is likely to come out.

Let’s also see if the Leafs could be penalized for threatening the Golden Knights in order to receive something in return for Marner.

Overtime

– A recap of the last two days with the Canadiens.

– Incredible.

– For those interested.

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Draft 2025: not even one defenseman under six feet drafted

After an interminable evening and day, the decentralized National Hockey League Draft 2025 is finally behind us.

An event that is normally so exciting and eagerly awaited ended up being more painful and time-consuming to follow.

Still, there were some exciting transactions, and above all some interesting selections from the 32 NHL teams.

In a draft dominated once again by Canadian prospects, there was a nice variety of countries of birth among the prospects drafted this year, as reported by Frank Seravalli.

17 different countries of birth is the highest total for a draft in 21 years.

However, what really caught my eye in this interesting statistical review was the size of the players selected.

Only 30 of the 224 players selected this year are less than six feet tall.

This statistic really surprised me, and that’s where I pushed my research to finally realize something even more shocking.

No defenseman under six feet tall was drafted this year.

You read that right, every defenseman selected in the last two days is six feet or taller.

It’s pretty crazy to notice that, especially considering it’s a 21st century first when compared to other drafts since the early 2000s.

There was already a drop-off in small defensemen in 2024, with only three defensemen under six feet selected, but this is as low as it gets.

This statistic shows that the NHL is still very much focused on big, tall players, especially among defensemen.

It’s easy to see why the Florida Panthers’ recent success with a big defensive brigade has clearly influenced the League’s mentality more than Lane Hutson’s Calder Trophy for a 5’9″ defenseman.

(Credit: NHL.com)

No defenseman from the recent two-time Stanley Cup champions is shorter than six feet, and we have to believe that this has BIGLY influenced the 2025 draft.

If we go even further into the statistics, we realize that it was only in the third round, at No. 89, that the first six-foot defenseman, Artyom Gonchar, was drafted.

And in the end, only nine defensemen measuring exactly six feet were drafted this year.

In short, there’s clearly still a big preference and trend for tall players and especially tall defensemen in the NHL.

Size still has a huge influence on NHL team draft picks, despite Lane Hutson’s huge success in his NHL rookie season.

The Habs’ star defenseman hasn’t revolutionized the NHL, at least not yet.

Overtime

– Coming up.

– All the better.

– He had a great season in Ottawa.

– The end of a great career.

– Of course it is.

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Patrik Laine’s wedding: Ivan Demidov and his girlfriend were present

While the interminable rounds 2 to 7 of the National Hockey League draft were taking place in Los Angeles at an absolutely excruciating pace, Patrik Laine was preparing for a very special moment.

Last night, the Montreal Canadiens forward and his wife Jordan Leigh were officially married in Miami.

On hand for the occasion were Ivan Demidov and his girlfriend, Ekaterina Yakovleva.

The young couple’s presence was seen via Instagram, while Demidov’s girlfriend captured several beautiful moments of the event via Instagram stories.

In the following photo, Ivan Demidov and his girlfriend can be seen taking a selfie in a mirror.

It’s nice to see that Demidov, who’s only 19, and only just joined the Canadiens in Montreal, is already included in this kind of event.

It’s also cool to see that the Russian forward took the time to be present for an important moment in Patrik Laine’s life.

The two teammates have clearly already developed a certain bond over the few games they’ve played together, which is interesting for what’s to come, given that they’re very likely to play on the second line together.

Note that Jakub Dobes was also present for Laine’s wedding, while he also posted an Instagram story to show that he was on hand for the event.

Two young players from the organization thus took time out to celebrate a milestone event for Laine and his wife.

In closing, here are two videos from Laine’s wedding, featuring the Habs forward dancing with his spouse.

These videos were captured by Demidov’s girlfriend via her Instagram account.


Overtime

– Of note.

– In case you missed it, it was a Kings fan in the room who announced Los Angeles’ seventh-round pick. What a cool moment.

– His joy speaks volumes.

– Read more.

– Wow.

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Patrick Roy’s defensive system: Islanders defenders challenge it

The big news of the weekend in the NHL (not just Montreal) is undoubtedly the trade bringing Noah Dobson to town.

For those who just woke up from a coma, yes, you read that right.

We know the defenseman wasn’t the happiest in New York and didn’t want to extend his contract there. Mathieu Darche and the Islanders still had the upper hand, as the player became an RFA, not a UFA. Darche eventually decided to dance with Kent Hughes, despite the fact that the Jackets were also interested.

All this to say that Dobson may have wanted to leave too, as he didn’t have the best of relationships with Patrick Roy.

The coach ‘s defensive system didn’t meet with unanimous approval, and the organization’s defenders took issue with it. Martin Leclerc (Radio-Canada), on the Tellement Hockey podcast, didn’t name Dobson directly, but he did say that the defensemen didn’t like the system.

I’d like to think that the Habs’ new protégé was one of them.

According to Leclerc, Roy’s system requires perfect coordination, and if that doesn’t work, it opens up spaces in the enclave, among other things. Proof of a flawed system: Dobson’s record has dropped considerably since the Quebecer arrived on Long Island. This is probably no coincidence.

In fact, the relationship between the two men has become toxic.

The team’s backs were questioning themselves, and that made the guys play with the fear of losing and making a mistake. In short, it’s not ideal.

And in Montreal, we experienced a similar situation. Leclerc reminds us that, when Martin St-Louis arrived, the “hybrid” system of play was misunderstood. The players looked bad, because the system was too complicated.

David Savard took matters into his own hands and went to the coaches to tell them how he and his team-mates felt. In the end, it worked and MSL simplified the system. But in New York, no veteran seems to be taking the initiative to talk with Patrick, and this has probably pushed his number-one defenseman out of Long Island.

Overtime

– Aaron Ekblad moves away from Florida.

– Finally.

– Ah well.

– What a story!

– Nice pact.

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27 teams are looking for a second center: the Canadiens won’t have it easy

The start of the weekend was a great success for the Canadiens. Not only did they get Noah Dobson (without touching a core player and/or quality prospect), but they drafted very well.

My colleague Félix Forget has done a colossal job of writing about each of the prospects drafted today.

Here’s a summary:

Kent Huges and Jeff Gorton have considerably improved the team. The priority now: trade for a top-6 center. And believe me, that’s easier said than done, because the Habs aren’t the only ones looking for a second center.

According to Blues GM Doug Armstrong (a pretty credible guy in the business), 27 teams (including Montreal) are looking for a quality center.

Yep…

For Armstrong, the solution may lie in the free agent market, not the trade market.

But on the free agent market, especially now that John Tavares and Matt Duchene have extended with their respective teams, it’s thin at center.

(Credit: Spotrac )

Here’s another good reason why Christian Dvorak could sign a five-year contract…

With the acquisition of Dobson, will management halt its search for a center for now, or will it remain active? After all, Montreal no longer has its two first-round picks in 2025. The club still has some good prospects, but from what we’ve seen of Kent Hughes in recent years, he almost never overpays.

One thing’s for sure, the offer for a Sidney Crosby or another good center will have to be better than 26 other clubs. Does Montreal have what it takes to dance? Next year, the team will have all its picks, plus an additional second- and fourth-round pick.

And in 2027, Montreal has seven picks of its own.

Overtime

– Koivu is in town.

– P.K. Subban continues to inspire young people.

– Well done.

– Absolument.

– No doubt about it.

– He’s loved in Tampa.

– The Canadiens, moderate winners of the recent draft.