At noon today, the Canadiens completed a transaction to move up in the draft. They traded the 41st and 49th picks to the Hurricanes, and in return got the 189th pick, but more importantly, the 34th pick.
The club had a player in its sights… and it didn’t want to be robbed of him.
The two youngsters have known each other since they were eight years old, and you can tell they’re really happy to be reunited in Montreal today. Both already dream of playing on the same line… and Zharovsky (who also seems to have some basic French) admits it’s a dream they’ve shared for a very long time.
Was this a factor in the Habs’ selection? The club has every reason in the world to try to ensure that Demidov (who quickly congratulated Zharovsky in an Instagram story) is happy in the city… and we know that the club has already done something similar by drafting Filip Mesar, one of Juraj Slafkovský’s best friends, in 2022.
Demidov and Zharovsky share the same agent and are in the same gang. Both guys are wingers, and playing them together is something the Habs would love. Yes, it’s something we thought about when we made our selection.
So we’ll see how it all pans out, but obviously, today’s pick really makes one of the most important young players in town happy. Zharovsky is an interesting prospect in his own right, but the Demidov connection is an interesting one.
Now, let’s see if Zharovsky develops sufficiently over the next few years to make a name for himself alongside Demidov in Montreal.
Will the QMJHL be ignored in the 2nd round of the draft?
It hasn’t happened since 1993, the year Alexandre Daigle (1st), Jocelyn Thibault (10th) and Éric Lecompte (24th) were selected in the first round in Quebec City.
The Canadiens did what they had to do: go to the draft and draft a talented player. They may have turned the corner on their rebuild, and they may have added a #1 defenseman yesterday, but drafting only 41st was a long way off. And the club has a maximum number of contracts to respect…
And the more we read on the subject, the more we realize that the 6’1, 163-pound player is brimming with talent.
(Credit: Elite Prospects)
In fact, Kent Hughes (who said he was looking for fast, talented players three years ago, when he took over as the club’s GM) has managed to get his hands on a player with hands.
The proof is in the pudding?
Two minutes of Alexander Zharovsky’s offensive highlights from the past season.
High-end puckhandling, creative problem-solving under pressure, sniping pucks past goalies from mid-range, manipulative playmaking. #2025NHLDraftpic.twitter.com/Uv0pHsLn5u
The Russian will almost have the pressure of a first-round pick in Montreal because he was drafted early in the second round, is the club’s first selection… and because he has the talent of a first-round pick.
Not the same as Owen Beck in 2022, let’s say. #33rdAtTotal
And the Russian has talent. In Russia, people thought he’d be out before the second round, given his talent and the fact that he performed well in the most recent series.
One of Nicolas Cloutier’s sources in Russia even regrets not having him on his team.
And if you’re looking to put things in perspective, you should know that Grant McCagg, in his pre-draft portrait, polled some insiders and they consider the Habs’ new prospect to be the third-best stickhandler of the 2025 crop.
So yes, this is the kind of gamble it’s nice to see the Canadiens take. After all, the club needs talent, and that’s what they’ve just picked up from Russia.
Well done, then.
extension
– Excellent.
Alexander Zharovsky wants to be in Montreal for the development camp. His camp is working hard for a visa. @TVASports
– Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) June 28, 2025
– Newly drafted Habs prospect has two years left on his contract in Russia.
Newly drafted Canadiens prospect Alexander Zharovsky is under contract to Salavat Ufa until May 31, 2027.
– The Habs traded picks 41 and 49 for picks 34 and 189. Goaltender Semyon Frolov was drafted 41st overall by the Hurricanes and center Charlie Cerrato was the 49th overall pick.
– Really?
2 bits of info related to the NHL amateur draft. #Habs#Canadiens
1. Alexander Zharovsky may not be the only Russian player selected by the Habs. Kent Hughes has a Russian defenseman in his sights.
John Gibson has been the subject of trade rumors for years. The Ducks’ goaltender, who seems to have been unhappy in Anaheim for the past few years, has been passed over for #1 goaltender by Lukas Dostal.
And obviously, that doesn’t help the goalie appreciate his situation.
That said, Gibson was finally traded today to the Red Wings.
What’s interesting, though, is that the Ducks didn’t get much for their goalie. They got a 2nd-round pick and a 4th-round pick in future drafts, as well as Petr Mrazek.
That’s… pretty little for a goalie who can still be a good #1.
After yesterday’s first round of the draft, the final six rounds of the auction take place this afternoon. And the Habs, who didn’t select yesterday, were in for a busy day.
Did you know that Noah Dobson is officially a member of the Canadiens?
Obviously, this has been the topic of the last few hours, of the hour and probably for many more hours in the coming days, considering that this is a very big transaction that has been completed by Kent Hughes and his gang.
It’s not every day you acquire a 6’4″, 25-year-old right-handed defenseman who already has 230 points, including 50 goals, under his belt, including a 70-point season.
So it’s only natural that the Habs’ new defenseman is the talk of the town.
Behind the scenes, however, we mustn’t forget that, in addition to their two first-round picks (16th and 17th) in 2025, the Habs also parted with Emil Heineman in this transaction.
And while Heineman may have been a mere depth player last season, he won the hearts of fans, and it’s not for nothing that many are still disappointed to see him go, despite the excitement of Dobson’s arrival.
Before being hit by a car in Utah, Heineman was enjoying an excellent rookie season, having established himself as a very important player in the Habs’ success and the smooth running of the fourth line.
The 23-year-old Swedish winger has an excellent shot and, above all, plays a very robust and physical style of play, with an excellent forecheck.
The Habs will clearly miss Heineman, but the Swede’s departure opens a door.
AS MUCH AS THIS IS HUGE FOR THE HABS, I will miss Heineman.
A nice spot on the Habs’ bottom-6 has just opened up, and that’s got a lot of guys in Laval salivating.
With Heineman’s departure, the Habs now have just ten NHL forwards under contract.
(Credit: CapWages.com)
Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia and Michael Pezzetta will most likely not be back next season, as they become unrestricted free agents on July 1ᵉʳ, that is, next Tuesday.
Theoretically, then, there are three spots to be filled on the Habs if they are to reach the magic number of 13 forwards in the lineup, which would count one extra.
And that’s where the Habs have plenty of options to fill these positions, especially the one occupied by Heineman.
In Laval, several players have distinguished themselves, including a few forwards.
And when I think of replacing Emil Heineman, a physical, robust player with an excellent forecheck and a good shot, I think directly of Florian Xhekaj.
Even before Heineman’s departure, many already saw Xhekaj as a player to watch out for in the next camp, and who could therefore earn a place in Montreal.
Now, this possibility is becoming more and more realistic, and you can be sure that Xhekaj knows he has a great opportunity to join his brother in the NHL next season.
Florian is predestined to become a fourth-line player in the NHL, and right now, the opportunity seems perfect.
However, he’ll have to earn his place in Montreal, because it won’t come cheap.
He’s not at the top of the Rocket’s list of young prospects, so it’s going to be quite a battle.
(Credit: CapWages.com)
In this list, I believe there are six players who could have a chance of winning a position in Montreal for the 25-26 campaign.
Oliver Kapanen, Owen Beck, Florian Xhekaj, Sean Farrell, Jared Davidson and Joshua Roy are the ones I see in the running for the three (or even four if the Habs keep 14 forwards up including two extras) positions currently vacant.
Obviously, a trade or signing could change things, but there would still be at least two spots to fill.
So that’s six pretty interesting, and above all different, options.
Here’s a look at each of the Habs’ options, in the order in which I imagine they currently appear to the Habs.
1. Oliver Kapanen – Center – 21 years old
21 games (three in playoffs) of experience with the Habs: three assists
11 playoff games with the Rocket: six points
Solid defensively, but needs to develop his physical game and find his offensive touch
Potential: third-line center
2. Owen Beck – Center – age 21
13-game experience with the Habs: one assist
Rookie season: 44 points in 64 games with the Rocket + six points in 13 playoff games
Defensively solid with good offensive flair, but slowed down late in the season and didn’t shine in the playoffs
Potential: third-line center
3. Florian Xhekaj – Left wing – age 21
No game experience with the Habs
Impressive rookie season with 35 points, including 24 goals in 69 games + three points in 13 playoff games
The Rocket’s biggest surprise of the season, and his physical game would do the Habs a world of good
Potential: perfect player for a quality fourth line
4. Sean Farrell – Left wing – 23 years old
Six games NHL experience: one goal
Resurrection this season with 44 points, including 20 goals, in 67 games + ten points in 13 playoff games
Excellent shooting and offensive flair, but still small at 5’9
Potential: middle-6 winger
5. Jared Davidson – Center and winger – 22 years old
No NHL game experience
Excellent 2nd pro season with 45 points, including 24 goals, in 69 games + four points in 13 playoff games
Devastating shot and clearly a complete player, physically, offensively and defensively
Potential: good fourth-line player capable of contributing offensively
6. Joshua Roy – Right wing – age 21
35 games experience with the Habs: 11 points, including six goals
35 points, including 20 goals in 47 games in his 2nd season with the Rocket + ten points in 13 playoff games
Very talented, but often not hard-working enough. His offensive skills need to shine.
Potential: middle-6 winger
However, his attitude is questionable
In short, with this overall picture, what would be your choices to complete the Habs line-up by replacing Emil Heineman, among others?
Personally, I’d go with Florian Xhekaj, Oliver Kapanen and Joshua Roy, even if he’s not the Canadiens’ favorite.
– At the rate things are going, he’ll be retiring in three weeks, hehe.
The Canadiens organization would like to acknowledge the contribution and colossal work of scout Christer Rockström, who will retire at the conclusion of the 2025 NHL Draft after an illustrious career spanning 41 seasons. Rockström joined the Canadiens in 2010-2011,… pic.twitter.com/KQdykv6hHM
NEWS | The Washington Capitals have signed forward Justin Sourdif to a two-year, $1.65 million contract. Sourdif’s contract will carry an average annual value of $825,000.#ALLCAPS | @Shift4
Whereas Lou Lamoriello never wanted to look to the future and always focused on the present on Long Island, Mathieu Darche has taken a very different approach.
The proof? Mathieu Darche drafted three times yesterday and his predecessor spoke just four times in seven years in the first round since 2018. It’s still crazy… especially when you consider that Darche has publicly said he wants to aim for the playoffs in 2026.
Times have changed around here. Lamoriello made 4 first-round picks in 7 years. Darche made 3 today. #Isles
Of course, the Noah Dobson deal changed all that. The defenseman couldn’t find common ground with the Islanders, forcing his GM to trade him so as not to lose him a year from now.
And even though he wanted short-term reinforcement first, Darche realized that, the way Dobson’s market had developed, moving into the future was the right thing to do.
As a result, the Québécois GM went through quite a draft.
The proof? Scott Wheeler of The Athletic ranked the Islanders at the top of yesterday’s draft winners… and it’s not just because the club had first dibs: he liked picks 16 and 17.
His analysis of all 32 picks is sorted into the following tiers:
What strikes me most is that Matthew Schaefer, Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson, the Islanders’ three picks yesterday, are three of the biggest contenders in the 2025 auction.
Darche clearly has a style of player in mind…
It’s not hard to imagine all three forming the Islanders’ identity and building a winning culture. – Scott Wheeler
Under Patrick Roy, who has obviously been an outstanding competitor for decades, it’s logical to believe that the Islanders will find their heels on the Noah Dobson deal (Emil Heineman, Eklund and Aitcheson, ultimately) in the next few years.
Grant McCagg is also of the same opinion concerning the two players drafted with the Canadiens’ picks.
Mathieu Darche correctly identified that the Islanders weren’t in “win-now” mode. Not that my list is the Gospel, but any team drafting three of my top-13 ranked prospects….I can’t be critical. Eklund and Aitcheson both made the Top 5 in my NHL Scout’s poll in the Most..
If the Habs and Islanders can get what they’re looking for, so much the better. And while the Canadiens scouts are surely disappointed they didn’t get to talk yesterday, the Canadiens got what they wanted.
I think both the Islanders (who wanted to move up for James Hagens) and the Habs (to draft in the first round) would have loved to move up in the draft, but it didn’t happen.
Note that the Bruins (James Hagens), Blues (Justin Carbonneau of the Blinvvillle-Boisssbrien Aaarda) and Capitals (Lynden Lakovic) are also among the draft winners, according to Wheeler.
I’m not saying this at the end of my text just because I wanted to try and write the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada like Nikki Glaser said yesterday for the Blues. No, no, no…
Doesn’t sound like the Flames are close on anything regarding Rasmus Andersson at this point. Obviously that chances with one phone call, but at this point nothing that’s been offered has moved the needle for them. They’re happy to be patient on it.
The Montreal Canadiens may not have spoken last night, as NBA champion Luguentz Dort instead had to weigh a big red button announcing a trade, but it’s likely to be different today.
The Habs currently have ten draft picks in rounds 2 to 7, which will take place today.
The Habs will still be able to add to their bank of prospects with picks that are just as important as any other.
The NHL draft resumes at 12 p.m. today, with the second round kicked off by the Ottawa Senators with the 33rd pick of the draft.
The Habs, meanwhile, will talk at 41st and 49th if nothing changes.
And looking at the names that are still available, the Canadiens could really draft some very interesting prospects with their second-round picks, especially with the 41st.
Here’s a list of the most interesting players still available after the first round.
Best players left on our list:
F Malcolm Spence (24)
F Jakob Ihs Wozniak (25)
F Theo Stockselius (26)
D Blake Fiddler (27)
F Cameron Schmidt (28)
F Eddie Genborg (31)
D Kurban Limatov (32)
F Shane Vansaghi (33)
F Daniil Prokhorov (37)
G Semyon Frolov (38)
F Milton Gastrin (39)
Obviously, this list is just one of many, while the ranking of these prospects depends on everyone’s opinion, as evidenced by this other equally interesting list.
In short, it’s clear that several interesting options will still be on the table for the Habs at No. 41, and even at No. 49.
Even if the Habs aren’t as keen on their draft picks as usual, as they showed with the Noah Dobson deal, these two second-round picks are still of great importance.
The Canadiens could get their hands on two top-quality prospects who will help the team in the coming years, when it will be competitive.
These are important picks for which the Habs are prepared, as are the eight other picks the Habs hold in rounds 3 to 7.
It’s going to be a great day of drafting today, and we’ll have to follow all the action, hoping that the decentralized draft doesn’t cause too many naps.
For those interested, here’s the list of prospects still available from the renowned Corey Pronman.
– The Islanders made two good choices in Eklund and Aitcheson.
Mathieu Darche correctly identified that the Islanders weren’t in “win-now” mode. Not that my list is the Gospel, but any team drafting three of my top-13 ranked prospects….I can’t be critical. Eklund and Aitcheson both made the Top 5 in my NHL Scout’s poll in the Most..
Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton are often patient enough to get what they want.
Obviously, this says a lot about Geoff Molson’s confidence in them. The owner doesn’t put too much pressure on them to turn corners in the rebuild.
But above all, it speaks volumes about the quality of the Canadiens’ management.
The case of Noah Dobson is a good example. No, Dobson didn’t take the discount of the year on his contract, and no, the Islanders didn’t get a bad return on their defenseman.
But in both cases, the HuGo duo didn’t overpay. They did things at their price and waited until Mathieu Darche and Noah Dobson were comfortable at their price.
The result? For Emil Heineman and two first-round picks (now Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson), the Canadiens got their hands on a #1 defenseman who’s offensive, young… and right-handed. This could really be a win-win situation.
And what’s more, after securing his first line for the long term, Kent Hughes has now signed a second long-term defenseman (after Kaiden Guhle), to ensure that when the window opens, it’ll be for good.
With Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, Dobson, Guhle signed until early 2030-2033
With a Hutson, Reinbacher and Demidov soon to join this group the #CH is starting to look like a solid team that will grow with its core for a long time to come
In the short term, the Habs defense will be better. Kaiden Guhle, Noah Dobson, Lane Hutson, Mike Matheson and Alexandre Carrier will play every night in 2025-2026 if healthy.
Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj, at the time of writing, are the club’s other two defensemen.
And in the long run, the Canadiens have the potential to end up with a more-than-strong top-4. And nothing is far-fetched this morning since the four guys I’m about to name are all under team control for several years.
I see Guhle stabilizing Dobson’s left side for the long term and I see Reinbacher – if he develops well – supporting Hutson.
Guhle – Dobson Hutson – Reinbacher
And we haven’t even mentioned Alexandre Carrier, still under contract for two years. We didn’t mention Mike Matheson, who has a contract valid for only one more season.
No mention of Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, Logan Mailloux, Adam Engstrom or the others.
They’ve all got elite potential. And it’s all because Noah Dobson saw the culture being built in Montreal and thought he’d like to be part of the dance…
He’ll help the club, but Dobson will also take the pressure off the youngsters. And that’s worth something.
Kent Hughes has gotten many players in MTL’s core to take a little less on long-term deals. Noah Dobson’s agent told@KDubeJDQhe took a bit less to sign in MTL. Asked Hughes about how critical that is to building a winner in today’s NHL… pic.twitter.com/ZX13aAZthy
The next step? Getting help up front. We know the GM hasn’t finished his job, and who knows if the club might trade a Mailloux or a Matheson for reinforcements in the offensive top-6.
Jordan Kyrou’s name refuses to die in town…
LeBrun on Insider Trading says Habs are not done after acquiring Noah Dobson: “Jordan Kyrou is a player that Montreal is among several teams that have shown interest in him”
Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, could have enjoyed the format of last night’s National Hockey League draft.
Everything was designed to make it as boring as possible, and above all, it was absolutely interminable.
It’s a good thing we finished before the start of the second round at noon today.
In short, it was a really awful evening to watch last night, which is basically a real shame, considering that the draft is usually an event that the NHL does very well.
But yesterday’s decentralized draft really sucked, and there was nothing entertaining about it.
It was extremely long and boring on TV, and even on site, the atmosphere was pretty mediocre, when you’d have thought, from the applause, that we’d reached the stage of surnames beginning with “M” at some university graduation ceremony.
So the fans were greatly disappointed and annoyed, and according to Chris Johnston, so were the people in the business.
INSIDER TRADING..
– How was the decentralized draft format?
– Habs step up for Dobson
– Bennett’s deal; Marchand’s offer
– Interest in Kyrou
– Leafs/Knies
– Andersson & Byram
Indeed, the reputable tipster said as much at the start of the latest episode of Insider Trading, when he shared that he had conducted a poll on this famous decentralized draft among people in the business.
And virtually unanimously, the opinions all pointed in the direction of hating the draft format.
When we talk about people in the business, we’re talking about teams, players’ agents, scouts, etc. So, the fact that even the people in the business didn’t like the format was a big surprise.
So the fact that even the people directly involved in the event didn’t like the format really shows just how painful and horrible an evening it was.
The walk to the stage for the drafted players was far too long, the moment on stage was awkward due to the lack of people to congratulate the youngsters, and the players’ little Zoom moments with their new team’s executives were absolutely atrocious and even more awkward.
Talk about James Hagens talking to ghosts when he arrived to meet the Bruins.
Seriously, it’s a good thing the Canadiens didn’t have a first-round draft pick after all, because this would have been an extremely uncomfortable and painful moment to watch.
Just imagine an emotional Justin Carbonneau (for example) being drafted by the Habs, only to see Kent Hughes and his cohorts completely frozen in the Zoom screen.
Guess the Habs wanted to avoid that embarrassment, and that’s why they traded their picks for Noah Dobson. #Sarcasm
In short, it was a really bad idea to decentralize the draft, and what’s more, according to reports, the NHL didn’t even save that much money.
Let’s just say we went from the potential best draft ever in 2024 in the Las Vegas sphere, to the worst ever with Zoom calls from Los Angeles.
Let’s hope the 2026 draft returns to the normal, non-decentralized format.
overtime
– It doesn’t make sense how long it was yesterday.
The first round of the National Hockey League draft is now behind us (yes, yes, we made it through), and what we’re obviously remembering about the Canadiens is the acquisition of Noah Dobson.
The deal was made official in the middle of the draft, when the Habs’ first pick in the draft, 16th overall, was finally available.
By trading its two picks (16 and 17), the Habs did not draft in the first round for the first time since 2008.
It’s been a long time, and it’s a clear sign that we’re truly entering the post-reconstruction era.
The Noah Dobson deal is about improving the team now and making it competitive quickly for the long term.
It’s also a deal that puts a defenseman at the top of the Habs’ $9.5-million-a-year salary scale (excluding Carey Price).
The Calder Trophy winner will be eligible for a contract extension on July 1, and according to Eric Engels, Dobson’s contract could act as a ceiling on Hutson’s value.
The Noah Dobson trade is about more than just himself, or the fact he’s now the highest-paid Canadiens.
As Engels explains in his most recent article, Dobson’s contract is really a good “buisness” move on the part of the Habs, given that not only will the salary cap go up, but it’s less than the $11M Dobson was originally asking for, which puts the $9.5M per year as an excellent scale/ceiling for Hutson to meet.
Dobson has the makings of an NHL team’s #1 defenseman, and this contract is a perfect testament to that.
Of course, I’m not saying that Dobson is officially ahead of Hutson in the hierarchy of defensemen, except that if Dobson pockets $9.5 million a year, and is seen as a #1 defenseman, it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for Hutson to ask for more.
In addition, consider that Dobson is 25 years old, in his 7th NHL season, and that this contract represents the 3rd of his career, having gone through his entry-level contract, and a three-year, $4-million-a-year bridge contract.
Hutson, on the other hand, has only played one season in the NHL, and may therefore have to go through a bridge contract, even though he has already proved his worth with his 66-point rookie season and Calder Trophy.
It’s also worth noting that Dobson’s eight-year contract covers only one year under team control and seven years of complete autonomy.
So it really doesn’t compare to Hutson, who burned through a year of his contract, and would see an eight-year long-term contract half under team control and half in full autonomy.
So, in the end, if Hutson is in favor of signing long-term like Dobson, it would be extremely surprising to see Kent Hughes give him more than $9.5 million.
I think we could be looking at an eight-year contract at $9 million a year.
So don’t be surprised if Hutson’s next contract isn’t for $10 million a year.
Renaud Lavoie himself said last night that he had serious doubts that Hutson would sign for more than Dobson, and that he even expects to see number 48 sign a transition contract.
But if the Habs and Hutson are in it for the long haul, this will be the last year to sign eight-year contracts.
Overtime
– Indeed.
In hindsight, Dobson was obviously the big win for #Habs.
BUT if they hadn’t made that trade, I think fans would’ve been happy enough with two of: Eklund, Aitcheson, Reschny or Carbonneau. https://t.co/FMUuKd3YQk
https://t.co/Pa1weZ9A37
Winners
https://t.co/90ZZiDdCxx
