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Christian Dvorak could be on the market for 3 to 5 years this summer

Christian Dvorak has no contract for next season.

We don’t necessarily expect him to be back in Montreal either. The center is likely to test the free agent market, and the chances of him leaving are there.

Seeing him stay in Montreal isn’t impossible, but hey.

We’re talking about Dvorak today because, according to Andy Strickland, there will be interest in his services this summer.

Strickland claims that “several” teams will be ready to offer him a three- to five-year contract… which would be a great opportunity for Dvorak.

He hasn’t necessarily had much success in Montreal, but he does have a certain reputation around the NHL.

And so he should.

Dvorak, after all, can help a club because he has defensive qualities. He’s good in the face-off circle, and he can be useful on the short-handed too, because he’s responsible in his own zone.

On a 3rd line… he’s got his place and he’s in the right chair.

I have a feeling that Dvorak could really help a Stanley Cup contender because he has the tools to do it. Reliable players like him go a bit under the radar sometimes… but we saw just how important D-Vo was to the Canadiens during the team’s playoff push last season.

At a respectable price… Christian Dvorak could become an interesting option for a club that wants to go all the way.

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“The Canadiens made Brendan Gallagher available on the market”

This afternoon, Kent Hughes completed a monstrous transaction by acquiring Noah Dobson. In doing so, the club acquired a first-pair right-handed defenseman, something that’s been sorely needed in town ever since Shea Weber hung up his skates.

Our colleague Marc-Olivier Cook wrote an excellent article on the subject.

And in the deal, Hughes sent his two first-round picks to Long Island. So, we could potentially expect a quieter evening in Montreal… but maybe not, in the end.

According to David Pagnotta(The Fourth Period), the Canadiens aren’t done for the day. The club is still involved in major talks at the moment… and things could get moving again as early as today.

What’s even more interesting is that, according to Pagnotta, there’s one name on the market right now: Brendan Gallagher.

He’s reportedly been made available, and his name is circulating right now.

Pagnotta notes that there isn’t necessarily an imminent deal involving Gallagher, but that his name is the talk of the town. And that’s interesting, because for years, his contract has been seen as an untradeable ball and chain.

Suddenly, $6.5 million a year for two more seasons isn’t the end of the world.

We also know that with Noah Dobson set to earn $9.5 million a year from 2025-26, we’ll eventually have to start freeing up some salary in town. The cap may be going up, but the club already has a few big contracts on the books.

And that’s not counting Lane Hutson, whose first year of his next contract will coincide with the final year of Gallagher’s current contract.

Last year, Gally amassed 21 goals and 38 points in 82 games. He hasn’t missed a game through injury in two full years (the only five games he missed in 2023-24 were due to suspension), and he brings a ton of heart and leadership to a team.

Will a young team want him? Seeing him leave Montreal after 13 seasons in town would be something… but it would really be the start of a new era.

Extension

Remember that Gallagher has a partial no-trade clause, allowing him to submit a list of six teams to which he would refuse to be traded.

That shouldn’t put too much pressure on Kent Hughes if he decides to trade him… but out of respect for the veteran, you’d think he’d make sure to send him to a destination that would suit Gallagher (if he does end up trading him, of course).

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Meet Noah Dobson, the Montreal Canadiens’ new #1 defenseman

It’s the big news of the day in Montreal.

The Canadiens have acquired the services of Noah Dobson, and the defenseman arrives in Montreal with an eight-year contract ($9.5 million per season) in his pocket.

But… for those less familiar with him, who is Noah Dobson?

Dobson was selected in 2018 by the Islanders with the 12th overall pick in the draft.

Even before he was drafted, we knew he had potential.

We’re talking about a 6’4 (!), 194-pound defenseman with undeniable offensive talent. Dobson has already collected 70 points in a single NHL season (23-24) and also has two seasons of 49 and 51 points behind the tie.

He’s been the Islanders’ general for a few years now, and with the right people around him in Montreal, chances are he’ll be able to improve even more.

(Credit: EliteProspects)

But Dobson also has leadership qualities because he wore a letter on his jersey in junior, when he played for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

He was assistant captain in the 16-17 season… and then became team captain the following year.

That proves he’s a good team player, too. And we know that in Montreal, culture is important and the guys like to hang out together off the ice. He’s 25 years old and he’ll be able to fit in well with the rest of the group, which is also quite young.

There may be one particular flaw in Dobson’s game, and that’s on the defensive end. He’s not necessarily recognized as the best player in his zone, but his offensive talent goes some way to offsetting this problem.

That said, Dobson has improved defensively in recent years, and the Canadiens’ coaches are sure to help him get better. If he really comes into his own, the Canadiens will have a damn fine defender on their hands… and he’ll help the Habs on many levels.

Seeing him in a Canadiens uniform with all the other talented players in Montreal really feels like it’s going to be something special. Because Dobson has what it takes to help the Habs in the long term, and because we know that there are already some (very) good players in the Montreal line-up.

Promising, at least.

Extension

In the end, the Canadiens will have traded Tyler Toffoli, two first-round picks for Noah Dobson and Filip Mesar.

Why do I say that?

Because the Canadiens traded Toffoli to the Flames for Emil Heineman and a first-round pick – who became Filip Mesar.

Heineman now finds himself on Long Island with the Canadiens’ two first-round picks in 2025.

Once again, Kent Hughes looks like a genius.

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Noah Dobson: Blue Jackets feel they had a better offer

After a fairly intense 24 hours in town, where Noah Dobson was the talk of the hour, the Habs got their hands on the defenseman early this afternoon. It’s a huge coup for the Habs, who get a first-pair right-handed defenseman.

Especially since Emil Heineman, the 16th and 17th picks, don’t come cheap, especially in a year when nobody seems to want those first-round picks.

What we do know, however, is that the Habs weren’t alone in this race. We know that the Blue Jackets, for example, were also in the race right up until the very end.

And this afternoon, we learned what the Islanders asked the Jackets in this matter. Obviously, the 14th and 20th picks were mentioned, but they also wanted an NHL-calibre player and another piece.

As for the Habs, they didn’t have to give up that extra piece: the Islanders wanted the Blue Jackets to beat the Habs’ offer, which didn’t happen.

And, of course, all this means that the Blue Jackets come away empty-handed. Although the club felt it had a competitive offer, it’s disappointed to have missed out.

Especially since Columbus seemed to have a better offer than the Habs.

It’s logical to assume that the Islanders didn’t particularly want to trade Dobson to a division rival, which may explain why more was asked of the Blue Jackets than the Habs. Ideally, we’d probably have preferred to send him out West, but Dobson only wanted to sign long-term in the East.

That said, we also know that Dobson’s preference was to go to Montreal. So we can also wonder whether Mathieu Darche wanted to protect his reputation and honor his player’s wishes, a technique we’ve often seen in Montreal in recent years.

Because in the end, that reputation pays off: Kent Hughes could tell you all about it today.

If the Blue Jackets had made a much better offer, it would have forced the Islanders to consider this one. But since it wasn’t much better than the Habs’ offer, Dobson is in Montreal today.

And no, Canadiens fans won’t complain.

Extension

Incidentally, in the last few minutes, the Blue Jackets completed a transaction: they acquired Charlie Coyle from Colorado.

Not Noah Dobson, but still.

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The Habs could have gone for Caleb Desnoyers with picks #16 and #17

The Habs have decided to sacrifice their two first-round picks in the 2025 draft.

Selections #16 and #17 are now in New York (Islanders)… and Kent Hughes took the opportunity to use them to pick up Noah Dobson.

But there may have been other options on the table, too.

I say that because, according to Frank Seravalli, picks #16 and #17 could have yielded a pick between 4th and 6th in tonight’s draft.

And… we know that Caleb Desnoyers is very likely to come out in that corner. So, the Habs could have moved up to draft Desnoyers, but chose instead to get their hands on a #1 defenseman who can help out next season.

If you’re doing this for a 25-year-old instead of an 18-year-old… it means something.

It means the Canadiens rebuild is well underway.

Kent Hughes has taken advantage of the moment to acquire a player who will be part of the Canadiens’ long-term plans and who will immediately improve the team’s roster on paper.

Of course, parting with two first-round picks has a certain effect… but we also know that these picks are never guaranteed either.

And that’s why getting an established player in return for picks and Emil Heineman is far from a bad thing for the Habs.

I can only imagine that the idea of drafting Caleb Desnoyers – by moving up with the two first-round picks – was discussed in the Canadiens’ offices. We’re talking about a center who’s likely to be a top-6 player in the National League for a long time, and who has really interesting potential.

But, on the other hand, it’s hard to be disappointed to see Noah Dobson coming to Montreal – also with a good contract in his pocket.

Kent Hughes really made the right decision.

Overtime

– Good news.

– Red Wings looking to make a move.

– Oh.

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Dobson acquisition: What does it mean for Matheson?

Kent Hughes has pulled a rabbit out of his hat.

The Canadiens’ GM managed to acquire Noah Dobson in return for Emil Heineman and the Canadiens’ two first-round picks for tonight’s draft.

A real tour de force.

But now, if we think a little further ahead… the acquisition of Dobson changes a few things in Montreal.

And here, I’m thinking especially of Mike Matheson’s future with the Canadiens.

After all, his role wasn’t as important after the arrival of Lane Hutson. And with the addition of an established #1 defenseman like Dobson… Matheson loses a bit of importance in the Canadiens’ line-up.

We know that the defenseman spoke to Habs executives at the Buffalo combine and had a nice chat with Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton. But… the longer this goes on, the more likely it is that Matheson won’t be playing in Montreal for much longer.

Remember, he only has one year left on his contract…

(Credit: Getty Images)

Could Matheson be used as bait in another transaction at some point?

Possibly.

Because in reality, maybe there won’t be room for him in Montreal. Hutson, Dobson… and then there’s Kaiden Guhle, who’s becoming more and more important to the Canadiens’ roster.

Having Matheson as #4 defenseman… is it really worth it? Let’s not forget that the Canadiens also have guys like Jayden Struble, Arber Xhekaj, Alexandre Carrier, Logan Mailloux, David Reinbacher…

If Matheson is worth something on the market right now, now might be a good time to take advantage of that value. And if Kent Hughes is interested in getting some offensive help… maybe Matheson can be used as a decoy for a trade.

The defenseman’s file is one to watch, to put it another way.

Overtime

– I’m happy at ****!

– Well done!

– Coming up.

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Islanders choose Emil Heineman over Owen Beck

How are things in Montreal?

The Canadiens acquired Noah Dobson in the final minutes. This is (by far) the biggest buyer’s transaction for Kent Hughes since he became an NHL GM.

In return for Dobson, who signed for $9.5 million a year over eight years (2025 to 2033) and becomes the organization’s highest-paid active player, the Habs gave up their two first-round draft picks tonight and Emil Heineman.

The fact that David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux are still in Montreal is good news.

Of course, we’ll have to see what Mathieu Darche does with his new draft picks (he could move up to get a top pick, for example) before we can judge the transaction.

But the Heineman tip is a judgment call. We know what kind of player he is.

But did you know that before talking about Emil Heineman, Mathieu Darche and Kent Hughes discussed another young player on the heels of today’s very big deal?

According to our information, the Canadiens first offered Owen Beck to the Islanders. The Islanders asked for Emil Heineman instead – and evidently, the Canadiens said yes.

Owen Beck is the 33rd overall pick in 2022… so he’s practically a first choice.

So, logically, the Canadiens and Islanders like Heineman better than Beck. Heineman is in his fourth NHL organization and has scored twice since January 2025.

Is Beck’s stock that low?

extension

By necessity, Heineman’s departure opens another door to the bottom-6. Kent Hughes will surely be looking to improve his offensive top-6, which could create a surplus of forwards on the wings.

Stay tuned…

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Noah Dobson traded to Montreal according to Kevin Weekes

This is it.

The news… we’ve been waiting for it.

According to Kevin Weekes, the Canadiens have acquired Noah Dobson from the Islanders.

More details to come…

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John Tavares extends his contract in Toronto and the salary is excellent for the Leafs

We wondered what was going to happen with John Tavares.

In fact, we knew he wanted to sign a new contract in Toronto, but that there were some complications in the negotiations.

But now it’s done. The veteran has agreed with the Leafs on the terms of a four-year contract extension.

And what’s interesting is that his contract salary will help the Leafs.

Tavares will earn $4.38 million per season… and clearly, he agreed to take a pay cut to stay where he wanted to play.

A good contract for the Leafs, then:

More details to come…

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Logan Mailloux subscribes to the Islanders’ Instagram account

With all the noise surrounding the Islanders and the Canadiens right now, there’s a lot of excitement in Montreal.

Acquiring a player like Noah Dobson turns out to be a really interesting possibility for the Canadiens and their fans, after all.

And as of this morning, the matter is taking on ever greater importance…

We don’t know if a deal is going to happen, and we don’t know what the price would be to get the Long Island defenseman out.

But…

While it may just be coincidence, it’s still relevant to know that a guy like Logan Mailloux follows the Islanders’ club-school on Instagram.

Then again, maybe it’s just coincidence.

But if it is, we’re really talking about a strange coincidence…

If Mailloux has been following the Bridgeport Islanders on Instagram for a while, you have to wonder why.

And if Mailloux has been following the Bridgeport Islanders on Instagram for just recently… you might also wonder why.

But it’s easy to link Mailloux’s name to that of the Islanders.

In fact, the right-handed defenseman is one of the Montreal organization’s good prospects… and we know he could be used in a package to pick up a quality player.

Is that quality player Noah Dobson?

If the Canadiens do indeed trade Mailloux, he would join a long list of defensemen who have been traded to Montreal since the arrival of Kent Hughes. Jordan Harris, Alexander Romanov, Johnathan Kovacevic… These guys are no longer with the organization.

If you traded Mailloux to Long Island, you’d have a defenseman going the other way… but hey.

Still, it’s special to note.

And it’s also special to see Mailloux subscribed to the club-school of the team that is currently attracting the most attention in Montreal…

Overtime

– Logical.

– Can’t wait for tonight.

– Rumors in the MLB.