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Draft: The Habs have three players in particular in their sights (according to David Ettedgui)

If nothing changes between now and then, the Canadiens will draft two players in the first round tomorrow night.

The Habs hold the #16 and #17 selections in the draft, but we know there could be some action, too.

That doesn’t mean, after all, that Kent Hughes and management will be talking twice in the first round.

Because according to David Ettedgui(Sick Podcast), the Canadiens have three players in particular in their sights right now.

We’re talking about Radim Mrtka, Roger McQueen and Kashawn Aitcheson.

These three players have something in common.

They’re big and they like to hit.

Mrtka (6’6), McQueen (6’5) and Aitcheson (6’2) have the size to add size and toughness to the Canadiens’ line-up. In a context where the Canadiens want to get bigger, and Hughes and Gorton talked about it at the end-of-season review…

The only difference?

McQueen is a forward, while the other two are defensemen. Ah, and it’s worth noting that Mrtka throws from the right and Aitcheson is left-handed.

It’s special this year because the Canadiens have two picks stuck in the middle of the first round. That leaves so much room for opportunity – especially if there’s a trade – and that’s also why, at the moment, it’s hard to really make predictions about what’s going to happen tomorrow night.

But Jeff Gorton said it today: the Habs are thinking about moving up a few spots because there are players the Canadiens are very interested in in the top-10 or top-12 of the draft.

And at this point, you have to wonder if the Canadiens’ VP was talking about one of the three guys named by David Ettedgui…

Overtime

– I love it.

See this post on Instagram

A post shared by RDS (@rds)

– Of note.

– Big news in the baseball world.

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Next contract: Noah Dobson wants more than $10 million a year

For several hours now, Noah Dobson has been at the heart of NHL trade rumours. The Islanders defenseman doesn’t seem to be getting along with the team on the terms of a potential long-term deal, which means he’s likely available for a trade.

And the Habs, who are at the top of their destination list, have tabled a formal offer to acquire him.

That said, if the Canadiens go after him, we have to assume that it will come with a long-term contract in hand. And if negotiations are complicated on Long Island, it’s probably because the player has big salary demands.

And that’s just as well, because Andy Strickland, who is well connected throughout the NHL, reported on his X account that, according to what he hears, Dobson is looking for a pact worth more than $10 million a year.

That, too, is something to consider in a potential deal: if Dobson comes to town, he’s likely to be expensive.

Remember that, at the moment, only Carey Price ($10.5 million) earns more than $10 million a year in Montreal. That said, we know that his case is rather special, given that he no longer plays.

Among active players, Patrik Laine ($8.7m) has the highest annual salary. If Dobson comes to town with such a contract, then he’ll be (by far) the highest-paid active player on the Habs.

It’s worth remembering that, at the moment, there’s a salary scale in Montreal, with no one earning more than captain Nick Suzuki among the players who have signed a contract with Kent Hughes. However, it’s important to remember that the GM has already specified that this salary scale applies to players who sign their entry-level post-contract.

Dobson will be signing his third NHL contract. These are no longer the same parameters.

In an NHL where the salary cap is going to explode over the next few years, this is the kind of annual salary you can expect from a top defenseman. To compare it with contracts signed in recent years would be a little dishonest.

But we agree that it strikes a chord… and that if Dobson ever comes to town, Lane Hutson’s agent will be salivating when the time comes to negotiate his client’s next contract.

Overtime

– Ouch.

– For that, the guys would have to stay in town, obviously.

– Still.

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Noah Dobson: Montreal tops his list of destinations

Noah Dobson is the hot topic in Montreal. The defenseman, who is at the heart of trade rumours, doesn’t seem to be on track to agree to a long-term deal with the Islanders.

And with Matthew Schaefer arriving on Long Island tomorrow, the Islanders suddenly have the muscle to trade Dobson if he’s too greedy for their liking.

What we do know is that the Habs have made a formal offer for his services. And according to David Ettedgui, David Reinbacher is probably part of that offer.

What we’ve just learned from Anthony Martineau(TVA Sports) is that Dobson has a list of destinations he’d like to play for.

And the Habs are at the very top of that list.

The thing to remember is that Dobson doesn’t have a no-trade clause. So he can’t decide where he’ll go… but he has leverage nonetheless.

After all, no team is going to pick him up without signing him long-term. And if he really wants to go to Montreal, he can refuse to sign elsewhere.

You might think it’s not “Montreal or nothing” for Dobson, and maybe it makes sense to think he’s open to initialing a long-term deal with the Blue Jackets or Blues, which are other teams coming back into the picture.

But if it were up to him, he’d go to Montreal. And that says a lot about how much he loves what’s going on with the Canadiens.

Extension

In the past, Pierre-Luc Dubois was also in a similar situation. He was hoping to join the Habs, but in the end, he agreed to sign with the Kings, where he was traded.

Let’s hope it’s not déjà vu in Montreal.

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The Habs have made an offer for Noah Dobson

The Canadiens are trying to improve their team.

It’s no longer a secret.

And today, Noah Dobson is a popular name in town. The Islanders defenseman is on the market on Long Island, and the Canadiens are interested in him.

But it goes even further than that.

According to Kevin Dubé of the Journal de Québec… The Canadiens have made a “formal” offer for Dobson on Long Island.

The journalist published a text on the subject.

What’s the offer?

We don’t know.

Nor do we know whether the Islanders will decide to accept the offer in question.

But… if there is a deal, it’s going to be expensive because Noah Dobson is established as a #1 defenseman in the National League. He’s 25 years old, he throws right-handed… and defenders like him aren’t exactly a dime a dozen these days.

That said, could we see a guy like David Reinbacher being included in a deal to bring Dobson to Montreal? On paper, it makes sense… even if the Canadiens really like Reinbacher, as Nicolas Cloutier points out on X :

Making a package that involves Reinbacher to get Dobson out of Long Island makes sense.

But why?

Because Dobson has already proven himself, while Reinbacher has good potential.

They’re (really) not the same thing. And at 25, Dobson could help the Canadiens in the long run – as Reinbacher would have done in the end.

That said, right now, there’s lots and lots of talk about Noah Dobson and the Canadiens. Marco D’Amico and Anthony Martineau talked about it on X today: the Habs are in the running for the defenseman.

And according to D’Amico (BPM Sports)… the Habs are even among the three most aggressive clubs in the defenseman’s file:

There it is again: that doesn’t mean a deal will happen by tonight, or even tomorrow.

But the longer this goes on… the more we understand that the Canadiens are really involved in this matter. Which is exciting, given the talent of a player like Noah Dobson.

Overtime

– Good point.

– Logical.

– It’s true!

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Carey Price: even his bonus is covered by insurance

At this point, the consensus is that the contract of Carey Price, who is not a Hall of Famer as we speak, is too much for the Canadiens.

Habs management would no doubt prefer to work without the contract around their necks. And if it helps the club, Price won’t be opposed to a trade to another team.

It wouldn’t change his life anyway: he’s unofficially retired and lives in Western Canada.

In real money, Price is due to receive $5.5 million in bonuses this summer, and will earn another $2 million during the 2025-2026 season. And in a year’s time, his contract will expire.

You’d think that after receiving his bonus, trading him would be easier.

But in reality, Marco D’Amico, who spoke on the Shaun Starr podcast, told us that not only is his salary covered by insurance, but so is his bonus.

That’s not always the case for all NHL contracts… and that changes the game.

The Canadiens can therefore trade Price’s contract at any time. And listening to D’Amico, it sounds more like a “when” than an “if”: it’s likely that the Habs will trade Price.

Because to me, it’s clear: the Habs need the guy. Whether it’s to avoid being on the LTIR, to avoid deferring youth bonuses until 2026-2027, or to have peace of mind in case of a big addition, it’s something that has to be done.

And with the cap going up, there’s also an increase in the salary floor. It will be $70.6 million in 2025-2026.

A club like the San Jose Sharks, who will be close to $30 million off the floor once Marc-Édouard Vlasic’s contract buyout is completed, would be well advised to go for Price.

extension

I’m already looking forward to next year when Price would have been traded and inducted into the Hall of Fame while under contract with a team other than the Habs. #Ironie

Because in my eyes, he should get in next year.

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Jeff Gorton: It (really) doesn’t matter if Justin Carbonneau is a Québécois

Jeff Gorton spoke to the media today.

The draft will be presented tomorrow… and to mark the occasion, the journalists on hand took the opportunity to ask him a few questions about the draft – and a few other topics.

Of the draft? The Habs VP said that Kirby Dach is fine, that the organization will continue to follow the plan, that there are several conversations across the NHL about potential trades…

But Gorton also talked about the possibility of Justin Carbonneau being drafted by the Canadiens.

In fact… Gorton said that the fact that Carbonneau is a Québécois has nothing to do with the possibility of him being drafted.

Kent Hughes’ assistant said something that is relatively clear:

When I was in Boston, people wanted us to draft guys from Boston. And that didn’t happen. – Jeff Gorton

That doesn’t mean there’s no chance of Carbonneau being drafted by the Canadiens.

What it does mean is that the Habs won’t pick him just because he’s from here:

We know that drafting a Québécois can put extra pressure on a player.

And everyone knows the Louis Leblanc story…

But ultimately, Jeff Gorton is right.

It’s not where a guy comes from or how pretty his hair is that makes him attractive: it’s his talent on the ice. If the Canadiens feel that Justin Carbonneau has what it takes to help the team on the ice in the future, they’re sure to consider him if he’s still available when the Habs talk.

But to hear Jeff Gorton say openly that we don’t really care if Carbonneau is a Québécois – even if the VP wants the Canadiens to be able to have good players from Québéc in the line-up… it’s still relevant to know.

Overtime

– Yikes.

– Where will he play next year?

– Well done.

– Love this.

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Marco D’Amico: Jordan Kyrou and Noah Dobson are popular names with the Habs

Initially, the Canadiens wanted to find a top-6 center.

The problem?

Right now, there aren’t a million guys available because teams want to trade players for players. As a result, Kent Hughes has had to change his plan a little: right now, the Habs are looking to improve… at any possible position.

To do so, the Habs could go for a top-6 winger or a top-4 defenseman.

And at that level… Marco D’Amico reports that the Habs like guys like Jordan Kyrou and Noah Dobson, two players who would fill a certain need in Montreal.

The addition of Kyrou – a responsible 200-foot winger who scores goals and produces a lot – would give the Canadiens more offensive punch.

And that would be good… because it would also allow Martin St-Louis to surround Ivan Demidov in the right way.

For Dobson, it’s a similar story: the Canadiens have a hole on the right side of defense, and the Islanders’ defenseman has all the qualities to help the club. He’s mobile, he’s right-handed, he’s good offensively AND defensively…

What could help with Dobson is the fact that he’s looking for his new contract and doesn’t seem to be close to an agreement with the Islanders. If he becomes available… Kent Hughes must call Mathieu Darche because Long Island would probably like to get their hands on some youngsters and prospects in order to be competitive soon.

Especially as they already have the 1st overall pick in the next draft…

Looks like I have more faith in the Dobson scenario than the Kyrou one – although I’d love to see the Habs go after the Blues’ player.

And the reason is simple: the Blues don’t want to trade the forward for prospects or draft picks.

In St. Louis, they’re looking for an established player who can slot into the lineup right away, and the Habs might not want to give away a player who’s already an important part of the lineup.

But no matter…

In either case, acquiring a player like Kyrou or Dobson would be… really special.

Overtime

– Justin Carbonneau hasn’t made up his mind yet.

– Note to self:

– Both guys put on a good show.

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Don Waddell admits it: It’s hard to make a big deal right now

With the NHL Entry Draft set to take place tomorrow, there are rumors circulating all over the NHL.

Some players are getting more attention than others… and ultimately, when we talk about these players, we’re often talking about the guys who will be available on the free agent market starting July 1.

Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, Brock Boeser, Claude Giroux, Nikolaj Ehlers… you get the idea.

There’s a little less talk about the trade market, and Don Waddell knows why it’s like that right now.

The deal… is that many teams are looking to trade players for players. And the Blue Jackets GM admits: it’s hard to make a big deal right now because there aren’t that many players available on the market.

Waddell thinks it’s different than in recent years:

You’ll understand that here, there are links to be made with the Canadiens de Montréal.

Kent Hughes is looking for a top-6 forward… but if no club wants to dance, we agree it’s hard to move.

Logical, isn’t it?

That’s also why, in my opinion, we shouldn’t ABSOLUTELY expect to see Kent Hughes make a big move in the next few weeks.

The Canadiens’ GM is armed to the teeth with plenty of ammunition at his disposal: high draft picks, quality prospects…

But trading one of the current core players for another may not make sense if it doesn’t help the Canadiens in their rebuild.

And if other clubs want players who are already ready to help, that makes the whole thing a little more difficult too.

We know Kent Hughes, we know he’s not afraid to move around and stir the pot… but we can also assume that he’s not necessarily keen to dismantle his group in order to get his hands on a quality player.

Therein lies the rub.

Overtime

– Minor NHL transaction.

– He’s right.

– To be continued.

– What will the Leafs do?

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The Wild offered Marco Rossi and were ready to add picks / prospects for JJ Peterka

The Sabres traded JJ Peterka last night.

The 23-year-old German will continue his career with the Utah Mammoth. But… in Buffalo, there’s a bit of a hue and cry, because fans aren’t really happy with the return they got (Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring) for Peterka, who has enormous potential.

And that’s normal…

Sabres fans will probably go crazy knowing there was a better offer on the table.

After all, according to Michael Russo(The Athletic)… the Wild offered Marco Rossi and were willing to add picks / prospects to acquire Peterka.

The Wild offered center Marco Rossi as a starting point in any package and were willing to include another roster player and/or prospects and picks. – Michael Russo

Why did the Sabres say no?

Because they weren’t interested in picking up “another” little player.

So, instead, they got a guy who seems destined to play on the third line in Josh Doan… and a big 25-year-old right-handed defenseman in Michael Kesselring who fills a certain need on the defensive brigade.

Meh…

I’m having a little trouble understanding the Sabres’ plan.

Because, in reality, JJ Peterka had great value on the market and Kevyn Adams (GM) wasn’t able to take full advantage of it.

He should have done everything he could to maximize his player’s value, but that’s not what happened in the end.

And now… as usual, the Sabres look a little crazy in all this.

On the other side of the coin, Bill Armstrong looks like a genius right now because he managed to pick up a top-6 player without necessarily emptying his club.

And the Mammoth, on paper, is really starting to look like a great team. Especially since there are other youngsters on the way like Daniil But, Tij Iginla, Cole Beaudoin, Dmitry Simashev, Maveric Lamoureux…

I don’t think we can call this trade a win-win for both parties.

But hey. If the Sabres are happy with what they got in return for a promising 23-year-old winger who scored 68 points (27 goals) in 77 games in his third full NHL season… so be it.

Overtime

– Wow!

– He’ll generate interest in the market.

– Me too.

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12th pick to the Penguins: hurts the Canadiens’ chances of moving in the draft

Will the Canadiens trade at least one first-round pick by tomorrow night? Possibly.

If they do, it will either be to get their hands on an established player or to move up in the draft. I can’t see the Canadiens moving backwards, so let’s say forwards at the draft.

If it’s to look for outside reinforcements, we’ll see how much other teams value the Canadiens’ assets. In that case, the draft order in the top-15 isn’t that important.

But if you’re going to move up in the draft itself, you have to understand that the Rangers sending their first pick of 2025 (12th overall) to the Penguins affects the Canadiens.

Why do I say this?

Because, in light of the Penguins’ acquisition, the Pennsylvania club has the 11th and 12th picks. And if a top-10 club wants to trade their pick, dancing with the Penguins becomes more tempting than dancing with the Canadiens.

Arpon Basu (The Athletic) wrote about this: it makes the Habs more likely to keep their picks.

It’s also worth mentioning that if the Canadiens want to move up to 11th or 12th, which is easier than moving up into the top-10, they’ll have to dance with the Penguins… who want to move up, not down.

So yes, the Penguins are getting in the Habs’ way with the 12th pick.

In reality, the simplest thing would be this: the Penguins could draft 11th, 12th, 16th and 17th if Sidney Crosby asked his bosses to go the Montreal route.

But that might be a little less realistic for Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes at this point in the 2025 off-season.

overtime

– At 20, he’s off to the NCAA. It’s perfect.

– Right during the draft, too.

– Interesting.

– Québécois changes address.

– Where could he go?

– What do you think?