Author: Dose

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Bank of prospects: The Habs’ prospects rank 2nd in the NHL (according to Bleacher Report)

When you think about the future of the Canadiens, it’s exciting to think about. The club has some good young players – who have already proven themselves – in place right now, and there are some good prospects within the organization as well. Since the arrival of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton… things are being done in a different way, because the goal is to see the team succeed over the long term, and the Canadiens’ management is preparing that plan to perfection. Since 2022, when Kent Hughes was first drafted in Montreal, the Canadiens have really improved their bank of prospects: David Reinbacher, Ivan Demidov, Michael Hage, LJ Mooney, Alexander Zarhovsky, Owen Beck, Jacob Fowler, Florian Xhekaj, Bogdan Konyushkov, Aatos Koivu.and you’ll understand that I didn’t include the names of Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson because they’re already in the National League.That said, the Canadiens are loaded with prospects right now. And that’s why Bleacher Report ranks the Habs’ prospect pool 2nd in the entire NHL, behind the Sharks’ and ahead of the Blackhawks’

[content-ads] This is really encouraging for Canadiens fans. After all, the club has been struggling on the ice for years.

And it’s also been years since the Habs have been able to count on a number of good youngsters for the future. But this is different. The Habs made the playoffs last season, they’ve improved with the acquisition of Noah Dobson and Zachary Bolduc, the youngsters they’re developing right now are talented… It doesn’t mean that Montreal is guaranteed the Stanley Cup in a few years’ time. But it does mean that the Habs are in a good position to be one of the good clubs in the National League… for a long time to come. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – The Armada are on the move.

– Bravo!

– Happy reading.

– Finally.

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Jesperi Kotkaniemi in Vancouver: Jeff Marek thinks it can be done

Jesperi Kotkaniemi now has seven NHL seasons under his belt. He’s played almost 500 games (476)… and at this point, it’s safe to say he’s never become the player you’d hoped for.And I don’t think I’d be throwing tomatoes at anyone if I said he’s a flop. The Hurricanes are stuck with him, with five years left on his contract ($4.82 million), and trading him will be a tough task… because at this salary, teams certainly won’t be lining up to take him out of Carolina. But in Jeff Marek’s eyes, there is a world in which KK can continue his career in the West… in Vancouver.

He raised the idea (twice) on the recent episode of the Sekers and Price podcast, and it’s an idea that – let’s not forget – has refused to die for some time now…

[content-ads] Marek explains his point by saying that the Canucks are in a bit of trouble at center. And he’s right.

The club tried to attract center players this summer (like Christian Dvorak), but multiple attempts proved to be failures. And now… when you think about the fact that there really aren’t that many centers available in the four corners of the league, Marek argues that KK may be some solution in Vancouver – like Marco Rossi. Because it’s true that looking at the Canucks’ top-9, at center…. it’s more than thin:

(Credit: DailyFaceoff)

The Canucks can’t hope to make the playoffs with a paper lineup like this, which is why the idea of strengthening the center line makes sense… but we do agree on one thing: Jesperi Kotkaniemi isn’t going to be the one to change the Canucks’ game.

Maybe it’s too late, even, for the Canucks to be in a position to improve between now and the start of next season… [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Be there!

– Will they come to an agreement?

– This bodes well.

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Agent blames owners for lack of hostile offers

The summer of hostile offers isn’t going as planned. I haven’t given up on the idea of a hostile offer being made in the next few weeks (it doesn’t have to be on July 1, you know), but let’s just say that things aren’t looking good right now. Why? Besides the reasons already mentioned (teams have the resources not to be taken advantage of, executives don’t want to risk an unprotected first-round pick in 2026, etc.), there seems to be another.an

[content-ads]Why? Because the two scenarios are not necessarily advantageous. The first scenario is a club that succeeds in its hostile offer sheet. The result? You’ve probably overpaid for a player to get what you want, which isn’t ideal for an owner.Note that, with the cap rising fast, teams at the bottom of the standings won’t necessarily spend all the way to the cap in the absence of playoff revenues.Andtheother scenario is to miss out.

If the other team matches the offer, all you’ve done is drive up the market for no reason. And I don’t want to be that guy in the eyes of the other owners, who are going to give me trouble.

– Mason McTavish’

s

example is an interesting one. After all, it’s one thing to miss out because of the Ducks’ lousse, but it’s quite another to drive up prices elsewhere. Take your lumps if you want action on this front, then.

[spacer title=’Overtime’]- The Oilers share a photo of their stars’ private lives.

– Étienne Boulay talks about his hockey club.[BPM Sports] – Blue Jays trade deadline analysis.

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NHL’s worst contracts: Sam Bennett’s is one of them according to The Athletic

Following his great performances in the recent playoffs, Sam Bennett had the arguments on his side to sign a huge contract, and that’s exactly what he did. The forward agreed to the terms of an eight-year pact with the Panthers, a deal that will pay him $8 million per season. That’s a lot of cash for a player who isn’t necessarily dominant in the regular season. But even if Bennett is capable of rising in the playoffs – he won the Conn-Smythe Trophy in 2025 – the annual amount of his contract is still intense. And that’s why Dom Luszczyszyn(The Athletic) placed Bennett’s deal 8th among his 10 worst National League contracts.

This deal may not age very well, and that’s why it’s on this list.

–

Dom Luszczyszyn

[content-ads] Nicolas Hague’s contract (four years at $5.5M) is also in the above ranking, coming in at #5.And the parallel is interesting to raise… because both Bennett and Hague have been talked about in Montreal in recent weeks. But getting back to Bennett, Luszczyszyn makes a good point when he says that the player’s deal could age badly.

It’s nice to see him being really good when it really counts… but the Panthers aren’t necessarily guaranteed to make the playoffs every year either. It would seem crazy to pay Bennett an $8M salary for 40-45 point production without necessarily being able to take advantage of his excellent contribution during the spring dance… and he’s there too, the Panthers’ biggest objective. In Florida, we’ll really have to find a way to take advantage of this contract for real. And there’s only one way to do it… Note that the worst contract in the league, according to The Athletic‘s expert, is that of Jonathan Huberbeau. Ivan Provorov, Chandler Stephenson and Brady Skjei are also ahead of Hague in the top-5,followed by Sean Couturier and Ryan Pulock before Bennett. Cody Ceci and Tanner Jeannot, who signed this summer, round out the top-10.spacer title=’Overtime’] – It’s coming up.

– Oh.

– It’s a shame.

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Arber Xhekaj foreshadows a rivalry with Michael Pezzetta next season

Michael Pezzetta was a valued teammate in the Canadiens dressing room, but it was time for him to leave the team. The Habs are pleased to see Pezzetta leave the team, as he may have the chance to play more games than last year, but he has decided to rejoin his childhood team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Playing with the Maple Leafs means defending his teammates in tough games against their long-time rivals: the Montreal Canadiens. As a physical player, Pezzetta will clearly have to face Arber Xhekaj in a fight, and Xhekaj set the table for a possible showdown between the two at the Royal LePage Alex Newhook & Friends FanFest.

When host David Amber asked Xhekaj who his number-one rival in the NHL might be next season, the Canadiens’ defenseman replied that he’ll probably have a new one, while looking at Pezzetta with a smirk on his face. Understandably, the two men should come to blows in one of their clashes! Xhekaj went on to explain that he doesn’t like Ryan Reaves very much, but the problem is that Reaves has been traded to the San Jose Sharks. The Sheriff won’t have as many opportunities to face him, so Pezzetta will take Reaves’ place with the Leafs! content-ads] Even if Xhekaj and Pezzetta come to blows, we can expect them to make up off the ice right after the game. Xhekaj knows his role. Friend or not, if he has to hit a player, he’ll do it. Earlier in the question and answer session, the defenseman alluded to the Canadiens’ big games in the coming season, and obviously all those against Toronto are big. The Canadiens will face the Maple Leafs twice in the pre-season schedule, on September 25 and 27. Maybe we’ll get to see the first chapter of the Xhekaj-Pezzetta rivalry in one of these two games! spacer title=’Overtime’] – That’s something

– Kotkaniemi is the talk of the town.

– We’ve got to keep this momentum going.

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Zdeno Chara completes (another) triathlon after doing one two weeks ago

Zdeno Chara isn’t playing hockey anymore, but he may be in the best shape of his life right now. Two weeks ago, the former Bruins defenseman (and captain) completed a triathlon in his native Slovakia, and today… just two weeks later, he’s completed a triathlon in France. And today… just two weeks later, he managed to complete a triathlon in France. You’ve got to give him credit. Basically, finishing an event like that is really impressive… and he’s done it twice in the space of two weeks.It’s still pretty amazing.

[content-ads] Clearly, Chara is finding a way to connect with the sport.

He took on a consulting and player-mentoring role with the Bruins organizationlast January, and it allows him to still be involved in hockey…. but we know he’s always been a physical beast, and he’s obviously keen to keep his shape. Remember that in recent years, since he retired, Big Z has also completed several marathons, of which there are around ten on his Instagram account alone… and he always looks extremely proud when posting photos of his exploits.

With good reason, I’d say, because at 48, the former NHL defenseman continues to take care of himself and do what he loves. spacer title=’Overtime’] – Hehe.

– Note that

–

– Call for entries:

– Well done.

🎾

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The Canadiens are the 15th best team in the NHL, according to the league’s website

Last year, the Habs surprised many by finding a way to qualify for the playoffs. The club had a huge finish to the season, which earned them the final playoff berth in the East… where they were eliminated in five games by the Capitals.Most importantly, it gave the youngsters the playoff experience, which,however brief,wasa formativeexperiencefor them.Thatsaid, the club has decided to build on this and improve this summer. In addition to Ivan Demidov, who will be playing his first full NHL season, the Habs acquired Noah Dobson and Zachary Bolduc, among others. So, when you look at this, you can see that the Habs have improved… and it’s interesting to see that the NHL’s official website puts the Habs in its Super 16, its ranking of the league’s top 16 teams.The Habs rank 15th, just ahead of the Blues and just behind the Senators.

[content-ads]Dan Rosen, who wrote the short piece on the Canadiens, mentions that it’s easy to get excited about what’s being built in Montreal. That said, for the first time in years, there will be expectations and pressure in town, and we’ll have to see how the kids can handle it.Because that, too, is part of the learning curve for a young core. Dealing with pressure, especially in a market like Montreal, is far from easy.We’re still a long way from talking about a Stanley Cup in Montreal, we agree. That said, we continue to see a clear progression in the Canadiens’ core, and to see the club ranked as the 15th best team in the league heading into next season is proof enough of that.No, 15th isn’t the end of the world…sowe‘ll see if the Habs can climb the standings over the next few months, but clearly, there’s some exciting stuff in town right now. Let’s see if the club can move to the next level this season, from now on.spacer title=’Overtime’]- Two-year contract for Devon Levi.

– The guys are having fun.

– Action resumes at the National Bank Open.

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NHL’s best contracts: no Canadiens player in The Athletic top-15

You may have heard of Dom Luszczyszyn.He’s a columnist for The Athletic who uses statistical models to analyze players and contracts, andit was he who, a few years ago, ranked Nick Suzuki among the worst contracts in the league. Let’s just say it was never one of the worst contracts… and the captain’s last few years prove it.On this subject, Luszczyszyn analyzes NHL contracts every year according to his model. He calculates the surplus value a player brings to his club in relation to his annual salary.Obviously, this does not take into account entry-level contracts. Andas for the summer of 2025, the columnist’s top-10 list doesn’t include a single player from the Canadiens. There are five honorable mentions… so you could say in the top-15, in fact.

[content-ads]Since Nathan MacKinnon and Leon Draisaitl are on the list and recently signed a contract with a very high annual salary, don’t think it’s just the guys who took “discounts” who are in the ranking.

What it tells me is that, while the Canadiens have some excellent players who have signed contracts that benefit the Canadiens, there are no MacKinnons or Draisaitls with big contracts in Montreal. But I don’t think you needed The Athletic’s rankings to figure that out. As good as the Habs’ top forwards are, they’re not at the same level. Will Ivan Demidov change that? We’ll see. [spacer title=’en rafale’] – Contract in Winnipeg.

– CF Montreal wins,

puts

– Wow.

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Taxes: Alex Newhook doesn’t (really) see this as a hindrance for Montreal

With the Florida teams now among the NHL’s elite, the subject of tax rates is one of the most talked-about in the NHL. Across the league, everyone gets excited when one of these teams manages to sign a player at a lower price.And obviously, that’s a factor… but in my opinion, many people underestimate the appeal of playing on a competitive team year after year.Montreal,ofcourse, is at the opposite end of the spectrum. We’re talking about one of the highest tax markets in the NHL, after all. That said, it’s really not everyone who sees this as a real brake on signing with the Habs. Alex Newhook, for example, chatted about all this at a round table for his golf tournament… and in his eyes, it’s far from a brake on Montreal:

I think the narrative of not wanting to play in Canada because of taxes is overrated.

–

Alex Newhook

[content-ads]Newhook is aware that it’s a real factor, but he thinks it’s taking up too much space in the public discourse. Because for him, playing in Montreal comes with other advantages, too:

How can you turn your nose up at a market like Montreal when a Monday night at the Bell Centre is the equivalent of a Saturday night in another arena?

–

Alex Newhook

And Newhook is the first to say it: guys don’t take it for granted. It’s part of the reason why a player wants to sign in Montreal: the atmosphere is unmatched throughout the league.We saw it during the last playoffs, after all: when the Habs are competitive, the atmosphere is supercharged. Of course, it must be remembered that Newhook is Canadian, so he doesn’t have the same perspective on the matter as someone born in Florida, for example. That said, it’s still interesting to have a player’s perspective on an issue that has been the subject of much discussion in recent years.And if the Canadiens continue to progress over the next few years, this will be a good example to counter the narrative.spacer title=’Overtime’]- Kashawn Aitcheson avoided serious injury.

– Nice read.

– Too bad.

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The time Lane Hutson apologized to an opposing player after causing a penalty

We’re starting to get to know Lane Hutson’s character. On the ice, we know he’s a very, very, very talented player. But we also know he has a certain awkwardness about him off the ice, and that he’s not the loudest speaker in the dressing room. I say this because Arber Xhekaj told a funny story( Alex Newhook golf tournament round table ) involving the little defenseman. Hutson caused a penalty to an opposing player.arber

[content-ads] It made me laugh.

Because it kind of shows that Lane Hutson is (really) not someone who likes to hurt other people in life in general. But it also seems in a way that it doesn’t surprise me. Lane Hutson really seems like a reserved guy: he’s young and he doesn’t think he’s anyone else either. He wants to do the right thing… and I guess that explains why he made a point of apologizing to an opposing player after causing a penalty. It’s still special, we agree. But Arber Xhekaj did the right thing by telling him not to apologize for something like that. If Hutson had hurt the guy, it would be different… but here, it still helped his team get on the powerplay.Hutson doesn’t have to feel bad about it, hehe. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Of note:

– Interesting.

– Makes sense.