Author: Dose

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Adam Engstrom: the prospect who has made the most progress this season, according to Marco D’Amico

Among the Canadiens’ prospects, all eyes are on Ivan Demidov, of course, David Reinbacher and Jacob Fowler.

That’s only logical, given that they’re almost certainly the Habs’ best prospects in each of the three positions.

However, there are other prospects on the Habs roster who have progressed very well since their selection by the Habs, and who therefore deserve to be talked about.

One of these prospects who is less talked about, if at all, is defenseman Adam Engstrom.

Drafted in the third round (92nd overall) in 2022, Engstrom played his first season in North America in 2024-2025 with the Laval Rocket.

And all in all, for a rookie, Engstrom did very well, maintaining an important role in Pascal Vincent’s defensive brigade, in addition to obtaining 27 points, including five goals, in 66 games.

In short, Engstrom did well, even to the point of being Marco D’Amico’s most improved prospect this season.

Indeed, during his appearance on The Shaun Starr Show, D’Amico says at the end of the show that for him, the prospect who has made the most progress in his development is Engstrom.

Shaun Starr had named Reinbacher, for his part, arguing that his early return to the game, and the experience he gained in the playoffs with the Rocket, had really helped him make great strides despite his serious injury at the start of the season.

Returning to Engstrom, D’Amico asserts that the 21-year-old Swedish defenseman has gone from a prospect with distant NHL potential, to a guy who could be playing NHL games as early as next season.

Engstrom’s meteoric progress this season forced his coach, Pascal Vincent, to assert that he and the organization didn’t know what the Swedish defenseman’s ceiling was, given that he had taken every step in his development in brilliant fashion.

D’Amico went on to explain that Engstrom’s value had also risen significantly, making him very attractive to other teams, as he had previously stated.

If it weren’t for Montreal’s congestion of left-side defensemen, D’Amico believes that Engstrom would be talked about as a potential addition to the Habs line-up next season, just as Reinbacher is on the right.

In short, the Habs potentially have a quality prospect in Engstrom, and his fine adaptation to North American hockey is a big part of that.

It will be interesting to see what the Habs’ plan is for Engstrom.

Overtime

– He’s right.

– His arrival in North America will be very interesting to follow.

– Ouch.

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32 goals in four games: the most offensive Stanley Cup final since 1981

Seriously, who isn’t currently entertained by what the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers have to offer?

It’s probably the best hockey we’ve seen in a while, and we’re treated to it in the Stanley Cup Final, where the big honors are on the line.

The two best hockey teams in the world are putting on quite a show so far, in a never-ending battle.

Each of the four games so far has been highly entertaining and exciting, especially considering that three of them have required at least one overtime period.

But what’s even more impressive is the sheer number of goals scored so far in this series.

In four games of this Stanley Cup Final, we’ve already seen 32 goals, the first time that’s happened since 1981.

Indeed, we haven’t seen so many goals in the first four games of a Stanley Cup Final since the New York Islanders took on the Minnesota North Stars in 1981.

At the time, the Islanders were winning their second of four consecutive Stanley Cups.

In short, we’re treated to a VERY offensive series, and that’s part of what makes this Stanley Cup Final so entertaining.

It’s impressive how many goals it’s raining down so far, and that’s not to say the goalies are doing a bad job.

Even if they haven’t always been perfect, Sergei Bobrovsky, Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard are still doing well despite all those goals.

The series is currently tied 2-2, as we head back to Edmonton for Game #5, which takes place tonight at 8pm.

This is an extremely important game, as the team that wins tonight will be just one win away from taking top honours.

The Oilers can’t lose this one.

Overtime

– It will be very interesting to see what the Habs do.

– Obviously.

– To be continued today for those interested.

– Bravo.

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Brandon Gignac signs two-year contract with EHC Kloten in Switzerland

Since the arrival of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton at the helm of the team, many young players have taken up important positions in the organization.

In fact, especially with the Laval Rocket, we’ve seen a fairly drastic change in terms of average age.

We’ve gone from a club of veterans that generated little interest in the eyes of fans, to a club full of young Canadiens prospects who are being watched and spied on very closely.

This is excellent news for the Habs organization as a whole, given the desire to see as many young players as possible perform and get closer to the NHL.

However, this kind of shift towards a more youth development-oriented approach isn’t ideal for everyone.

Indeed, with the youngsters taking up so much space in Laval this year, several veterans have lost some of their importance, and among these veterans is Brandon Gignac.

The 27-year-old Québécois, who was a key member of the team for several years, has lost a lot of his place with the Rocket this season due to injuries and the arrival of several young players.

This explains his recent decision to sign a two-year contract with EHC Kloten in Switzerland.

Kloten, where David Reinbacher played for three seasons, has acquired an excellent player with a great skating stroke.

The Swiss club’s sporting director, Ricardo Schödler, is delighted to have signed Gignac.

In short, the Québécois center is leaving for Europe, bringing to an end his four-season career with the Canadiens, where he will forever be remembered for scoring his first and only NHL goal at the Bell Centre.

We wish him all the best in a very competitive league, which could allow him to return to North America if he performs very well.

Overtime

– Already a fine career at 23.

– Coming up.

– Too bad.

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Calder Cup: double-overtime goal cancelled because goalie wasn’t ready

While all eyes are on the incredible Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers, the AHL Finals got underway last night.

The Calder Cup Final kicked off yesterday in Charlotte, as the Checkers hosted the Abbotsford Canucks.

And as is the case in the National Hockey League for the Stanley Cup Final, overtime was the order of the day in Charlotte.

Tied 3-3, the game went into the second overtime period, and that’s when we were treated to a completely unusual moment.

With the Checkers dominating, as evidenced by the shots (49-28), they were awarded a face-off in attacking territory.

And then, as soon as the puck was dropped, the Canucks player easily won the face-off, except that the puck ended up in his own goal.

Goalie Arturs Silovs was not at all ready as he replaced his water bottle.

The Checkers and the crowd celebrated the victory, but seconds later the referees called the goal off on the grounds that Silovs was not ready.

This is a really weird situation, especially since it happens in double overtime of a finals game, not in a simple regular-season game of no great importance.

This disallowed goal is a very big decision, as it had a huge impact on the result of the match, given that the Checkers ultimately lost the game.

A few minutes after this disallowed goal, the Canucks enjoyed a powerplay, and Danila Klimovich played the hero with a good shot from the right side of the net.

The Canucks now lead the series 1-0.

Overtime

– A good start to the season for the Alouettes, with two wins in as many games.

– Thunder ties the series.

– Coming up.

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12 or $12.5 M per season for Hutson: Marinaro (also) believes it’s possible

The question of the day (or rather, of the off-season) for the Montreal Canadiens is what Lane Hutson’s next contract will look like.

As you can see, speculation about the value of his next contract is rife, with a multitude of opinions.

Some would like (and wish) him to sign for less than Suzuki, but that option can almost already be ruled out for all sorts of reasons.

First, he won the Calder Trophy, with an outstanding rookie season, highlights, franchise records and more.

He also received a third-place vote in the Norris Trophy race, which is very impressive considering he’s only a rookie.

Also, consider that the Habs should quickly become competitive with the current (very) young core.

And let’s not forget that the salary cap is set to rise considerably over the next few years.

In short, there are all sorts of good reasons to expect his annual salary to be between $9 and $10 million, but some are offering even more outrageous contracts.

Such is the case of Jean-Nicolas Blanchet, who believes that Hutson could sign a contract worth $100 million (!!!), i.e. eight years and $12.5 million per season.

And now, Tony Marinaro also believes that the flamboyant little defenseman could earn between $12 and $12.5 million a year on his next contract (if he signs for eight years).

At more than $12 million per season, it’s starting to get expensive, but we know for a fact that the Habs will have their offensive quarterback for a very long time, and one who will quickly become one of the elite.

On the other hand, you have to bear in mind that the timing of Hutson’s signing will affect the amount of his contract, whether upwards or downwards.

Whether he signs this summer or at the end of next season, it can change a lot of things, and in the end, it’s a guess to take for the Habs,

If he signs now and has a disappointing season against expectations, the Habs could regret not being patient.

On the other hand, if they wait too long and Hutson surpasses expectations by breaking more records, it’s going to be (very) expensive.

The bottom line is that the Habs shouldn’t waste time signing him, because right now is the best time to extend him.

On this subject, Arpon Basu asks the question for the Habs: how much more can Hutson ask over the course of the season if he does very well?

Also, for those who missed it, Hutson was at a Bauer event and in a shootout, #48 brought out his Sunday hands with an incredible deke:

In a way, this gives the Habs one more piece in their arsenal in terms of how useful he is, and one more argument for his contract, since they could also use him more in shootouts.

In short, the Habs have a nice problem on their hands, but they shouldn’t take too long before extending him, as I have a feeling they’ll regret waiting.

Enr afale

– The Alouettes’ defense is incredible.

– Game of his life.

– I see a “fit” too.

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Brendan Gallagher says he’s ready to play shorthanded

Brendan Gallagher is a much-loved player… at least among Montreal Canadiens fans. In the rest of the NHL, that’s another debate, because he’s a real hater when you’re on the other side.

He has everything it takes to be the beloved of the Montreal club, and I don’t need to tell you why, because we all know him very well in Montreal.

Although he’s been slowing down lately (his style of play doesn’t spare his body at all), he certainly has his uses on the team.

Recently, the habs’ little warrior was on TSN 690 to discuss a little bit of everything, and he mentioned something interesting about what he can bring to the table.

Gallagher is said to be ready to play short-handed next season.

You can hear him say this at the 59th minute of the episode.

It’s pretty interesting that #11 suggests this, as it can certainly come in handy in this situation.

We know that Gally isn’t afraid to sacrifice his body while playing, and he could block shots.

In his career, he averaged 0.46 blocked shots per game, which isn’t huge, but still respectable.

With some short-handed playing time, he could very well boost that statistic.

He’s had shorthanded time in the past, but no longer plays in that situation since there were guys like Jake Evans, Christian Dvorak or even Joel Armia.

However, you have to bear in mind that the latter two may not be back next year, which will leave room for a guy like Gally.

On the other hand, just last night, Arpon Basu raised the possibility that Dvorak could re-sign with the Habs, but only after testing the waters in the free agent market.

But in any case, if Dvorak does return, he’ll be playing center, since he’d be the only left-handed center (besides Alex Newhook) and Gallagher would be playing on the short-handed wing.

Gallagher could logically take Armia’s place.

We can also expect Josh Anderson to find himself on one of the short-handed lines, as he has taken over and done very well.

In short, the options are there, but we can expect Evans, Suzuki, Anderson and possibly Gallagher to evolve short-handed (if Armia and Dvo aren’t back).

But let’s not rule out the possibility of Oliver Kapanen or even Owen Beck forcing the Habs into the final line-up and eating up some shorthanded minutes.

Overtime

– It would be interesting for the Ducks.

– That, my friends, is a throw.

– Everything seems to be going swimmingly for the Alouettes against the Ottawa Rouge et Noir tonight.

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Martin St-Louis thinks Nick Suzuki can be even better

This season, Nick Suzuki has truly been the cornerstone of the Montreal Canadiens.

The captain has taken his game to the next level, which includes him in some discussions as one of the NHL’s very good center players thanks to his versatility and, above all, his hockey IQ. After all, only five centers in the NHL this year have scored more points than Suzuki.

In 2024-25, he really took his game to the next level, and his 89 points can attest to that.

And coach Martin St-Louis had good things to say about his captain’s potential.

Some may think he’s approaching his potential as a first-rate center, but the coach believes he has even more to offer.

That’s what he mentioned on the Missin’ Curfew podcast.

Clicking on the YouTube video above will take you directly to the excerpt about the captain.

As St-Louis explained, he’s really taken a big step forward in the impact he’s having on the Montreal club.

MSL also wondered if there’s more to his potential, and he says there is, because his hockey IQ is so high that it’s hard to say no.

And that’s what makes Suzuki Suzuki.

He’s a real brain on the ice, doing literally everything apart from throwing down the gloves and demolishing opposing players with big checks the way Arber Xhekaj can.

Offensively and defensively, he plays a crucial role in the team and can only imagine breaking 90 points next year, especially with Ivan Demidov on the first powerplay.

And all that’s without mentioning the fact that he hasn’t missed a single game since the very beginning of his professional career. That adds a lot of value, for sure, because you can be pretty sure he’ll play the entire season (don’t worry, I’m touching wood as I write this).

And to hear St-Louis talk, he’s just scratching the surface of his potential.

The Habs can be very lucky to have a guy like Suzuki who makes the others better, who brings out the best in all players.

He’s not the most talkative captain, but he leads by example, and the members of the organization have quite a role model to follow.

Let’s just say there’s not much, if anything, to criticize in his game.

Overtime

– For those of you wondering where the trial of the 2018 Junior Team Canada scandal stands, the trial is over and the decision will be handed down on July 24.

– If you’re not sure who was nominated for the individual trophies this season, here’s a summary.

– According to Frank Seravalli, the Stars won’t trade Jason Robertson unless they get the right offer for his services.

– Nice message from Zibanejad on Chris Kreider.

– Hey there…

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EXCLUSIVE: The end is in sight for Jonathan Drouin in Colorado

When Jonathan Drouin became a free agent in the summer of 2023, we suspected he wouldn’t be back in Montreal. The Québécois looked like a guy who was due for a fresh start… and of course, Colorado quickly stood out as the logical destination.

The reason? Nathan MacKinnon, with whom Drouin broke it off in junior, wanted to reunite with his old teammate.

And with the Avalanche, Drouin enjoyed two fine seasons. He amassed 56 points in 79 games in 2023-24 and 37 points in 43 games this year. Clearly, a move to Colorado was good for him.

However, Drouin will become a free agent again on July 1… and according to colleague Maxime Truman, there’s reason to believe that Drouin’s time with the Avalanche is coming to an end.

The chances of seeing him again in Colorado next year would be “very slim”.

Colleague Truman notes that Drouin has a few teams on his list, but those teams are mostly in the West. A team like the Stars, for example, could make sense for Drouin, for whom there will be interest on July 1.

In addition to the Stars, other teams in the West could be interested in the Québécois: think of the Sharks and Blackhawks, for example, who have money to spend and could benefit from a talented guy like Drouin to mentor their young core.

And if we ever look east, maybe the Blue Jackets could make sense as a destination.

We’ve also learned that the Québécois would like to sign a contract longer than one year. Remember that his last two contracts, signed in Colorado, were one-year deals… and obviously, you’d think he’d want a bit of stability in his next deal.

Of course, everything can change quickly in the hockey world. That said, as of today, there’s reason to believe that Drouin’s future in the NHL may not be in Colorado (which must be thinking about Cale Makar’s future and just gave Brock Nelson a big contract).

But as we all know, everything can change with one call…

Overtime

– Good news for the Québécois.

– Minor NHL transaction.

– Nice read.

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“I can confirm that Mitch Marner will not be back in Toronto.”

In less than three weeks, the NHL free-agent market will open. And unsurprisingly, the name that’s got everyone talking is Mitch Marner.

It’s rare for a player of this calibre to become a free agent, after all.

The big question, then, is where the forward will play next year. Just about everyone expects him to go south of the border… but there was still a possibility of him returning to Toronto.

It wasn’t huge, of course… but now it’s even smaller.

Andy Strickland, who’s pretty well connected in the hockey world, posted a piece of information about Marner this afternoon: he says he can “confirm” that Marner won’t be back with the Maple Leafs next year.

He will therefore be playing for a new team.

It’s important to note, however, that this doesn’t automatically mean he won’t sign his next contract with the Maple Leafs. It is possible, for example, that Marner could sign an eight-year contract with the Maple Leafs (because unless his rights are traded by July 1, only the Leafs can offer him an eighth-year contract) before being immediately traded.

This is commonly known as a “sign-and-trade”.

For the Leafs, it would allow the team to pick up something… while for Marner, it would allow him to pick up an eighth-year contract while trading his uniform for that of another team.

That said, this is more of a technicality than anything else: the bottom line is that by 2025-26, Marner will no longer be wearing the Maple Leafs’ colors. There are a ton of teams eyeing him, and we’ll see which one he chooses.

And for the Leafs, the important thing now will be to try to “replace” Marner… but that’s a lot easier said than done.

Overtime

– I like to see that.

– What do you think?

– Logic is respected.

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Rumor mill: Frank Seravalli wonders if the Blues will trade Kyrou

Back in March, I wrote an article in which I said… this:

If I were Kent Hughes, I’d be targeting Jordan Kyrou this summer.

I was very interested in the idea because Kyrou is an effective player in all three zones of the rink. He’s good offensively, he can hold his own defensively… and he’s got two-way qualities.

But getting him out of St. Louis wasn’t a guarantee at the time either.

That said, maybe Kent Hughes will get a chance to talk to Doug Armstrong about Kyrou.

In fact, I say this because Frank Seravalli wonders if the Blues will trade Kyrou this summer before his no-trade clause kicks in:

The clause in question will kick in on July 1.

So… to trade Kyrou, the Blues could use the next few weeks to do so before it gets more complicated.

The question is, why would they let him go? Kyrou (27) is relatively young and can be a long-term success in St. Louis… but, if the offer is good, perhaps Doug Armstrong would be tempted to trade him.

And if the Canadiens are looking for guys who can score goals…

Money first for Marchand?

Brad Marchand is 37 years old.

And this summer will be his last chance to sign a big contract before he hangs up his skates.

The result?

For the occasion… it wouldn’t be the team that matters to him.

According to Greg Wyshynski(The Sheet), it’s… the money:

Marchand wants to secure his financial future, and that’s okay too.

However, I would have thought that his primary goal would be to win one last Stanley Cup before the end of his career. Which would have been logical, given his character…

But nobody can be mad at a guy who wants to get his cash. So I can’t wait to see how it all turns out… because it seems to me that if I were him, I’d really like to stay in the hot Florida sun for the last few moments of my career.

Mitch Marner in the West?

There’s been a lot of talk about Mitch Marner lately.

And that’s understandable, because he’s one of the most popular players around at the moment due to his situation.

All indications are that he’ll decide to test the free agent market in a little over two weeks… and if he doesn’t stay in Toronto, Elliotte Friedman (32 Thoughts Podcast) sees him continuing his career out West.

Anaheim? Chicago? San Jose? Los Angeles?

If I had an old $2 to bet, I’d give the Kings a shot.

They’ve got the goods to lure him to LA because they’ve got a big club, the weather’s good year-round and the market isn’t necessarily media-heavy.

Mitch Marner with the Kings makes sense in my mind.

Aaron Ekblad may test the market

Aaron Ekblad may be the best defenseman available to any team on July 1 – if he doesn’t sign a new contract in Florida.

And there will be a lot of interest in his services because he’s already established himself as one of the league’s good players at his position.

But it’s also possible that he’ll decide to stay where he started his career.

The only problem?

The Panthers want to give him a contract worth around $6 million per season. And Ekblad will clearly be able to fetch more money on the open market…

The Panthers don’t want to spend too much, and that’s normal too.

They need to make room to sign Sam Bennett… and we know that’s going to be expensive.

That said, Ekblad may not continue his career in Florida because the Panthers probably won’t have enough money to pay him what he’s worth.

And any NHL club could benefit from a big, right-handed defenseman who can fill the #1 chair, night after night…

Ivan Provorov, a Rangers target

When Ivan Provorov was selected with the 7th pick in the 2015 draft, we thought he was going to be one of the NHL’s dominant defensemen.

And without criticizing him for it… that’s not what happened.

We’re talking about a reliable player who puts up some 30 points a season, and we’re talking about a player who will be as free as a bird as of July 1.

The Rangers are currently one of the clubs interested in his services, according to RG Media :

According to RG Media, Vladislav Gavrikov is also a target for the Blue Shirts.

Both pitch from the left… and with rumors surrounding K’Andre Miller, the Rangers may have to find a replacement for him this summer.

It remains to be seen whether they’ll be able to lure one of the two Russians to New York.

Overtime

– Still…

– Oh!

– Love this.