Author: Dose

Categories
Uncategorized

“He’ll never be a leader”: when a GM misses his assessment of Nick Suzuki at the Combine

Over the past few days, the NHL Combine was held in Buffalo. The best prospects of the next generation underwent a battery of physical tests and met the various teams on the Bettman circuit.

They heard about casinos, naval battles and even had their comedic talents put to the test.

That said, it’s important to take some and leave some with an event like this. After all, just because a player destroys everything in the physical tests doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be an excellent player, just as it’s possible that a player who pulls out all the stops in these tests will become an excellent player regardless.

That’s interesting information, but there’s a lot more to evaluating a prospect than that.

And recently, Cam Robinson(Elite Prospects) wrote an excellent paper on how physical testing was over-emphasized just a few years ago. In particular, he spoke to Steve Werier, a former assistant GM in Florida, who told him that a few years ago, a GM in the league told him about a prospect who was being tested and who, in his eyes, would never have the physical maturity to excel in the NHL or be a leader on the Bettman circuit.

And that prospect was Nick Suzuki.

Of course, as we know today, the GM in question missed out in spectacular fashion. Suzuki became captain of the Canadiens… and just had an 89-point season as the Habs’ first center.

And he did it with very little help beyond his own line.

What all this shows, however, is that you really have to take a lot for granted, especially when it comes to physical testing. After all, sometimes these tests won’t be representative of the athlete’s true physical potential (which might simply be reached later), and often you have to go beyond athletic ability to properly evaluate a player.

This helps to give credibility to the candidacy of certain prospects, certainly (the text mentions Jayden Struble as a prospect who took advantage of the Combine to gain points), but Suzuki is capable of excelling without necessarily being an athletic monster. He excels because he’s a cerebral player, and it’s not by looking at the number of pull-ups he can do that we can fully understand his game.

Suzuki is certainly not the only one to have been so poorly evaluated at the Combine, but he’s an interesting case study in the event’s limitations.

So be careful before you see the Habs drafting the player who stands out most in the physical tests: it could be a poisoned chalice.

Overtime

– Carlos Alcaraz champion at Roland-Garros. He won one of the greatest matches in recent sporting history.

– Interesting.

– That would be very cool.

Categories
Uncategorized

Jeff Marek: The Ducks will be “very” aggressive this summer and Mitch Marner will be one of their targets

The Ducks have been in the same situation for several years now.

The organization is in the process of rebuilding the club, but we’re still waiting to see the results.

The team has good players in place… but is still looking to reach the next level.

To make that happen, the Ducks have a plan in mind for the summer ahead.

And the plan isn’t necessarily complicated: the Ducks have lots and lots of money to spend (over $35 million) and they want to acquire a big name.

At this level, Jeff Marek (The Sheet) linked Mitch Marner’s name to that of the Anaheim organization:

I really like the idea of Mitch Marner signing a contract in Anaheim.

He’d bring some raw talent to the Ducks’ roster, he’d be surrounded by good players for the next few years, it’s quieter pressure-wise because the market there isn’t huge…

However, we have to ask ourselves whether Marner would like to join a team that is in the process of rebuilding. He’s 28 and at this stage in his career, maybe he just wants to win… because he’s never been able to do it in Toronto.

But then again, on paper, the idea makes sense.

A playmaker like Marner paired with two guys who can score goals like Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson… it’s appealing :

(Credit: DailyFaceoff)

The Mitch Marner file is getting a lot of attention right now because his name is all over the rumour mill.

But ultimately, it’s going to be really interesting to follow in the coming weeks, at least until the free agent market opens (July 1).

If you had to bet an old $2… Where do you think Marner will play in 25-26?

Overtime

– Classic!

– To be continued.

– J’adore.

Categories
Uncategorized

Combine: The Sens asked some prospects to tell them a joke

At the combine, the various NHL teams have the opportunity to talk to top prospects. And each club has its own technique for finding out more about a youngster’s personality.

For example? The Canadiens tested the youngsters this year by asking them this:

If you ran into Nick Suzuki at 3 a.m. in the casino and Martin St-Louis asked you if you’d seen him the next day, what would your answer be?

You have to admit… it’s special.

But the Sens, too, had a pretty unique plan to see how the guys responded to certain things.

They asked the kids to tell them a joke, on the spot. Which can’t necessarily be easy if you’re stressed or thinking things through in your head…

I have the impression that the Sens wanted to know two things in particular with this question: the player’s speed of mind and his sense of humour, which are important traits in a person’s personality.

Some guys are more reserved, and maybe not being able to answer said question shows management that the youngster isn’t as creative as they’d like.

Because a person’s off-ice qualities are also transposed onto the rink: if you’re embarrassed, you’re not the one who tends to be the club leader in the dressing room.

And if you’re self-conscious, keep to yourself and don’t talk much to others… it’s harder to build chemistry within any group.

I really tend to think this is a good question/technique, myself.

It says a lot about a person, and if it can help managers get a better idea of a youngster’s personality, it’s a good solution.

Overtime

– Good news for the Panthers.

– I love his reaction.

– Yikes.

Categories
Uncategorized

Edmonton Oilers 24-25: franchise record for revenues

The Edmonton Oilers came so close to winning the Stanley Cup last season, coming within one victory of the title.

Everyone thought it was there when they came from behind 0-3 in the series against the Florida Panthers, and that the Cup was finally back in Canada, but it wasn’t. And this season, well, the Oilers are back.

And this season, well, the Oilers are back in the finals against those same Panthers with the knife between their teeth more than ever.

It won’t be easy for the Oilers, as the first two games have shown, but the fact remains that Oilers fans believe in it more than ever.

And that Stanley Cup prospect has been there all season, as evidenced by the Edmonton Oilers’ earnings this season.

In fact, according to Kevin Weekes, the Oilers surpassed last season’s total revenue, making the 24-25 season a franchise record in terms of revenue.

This is really great news for the Oilers and the city of Edmonton.

It’s a real testament to the enormous enthusiasm for the team, and above all, it shows that Edmonton really is a city that lives for hockey, and where interest in the Oilers is only growing.

The Oilers organization can say a huge thank you to Connor McDavid, who has been carrying the team on his back (along with Leon Draisaitl) for ten seasons now.

The Oilers’ captain has never been so close to winning the Stanley Cup, the only trophy missing to crown his career, and I’d be surprised if he let it slip away for a second year running.

Last year’s defeat was extremely painful, so to be back in the finals the following year is quite a feat and quite an opportunity that the Oilers absolutely must seize.

The series is currently tied 1-1, and moves to Sunrise, Florida for games #3 and #4, scheduled for Monday and Thursday at 8pm.

Overtime

– Incredible.

– Cute.

– Here’s another one finding success away from the Leafs.

– Read more.

– Change of coach for Italy.

Categories
Uncategorized

Luke Cavallin: potential assistant to Jacob Fowler with the Rocket next season

Yesterday afternoon, the Trois-Rivières Lions won the Kelly Cup, the trophy awarded to the ECHL playoff champion.

It’s quite an achievement, and a magnificent one at that, considering the team almost had to move last season.

It’s the first time since 2010, since the Cincinnati Cyclones, that a team affiliated with the Canadiens de Montréal is ECHL champion. It’s also the second Canadian team in league history to win the Kelly Cup.

It’s the first time a Québécois team has won the ECHL, and it’s largely thanks to the brilliance of Luke Cavallin, the Lions’ goaltender.

Cavallin’s 48 saves throughout the playoffs earned him the title of playoff MVP, as well as three stars in yesterday’s championship game.

In short, the 24-year-old Ontario goaltender carried the team to the top honors, thanks to some simply mind-blowing performances, as his stats attest:

  • 20 games
  • 15-5-0 record
  • Goals-against average of 1.53
  • .948 save percentage

Cavallin had also been very solid in the regular season, in addition to helping out the Laval Rocket on a few occasions as an auxiliary goaltender, which enabled him to play three games with Laval.

The 24-year-old has accomplished everything possible as an ECHL goaltender, and now we have to wonder whether he might not be a very interesting option as an auxiliary to Jacob Fowler with the Rocket next season.

Indeed, when you analyze the goaltending situation, you realize that this promotion would make a lot of sense for the entire Montreal Canadiens organization.

With Connor Hughes leaving for Switzerland, and the Cayden Primeau project likely to come to an end, there’s a vacancy with the Laval Rocket.

And that’s where Cavallin becomes a very interesting option to share the workload with the Habs’ future jewel, Jacob Fowler.

We’ll want to give Fowler as much experience as possible, and that would easily be possible with Cavallin behind him, as he’d certainly be happy playing in the AHL.

Adding a veteran goalie would make the situation more complex, as he wouldn’t necessarily want to be behind a youngster like Fowler.

In short, a Fowler-Cavallin duo in Laval would be very interesting, while Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes would be in Montreal.

The only problem is, if there’s an injury in Montreal, depth is a problem.

They won’t want to send Fowler into the lion’s den, and they certainly won’t trust Cavallin that much.

So it remains to be seen whether the Habs will opt to add a stable veteran goaltender, who could help out in Montreal if need be.

All this remains to be seen, but it’s important to note that Luke Cavallin has really done everything in his power to make a name for himself and hope for a nice promotion if he were to stay with the Habs.

Overtime

– A case to keep an eye on.

– Incredible.

– All the better. A beautiful 4-2 victory.

Categories
Uncategorized

Hart and Vezina Trophies: Connor Hellebuyck accidentally revealed as winner?

For several days now, the National Hockey League has been announcing the winners of the various trophies for the 2024-2025 season.

The recipients of the King Clancy Trophy, the Ted Lindsay, the Selke, the Bill Masterton and most recently, yesterday, the Jack Adams(won by Spencer Carbery) have all been announced.

However, there are still several trophies, and not the least, to be awarded between now and the end of the Stanley Cup Final.

Of course, we don’t know who the winners will be, except that we may now know the winner of two major trophies, thanks to an image circulating on social networks.

A photo accidentally posted on social networks reveals the winner of the Hart Trophy and the Vezina Trophy.

That winner would be Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.

The photo shows what strongly appears to be Connor Hellebuyck, posing behind two trophies: the Vezina, awarded to the best goaltender of the regular season, and the Hart, awarded to the team’s most valuable player (MVP).

According to reports, the photo was taken in the backyard of Connor Hellebuyck’s Michigan home.

In short, everything suggests that Hellebuyck would have won both trophies, which would be entirely deserved, given that these trophies only count regular-season performances, not playoff ones.

Hellebuyck, 32, was by far the NHL’s best goaltender this season, with 47 wins, eight shutouts, a .925 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average.

Hellbuyck’s stats helped the Jets finish first in the NHL and claim the Presidents’ Trophy.

Unfortunately for Hellebuyck and the Jets, Hellbuyck’s performances didn’t translate into the playoffs, as the American struggled mightily, especially away from home, which explains the Jets’ second-round elimination in six games against the Dallas Stars.

In short, if the photo really does turn out to reveal the winner, Hellebuyck would become the 8th goalie and first since Carey Price in 2015 to win the Hart Trophy.

Hellebuyck had never won it before, but he had already won the Vezina twice, in 2019-2020 and 2023-2024.

The Jets goaltender would therefore win a second Vezina trophy in a row.

Overtime

– What a touching moment.

– Read more.

– Coming up.

Categories
Uncategorized

Nicolas Hague: the Canadiens are very interested in acquiring him

The off-season is fast approaching in the National Hockey League, as we’re currently in the month of June, in the midst of the Stanley Cup Finals.

This means that the draft (June 27-28) and the opening of the free agent market (July 1) are just around the corner.

The NHL’s 32 teams are gearing up for these big events, as they all look to improve for the 2025-2026 campaign.

Teams will be able to improve by drafting new young gems, and by signing free agents, but we mustn’t forget all the potential transactions that will take place.

Indeed, there may well be transactions in the coming weeks, some of them involving players who will become free agents on July 1.

The rights of certain players are likely to be traded, while some teams will want to get a head start in their negotiations before the free agent market opens.

This is an avenue that the Canadiens could take in the coming weeks.

In fact, one name has already been linked to the Habs in terms of this type of transaction, and that name is that of 6’6″ left-handed defenseman Nicolas Hague of the Vegas Golden Knights.

According to Nick Kypreos’ latest article for the Toronto Star, two teams, the Habs and the Pittsburgh Penguins, are very interested in acquiring the Golden Knights’ defenseman.

The giant-sized defenseman’s rights expire on July 1, so the Golden Knights, who are stuck with the cap, may not be able to re-sign him, and may want to at least get a return for his rights.

The Habs would therefore be looking to add a huge, defensive-minded left-handed defenseman at 6’6″ and 240 lbs.

The 26-year-old Canadiens defenseman has averaged 15 points per season since joining the NHL, and plays well as a stable third-pair defenseman.

But why would the Habs want to add another left-handed defenseman to their lineup?

Well, I’m not going to lie, I asked myself the same question when I saw this rumor.

The Habs already have plenty of NHL-caliber left-handed defensemen (Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Mike Matheson, Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble), so why add another?

Well, it’s worth noting that Hague can play right-handed just fine, given that he often did so in Vegas.

This helps explain the Habs’ interest, as they look to make up for the loss of David Savard.

Hague is a defenseman with a style very similar to Savard’s, and so, potentially, this is where the Habs see something interesting in Hague, who is only 26 years old.

However, this means that we’re not necessarily thinking of trusting a young right-handed player to replace Savard.

Picking up Hague would cut a spot for Logan Mailloux or David Reinbacher.

I guess the Habs don’t think they’re quite ready for the NHL yet

Anyway, let’s see what the Habs do this summer, and if the potential acquisition of Hague could mean that a left-handed player will be traded.

If the Habs were to add Hague to their roster, here’s what I think the Habs defense pairings would look like.

Hutson – Guhle

Matheson – Carrier

Xhekaj – Hague

Struble

Overtime

– To be continued.

– Coming up.

– Interesting stuff.

Categories
Uncategorized

“The Habs don’t have to worry about Mitch Marner in the free agents”

The free-agent frenzy is knocking at the door, and several very interesting names will be available.

Brock Nelson avoided this by recently signing a three-year, $7.5 million-a-year contract.

Nonetheless, there should be other big names in the pipeline (assuming there are no further contract extensions between now and July 1).

Sam Bennett is one, but there’s also Mitch Marner, who should break the bank on his next contract.

The latter is highly unlikely to return to Toronto next year, given Marner’s current unfavourable situation.

The Montreal Canadiens could very well be interested in the talented right-winger, but Arpon Basu believes that the Habs should not offer the Canadian player a contract.

In fact, they shouldn’t even bother with Marner when the free agent market opens, as he so eloquently puts it in this article from The Athletic.

And I completely agree with Basu on this.

Although Marner is one of the best playmakers in the NHL, his attitude doesn’t seem to fit in with the Habs dressing room at all.

Need we remind you of the most recent series, when he literally yelled at his teammates, saying “Wake the f*ck up!

And let’s not forget William Nylander in the 2024 series, when he threw an arrow at his teammate, telling him to stop crying and play hockey.

That says a lot about the kind of person Marner is, and we don’t want that in Montreal.

My colleague Félix Forget recently wrote an article saying that David Pagnotta thinks the Habs will show interest in Marner.

The key word here is “think”.

Basu himself doesn’t see the point of offering him a contract for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, Marner wants to leave Toronto because of the intensity of the fans, the media and too much attention. If he comes to Montreal, it won’t be any better, if not worse, than in Toronto.

We know that Montreal fans are very passionate about hockey, but that also means that many of them will be crying.

And we’re not talking about the intense journalists, not to mention the paparazzi who won’t let you go for a second and want to know what you’re having for lunch in the morning.

What’s more, Basu also added that the Habs aren’t yet at a stage where they have to spend a mountain of money on free agents and that makes sense.

And with the salary cap set to skyrocket over the next few years, it’s safe to say that this year’s players are going to be expensive, very expensive indeed. In the case of Sam Bennett, there are even several teams ready to offer him more than $10 million a year (!!!). When you think about it, it just doesn’t make sense.

In short, the Habs should be satisfied with one or two transactions, with all the assets they possess, such as young players/prospects and a panoply of picks in the bank.

Overtime

– Interesting.

– Read more.

– Incredible.

– Coming up.

– I don’t get it either.

Categories
Uncategorized

Many people throughout the NHL admire the relationship between the Habs and their players

As we all know, attracting players to Montreal has always been difficult, for a variety of reasons.

Some may think of the pressure of the media and fans, others of the taxes imposed on players, which are higher than elsewhere, and so on.

On the other hand, with the new management, there could be a very attractive aspect for players hesitating about their interest in joining the Québécois metropolis.

Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes make Montreal very interesting thanks to one thing in particular: the relationship with the players.

Shaun Starr and Marco D’Amico discussed this interesting topic on The Shaun Starr Show.

We know that the Habs have a very close-knit group who love to rub shoulders in everyday life, not just on the ice.

The chemistry is really nice.

As D’Amico mentioned at the 7-minute mark of the episode, people across the NHL, not just the players, admire the relationship between the organization and the players.

D’Amico also added earlier in the episode (3:50) that some players were afraid of Marc Bergevin and his handling of negotiations.

When you think about it, it makes sense.

Just think of when Alex Radulov was in Montreal and Bergevin told him: “If you want loyalty, buy a dog.

It’s bad enough that Montreal isn’t necessarily attractive to everyone, but comments like that don’t really help win over players.

And that’s where Hughes and Gorton make the big difference in the Bergevin era.

The fact that many people envy this relationship is very positive, especially at the end of a rebuild and as the free agent market approaches.

Thinking about Sean Monahan’s situation, having just returned from injury as the trade deadline approached, management asked him what he would prefer. That’s when we saw Mony leave for Winnipeg.

The same thing happened with Tyler Toffoli.

Want it, don’t want it, the word is spreading fast around the NHL, and that can only be good for the Habs.

Overtime

– Connor McDavid is truly in a class of his own.

– Clearly one of the best series in a long time.

– Jack Nesbitt could be an interesting choice for the Habs, but where will he rank? Experts rank him as much in the middle of the first round as at the end of the second.

– Where will he go?

– Interesting.

Categories
Uncategorized

The Trois-Rivières Lions are ECHL champions

It’s a done deal. The Trois-Rivières Lions are ECHL champions.

The second Montreal Canadiens-affiliated club were dominant throughout the season and into the playoffs.

They eliminated Toledo Walleye in five short games with a 4-1 victory.

It’s pretty special for the Habs organization to see their “grandchild” win the Kelly Cup. And in convincing fashion in a four-of-seven series.

It’s even more impressive when you consider the Laval Rocket’s run to first place in the entire AHL, as well as a berth in the Eastern finals. We were all disappointed by the Rocket’s playoff run, but all in all, it was a successful season for the two Habs-affiliated clubs.

And when you consider that the Canadiens have exceeded expectations this season by qualifying for the playoffs, as well as giving the Washington Capitals a good challenge, it’s mission accomplished.

More details to come.