Author: Dose

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Mike Matheson: the Canadiens refuse to negotiate in the public arena

Kent Hughes will have a few issues to deal with this off-season.

The most important, however, is that of Mike Matheson, who will become an unrestricted free agent.

With the season he’s having, Montreal has no choice but to extend his contract.

And unlike the Lane Hutson negotiations, the information isn’t likely to come out in the media.

In fact, according to Renaud Lavoie during the Canadiens-Leafs meeting, both sides agreed not to say anything publicly.

Montreal wants to avoid misinterpretations, misinformation and, above all, controversy within the team. Lane Hutson’s contract has been a hot topic both in the media and in the dressing room.

Matheson currently earns $4.875 million. It was his GM Kent Hughes, formerly his agent, who helped him sign his contract. Number 8 is 31 years old and likely has several more good seasons in the tank.

He will certainly benefit from a pay rise. But how much? In 20 games this season, the left-hander has 12 points. Remember, he’s no longer playing with a man advantage, either.

His playing time is consistent, however, and he plays a lot at even strength and on the shorthanded.

Extension

I expect the Québécois to sign a contract in the $6-6.5 million range. Guys like Hamphus Lindholm and Colton Parayko, interesting comparables, earn $6.5 million per season.

Guys like Brandon Montour, Filip Hronek and Devon Toews, who may be a little better than Matheson, earn between $7,142,857 and $7,500,000. But with the salary cap rising, a salary in those waters is also possible, especially if the two clans were to part ways.

Because yes, I can see the defenseman leaving some money on the table to stay in Montreal. And let’s not forget that Kent Hughes is an excellent negotiator.

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The Canucks are considering the option of trading Quinn Hughes this season

It’s no secret that the Hughes brothers want to play together.

The team that can get all three brothers together (probably the Devils) is going to have one hell of a club. The Canucks, in any case, are not off to a good start this season, and their captain could be traded sooner rather than later.

In fact, according to Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal(Canucks Talk), the team is considering the option of trading him as early as this season, if he doesn’t see himself in Vancouver long-term.

In 17 games this season, the defenseman has 20 points. And as I just mentioned, things aren’t going well for the Canucks. He could start putting more pressure on management to trade him.

Quinn will become a UFA after next season and will be extremely expensive.

According to Dhaliwal, the best time to trade him would clearly be as soon as possible, if not this season.

Maybe you’ll get more for him this season than next. –Rick Dhaliwal

Obviously, trading the team’s captain would be a big deal, but in the long run, it could actually benefit the organization.

Obviously, the Devils wouldn’t be the only team in the running, but for family reasons, we have no choice but to say they’re the favorites. They’re a Stanley Cup contender for the next few years, and they have all their first-round picks. They don’t have the best bank of prospects, but to deal for Jack and Luke’s brother, I’m sure Tom Fitzgerald would move heaven and earth.

New Jersey doesn’t have the most salary cap space, and there are no big contracts coming off the lot in the next year. To be continued.

Overtime

– Still.

– Wow.

– I’d imagine.

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Rocket victory: two goals for David Reinbacher and five points for Adam Engström

This afternoon, it was the famous doggie game at Place Bell. Fans brought a ton of pooches, and when the Rocket scored their first goal, they were all thrown onto the ice.

It’s a landmark event for many AHL teams.

For the occasion, the Belleville Senators were in Laval.

We wondered who would score this year’s plushie goal… and it was David Reinbacher who made it rain.

He scored with a great shot from the blue line.

This is Reinbacher’s second goal in less than 24 hours, as he also scored last night.

He seems to be getting more and more comfortable. That’s good news.

In all, no fewer than 11,885 doggies were thrown onto the ice following Reinbacher’s goal. Once again this year, we’re talking about a huge success.

But beyond Reinbacher’s goal, there were other Habs prospects who made their mark. Filip Mesar and Adam Engström, for example, both scored in the second period.

And in the third period, Sean Farrell scored on the powerplay… and within minutes, Reinbacher added a second goal to his tally.

It’s a third goal in two games for the young defenseman.

The Rocket won 7-2, with Farrell and William Trudeau also scoring in the third. Reinbacher finished the game with two goals, while his blue-line partner Engström had a goal and four assists.

Clearly, the Habs’ two best defensive prospects had a good one in the system.

Overtime

– Bill Guerin is at the Bell Centre tonight. Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson are likely to be scouts for the 2026 Olympics.

– Can’t wait to see it.

– The Lions also won this afternoon.

– Interesting signing.

– The Carabins are Vanier Cup champions.

– That would be something.

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A sobering season

Death, taxes and Kaiden Guhle out for 8 to 10 weeks..

Add to this the team’s struggling goalkeepers, a host of other injured forwards, and a number of questions in defence, and you’ve got a team that’s often in trouble.

So what to do?

First, let’s focus on the defensive brigade.

In general, Struble isn’t doing a bad job replacing Kaiden Guhle alongside Lane Hutson. We rarely see him make any big blunders or take primary responsibility for the opposition’s goals.

Xhekaj doesn’t play great hockey, and the pair he most often forms with Alexandre Carrier is nothing transcendent, spending far too much time in his zone.

And once again, the Habs have proven that no team, especially not the really big bad ones like the Capitals, is going to stop playing their way because “the Sheriff” is in the Habs line-up.

How many times do we have to debunk this myth?

As far as opponents are concerned, Xhekaj really isn’t that tough to play against. He’s not good enough to be constantly in a better position than his opponent to contain or punish him effectively.

And if on top of that he’s not doing his “job” with the Tom Wilsons of this world and losing his fights to the other tough guys, it’s hard to see why his position would be guaranteed night after night in Guhle’s absence.

As far as I’m concerned, his value has taken a beating of late…

Meanwhile, in Laval..

Engstrom is the Rocket’s best defenseman so far this season.

Everyone agrees on that.

The eye test doesn’t lie. Neither do the statistics.

Not only did he score the winning goal in overtime last night, but he regularly makes this kind of play with the puck:

Now, is there any rush for the Canadiens to call him up?

Not yet… but it feels like it could change.

The Swede is an exceptional Matheson skater. He’s improving defensively week by week, even if, as we saw again yesterday on a Bulls goal, positioning details still need fine-tuning and a little more nastiness wouldn’t hurt in his territory.

The fact that the Rocket’s #56, the 92nd overall pick in 2022, hasn’t suffered any major injuries since arriving in Laval and can play on the right side without any problems, seems to have given him a slight edge over Reinbacher.

But Reinbacher hasn’t said his last word. In fact, he was EXCELLENT last night against Belleville, recording a goal and an assist in the process. He just has to learn to avoid exposing himself too much to injury, especially on blocked shots…

Patience… if possible!

After a decent practice camp in Montreal, let’s not get carried away with Engstrom’s good start to the season in Laval.

At the start of his 2nd season in America, let’s not lose sight of the fact that he’s just beginning to dominate on a regular basis in the American Hockey League, having probably been Laval’s best defenseman in the playoffs after a good end to the season.

So, all in all, we’re talking about, at most, half a season of really solid play in the AHL.

Ideally, as with Reinbacher, we’d like to give him a little more time to build up his confidence and become a true AHL monster.

He needs to dominate at this level, not just because of his above-average skating. He needs to become even more alert defensively and continue to improve his game-reading in all three zones.

As long as Struble, Xhekaj and Carrier can hold their own up top without being a nuisance (to be followed very closely!), the Habs can afford to let Pascal Vincent complete Engstrom’s development to AHL level. We seem to be on to something with him, and we mustn’t let him slip away.

But how long will it be before we break the status quo in the organizational defensive hierarchy?

Will we be tempted by a recall ahead of next week’s Western trip against talented clubs Utah, Vegas and Colorado?

Engstrom and Reinbacher must be ready.

Dobes as number one

Montembeault clearly needs quite a long time to recover.

The wear-and-tear injury that manifested itself in the playoffs against the Caps seems to have derailed his summer preparation or something. He’s just not himself anymore.

He’s already been given a chance to get his bearings, but it’s just not working. Since the start of the season, Montembeault has caused his club to lose more often than not.

With that in mind, Martin St-Louis must now turn to Jakub Dobes as his #1 goalkeeper.

Dobes hasn’t been perfect lately, but he hasn’t really been given the chance to establish himself as a true #1.

With Montembeault’s contract set to expire in June 2027, this seems to me to be a pretty good time to really test Dobes.

At 24, the organization needs to know how he can perform in the starting role.

Fowler? Kahkonen?

If Dobes and Montembeault don’t settle down by the holidays, what will the organization do?

It’s not uncommon to see an NHL club use three or four goalies in a single season. It’s often because of injuries, but Dobes could also return to the AHL without having to go through the waivers.

Kaapo Kahkonen, 29 years old, 140 NHL experience, .913% in the AHL, could get his chance if things don’t work out at the top.

Even the young Fowler, who turns 21 this week, could get a call-up at some point this season if things continue to fall apart in Montreal.

Also destined for a bright future, Carter Hart, Spencer Knight and Yaroslav Askarov all played at least one NHL game before the age of 21..

Fowler didn’t have as enviable a profile as them when he was drafted in 2023, but has been seen for more than a year as a goalie in the same category, that of good future NHL goalies.

To be continued..

And the forwards?

While we wait for Hage and Zharovsky, there’s no savior in Laval. We know that.

But with the prolonged absences of Laine, Newhook, Dach and possibly Evans, the stage is set for some real auditions.

Roy and Davidson were already there, and now Florian Xhekaj will get his first chance on a Saturday night at home against Toronto.

If need be, even veteran Laurent Dauphin, the AHL’s leading scorer, could help out by signing a deal with the Canadiens.

That said, Kent Hughes is surely busy on the phone. Over the years, the end of November has become a rather hectic time for GMs across the NHL.

If he’s on the move, will he be aiming for the long ball or the short, Carrier-style hit?

It all depends on how much he and Gorton want the organization to progress in this season of injuries and adversity.

If the slide continues, with a very promising first round next June, perhaps they’ll tell themselves that a little step back could be very profitable in the long run.

Needless to say, this season has not finished making us think…

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Alexandre Texier will be free as a bird tomorrow (and there are two finalists for his services)

This week, Alexandre Texier was linked to the Canadiens by Elliotte Friedman. The forward no longer seems to fit into the Blues’ plans, and was expected to leave St. Louis eventually.

In fact, the Blues put him up for a waivers vote on Thursday…

And he wasn’t claimed, as we learned yesterday.

That said, we suspected it was possible that his contract would simply end up being terminated.

And that’s exactly what’s about to happen: he’s just been placed in the waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. He’ll be as free as a bird tomorrow (because no, he won’t be claimed).

However, Pierre LeBrun also added details on the matter. And what we understand is that no less than nine teams are interested… but that Texier and his clan have already established two finalists.

We’re talking about two teams in the East… and we have to wonder if the Habs, who could really use a left-handed center, are among them.

At $2.1 million, it makes sense that no one claimed Texier in the waivers. But a bit like David Kämpf last week, the fact that his contract will be terminated means that Texier will be able to sign cheaply with his new team.

This makes him much, much more interesting.

In eight NHL games this season, Texier has collected just one assist. That said, we’re not talking about a guy who’s there to fill the net: we’re talking about a guy who’s an element of depth.

And with all the injured forwards on the Habs, a guy like that wouldn’t go amiss. Let’s see if Kent Hughes can get a hold of him.

Extension

Texier is a native of France, so the Canadiens could use another French-speaking player.

At this level, he’s a better fit than David Kämpf, hehe.

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Martin St-Louis looks (really) tired of talking about his goalies

The Habs have been racking up losses for a few weeks now. The club is having trouble winning games… and the performances of its two goaltenders are a big part of the problem.

Mind you, it’s not the only problem. But like it or not, the two goalkeepers are really struggling these days.

And the figures don’t lie: it’s been particularly difficult for the last ten games or so. It’s not normal for the club to lose so often while scoring so many goals.

So, more often than not, the subject of goaltending is the talk of the town these days. And if there’s one person who’s getting (really) tired of hearing about it, it’s Martin St-Louis.

This morning, he was asked about his decision to send Jakub Dobes into the fray tonight… and when you listen to him speak, you can tell he’s a little annoyed.

The excerpt is below:

Of course, the question itself is far from bad. It’s just that the coach is clearly fed up with the subject coming up again and again.

And it’s pretty obvious when you listen to his answers to the other questions, where the tone is different. You can really sense that it’s the goalkeeping issue that’s bothering him.

That said, we have to assume that this will remain the case as long as the club hasn’t found a bit of stability in front of the net. At the moment, all this management isn’t working, and there are no victories to mask the problems in front of the net.

But if the club starts winning again and can get quality performances from its goalkeepers, these issues will eventually disappear.

Overtime

– Speaking of goalies. This isn’t the first time Friedman has talked about it.

– Florian Xhekaj was trying to take a nap when he learned he was leaving for the NHL.

– Of note.

– Nice read on Samuel Blais.

– Oilers: the club will re-evaluate its situation after its 30th game.

– That would be something.

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“I was bleeding from the mouth”: Jake Evans didn’t appreciate Tom Wilson’s stunt

On Thursday night, Jake Evans was unable to finish the game against the Canadiens. He left the game in the second period… and never returned.

The reason? Tom Wilson gave him a good check… which was questionable in terms of legality.

Because when you watch the replay, you can see quite clearly that Wilson raises his elbow and takes aim directly at Evans’ head. And no, there was no penalty on the sequence.

For Evans, who has a history of concussions, it was obviously a worrying moment. But the good news is that he’s doing better today. He left the game as a precautionary measure and was out yesterday to see if any concussion symptoms would show up.

But in the end, Evans is okay, so he’ll play tonight(center Florian Xhekaj). In front of the media, he noted that he thought the shot was quite high and that it bled from his mouth.

And that, in his opinion, says a lot about Wilson’s gesture.

And in fact, he’s not wrong: if he was bleeding from his mouth after a check, it’s probably not because he got hit in the knees, you know.

The check, clearly, was too high. And the referees didn’t do anything about it… and neither did his teammates, unfortunately.

The good news, though, is that Evans is feeling good today. He’s the first to admit that his history means he has to watch his head, and he was lucky to avoid the worst on Thursday night.

Let’s hope he doesn’t have another scare like that.

Overtime

– Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies will not face the Habs tonight. Samuel Blais will.

– Joseph Woll in front of the Maple Leafs net tonight.

– Great story.

– Kris Knoblauch: his job may be on the line.

– Big news in the NBA.

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Blues: Logan Mailloux is (already) back with the big club

On November 9, the St. Louis Blues announced that Logan Mailloux would be returning to the AHL. After a difficult start to the season with the big club, the Blues wanted to give him time to reset.

They wanted to take some of the heat off his shoulders and let him find his bearings.

And in five AHL games, Mailloux scored two goals. He did, however, maintain a minus-2 differential… but clearly, the Blues felt they’d seen enough.

The club announced this morning that Mailloux has been recalled from the club-school.

He’s back with the Blues after a (very) short stay in the AHL.

We know that during his stay in the AHL, he faced the Rocket in a game in which his club won. But from now on, Mailloux’s goal will be to prove he’s better than the defenseman who maintained a minus-12 differential in nine NHL games this season.

Especially since in those nine games, he didn’t register a single point.

The Blues take on the Islanders this afternoon, and we can expect to see Mailloux in the lineup. But what’s interesting is that in two weeks’ time (and one day, to be precise), the Blues will be at the Bell Centre to face the Canadiens.

You’d think Mailloux would love to take on his old club… but if he’s going to make it, he’ll have to prove he deserves his place in the NHL. Let’s see if he does.

Overtime

– The Xhekaj family will be at the Bell Centre tonight.

– He’s very promising.

– I like it.

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Practice: Jake Evans to play tonight with Florian Xhekaj

The Canadiens de Montréal held practice this morning at the Bell Centre in preparation for tonight’s showdown with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The practice was even more closely watched this time around, as we wanted to see if Jake Evans, who missed the last game due to a Tom Wilson check, would be present.

We also wanted to confirm whether Florian Xhekaj would make his NHL debut, and which goaltender would get the start.

The first piece of good news came right at the start of practice, when Jake Evans jumped on the ice with his teammates.

Best of all, he practiced alongside Josh Anderson and a certain Florian Xhekaj, on what is likely to be the fourth line tonight.

Obviously, this is a very interesting line-up, as it’s full of energy and sturdiness, which should make for some intense on-ice action.

It’s a complete and well-constructed fourth line that we’re all looking forward to seeing, if it comes to fruition.

With Xhekaj and Evans expected to play, it’s easy to see why Joshua Roy will most likely be left out tonight.

Now, the other big question on everyone’s mind was which goaltender would get the start against the Leafs, given that both Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes played on Thursday against the Washington Capitals.

Well, we have our answer, as Jakub Dobes will get the start tonight.

Dobes will have the tough task of facing the Leafs on a Saturday night at the Bell Centre, and let’s just say he has no choice but to perform well.

He looked bad against the Capitals, so he really needs to make up for it in a crucial game against a division rival looking to join the Habs in the standings.

The Leafs may not be at their best this season, but they’re a talented and dangerous team, so Dobes will absolutely have to hold down the fort.

Let’s see how the Czech goalie performs.

Overtime

– Ah well, why not.

– Indeed.

– A trade that smiles on the Sabres too.

– Read on.

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Georges Laraque once turned down a McDonald’s franchise when he played for the Habs

Recently, we saw the new collaboration between McDonald’s and Samuel Montembeault.

The Montreal Canadiens’ goalie brought out his poutine with chicken, bacon and ranch sauce (and not wrench, as Mike at Rona might think).

It doesn’t look bad, if you like the ingredients in this poutine, but what is bad is Montembeault’s performance this season.

The Québécois goalie has had just one good outing since the new poutine, in a 6-2 Habs win over the Utah Mammoth (25 saves on 27 shots).

It was a good performance, but nothing to write home about.

Personally, I’ve never really understood why there are always Habs players collaborating with McDo.

And obviously, I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Today, Georges Laraque told BPM Sports that he doesn’t understand why an athlete would associate himself with a fast-food chain like McDonald’s. It just doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t make sense for an athlete to endorse a poutine, in Laraque’s words.

The former NHL tough guy told BPM Sports that he was once offered a McDonald’s restaurant when he played for the Habs. His answer: an emphatic no.

You have to do it to turn down a restaurant.

The former strongman mentioned that it was David Ettedgui who found him a McDonald’s franchise. He didn’t even hesitate to turn it down.

It’s also worth noting that Laraque has never earned a large salary in his career (although he has earned a very good one). The idea of having his own McDonald’s goes far beyond a good extra income. It’s clearly a matter of principle. The principle is that an athlete who needs to be in the best possible shape to perform should be associated with a fast-food chain.

Obviously, he’s throwing a little arrow at Samuel Montembeault, but he’s also talking about Jeff Petry. The right-handed defenseman announced his smoked-meat poutine during the 2015-16 season, and it (really) didn’t go well for the latter (16 points in 51 games).

Georges also mentioned that Petry was eventually traded (a few years later). Can we expect the same for Monty? There aren’t really any concrete links to a Habs player announcing his poutine at McDonald’s, but it does make you wonder.

Definitely, like Petry in the 2015-16 season, things aren’t going well for Montembeault. He’s certainly having his worst season since arriving in Montreal.

Still, it makes no sense for an athlete to be associated with a chain like McDonald’s. That’s why Georges refused to get a McDonald’s franchise when he played in Montreal.

Of course, he’s never been a big McDonald’s fan. In fact, he went vegan at the end of his first season in Montreal.

Overtime

– Interesting.

– Flames owners don’t want to see Nazem Kadri traded, as he’d obviously fit in well in Montreal.

– Read more.