Author: Dose

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Top-5 : A nearly perfect evening for CH even though it didn’t play

There was plenty of action in the NHL last night.

And that, even though the Canadiens didn’t have a game on the schedule.

Let’s see what happened around the league:

1: A nearly perfect evening for the Canadiens even though they didn’t play

Naturally, we’re keeping a close eye on the playoff race in the East right now.

That’s normal.

That being said, even though the Canadiens didn’t play last night, they still had an interesting evening. Why?

Because…

  • The Bruins lost 6-3 to the Preds
  • The Wings lost 2-1 to the Canes
  • The Flyers lost 6-3 to the Flames
  • The Blue Jackets lost 6-2 to the Lightning

Noting that these games all ended in regulation time.

And noting also that only the Islanders were able to win last night among the teams currently fighting for a spot.

So that means this morning, the Canadiens are still just one point away from the Wings and a playoff spot.

It’s still very tight…

(Credit: )

2: A beautiful gesture by the Avalanche

The Humboldt Broncos tragedy struck the hockey world in 2018.

Last night, the Avalanche made a gesture to celebrate the lives of the young people who lost their lives by inviting Layne Matechuk, who survived the events.

The former defenseman had the opportunity to drop the puck for the ceremonial face-off, between his two favorite hockey players, Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby.

Really a nice thought from the Avalanche:

Note that the game was completely in favor of the Avalanche, who ultimately won 4-1.

Artturi Lehkonen stood out in the game, scoring his 25th and 26th goals of the season.

He’s still having a good season in Colorado:

3: Thomas Harley plays the hero

We’re transported to the end of the third period in the game between the Devils and the Stars.

The score is 3-2 in favor of the Stars with just under five minutes left… And that’s when Prett Pesce stood up.

The Devils’ defenseman created the tie and well chose the moment to score his 2nd goal of the season:

Everything suggested that the fans in attendance would have the opportunity to see 3-on-3 hockey in overtime… But Thomas Harley, apparently, didn’t want to go to bed too late.

He played the hero with… 4.8 seconds left in the third period.

The defenseman gave the win (4-3) to his team with the help of a good shot. And we can see that Jacob Markström was not happy:

4: Stamkos finally breaks through

Before facing the Bruins last night in Boston, Steven Stamkos had been shut out in his last 13 games.

But he took matters into his own hands in his team’s 6-3 win.

The former Lightning captain collected three points, including this beautiful goal:

Stamkos, who seems to be slowing down since the start of the season, also collected two assists in his team’s win.

He was able to record his 600th career assist in the NHL.

A night that must have done him some good, then:

5: The Oilers are unrecognizable

The Oilers seemed ready to face the Ducks last night.

Leon Draisaitl opened the scoring with his 45th goal of the season… And he can thank his captain, who did all the work on the sequence:

But ultimately, the Oilers may not have been as ready as they thought.

After all, they saw the Ducks score four goals without a response in the first period alone…

At one point, the Ducks were leading 6-1.

This is not supposed to be normal against a good team like Edmonton.

But to put a smile back on their fans’ faces, Connor McDavid scored a goal… like Connor McDavid.

The damage was already done, however, since the Ducks won 6-2:

This is the Oilers’ sixth loss in their last seven games.

It comes in handy because the Canadiens will be in Edmonton tomorrow…

Will Martin St-Louis’ men be able to take advantage of it?

Overtime

— Michkov and Celebrini both scored last night:

— Big win for the Wild.

— Nice play!

— The Flames are really surprising.

— It’s heating up!

— Well done.

— The top scorers of the night:

(Credit: QuantHockey)

— Five games tonight in the NHL:

(Credit: Google)
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I see Mavrik Bourque as a target of the Canadiens

The NHL trade deadline is approaching quickly.

Several teams may have a different look by next Friday at 3 pm.

Will the Canadiens be sellers, buyers, or stick with the status quo?

It’s hard to say. On one hand, the Canadiens have just signed their most interesting player for a trade, Jake Evans, and the team is currently just one point away from a playoff spot.

Giving up players for picks would send a bad message to those who are working hard to get the Canadiens into the spring tournament.

However, we risk losing players like Joel Armia or David Savard (or Christian Dvorak, but that one bothers me less) for nothing at all, since they will all be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season.

On the other hand, the Canadiens could go out and get reinforcements to boost their chances of making the playoffs, but I don’t think the organization will want to deviate from its rebuilding plan by giving up prospects or picks for a short-term rental player.

If the Canadiens decide to make a move by Friday afternoon, journalist Grant McCagg, who has worked as a scout for the club, sees the Dallas Stars as a good trading partner.

In this scenario, Montreal would be the sellers. The Stars would be looking for reinforcements and depth for the playoffs and could be interested in acquiring one or two veteran players from the Canadiens.

According to McCagg, in such a trade, the Canadiens should aim for Quebec center Mavrik Bourque, who, in his first NHL season, has 20 points, including 9 goals, in 54 games.

The 23-year-old forward, who was drafted 30th overall by the Texas club in 2020, could help our center line, especially with Kirby Dach’s injury.

So even if the Canadiens would be sellers in this scenario, they would get a regular player ready to help the team immediately and in the future.

And as a bonus, a Quebecer too.

In a hurry

– It’s finally unlocking for Stamkos!

– Big save!

– No big hit for the Tigers.

– Celine at ESPN!

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American anthem booed in Ottawa: Brady Tkachuk could request a trade

This famous saga of the American national anthem being booed all over Canada continues to make headlines.

Personally, I find it more redundant than anything else. I understand the principle, but come on, at some point, we’ve made our point, right?

There’s another one who’s getting really tired of hearing the American national anthem being booed by Canadian fans.

It’s Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators.

We’ll say it, he who plays in Ottawa, he must be fed up. When you think about it, even if he plays at home, he feels the deep hatred of the Sens fans who boo at every game…

Last night, former NHL defenseman Ryan Whitney (who is American, by the way) posted a tweet with a video of the national anthem being booed in Ottawa and the camera pointed at Brady Tkachuk.

As Whitney said in his tweet, if the Senators fans continue like this, they might have to say goodbye to their captain soon.

On this subject, Kevin Dubé from the Journal de Montréal published an article about the unease felt by Tkachuk.

We know that the Tkachuk brothers don’t hide their pride for their native country (and it’s quite right to be proud of one’s country).

We remember that Matthew Tkachuk had commented after the game between the United States and Finland (where the American anthem had been booed) and he really didn’t like it.

And I understand them, because after all, it’s your fans who keep showing their discontent.

By the way, speaking of not stopping, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned the Americans in his latest speech:

“We’ll probably continue to boo your national anthem.” – Justin Trudeau

He also specified that Canadians are not booing Americans, but rather a policy:

“We’re not booing you. We’re not booing your teams. We’re not booing your players. We’re booing a policy that’s meant to hurt us. We’re insulted and angry, but we’re Canadians, which means we’ll stick together, and we’ll fight.” – Justin Trudeau

In short, all this doesn’t seem to be heading towards the end of this saga anytime soon.

We’ll probably hear more boos for a while longer…

In quick succession

– Not to be missed:

– Vlasic is now the player with the most blocked shots in NHL history.

– It seems like a trade is coming for the Oilers.

– The Jets will be worth watching as the trade deadline approaches.

– Worth reading.

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Guhle has more of a captain’s attitude than Suzuki – Luc Gélinas

Ahhh, how much we love our captain.

Especially in his last five games (where he collected no less than 13 points), Nick Suzuki is undoubtedly a crowd favorite.

A hard worker who can feed his teammates to perfection as well as thread the needle, while being more than responsible defensively: there’s not much to reproach him for.

Although he prefers to preach by example rather than push his troops to another level, it must be said that he doesn’t necessarily have the perfect profile of a captain.

He is very quiet and is not necessarily the one who will do everything (verbally) to motivate his troops.

Luc Gélinas and Louis Morissette discussed this topic on the “Entre la poire et le fromage” podcast and they share the same opinion: Kaiden Guhle would make a better captain than Suzuki.

After being asked if Guhle was the Canadiens’ captain in his eyes, Morissette said yes, and to that, Gélinas specified that he shares the same opinion.

“I think he has more of a captain’s attitude than Suzuki. It doesn’t take anything away from Nick, but I really see Kaiden as an ultimate captain.” – Luc Gélinas

In response, Louis Morissette said he simply doesn’t get the impression that the captain title suits Suzuki. He’s there to play hockey.

“He looks like a hockey geek, really. Don’t think about what you have to say to your teammates and journalists, focus on your game. That’s what you’re paid for and that’s fine.” – Louis Morissette

It’s hard not to agree with them, because clearly, Suz doesn’t have the ideal profile of a captain.

And before you stone me, I’m not saying Suzuki is a bad captain, I’m just saying that when we think of a captain, #14 isn’t the first one who comes to mind.

Of course, there are several types of captains, but let’s say Suzuki doesn’t have the makings of a Jonathan Toews, Patrice Bergeron, or Sidney Crosby.

As I mentioned earlier, Suzuki prefers to convey his message on the ice by showing an example to others.

Even if Guhle has barely more than 150 games of experience in the NHL, we can immediately see what kind of player (and teammate) he is.

A bit like Shea Weber, I think. There are differences in their game, but there are many similarities, including the captain’s attitude.

The two guys had really good arguments on the subject, but they discussed several other interesting topics.

I invite you to listen to the full episode, available on YouTube:

Rapid Fire

– Interesting.

– For those who are a little less familiar with the type of player Michael Hage is, this observation text is for you.

– Worth reading.

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Jake Evans and the CH would not have spoken for several weeks

The big news for the Montreal Canadiens today is the signing of Jake Evans.

Finally, this case is settled!

Almost everyone is a little surprised (positively) by Evans’ annual salary in this 4-year contract: I’m the first.

We know that Evans accepted less money to stay in Montreal and we also know that negotiations resumed on Sunday, which had been put on pause.

However, during the last Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun added very interesting information regarding the interrupted negotiations.

Evans and the Tricolore had not spoken for several weeks.

« Montreal took the phone on Sunday after the two sides had not spoken for several weeks. It all comes from the player who wanted to stay. » – Pierre LeBrun

Wow! Several weeks without saying a single word? We understand why it didn’t seem to be progressing.

With LeBrun’s statement, we also understand why Evans had the impression that it was going nowhere.

He seemed to have resigned himself to the idea that he would leave with several weeks without any discussion.

Especially when considering that there was a lot of interest in the right-handed center across the NHL before the trade deadline.

Obviously, a profile like Jake Evans, especially as a rental player, attracts many teams, but it seems that the CH was even more interested in keeping his services.

In short, a good case settled.

Now that Jake Evans is staying in Montreal, will Kent Hughes want to trade one or more veterans from his formation, or will he want to make a push for the playoffs?

In a hurry

– We found the little boy who received Cole Caufield’s stick in Thursday’s game.

– Very interesting.

– Now the skates need to follow the talk.

– Vitek Vanecek could very well change addresses soon.

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“I’m really very impressed” : Pascal Vincent loves Reinbacher’s work

David Reinbacher has only played four games since his return to the game.

But that’s enough for his coach, Pascal Vincent, to praise him.

The Rocket’s manager likes his defenseman’s performance and isn’t afraid to talk about it in the media either.

In a recent interview published on the Rocket’s website, Vincent says he is “really very” impressed by Reinbacher lately.

And he didn’t say that by chance.

He chose his words carefully to explain how well Reinbacher is playing:

I’m really very impressed. It’s pretty rare that I say that about a young defenseman. – Pascal Vincent

That’s good, honestly.

We knew Reinbacher would take time to fully recover – and that hasn’t happened yet – but seeing that he doesn’t seem like a tourist on the ice to his coach is good news in itself.

Because obviously, we also know that the drafted defenseman, picked 5th overall in 2023, has great potential.

We know that with his size and style, he’ll be able to help the Canadiens in Montreal in a few years… But we also know that for that to happen, he must be able to progress as needed.

That being said, I really think the CH has handled his injury well.

The organization decided to keep him with the team so he could still be involved, and that’s definitely helping him right now in Laval, because the Rocket and the Canadiens have a very similar system on the ice.

Again, we should be happy for the kid. It was really complicated in Kloten last year, and he was disappointed not to be able to prove himself at the last camp due to his serious injury, but he seems to be on the right track now.

That’s what’s important, in the end.

In a hurry

– Jake Evans is happy.

– Ivan Demidov got an assist today (with 16:57 of ice time).

–

– To be continued.

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Payroll mass: Here is a portrait of what awaits Kent Hughes this summer with the signing of Evans

The Canadian has settled an important case today with the signing of Jake Evans.

This is one less problem in view of the deadline… But also in view of the coming summer.

This also allows Kent Hughes to have a better idea of what to expect from July 1st.

For now, there are players who do not have a contract for the next season.

Among the current players on the team, there will be restricted free agents: Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, Emil Heineman, Jayden Struble, and Jakub Dobes.

And there will be unrestricted free agents: Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, Michael Pezzetta, and David Savard.

If we calculate the expected amount for forwards ($53,990,833), for defensemen ($16,425,000), and for goalies ($3,150,000), that gives a total of $73,565,833.

Also note that the Canadian will not have salary retainers (unless it changes by Friday) on its payroll for the next season.

Obviously, we must also think about Carey Price’s contract… But we know that his salary can be hidden once the season starts.

Ah, and there’s also the salary cap that will increase to $95.5 million for the 2025-2026 campaign.

What I’m trying to say here… Is that Kent Hughes should have room to have fun – even if he has to think about Hutson and Demidov, who will command a big salary soon:

(Credit: CapWages)

Obviously, we can’t give a precise amount to spend since there are other guys who will be added to the team by the next training camp.

Ivan Demidov, Owen Beck, Oliver Kapanen, Florian Xhekaj (?), Joshua Roy, Logan Mailloux, David Reinbacher (?)… These players may have a chance to make the team for the next season.

But still: with the salary cap rising and with the current amount in the Canadian’s books, Kent Hughes could have nearly $20 million to have fun (not counting Price’s contract, let’s remind ourselves).

He will have room to make a big splash in the free agent market because there aren’t many spots to fill right now.

If we assume that Dvorak, Armia, Pezzetta, and Savard are leaving (Heineman, Struble, and Dobes will likely stay), the lineup would look like this for forwards, defensemen, and goalies:

  • Patrik Laine (A)
  • Nick Suzuki (A)
  • Cole Caufield (A)
  • Brendan Gallagher (A)
  • Josh Anderson (A)
  • Kirby Dach (A)
  • Alex Newhook (A)
  • Jake Evans (A)
  • Juraj Slafkovsky (A)
  • Emil Heineman (A) – new contract
  • Owen Beck (A)
  • Ivan Demidov (A) – arrival in Montreal
  • Mike Matheson (D)
  • Alexandre Carrier (D)
  • Arber Xhekaj (D)
  • Lane Hutson (D)
  • Kaiden Guhle (D)
  • Jayden Struble (D) – new contract
  • Samuel Montembeault (G)
  • Jakub Dobes (G) – new contract

We understand that Struble, Heineman, and Dobes won’t break the bank.

That being said, with the signing of these guys at a reasonable price, the Canadian would have 12 forwards, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies signed for the next season… And Kent Hughes would still have room under the salary cap to improve his team.

It’s going to get interesting, at the very least.

In a nutshell

– I love his point.

– Nice contract for the Panthers.

– 43-0… Pardon?

– Too bad for the Raptors.

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Kent Hughes listened to his players

For the Canadian players, the plan is quite clear at the moment.

We want to participate in the playoffs.

Nick Suzuki sent a message to his GM after last night’s game at the Bell Center saying he wants to give the fans some big hockey… And he wasn’t the only one to do so.

After all, last week, Alexandre Carrier took the opportunity to speak up.

The Quebecer said he wanted the team to remain intact after March 7th. When it comes from a veteran like him, it’s quite significant.

But we can also add Slaf’s name to that group, who shared his desire to see “everyone” stay after this morning’s training.

According to what Arpon Basu (The Athletic) reported in an article, Nick Suzuki went to see Kent Hughes before the 4 Nations to share his desire to see the group stay intact.

Kent Hughes’ response to his captain? Go win games.

And that’s exactly what the Canadiens have done since then.

In fact, the CH has won its last five games and hasn’t lost since the recent Super Bowl:

(Credit: ESPN)

Kent Hughes listened to his players, then.

The guys proved to him that they want to do everything they can to participate in the playoffs and there, the GM may not have had a choice but to give them a treat with Evans who won’t be leaving.

But it also fits with what Jeff Gorton said at the end of January.

If there was an opportunity to help the team because the players deserved it, the CH would do it.

That’s what happened with the signing of Jake Evans. But now, should we wonder if Hughes has a plan to go get other pieces to help the team as it should be before the end of the campaign?

Not necessarily… But we know that the CH’s GM is not afraid to make moves to improve his club as needed.

To be continued until Friday, then.

In a hurry

– Sick.

– There is interest in Scott Laughton’s services.

– It would be so surprising… #OrNot

– Already?

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Jake Evans accepted less money with the CH: is this the end of the demolition?

It’s done: this is the end of the Jake Evans file.

Kent Hughes pulled off a big move by ensuring he would stay with the club in the long term through a contract extension. He will be signed until 2029 with the Canadiens… and it will be at a modest price.

Four years and $2.85 million, it’s really an excellent contract from the Canadiens’ GM for a center like Evans.

We must remember that initially, we were wondering if Evans wasn’t in a position to ask for a lot more money. After all, rumors suggested he had demands of $20 million over five years.

And now, he’s getting 57% of that amount ($11.4 million) over four years instead of five? #Victory

What I notice is that with Evans staying, we can think that Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, and David Savard won’t be worth enough to justify their departure. The guys have likely managed to convince management not to sell… thanks to Evans and his contract.

Is this the end of the team’s demolition? I think so.

After all, this summer, I don’t see which big piece of the team will leave – unless it’s part of a huge transaction that would improve the Canadiens. At this point, the guys who are in town with a contract can, to some extent, hope to be part of the solution.

And if we look at Evans, who accepted less money to stay in town, we can believe that the desire to build something in Montreal is strong.

This is a great moment for the Canadiens. And by force of circumstance, there are several elements to note from this signing, which seems more important than usual for a bottom-six guy.

What do I take away?

1. This afternoon, I wrote an article saying that considering offering a contract to Christian Dvorak (a small one, that is) was possibly something that needed to be thought about.

But with Jake Evans to support Nick Suzuki, it helps with depth. It doesn’t help fill the role of second center, but okay.

2. In the long term, we know that Juraj Slafkovsky is signed until 2033. Cole Caufield and Kaiden Guhle are signed until 2031, and the captain’s contract will expire in 2030.

Jake Evans (2029) has security like few players in Montreal right now. And since he wanted to stay, it’s all the better for him and his family: they’re buying stability and ensuring they won’t be traded.

3. Martin St-Louis must be happy to keep his penalty-killing pillar among the forwards. Evans has an important role and doesn’t disrupt the team’s salary hierarchy.

But the second aspect, St-Louis shouldn’t be too worried about it.

4. Jake Evans was one of Joël Bouchard’s most important development projects in Laval. He turned him into an NHL player who serves his team well.

The Canadiens will reap the rewards of Bouchard’s work for a few more seasons. For a seventh-round pick, that’s not bad.

5. At this point, we can say goodbye to a first-round pick. If Evans and Armia (will he want to stay in town too?) had been traded together, that’s probably what it would have brought.

But it was a signing that had to be made, so all’s well.

6. Still on the draft: at this rate, we shouldn’t be surprised if the Canadiens trade one of their first-round picks to get reinforcements for the team. Whether it’s now or this summer.

A top-right defenseman or a #2 center: who would say no?

7. I don’t think Jake Evans’ agent will be fired because the player signed for less than expected. After all, there was no rush to sign since he could have done it this summer.

I really think we’re seeing a case of a guy who wanted to stay in town.

And if he wants to stay, it’s probably because the Canadiens are building something good and the team spirit must be very pleasant in the dressing room.

It must be a celebration in the plane to Edmonton: the group will obviously stay together.

8. Canadiens fans like players who want to play for the team and they like guys who are willing to do the dirty work to make the logo shine – and not just the name on the back of a jersey.

And Evans is that. If he stays healthy (there have been questions about his health, especially after the 2021 playoffs), he’ll give the Canadiens their money’s worth. After all, he’ll only be 29 years old this summer.

Evans’ reputation was already good among fans. Expect to see him get a warm welcome when the team returns to Montreal at the end of their trip.

Honorable mention to Kent Hughes, who did well. Would you be surprised to learn that he got exactly the amount he wanted?

extension

With that, the trade deadline day promises to be long. Evans was the big piece to watch in Montreal, but he’s no longer a factor after signing his contract.

What will happen on Friday, then? #LongDay

My prediction: a minor transaction (maybe to help the Rocket?) and a trade where the Canadiens will get involved to retain salary as the third team in the transaction.

Poor TVA Sports, RDS, and all sports channel analysts who will have to fill hours of airtime…

Note that Kent Hughes could very well go after a big piece for the present and the future (not a rental player, of course), but nothing is certain.

Let’s see what he has in store for the fans.

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Joel Armia can breathe a sigh of relief: trading him would be counter-productive

I wonder if Jake Evans is having a good day… Hehe.

No joke, it’s the news of the day in Montreal: Evans and the Canadiens have agreed on the terms of a contract extension for him to stay in Montreal.

This is great news for the player, the fans… and the organization:

Naturally, this news changes everything.

Especially with the trade deadline in the NHL being on Friday.

Because we must not forget one thing: the Evans file has an impact on that of others in Montreal as well…

When I say that the Evans file has an impact on that of others in Montreal, I am mainly referring to Joel Armia.

Why?

Because in recent weeks, we have talked about the possibility of seeing Evans and Armia being traded together to get a more interesting return.

The two guys are excellent when they are on the ice in a numerical disadvantage, after all. They were seen as intriguing pieces for teams that want to fight until the end because the two players do not command an astronomical salary this season either.

But ultimately, Joel Armia can start to breathe a sigh of relief because trading him would be counterproductive.

It would be illogical to see Kent Hughes send him elsewhere when he has managed to come to an agreement with Evans… and when the Canadiens are in the middle of a playoff run in the East at the moment.

Anyway, by trading Joel Armia alone, it’s not like the Canadiens’ general manager is going to manage to get a first-round pick for his services.

Armia’s contract ends at the end of the season, of course… but at the moment, his value is higher in Montreal due to the team’s current situation.

Because we also know that the Finn has what it takes in his toolkit to help the Canadiens fight for the playoffs until the end of the campaign.

In rafale

– Nice move by the Oilers.

– To be continued.

– Oh yeah?

– Well done.

– Good.