Author: Dose

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Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner: not even a KHL team wants them

Tonight, the Maple Leafs will try to avoid elimination against the Panthers. Despite holding a 2-0 series lead, the Toronto team has just lost three consecutive games, including a thaw in Game #5.

Can the Leafs force a Game 7? Right now, there are serious reasons to be skeptical.

And of course, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are on the chopping block. The Leafs ‘ two star players are going through a very difficult second round, and that’s making them the target of fans. Let’s just say that, at the moment, many Toronto fans want nothing to do with offering a new contract to Marner, who will be a free agent this summer.

And in recent days, a photo montage of Matthews and Marner in the uniform of Kunlun Red Star, a Chinese team in the KHL, has been circulating. It was obviously a joke… until the team in question got involved.

In response to the montage, the team’s account on Platform X let it be known that they clearly weren’t interested in getting Matthews and Marner :

We are happy with our current line-up. We are not interested in these gentlemen.

So there’s a social network manager who’s allowed himself to have a little fun with the situation. In the comments, fans of various NHL teams suggest that Red Star pick up players they no longer want (Travis Hamonic and Michael Pezzetta are among them), but the club’s account still refuses.

It does, however, seem interested in getting its hands on Juraj Slafkovský.

Of course, you’d think that Red Star, if they had the opportunity, would dream of getting their hands on guys like Matthews and Marner, who would break absolutely everything in the KHL…

Except maybe once in the playoffs… or if Roman Rotenberg becomes their coach and limits them to a handful of minutes per game, hehe.

Overtime

– He’s really having a good tournament.

– Let’s see if it unlocks.

– Interesting.

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“It would be surprising to see the Habs in the running for Sam Bennett.”

Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have their work cut out for them this summer. Having just seen their team take a big step forward this season, they must now consolidate this progress.

Because even though the Habs have shown some very encouraging signs this season, there are some weaknesses that have come to light.

Of these, the famous second center is particularly striking. Kirby Dach hasn’t lived up to expectations this year, and injuries have forced the club to consider other options.

And with Sam Bennett, a free agent in the making, showing that he’d tick a lot of boxes in Montreal, it’s easy to think that Kent Hughes might take a chance on Bennett…

Except, according to Arpon Basu (The Athletic), don’t (really) expect Bennett to come to town:

It would be surprising to see the Habs in the running for Sam Bennett. – Arpon Basu

In fact, according to Basu, the Canadiens would need to consider that their prospect window is wide open before considering entering the race to sign a high-priced free agent. And when you consider that Bennett is likely to be highly coveted this summer, it’s logical to assume that he’ll probably become too expensive for the Habs.

By the same logic, Basu doesn’t see a guy like Aaron Ekblad coming to town… and that includes guys like Mitch Marner and John Tavares.

In fact, the Habs’ big acquisitions will probably be made via the trade market, believes the journalist. And here again, the same names keep cropping up: Sidney Crosby, Bo Horvat, Pavel Zacha, and so on.

But that doesn’t mean the Canadiens will be completely inactive on July 1: they could take advantage of the day to acquire some quality depth. A right-handed defenseman to replace David Savard, for example, would be a great addition that doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

Basu raises the name of Nick Perbix, who is a particularly interesting one.

What’s clear, though, is that we shouldn’t expect to see the Canadiens trying to hit a home run on July 1. The club is not yet in a position to do so, and will probably prefer to try and hit a few home runs instead.

The home run, if it comes, will be via a trade… unless the Habs find a way to lure a free agent who isn’t getting what he wants on the open market. But with the salary cap about to skyrocket…

Overtime

– Very cool.

– That’s a lot of people.

– Craig Berube doesn’t want to separate Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

– I love seeing this.

– Nice read.

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Patrik Laine and his fiancée to spend summer in Montreal

More and more Canadiens players are deciding to spend the summer in Montreal.

Having been told that it’s a different city in the summer, without the snow, many players choose to experiment. Nick Suzuki, in recent years, is a good example.

And this year, crowd favorite Patrik Laine will be doing it with his girlfriend. That’s according to a TVA Sports article written by Mylène Richard.

Diving into the naughty private life of today’s family, we learn that Jordan Leigh and Laine, who recently got engaged, will be going to Finland to get married. A trip to Florida is also on the menu around the time of the Canadian Grand Prix.

But for the rest, they’ll be right here.

Basically, the two adults have been told so often that Montreal is a different city in the summer that the couple has decided to explore a bit and stay here for the summer.

Does this mean that Laine feels he’ll be staying? I don’t know if there’s a connection to be made with all this.

Note that the activities he’ll be doing in the coming weeks will probably not include a visit to a sports restaurant for the sole purpose of watching the playoffs.

Why not? Because he hasn’t watched the playoffs since the Habs were eliminated.

The Finn says it’s because he’s got a bitter taste in his mouth from not being in the playoffs right now. Clearly, not all fans will like reading that he doesn’t care about the playoffs.

But hey. Let’s hope that a good summer of practice in town will put him on the right track for next season, which could well be his last in the colors of the Canadiens.

Overtime

– Will he stay in town or not?

– Really?

– Of note.

– Finally a name circulating for the Chicago job.

– Makes sense.

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Rocket: Jacob Fowler back in net tonight

Pascal Vincent promised a rotation in front of the Rocket net for the series against Rochester, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

Young Jacob Fowler, who watched the last game from the bench, will get the chance to play in the second game of the series against the Americans. The duel will take place tonight in Rochester.

Anthony Marcotte tweeted about it.

Cayden Primeau won Game #1, but gave up four goals in the game. Fowler, in three playoff games, only gave up three goals against Cleveland.

That doesn’t erase everything that’s been done this season, but it does make Fowler’s right to play. Especially considering his importance to the Habs’ bank of prospects…

He’ll no doubt realize that Rochester is a bigger challenge than Cleveland, but that’s precisely why it’s interesting to see him take the net: to get the experience.

If he does well tonight, he’ll force his coach to consider him for the next game. There’s no telling how long the rotation will last in front of the net, after all.

Elsewhere in the lineup, there will be one small change: Luke Tuch will play. He’ll be on the club’s fourth line with Florian “La Licorne” Xhekaj and Jared Davidson.

Owen Beck will be promoted.

Remember that this will be the last game of the series in the United States. The 3-of-5 started in Rochester, but the last three (potential) games will be played in Laval.

The Rocket leads the series 1-0.

overtime

– Of note.

– The question arises.

– Agreed.

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Patrik Laine: Maxime Talbot doesn’t want him at camp

Everyone wants to be a multi-millionaire, but not everyone will make it in their lifetime. In life, there’s a difference between what you want and what you can do.

It’s much the same with Patrik Laine and his future in Montreal.

Quite a few of Montreal’s sportswriters have come out publicly in recent weeks to say they won’t be bringing Patrik Laine back to Montreal next year. The most recent to do so? Maxime Talbot last night at L’Antichambre (RDS).

“Culture at all costs is important to me. I don’t think he’s a culture model, Patrik Laine […] I haven’t often shared a locker room with guys I wasn’t sure about […] If I were in Kent Hughes’ shoes, I wouldn’t give him the chance to come back to practice camp. ” – Maxime Talbot

The guy will earn $9.1 million next season, the last of his contract with the Canadiens..

His effort and work ethic are constantly being questioned..

He finished the season at minus-14 (after seasons of minus-29, minus-7, minus-12 and minus-10)… and didn’t score a goal in the playoffs, before being sidelined (with a finger injury?).

Yesterday, I suggested to Georges Laraque and Stéphane Gonzalez that the Habs’ first line would remain intact next season, before asking them who would play with Ivan Demidov on the second line. They both answered a center to acquire and Kirby Dach.

If Laine doesn’t contribute anything positive to your club’s culture, is no longer on the first power play and vacillates between your bottom six and the press gallery, why keep him on your team?

The answer is simple: because other teams all see the same things you do. The salary cap may have gone up, but I don’t see any other GM taking a chance on Patrik Laine.

That leaves the option of offering a first-round pick to another team to take him, buying out his contract or questioning his health and sending him to Robidas Island.

Unfortunately, these are all options that are difficult or very costly to implement.

Maxime Talbot is right: in an ideal world, Patrik Laine wouldn’t be with the club at camp in September..

But life isn’t always ideal. We seem to be stuck with Laine.

overtime

– Of note.

– Helping his case.

– Coming up.

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New coach: Matvei Michkov wants “more playing time and not to feel restricted”

In Philly, Matvei Michkov is always going to get a bit of attention for all the wrong reasons. And I’m not necessarily talking about his off-ice situation: I’m talking about hockey in general.

And here’s another example.

He gave an interview to RG Media’s Sergey Demidov, in which he spoke at length about the situation behind the Flyers’ bench. Read it here, for those interested.

What’s worth mentioning, right off the bat, is that throughout the interview, he sang John Tortorella’s praises. He’s glad he was his first NHL coach.

But he was quick to pass on a message to his next coach, Rick Tocchet.

I just want to get more ice time and not feel restricted. That’s when I’m at my best. – Matvei Michkov

So, on the one hand, he repeats (repeatedly) that having Torts helped him a lot. But on the other, he’s criticizing his working methods and sending a message to his next coach.

Ironic, isn’t it?

In his interview, he often repeated that he’s tired of losing and wants to make the playoffs. But does he know that giving 200 feet is the only way to help his club qualify for the playoffs?

Does he know that the one year Alexander Ovechkin gave it his all and played like a complete player, he made it past the second round and got his hands on the famous Stanley Cup?

That’s the secret.

Rick Tocchet is a tough coach and either with young or old, you have to earn your ice time when you play for a guy like him. Michkov better start preparing (well) this summer… when he can start doing it.

overtime

– Sheldon Keefe supports the Maple Leafs.

– News from CF Montreal.

– Wildcats coach in demand in the NHL?

– Interesting.

– Healthy, he’s elite.

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KHL Rookie of the Year: Ivan Demidov among the finalists

Surprise… or not.

Ivan Demidov has just learned that he has been officially nominated for Rookie of the Year by the KHL, which made the announcement on the league’s social networks.

Semyon Vyazovoi and Yegor Surin also received the same honor.

Because Demidov collected 19 goals and 30 assists in 65 games in his first full season with SKA, his chances of winning the title are excellent.

In fact, I expect him to win.

Not only did Demidov, who was often the Rookie of the Week in the Russian league, get points en masse at 18, but he was spectacular on the ice.

He’s a no-brainer in my book.

So it’s interesting to note that the Canadiens organization has a finalist for Rookie of the Year in the two best leagues in the world: the KHL and the NHL.

Because yes, we must remember that Lane Hutson is a finalist in the NHL – and he has a chance of winning the title.

IF all goes well, Hutson and Demidov will win the title in their respective leagues in 2024-2025, and the Russian will succeed the American in 2025-2026, in his first full season on the Bettman circuit.

The Calder has eluded the Canadiens organization for decades… and now, more than ever, it could take root in Quebec.

overtime

– Happy birthday, Corey Perry.

– Logan Hensler (potential Habs target) compares himself to Jake Sanderson.[RG media]

– Um…

– It’s going to be a bumpy ride at the draft.

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Three potential destinations for Mitch Marner

Last night, the Hurricanes secured their ticket to the Eastern Final. They beat the Capitals in 5.

So, for the moment, there are two qualified teams in the final four: the Oilers and the Hurricanes. Both clubs can rest while the other teams fight for survival.

Here’s how it looks.

(Credit: NHL.com)

So that means the Oilers are waiting to see who wins the series between the Jets and Stars. Meanwhile, the Panthers and Maple Leafs are fighting for the right to take on the Hurricanes.

The next few days will be interesting.

(Credit: NHL.com)

From a Canadian point of view, we wonder if the Jets will be able to join the Oilers in the Western final to ensure that the country is represented in the final right now.

But with Game #6 taking place on the road, we know the Jets will lose. The Jets’ (theoretically very good) goaltender won’t be going to Texas to shut out the Stars, though.

What about the Maple Leafs?

Their plan to get past the first round was cute , but we can see right now that they don’t have what it takes to get past the Panthers, who are playing the right way.

The culture in Toronto is not playoff-friendly, as it has been for several years now. Even if Craig Berube is a tough guy.

Is it because he leads a group that is the coward’s coward?

On that subject, it’s interesting to note that this morning, on BPM Sports, Renaud Lavoie talked about how Aaron Ekblad has turned into a power monster and not just a “cute” defenseman recently. The same thing awaits Seth Jones.

The Panthers are getting the guys ready for war. And the Toronto boys aren’t ready to do the same…

So more and more, even before the Maple Leafs are sure to be potentially eliminated tonight, there’s already talk of what to do this summer.

It seems that every year, we say to ourselves that this is the year it won’t happen again. 2025 is no exception.

But with Mitch Marner and John Tavares eligible for full autonomy, it’s perhaps easier to think that the Maple Leafs could clean house this summer.

And on that subject, Jimmy Murphy and Pierre McGuire (The Sick Podcast – The Eye Test) raised the following names as potential landing spots for Marner: the Mammoth, the Rangers and the Predators.

Playing for the Rangers might help him get some ad deals. #Interesting

But hey. Whatever the change, it’s clear that if the Maple Leafs come out as flat as an old 7 Up, something will have to be done. Guys will have to go… whether they like Toronto or not.

overtime

– The Devils would say no. And I don’t know if I see the Habs doing that.

– Love this.

– Océanic: a noisy crowd in Rimouski. [JdeQ]

– What do you think?

– Logical.

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Series highlights: Hurricanes eliminate Capitals

Last night, the Hurricanes and Stars could have advanced to the next round.

Carolina did, but the Stars didn’t

Here are the results:

Hurricanes eliminate Capitals

Last night, the Hurricanes could have won and eliminated the Capitals in five short games.

With a 3-1 victory, they did just that. Carolina will now face the winner of the Panthers-Leafs series in the Eastern Final.

As for game number five, it was Jordan Staal who broke the ice with a good shot.

Washington, however, struck back through Anthony Beauvillier.

Logan Thompson, meanwhile, did everything he could to keep his club in the game.

What a save here from Logan Stankoven.

But late in the game, he was beaten by a shot from a tight angle from Andrei Svechnikov.

The best team in the East was thus eliminated in the second round after beating the Habs in five games.

Second straight shutout at home for Connor Hellebuyck

Connor Hellebuyck isn’t the same goalie at home as he is away.

Yesterday, he played at home and got his second straight shutout in front of his home fans.

His team also played better, scoring four goals.

A 4-0 victory for the Jets, forcing a game number 6 in Dallas.

In the win, Nikolaj Ehlers scored two goals: his second and fourth.

Mark Scheifele had an eventful night, too.

He scored the winning goal, but was also KO’d by Jamie Benn.

Will the Stars captain be suspended or fined?

Next game is tomorrow, 8pm.

Extension

– Well said.

– Scorers from the night before.

(Credit: NHL.com )

– Florida can join Carolina in the next round tonight.

(Credit: NHL.com )
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Mike Matheson on Team Canada players: “It’s better to be with them than against them”

After a 62-point season in 2023-2024, Mike Matheson slowed down a bit in 2024-2025, collecting 31 points.

Of course, the arrival of Lane Hutson changed everything: Matheson lost his place on the first power play and had more defensive assignments.

Despite a more difficult season, he was invited to be part of Team Canada at the World Championships. Obviously, it’s better for him to be with them than to face them with the Montreal Canadiens.

That’s what he told RDS in an interview on the heels of his game against Austria.

The Canadiens have a good group of players, including Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon. It helps to have these two players in the line-up.

Today, the Canadiens defeated the Austrians 5-1.

It was Vinzenz Rohrer, the Habs’ Austrian prospect, who broke the ice in this game. A Rohrer goal, a Matheson win and a Washington Capitals loss: a fine day for Montreal.

The Canadiens’ defenseman has yet to collect a point in this tournament.

The nation has allowed just two goals since the start of the tournament and Matheson has a minus-1 record. He was on the ice for the Latvian goal in game two.

Unifolié is at the top of its division with four wins in as many games and a +19 differential, by far the best of the tournament. Dean Evason’s team play their next game on Saturday against Juraj Slafkovsky’s nation, Slovakia.

Overtime

– Brad Shaw free as a bird.

– Two good choices.

– He looks confident.

– Knights advance to Memorial Cup.

– Rimouski, guaranteed a trip to the Memorial Cup, is still alive in this QMJHL final.