Author: Dose

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Christian Dvorak and the Canadiens: no agreement in sight

When the Canadian acquired Christian Dvorak from the Arizona Coyotes (in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in 2022 and a second-round pick in 2024), the club had just lost Phillip Danault and Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

This was a fairly impulsive acquisition by Marc Bergevin, and today, the club is still feeling the effects. Dvorak, who still has not spoken with his agent, is not the worst player in history, but Bergevin clearly overpaid.

Fortunately, the experience is coming to an end. At least, it should be coming to an end. The club and the player have had no discussions about a contract extension. This is what we learn from a text by Richard Labbé on LaPresse.

Soon, CH fans will be watching their third-line center again after watching Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Sidney Crosby for four games…

But anyway, regarding the non-existent discussions between the two parties, are we really surprised? After all, it was not Kent Hughes who made this acquisition…

Even if his chances of returning to the metropolis are slim, the main person involved says he would like to return. However, he is not thinking about his contract situation for the moment.

It’s certain that I would like to stay. I like the guys on this team, I like playing here, and I wouldn’t be against the idea of returning to play in Montreal after this season. It’s an honor to wear this team’s jersey. We’ll see what happens. – Christian Dvorak

His goal is to help his team win every night, and after the season, he will think about his future in the Bettman circuit.

The guy is only 29 years old and could be a great acquisition for a third or fourth line on a Stanley Cup contender team. Even if the center is not the most loved by the fans, within the club, he is a very appreciated guy. Moreover, with the probable loss of Jake Evans, Cole Caufield could lose two good friends in July, perhaps even earlier, in March.

How would he take it? Because if Evans has little chance of staying, Dvo is already gone, in my book.

In a hurry

– He is the only goalkeeper to have started all the games for his country.

– Me too.

– David Reinbacher is back, don’t forget.

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David Savard: a target for the Leafs, according to a journalist from The Athletic

Right now, the hockey world is focused on the Four Nations Confrontation.

Tomorrow, the two best countries in the sport will face off in the final at TD Garden, in Boston. The first duel was won by the Americans, but their efforts in the first game will be quickly forgotten if they were to lose the return match.

At the start of this tournament, several journalists were expecting movement in the NHL, but no trade was concluded during this time. Are the GMs as dazzled as we are? Maybe. But after the final, it will be the last sprint before the trade deadline.

And like every year for a few seasons, Montreal will be a team to watch. David Savard, Jake Evans, Christian Dvorak, and Joel Armia are all names that will attract attention. Meanwhile, on the podcast Processus, Simon Boisvert mentioned that he would be very surprised if the four stayed in the metropolis.

Savard is one of those who attracts the most attention and according to Jonas Siegel, a journalist from The Athletic covering the activities of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Quebecer would be a very good target. This is not the first time the right-hander has been linked to a Canadian club.

Of course, I don’t think the Leafs would give up a first-round pick or a top prospect like Fraser Minten (even if the value of the defenseman is not to be underestimated), but Siegel says that the last Stanley Cup champions did not hesitate to give up on the trade deadline and this strategy could pay off for the Leafs.

After all, the new head coach there seems to have created a favorable change of air.

In 50 games this season, the big defenseman has 11 points. We know he’s not there for his offensive qualities anyway. He also has a minus-7 record.

In addition to acquiring a top-4 defenseman, Toronto could also be looking for a center. Ryan O’Reilly, who would cost more than Savard – we agree -, is a name mentioned by Siegel. The price could go up to a first-round pick and Minten, according to the journalist.

That’s not nothing.

In rafale

– Let’s hope.

– Good thing.

– Absolutely.

– A true hockey enthusiast, that one.

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Seth Jones and the Blackhawks are discussing a trade: the defenseman wants to win

Seth Jones has a contract that’s too big for what he brings.

At $9.5 million per year, Jones signed when several defensemen were in what I call the “golden age of contracts worth nine million dollars or more” in the NHL.

And those contracts haven’t all aged well.

(Credit: Cap Wages)

Jones is therefore stuck in Chicago on a team that’s not about to turn the corner on its rebuild. And at 30 years old, it’s logical to think that his best years may not be ahead of him.

But the good news? The salary cap is going up.

What that means is that contracts are becoming less burdensome on the team’s payroll. And those contracts that were once deemed “impossible to trade” are becoming less so.

Result? Seth Jones and the Blackhawks are starting to talk about a trade. That’s what Ben Pope, from the Chicago Sun Times, reports.

Note that this doesn’t mean he’ll be gone tomorrow morning. In fact, if I had to bet, I’d say a trade is almost impossible before March 7, during the season.

Jones wants to win and if he’s presented with an interesting opportunity, he’s open to saying yes.

However, he’s aware that his big contract ($9.5 million per year until 2030) complicates things. And between you and me, I sincerely wonder if the Hawks will want to retain salary until 2030.

A team can only do that with three contracts at a time. Doing it until 2030 would handcuff a team.

In the meantime, Jones may say he’ll do his best to perform well, but it’s clear that until a certain point, his mind will be elsewhere. Will it show on the ice?

We’ll see.

extension

– Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh…

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Martin Lemay doesn’t give up: Caufield doesn’t play like “a $7.8M guy”

Cole Caufield is an important player for the Canadiens.

He is one of the few in Montreal who has the ability to score goals relatively easily and that’s why the Canadiens’ management has trusted him by offering him an eight-year contract with a good salary.

The organization sees him in their long-term plans.

But even if Caufield is on track to have the best season of his career… It’s still not enough in the eyes of Martin Lemay.

For the latter, Caufield is “often” a hindrance to Nick Suzuki. And in Martin Lemay’s eyes, Caufield doesn’t play like “a $7.8 million man per season”.

If he continues to score 30 goals or less, you know what? The Canadiens will want to trade him and it will cost something to trade him. – Martin Lemay

Well… Let’s just say he didn’t mince his words, Martin Lemay:

During the 22-23 season, Caufield scored 26 goals in 46 games.

That’s a pace of 46 goals over a full season.

It’s true that the young forward had a season below expectations in 23-24. And he still finished the campaign with 28 goals and 65 points…

Now, Caufield is scoring at a pace of 38 goals per season. He’s scoring goals at five-on-five and he’s on track to have his best season, with 49 points in 56 games.

For me, that’s what bothers me about Martin Lemay’s comments. If Caufield was going through tough times and wasn’t producing up to his talent… Fair enough.

But right now, the timing is off because there’s nothing to criticize in Caufield’s game.

He’s improved defensively, he’s dangerous offensively… And he’s really helping the Canadiens at even strength, which is something we didn’t always see from him before.

Rapid Fire

– It’s going to stir things up!

– Beautiful.

– I’m looking forward to seeing that.

– Big game for the French star.

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Hughes (injured) doesn’t have the green light to play: the United States is looking to call up other players

I’m not sure if we can call this a saga.

But Quinn Hughes’ story has been making headlines since yesterday morning.

It seems like the situation is coming to an end, however.

The news comes from Pierre LeBrun: Hughes, who trained with the Canucks today, has decided not to travel to Boston for the US-Canada match, which will be held tomorrow night at the TD Garden.

And it’s not because the defenseman didn’t want to be there.

It’s because the doctors haven’t given him the green light to return to the game.

In his tweet, LeBrun states that the US is looking to recall some players as a precaution due to a virus going around the locker room.

Will Cole Caufield be packing his bags to head to Boston in the next few hours? The question is being asked…

Note that Quinn Hughes isn’t feeling great right now… And that’s normal.

He really wanted to have the chance to join the US team.

Let’s not forget that he was really looking forward to playing with his brother, Jack, before the competition started, and ultimately, seeing the game between Canada and the US last Saturday… It gave him an even greater desire to represent his country.

It’s a shame. But in a way, his health comes first, and he’ll have another opportunity to defend his country’s colors.

We’ll have to wait and see what decisions the US team makes ahead of the game.

If we believe Pierre LeBrun’s words, we should see some players being recalled by their country… But at the same time, they’ll have to act fast because the game is in less than 24 hours.

Time is running out!

Overtime

The Americans will have to find another way to get inspired.

Let’s recall that Bill Guerin asked for Donald Trump to be at the game, precisely to inspire the American players.

But according to Frank Seravalli’s information, the US president will not be attending:

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Expansion : New Orleans is added to the mix

Given how things have been going for several years now, it’s permissible to believe that the NHL won’t be returning to Quebec.

Not for a long time, anyway.

The league’s leaders simply don’t seem interested in a project like that, and it’s not a recent development.

The proof?

A year ago, during an interview at the All-Star Game, Gary Bettman mentioned a few cities that had shown interest in getting an NHL team.

He talked about Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City, Omaha (Nebraska), Cincinnati… And he never mentioned Quebec.

It’s ironic because in Quebec, we’ve often talked about wanting to see the NHL return to the city.

Anyway.

I’m talking about Quebec because we learned today that the NHL met with a group of investors ready to create a new team through expansion.

But no… You’ll understand that it’s not about the city of Quebec.

The plan would be to bring a team to New Orleans instead:

It works well for the Saints (NFL) in New Orleans.

That being said, it’s harder for the Pelicans in the NBA.

The team is 26th in average attendance per game (16,573) and knowing this, it’s normal to wonder if a sport like hockey can work there.

But in all of this, what’s easy to realize is that the NHL has met with another group interested in bringing a team somewhere else than Quebec.

Some things won’t change, it seems… And that’s what’s frustrating for hockey fans in Quebec.

Because we know that they’re passionate about it there.

In rafale

– Indeed.

– There you go.

– Logical.

– A big challenge awaits Felix.

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Here is the proof that Sidney Crosby does not want to be traded

The future of Sidney Crosby is often discussed. The Penguins are not good enough – and they won’t be in the coming years either – to give him a chance to win another Stanley Cup, and we constantly wonder if he really wants to end his career in these circumstances. Especially when you know his competitive spirit.

The Penguins’ captain has often said he wants to stay in Pittsburgh, and Stéphane Leroux confirmed it this week on the 5 to 7 plate. This sentence says a lot: “Crosby told everyone in the locker room: ‘I won’t win with the Penguins this year. So this event (4 Nations), I want to win it.’” – Stéphane Leroux

Sidney Crosby will finish the season in Pittsburgh. This is proof that he doesn’t want to be traded… at least, for now. But the idea of him changing addresses is gaining importance when we think that staying in Pittsburgh after an exciting tournament like the 4 Nations might not be very tempting.

He’s been doing great since the start of the competition: he’s wearing the “C” on his jersey playing with Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Connor McDavid, he’s participating in his team’s successes, and he’s at the top of the tournament’s best scorers. He’s playing like the Sidney Crosby of the good old days.

It’s really with a tournament like this that we realize Crosby still has a lot to give… even if he’ll be celebrating his 38th birthday this summer. In the last Canada game, it was he who sacrificed himself at the end of the game to score the insurance goal. He’s the one who hit Mikael Granlund in the center of the ice to steal the puck, and he’s the one who closed the books.

When we say he’s a good leader… it’s no joke: “Sidney Crosby is so nails holy shit. Absolutely bodied that guy then shot the puck into the empty net like it was nothing. He’s Captain Canada for a reason. Love that effort.”

But it’s also with a tournament like this that we realize Crosby might be better off finishing his career somewhere other than Pittsburgh. We know he wants to win, after all. And we agree that it’s 193959% sure he has the desire to lift the Stanley Cup at least one more time before the end of his career.

However, the Penguins can’t offer him that opportunity, and that’s why his future will always be discussed. Because, deep down, he really deserves to have the chance to win again.

In rapid fire

– Speaking of the wolf. Evgeni Malkin on Sidney Crosby in #4Nations: “First star, first game. It’s amazing. He had three assists, I think. He’s played amazing games. It doesn’t matter how he feels, he plays 100 percent. This is what I like [about] him, you know? He plays 100 percent every game.”

– Absolutely. And he’s so underrated! Jaccob Slavin may be the best skater in the league.

– Will he try the move in a game? Michigan for the Michigan guy, #GoHabsGo.

–
– What’s the future of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?

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Matthew Tkachuk just gave the Canadians another reason to dislike him

Matthew Tkachuk is good at adding fuel to the fire.

When asked about Brandon Hagel’s comments (who said the Canadians didn’t need to have a group discussion – via phone – regarding the fact that’s how the Americans decided to fight last Saturday), Tkachuk responded.

And he said this:

Well, maybe the guys on the team don’t like each other if they don’t have group chats. – Matthew Tkachuk

Of course, Tkachuk also wanted to respond to the quote about “Canada playing for the flag and not the cameras” since I imagine he wants to play for his flag too. The opposite would surprise me, anyway.

But that’s the kind of quote that Canadians can write on the whiteboard to motivate themselves…

Regarding tomorrow’s game, it’s interesting to note that there are several things to watch for regarding the US team’s lineup for tomorrow night’s game.

For example?

– Vincent Trocheck is ready to play for tomorrow’s game. Same for Auston Matthews, who says he’s ready… and it’s probably the same for the Tkachuk brothers. Even if Brady didn’t practice today.

– In fact, the only player who is sure not to play tomorrow is Charlie McAvoy. But since the Americans have six defensemen, Quinn Hughes is not eligible to play. Bill Guerin is still working on the defenseman’s situation.

– At Team Canada’s practice, there were no changes to note.

– Team Canada has no problem with potentially seeing Quinn Hughes potentially join the US team. Given what happened with Cale Makar, it’s logical.

in a nutshell

– What do you think?

– It’s bustling in Toronto.

– Morgan Geekie traded? [RG]

– Nick Suzuki doesn’t give up on the series.

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The PQ wants a Team Quebec: we would have a blast, but in French

Several Quebecers want to see Quebec become a country. Several Canadians want to see Quebec stay in the country. And several supporters of Donald Trump want to see Quebec become part of the famous 51st American state.

What are we, Quebecers?

Obviously, if we ask the Parti Québécois, the plan would be sovereignty. And it’s especially with this perspective that the PQ wants Quebec to have national teams (female and male) in hockey. Journalist Kevin Dubé reported on it this morning.

The PQ’s motion was blocked by the CAQ.

Pascal Bérubé, who tabled the motion on behalf of the PQ, does not understand why the CAQ proposes to make hockey the national sport without wanting Quebec to have its own team.

We are a nation, but we don’t have a national team. It shows the absurdity of the situation. – Pascal Bérubé

We understand that the fact that Quebecers are being ignored at the Four Nations Confrontation raises some indignation in this regard. Samuel Montembeault is the only guy from here among the players… and he is the third goalkeeper of the club.

But would it help the cause of hockey in Quebec?

If Quebecers could not participate in Team Canada’s activities, there would be no Team Quebec in the Four Nations. There would be no Team Quebec against the best teams in the Olympics. The level of the club could not justify it, in my opinion.

There might not be a Team Quebec in the Junior World Championships, where Quebecers have been poorly represented for years.

Would it be productive for the Quebec nation? In my opinion, it is clear that the answer is no, since the best players from here could not compete with the best players from elsewhere.

It would be fighting with unequal weapons, and I don’t see how hockey in Quebec would come out on top.

If we want to get there one day, we should perhaps first listen to Marc Denis’s recommendations on the development of hockey in Quebec. Right?

Because otherwise, right now, a Team Quebec would only lose to the best in the world. But hey: at least we would lose… in French.

in a burst

– With reason.

– Brady Tkachuk absent from the United States’ practice.

– Will Quinn Hughes show up in Boston?

– Again?

– Interesting.

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Ivan Demidov is (already) mature and serious, he is perfect for Montreal

How to talk about St. Valentine’s Day five days after St. Valentine’s Day, without seeming out of date?

My colleague Jean Trudel has the answer to this question.

This week, on the podcast Stanley25, Jean told me that Team USA had a mega St. Valentine’s Day dinner last Friday in Montreal. A nice initiative from the mean Americans…

Since it’s about love and hockey, I dared to venture onto a slippery field (with my crampons) this week; I talked about the blonde of Ivan Demidov.

The Canadian hopeful has been dating Ekaterina Yakovleva for a while now, and their relationship reminds me a lot of the one between Alexander Romanov and Sofia Krasovskaya.

I had said before Romanov’s arrival in North America that the fact that he had been in a relationship with a girl with a good head on her shoulders for a while encouraged me in his case.

And we never heard the name of the Kostitsyn brothers linked to anything related to nightlife, partying, etc. during his time in Montreal. The kid was serious from day one, which is not the case for all young people who arrive in Montreal, we must admit.

Now, I expect the same seriousness and maturity in Demidov’s case, which is excellent news in itself. Jean, on the other hand, believes that the adversity Demidov is facing this season in Russia is a good omen for his next step in Montreal.


You can follow Demidov’s girlfriend on Instagram and on YouTube if you’re interested.

The two segments integrated above were already placed for you to listen to the segments mentioned in the text, but I invite you (really) to watch this week’s episode (Stanley25) in its entirety. It’s also about Quebecor, which likely hurts the return of the Nordiques and the negotiations for the next national NHL broadcasting contract with its way of covering certain news.

Enjoy the video!

Extension

The most touching segment of this week’s podcast is probably the one where I tell the story of when Josh Anderson, in the midst of the playoffs – during the COVID-19 pandemic – met a fan who was terminally ill.

The fan’s family told me everything, but said that Josh Anderson had asked that the details of his visit not be shared. The rules imposed by our government did not necessarily allow Anderson to meet this fan that day.

In short, Anderson made a wonderful gesture that day… and he did it for the right reasons. Not to seek sympathy capital in the media or on social networks.

Anderson is a good person with good values.

It was worth sharing, four years later.