Author: Dose

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“I would really consider the idea of Arber Xhekaj playing on the wing in the NHL.”

Arber Xhekaj is a very popular player in Montreal. The defenseman, who has never been drafted, has been a great success story for the Montreal organization in recent years.To see a guy invited to a development camp and force management’s hand to become an NHL player is a great story.That said, Xhekaj is in a special position in Montreal. We know he’s an extremely tough guy with some interesting assets… but he’s a victim of the organization’s surplus of left-handed defensemen. And when everyone’s healthy, it’s not absurd to think that he’s only the team’s seventh defenseman.But in the eyes of some, Xhekaj is a player who brings too many positive elements to be left on the press gallery… and that makes the idea of sending him to the wing one that simply won’t die. And just yesterday, Brian Wilde talked about it again on Tony Marinaro’s Sick Podcast:

I would definitely consider the idea of Arber Xhekaj playing wing in the NHL.

–

Brian Wilde

https://www.youtube.com/live/uFb7iWOyINE?si=b9XgzehpkFxoiDJJ&t=1498 [content-ads]And in fact, the idea of sending Xhekaj to the wing is defensible. We know that his defensive game has been criticized at times, but above all, we know that he has a tendency to be undisciplined.Losing a defenseman for two minutes (or even more, if he fights) hurts… but losing a winger for a few minutes is easier to handle.And of course, the idea of seeing Arber play on the same line as his brother Florian one day would be a great story.That said, Xhekaj still has to be interested in making the switch.It‘s an idea that, for better or worse, simply won’t die. I have a feeling that, for the time being, considering the fact that the Habs have more NHL-calibre depth on the wing than on the blue line, we won’t be giving it a try…But I wouldn’t be surprised if, one day, we see him playing on the wing. And I have a feeling that if the Canadiens sell him on the project (the idea of playing on the same line as his brother could tip the balance, in my opinion), there’s a way of convincing him to give it a try.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Luke Hughes: we’re aiming for a long-term contract.

– Well deserved.

💪

– Too bad

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Top-5: the Canadiens’ unrestricted free agents in 2026

We often talk about the 2025 off-season these days… because it’s 2025. It makes sense, I guess,but the Canadiens need to think ahead. Who, a year from now, will be in a position to leave the Habs as an uncompensated free agent if nothing changes between now and then? Here are five players to watch within the organization. Marc Del Gaizo and Nate Clurman, who will be in Laval until proven otherwise, didn’t crack my top-5.5. Alex BelzileWe don’t know what role awaits him in 2025-2026, but it wouldn’t be illogical to see him go to Laval. The Québécois is a good veteran who chose to return home this year, and wherever he plays, he’ll have a positive impact on others.

[content-ads]4. Samuel BlaisThe Québécois has been brought to town to bring sandpaper. If he plays his part well, he might be able to bring some toughness to the Habs’ fourth line, but his place in the NHL isn’t assured.3. Kaapo KahkonenEven if he has a chance of playing in Laval, he’ll have an important role to play: providing depth in front of the net. Because if a goalie gets hurt in Montreal and Kahkonen is down there, he can help out in the NHL by letting Jacob Fowler develop with the Rocket. And by (potentially) playing in Laval, the veteran would be supporting one of the organization’s diamonds. It’s a role not to be taken lightly, in my eyes.

[content-ads]2. Patrik LaineWe don’t need to remind you how much pressure Laine will be under this year, do we? He’ll want to prove to everyone – not just the Habs – that he can be an impact player. But to do that, he’ll have to be consistent and fight for his place in the sun.1. Mike MathesonMike Matheson is a top-notch defenseman who has been eating up minutes for the past three years in Montreal. I’m of the opinion that the Habs can’t let him go and that he’s very important despite the arrival of Noah Dobson and the emergence of Lane Hutson.The Canadiens need to extend his contract.

We’ll end this by reminding everyone that Carey Price’s contract is also a year away from expiring. Management must be looking forward to getting him off the club’s books, which could happen next month. Otherwise, on July 1, 2026, it will surely be over. [spacer title=’en rafale’]- Interesting.

– His return will be one to watch.

– I love this.

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Operations: Kirby Dach has to ask Andrei Markov what he put in his cereal

I don’t understand why colleague Maxime Truman is being criticized for what he said about Kirby Dach. Earlier this week, he mentioned that Kirby Dach had not yet recovered from knee surgery. He never said he’d suffered a setback in his progress,but he’s the one who’s been credited – wrongly – with the opposite of what Eric Engels said, that the Canadiens’ center forward hasn’t suffered a setback in his rehab. It’s easier to criticize Max than to find the source of the setback story, I guess…In fact, everyone right now is wondering whether Dach will be able to be fully fit at camp. That’s the worrying part about the center: no one has stood up to say he’ll be 100% ready for the start of camp and the season.But hey.All that to say that on yesterday’s Sick Podcast, Tony Marinaro approached the subject with an interesting angle: since Dach is on his second knee operation, he should talk a little to a player who’s also had two knee operations… and recovered well. We’re talking about Andrei Markov here.

[content-ads]Marinaro is right: after his second knee operation, Markov was back in top form. He was playing better than ever and clearly had found THE recipe for a comeback, despite his age and the operations.And Brian Wilde points out: after his first operation, Markov wasn’t playing well. That made his magnificent comeback after the second operation even harder to understand.Do you see any links with Dach, who has had two knee operations in the last two years and still looked bad last year, after operation #1? I do, anyway. Marinaro is right: Dach should give Markov a call to see what helped him recover. Because if the Russian put something special in his cereal that helped him, Geoff Molson would have to free up some budget to send Dach a case…But for that, Dach has to know what it is. Iknow that Markov, who we saw again in Montreal in the last few months for the first time in a long time, isn’t the most talkative of the lot. But seeing him help Dach at this level would be worth its weight in gold. After all, the Canadiens need to see Kirby Dach take it to the next level.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- That was crazy, that.

– Wow.

– Sidney Crosby turns 38.

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“You inspired me”: Martin St-Louis tells Patrik Laine after scoring his first Montreal goal

The Montreal Canadiens have released a video to look back on the 2024-2025 season, in which the club quickly goes over several important moments of the season. It’s pretty fast-paced (even if it’s over 20 minutes long) in terms of pace, but it’s a reminder of what happened on the ice, basically. Here’s the YouTube link, for those interested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIfxTH7Z4N4 But between the many moments on the ice, there are also moments where we see some of the discussions in the dressing room between Martin St-Louis and his players.It’s a good move on the part of the Habs to show this, since fans like to go behind the scenes of the sport. It also helps to get the word out about the club at a time when the off-season is… really dead.And on that subject, there’s one scene that’s particularly striking. In the seventh minute of the video, we see Patrik Laine’s return from his knee injury. He scored a goal in a 2-1 win over the Islanders. #PatrickContrePatrikAfter the game, Martin St-Louis made an emotional speech about Laine[content-ads]

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Basically, the Canadiens’ coach stressed that, although he didn’t know everything the Finn had done to get back into the game (there was the injury with the Habs, but also his difficult last few months in Columbus), he was impressed by his return to action. St-Louis handed him the puck for his first goal as a member of the Canadiens, saying this:

In my eyes, you’ve inspired me. Thank you very much.

–

Martin St-Louis to Patrik Laine

Laine won’t have it easy in 2025-2026. He’s in the last year of his contract, and he’ll have to fight for playing time on the top-6 and the first wave of the powerplay.Nothing’s guaranteed.But a video like this one, in which we see him scoring in spades on his return from injury, reminds us just how much he can help a club… when he plays the right way. He’s not the player we saw at the end of the season and in the playoffs last spring. But it’s up to him to bring that player back to the ice, and into the hearts of the fans as well [spacer title=’Overtime’]- Enjoy.

– Really.

– Roger McQueen’s turn to leave the CHL for American colleges.

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Mason McTavish: the Canadiens among three teams on his case

Do I think the Anaheim Ducks will trade Mason McTavish? In the short term, no. But with the youngster still unsigned, the rumors refusing to die down and clubs calling frequently to see if it’s possible to get him out of Anaheim, the file isn’t dead yet.It won’t necessarily involve a hostile offer, since the Ducks have the salary cap room, but hey,we know the Montreal Canadiens are on the case. Just a few days ago, the Ducks’ player and the Montreal club’s names were linked together in rumours, but is the Habs alone in the matter? No. In addition to the Canadiens, the Hurricanes are also said to be keeping an eye on the matter. But according to Jimmy Murphy (RG Media), the Red Wings are also worth keeping an eye on. According to the journalist, this is a club that could well manage to uproot (even if the roots aren’t too deep) McTavish from California if ever a transaction were to take place.

[content-ads]It was an NHL executive who told him about the three teams. Pat Verbeek and the Steve Yzermans, who run the Ducks and Red Wings, know each other very well. They’ve worked together in Detroit and Tampa Bay in the past, and that could make a deal happen. Interestingly, we have a better idea of what it would cost to get McTavish out of the Ducks’ organization, since an executive involved in the talks said:

It would take a right-handed, top-4, first-pair defenseman.

For the Red Wings, that

would

probably mean Axel Sandin-Pellikka. But for the Canadiens, I can only think of one name that fits into the Ducks’ potential demands for their third overall pick in 2021. And no, I don’t see the Habs trading David Reinbacher. So, barring a hostile offer sheet, forget it?[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Of note:

– To be continued.

– Well, let’s see about that.

– Nice bet.

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Tony Marinaro compares Owen Beck to Phillip Danault

With all the picks Nick Bobrov and his group have accumulated in recent years, some prospects, who a few years ago would have been considered the team’s top prospects, have been overlooked. I’m thinking in particular of Owen Beck, who has done very well everywhere he’s been during his career. On last night’s Sick Podcast, Tony Marinaro’s guest Brian Wilde said Beck’s ceiling resembles Jake Evans’. This isn’t a disavowal of Beck, on the contrary, but Marinaro was more optimistic.Indeed, the host believes he’ll be more like a Philip Danault. In fact, he sees him somewhere between Danault and Evans, which isn’t bad at all. Danault may have been a number-one center with the Canadiens, but he was there by default. As for Beck, he’s more suited to a defensive role. That’s why Tony doesn’t think Beck will have 50-point seasons, but he will have 40 or so points at some point in his career. Wilde, on the other hand, who believes Beck will be an excellent player at 200 feet and good at killing penalties, sees him putting up 30-35 points [content-ads]. One thing is certain, both agree that Beck is an underrated prospect for the organization and that, for a third or fourth center, drafted 33rd overall, Montreal should be happy. In its 2022 draft year, the Habs also selected Lane Hutson and Juraj Slafkovsky. If Beck becomes the team’s third-best player in this draft, that’s a big win. Speaking of Hutson and his draft, the podcast guest is of the opinion that Nick Bobrov might be abysmal for the rest of his head scouting career, but that he’ll always be known as a good one, because he went looking for the little defenseman. I understand his point, but I hope he doesn’t miss out on all his next picks, hehe.

[spacer title=’Overtime’] – No Habs winger in the NHL’s top-20.

– Evan Bouchard continues to be a mixed bag.

– She’s not giving up.

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If Kirby Dach really hasn’t suffered any setbacks, something doesn’t add up

On Monday morning, colleague Maxime Truman published an article in which he reported that Kirby Dach has not yet recovered from knee surgery. Obviously, all this is cause for concern… especially since he’s seen as the Habs’ default second center for next season.Will he be able to play alongside Ivan Demidov? Thepeculiar (and worrisome) thing, though, is that when Dach went under the knife, the Canadiens noted that a full recovery was expected before the start of next season.

That’s why the information shared by Eric Engels this afternoon is intriguing. First of all, the tipster notes that it was “never guaranteed” that Dach would be ready for the start of camp… even though the club claimed that he would be fully healed “before the start of the season”.Unless you expected him to be healthy exactly 2 days before the start of the season, that is. But do you really believe that version?The question is whether Dach suffered a setback in his recovery. It’s a legitimate question… but here too, Engels is reassuring: he says Dach hasn’t suffered a setback and is progressing very well [content-ads]

So, to sum up, the Habs said Dach would be ready before the start of the season… but according to Engels, who maintains that Dach hasn’t suffered the slightest setback in his rehabilitation, that was never guaranteed.There’s something somewhere that’s not working, isn’t there?Is it possible that Dach is recovering a little more slowly than expected? It’s possible, yes… and you’d think the Canadiens would be better off keeping this under wraps. It would put less heat on Dach’s shoulders… but it would also allow the club not to give too much leverage to another team if it wanted to trade for a second center(like Mason McTavish, forexample).If the Ducks knew that Dach wasn’t recovering well from his surgery, for example, they could afford to increase their demands to the Habs for McTavish.So,right now, there’s something hanging in the balance.And that’s cause for concern.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Well done.

– This will be one to watch tonight.

– He’s seriously tearing it up.

– First woman to umpire in MLB this weekend

– Nice lineup.

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New dog: Ivan Demidov pays tribute to Céline Dion

In the 2024 draft, the Canadiens got their hands on Ivan Demidov. The young Russian forward was the Habs’ 5th overall pick… and it was a big moment for Habs fans.It had been a long time since such a talented prospect had been selected by the Habs.And what also helped make the moment special was that the pick was made by Céline Dion. With the draft in Vegas, it was a great opportunity… and it made for quite a moment.

In fact, it was the singer who first introduced Demidov to the Montreal organization. In recent days, Demidov and his girlfriend have adopted a dog. They made the announcement on social networks… and also revealed the dog’s name:Céline. Céline[content-ads]

Obviously, it’s a safe bet that this wasn’t a fluke. It must have been a special moment for the young Russian, and it’s a nice way of recognizing the person who first announced him as a Canadiens player.Has anyone ever told you that he loves Montreal?It’sreally cool to see the young player show his love for the Habs and Montreal in this way. It’s a nice touch, and we’ll just have to hope that Céline 2.0 brings Demidov good luck,just as Céline 1.0 brought good luck to Canadiens fans when she announced Demidov’s selection, hehe. [spacer title=’Overtime’]- Indeed.

– Red Sox settle big deal,

– Don’t miss tonight’s

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Connor McDavid joined Leon Draisaitl on his honeymoon

Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid obviously enjoy spending time together. But we notice that on a few occasions, they’ve been spotted spending time together. For example, we remember the time they played in a garage league.

But now, the two couples (because yes, the Oilers’ two star players are married) have spent time together in a special context. Which one? The Draisaitls’ honeymoon. Draisaitl’s wife, Celeste Desjardins, posted images of McDavid and her husband on jet skis during his honeymoon with Leon Draisaitl. McDavid’s wife, Lauren Kyle, was also on hand:[content-ads]

Obviously, we understand that the two families are close. They wouldn’t spend so much time together, even though they don’t have to, if they didn’t like each other. Is this a clue about McJesus’ next contract? I always thought Draisaitl liked the chances of his captain staying long-term if he’d agreed to put down roots in Alberta for the time being. But nothing’s done. And just because Draisaitl is there doesn’t mean McDavid will stay for sure either, you know.The price will have to be on the table (I don’t see why it would be an issue, though) and the star player will have to feel like the Oilers are going to do what it takes to win in order to stay.

And that’s when you wonder what the main interested party thinks. [spacer title=’Overtime’]- I’d take a trip to Saskatchewan before I’d say that.

– He had a great career.

– Nice.

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The Rocket on the verge of losing its two radio broadcasters

It’s August 6. Training camps start next month in the NHL… and it’s going to be even faster than that for junior hockey in the QMJHL. In fact, some of my son’s friends will be trying out for a Q team this year. Nothing to make me feel younger this morning…While we’re on the subject of hockey, I’ve been told something rather sad in the last few hours: Laval Rocket hockey may no longer be broadcast at all on Montreal FM. Since its very first season in 2017-18, the Rocket has seen 91.9 Sports, then BPM Sports broadcast games on 91.9 FM Montreal. All its games for many years, then its home games in 2024-25. Except that the rumblings I’m currently hearing suggest that the station’s new buyer isn’t that keen – for the time being at least – on broadcasting live sports on the station’s airwaves. So here we are, in the middle of August, with no discussions and no concrete plans to broadcast Rocket games next season. From what I hear, the club is currently evaluating options B and C. I contacted Anthony Marcotte for comment, but he declined to comment. Robert Ranger, Interim General Manager of BPM Sports, was unavailable when I tried to speak to him. It should be noted that RDS should continue to broadcast the team’s games on its TVchannels. On the English side, TSN 690 – which has broadcast all the team’s home games since its inception – stopped doing so during the playoffs last spring.

[content-ads]According to sources very close to the matter, there will also have been no discussions between the Rocket and TSN 690 regarding the 2025-26 games. And it would be surprising if there were in the next few weeks…Even on the station’s X page, there’s still a reference to the Laval Rocket.

(Credit: x.com/tsn690)

[content-ads]In short, barring a major turnaround, Rocket games will not be broadcast on FM in 2025-26, in either French or English. This will be a first for the organization, and it will be interesting to see what the Rocket decides to do, knowing that an AHL team usually has at least one broadcast team for its games, if only on the Web.

It will also be interesting to see what the next mandate will be for a guy like Anthony Marcotte, whose fate has been tied to the Rocket for nearly 10 years. I have a feeling that, after the departures of Martin Lemay and Tony Marinaro, the station will try not to lose a third talent… [spacer title=’Prolongation’]If there’s one sports team watching all this closely, it’s the Montreal CF.

If BPM Sports and TSN 690 have decided to stop broadcasting Rocket games, what will they do with Montreal CF games starting in 2026? If the owners feel that it’s no longer as important as it used to be to broadcast live sports (not called Les Canadiens) on their airwaves, what will they decide to do with Montreal CF games?

Yes, the Montreal CF is in a stronger, more prestigious league than the Laval Rocket, but soccer has always been less important than hockey in the Québécois media.We’ll see.