Author: Dose

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9.2 M hostile offer to Mason McTavish: David Ettedgui would do it without hesitation

The free agent market could be very exciting this summer. The issue of offer sheets has often been raised by NHL executives in recent weeks, and the Canadiens could take advantage of it.

What the Habs need most is a good number-two center to solidify your second line.

That’s fortunate, because a compensated free agent could fill that role with the Habs next season. We’re talking about Mason McTavish of the Ducks.

Speaking to BPM Sports on Thursday, David Ettedgui touched on the subject, even offering an exact figure for the Canadiens’ offer to force the Ducks’ hand. Ettedgui believes that Montreal must offer McTavish a contract averaging $9.2 million per season.

According to Ettedgui, it’s at $9.2 million that the Ducks will consider letting McTavish go, simply because of the return they would receive.

When asked by Georges Laraque and Stéphane Gonzalez if this is something he would do as a member of the Canadiens, Ettedgui confirmed that he would do it without hesitation.

By refusing to match an offer of $9.2 million per season, Anaheim would receive two first-round picks, one second-round pick and one third-round pick from the Canadiens. At $9.1 million, it would only be one first, one second and one third-round pick.

Ettedgui is aware that this is a high price to pay for a player who collected 52 points in 76 games last season, but cashing in on this big contract would be the best way to get his hands on a second center of the future.

McTavish isn’t afraid to get into the corners and rush the net. He also has an excellent shot. He’d be a perfect fit in the Canadiens line-up and would probably become a crowd favorite.

What could also work in the Canadiens’ favor is that the Ducks don’t see McTavish as their long-term number-one center. Even though he’s only 22 years old, this could be an opportunity to get rid of him with an excellent return.

But you have to wonder if Kent Hughes really wants his second center to earn a bigger salary than his first center. For many teams, this would be a categorical no, to avoid disrespecting the organization’s hierarchy.

This is a question we asked ourselves last summer with Patrik Laine, who has a contract with an annual value of $8.7 million. But it didn’t seem to be a concern in the dressing room during the season.

We’ll have to keep an eye on the general managers for hostile offer sheets this summer. If the Canadiens don’t try, expect at least one other team to make a move.

Overtime

– He wouldn’t be the sturdiest, indeed.

– What a story!

– New developments in the Junior Team Canada 2018 file.

– Wow!

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Nick Suzuki is nursing injuries and will not take part in the World Championship

Only one Canadiens player will be taking part in this year’s World Championship.

Nick Suzuki will not be joining Mike Matheson on the Canadian team, as he is still nursing injuries.

Marc Antoine Godin reported this early Thursday evening.

It’s sad for Suzuki, who didn’t have the chance to take part in the 4 Nations Confrontation in February.

It was a good opportunity for him to prove once again to Hockey Canada officials that he belongs among Canada’s elite for the more serious tournaments like the Olympics.

In the last few days, Suzuki was still waiting for the green light from the Canadiens’ doctors as to whether he would be able to join Canada.

Canada had recently unveiled the list of 21 players who would take part in the World Championship, but Suzuki was not among them. There were still four spots left on the team, but Suzuki won’t have the chance to fill one of those vacancies.

After a fourth straight 82-game season, a little rest won’t hurt the Canadiens’ captain.

In any case, the World Championship is held every year, and let’s just say he should have another chance to take part.

Unless the Canadiens have too much success in the playoffs over the next few seasons…

Overtime

– This is the kind of coach who could do the Rangers a world of good.

– Reinforcement for the Alouettes.

– Montreal doesn’t look good in this story.

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Mathieu Darche is a serious candidate for the Islanders

In recent years, Mathieu Darche’s name has been bandied about when it comes to vacant GM positions in the NHL.

And that’s still the case today.

Julien BriseBois’ right-hand man, who was one of the finalists for the GM position in Montreal (along with Daniel Brière) before Kent Hughes was hired, is still in Tampa Bay today. But he could be leaving the organization before too long.

I say this because, right now, Darche’s name would be very popular on Long Island.

Chris Botta, who once worked for the Islanders, said in a tweet today that “the door is open for Darche to show he’s the right man for the New York organization”.

Remember that the Isles are currently looking for a GM… but also a president of hockey operations.

Will Mathieu Darche play both positions if hired by the Islanders?

We don’t know.

We do know, however, that it might be a lot for a new GM to hold two positions at the same time… and that’s why, in my eyes, it’s either one or the other.

And I’m inclined to believe that it’s the CEO job that really interests him.

He’s been interviewed in the past by the Canadiens, the Blue Jackets, the Penguins and the Blue Jackets… but he never got his chance in the end.

But he’s going to get his chance, because he’s doing a great job with the Lightning.

He gets to rub shoulders with one of the NHL’s most creative GMs in Julien BriseBois, and teams know he’s learning a lot. It remains to be seen when that chance will come… and it wouldn’t be crazy to think it could be with the Islanders.

Darche only has to show this video to management (or not) to convince them… hehe :

Overtime

– Canada will be strong at the World Championship.

– KK’s troubles continue.

– Well deserved.

– Good story.

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Top-5 Rocket players who could play for Montreal in 25-26

The Rocket has what it takes to make the playoffs.

And the Rocket also has players on its roster who could be playing in Montreal as early as next season.

So I’ve decided to build a ranking of five guys who – in my eyes – could be fighting for a spot at the next practice camp. And I have no choice but to start with Florian Xhekaj.

(Credit: Getty Images)

Florian Xhekaj

Arber’s little brother was still eligible to play in junior this season.

But the Rocket coaches saw his qualities at practice and made room for him in the Laval line-up.

And they weren’t disappointed.

The rugged forward finished the campaign with a total of 24 goals: only Laurent Dauphin has scored more than him this season.

Florian progressed throughout the season, becoming an indispensable player in Pascal Vincent’s squad and an important member of the club’s success story.

He is building a fine reputation.

We know that this summer, the Canadiens want to get bigger. And that’s why the idea of adding Florian Xhekaj – at 6’4 and 195 pounds – to the lineup makes so much sense.

We saw him shuffle guys around in Laval, and the Canadiens need a guy like him right now. The Habs need a player who can disrupt opponents and hit when needed.

Florian can do that. He needs to be a little more disciplined (175 penalty minutes this season), but that’s something you learn over time.

Luke Tuch

Luke Tuch played just 44 games this season.

He’s had a somewhat inconsistent season… but we’ve seen one thing in his game: he’s capable of being physical and using his body to be effective.

Again, it comes back to what I was saying earlier: the Canadiens need to learn from the recent series and add some weight to their line-up.

Alex’s little brother weighs 215 pounds and has a robust game.

That said, you might think it’s too soon to see him make the jump to the NHL. And that’s true, because he doesn’t yet have much professional experience.

But players of this stature can find a place for themselves more “easily” if they use their skills at the right time.

If Luke Tuch has an excellent practice camp in September and the Canadiens are still looking to add grit and weight to their bottom-6, Tuch could prove to be a candidate.

Logan Mailloux

You saw it coming.

Logan Mailloux is having a great time right now, and that’s good news for the Canadiens.

The Canadiens need to find at least one right-handed defenseman for next season, with David Savard hanging up his skates.

Has Mailloux done enough to prove he belongs with the big club?

Looking at his season as a whole, no.

But on the other hand, there’s probably a position to be won on the right side of defense, and he could get it by being good and doing the right things on the ice at practice camp.

What’s more, the Habs organization already knows him.

Without saying it’s a huge advantage, Mailloux has played a few games in the National League and has seen what it takes to perform at that level.

Maybe this will help him to be even more motivated this summer, and who knows: if he arrives at camp in September and breaks everything on the rink… it’s likely to force the hand of management.

David Reinbacher

It can’t be said that David Reinbacher’s season has been a resounding success.

And the reason is simple: he hardly played at all.

The defender was bothered by his knee injury all season long, and it was complicated for him when he returned to action.

But, like Mailloux, he throws from the right too, and the Canadiens have a hole on the right side of defense.

Reinbacher only played 10 games in 24-25, and that’s not much. That said, he’s still been solid in those games and has earned positive comments from his head coach.

We know where the problem lies: Reinbacher hasn’t had the chance to progress as he would have liked since his selection in the 2023 draft, due to a number of factors.

His disastrous season with Kloten, his knee injury this season… it’s been hard for him to make his mark.

But we know he has the potential to be good before too long. And even then, if he impresses in camp, managers might want to see what he’s got by playing in the National League.

Jared Davidson

I’ve enjoyed Jared Davidson’s work so much this year that I’m putting him ahead of Joshua Roy or Sean Farrell on my list.

Farrell is too small (5’9) to help the Canadiens right now… And Roy’s effort is too inconsistent to play in the National League.

But Jared Davidson, at six feet tall, plays like a bigger guy.

He goes to the corner, he can hit, he’s still reliable in all three zones of the rink and he can score goals.

On a fourth line, as an energy player, he can do the job.

Oh, and he can shuffle too:

Davidson is in his second pro season and will gain even more experience if the Rocket go all the way in the playoffs.

I say that because it could help him be even better next year.

He’ll have some guys to beat out for a spot if he wants to play in Montreal next year, and that’s going to be tough, but in terms of his skills, he’s got some interesting tools for a team that relies on a fast-paced system like the Canadiens’.

Overtime

– Sick.

– Good luck!

– With good reason.

– News from CF Montreal:

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Joel Quenneville officially hired: Ducks fans are furious!

We knew that Joel Quenneville had a good chance of being signed by the Anaheim Ducks.

Darren Dreger broke the news this morning, saying that an announcement was about to be made.

And now it’s official: the man nicknamed Coach Q is officially a member of the Ducks organization. He has been hired as head coach.

Clearly, it was to be expected that when the news broke, it would cause quite a stir.

Because we all know the reputation of the main man involved, and because everyone knows the story attached to him.

And what had to happen happened: Ducks fans aren’t happy right now.

In the comments to their post on X, there are several negative comments. I’ve collected a few of them… but there are plenty more on X, on Instagram and also on Facebook.

Some fans refer to the move as “disgusting”, others wonder why the Ducks made this decision… and there are even some who say they want to change teams so badly that the disappointment/frustration is:

.

The Ducks have a crisis on their hands right now.

And I have a feeling that the head of communications within the organization is going to have a long day, hehe.

All kidding aside, the news was bound to create some controversy for obvious reasons.

I’m sure the Ducks had already planned it because they did their homework before hiring him… but you have to wonder how much they thought people would react.

You also have to wonder if all this will have an impact on the Ducks’ attendance average next year. Will fans continue to support their club in spite of everything?

If not… if the Ducks start winning, will that help fill the amphitheatre again?

Because in terms of attendance(Hockey Reference), it’s been tough in Anaheim this season:

(Credit: Hockey Reference)

Overtime

– Let’s face it: things are going really well in Toronto right now.

– Good question.

– Alex Pietrangelo could play tonight.

– Oh.

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Nick Suzuki: we’re still waiting to find out if he’s got the green light for the World Championship

Tomorrow, the World Hockey Championships get underway in Europe.

And the question on everyone’s mind right now is whether, at some point, Nick Suzuki will be able to join Team Canada for the tournament, which starts… tomorrow.

Remember that, after the Habs were eliminated by the Capitals, Nick Suzuki said he needed the green light from the Canadiens’ doctors to go. After all, he’s pretty banged up.

On the one hand, he’s in pain, he’s an iron man who plays through injuries… and he wants to score points in the eyes of Canadian officials with a view to the 2026 Olympic Games.

But on the other, he has to be responsible too.

But now, on Twitter, Marco D’Amico has posted an update on the matter. Basically, he’s saying that as of yesterday, Suzuki still hadn’t received the go-ahead from the doctors to go to the tournament.

There’s no public indication that this has changed this morning.

Does this mean it’s too late for him? No, not necessarily. After all, there are still four open spots left in Canada’s roster, which has named 21 players so far.

If Suzuki can go, logically he should be able to go.

Remember that Mike Matheson is a Habs player who will be playing for Canada. He’ll be playing alongside Sidney Crosby, with whom he played for a few years with the Penguins.

But clearly, it would be interesting if the Canadiens’ captain could learn from #87, too.

overtime

– We dot the i’s and cross the t’s.

– Yes.

– We can expect some fighting. Yes, I’m very comical.

– It’s going to be a bumpy ride for the Devils.

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The Athletic’s mock draft: a winger and a defenseman (left-handed) for the Canadiens

In recent years, the Canadiens have drafted in the top-5. Juraj Slafkovsky, David Reinbacher and Ivan Demidov have been the picks.

But this year, the Canadiens won’t have the chance to draft as high. The Flames gave their 16th pick to the Habs for parting with Sean Monahan, and the Montreal club also has the 17th pick of the auction.

What will the Habs do with that? We’ll see next month.

But what’s important to note is that by drafting in the middle of the first round (if there’s no trade, of course), the Habs won’t be seeing their youngsters in the NHL in the very short term.

And that’s why, even if we’re only talking about a center and a right-handed defenseman for the Canadiens in the immediate future, it won’t necessarily be through the draft. These are separate issues.

In 2025, the draft and the Canadiens’ needs will evolve in parallel… until the day Kent Hughes trades a pick or picks for immediate reinforcement in the line-up.

And that’s why it’s interesting to note that in Scott Wheeler’s mock draft (who works for The Athletic), the Habs would draft neither a center nor a right-handed defenseman.

With pick #16, Wheeler sees the Habs drafting Lynden Lakovic, a 6’4 left winger who plays in Kitchener, Ontario. We’re talking about a guy who scored 27 goals in 47 games this season.

And the other choice? Cameron Reid, a 6′ left-handed defenseman who plays in the WHL in a quarterback role. He scored 14 times this season in Moose Jaw.

I don’t expect the Canadiens to draft a small player in the first round, if you ask me. But we’ll see, once again, in due course.

Finally, let’s note that Justin Carbonneau, in the prospects expert’s mock draft , would be drafted 13th by the Red Wings. And Caleb Desnoyers? With the Mammoth, at #4.

overtime

– Logical: he shouldn’t travel to Florida.

– Interesting.

– Best players since 2000: here are the first candidates.

– Ryan Leonard left out?

– A sad anniversary.

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From Mikko Rantanen to Maripier Morin (and Carey Price)

An athlete will always be only as good as his or her most recent performance(s). Call it sports recency bias.

In mid-January, Rantanen was on track for a third consecutive 100-point season with the Avalanche.

Then BOOM! He was traded to the Hurricanes for Jack Drury, Martin Necas and others.

Except that Rantanen had no desire to go to Carolina… and no intention of signing a new contract with the Hurricanes. As a result, he wasn’t playing up to his talent.

After 13 games with the Canes, he had just six points (including two goals). Many began to say that he needed Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar to produce, and that without them, he was just another player.

Then BOOM! He was traded to the Dallas Stars in return for Logan Stankoven and draft picks. He signed a new $96 million contract (over eight years) and became the player he was in Colorado.

As a result, this morning he is the playoffs’ leading scorer (15) and top scorer (8).

Mikko Rantanen is back from the dead in Dallas.
(Credit: Getty Images)

Yesterday, he collected his second hat trick in as many games… and his 14th point in four games.

Need I remind you that his first hat trick was used to eliminate his former team? #WhatHistory

All this to say that, yes, an athlete performs better when he feels good and wants to play for a particular team. Yes, sometimes mental and off-ice factors explain performance on the ice.

The Rantanen episode in Carolina will go down in history as an anomaly in Rantanen’s superb career. Nothing more, nothing less!

Extension

– Mike Ward, Luc Boucher and MC Gilles went where I would NEVER have dared to go publicly (even if some people think I have no moral compass). They talked about Maripier Morin, powder, Carey Price and children “elsewhere” on the most recent episode of Sous écoute. What exactly did they talk about? I’ll let you find out for yourselves. I don’t feel like receiving (another) formal notice..

@rirehumourqc #mikeward #mcgilles #lucboucher #careyprice #maripiermorin #mariepierremorin #mariepiermorin #sousecoute #sousécoute #podcast #humour #trash #blague #rire #drole #spectacle #sketch #jonas #canadien #canadiens #canadiendemontreal #canadiensdemontreal #canadiensdemontréal #nhl #lnh #hockey #sport #brendangallagher #brandonprust #stat #miseaujeu #montreal #montréal #quebec #québec #laval #sherbrooke #montreal #brossard #sherbrooke ♬ original sound – RireHumourQc

– I asked someone this morning what was going on with Hennadii Synchuk, who I spotted on crutches Saturday at Stade Saputo. His answer: “He won’t need surgery, but he shouldn’t be back in action at best before the June 14 game in Houston.”

– RDS was supposed to broadcast the Montreal CF’s game against the Columbus Crew next Wednesday, but will show hockey instead: Rocket and QMJHL. MLS has allowed RDS to broadcast another match (to be determined) later this summer. That said, with the current difficulties and the two hockey games, ratings would have been pretty low on Wednesday. Might as well give it a shot in a few weeks/months until then..

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Joel Quenneville to Anaheim: announcement today

For days, the Ducks have been closing in on Joel Quenneville.

And now, according to whistleblower Darren Dreger, the California outfit could well announce Coach Q’ s return to the National Hockey League as early as today.

He mentioned it on Twitter this morning.

It’s not the first time we’ve heard that the coach behind the Blackhawks dynasty is the favorite to return to the NHL from behind the Ducks bench. But now it’s even clearer.

The former coach has already been an assistant with the Nordiques and the Avalanche, but above all he has been the chief pilot of the Blues, the Avalanche, the Blackhawks and the Panthers.

He won three Stanley Cups in Chicago and left the Panthers in 2021 on the heels of the Kyle Beach story in 2010.

He was ineligible to work in the NHL until last year. It’ll be a year before an NHL team trusts him again, and we’re talking about the Ducks, an emerging club. Will the club be criticized for hiring him?

Remember that his former GM in Chicago in 2010, Stan Bowman, didn’t have to wait a year after getting Gary Bettman’s OK to return to the NHL. Right now, he’s in Edmonton.

Will Quenneville be able to work with Trevor Zegras? We’ll see.

The Canucks, Penguins and Kraken are also looking for a coach. The Bruins, Blackhawks, Flyers, Islanders, Kings and Mammoth also have a situation to watch.

But the first domino has fallen.

extension

– I wonder how this will be received in the NHL. But the Ducks are said to have done their homework on the 2010 Hawks situation before hiring Quenneville.

To be continued…

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Mammoth: André Tourigny’s job in jeopardy

Let’s talk NHL coaches.

At the moment, there are four positions open as the Ducks, Kraken, Canucks and Penguins have all lost their coaches since the end of the regular season.

Remember that the Rangers have hired Mike Sullivan.

But there are other teams who could change coaches between now and the start of next season. The Flyers, Blackhawks and Bruins all have interim coaches, and there’s no guarantee that any of them will stay on.

The Bruins are the ones to watch. After wanting to hire Mike Sullivan, Rick Tocchet is now on the Boston club’s list. At least,that’s what Jimmy Murphy (RG Media) is reporting.

And in all this, we mustn’t forget the current coaches, who could be in danger. Patrick Roy and Jim Hiller, in Long Island and Los Angeles, don’t have a GM at the moment and their fate is nebulous.

Especially Roy’s, it seems.

But we must also add André Tourigny’s name to the list of coaches potentially in danger. So two of the NHL’s four Québécois coaches (the others being Martin St-Louis and Jim Montgomery) are in danger?

Why Tourigny?

Because in Murphy’s text, he talks about the fact that Utah could be a destination for Tocchet if the Mammoth were to change coaches in the next few weeks.

And since this is the second time we’ve heard of a big name landing in Salt Lake City, we’ll deduce that yes, the Québécois pilot’s position with the Utah outfit is at risk, at the very least, right now.

Tourigny was signed by the Coyotes in 2021 and followed the club to Utah in 2024. He didn’t take his team to the playoffs in 2025, and now we’re wondering if he’ll get the chance to lead the club now that it’s called the Mammoth.

It seems to me, however, that if a change was to be made, it would have been logical to do it before that.

Unless they want to keep Tourigny in town, but the desire of a big name to come and run the Salt Lake City outfit might force a last-minute change?

We’ll see.

overtime

– A new lease on life.

– The Tigres and Armada need a coach.

– Incroyable.

– Really?

– We’ll keep following the case, of course.