Last night was the first game #7 of the current National Hockey League playoffs.
The Dallas Stars hosted the Colorado Avalanche in a decisive game.
Here are the game highlights.
Mikko Rantanen breaks his former team’s hearts
Since the start of the playoffs, most NHL fans agreed that this series between the Avalanche and Stars would probably be the best one yet, as well as the one that would decide which Western team would advance to the finals.
Seven games later, I’m among those who still believe the same thing, as I see the winner of this series in the final.
So it was an extremely important game last night, with one team advancing to the next round, and the other going home as the season’s big disappointment.
With the Stars at home, you’d think they’d have some advantage, but it was the Avalanche who had the upper hand in the first two periods, and even early in the third.
Indeed, even though the game was very close and few shots were registered on either side, the Avalanche managed to build a two-goal lead,
Josh Manson opened the scoring on a shorthanded goal midway through the second period.
At this point, the Avalanche looked to be on their way to a fairly easy victory, as they continued to control the game and quietly run out the clock.
However, one particular player had other plans.
A certain Mikko Rantanen, former Avalanche star, decided to take matters into his own hands and bring the Stars back into the game by hurting his former teammates and fans.
The Finn scored back-to-back goals to bring everyone back to square one.
And as if that wasn’t enough, just as the game seemed to be heading into overtime, Rantanen added to it by picking up an assist on the Stars’ third goal, Wyatt Johnston’s, on a power play, caused by a VERY bad Jaxk Drury penalty.
What an incredible turnaround in the third period, as the Stars eventually pulled away with a 4-2 win to advance to the next round.
Mikko Rantanen’s four-point third-period performance against his former team will be one to remember for a long time.
In fact, Rantanen is the first player in NHL playoff history to score a hat trick in the third period, and also the first player in NHL history to score four points in one period in back-to-back games.
A remarkable performance from Rantanen that will clearly hurt the Avalanche and their players and fans for a very long time to come.
Finally, it’s important to note that Stars head coach Peter DeBoer remains undefeated in Game 7, with a record of 9-0, which is simply mind-boggling.
It’s clear that the Wild really don’t want to risk losing their talented winger, who will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season. General manager Bill Guérin must therefore be sure to sign him this summer.
How much of a contract are we talking?
Right now, the highest-paid winger is Mikko Rantanen, who just signed an 8-year, $96 million contract for an average of $12 million per season with the Dallas Stars.
The article talks about a possible offer of $120 or $128 million for 8 years to secure Kaprizov’s services.
We’re talking about $15 or $16 million per season, which would make him not only the highest-paid winger in the League, but also the highest-paid player.
That’s still a lot of money for a player who missed half of the last campaign and hasn’t played a full season in three years, even for one of the NHL’s best.
However, the Minnesota organization has the means to offer such a contract to its star forward.
In addition to the increase in payroll from $88 million to $95.5 million, the Wild will have an extra $13 million to spend, as Zach Parise and Ryan Suter’s contracts will each rise from $7,371,795 to $833,333, lightening their payroll considerably.
Moreover, the team is likely to be active on the free-agent market this year, as they look to show Kaprizov that they are willing and able to compete for top honors.
Although the Wild made the playoffs this season after just one year’s absence, they are still a long way from being among the NHL’s elite, an element that could play a part in Kaprizov’s decision whether or not to stay in Minnesota.
Anthony Beauvillier is a dominant player in the postseason: “There’s something about meaningful games that get me more fired up ” https://t.co/ruhUuZj3gM
This summer, Claude Giroux will become an uncompensated independent player.
The 37-year-old forward has just completed the final year of a three-year, $19.5 million contract, worth $6.5 million per year, with the Ottawa Senators.
Of course, there is the possibility that he could re-sign with the Senators.
After missing out on the playoffs in his first two seasons with the team, Giroux and the Sens finally made it to the spring tournament this year, and it’s understandable that he’d want to stay with the team that finally seems to be coming of age.
However, if that were the case, you’d think Ottawa would have already offered the veteran a contract extension.
And if he becomes an independent player, could Giroux be an option for the Habs despite his age?
A one-year contract at the right price could be an interesting gamble for the Tricolore for its third trio.
Yes, the center’s production has dropped steadily over the past three years, from 79 points in 2022-23 to 64 and finally 50 last season.
If Giroux can put up 40 points on a third trio, that’s very respectable production.
He also amassed five points in six games during the current playoffs.
But in addition to his offensive contribution, the forward is also one of the best in the face-off circle. In this year’s regular season, his average was 61.5%.
Giroux could also play on the second wave of the CH power play.
Also, by signing him for only one year, the Habs would ensure they have an open spot at center when Michael Hage arrives, who we already know will play at least one more year in the U.S. college ranks.
However, Giroux is an interesting option for the third trio, because if the Habs sign him as second center, we’re in a bit of a pickle with a guy who could score 50 points in a best-case scenario.
It also depends on management’s decision in the case of Christian Dvorak, who will also be an uncompensated independent player this summer.
Dvorak is coming off an interesting season, playing primarily with Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson in an effective and energetic third line.
Will the Habs be tempted to leave this trio intact for next season and offer a contract to their third center, especially since, at 29, we know a little more about what to expect from him?
In short, it’s a story to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
In brief
– Tonight’s starting XI.
As @_sydfw just told me during pre-game on @BPMSportsRadio: Dominic Iankov was unable to finish yesterday’s practice. He was training as a 10, the position Fabian Herbers will play tonight for the #CFMTL.
In 2025-26, Ivan Demidov will play his first full year in the NHL. A month ago, you’d have thought that’s when he’d have made his Bettman debut… but in the end, he got to play a few games with the CH at the end of the season.
Demidov collected two points (two assists) in five games during the series against the Capitals. His two points came in Game 4… and they came with the man advantage.
And that’s interesting, because while Demidov had his moments in the series, most of them came on the power play.
Numbers reported by JFresh on X show something interesting about Demidov: during the series, no CH forward created fewer chances than he did at 5-on-5.
In fact, at 5-on-5, Demidov created a grand total of… 0 chances. And that includes both scoring chances and assist chances.
Which Montréal Canadiens forwards created the most 5v5 offence in round 1? #GoHabsGo Chance Contribution Rankings (per AllThreeZones): pic.twitter.com/4S1ZtQhW9F
Obviously, at first glance, all this seems a little worrying. Considering the kid‘s talent, the CH needed to see him create a little more at 5-on-5… but even so, it’s really not the end of the world.
After all, Demidov played in that series as a 19-year-old making his Bettman debut. The most important thing for him in that series was to get a taste of what the NHL playoffs are all about, so that he’d be ready to excel in the future, even though he wasn’t even supposed to be in the Habs line-up for those games.
Is that disappointing? Yes, but is it worrying? Not necessarily, no.
If the Tricolore was able to give the Capitals a run for their money even without Demidov’s 5-on-5 contribution, it suggests that once the kid is better acclimatized to the NHL’s playoff style (and, more importantly, once he has better trio-mates), the club can easily go for a second gear it didn’t have (yet) this year.
It’s a shame the Tricolore were eliminated in five games… but it’s a first step forward that’s been taken in the last two weeks. And that’s the most important thing.
In gossip
– Official: Frederik Andersen signs new contract in Carolina.
Frederik Andersen signs a one-year extension with #hurricanes worth $2.75M in base salary and up to $750,000 in performance bonuses.
A shallow free-agent goaltending pool gets even more shallow.
When you look at the CH’s upcoming summer, one thing stands out: the famous second center. In the eyes of just about everyone, this has to be Kent Hughes’ top priority: he needs someone to step in for Nick Suzuki and play center to Ivan Demidov next year.
Kirby Dach, at the moment, is too big a question mark to be fixed in that role. We’ll have to look elsewhere to find the man who will occupy that chair in 2025-26.
That said, there’s another file that’s going to be abundantly talked about in the coming weeks: the next contract for Lane Hutson. The defenseman, who has just broken all records in his first year in the NHL, can sign a contract extension as early as July 1… and the club will probably want to settle everything as soon as possible.
It’s been done with Nick Suzuki (by previous management, though), with Cole Caufield and with Juraj Slafkovský. Logic dictates that it’s #48’s turn now… and ideally in the (very) long term.
But this afternoon, something happened in Calgary: Matt Coronato signed a seven-year contract to stay with the Flames.
What’s interesting, though, is that the pact comes with an annual salary of… $6.5M.
Coronato is a 22-year-old winger who just scored 24 goals and 47 points in 77 games. He’s a very solid player… but that’s a pretty substantial amount for a guy who had a good season, though not an outstanding one.
He averaged fewer points per game than Patrik Laine this season, after all.
And that brings us back to the Lane Hutson situation. The defenseman, who just amassed 66 points in 82 games in his rookie season (and added five more in five playoff games), has already pulverized the offensive production of a forward 18 months his senior… and who just signed for $6.5 million a year.
To me, Hutson looks like a guy who could leave money on the table to improve his chances of winning. And in Montreal, seeing Caufield and Slaf sign for a smaller annual salary than the captain shows that there’s a salary scale that, so far, holds up…
But in an NHL where the new salary reality means that guys like Coronato earn $6.5 million a year, is it really realistic to believe that Hutson will emulate Caufield and Slaf and sign for less than $8 million a year? Because in reality, he probably has the arguments to ask for (at least) $10 M a year.
Just a quick return to our Lane Hutson conversation, in which we discussed the type of cap hits we can expect in the next few years.
They’re going to be much higher than some expect.
Coronato is good, I’m not trying to denigrate him, but the salary barometer is rising. https://t.co/WZZbrzzs1h
I don’t expect Hutson to break the bank… but I do expect his next contract to earn him a bigger annual salary than Suzuki. Realistically, though, the GM might try to convince him to sign for a lower percentage of the payroll than Suzuki did back then.
The captain signed for 9.55% of the payroll… and if Hutson did the same, he’d earn just under $10 million a year.
We’ll see what the defenseman’s contract looks like, but one thing’s for sure: the fact that the NHL’s wage reality has changed means that we can expect Hutson to be the first domino to blow up Montreal’s current wage scale.
Because 12 months later, it’ll be Ivan Demidov’s turn to be eligible for a contract extension… and with a big season next year, he’ll have arguments to break the bank too.
Breaking news
– Nice read.
“As one of the leaders on the team, we don’t want to see this go backwards in any way.” – Nick Suzuki.
The Canadiens captain realizes the rebuild is not complete, there is more youth on the way, but there is a standard he’d like to see maintained. https://t.co/2hUtY2L1Ls
The Ottawa Senators’ season came to an end on Thursday night, as the club was eliminated in six games by the Toronto Maple Leafs. It looked like the Senators were going to make a crazy comeback in the series for a while… but the Leafs avoided catastrophe.
For the Senators, that said, it’s great news to see the club in the playoffs. We’ve been waiting for the current Ottawa core to qualify for the playoffs for years… and it finally happened this year.
And, of course, the arrival of Linus Ullmark had a lot to do with it. The club has finally invested in a good #1 goaltender who, despite a more ordinary playoff run, has brought the club this far.
Now that the Sens ‘ season is over, Ullmark wanted to take part in the Worlds to represent his country, as Sweden is one of the tournament hosts.
That said, he won’t be there… because Sweden has decided to opt for other goalkeepers. And he admits it: he’s disappointed.
Linus Ullmark won’t be representing Sweden at the World Championship, which is co-hosted by Sweden this year.
“I have the interest but they’ve decided not to go with me,” Ullmark adds he’s let down about the situation. #Sens#TreKronor
In reality, it’s understandable for Sweden to target other goalkeepers… but it’s surprising when you look at the goalkeepers who have been selected over Ullmark. At the moment, Arvid Soderblöm and Samuel Ersson are Sweden’s two goalkeepers… and we agree that Ullmark is a cut above the rest.
Are Sweden hoping that Filip Gustavsson and/or Jacob Markström will represent the country? But even if both accept, having Ullmark on board wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Ullmark was hoping to represent his country, especially as the tournament will be held in Sweden. It would have been a great opportunity for him to defend the Swedish colors in front of his family and friends.
But obviously, the Swedish national team doesn’t see fit to invite Ullmark to the tournament. And that’s something really special.
In brief
– A day of treatment for David Reinbacher.
Defenseman David Reinbacher will not take part in training today (treatment day).
Defenseman David Reinbacher will not practice today (therapy day).
– xyz – Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) May 3, 2025
– Jake Sanderson has declined to go to Worlds.
Jake Sanderson has declined to represent team USA at the World Championship:
“I just think it was a long season, I love representing my country and hopefully I have more opportunities in the future.” #Sens
Juraj Slafkovský has been a fixture in Montreal for several years now. The forward, who celebrated his 21st birthday in March, now has three seasons with the CH behind his tie… and that makes him a little less the flavor of the moment.
He’s still a big part of the club, of course… but we’re talking more about Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov these days.
All this means that Slaf can already act as a young veteran with these guys, as he understands the reality of being a young player who is eagerly awaited in Montreal.
And in his blog for NHL.com, he took the opportunity to offer some advice to Demidov, who is the flavor of the moment, on the subject:
If I had any advice for Ivan, I’d tell him not to listen to everyone’s comments. – Juraj Slafkovský
Canadiens forward reflects on his first experience of playoff field hockey and offers his thoughts on Ivan Demidov and David Savard
Obviously, we know that in Montreal, there are high expectations for the youngsters, who are seen as the future of the club. So far, most of them have responded well… but there are more on the way, and they too will have to learn to avoid distractions.
Because we know it’s not always easy… and when you know that Slafkovský doesn’t always like to address the media, it’s easy to understand that he’s talking about media distractions in particular in his remarks.
After all, yesterday, Slaf once again returned to the question he was asked earlier this season, when he was asked if he would buy a ticket to see the CH.
He obviously didn’t appreciate it… and he brought it up again yesterday: he thinks it’s weird to ask a 20-year-old on a rebuilding team.
Probably the most interesting thing out of Slaf’s press conference was his view of the media: he addresses the “would you buy a ticket?” question that he got earlier in the season. pic.twitter.com/7eycxAAQXX
But what’s clear is that Slaf isn’t necessarily a big fan of having to answer questions from the media… and it’s understandable that he wants to “warn” the up-and-coming youngsters that it’s all part of the game in Montreal.
They’re going to have to learn to deal with all that, because after all, it’s what makes Montreal one of the NHL’s most unique markets… but also one of its most exciting. And when you hear Slaf talk about the atmosphere at the Bell Centre during the playoffs, he has to understand that you can’t have one without the other.
In bursts
– Interesting.
Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen both out for Stars optional skate this morning but again, both were ruled out for Game 7 by Pete DeBoer yesterday. pic.twitter.com/Nujj0H4RSR
Basically, at this stage of the rebuild and assuming that the Flames won’t win the lottery (1.1%!), it appeared to us that the use value of the twomid-1st-round picks the CH will have in June will be less for Kent Hughes than their trade value.
According to our analysis, no anticipatedmid-1st-round prospect appears to be a candidate for the position of quality second center in the near future. That includes right-handed center Brady Martin, for all his fine qualities, which Craig Button is touting these days on TSN’s U18…
(Screenshot: tankathon.com/nhl/mock_draft)
Keeping one might not be crazy, but we’d be very surprised if the CH kept its two picks, as it has a crying need to fill right now.
Now that the CH has been eliminated and the weakness at second center has been identified as one of the main reasons for the quick exit against the Capitals – well before the degree of truculence displayed or not by Xhekaj and friends, let’s say – let’s turn without further ado to the options available on the trade market, since it’s this market that Kent Hughes is most interested in.
We’ll see in June if it’s worth tackling the free-agent market…
Different” but highly interesting targets
In our last article, we established that Hughes and Gorton had their hands pretty full when it came to choices and hopes to offer their colleagues around the NHL.
In terms of picks alone, the CH has 15 in the first four rounds of the next two drafts!
(Credit: Puckpedia.com)
Filling the second-trio center position will become a real obsession in Montreal in the coming months, and theoretically, any of the players targeted in our research could be acquired with the quality assets available to Montreal executives.
So, between Sidney Crosby, Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, Pavel Zacha, Dylan Larkin and Ryan O’Reilly, who would be the best acquisition for the second-trio center position?
Is there really a bad option among these six?
And what might Kent Hughes have to sacrifice in such different scenarios?
Let’s delve a little deeper into the cases of Crosby and Barzal today, since these are the ones that strike the imagination the most.
We’ll return to the other four gentlemen in a later article.
But now that Crosby has signed his contract extension, the Penguins have taken a further nosedive and the CH is ahead of its own plan, perhaps this scenario is becoming more realistic.
Crosby, who turns 38 in August, may no longer be at his peak, but he’s still one of the best in the business, as he demonstrated at the 4 Nations Confrontation.
If we were to be picky, we could say that he no longer has the same acceleration, and we could point in the direction of his advanced statistics, which have seen a slight drop this season compared to his average in recent years.
(Credit: Puckpedia.com)
But it’s more likely that it’s the Penguins who have regressed enormously as a team.
So, what should interest the Canadiens most in his case is the length of his contract.
At $8.7 million for two more years, Hughes would not be handcuffed on the salary scale and would be almost guaranteed to get his money’s worth with the Cole Harbour native.
And that’s not counting the ultra-positive influence he would have on the current group of players.
In this respect, Crosby would be at least in the same category as Shea Weber and Carey Price.
The CH would have a leader AND an excellent left-handed center in the face-off circle to launch Demidov’s career and, who knows, maybe even help him become an NHL center himself – or at the very least, a more complete player.
If the Penguins are the least bit “logical” and want to revitalize their franchise by monetizing their aging stars, trading Crosby for prospects and draft picks is THE first thing to do. At the same time, they’ll improve their chances of selecting Gavin Mackenna, Landon Dupont and Maddox Schultz in the next three auctions…
And, with a few additions to the roster, if Crosby hopes to win another Stanley Cup, there will be worse places to play than Montreal for the next two seasons, or even longer if his heart and body hold out..
But it could certainly cost the equivalent of this: Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Logan Mailloux, a 2025 1st-round pick, a 2025 2nd-round pick.
Come to think of it, that’s still “four first-round picks”, hehe!
Mathew Barzal | Right-hander, 28 years old
In John Tavares’ final season with the Islanders, I still remember a young Mathew Barzal – in the midst of his 85-point rookie season – blowing away the Bell Centre crowd during warm-up.
Barzal would go on to win the Calder a few months later.
Perhaps his father’s interest in the Flanelle and the fact that he speaks French had something to do with it, but his pleasure at being the center of attention on this mythical rink was palpable. Sitting in the “reds” with a friend celebrating his 40th birthday, he can still be seen working his magic with the pucks before tossing a good half-dozen to the young fans on the other side of the bay window before retreating to the dressing room…
When healthy, Barzal is simply one of the best skaters and puck-handlers in the entire NHL. He’s also become very effective “on 200 feet” over the years.
And even though he’s downright bad in the face-off circle (42.3% in his career), he’s literally a puck-possession monster, as evidenced by his very impressive stats over the past five seasons.
(Credit: Puckpedia.com)
But in addition to his state of health, which should be investigated in greater depth (he has played an average of 55 games over the last four seasons, but claims he’ll be fully fit for the next camp…), his rather slender profile as a playmaker and the fact that he’s right-handed could raise a few eyebrows.
Top-6 left-handed centers are non-existent in the Montreal organization…
On the other hand, if the doctors’ opinion is favourable, Barzal’s contract – $9.15M good until 2031 – and his age (28 this month), wouldn’t scare me, especially with the salary cap skyrocketing.
When you consider that even Jakob Chychrun pockets $9M per season..
And, with Florian Xhekaj soon to join the line-up and, eventually, at least one more sturdy winger on the top-6, the long-term addition of a Barzal would seem quite digestible.
In theory, then, Barzal could represent a very drinkable solution for the Tricolore, and a center certainly good enough to provide, along with Nick Suzuki, a serious one-two punch for the Montreal squad for several years to come.
A notch above Stützle and Cozens in Ottawa? Maybe so…
That said, the CH could have some competition if it ventures into the market to acquire Barzal, a native of Coquitlam, British Columbia.
But he also has what it takes to seduce the Isles. He would even have the luxury of overpaying.
Finally, we don’t think Barzal will have the same status as a Crosby in Pittsburgh in the eyes of his future boss on Long Island. But if he were to suggest that Montreal would be his preferred destination in a trade, it wouldn’t hurt..
With Crosby, we’re obviously in a shorter-term project where the ideal would be to compete now for the Cup while ensuring a transition to Michael Hage or Ivan Demidov in the role of second (or first!) center.
That’s why I’d be rather reluctant to include Hage in a deal for Sid the Kid. But who knows what Dubas might demand in return for his captain?
It has also been suggested that the Penguins will have several million dollars to spend this summer. Could Mitch Marner pack his bags for the Steel City and join former boss Kyle Dubas?
Then the big question is whether the Canadiens could become a real contender with 38-year-old Crosby under contract for two seasons.
Will it still be a little too early in the Montreal process to invest so many assets in such a short-term project? Will the youngsters still be too young? Hmmm… We’d need to acquire at least one other seasoned veteran to maximize the chances of success.
Could Kris Letang be an option? Rasmus Andersson?
That’s an analysis for another day, but we know that Crosby “on his own” wouldn’t be enough over such a short period of time… and that, ultimately, he’ll be the one to decide his future.
In short, even if it’s an almost poetic idea, we shouldn’t hold our breath too long in the case of #87.
If we go for Barzal, the CH would give itself more time to build its roster, while still being able to compete seriously as soon as he arrives. But will they want to invest as much in another right-handed center in much the same mould as Suzuki?
Maybe he will, maybe he won’t…
If he stays injury-free, Barzal should be good enough until the end of his contract (at 34) to remain a quality top-6 center. But he’ll certainly cost more than Crosby, and the Isles could demand Michael Hage in the adventure or the CH’s two1st-round picks this year.
It remains to be seen what kind of direction the future Islanders boss will want to give this club.
Aggressive rebuilding by trading Barzal and Horvat, or even Dobson?
Reset on the fly withBarzal AND Horvat still on board OR keeping just one of them?
A simple transition by raising the salary cap and adding autonomous players?
We’ll know soon enough. The Islanders should announce the name of their new boss in the next few weeks, and his first task will be to decide the fate of Barzal, Horvat and Dobson.
We’ll be back soon to continue the investigation with “suspects” Larkin, Zacha, O’Reilly and that same Horvat!
The Rocket was obviously expected to return to Laval before the announcement was made, and now that the two games abroad, in Cleveland, have been played and won, the two CH players can rejoin the Rocket.
This dismissal confirms what we already knew/thought, but it also tells us that, for the time being, Jakub Dobes won’t be joining the Rocket.
At least, that doesn’t seem to be in the plans, which means we’ll continue with only two options in front of the net, namely Jacob Fowler and Cayden Primeau.
Luke Cavallin is likely to be sent back to Trois-Rvières with the Lions, who are in the second round of the playoffs, while Connor Hughes is still injured.
Not having Dobes sent back to Laval means Fowler has less competition to keep his net.
The CH prospect has done very well so far, winning the first two games of the away series and recording his first professional shutout last night.
Of course, despite Primeau’s return, Fowler is expected to play in tomorrow’s Game 3 of the series, at 3 p.m. at Place Bell, since you don’t usually replace a goaltender who’s playing well and just earned a shutout.
However, Fowler won’t have the most leeway, given that Primeau is the one who took the club to the playoffs, so we won’t hesitate to turn to him if things go wrong.
But for now, Pascal Vincent is likely to continue with Fowler.
In short, it’s a great problem for the Rocket to have two very good goalkeepers.
On the move
– The Rocket is in a very good position.
A lot of eyebrows were raised when the Laval Rocket chose to start the first two games of their best-of-five series against Cleveland on the road.
But now they have a 2-0 series lead and heading home for the (if need be) final 3 games.
The Montreal Canadiens have filled their bank of prospects and young players very well since the start of their rebuild.
Of course, when Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton arrived, the CH already had a few good young players like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, as well as a few good prospects like Kaiden Guhle.
The fact remains, however, that the duo of Hughes and Gorton exploded this list by adding several important names.
Whether in attack (Slafkovsky and Hage), defense (Hutson and Reinbacher) or in front of the net (Fowler), the CH is very well endowed in terms of prospects.
Whether they’ve made it to the NHL with the CH or not, all these young players are destined for a very bright future, and that’s very encouraging for the Habs’ future, especially considering that the CH is likely to add a few more.
You can never have enough good prospects, and so, starting this year, the Tricolore will be adding several to its bank thanks to these numerous draft picks-12 to be exact.
With so many picks, the CH will be able to add all kinds of prospects, even a goalie.
Indeed, even if the Habs are already counting on Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler(who did very well in the AHL playoffs) as young goalies, there’s nothing stopping the club from trying its luck with another project.
And that project could very well be Quebec goaltender Gabriel D’Aigle.
Once considered a possible top-10 pick, Quebec goaltender Gabriel D’Aigle could be a very interesting option for the Habs starting in the 3rd round
The name certainly rings a bell, as D’Aigle has long been seen as the NHL’s next best goaltending prospect.
Some even spoke of him as the next Carey Price, but in the end, the Quebecer never lived up to expectations in the QMJHL.
As a result, he’s gone from a potential top-10 pick to a goalie at risk of being drafted after the third round.
And that’s where it gets interesting for the Tricolore, who could very well take a chance on a local guy.
In fact, D’Aigle dreams of being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens, as he stated in an interview with Alex Trudel on CJSO radio in Sorel.
The Quebec goalie would love to wear the CH colors in his career, so being drafted by the CH would bring him closer to his dream.
D’Aigle also stated that he had met with four NHL teams, including the Canadiens, with whom he had a very nice, fluid conversation in French.
He sensed an interest, so we could see the CH try to draft D’Aigle in the third round.
Even if the CH already has several good goalies in its ranks, it doesn’t hurt to take a chance on a local product, especially considering that the Tricolore has three 3rd-round picks and two 4th-round picks.
In short, it’s all to be watched, now that the CH’s season is over, all eyes turn to the draft, which will take place on June 27 and 28 in Los Angeles.
In a gust
– What do you think?
Tailgate Weekend Question of the Day
Which departure (confirmed or potential) would hurt the Habs the most next season?
When Marco Donadel says:
“I have to take my decisions after watching the opponents and watching their (his players) performance during the training. I didn’t say that I like the diversity of the players. I said that we have diversity, and my job is to use it.”
: ABC & @ESPNPlus
https://t.co/m0LyTCHYnH
: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+
#StanleyCup
#StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/mWpPnQOREV
https://t.co/1kSdHOAmRX
.
https://t.co/EZaF 
https://t.co/YPMFFyuVZF
IS SIGNED!
https://t.co/b6Lqt1 
https://t.co/ERffIQ2Aqo
: 
(@CJ_Stevenson) 
