The Canadiens announced that the club’s prospect, who has been with the team for a few days, will not return to Laval right away. He will get another game – at least.
Samuel Montembeault will also play tomorrow, by the way.
Return to play confirmed for Joshua Roy tonight in Toronto as the Rocket prepares to face the Marlies for a doubleheader tonight and tomorrow afternoon. Roy has missed the last 6 games for his team and is slightly ahead of the initial schedule.
The Canadiens are rebuilding through their young players. They have a strong draft pick bank, several quality young players in Montreal, and also several excellent prospects.
“He’s brilliant. Creative, skilled, competitive. He moves the needle.”
Habs blue-chipper Ivan Demidov, in the middle of a record-setting season in the KHL, is the No. 1 player on our annual Top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects list compiled by @CraigJButton: https://t.co/VltxB39MXM
Often, Demidov is ranked among the best young players worldwide, including those in the NHL. However, since Macklin Celebrini, Matvei Michkov, and others are not prospects yet, they are not eligible for this ranking.
This is not the first time Button has spoken highly of Demidov. Thus, it is not surprising to see the Canadiens’ prospect, who continues to dominate with SKA, ranked so highly.
Let’s remember that we should see him in the NHL next season.
We shouldn’t have to wait too long to see another Canadiens prospect among Button’s top-ranked players. Jacob Fowler, the excellent college goalie, is ranked 13th.
Demidov is expected to arrive in the NHL in a few months, and it will probably take at least a year, at minimum, before we see Hage and Fowler establish themselves in the NHL.
But all three have the potential to change the game.
Simon “Snake” Boisvert has always kept people talking in the hockey world.
The reason is simple: Boisvert is not afraid – unlike far too many people in 2025 – to share his opinions. His real ones, not nuanced opinions shaped by what society wants to hear…
The Snake became known during Mathias Brunet’s blog on LaPresse.ca and 10, 15 years later, he co-hosts with Mathias the second best podcast in Quebec (after Stanley25 hehe). He is also a commentator on BPM Sports and according to my sources, he should also be part of another radio project announced soon…
In recent days, Boisvert met with David Garel (Hockey30). The interview – perhaps a bit lengthy, you might say – features some very interesting segments.
From the first few minutes, the Snake shares that he received a barrage of insults following his past comments on Cayden Primeau.
What were his comments? That Primeau was not an NHL goalie…
Let’s just say that time seems to have proven Boisvert right on that one…
Boisvert revealed that his opinions made it so that there were plenty of people who hated him, who loved to hate him.
Off the record, he would even tell you that he has received threats from his “haters”.
And this is where I have a problem with that; how can you develop hate for a guy who doesn’t think like you about a young hockey player?
How can you expend part of your energy to hate someone to the point of publicly insulting them and issuing threats… just because he is not as optimistic as you about a prospect on your team?
Simon Boisvert closed his X (Twitter back in the day) account several years ago because he was tired of people pouring their hatred on him. Upon returning to the public sphere last year, he obviously awakened some of those people who are always looking for someone else to hate. Even for takes on hockey…
You don’t like the Snake? You find him incredible, that he only makes big takes to get attention and that he comes out of nowhere? OK, you have the right.
But don’t listen to him then.
However, belittling him and insulting him all over the web, then sending him threats, is a no! And it will always be.
The excuse of being emotional when it comes to “your” hockey team does not fly!
If I had to act that way toward everyone I disagree with, we would never finish.
These behaviors ultimately force people to stop publicly sharing opinions that go against the grain…
So everyone ends up thinking alike… only speaking in clichés.
And damn, that gets boring!
Let’s make an effort to respect people who don’t always think like us. In sports as in life in general…
Overtime
Simon Boisvert does more than analyze the play of young NHL prospects. He has a translation company; he is also a director and actor in his own films (in English and French). He recently revealed that he financed his last film with his own million dollars.
The trailer for one of his films (Love or Lust) is available on YouTube.
The film itself is available on Google Play and Amazon Video.
There is another unlisted video also lost in the depths of YouTube, but I will keep it inaccessible, hehe.
At the moment, the Washington Capitals are relying on one of the good goalies in the league, Logan Thompson.
The club is really satisfied with his services (if Connor Hellebuyck didn’t exist, Thompson would have a chance to win the Vezina) and that’s what led him to receive a generous contract extension.
From 2025 to 2031, he will earn over 35 million dollars. Clearly, he must be liked there.
Love to see it!
The Washington Capitals have re-signed goaltender Logan Thompson to a six-year, $35.1 million contract extension. Thompson’s contract will carry an average annual value of $5.85 million.#ALLCAPS | @Shift4
But what needs to be known is that if Thompson seems to be thriving in Washington, it wasn’t the same situation in Vegas. Why do I say this? Because his time in Vegas is preventing him from representing Canada at the Four Nations Clash.
Why? Because the people in Vegas don’t like the goalie enough to have refused to select him for next week’s tournament.
Peter DeBoer and Bruce Cassidy, his two former coaches in Vegas, are members of Team Canada. And both put their foot down to prevent the goalie from making the team.
This is what Martin Leclerc reported this morning on BPM Sports.
For two coaches (who did not work together) to have the same opinion regarding a goalie, one must think that the situation must have been intense. After all, it’s significant, as a situation.
I really wonder what he did… and why it took so long to let him go.
It’s especially significant when we realize that Canada does not have a dominant goalie for the tournament. If that decision had been made when Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy were at the peak of their game, it would have been a different story.
Let’s say that if Canada has problems in goal in the coming weeks, the club’s management will be questioned just like Team Canada junior was for the poor choices in the lineup.
And by the way, on this subject, Thompson is not an isolated case.
This morning, Renaud Lavoie (BPM Sports) addressed the subject of Mark Scheifele with the Canadian team. And he said this regarding the idea of seeing him replace Sidney Crosby – if the captain can’t play.
I will wait a little longer. I will let the tournament progress and we will revisit Mark Scheifele, why he is not there. Currently, I will be cautious.
But from what I’m hearing, it’s really not good. – Renaud Lavoie
What the journalist reports is that some people might have something against him, which would have led to his absence. As the journalist points out, before, Team Canada didn’t care about the character of the guys and the best were chosen.
Let’s just say that Canada better win the tournament…
in brief
– Stay tuned.
Cela ne semble cependant toujours pas suffisant aux yeux du joueur de troisième but. https://t.co/68iJn28vTV
The Islanders do not have the best team in the NHL right now, they have a weak prospect pool… and they have a GM who is not exactly inclined to start a rebuilding process.
What comes next?
For now, the club wants to win, and that’s why Brock Nelson might sign a short-term contract extension. This could increase Jake Evans’ value if there is a shortage of forwards on the market.
The right price would be… a top forward capable of scoring. Does the Canadiens have that to give? I don’t think so, but Kent Hughes still needs to be involved in the matter.
This is why the name Elias Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks is circulating right now. That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen, but it’s the kind of player the Islanders would target.
Of course, at $11.6 million compared to $4 million for Dobson, salary needs to be balanced… but that’s another debate.
I wonder if Lou Lamoriello really just wants to improve his offense or if he feels that Dobson (he will be a restricted free agent this summer, but unrestricted free agency is approaching for the six-season NHL defenseman) needs to be traded before he chooses to leave on his own terms.
But Lamoriello is not the only GM to watch for a potential big trade, as other teams may decide to make significant moves moving forward.
After all, the Blues could trade their captain, which doesn’t happen every day.
INSIDER TRADING…
– Could Brayden Schenn hit the market?
– Crosby’s 4 Nations status
– #CBJ aim to be moderate buyers
– What will happen with Brock Nelson?
– Hartman’s suspension appeal
– Most NHL teams not concerned about 4 Nations burnout
According to Darren Dreger (Insider Trading, TSN), Brayden Schenn, who earns $6.5 million per season for a little over three more years, would not be completely untouchable in St. Louis.
However, the return should be… significant.
And finally, to wrap up the rumors, it should be noted loudly and clearly that the hockey boss of the Columbus Blue Jackets stated that his team has a plan for the deadline.
The Jackets will be buyers.
GM Don Waddell told #CBJ radio tonight that the Blue Jackets will be buyers at the Trade Deadline.
The team, which has to deal with the death of Johnny Gaudreau, is having a better season than expected. Right now, the club is just one point out of the playoffs and clearly, a breakthrough to participate is expected.
This will leave fewer sellers in the East. Will this give more value to the Canadiens’ players?
At this moment, the Canadiens can count themselves lucky to have a guy like Jacob Fowler in their prospect pipeline. He is highly regarded by the club due to his great performances.
The development of a goaltender is always special because it is hard to project. That’s why goaltenders drafted a bit later can sometimes blossom after all.
And Fowler’s case is one of them.
What you need to know is that even though no one drafted him in the first two rounds, his name still circulated in the second round. At least two teams wanted him at the beginning of the second round.
And that’s not counting all the other teams that might have wanted him but are not saying so publicly.
How do we know this? Because Kent Hughes, during his appearance on the Processus podcast, discussed the behind-the-scenes of the 2023 draft to elaborate on this subject.
I invite you to listen to the podcast, available to everyone since this morning. It features a GM who did not just stick to the script.
In essence, Hughes said that if the Canadiens did not trade their picks #31 and #37 to Colorado in exchange for Alex Newhook, their selections would have been Gavin Brindley and… Jacob Fowler.
Brindley ended up being the 34th pick of the draft. The 5’8 center is currently a prospect for the Blue Jackets who has made the jump to the pros this season but is not dominating in Cleveland.
(Credit: Hockey DB)
But because his scouts told him they liked their chances of being able to draft Fowler in the third round, Kent Hughes took the gamble and traded the picks to Colorado for Newhook.
And once the draft was over, Chris MacFarland, the GM of Denver, admitted to his counterpart in Montreal that if he hadn’t traded the #37 pick (which became Ethan Gauthier) to Tampa Bay for Ross Colton, Jacob Fowler would have been his target in the draft.
I don’t know if the Avalanche GM is happy that this came out publicly, but we now know that two teams wanted the Florida netminder at the beginning of the second round.
Note that Colorado, with the #31 pick obtained in exchange for Newhook, drafted Mikhail Gulyayev. The small left-handed defenseman is playing in Russia.
(Credit: Hockey DB)
in brief
-Optional practice this morning for the CH.
#Habs will have an optional practice in Brossard at noon today ahead of their #SuperBowl weekend matinée games
Necas also added an assist in the game, finishing his night with a nice haul of three points.
He now claims a total of eight points in seven games with the Avalanche.
It’s worth noting that Nathan MacKinnon (three assists) is back atop the league’s scoring leaders, after being surpassed by Leon Draisaitl in recent days.
The Avalanche won 4-2, and Jonathan Huberdeau scored his 21st goal of the season in the Flames’ defeat.
3: Meanwhile, in Carolina…
If things are going well for Necas with the Avalanche, the same cannot be said for Mikko Rantanen with the Hurricanes.
The former Colorado player was playing his sixth game in the Carolina uniform… And he went scoreless for a third consecutive game.
Rantanen has just one goal and one assist since arriving with the Hurricanes:
Points since the trade:
8 — Martin Necas
3 — Martin Necas if you only count his goals
2 — Mikko Rantanen pic.twitter.com/ZD2ivLfZ5A
Hurricanes fans are beginning to worry, which is understandable.
Especially when seeing Necas having fun with the Avalanche…
Rantanen better turn things around because he needs to sign a new contract this summer. If he wants to cash in as expected, he needs to start producing offensively again.
Note that the Hurricanes lost their game against the Wild by a score of 2-1.
4: Mitch Marner enters Leafs history
Mitch Marner is known for his playmaking skills.
Proof?
He collected his 500th career assist in the NHL last night.
He also became the fastest player to achieve this feat in Leafs history:
With an assist on this goal, Mitch Marner is the fastest Maple Leaf to reach 500 assists
The only active players to reach the milestone faster are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid pic.twitter.com/41WCgzgpD9
In three games since being traded to the New York Rangers, J.T. Miller has already scored four points, including two goals.
He seems at peace and is reuniting with the team that drafted him in 2011. But more importantly, he is reconnecting with his good friend Vincent Trocheck. When Miller was in the Big Apple, Trocheck was not there, and the two forwards have always wanted to play together.
They are best friends, and their wives are friends too. In fact, the two women strongly encouraged Miller to reunite with Trocheck in New York. But just how hard did they push? Some say there were illegal communications (tampering).
The tampering is an English word that directly translates to words like falsifications, manipulation, alteration, rigging, but in a more sports-specific term, it refers to someone who has attempted to lure a player under contract with another team to their own team.
Just under a month ago, Trocheck’s wife surprised Mrs. Miller in Vancouver for her birthday while the two players were on the road. They then called their husbands and pushed them to finalize a trade that would bring Miller to New York (even though it was out of their control).
The right winger then admitted that he personally spoke to Miller on behalf of the Rangers to gauge the former Canucks player’s interest in New York.
Honestly, it’s pretty close to tampering. – Trevor Connors, Hockey Feed
I don’t know if the NHL will investigate, but there is a pretty undeniable piece of evidence. Moreover, remember that the Canucks sent a memo to other teams last January advising them of potential tampering allegations.
Did the Trocheck-Miller incident relate to this memo? Perhaps.
I don’t know if the Trochecks and the Millers know what they’ve gotten themselves into…
In Montreal, fans and the media are quick to change their minds.
A few weeks ago, Patrik Laine was the big sniper, the star that the CH had been waiting for a long time, and now for two weeks, Laine “is not NHL caliber”.
Georges Laraques went a step further earlier by saying that the team should buy him out.
I’ll start by saying that I’ve never been a big fan of contract buyouts, so right from the start, I’ll tell you that I’m against the idea.
But Laraque’s argument holds: Montreal tried the Laine experiment, and it didn’t work. The team must now move on to another option. And it’s not like Kent Hughes sacrificed much to acquire the Finn. He gave up Jordan Harris and even received a second-round pick.
The forward (and his contract) was just a throw-in in the transaction.
Buying out Laine’s contract is worth considering after the season because instead of eliminating his salary cap hit in July 2026, Montreal would get rid of it a year later, in 2027.
Okay. Martin St-Louis’s team won’t be a contender for the Cup next year, but already there, the club will have more aspirations for the playoffs.
If Hughes were to follow this path, the Finn’s contract would have a cap hit of nearly four million dollars in 2026-2027 ($4,733,333 less than his usual hit) and $2,366,667 in 2027-2028. Remember, to buy out a contract, teams pay two-thirds of the player’s salary, but over double the years.
In Laine’s case, it’s not so bad. A buyout can hurt when guys have more than two seasons on their contracts. Like Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher, essentially.
In a nutshell
– Is a recall imminent?
“Right now, we have to reward Primeau!”
According to José Théodore, his performances with the @RocketLaval are significant.
Without Roy, one could wonder if Pascal Vincent’s team would perform well.
After all, one of the best players on the team had fallen in battle. But during the Quebecer’s absence, the team won five of its six games. Not bad.
As of this writing, the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate is in first place in the northern division and third overall in the entire AHL.
(Credit: AHL.com )
Now that Roy is back, he will need to show what he is capable of. He must prove he belongs in the NHL and deserves a spot with the big club, at least for next season.
Mathias Brunet said in this week’s exclusive episode of the podcast Processus, “he is at a crossroads.”
“He needs to put things in place to be a true professional to the core.”
Mathias Brunet explains what Joshua Roy needs to do to establish himself in the NHL 💪
– Could Brayden Schenn hit the market?
– Crosby’s 4 Nations status
– #CBJ aim to be moderate buyers
– What will happen with Brock Nelson?
– Hartman’s suspension appeal
– Most NHL teams not concerned about 4 Nations burnout
: SN1, SNW, Sportsnet+ 
