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Race at Calder (Daily Faceoff): Hutson still 1st | Michkov no longer in the top-3

Who will win the Calder Trophy for the 24-25 season?

A month ago, three names caught attention in the race for the trophy.

Here, you’ll understand that I’m talking about Lane Hutson, Matvei Michkov, and Macklin Celebrini.

Today, one of these three guys has really struggled over the past few weeks and has unintentionally fallen out of the race. I am referring to Matvei Michkov, who is experiencing tough times in his last 25 games:

  • Three goals (only)
  • Four assists
  • A differential of -20 (!)

Michkov’s poor performance means that at the time of writing, he is no longer seen as one of the three favorites to win the trophy according to DailyFaceoff.

Lane Hutson is ranked first, Macklin Celebrini is in second place on the list… And in third place, we find the name of Flames goalie, Dustin Wolf:

But like Michkov, Lane Hutson is also facing challenges lately.

We talk about it when things are going well… But we also need to talk about it when things are not going as well!

Hutson has collected two assists in his last two games, but he has also gone scoreless in five consecutive matches. Coincidence or not, the Canadiens have lost six of their last seven games… And it’s been seven games since Lane Hutson has performed well.

If I had to bet an old $2 lying around, I would wager that Celebrini will walk away with the trophy. That could change if Hutson finds his magic touch again and starts racking up points at an incredible pace… But Celebrini, at the pace he’s going, could finish the season with over 60 points.

It will be difficult for Hutson to win the Calder if his former teammate at Boston University continues to be this good.

In Brief

— Hello, boys!

— Logical.

— Congratulations!

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Evans: It would take at least a second-round pick to get him out of Montreal, says Pierre LeBrun

Two weeks ago, no one could guess Kent Hughes’ plan leading up to the NHL trade deadline.

But things are different now as I write these lines.

Why? Because, well… The Canadiens are no longer winning. The team has lost six of its last seven games and is falling out of the race for a playoff spot.

At this moment, we know that the Canadiens’ GM would like to add a young player to his roster within a month.

But on the other hand, we don’t know if Hughes will want to trade some of his players at the deadline.

On that subject, Jake Evans’ name is popular in rumors because he has an advantageous salary ($1.7M) and possesses the qualities to help a team that wants to make a playoff run.

However, the Canadiens will not let him go for nothing: Pierre LeBrun, in the recent episode of Radar, insists that he doesn’t see the Canadiens trading Evans unless it’s for a second-round pick (or better).

And even then, the informant is reluctant because the Canadiens already have several quality picks.

LeBrun also specified that the Canadiens will not trade Evans for a prospect.

Kent Hughes will have no choice but to call other teams if Evans has not signed a new contract by March 7.

The Canadiens’ GM might risk keeping him in mind to offer him a new contract this summer. But if Evans decides to test the market and the Canadiens lose his services for nothing, Hughes will regret it.

Since we’re at it, he might as well send him elsewhere to get something in return…

Let’s remember that the Canadiens were offered a second-round pick for Evans in the last draft and they declined the offer.

That said, I don’t see why Hughes would choose to trade him for a second-round pick, especially with the season Evans is having… Unless he is convinced that Evans will leave via free agency in a few months.

That would be illogical, at least…

All this to say that there is one month left before the NHL trade deadline and Jake Evans’ name continues to draw attention.

The noise is likely to amplify before March 7, that being said!

In Brief

— Marcus Pettersson is already highly regarded in Vancouver.

— The Canadiens are no longer there…

— Another matter in the Bregman case.

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The CH has the 3rd best bank of hopes in the NHL, according to The Athletic

The Canadiens have good prospects within the organization.

The management has done well in the draft in recent years, which suggests that good seasons are on the horizon for Montreal.

If the guys develop well, the Canadiens will have the tools to compete against the best NHL teams in five years.

Scott Wheeler (The Athletic), who is a prospect specialist, is currently completing his annual exercise.

He ranks (in order) the best prospect pools in the NHL… And today, he shared his article on the Canadiens.

Wheeler ranks the Canadiens’ prospect pool 3rd in the NHL and he also rated the best young players in the organization.

His list looks like this:

  • Ivan Demidov
  • Jacob Fowler
  • David Reinbacher
  • Michael Hage
  • Logan Mailloux
  • Joshua Roy
  • Owen Beck
  • Jakub Dobes
  • Oliver Kapanen
  • Adam Engström
  • Filip Mesar
  • Bogdan Konyushkov
  • William Trudeau
  • Yevgeni Volohkin
  • Florian Xhekaj

The list makes sense:

You will notice that Lane Hutson is not listed, but that’s normal.

The defender is no longer a prospect since he already has 60 games under his belt in the NHL.

We can also see that Logan Mailloux appears on Scott Wheeler’s ranking even though he is currently with the Canadiens. The difference is that he has only played seven games in his NHL career.

However, we shouldn’t assume too quickly that Mailloux will be sent back to the AHL shortly. Kaiden Guhle’s injury complicates things for the Canadiens, after all…

All in all, the Canadiens are equipped to go to war in the coming years, and that’s why we say that patience is needed with the rebuild.

Kent Hughes also has what it takes to build a significant trade because he also has several quality draft picks in the coming years.

That being said, it’s frustrating to see the team lose regularly as they have for the past two weeks because we want the team to progress.

But hey. It’s rain before the sunshine… Right?

In Brief

– Will he be able to play?

– It takes guts!

– A perfect combination.

– Enjoy reading.

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Patrik Laine has only one goal at five-on-five (in 26 games)

We know what the problem is with Patrik Laine.

The guy has all the skills necessary to be one of the best players in the National Hockey League, but the will is not always there in his case.

If he doesn’t feel like playing, it’s pretty noticeable. And for the past two weeks, it seems more glaring than ever…

Laine helped the Canadiens in his own way upon his return to play by scoring 12 goals in his first 18 games in the Tricolore uniform.

Since then? It’s been radio silence.

But when we look at Laine’s performance game by game since his return, we also notice that 10 of his 12 goals have been scored on the power play.

Below the table, I’ve highlighted the two games where we saw him score at even strength.

But be careful: during the game against the Rangers, Laine scored at even strength… But in overtime, three on three.

This means he has one goal at five-on-five in 26 games:

(Credit: ESPN.com)

One goal in 26 games (at five-on-five)… That’s also three goals (at five-on-five) over the course of a full 82-game season.

We agree that for a player of Patrik Laine’s caliber, that is unacceptable. He earns a salary of $8.7 million per season and he needs to find a way to help the team.

Kent Hughes did not take a big risk by acquiring him from Columbus since it practically cost nothing.

I have nothing against Jordan Harris… But I don’t miss him either, and I’m sure it’s the same for many of you.

That being said, I have the impression that Laine is slowly starting to distance himself from Montreal due to how he is playing.

In fact, I have a hard time believing that the Canadiens’ management is impressed seeing him dragging his feet on the ice… And I also have a hard time believing that the management sees him as an indispensable player in Martin St-Louis’s lineup right now.

He has one year left on his contract after the current season, and if he doesn’t wake up, the chances of him staying in Montreal are going to be very slim.

At least, it would be illogical for the Canadiens – who have a culture where all players must give their all to win – to offer a new contract to a player who seems to be simply disinterested in the sport right now.

In Brief

– Me too!

– I’m excited. What about you?

– Mitch Marner is ready to make his return.

– The question is raised.

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LPHF: a (small) fine of $250 for Marie-Philip Poulin

In the NHL, when a player is fined, they must pay a $5,000 penalty. Each time, it sparks reactions since $5,000 is not much for millionaires.

This is a comment that often comes up.

It’s worth noting that this is how it is because the maximum amount that can be given to a player is limited. It cannot be too high… and we must keep in mind that the real financial punishments come when a player is suspended.

But still. All this to say that the amounts of fines raise eyebrows in hockey.

And on this topic, we can discuss what happens in the PHF when a fine is issued. This is a subject that has been discussed in recent moments due to what happened with Marie-Philip Poulin.

The player from the Victoire, who made a dangerous move on the ice, was fined. And seeing that she was “relieved” of an amount of $250 really made waves.

After all, $250 is not much.

Obviously, when we put things into perspective, we see that the PHF has a minimum salary of $35,000. And if we compare $250 on $35,000 or $5,000 on $775,000 in the NHL, we arrive at a result that looks similar.

In the NHL, it’s 0.6% of the annual salary. And in the PHF, it’s 0.7% of the annual salary. They are comparable.

That said, Marie-Philip Poulin does not earn the minimum wage, and that’s where we see that $250 for the action that occurred on the ice is not much. It was a big incident, after all.

It should be noted that the fact that the opponent was not injured played a part in the decision not to give a game misconduct penalty to the captain of the Montreal Victoire.

In Brief

– Nice catch.

– Great play by Ivan Demidov.

– Nico Hischier skating.

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For four matches, Jakub Dobes has not been up to the mark

When Jakub Dobes arrived in the NHL, he was breaking everything. We all knew, of course, that he couldn’t maintain such a cruising pace.

But for the past four games, it’s different.

As Simon-Olivier Lorange mentioned on social media, for the last four games, Dobes’ stats resemble a return to reality for the hope of the Flanelle.

The first four games of Jakub Dobes:

4-0-0
0.98
.963

His last four games:

1-2-1
3.95
.881

If you’re looking for a return to reality, there it is.

— Simon-Olivier Lorange (@so-lorange.bsky.social) February 6, 2025 at 03:22

Obviously, a goalie has ups and downs in a career. That’s normal.

But it forces us to wonder, due to the circumstances, if Dobes shouldn’t go play games in the minors and eventually dominate at the American League level.

Would you be surprised to learn that after the weekend (I would play him on Sunday if I were Martin St-Louis), he went to Laval on the sidelines of the Four Nations Showdown?

Not me either.

I’m not saying that’s going to happen… but the CH is no longer actively in a playoff race with Dobes stopping everything that moves. The situation has changed with the Canadiens.

Without saying he needs to be sent down right now, it’s clear he would benefit from it. And it’s also clear that Cayden Primeau is playing like a goalie who could deserve another chance up top… #Undefeated

Ultimately, it will come down to what the CH wants to do with Dobes. If they want to have him play in the minors because it would be better long-term, so be it. But if it’s judged that he benefits more from working with the Canadiens, then keep him for a little while longer.

But right now, circumstances raise questions. This wasn’t a discussion that was possible in mid-January, let’s say.

Let’s also remember that the Canadiens will surely want answers about Cayden Primeau by the end of the season. With Jacob Fowler pushing, significant questions will arise this summer regarding the netminding situation.

Therefore, the CH must place Dobes in a good position, but also position themselves advantageously to make an informed decision this summer regarding the management of the organization’s goaltenders.

In Brief

— The hopeful of the CH will have more playing time by changing teams.

— Will he return to play tonight?

— Patience with Juraj Slafkovsky. [BPM Sports]

— Enjoy the listen.

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Dylan Cozens: not the only target of the Canadiens, who want to add a young player within a month

We do not yet know what Kent Hughes will do by March 7. But we know that everything is on the table.

We do not know if the GM will take a “traditional” strategy by being a seller or a buyer, as it is also possible to believe that the Canadiens could adopt a hybrid strategy.

After all, what would stop the Canadiens from doing both if the possibilities are on the table?

It is possible that the Habs might want to trade a rental player. And if that is the case, one could think that Joel Armia is just attractive enough to be traded, but he is not too little attractive (Christian Dvorak) or too important for the Habs (Jake Evans, David Savard) this season.

And indeed, regarding this subject, Elliotte Friedman (32 Thoughts, Sportsnet) wrote that Armia’s performances are being noticed elsewhere in the NHL.

It is true that in his role, a club might want him. And if he performs well in Finland’s colors in the coming weeks, he could really raise interest in him.

Time will tell what Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton think about all this.

But just because the Canadiens are potentially considering trading a player like Armia, for example, does not mean that acquiring a piece for the future cannot be done right now instead of waiting until this summer. It would allow for replacing Armia in the lineup.

The name of Dylan Cozens has circulated widely since yesterday. It is still a possibility.

But as Marco D’Amico (RG media) reports, Cozens is not the only player the Canadiens have on their radar. Adding a young player to the core – and doing it in the next month – is a goal for the team.

If it is not Cozens (who will not easily be pried away from Buffalo… especially for a division rival that does not want to part with its first-round picks before knowing how the 2025 draft will unfold), and it is someone else, that works too.

In addition to Cozens, the names of Trevor Zegras and Casey Mittelstadt are also in discussion. This is nothing new as these names have already been circulating in Montreal.

Bowen Byram could also be one to watch if the team decides to make a move on the blue line. So in other words: anything is possible for the Canadiens.

In brief

– Good news for Team Canada.

– Stay tuned.

– To note.

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Patrik Laine is not the same anymore: he should have shut his mouth

My grandmother always told me to always – because I often had the habit of getting into trouble – to bite my tongue seven times before speaking.

Marco, my buddy from childhood, would just tell me to shut my mouth.

It meant the same thing, even though it didn’t sound the same to my ears.

I don’t know what tone to take with Patrik Laine, but the message would be the same: you should have shut your mouth, Pat.

You’ll understand that I am referring to the comments made by the Finnish winger on December 23rd, when the CH was about to face the Blue Jackets. Laine had admitted to asking for a trade because he was tired of losing in Ohio, feeling that not all players and management had a winner mentality, and that he was fed up seeing his team give up, only to focus on the upcoming season by December.

The irony is that the Blue Jackets have four more points than the Canadiens this morning in the standings…

Mathieu Olivier and Zach Werenski were questioned about this, and there was no doubt: their former teammate’s comments had disturbed them. It was no coincidence that all Blue Jackets players were hitting Laine hard (on the shoulder) and that the main interested party did not play the last two periods of the game.

Why am I bringing up these events?

Because since that afternoon, Patrik Laine is no longer the same. And the numbers prove it.

Before December 23rd, Laine had scored 8 goals and 1 assist in 9 games. We’re talking about a pace of one point per game and nearly one goal per game.

Since then? He has only obtained 4 goals and 5 assists in 17 games! That’s about one point every two games… and one goal every four games.

Patrik Laine has not been the same since his outing in Columbus.
(Credit: Getty Images)

Laine is paid $9.1 million this season and will receive the same amount next year. Most of that money is offered to him to score goals. 4 in 17 games isn’t enough to justify such a salary.

It’s as if something has broken in Patrik Laine’s mind. #Swag

He still indicated a few days ago that his confidence was not very high at the moment…

There is a reason why the Canadiens got Patrik Laine at a discount. We’re currently experiencing it. Laine is a scoring machine who – when not in his zone and not filling the net – isn’t of much use otherwise. Effort, physicality, leadership, defensive play… those are sadly lacking.

Jean Trudel raised the hypothesis this week that Laine didn’t enjoy playing hockey.

It’s clear that when you finish eight games in a row with a neutral or negative differential, playing hockey is less fun…

Even more so when you are the least used player in a game like last night!

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Martin St-Louis: “The guys need to be honest about their performances.”

Do you want to use the excuse of fatigue to talk about the Canadiens’ loss to the Kings – and the team’s ugly streak – last night? No? Know that Jake Evans feels the same way.

When asked about it after last night’s game, the Canadiens center did not seem to be a satisfied customer regarding how the Montreal Canadiens have been playing lately.

In his view, everyone has a busy schedule, and the team can’t lean on that to justify the losses. He primarily acknowledges that the team was not ready for their match last night.

And that was the point.

The Habs shouldn’t be searching for excuses because it was a matter of starting the game on time. We can see this sometimes with the team whether the guys are rested or not.

This means the problem lies elsewhere.

Regarding that, last night, Martin St-Louis did not try to shield his guys. On the contrary: he took advantage of the defeat to remind that some needed to do more.

According to the coach, it starts on an individual level. St-Louis asks his players if they can be more alert or if they can give more on the ice.

It’s rare for him to speak this way.

Guys need to be honest about their performances and efforts. – Martin St-Louis

One might think that Patrik Laine, who has really been slowing down for a while, was specifically targeted. Yesterday, he was the least utilized skater for the Habs (11:33), and it was deserved.

Will this yield results?

in brief

– Interesting.

– Yeah.

– Simon Nemec recalled.

– Worth reading.

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12 consecutive matches coming from behind: that explains the position of the CH in the standings

“Playing catch-up hockey” is a cliché in the sports world. But it is for a reason.

After all, when you are always playing from behind, you can only play a different kind of hockey that is less conducive to victory. It’s just normal.

And these days, it partly explains why the Canadiens are just two points away from second to last place in the East.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Because yes, the Flannel is just sliding down the standings these days. The fact of always losing games and always playing catch-up hockey leads to these results.

Ah, the ups and downs of a rebuilding phase…

Reconstruction Jean Perron GIFfrom Reconstruction GIFs

It should be noted that for the last 12 games, the Canadiens have been behind in each of their matches. This information was provided by statistician Guillaume Villemaire.

And in the last 18 games, it has happened… 17 times.

In yesterday’s defeat by a score of 6-3 against the Kings, it was clear that the CH didn’t have it. Right from the start of the game, it was moving way too fast for Martin St-Louis’s men.

Seven shots (and one goal) in 99 seconds of play? That’s not ideal.

Clearly, the Montreal team was dominated by its opponents. During the match, the team recorded 16 fewer shots (37 to 21) than the locals, and on the ice, the eye test showed it reflected the nature of the game.

The advanced stats can’t tell us that the CH looked good there…

What caused the Canadiens to lose their match for the second time in three games in California? What were the elements of the defeat?

There are several. And the fact that the Canadian national anthem was sung in French is not one of them…

1. The power play had a little revival against the Sharks, but otherwise, lately, it has been struggling. And when a team has difficulty capitalizing on its power play opportunities, it doesn’t help.

The CH’s PP looks disorganized, and it’s possibly one of the aspects that made Martin St-Louis say that some needed to give more.

2. Jakub Dobes doesn’t have much offensive support, but he still allowed five goals on 36 shots. He is no longer as hot as he was at the start of his NHL career. That’s not unusual, but…

But getting a little more from him would help.

3. Logan Mailloux is not having a strong season in Laval. He is expected to take on a more defensive role, and last night, in his first NHL game in 2025, he wasn’t perfect.

But he found a way to score a goal.

4. When Nick Suzuki is not at his best, he hurts the Canadiens’ chances. And as the guys from the Morning Club discussed this morning at BPM Sports, the CH needs a healthy Suzuki to win.

And for three games now, he has been struggling a bit more than before.

5. Patrik Laine was the least used player by the Canadiens yesterday. He only played for 11:33… and it was deserved as he again looked very poor on the ice.

He’s going to need to step up.

Patrik Laine was the least used player by Martin St-Louis against the Kings, with a playing time of 11:33.

He has been blanked from the score sheet for a 6th game in a row.

— pfrioletrds.bsky.social (@pfrioletrds.bsky.social) February 6, 2025 at 02:25

Overtime

The Canadiens will be back in Montreal today. There won’t be a practice, which is normal given all the traveling and to allow the guys to rest.

After that, the goal will be to prepare for the Devils and the Lightning during the famous Super Bowl weekend at the Bell Centre. These will be the last two games before the break.