Author: Dose

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Nashville rumors: Two Preds scouts will be at the Bell Centre tonight

Like last season, things aren’t going well in Nashville.

The Predators, at the time of writing, sit second-to-last in the overall National League standings. Nothing is working for the club… and that’s nothing new either.

As a result, there are a number of names floating around out there right now. Ryan O’Reilly, Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault…

All three have been linked to the Canadiens in recent weeks.

And do you know what?

Tonight, for the CH’s game against the Capitals… there will be two Preds scouts at the Bell Centre to observe the game. Is this just a coincidence… or is there something going on?

It’s all very interesting.

We know the Canadiens are looking for help… and we know at the same time that the Predators seem ready to make a move. Things are so bad in Nashville that it’s almost impossible to believe that Barry Trotz is going to keep his club going the way it is right now.

And ultimately, the two clubs know each other well too.

The Habs traded Justin Barron to the Preds last year in exchange for Alexandre Carrier, and it’s clear that Kent Hughes and Barry Trotz can dance together.

Could this happen again any time soon? I don’t know… but it’s hard to imagine that the Preds’ two scouts will be at the Bell Centre eating hot dogs tonight.

Overtime

– I love this.

– What a beautiful club, the Avalanche.

– Oh.

– Nice lineup.

– MLB news.

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“Emil Heineman would fit in well on the Canadiens’ top-6 right now”

Emil Heineman is having the time of his life on Long Island.

The former Canadiens forward has scored nine goals in 20 games so far this season, and is one of the NHL’s pleasant surprises of 25-26.

It’s a shame in a way… because right now, the Canadiens could use a player like him. I talked about this in a recent article:

Grant McCagg, on his podcast, pushed the note even further, saying that Heineman would fit nicely on the team’s top-6 right now. And in fact, he’s right… because we’ve yet to see Zachary Bolduc’s usefulness on the team’s top-6.

There’s a certain “problem” on the wing on the Habs’ first two lines, and Heineman, who’s scoring goals at a really interesting rate, would have the qualities to help the club offensively.

Emil Heineman may not have been used in the right way in Montreal. He had a depth role, and although we saw some nice flashes from him, we didn’t see him becoming an arch-important player offensively.

And it’s worth mentioning that his injury (he was hit by a car in January) changed him a little. He was never the same after that…

That said, you have to pay to get, and not many people are disappointed with the deal because Noah Dobson has been playing well all season. It’s no secret that the Canadiens made a good move to solidify their defensive brigade.

Except that it’s true, on some levels, that Emil Heineman could be useful right now in Montreal.

Especially as he heads for a 37-goal season… and the Habs are looking for ways to score even more right now.

Overtime

– Montreal CF has unveiled its schedule for the upcoming season.

– Yikes. He should have been suspended.

– Bon.

– That’s right.

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Kirby Dach: André Roy can’t do it anymore (and he didn’t beat around the bush to say so)

Kirby Dach is sidelined (again).

The Canadiens’ forward was injured last week while blocking a shot, and the Habs announced that he would miss four of the next six weeks with a fractured foot.

And now things are getting a little too heavy for André Roy. The former National League player didn’t mince his words when talking about #77…

Roy, on Martin Lemay’s show, spilled his guts and said he couldn’t take Kirby’s situation anymore. Seeing him fall in battle too often is hurting the team, and André Roy is clearly having a hard time accepting it.

His comments aren’t gentle:

I can understand where it’s coming from. Sure, it’s a bummer, knowing that Dach is a fragile guy… but at the same time, I feel like we have to give him a break too.

Calvary. The guy got hurt sacrificing himself for the team and blocked a pitch that was going over 100 KM/H. Nobody can blame him for that…

It’s mostly the timing of the injury that hurts because Dach really looked like he was getting his confidence back before he got hurt.

He was more involved on the ice, we were seeing him do Kirby-like dekes, we saw him score a (very) nice goal against the Mammoth two weeks ago… And he got hurt just as things were starting to go well for him.

I can’t wait to see if he’ll be able to get back into the swing of things when he returns to the game. That would be ideal, because the Canadiens need everyone’s help right now, but hey.

It could be a long time before that happens, too. And that certainly won’t please André Roy…

Overtime

– Nice goal.

– Ryan Leonard: a player to watch tonight.

– I wish him well.

– Vamos !

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Alexandre Texier is placed in the waivers

Alexandre Texier’s name has been circulating a lot since this morning.

The forward seems to have made the rounds in St. Louis, and the Blues gave a big hint as to what they think of him by removing him this morning from the team’s official 23-man roster.

Now we learn that the Blues have also placed him in the waivers.

What’s important to know is that the Blues did not place him in the waivers in order to terminate his contract. That could happen if the forward isn’t claimed by tomorrow… and we’ll be keeping an eye on him if it does.

After all,we’re talking about the Canadiens when it comes to Texier.

More details to come…

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From Sidney Crosby and Nazem Kadri to David Kampf and Alexandre Texier

It’s amazing how quickly things change in the hockey world.

For years, the Canadiens were immersed in a rebuilding process. The club was more concerned with selling off established players than anything else.

And it was the right thing to do.

Now that the Canadiens are turning the corner on their rebuilding process, we’ve seen some big names floating around town. Nazem Kadri is one… and Sidney Crosby is obviously another.

But that was just a few weeks ago.

If we look at what’s been happening more recently, we see that it’s more David Kampf and Alexandre Texier who are (or have been) attracting attention in town.

And it’s not the same quality of player. Texier hasn’t had it easy in recent years, and his performances on the ice show that he’s not an impact player. Not everyone can be a star, but it shows that the Habs are elsewhere.

(Credit: Hockey DB)

Obviously, because the Canadiens are more desperate on the market than they were, they need to broaden their targets. The club’s performance and , above all, the injuries have changed the game, forcing Kent Hughes to broaden his horizons.

And since he certainly doesn’t want to be taken for a ride, now is not the time to shoot for the moon.

But the NHL context has also changed. There are so many injuries and so much parity in the standings that it’s harder than ever to make a deal.

Because yes, the state of the standings must be taken into account. Right now, the Penguins’ #87 is not up for trade, for example.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Since many players on bad teams don’t necessarily want to leave, and other organizations are better than we thought, it’s a perfect mix.

And that’s why, at the moment, the market looks like… what it is. But it can change again, you know…

overtime

– Team Canada has its eye on Matthew Schaefer.

– Really?

– Yes.

– Of note.

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Tom Wilson in town: Nick Suzuki and Josh Anderson must hope he screws up

Tonight, the Washington Capitals will be in town.

Which reminds us that this is the first NHL organization many of the club’s youngsters have faced in the playoffs, last spring.

Will this make the game more… special?

By necessity, Tom Wilson will get a lot of attention during the game. I expect him to be loudly booed by the Montreal crowd because of what he did in the last series.

I also expect Josh Anderson to try to slap him in the face.

I don’t know if Anderson, a player built for the playoffs, will try to revive himself with a match against Wilson. It could have that effect… or it could take the habs veteran out of his game even more.

Either way, Anderson will have to hope Wilson screws up tonight at the Bell Centre.

That said, he’s not the only Canadiens player who has to hope Wilson plays a bad one. I say that because, inevitably, there could be Team Canada representatives in the stands.

And if Wilson plays a better one than Nick Suzuki, it could increase the Washington player’s chances of breaking into his country’s Olympic line-up.

Now more than ever, it’s clear that Wilson is battling it out with the Nick Suzukis, Connor Bedards and Macklin Celebrinis of this world for a spot in the Canadiens lineup in Italy.

So yes, the Habs captain, who is playing through a foot injury, needs to play a big one.

overtime

– Nick Paul back in action.

– How does development work for the Habs? [TVAS]

– Of course it does.

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Alexandre Texier out of Blues lineup (hours after Habs rumors)

This morning, we put in a good word: the case of Frenchman Alexandre Texier is the talk of St. Louis.

Basically, the forward is hardly playing for the Blues any more, and he’s thinking of doing what David Kampf did: getting out of his contract and simply signing elsewhere.

I wonder how much of a fad this will become for players whose contracts are a little too onerous ($2.1m for Texier) to be easily traded.

Elliotte Friedman raised the possibility of the Canadiens becoming interested in the Blues’ player.

What you need to know is that an informer like him doesn’t talk just for the sake of talking. Often, when he says something, it’s because there’s something to it.

Does this mean that Texier is automatically coming to Montreal? Not necessarily. But it does mean that there’s something going on in the Frenchman’s file – and that the Habs are watching with interest.

And now, this morning, the Blues have announced that, in order to make room for Jake Neighbours in the 23-player line-up, Texier has been taken out of the 23-player line-up.

Now considered a non-roster player following the personnel move, Texier really seems to have come full circle in the Blues organization.

After all, if he’d been injured, he’d have headed for the injured list. Non-roster status is not a treatment normally reserved for stars, let’s face it.

I don’t know how the next few days will pan out, but I really wouldn’t be surprised to see Texier released from his contract in the very near future.

And if that’s the case, Kent Hughes will no doubt be calling his agent.

overtime

– Wow.

– Not so fast.

– Notice to interested parties.

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While the Habs have two #2 goalies, the Rocket have two #1 goalies

The Canadiens are currently weathering their first storm of the season; Monday night’s loss in Columbus was their sixth in seven games.

Since the start of November, the Montrealers have won just two games out of a possible eight. And the Habs have suffered two thaws in front of their fans at the Bell Centre..

Martin St-Louis finds himself this morning with two goalkeepers whose performances are more akin to those of #2 goalkeepers (or #3, even). Unfortunately, neither Jakub Dobes nor Samuel Montembeault is currently capable of defending the Montreal cage with the aplomb of a true NHL #1 goaltender. And this is reflected in the team’s collective performance.

Jakub Dobes was excellent at the start of the campaign, but Martin St-Louis insisted on taking the net away from him and constantly giving it back to Montembeault, in an attempt to revitalize the Québécois (and follow through on the plan he had put in place before the start of the season). St-Louis even went so far as to say – on November 5 – that he thought Samuel Montembeault was the goaltender capable of taking on the bulk of the Canadiens’ workload.

Since then, Jakub Dobes has been a shadow of his former self, allowing 12 goals in three games (three losses). Reminder: he hadn’t lost a single game prior to this public outing by St-Louis..

Except now, the Habs coach admits it: Montembeault and Dobes are starting to compete. All he does now is promote Montembeault’s abilities.

Yes, there is competition between the two, but it exists first and foremost because Xhekaj Dobes has lost his mojo. When you dominate so much for a month, and your coach is constantly praising your competitor, who’s getting the better of you, it can play on your mind..

Until you break down in front of the media after your first defeat! #Remember

Tonight, Montembeault will be in net against the Capitals (at the Bell Centre). Will the Capitals players try to upset the emotional Jakub Dobes on the bench? Dobes and several Capitals players don’t seem to like each other since the last series between the two clubs. Remember the scrum Dobes started in Game #3 last spring, when he was on the bench?

Tonight, I agree: we should have sent Samuel Montembeault in front of the net… but there are several starts I would have given to Dobes rather than Montembeault in October.

Reverse scenario in Laval
While in Montreal, Martin St-Louis and Éric Raymond have to deal with two goaltenders who are struggling to string together good performances – Dobes had a .813 save percentage and a 4.34 goals-against average in November – Pascal Vincent and Marco Marciano have a completely different picture in Laval: Jacob Fowler and Kaapo Kahkonen both have the makings of starting goaltenders in the AHL.

Jacob Fowler is one of the best goaltenders on the circuit so far this season: 6-4-0, 2.11 and .921. He has also recorded three shutouts.

Kaapo Kahkonen’s stats are almost as good for an AHL guy: 4-2-0, 2.35 and .919.

What are the stats of the Canadiens’ goalies so far this season?

(Credit: NHL.com)

What’s more, neither Dobes nor Montembeault has managed to record a shutout so far in 2025-26.

I don’t want to rush things, but if the Habs’ two goalies don’t settle down soon, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton will have to seriously consider recalling Jacob Fowler to Montreal. You can’t keep rolling with two goalies who have allowed 19 goals in their last four outings, when the objective this season is clear: to be in the mix for the playoffs.

How patient will Montreal management be with their goalkeepers?

overtime

– Some Canadiens clubs need to give more.

– The Maple Leafs aren’t thinking of changing coaches.

– The Dodgers want to win.

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RUMOR: Artemi Panarin to return to Russia in 2026

The New York Rangers and Artemi Panarin are unable to agree on the terms of a new contract. Why can’t they?

Of course, one wonders whether it’s a question of money, whether it’s because Panarin wants out… or whether it’s because of the controversies surrounding the Russian that may be chilling the New York club.

That, too, could be a factor.

But according to Alex Kovalev, Panarin’s New York neighbor and NHL legend , the problem may not be New York per se.

Kovalev says the rumor right now is that Panarin is considering returning to Russia as soon as his contract expires (in seven months) to play in the KHL.

The former Canadiens star, who gave an interview to Sergei Demidov of RG media, isn’t sure if this is what’s going to happen, but he seems confident enough to talk about it publicly.

I imagine that if it were completely untrue, he wouldn’t want to destroy his relationship with his compatriot by saying such things for five minutes of internet fame.

It’s not like the Artist.

Kovy advised Panarin to sign with a club where he would feel comfortable and not just prioritize money. That fits in with a potential return to Russia.

Will Panarin, who could break the bank in 2026 if he decides to stay in North America, be traded at the trade deadline if things go badly for the Rangers?

More than ever, it seems possible.

overtime

– Yes, he can do better.

– Indeed.

– The Habs were scouting the Sabres and Flames yesterday.

– It’s injury season in the NHL.

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Habs rumor mill: Alexandre Texier to watch, says Elliotte Friedman

The Habs are in a bad way. Everyone knows it.

Obviously, the job of management and the players is not to panic. Everyone has to stay calm in order to right the ship.

That’s how the players see it,” says Samuel Montembeault. He can’t say otherwise publicly, but hey.

But without panicking, GM Kent Hughes can still make a move to help his team down the road. It’s only natural, given the state of things.

Clearly, several names are worth keeping an eye on.

Of the lot? Elliotte Friedman wonders if Alexandre Texier could do what David Kampf did, i.e. get out from under his contract ($2.1 M per year, restricted free agent in 2026) and look elsewhere.

Friedman mentioned this in his latest 32 Thoughts, considering the Frenchman has played just one game since October 28.

Note that the Canadiens are the only team named by Friedman in his text. It’s probably not the only possibility, but still.

Texier is a 6’1 winger who wouldn’t be there to play with Nick Suzuki, let’s say. His arrival wouldn’t have the same effect as another Alexandre (Carrier) in Montreal, but could it help?

(Credit: Hockey DB)

Because that’s just it, right now: the big names aren’t necessarily available on the market. It’s the smaller targets that could change address.

Pierre LeBrun wrote about this in a recent article: even if the Flames aren’t in a hurry to trade Blake Coleman, he’s the kind of guy the Canadiens are keeping an eye on.

(Credit: Hockey DB)

It’s unclear whether the winger will be traded, as he’s earning an average of $4.9 million a year through 2027. But the 33-year-old veteran would add depth.

Is this really the kind of guy the Habs want? Does his experience as a (two-time) champion in Tampa Bay fit in with what the Canadiens are looking for? I have the feeling that the player’s profile is attractive.

Because, in reality, if the Habs are looking for a star, it could be complex. Why would that be? Because teams don’t want to sell, but also because contracts complicate matters.

Nazem Kadri, for example, is loved by the Flames owner, who is not keen to part with him.

There’s also Jonathan Marchessault, who has always been in the Canadiens’ sights. But his salary ($5.5 million per year until 2029) is hard to absorb.

And that’s not counting the fact that, like Jordan Kyrou (non-trade), the Preds’ Québécois player seems in no hurry to lift his non-movement clause.

Speaking of non-movement clauses, Steven Stamkos is also a name to keep in mind… but he doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave either.

Renaud Lavoie would be surprised if the Ontarian wanted to uproot his family from Nashville in the short term.

overtime

– To watch.

– To read.

– Patrick Roy’s anger was well received in the Islanders dressing room. [TVAS]

– Enjoy.

– Wow.