Author: Dose

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Elliotte Friedman: “Sidney Crosby will definitely not be traded this summer.”

Let’s agree on one thing right off the bat: seeing Sidney Crosby end his career somewhere other than Pittsburgh would be… special. It’s just that seeing him wear a uniform other than the Penguins’ that would be odd in a way, but ultimately, this idea refuses to die because of the Penguins’ current situation. But ultimately, that idea refuses to die because of the Penguins’ current situation. In the eyes of Elliotte Friedman, however, the idea should be forgotten… at least for now. Because in the recent episode of his 32 Thoughts Podcast, the tipster was quite clear when talking about #87. And those who want to see Crosby play for the Canadiens in 25-26 will be disappointed…

He’ll start the year with the Penguins, I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. And he definitely won’t be traded this summer.

–

Elliotte Friedman

[content-ads] Should we be surprised? Not necessarily. We know Crosby loves the city, we know he loves the Penguins organization… and we know he loves playing in Pittsburgh. But, on the other hand, one has to wonder if Crosby’s vision can change if the Penguins have another miserable year. His desire to win is still there, and to see him end his career with a club that’s going nowhere… it seems sad in a way. Because in reality, the main man deserves the opportunity to play for a Stanley Cup contender. He deserves the chance to win because he’s still one of the NHL’s great players, even though he’ll be celebrating his 38th in three days, on August 7. His stats don’t lie, after all:

(Credit: HockeyDB screenshot)

What happens next will be interesting… especially if the Penguins miss the playoffs for a fourth year in a row – as is expected.

Then again, you have to wonder if Crosby’s lack of success in Pittsburgh will get him out of there… but at the same time, we know it’s up to him too. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Please note:

– It’s crazy.

– Well done.

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Center #2: bad news on Kirby Dach revives debate

This morning, our colleague Maxime Truman broke the news that Kirby Dach is still recovering from his knee injury, which means that his active participation in training camp as a healthy player is in jeopardy. Dach is training in Edmonton this summer, far from Montreal.

There’s a chance Dach won’t be ready to play in October, which is a step back from the predictions at the start of his injury. There’s also a chance he’ll be able to play, but not in a top-6 role. In other words? Whatever the reason, there’s a good chance he won’t be the club’s #2 center at the start of the year. We already knew there was a good chance someone other than Dach would be the club’s #2 center at the start of the season. So the debate is back on: who will be the club’s #2 center, behind Nick Suzuki, on October 8 in Toronto? content-ads]We’ll take it for granted that Ivan Demidov will play on the wing on the second line.I don’t think Martin St-Louis will ask the Québécois to start the season at center, although that’s not completely impossible either.

If we go to the club’s “natural” center players, the options are slim. Joe Veleno and Jake Evans have more of a bottom-6 profile than a second-line center. And I don’t think an Oliver Kapanen or Owen Beck would make the club in such a high chair. Sorry, Grant[content-ads]All the scenarios that have been named are plausible. But we agree that if Dach isn’t healthy on October 8, the player most likely to occupy that chair is Alex Newhook. Until proven otherwise, that’s where he finished the year. The problem? Newhook wasn’t the one who best complemented Ivan Demidov at the end of the year.If Newhook had made plays like that more often, Demidov would have had more points in seven games in North America:

Is it possible to see Kent Hughes move? It’s possible, as he’s already moved in August in the past to get reinforcements for the Canadiens. But don’t be surprised if Newhook has a big role (second center) at the start of the 2025-2026 season, regardless. If so, Newhook will have to take advantage of it. After two seasons in Montreal, he hasn’t shown that he’s indispensable, and more and more youngsters will be pushing his buttons to take his place, so if he gets an audition, he’d better not miss out. [spacer title=’Overtime’]- Still.

– Indeed.

– Of note.

– Interesting.

– He’s not small.

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Knee operation: Kirby Dach not yet back on his feet

Two years ago to the day, Canadiens fans were optimistic about Kirby Dach’s future in Montreal: the 6’4 forward had just collected 38 points in 58 games – in his first campaign in Quebec – and many wondered whether Dach had a better chance of establishing himself as a first NHL center than captain Nick Suzuki.

The past 730 days have proven otherwise, but that’s not the point this morning. Since joining the Canadiens, Dach has earned a reputation as a fragile player. Virus, shoulder, upper body (concussion?), lower body, knee(ACL and MCL), knee again… Let’s just say that injuries haven’t spared Dach since he arrived in Montreal. In fact, injuries haven’t spared Dach since he started playing hockey. He has never played more than 70 games in a single season, and has only broken the 60-game barrier three times in nine junior or pro seasons. Last February, Dach underwent a second operation on his right knee in the space of 18 months. Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes may tell us that Kirby Dach is fine,but we still have our doubts. Especially whenyou consider that, with the Canadiens’ recent additions and departures, Kirby Dach is still the team’s second center on the organizational chart. content-ads]Last week, I wondered where Kirby was ? We’ve seen plenty of Habs players skating at the CN Complex this summer, but not Kirby Dach. And I had to work like a monk to catch a glimpse of him in a video filmed at Nick Suzuki’s wedding! Yesterday, I was told that Kirby Dach was spending the summer in Edmonton with Kaiden Guhle – Dach is from Saskatchewan and Guhle is from Alberta – and that Dach was still in rehab.

I repeat: five months after his most recent knee operation and some 40 days before the start of practice camp, Kirby Dach is still not recovered and ready to play.

Good informants spotted him in an Edmonton gym doing squats with loads that look like the ones I used to take when I went to Econofitness, not the ones an NHL player uses [content-ads]This explains it: when he came to Montreal for his captain’s wedding, Kirby Dach couldn’t – or wouldn’t – skate with his teammates in Brossard. It’s worth noting that Dach is also very quiet on social networks – his last post was in November 2024 – probably in an effort to be forgotten… to go unnoticed. Spending the summer in Alberta, rather than in Montreal (with his chums at Osheaga), makes sense, when you think about it…Let’s just say that the chances of Dach starting his season at the same time as everyone else in two months’ time are pretty slim, which is cause for concern for those hoping to see the Canadiens in the playoffs in 2026. Yes, the Kirby Dach problem would be solved if a guy like Mason MacTavish-good offensively, defensively, physically and in the face-off circle-came to Montreal, but let’s just say that the odds of that happening this summer are very low. And you can’t make plans with very improbable things![spacer title=’Prolongation’]Matthew Tkachuk, who was injured last winter while throwing down the gloves at the 4 Nations tournament, underwent surgery last month (hernia and adductor). According to the latest information from Elliotte Friedman, Tkachuk could return to action just before the Olympic Games. Let’s hope Kirby Dach doesn’t have to wait as long as Tkachuk.

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Every year, Kent Hughes carries out a major transaction in August

It’s August 4. The bulk of the 32 NHL teams’ off-season work was done in June and July. Basically, what you see is what you’ll get.But does this mean that nothing will change, and that a major transaction is therefore impossible between now and the start of camp on the Bettman circuit? Not necessarily, no. In fact, if we look at the history of Kent Hughes, who has been in office since January 2022, we can well believe that a transaction is possible in August. Why? Because this has always been the case since the change of regime in Montreal

  • august 18, 2022: Sean Monahan and a first-round pick in 2025 are acquired in exchange for future considerations.
  • august 6, 2023: Nathan Légaré, Casey DeSmith, Jeff Petry and a second pick in 2025 are acquired for Rem Pitlick and Mike Hoffman. The Penguins withheld money in the transaction.
  • august 15, 2023: Gustav Lindstrom and a fourth-round pick in 2025 are acquired for Jeff Petry. The Canadiens retained cash in the transaction.
  • august 19, 2024: Patrik Laine and a second-round pick in 2026 are acquired for Jordan Harris.

[content-ads]What this means is that if you’re hoping to see the Canadiens pick up a Jordan Kyrou or even a Mason McTavish, who is a restricted free agent right now, it’s possible to believe.

If the past is a guarantee of the future, it’s a possibility on the table, at least. On the other hand, you have to qualify something: from 2022 to 2024, the Canadiens weren’t serious about making the playoffs. And there’s a common denominator in the transactions we’ve seen. What is it? The Habs had more leeway than other teams to make the deal in question, and this year, the Canadiens can’t really afford to take on a contract out of Christian charity. And don’t forget that in September, it’s possible that Carey Price’s contract could end up elsewhere. #Sharks? #Penguins?[spacer title=’en rafale’]- Still.

– Where will he go?

– Interesting.

– Victoria Mboko: the new star of Canadiens tennis.[JdeM] – I talked baseball on colleague Félix Forget’s podcast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ywvbo4lammo

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Luka Doncic will make more money in three years than Alex Ovechkin did in 20

As I’ve just written, NHL player salaries are set to rise substantially in the coming years as a result of the salary cap increase. I believe we’ll soon see the first $20 million-plus-a-year contract signed in the National League. That’s a lot of money! However, it’s still a long way from the NBA.

Luka Doncic has just signed a three-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers that will pay him a total of $165 million.

And that’s only the sixth-highest salary in the NBA next season.

As reported by Russian website championat.com, that’s more money than Alex Ovechkin made in his entire career. The Russian field hockey player reportedly made an estimated $161.5 million in 20 years in the National League. And how do you explain this difference in salary? The difference in income partly explains the gap in salaries between the two leagues.According to sportico.com, the NBA generated $10.9 billion versus $6.8 billion for the NHL in 2023.

However, even with the same income, field hockey players would earn less, because the composition of the teams is very different in each of the leagues. A basketball team has only thirteen players in uniform, of whom often only six or seven will play more than 80% of the time in a game.

That’s why teams can be built around 2 or 3 stars or superstars with very big salaries and can aspire to big honors. As we’ve seen with the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s a less guaranteed model for success in hockey. The number of players per team, but also the importance of each skater, not just the stars, mean that the NHL couldn’t pay its athletes the same salaries as the NBA even if it made the same level of revenue.

And under the current system, for a hockey player to earn $50 million a year, the salary cap would have to be $250 million. Let’s just say it’s not going to happen anytime soon. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – He does his mea culpa.

– Tie for most home runs in the National.

– Phillies blank Tigers

–

–

– Good day for the Québécois.

– Nice visit.

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“Juraj Slafkovský has definitely improved his shooting this summer”

Juraj Slafkovský is about to embark on his fourth NHL campaign. The first overall pick in 2022 has shown some interesting flashes since his debut on the Bettman circuit, but he hasn’t yet become the dominant power forward the Habs were hoping to obtain by selecting him.He still has plenty of time to improve, that said.That said,sooner or later, the man entering the first year of an eight-year, $60.8 million contract this season will have to step up to the next level. According to Marco D’Amico, who spoke on The Shaun Starr Show, Slaf has been working on one specific element of his game this summer: his shot.And for D’Amico, there’s no doubt that it’s paying off: the Slovak’s shot has definitely improved. https://youtu.be/uhICL2Nyb3E?si=Ue2BKLdsRBDMgZsl&t=313 [content-ads]In his last two seasons, Slafkovský has scored 20 and 18 goals respectively. That’s not bad, of course… but it’s clear that he’s capable of scoring more.He doesn’t always seem to have confidence in his shot, and that means he often tries to pass the puck to a team-mate rather than sending it to the net.If Slaf has worked on his shot to this extent this summer, it’s safe to assume that he’ll arrive at camp confident in his shot. And if he can really find (and keep) that confidence, he’ll be a much better player. Because, in fact, he didn’t have a bad shot to begin with. What he lacked over the last few years was the confidence to get his shot off with the puck.If he can find that, maybe there’s a world in which he’s approaching thirty goals this season. But for that to happen, obviously, he’ll have to start his season in October rather than February… and that’s a problem in his case too.It’s going to be a big season for Slafkovský, and I like to see him take his ambitions to the next level.Let’s see how it plays out in games now.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Jack Roslovic: 5-6 teams have interest.

– Rick Tocchet wants to give Matvei Michkov a chance to showcase his talent.

– Indeed.

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NHL’s best defensive brigades: the Habs rank 5th, according to Thomas Hickey

When the Canadiens made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021, they did so thanks in part to the brilliance of their defensive quartet. Shea Weber, Jeff Petry, Ben Chiarot and Joel Edmundson all played spectacular hockey… and helped the club make it a long way to the playoffs. But then, all those guys left for various reasons. So, for the past four years, the Habs have had to rebuild their blue line… and they’ve done it brilliantly.

Drafting Lane Hutson, trading for Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier and Noah Dobson, acquiring Arber Xhekaj and finalizing the development of Kaiden Guhle and Jayden Struble: all these guys make up the Montreal squad today… and David Reinbacher could join them one day.And what we see is that the club really does have a quality squad. Five of these guys are at least top-4 calibre, and Dobson’s arrival solves the problem on the right. And across the NHL, there seems to be a growing recognition of what’s happening in Montreal. Thomas Hickey, a former NHL defenseman who works for NHL Network, has put together his top-5 list of the NHL’s best defensive brigades… and he ranks the Canadiens’ 5th.

[content-ads]In fact, according to Hickey, only the Avalanche, Panthers, Stars and Capitals have a better defensive group than the Habs. And when we look at these four teams, we see that they are all among the NHL’s elite.The Habs’ brigade, unlike the others in the rankings, is very young. Matheson (31) and Carrier (28) are a little older, but Noah Dobson is the third-oldest regular defenseman in town… and he’s only 25.So most of them still have time to develop.Of course, there’s no doubt that the Habs have a better squad than last year. David Savard was a great asset to the Habs, but there’s a reason he announced his retirement: his body just couldn’t take it anymore.Replacing Savard with Dobson, one of the best right-handed defensemen in the NHL, is a titanic improvement.To say that the Habs rank 5th in the Bettman circuit in terms of their defensive brigade is perhaps a little audacious. But at the same time, it’s rare to see so many quality defensemen on the same team…[spacer title=’Overtime’]- The guys are having fun.

– Impressive.

– Toronto newcomer didn’t want to leave his native Minnesota,

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Lane Hutson contract: “if he signs long-term, it will be close to Dobson,” according to Friedman

Lane Hutson’s next contract is one that fans of the Montreal Canadiens are eagerly awaiting, and we’re all anxious to see the young defenseman prodigy under contract for several seasons with the Habs, as we all want to see him continue to impress the gallery with every appearance in the colors of the Habs.

Still, there’s no stress in the matter, given that Hutson still has a full season left on his NHL entry-level contract, but we all expect Kent Hughes to succeed in signing Hutson this summer, a year ahead of schedule, as he did with Juraj Slafkovsky and Kaiden Guhle.

Compared to the other two young players, the deal is a little slow, but that’s probably due to a change in the fee structure, linked to the Habs’ major acquisition this summer: originally, the Canadiens’ plan was surely to sign Hutson on a medium/long-term basis for less than Nick Suzuki’s captaincy, i.e. less than $8.875 million a year.

but the arrival of Noah Dobson changed those plans, and set a new scale for Hutson, according to Elliotte Friedman.

[content-ads] Indeed, as he explains in his recent episode of “32 Thoughts”, Friedman believes that from now on, with Dobson on the Habs’ payroll, Hutson’s contract will be very close to Dobson’s ($9.5M x 8 years) if #48 signs long-term.

In the end, this makes perfect sense, given that Noah Dobson will be the club’s first right-handed defenseman, while Hutson will be the Habs’ first left-handed defenseman, so they’ll represent the team’s two best defensemen, and therefore deserve to be paid more or less the same amount of money.

Of course, you have to consider that Dobson’s long-term contract (age 25) buys several years of complete autonomy, much more than the long-term contract that Hutson (age 22 when his next contract comes into effect) could sign.

But even so, we can expect Hutson to sign for only slightly less than Dobson if he agrees to commit to the Habs for 7-8 years. Friedman also points out that there’s been a big “reset” in the market, with the salary cap rising and set to continue rising, which clearly influences contract negotiations.

In short, we can expect to see Hutson sign much closer to Dobson’s $9.5 M than Suzuki’s $8.875 M. In the end, I don’t think anyone would cry if Hutson signed for eight years at $9 M. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Unbelievable.

– Another tight double for McLaren!

– He’s right.

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“I think Samuel Montembeault is guaranteed to be at the next Olympics”

Team Canada has released the list of 42 players invited to the August 26-28 orientation camp, which will be used to evaluate players who could potentially make the roster for this winter’s Olympic Games, which will also mark the return of NHL players for the first time since 2012. Among them are three Canadiens players: Nick Suzuki, Noah Dobson and Samuel Montembeault.

In the case of the Québécois goalkeeper, it’s quite logical, as he’s part of the same line-up of guest goalkeepers that took part in the 4 Nations Confrontation. Since Canada only invited three goalkeepers, we have a good idea of who would be making the trip to Milan with Team Canada.

The question is what role Montembeault will play, having had to settle for third-choice at the 4 Nations when Jordan Binnington got all the starts with Adin Hill as his assistant. While the Canadiens’ goaltender’s place is almost assured, it’s far less likely that he’ll get any playing time. For Suzuki, who would love to defend Canada’s colors, the competition could be fiercer with 26 forwards at orientation camp, many of whom could play center.

However, the Habs captain has shown that he can play as well on the defensive end as he can on the offensive, and I think he’d be a perfect candidate to pivot Canada’s second or third line. What’s more, his 89 points last season still put him in sixth place among Canadian forwards. The most uncertain case for the upcoming Olympics is Dobson, who will be battling with 12 other defensemen for a spot on the blue line.

On the other hand, although Canada boasts a number of quality defensemen, if the Habs’ defenseman has a season similar to that of 2023-24, when he scored 70 points in 79 games, he could well cause a surprise. Moreover, in the case of all three players, the coming season will also have a bearing on their potential selection with Team Canada, since officials have until December to choose the final roster.

Spacer title=’En rafale’] – Game night!

– Good crowd.

– A solid performance.

– Lacked maturity.

– She’s defending well.

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Stars: allegations of threats and blackmail in minor hockey in Dallas emerge

More and more, hockey is gaining a foothold in the United States. Seeing teams establish themselves in markets like Arizona (even if the Coyotes have since disappeared), Florida and Texas has made the sport more and more accessible… and we’re seeing players from these markets take their place in the sport.Auston Matthews, for example, grew up in Arizona. Had he been born 20 years earlier, who knows if he could have hoped to play hockey.And in Texas, we’re also seeing the emergence of minor hockey. The Dallas Stars, for example, are getting involved in minor hockey in the region, as they are a big player in the business, having invested a lot of money in it. That said, an article by Kenny Jacoby in USA Today today lifts the veil on what’s really going on in minor hockey in Dallas… and we understand that there are a lot of people who have experienced horror stories because of the Stars.In particular, there are several allegations of threats and blackmail.

[content-ads]Basically, what you need to know is that the Stars have taken a huge amount of control by buying the vast majority of arenas in the region. This means that they have a great deal of control over minor hockey organizations, which obviously need these ice rinks. However, in the article, we learn that the Stars are abusing this power. For example, Lisa Bry, former president of a minor hockey association in the region, says that when she tried to clean house and get rid of some of the association’s problematic members, she was told that she “should remember who supplies her with the arenas”.She proceeded to clean house anyway… and the Stars, in response, allegedly took control of all the associations while drastically raising prices and limiting access to ice for youngsters.Wealsolearn from the article that many parents of youngsters criticized the Stars’ methods… and in response, were told to keep quiet if they didn’t want their children’s chances of continuing to play to be affected.What‘s more, many of the ice-cream facilities bought and operated by the Stars were built with… public money.Obviously,all these are very serious allegations. Minor hockey, after all, should be about allowing young people to play and develop in a sport they love,but right now in Dallas, the reality would be very, very different. Let’s see if all that will change eventually.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Nice read on the CH’s prospect.

– Indeed.

– Please note.