Author: Dose

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HP and Laine to return soon: Martin St-Louis has a problem on his hands

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

The Canadiens’ infirmary is starting to empty slowly, but not fast.

Rafaël Harvey-Pinard will play his first game of the season tonight with the Rocket… And Patrik Laine was at practice with the rest of the group this morning.

The Finn was wearing a non-contact sweater, but still: his return is just around the corner.

I expect Rafaël Harvey-Pinard to spend the week in Laval before being recalled by the Habs.

The Rocket play tonight, and there are also two games on the weekend schedule. HP will have time to get back into shape.

On the other hand, if Harvey-Pinard is going to be ready to play against André Tourigny’s team next Tuesday (November 26), there’s one player who’ll have to bail out, and the logical solution is Lucas Condotta.

When the Québécois returns, the Rocket captain will most likely be handed over to Laval to rejoin his squad and make room for HP.

But it’s really when Patrik Laine returns that things get complicated. Not only will the Habs have to make room for him in the lineup… they’ll also have to make room for him in the official 23-man roster.

And there are two names that come to mind when you think of players who could be in danger: Michael Pezzetta and Emil Heineman.

Unless the Canadiens decide to send a message to one of their veterans (Anderson, Armia, Dvorak)… But that would surprise me greatly.

The title of this TVA Sports article sums up the situation quite well: Martin St-Louis will have a puzzle to solve.

There are no right answers in my eyes.

Emil Heineman plays like an NHL guy and he has qualities that can be useful to the Canadiens. He’s good at forechecking, he’s got a great shot and he’s not afraid to hand out checks to upset the opposition.

On the other hand… Pezzetta deserves a chance to shine, because we know he’ll be there when he gets his chance. He works hard all the time and we know the effort is there when he’s in the line-up.

You need guys with a heart like Pezz.

So I can’t wait to see what Martin St-Louis does with all this. Things have time to change, because the Canadiens aren’t immune to injury (even if we don’t want that to happen), but the Habs head coach is likely to face a nice dilemma.

A big one, in fact.

Overtime

– This is normal.

– Happy Birthday!

– Coming up.

– Will they succeed?

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“The Canadiens may have no choice but to trade Mike Matheson”

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 02: Look on Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson (8) during warm-up before the Florida Panthers versus the Montreal Canadiens game on April 02, 2024, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Mike Matheson has established himself in Montreal as a fine NHL offensive defenseman.

He collected 34 points (injuries) and 62 points in his first two campaigns in a Habs uniform, and if he keeps up the pace, he’ll finish the current season with a total of 56 points.

For a guy making $4.875 million a season, that’s pretty excellent.

Knowing that he can produce, and knowing that he’s cheap, there are bound to be teams contacting Kent Hughes between now and March to inquire about #8.

And in Frank Seravalli’s eyes, the Habs may have no choice but to trade him.

The tipster believes that Kent Hughes may be tempted to sell him out because the defenseman’s value will be at its highest:

They (the Canadiens) may have no choice, given that his value will probably be at its highest by the deadline. – Frank Seravalli

Matheson is on a Daily Faceoff list of 15 players who could change address before the deadline.

The Habs defender is ranked 9th:

If Kent Hughes has an offer on the table he can’t refuse… Maybe there, the idea of trading his veteran might interest him.

But all this will also depend on David Savard’s situation, in my opinion.

We know there’s going to be interest in the right-handed defenseman, and we know he could be worth a lot of money to the Habs. But if Kent Hughes trades Matheson… He won’t trade Savard.

And if he does trade Savard, Matheson is the one who’ll be staying in town.

The GM’s objective is to see his club progress and improve. However, that won’t happen in the final stretch of the season if Matheson and Savard play elsewhere, because it takes AT LEAST one veteran to guide the blue line.

I like Kaiden Guhle and he seems to have great leadership qualities… But he’s not ready to play big brother just yet because he lacks experience (128 career NHL games) and because he’s only 22.

The same goes for Xhekaj, Struble, Hutson, Barron, Mailloux… You know what I mean.

In his article, Seravalli mentions that Kent Hughes might also be interested in keeping Matheson because the Canadiens “don’t need” more draft picks.

For the tipster, the Habs need help now… But at the same time, there’s nothing to stop Kent Hughes from going after Matheson’s picks (if he really wants to trade him) and then flipping them to acquire a player who can help quickly.

The Alex Romanov transaction is a good example.

We agree that nothing has been done yet, because there’s still a lot of hockey to be played between now and the NHL trade deadline.

However, the fact that Matheson’s name is being suggested for a deal while it’s still November gives us reason to believe that he already has some value on the market at the time of writing.

Overtime

– I love it.

– Nice.

– It’s not crazy.

– Seen the same.

See this post on Instagram

A post shared by TSN (@tsn_official)

– Hey boy. The reputation of the Edmonton Elks is at an all-time low….

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Cayden Lindstrom (a Habs draft target) undergoes back surgery

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Things are going from bad to worse for Cayden Lindstrom.

The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect has undergone back surgery, according to GM Don Waddell. If all goes according to plan, he should be able to play this year.

Because no, he hasn’t played yet this season.

What makes this interesting is that many people wanted to see the Canadiens draft the young man fifth overall in the last draft. Not necessarily at the expense of Ivan Demidov, but oh well.

In the end, the Habs didn’t have that option, as the Blue Jackets took him at #4.

While Ivan Demidov is performing well in Russia and all hopes are high in his case, we can see that doubts are creeping in about Lindstrom.

It’s quite possible that the young man will be able to play this year and that the Jackets’ prospects will be correct for the future. But let’s just say that back problems can be worrisome. Even if it’s minor.

What the Blue Jackets have to hope for is that Lindstrom can return to form this season and break it all in junior. After that, a big 19-year-old season in the WHL could also prepare him for the NHL.

But for that, his back has to hold up in the long term. Let’s hope it does, but his track record is starting to look scary.

Overtime

– Really?

– Interesting.

– Bruins players are angry.

– Hum…

– Good news.

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Stanley25: when Martin St-Louis’ leadership was called into question

For those of you who haven’t yet had a chance to listen to the latest episode of the Stanley25 podcast, I recommend you do so.

Max and JT took the microphone earlier this week to share their thoughts. Kirby Dach, Patrik Laine, hard coaching, Alex Newhook and Mike Tyson are just some of the topics on the menu.

The tip with Lysanne Richard is also not to be missed.

But there’s one bit that caught my eye more than the others. We’re talking about the moment when Maxime Truman talked about Martin St-Louis’ leadership… back when he was a player.

We go back to when St-Louis wasn’t chosen by his Tampa Bay Lightning GM, Steve Yzerman, to represent Canada at the 2014 Olympics.

St-Louis had been ignored by his GM before finally being a replacement choice afterwards. And clearly, he didn’t take it, which explains why he asked to finish his career with the New York Rangers.

But what was it about the Lightning captain that kept him out? Was #26’s leadership at fault?

According to what colleague Truman reports, one of his friends was called to work on a press conference where a member of Team Canada was present. And she was asked publicly why St-Louis had been ignored at the base even though he’d been invited to the camp.

Her answer?

She said because he had bad leadership. He came with a swollen head (…)

In life, you have to have positive leadership. In life, you must never take anything for granted. In life, you have to be open and listen to the instructions you’re given. – Maxime Truman, reporting the situation

As Max says, she didn’t destroy him, but she did say he arrived with the wrong attitude. That’s a new light on the situation that we hadn’t heard before.

What do you think?

The thing to keep in mind (and as Max wonders in the podcast) is, in the moment, how Martin St-Louis translates this as coach of the Canadiens.

Is he the right person to lead youngsters after learning from his mistakes as a player? Or, on the contrary, does it speak volumes about his way of thinking?

We know that a star player isn’t always easy to manage. But here, as a coach, his role is different – especially for a team in the midst of a rebuilding process.

If you ask me, I think the coach has learned from these experiences over time – especially in his new role. That said, he’ll always have a certain drive that he has to manage well: that’s how he made his name in hockey.

Overtime

– Read on.

– Speak of the devil.

– Hum…

– Good text.

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The Canadiens have the best under-24 group in the NHL

We put a lot of faith in young people in Montreal. That’s the principle of rebuilding.

But when things aren’t going well, sometimes you wonder just how worthwhile the plan is. And that’s why TSN’s piece on under-24 groups across the NHL serves as a reminder: the Habs don’t have an ugly future.

Basically, the Canadiens have the best group of players aged 23 and under in the NHL, according to Bell’s platform.

A guy like Nick Suzuki isn’t eligible for the ranking, but Kirby Dach and Arber Xhekaj are. But both players are not in the club’s top-10, according to TSN.

Cole Caufield is at the top of the list.

Ivan Demidov (second) and Caufield are the only players with an AA rating. None of the Habs’ youngsters are at AAA, which is the maximum TSN offers for grading guys.

But still: the Habs have six prospects/youths with at least an A. That means that the following four players have a grade of A.

  • Juraj Slafkovsky
  • Lane Hutson
  • Jacob Fowler
  • Kaiden Guhle

The Habs aren’t to be pitied, since many clubs can’t form a top-4 without going to C. And apart from the Red Wings, nobody else has 10 prospects/youngsters with at least one B.

In Montreal, here are those with a B.

  • Michael Hage
  • Joshua Roy
  • Logan Mailloux
  • David Reinbacher

So there are six guys out of the 10 who aren’t in Montreal yet. Roy and Mailloux have already had some playing time with the Habs and should be back in town this year.

Michael Hage and Jacob Fowler are too good for the NCAA…

Injured David Reinbacher may take longer than the others to arrive. And for those who see the glass half-full, seeing a fifth overall pick at No. 10 speaks volumes about the rest of the pool.

And of course, there’s Demidov. Yes, on paper, the Habs are in good hands.

Overtime

– Interesting.

– Evgenii Dadonov situation: the Sens won’t be getting their first choice back. [OC]

– Oh well.

– Of note.

– Good news.

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Jim Montgomery is not an assistant, so forget Montréal

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 18: Head coach Jim Montgomery of the Boston Bruins stands behind the bench during the third period of their 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at TD Garden on November 18, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Yesterday, the Boston Bruins chose to fire Jim Montgomery. The former Boston coach becomes the first driver to lose his job this season, and let’s just say it’s not exactly a surprise. After all, it’s been rumoured for some time.

The Bruins weren’t living up to expectations, and a change of coach is always easier to make than a major transaction – or questioning the work of your bosses.

The three finalists for Coach of the Year in 2023 have been out of the game ever since.

Even if Montgomery could no longer get the Bruins going, and even if he was criticized by many for his goaltending in the playoffs last season, the fact remains that he’s a good coach.

Renaud Lavoie reminded BPM Sports this morning that Paul Maurice sees him as a formidable opponent in the playoffs. The Panthers’ pilot thinks his teams are well coached and that his defensive system is good.

It’s safe to assume that he won’t have to eat his heart out for too long before finding a job as an NHL pilot. He can wait a few months, since he’ll be paid anyway.

His record of 120-41-23 (.715) since he was hired just over two years ago is nothing short of extraordinary. Some club is going to want him sooner rather than later.

What’s next for him?

Also in his column with Gilbert Delorme and Max Lalonde, Renaud Lavoie mentioned that no, Montgomery was not an assistant. He now has the luxury of waiting for a club to sign him up for one of the 32 head coaching positions on the Bettman circuit.

So he doesn’t expect to see Montgomery, who cut his teeth as an assistant in St. Louis after losing his job in Dallas, back in a #2 role any time soon.

Let’s not forget that Renaud Lavoie once said he believed Montgomery would manage the Canadiens one day. But since he probably won’t come as an assistant and Martin St-Louis is here to stay, Montgomery won’t be taking the Habs helm any time soon.

Remember that Michel Therrien already lost his job a few days after seeing the Bruins let go a French-speaking coach (Claude Julien), but I don’t think history will repeat itself.

I don’t think Martin St-Louis has been in any danger since he arrived in town… and things have been going well for the Habs in recent days.

The club and the coach seem to be progressing together, and I can’t see Kent Hughes or Jeff Gorton having enough right now. And that’s even if Montgomery is available right now.

So we’ll see Montgomery’s name circulating around the NHL (Nashville and Pittsburgh are two destinations I’m keeping an eye on), but not necessarily in Montreal. And that’s fine. #TimingIsEverything

Overtime

– The BCHL is tired of losing players to the CHL.

– Grand Prix du Canada 2025 : un volet féminin? [98.5 FM]

– To be continued.

– Max Domi is injured.

– Too bad.

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Ivan Demidov: SKA won’t let him finish the season in Montreal (and there’s nothing the Habs can do about it)

SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - 2024/11/18: Ivan Demidov (91) SKA Hockey Club seen in action during the Hockey match, Kontinental Hockey League 2024/2025 between SKA Saint Petersburg and Amur Khabarovsk at the Ice Sports Palace. (Final score; SKA Saint Petersburg 6:3 Amur Khabarovsk). (Photo by Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Let’s talk about Ivan Demidov for a moment.

As you know, Demidov is at the end of his contract in Russia. That’s probably why his coach, Roman Rotenberg, has been treating him as… ordinary.

Putting pressure on a (young) player to stay and punishing him in the meantime is part of the game.

Of necessity, everyone is anxious to see what Demidov, who produced well in Russia at age 18 under difficult conditions, can do once he arrives in the NHL.

But it won’t be this year.

According to what Marco D’Amico (Responsible Gambler) reports in connection with the situation, we really shouldn’t expect to see SKA organize so that the Habs can get their prospect in April 2025, i.e. at the end of the season.

The Canadiens know this, but there’s nothing they can do about it.

In reality, until SKA says yes to Demidov, he won’t be able to land in North America. Everyone knows that, since he has a KHL contract.

In fact, Marco D’Amico wrote a sentence that speaks volumes about the situation.

Demidov can only leave for the NHL if Roman Rotenberg agrees to terminate his contract with a mutual agreement. – Marco D’Amico

Rotenberg is obviously his coach. And the word on the street is that he won’t let Demidov leave for the NHL this season. That’s his right, given that the youngster has a contract.

With a calendar that ends later than usual in Russia this season (at the end of May), it would take more than ever for the Habs to make a run at the playoffs to see him play with the club without the agreement of his Russian club.

I don’t need to tell you that won’t happen.

The fact that there is no clear transfer process between the two leagues means that young players are somewhat at the mercy of the teams. And SKA has no intention of letting the youngster go.

I don’t think that Kent Hughes, who has to make his way to Russia at some point this autumn or winter, will necessarily convince SKA otherwise. So don’t expect the young man at the end of the season.

Would it have been ideal to see him play a few games in Montreal in April? Of course it would. But does it matter if he makes his debut next October? No, it doesn’t.

Overtime

– File to follow.

– Jacques Demers in the Hall of Fame? [TVA Sports]

– A name to remember.

– Speaking of KHL.

– A file to keep in mind.

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4 nations: Canadiens goalkeepers are (truly) dreadful this season

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Over the past few games, Samuel Montembeault seems to have got his season back on track. After a few very difficult starts, the Canadiens’ goalie has been dominant for a while now, to the point wherehe is one of the NHL’s goalies of the week.

It’s a small sample, but in his last three games, we’ve seen last year’s Montembeault again. And that’s good, especially with Cayden Primeau struggling.

Of course, for Montembeault, winning games with the Habs is everything. That said, Monty also dreams of representing Canada at the 4 Nations Confrontation this winter.

And after his difficult start to the season, we were beginning to wonder if his chances were going up in smoke… except…

When you look at the statistics for Canada’s goalkeepers this season, one thing becomes clear: the country’s goalkeepers are truly appalling this season.

(Credit: Screenshot/QuantHockey)

Seeing guys like Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, Stuart Skinner and Tristan Jarry being this bad means that these guys, who were candidates to represent the country, are starting to get out of the running. And in doing so, it opens the door to other porters… including Montembault.

Because if you look at the numbers, you’ll see that despite his season that wasn’t always obvious, he’s one of the country’s elite goalkeepers in 2024-25. Cam Talbot, Logan Thompson and Mackenzie Blackwood have comparable seasons… but none of these guys clearly has a better season than the Habs goalie.

And when you consider that Monty already has experience on the international scene, that plays into his hands in a race that’s looking tight right now.

We know that the rosters are due to be unveiled on December 4, which gives the goalies two weeks to prove they deserve their place on the team. And right now, Montembeault’s big performance, a shutout in front of Kyle Dubas (a Canadiens team executive) yesterday, probably puts him in a good position to be invited.

He’s not having the greatest of seasons… but with such appalling competition, he looks like one of Canada’s best options right now.

Overtime

– Really?

– Wow.

– To watch.

– Canada wins against Suriname.

– A first defeat this season for the Cavaliers.

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3 goals in 18 games: Bedard must produce more if he wants to take part in the 4 Nations Tournament

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Let’s face it, no one saw the Blackhawks being competitive this season, despite some nice additions this summer.

However, watching them languish at the very bottom of the overall standings (before Tuesday night’s games) raises a lot of questions.

When you think of the Hawks, you think of Connor Bedard, and this year, he’s not standing out as much as he did last year in his rookie season.

Immediately, you think of the sophomore jinx, but you don’t expect a guy like Bedard to be affected by it.

His 3 goals in 18 games simply don’t cut it, even though he has 10 assists on a team that’s struggling.

Let’s face it, on paper, Chicago isn’t that bad.

With the additions of guys like Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi, Ilya Mikheyev, plus a healthy Hall surrounding the youngsters (Bedard, Lukas Reichel and Philipp Kurashev), last place is unacceptable.

Bedard needs to be the cornerstone of the team, and he needs to find the back of the net more often.

Especially if he wants to play for Canada in the upcoming 4 Nations Tournament.

In fact, Darren Dreger and Ray Ferraro discussed his place on Team Canadiens in their podcast The Ray & Dregs Hockey Podcast, along with Ryan Rishaug.

Ferraro and Dreger don’t see Bedard in Canada’s final line-up.

He even added that he looks lost, plain and simple.

Ferraro also made a good point.

He says that youngsters who struggle often do one thing in particular: very long attendances.

Ferraro points out that, as of Saturday, there were five players who are on the ice for more than a minute per appearance on average.

Of course, it’s often the defensemen who come out on top.

Connor McDavid is also there, but Bedard was one of the five players with the highest average playing time per appearance.

Ferraro also added that this average should be cut by a third.

Bedard isn’t the Blackhawks’ only problem, however.

In addition to new additions that aren’t performing up to expectations, head coach Luke Richardson could be part of the problem.

Let’s not forget Taylor Hall, who spent Saturday night in the stands(healthy scratch).

Hall, who has six points in 17 games this season, is not quite sure why he was left out.

He even spoke publicly about the lack of communication at this level.

In hindsight, it’s easy to understand the former Hart Trophy winner’s frustration and lack of understanding.

On this subject, Luke Richardson has somewhat admitted his “mistake”.

It’s all part of the process and experience of being a coach.

As you can see at the end of this piece by Jonathan Larivée on HockeyFeed, the majority of fans seem to side with Taylor Hall.

After Jim Montgomery’s recent dismissal in Boston, Richardson could very well be the next to get the boot.

Which coach do you think will be the next to be fired this season?

Overtime

– Interesting.

– He’s so good with the puck. Too bad he’s a burden defensively.

– Good addition.

– What a pass.

– Indeed, it’s hard not to love him.

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Arber Xhekaj won’t come out of the line-up if he keeps playing like yesterday

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Arber Xhekaj isn’t a perfect player.

He has his shortcomings, and that’s normal because he’s 23 years old and it takes time for a defenseman to reach the top of his game.

But when you see Xhekaj being as useful on the ice as he was yesterday, that’s when you understand why his potential is so interesting.

Since the start of the season, Xhekaj has been inconsistent. He doesn’t play the same way night after night because he’s afraid of hurting his team and that’s why we’ve seen him be less physical at times.

That said, Arber was perfect yesterday against the Oilers: he was good along the boards, he won his battles and he looked like a good National League defenseman.

He got back to basics by using his body to hit the opposition, as he finished the game with five checks.

The one on Zach Hyman brought energy to the group, as Mike Matheson said in the locker room after the game:

When Arber Xhekaj does things the right way, he can have a unique role in the Montreal lineup.

And we know he’s capable of the best… and the worst.

But all this leads me to say that if Xhekaj continues to play the way he did last night, he won’t come out of the line-up again.

In fact, Martin St-Louis will have no reason to leave him out if he knows his defenseman can help him win games, as he did against the mighty Edmonton Oilers.

It remains to be seen whether Xhekaj will be able to keep up the momentum.

He’s confident right now – and it shows – but he’ll become even more dangerous (and useful) if his confidence only skyrockets.

Overtime

– Wow!

– That’s a good one.

– Crazy, same.

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