Author: Dose

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Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov: the “secret” weapons of Martin St-Louis

It’s been said for some time now, and even though the habs are still far from the finished product, they seem to have already succeeded in their reconstruction, less than eight years after the acquisition of Nick Suzuki and the “reset on the fly” by Marc Bergevin.

This isn’t as quick as the Penguins of the 2000s, who only took six years to make the playoffs between the trade of Jagr in July 2001 and their return to the playoffs in 2007. However, it’s not bad considering the habs didn’t have the chance to draft Malkin and Crosby back-to-back, not to mention Fleury and Jordan Staal before and after.

Moreover, the habs just qualified for the playoffs without really being able to count on Demidov (5th, 2024) and still without having seen Reinbacher (5th, 2023) play in the NHL.

In addition to the Suzuki, Caufield, Guhle from the Bergevin era – to which we can also add Montembeault – we must therefore look to the 2022 draft to better understand the already solid foundations of this reconstruction.

We’ll surely remain calm with Mesar (26th) and Beck (33rd), but their two big selections in this draft, Slafkovsky (1st) and Hutson (62nd), are already very important players.

Hutson is already playing at the level of a superstar in his rookie season.

Then, even if he’s still far from reaching his ceiling, Slafkovsky is already an impact player. Although he’s not as consistent as we would like, he greatly helps Suzuki and Caufield play to their strengths since his arrival in the trio.

Thus, Martin St-Louis may say that “this year the plan was to learn to win,” but without these two players from the 2022 draft, the habs aren’t even close to a playoff spot.

Or, if you prefer, his plan could only be “to learn to win” because he finally had enough ammunition to put it all into action. Because, yes, since the wise words of Pat Burns, humanity has understood that you don’t go bear hunting with butter knives.

These players who make the difference…

For a “cinderella” team like the habs to be successful in the playoffs, it often takes players who can surprise the opponent with outstanding performances.

They come in all styles and formats.

In Montreal, we can think of Claude Lemieux and Patrick Roy in 1986, or Paul DiPietro in 1993.

Then, in 2021, the intriguing arrival of Cole Caufield and the under-estimated impact of veteran Corey Perry had certainly contributed to the unexpected run to the finals.

We can also look to Fernando Pisani in 2006 for the Oilers.

Finally, for the 2019 Blues, Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Binnington are others who have exceeded expectations and made a difference for a team that wasn’t “supposed” to go very far.

Two secret weapons…

With Slafkovsky and Demidov, we’re far from the modest profiles of Pisani and Dipietro.

For one, in his own words and in front of his future bosses, Demidov frankly said he saw himself as a “franchise player”!

In 2025, the habs will be able to count on two very high draft picks, full of promises, that no one has ever seen in the playoffs, and whose performances could make all the difference.

Yes, Suzuki, Caufield, Hutson, and Guhle are all still young, and the last two have never played in the playoffs.

But, in general, even if nothing is guaranteed, we already know what to expect from these four, ultra-consistent and performing players this season.

We can thus anticipate that Suzuki and Caufield will still be the spearheads of the Montreal offense.

Then, for Hutson and Guhle, even if the pressure will be high on them, we expect puck control and offensive dominance for the first, and robust and flawless defensive play for the second.

The Caps will try to counter these four players, knowing very well who they’re up against.

But what about Slafkovsky and Demidov?

That, nobody knows. We’re in complete mystery.

Martin St-Louis doesn’t know.

The players themselves don’t know!

The reason is simple: these two are so far from having shown us everything!

If this last observation is obvious for Demidov, with only 26 minutes of play in the NHL, it remains very relevant for Slafkovsky after exactly 200 games in the “show”.

While NHL players reach this mark on average around 23-24 years old, the big Slovak has just turned 21 on March 30th.

Meanwhile, we’ll note that power forwards with similar profiles in the draft usually take around 3-4 years to reach their full potential, often starting their careers at 19 and not 18. We think, among others, of Tkachuk, Rantanen, Meier, and Draisaitl.

After a certain eruption in winter 2024 and a more or less constant level of play in 2024-2025, it’s possible that Slafkovsky – who only has two and a half years of experience in the NHL – will experience another eruption soon, maybe as early as this spring.

The physical and character of the job

In any case, it’s very certain that the habs’ decision-makers chose a sturdy player who wants to “own the stage” like Slafkovsky in 2022. The young man breathed confidence and presented himself as a player who wants to make a difference in crucial moments.

As for that, let’s say he didn’t disappoint in the last two games of the season, with a big goal at the end of the game against Chicago and several solid plays against Carolina…

So, less than three years after his selection, the young man will already have the chance to prove to his bosses and some observers that they weren’t just dreaming when they went against the tide in 2022.

A usage that everyone will be watching

As for Demidov, since the city was already thrilled at the idea of “making the playoffs”, his late arrival is nothing other than the cherry on the proverbial sundae for the organization and fans.

And for him, well, he’ll face his legendary compatriot.

Like the young Ovechkin in 2005, the #93 of the habs is already making plays that only a handful of elite NHL players can make.

Ivan Demidov has his 1st NHL point, an assist, on just his third shift. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/hGtf3yLPV9

We all expect Martin St-Louis to want to protect him and put Demidov in favorable situations or give him more playing time when his team is trailing or has a comfortable lead.

But will the habs’ coach use him in a way that will surprise the opponent?

Will he send him out on the first power play unit, even though his talent seems a bit wasted on the second unit?

Will it be by giving him surprise appearances on other lines than the one he completes with Laine and Newhook?

In short, with Slafkovsky and Demidov, a bit like Harry Truman in 1945 with Fat Man and Little Boy, Martin St-Louis has two secret weapons that could do a lot of damage.

But unlike Truman, the decision to use them doesn’t entirely rest on his shoulders.

It’s up to Slaf and Demidov to show him what they’re capable of.

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The Rangers fire Peter Laviolette

The New York Rangers had an awful season. The team, who were seen as favorites in the East this season, had a year of misery that ended even before the start of the playoffs.

And off the ice, it was chaos as well.

The big question was whether Peter Laviolette would survive all of this… and the answer is no: he just got fired, along with Phil Housley.

More details to come…

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Facing Alex Ovechkin: Patrik Laine “could not care less”

In just over 48 hours, the Canadiens will play their first playoff game since the summer of 2021.

Notably, it took a grand total of 10 minutes for all the tickets to be sold.

And for many people, this is a series that will be particularly interesting to watch. Whether it’s for the memories of 2010 or the Demidov-Ovechkin duel, there are storylines in this series.

Moreover, Demidov was asked about this by the media, and he claimed he has always been a bigger fan of Evgeni Malkin than Ovechkin. I wonder if he would have given the same answer if the Habs had faced the Penguins, hehe.

However, Demidov did admit that it was special for him to face Ovechkin… but not everyone in the Habs’ locker room thinks the same way.

Patrik Laine, for example, doesn’t seem to be particularly excited about facing the best scorer in NHL history:

It doesn’t change anything. I couldn’t care less. – Patrik Laine

That’s clear enough.

We know Laine is not afraid to speak his mind to the media. He did it earlier this year when he returned to Columbus, and the Blue Jackets didn’t take it well.

It’s not the first time recently that Laine hasn’t been impressed by a Russian: when Demidov was on his way to Montreal, Laine didn’t seem particularly excited about the arrival of the kid.

At least Demidov likes playing with Laine since he arrived. And if the Habs want to surprise the Capitals, they will need the chemistry to work between two of their best offensive elements.

In Overtime

– Speaking of Laine.

– Ivan Demidov quickly made friends in the locker room.

– Oliver Bjorkstrand will miss the series against the Panthers.

– Ouch.

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Practice: Ivan Demidov still on the second powerplay unit

This morning, the Canadiens were practicing in Brossard in preparation for their first-round series against the Capitals.

For once, we’re talking about practice and not the lottery at this stage of the year for the Habs…

And of course, we were keeping a close eye on things, including Ivan Demidov. Yesterday, hearing Martin St-Louis mention the young Russian as a possible option on the first powerplay unit, was intriguing…

But apparently, it will have to wait for another day: according to colleague Charles-Alexis Brisebois, who is in Brossard this morning with colleague Marc-Olivier Cook, the two powerplay units have not been changed.

Demidov is still on the second unit.

We recall that for nine games, the Habs’ powerplay has only one goal in 20 attempts. Patrik Laine’s shots, responsible for a ton of powerplay goals this season, are no longer going in… and for a team that has been so dependent on them all season, they can’t find other ways to score with the man advantage.

Well, we may have found one when a puck accidentally deflected off Juraj Slafkovský against the Blackhawks on Monday… but it will take more than that.

Demidov, who has already shown a ton of offensive creativity since his arrival, was seen as a possible solution to all this. It would have taken moving a big gun from the club to make room for him, but it could have been worth it.

However, Martin St-Louis seems to be saving that card for later. He is trusting his current units… and we can hope that the first unit will finally break through.

Otherwise, we can also hope that Demidov will make sparks on the second unit… but one thing is certain: the Habs will have to capitalize on their powerplay opportunities in a series where they are the underdog. And we can think that St-Louis passed that message on to his players this morning.

In Overtime

– Note that during practice, Samuel Montembeault did some solo work with Éric Raymond, who had him practice his movements when a player is behind his net.

– Let’s hope that helps them contain Alex Ovechkin.

– David Savard is having fun.

– Miro Heiskanen is approaching a return. He won’t play tonight, though.

– Matthew Tkachuk seems to be in shape.

– Interesting.

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The Anaheim Ducks fired their head coach Greg Cronin

Now that the regular season is over for 16 of the 32 teams, not including the Canadiens, who will be participating in the playoffs, we can expect several changes to take place.

In fact, the off-season work has begun for these teams, as they are currently taking stock of their season.

And on the side of the Anaheim Ducks, a major change has been made.

In fact, in the last few minutes, the Ducks have announced that they have let go of their head coach Greg Cronin.

This is news that may seem surprising, considering the fact that the Ducks accumulated 21 more points than last season, which is a nice improvement.

More to come

Extension

Cronin spent two seasons at the helm of the Ducks, posting a record of 62-87-15.

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Reconstructions in the NHL: the Habs have been much more efficient

The reconstruction of the Canadiens de Montréal has really been effective.

Of course, it’s not completely finished, but it has taken a very beautiful turn this season, as the habs are already back in the playoffs after missing them for only three consecutive seasons.

Missing the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year this season would have been a first in the history of the Canadiens de Montréal.

This is really a great feat and it shows how well the reconstruction of the habs is going.

Seriously, who would have believed in 2021-2022, when the habs finished last in the NHL and got rid of many players, that three years later, the Canadiens would be back in the playoffs?

The new management of the Canadiens is really doing a great job, and this must clearly be making other teams jealous across the NHL.

The habs have surpassed several teams that started their reconstruction long before, and that must be hard to swallow for the fans of those teams.

I think especially of the Buffalo Sabres and the Detroit Red Wings, who have been in reconstruction for a long time.

 

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In fact, the two teams have been accumulating draft picks and young players for much longer than the Tricolore, but the habs are back in the playoffs before them.

In nine years, since the last time the Red Wings made the playoffs, the Canadiens have had time to be at the top of the NHL, go to the Stanley Cup final, finish last in the NHL, start a reconstruction, and return to the playoffs.

Seriously, this must really be hard to see for the Red Wings fans, especially considering that the habs edged them out for the playoffs this season.

Imagine the Sabres fans now.

In short, the new management has really been excellent in their way of carrying out their reconstruction, and this is bearing fruit now.

They will not have made the same mistakes as other reconstructions, like Steve Yzerman with the Red Wings, who signed many veterans to surround the young players, which only stuck the team with the salary cap.

Kent Hughes has been patient, and he still is, as shown by his inaction at the trade deadline, and this may pay off very well for the Tricolore in the future.

His patience is already bearing fruit, as the habs are in the playoffs before the Red Wings and the Sabres.

And there, I compare the habs to the two longest and most failed reconstructions, but it’s worth noting that the Canadiens have also surpassed several other teams that started their reconstruction before the habs.

  • Ducks d’Anaheim: in reconstruction since 2019
  • Sharks de San Jose: in reconstruction since 2020
  • Coyotes de l’Arizona (now Utah Hockey Club): in reconstruction since 2021
  • Blackhawks de Chicago: in reconstruction since 2020
  • Blue Jackets de Columbus: in reconstruction since 2020

I would even add the Ottawa Senators to this list, who have been in reconstruction since 2018, and who have just returned to the playoffs after several seasons of misery and false hopes.

In short, the habs have been more efficient than several teams, and we must therefore tip our hat to Kent Hughes.

Of course, I’m not saying that Hughes’ job is done, on the contrary, but this season is a great proof that things are going in the right direction for the habs.

Overtime

– In fact.

– It starts today!

– Big disappointment from the Islanders.

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Kent Hughes asked Yvon Lambert if he should go get Sidney Crosby

Currently, all the attention of the Canadiens’ fans is focused on the playoffs, and for good reason, as the team surprised everyone by qualifying for the spring tournament.

Even the Habs’ managers, Kent Hughes, Jeff Gorton, and company, are excited and surely have their eyes on Monday for the first game of the series against the Washington Capitals.

However, we must not forget the big issues that will have to be settled this summer in the offseason, including the acquisition of a second center.

In fact, even if the Habs have qualified for the playoffs, the team is still missing a center player for their second line.

Kirby Dach was unable to do the job before getting injured, and Alex Newhook is more of a third-line player.

In short, several options will be available to Kent Hughes and the Habs this summer to fill this hole at center, either through a trade or by signing a free agent.

One of the names that comes up a lot as a plausible option is Sam Bennett, but the dream of all Habs fans is obviously Sidney Crosby.

We would all like to see the Penguins’ captain play for the Canadiens, even Kent Hughes.

In fact, the Habs’ general manager asked Yvon Lambert, a former Habs player, if he should go after Crosby.

Wow.

This is what Yvon Lambert said during the last episode of the podcast “Ça sent la Coupe” hosted by Mario Langlois on 98.5 in the Amateurs de sport.

Pierre Gervais was also a guest. I really advise you to go listen to the episode.

In short, to get back to Crosby, actually, the Habs’ former players have been invited to 5-to-7 gatherings for three years, since the arrival of the new management, and it was during one of these 5-to-7 gatherings that Kent Hughes asked Yvon Lambert about it.

Yvon Lambert was chatting with Guy Lapointe during one of these 5-to-7 gatherings last year, and Kent Hughes took the opportunity to ask Yvon if he should go after Sidney Crosby.

“I said yes, of course! Go get Sidney Crosby!” – Yvon Lambert

Unfortunately, this conversation took place before Crosby signed a two-year contract extension worth $8.7 million per year with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

However, this tells us that Kent Hughes was indeed working on the file and was looking at the option of getting Crosby either through a trade or by signing him as a free agent.

Now that Crosby is back under contract with the Penguins, things would be more difficult, of course, but not impossible, according to Yvon Lambert.

The former Habs player believes that the Penguins’ captain could really be tempted to come and win another Stanley Cup, this time with the team he loves, the Canadiens.

Even if a trade to the Habs remains unlikely, it is clear that the arrival of Ivan Demidov in Montreal and the Habs’ qualification for the playoffs can only help the chances of seeing Crosby be tempted by a trade to Montreal.

The Habs clearly have good arguments on the table right now, but it remains to be seen if Crosby wants to leave Pittsburgh or if he wants to finish his career with the Penguins.

In short, this is a dream that we can believe in, and one that Kent Hughes has already shown interest in, given that he discussed it with Yvon Lambert.

Just imagine Sidney Crosby on the Habs’ second line with Ivan Demidov. Wow.

And I don’t see anyone saying he’s too old and has slowed down.

Crosby finished in the top 10 of the NHL’s best scorers with 91 points, including 33 goals, in 80 games this season.

Overtime

– Happy birthday, Patrik!

– Good news!

–

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Canadiens vs Capitals: Pierre-Luc Dubois could hurt the Habs

As everyone knows, the Montreal Canadiens will face the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs.

Obviously, the Habs are extremely underestimated in this series, given that the Caps finished first in the East, after a perfect regular season.

Alex Ovechkin’s team hasn’t really had a slump this season and has always been one of the most dominant teams in the NHL.

And when you look at their lineup, you notice a very good depth both in attack and defense, while all the players in the lineup have a role and make an important contribution to the team.

Among these players is the famous Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Since he was drafted, and even before being drafted, Dubois has been linked to the Canadiens almost every season in trade rumors.

Often, we thought the Québécois would end up in Montreal, but it never happened.

And now, after having a very difficult season in Los Angeles, he ended up in Washington, where he just had his best season of his career with 66 points in 82 games.

Dubois has really relaunched his career with the Caps.

And now, he’s ready for the playoffs.

Dubois can have a big impact in the playoffs like he did in 2019-2020 with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

In addition to that, we know that the Québécois always performs well against the Habs and that he likes to play against the Canadiens.

So, it’s clear that the Caps’ number 80 will be a key player against the Habs, as Dubois might do a lot of damage to Martin St-Louis’ team.

It will be really interesting to see how he performs in these playoffs, as he is at the best of his career right now.

The Caps will have really made a great move by getting their hands on Dubois.

It’s crazy to think that two years ago, when Dubois was traded to Los Angeles, no one would have thought that the Habs would face the Québécois in the playoffs, because that would have meant that the two teams were facing each other in the Stanley Cup Finals.

But now, the Kings have given up on Dubois, and he ends up with the Caps, more ready than ever to have a significant impact within a good team and against his hometown team.

Also, note that Dubois will face David Savard, his former teammate in Columbus, with whom he lived as a rookie.

In Overtime

– Well done.

– The Lions won the first game of the series last night.

– To follow.

– Indeed.

– To read.

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The Rocket of Laval confirms its 1st rank in the AHL

On this Friday evening, the Laval Rocket started its last home game at Place Bell.

For the occasion, they faced the Belleville Senators.

Pascal Vincent trusted Cayden Primeau to get at least one point, allowing the team to confirm their first place in the AHL.

Here is the lineup the Rocket presented:

Seeing Florian Xhekaj, Joshua Roy, and Owen Beck form the 3rd line proves how strong the Rocket is as a club.

And the Laval lineup did not delay in imposing themselves in the game.

Florian Xhekaj scored his 22nd goal of the season with less than three minutes played in the match.

Beck and Gustav Lindstrom were credited with an assist.

A little over a minute later, Québécois Xavier Simoneau doubled the lead, thanks to passes from Lucas Condotta and Jared Davidson.

With a start like that, the Rocket seems determined to solidify its first place in the general standings.

As for the second period, Pascal Vincent’s troops picked up where they left off in the first period.

Good chances from Laval eventually led to the third goal, scored by captain Condotta, who also picked up his second point.

Simoneau and Davidson also picked up a second point in the game with an assist each.

Definitely, the Rocket was on a mission.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Sean Farrell added another in the third period with his 20th of the season.

With Laurent Dauphin (26), Jared Davidson (24), Florian Xhekaj (22), Alex Barré-Boulet (21), and Joshua Roy (20), Farrell became the 6th Laval player to reach the 20-goal plateau.

Incredible, nonetheless.

The Senators had a glimmer of hope a few minutes later with a goal from Oskar Pettersson, who fooled Cayden Primeau.

With a little over seven minutes left in the third and final period, Belleville pulled their goalie in favor of a sixth skater.

What was expected to happen did, as Alex Barré-Boulet scored his 22nd goal of the season into an empty net a few moments later.

Interestingly, Logan Mailloux attempted a Michigan goal but unfortunately missed the puck while trying.

Final score: 5-1 for the Rocket, which confirms its first place in the AHL.

The Rocket will conclude its regular season tomorrow evening (Saturday) in a rematch against the Belleville Senators. In the loss, Belleville was officially eliminated from the playoffs.

They will therefore be able to consolidate their lead in the standings with a greater advantage.

Overtime

– Without making too much noise, David Reinbacher had another strong game. Nothing extravagant, but everything he does is simple and effective. The Austrian was also promoted to the first power play wave at the expense of Logan Mailloux. Reinbacher had some good sequences during the powerplay.

– Cayden Primeau had a very strong game, stopping 23 of 24 shots from the Belleville Senators. He thus lowered his goals-against average to 1.96 with this other great performance.

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Note offensive: Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson rank 7th at their position

This 2024-25 season was filled with nice surprises.

We can think of William Nylander who finished as the second-best forward with 45 goals or Brandon Hagel who scored 35 goals (none on powerplay) and 90 points. Not to forget the famous record of Wayne Gretzky beaten by Alex Ovechkin, who scored 44 goals, nothing less.

On the Montreal Canadiens side, there were also nice surprises.

There’s Cole Caufield who scored 37, Nick Suzuki who finished the season with 89 points, including 30 goals, and Lane Hutson who had a sublime rookie season with 66 points.

These last two have truly been part of the elite in their position this year.

According to these tweets from Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic, Suzuki and Hutson finished 7th in the offensive rating of their respective positions.

Not bad, right?

Only Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, and Sidney Crosby are ahead of the Habs captain in terms of offensive rating among centers this season.

As for Hutson, Cale Makar, Zach Werenski, Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox, Evan Bouchard, and Victor Hedman are the only defensemen ahead of him in the same rating.

This is what we call being part of the elite.

By adding the offensive and defensive ratings, we can see that Suzuki ranks 12th overall among centers, which is not so bad.

We can say that the Habs have a top-notch center in Suzuki.

And as for Hutson, he is 13th overall among defensemen in terms of overall rating.

This proves how incredible the rookie defenseman’s season was.

With such a season, he seems to be the favorite to win the Calder Trophy, awarded to the best rookie of the season.

According to The Hockey News and their final ranking for the Calder race, Hutson is still in first place.

Let’s recall that they predicted the three finalists in the right order last year.

In short, the Habs’ future is bright, especially with Ivan Demidov who will be able to play a full season with the Tricolore next year and possibly win the Calder.

Two Calder Trophies in a row for the same team, we don’t see that often.

Overtime

– Good news for the Habs, Chris Lee is not among the officials chosen for the playoffs.

– Demidov, with his first career goal after just a few games, won the “electrifying” goal of the week, presented by Hyundai Canada.

– Emil Heineman has only two points since January 1st. He will have to step up in the playoffs (and also use his physical game), because a team needs everyone’s contribution.

– Greaves had a very good season.

– Interesting.