Author: Dose

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A candy suspension for Ryan Reaves

A few hours ago, Ryan Reaves had to explain himself to the Department of Player Safety following his illegal check on Darnell Nurse. His sentence for his action: a five-game suspension.

For those who missed it, during last night’s match-up between the Oilers and Maple Leafs, Reaves violently hit Nurse in the head with his shoulder early in the second period.

In addition to the severe contact to the head, Nurse was cut on the play and seemed truly lost on the ice in the moments that followed. He had to be assisted by the team’s medical team.

Not a pretty sight!

On the play, the Leafs’ forward received a game misconduct and therefore did not finish the game

For his part, Nurse had to leave the ice with the help of the team’s caretakers, but on his skates, and was unable to return to the game afterwards. We have no details yet on his injury.

The Oilers recalled defenseman Josh Brown earlier today.

It seems to me that five games for this gesture is not a lot.

Especially since Ryan Reaves is a repeat offender. This is already his fourth career suspension, including one for attempted injury and one for a blow to the head.

The most recent dates back to the 2021 playoffs, when he put his knee on the neck and head of Colorado Avalanche player Ryan Graves, earning a two-game suspension for the gesture.

The year before, still in the playoffs, he gave Tyler Motte of the Vancouver Canucks a taste of his medicine with a violent blow to the head, not unlike the one he took last night.

The problem is that the National Hockey League doesn’t consider a player to be a repeat offender after an eighteen-month suspension-free period. And yet, he’s a dangerous individual who has no place in the National Line.

Hockey is a violent sport and I like it that way. A good body check or even a good fight is an integral part of hockey, and we mustn’t let that change, but Ryan Reaves isn’t a goon, he’s a bully.

He’s the kind of player whose main reason for being on the ice is to hurt his opponents, not to score goals.

Once again, we see that the NHL doesn’t protect its players, and ridiculous suspensions aren’t going to make them think twice about such actions.

Especially since, in comparison, the loss of Darnell Nurse will be much heavier for the Oilers than that of the Leafs’ fourth-line forward.

I don’t know how many games Reaves should have been suspended, ten, fifteen, twenty? What are we waiting for? For a player like Reeves to end a star player’s career before reacting?

What’s clear is that until the League puts its pants on to protect its players effectively, teams will always need a goon to do the job.

Overtime

– Fowler is not happy.

– The Lions are doing well!

– First pick to the Dallas Wings.

– Big weekend in Judo for Canada.

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Jack Campbell in the waivers: Despite the problems in front of the net, the Habs don’t even have to think about it.

The Canadiens are having trouble in front of the net.

In fact… The Canadiens find themselves at a disadvantage when it’s Cayden Primeau who’s been keeping goal all season.

Monty hasn’t been the most consistent either, making the Habs second only to the Pittsburgh Penguins in goals allowed so far this season.

Are there any solutions to this problem?

In the last week, the Canadiens could have made a move by putting James Reimer (an experienced player) up for waivers.

Kent Hughes decided to pass… just as he did a few days earlier with Dante Fabbro.

But now there’s another NHL-successful goalie in a similar situation to Reimer.

Today, it’s Jack Campbell who has been placed in the waivers. He is eligible to make his comeback after appealing to the NHL’s assistance program:

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On paper, the idea of going after a guy who’s had success in recent years makes sense.

Jack Campbell’s numbers aren’t bad, after all:

  • 17-3-2 record, 2.15 goals-against average and .921 save percentage (20-21)
  • 31-9-6 record, 2.62 goals-against average and .914 save percentage (21-22)
  • 21-9-4 record, 3.41 goals-against average and .888 save percentage (22-23)

Of course, it’s easy to notice one thing in particular: since his blossoming in Toronto, he’s never been the same goalie.

He even spent most of last season in the AHL in Bakersfield, before seeing his contract bought out by the Wings…

Which brings me to my next thought: even if the Habs are in trouble at the goaltending position, Jack Campbell shouldn’t be an option.

Because if that happens, the Canadiens will be sending a clear message to the rest of the NHL that they’re in trouble.

That wouldn’t be ideal… for anyone.

Overtime

– Both clubs have been good since the start of the season.

– Wow!

– Ouain…

–

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Rumor mill: David Jiricek gets “benched” while waiting to be traded

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Almost a quarter of the way through the 2024-2025 season, the various teams in the National Hockey League are starting to get a good idea of what the rest of the season is likely to look like.

Some teams are condemned to the bottom of the standings, while others aspire to the Stanley Cup. All this creates different objectives and needs for each of these teams.

And where there’s a need, there’s a need, and that’s what’s driving rumors across the NHL.

One of these rumours concerns the Montreal Canadiens’ most recent opponent, the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Blue Jackets have a very important file on the table: that of young defenseman David Jiricek.

The 20-year-old Czech defenseman has done very well in the AHL over the past two years, but when he does play in the NHL, he never really gets a chance in terms of playing time.

Jiricek complained about this several months ago.

And right now, this season, the Czech defenseman is being overlooked more often than not, as was the case again last night. The defenseman hasn’t played since November 9… And he’s only played five games so far this season.

So it’s a very hot issue that Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell wants to settle in the next few days.

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At just 20 years of age, it’s pretty bizarre that the Blue Jackets aren’t giving Jiricek more chances to develop in the NHL, and it’s hurting his career to be the seventh defenseman in the NHL.

The Blue Jackets even put Jordan Harris ahead of Jiricek.

There’s clearly a problem and a conflict between Jiricek and the team, and so we could very well see a possible transaction in this matter.

Jiricek is a very high-level prospect, having been drafted 6ᵉ overall in 2022, Juraj Slafkovsky’s year.

He still has very nice potential, and so I sincerely believe Kent Hughes should take an interest.

It would be a solid bet to take that wouldn’t cost too much, and would solidify the team’s future on the right side of defense.

It would also potentially allow Kaiden Guhle to play and develop on his strong side, the left.

In short, all this remains to be seen.

Barry Trotz wants to improve his club

Turning now to Nashville, well, as everyone knows, the Preds are off to a horrible start to the season that was clearly not expected.

As a result, Barry Trotz needs to adjust and help his team.

According to recent rumors, the Preds are looking for a center and a defenseman.

Could Jiricek be traded to Nashville?

(Credit: Getty Images)

If not, we know that Trotz really wants to add a center to his team.

Is Kent Hughes on the case? #Dvorak

The Preds want to improve and are trying to salvage their terrible start to the season, but it will be difficult given their 5-10-3 record.

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Bruins also looking for reinforcements

Boston is off to an average start, while the Bruins are playing for .500.

The acquisitions of Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm haven’t had the desired effect so far… and the Bruins’ lack of success also comes on the heels of Jeremy Swayman’s big contract signing.

You know, when things are going well!

So we’re looking for an electroshock to propel the team above this average, which won’t be good enough in the long term.

The Bruins are intensely exploring the transaction market in search of a solution that would contribute to the team’s success right now.

That said, the club needs depth on forward… and defense.

What will Don Sweeney’s priority be?

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Taylor Hall’s situation in Chicago is the talk of the town

The Hawks were in Vancouver last night to take on the Canucks.

And Luke Richardson made an interesting decision to leave Taylor Hall out, even though the forward is healthy.

Hall, who is known as an offensive player, has collected just six points in 17 games this season.

He missed almost the entirety of last season due to injury, and is known to be wizened.

But in his tweet, Elliotte Friedman seems to wonder if the Hawks can find a solution to accommodate him.

The club isn’t winning and the player isn’t producing. Why not send him elsewhere for a chance to bounce back and add a draft pick or prospect in the process?

The problem is his $6 million salary… even though his contract expires at the end of this season.

(Credit: Getty Images)

Overtime

– Wow. So he’s the real star in Toronto?

– Of note.

– Read more.

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Shea Weber’s speech was short… but perfect at the same time.

MONTREAL, CANADA- NOVEMBER 16: Shea Weber is honoured after his Hockey Hall of Fame induction during the opening ceremony of the NHL regular season game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Bell Centre on November 16, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images)

Yesterday was a special night at the Bell Centre.

Fans gathered on site had the opportunity to honor Shea Weber, who wore the “C” on his jersey for a few years in Montreal.

He received a warm welcome.

Weber then addressed the fans in the amphitheatre… And let’s just say he didn’t mess around with the puck.

He began by greeting the crowd in French, saying he was happy to follow in the footsteps of Jean Béliveau, Yvan Cournoyer and Maurice Richard… Before ending by saying he’ll always be grateful for the opportunity to don a Habs jersey.

It’s no secret that the main interested party is a man of few words. But on various platforms, some criticized the former captain’s speech for being too short.

Let’s face it: it was a bit of a bland speech.

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Weber isn’t the one who loves cameras, and he isn’t the one who speaks the loudest in public.

That said, personally, I thought he did what he had to do.

It looked like he was embarrassed/emotional, but he thanked the Canadiens fans for their support. He felt like crying, but he still wanted to keep talking… which is not usually in his nature.

And in all this, you have to realize that before the game, Weber spoke to the media for some 15 minutes to answer their questions.

He showed his class:

Weber’s presence obviously motivated his former teammates, because it’s rare for the Canadiens to score five goals at the Bell Centre.

Especially on a Saturday night!

All in all, it was a perfect evening. The Habs won, Weber was inducted into the Ring of Honor… And he was able to send his love to the fans, even if we’re talking about a guy who’s embarrassed at first.

Overtime

– Love this.

– Nice line-up.

– Any way to improve!

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Salary cap for 25-26: a possible increase of up to $9 million

The salary cap is still a very important issue in the National Hockey League.

It dictates what each team can afford to do, and how each team must arrange its own financial puzzle.

Every signing and every transaction depends on the salary cap, and so, when it increases, it greatly benefits the teams, as they can spend more.

Currently, the NHL salary cap stands at $88 million.

And from what we’ve learned in the last few hours, well, that cap could increase by $7 to $9 million for the 2025-2026 season, i.e. next season.

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Indeed, according to Elliotte Friedman, this possibility will actually be discussed in the coming weeks, as the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association meet.

Business is going well in the NHL, so a larger-than-originally-anticipated increase could actually happen for the next campaign.

The only problem is that, currently, under CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) rules, the salary cap can only increase by a maximum of 5% per season.

Going from $88m to $95/97m, an increase of 8 to 10.2%, would therefore not be possible if this rule is not changed by next season.

However, such a rule-breaking increase could still take place if the NHL and the players’ association reach an agreement.

If no agreement is reached, the salary cap will only rise to $92.5 million for the 2025-2026 season, and may then increase further for the 2026-2027 season, given that the current CBA expires in September 2026.

In short, we’re likely to see a very nice increase in the salary cap over the next few years, which can only be positive for teams, who will be able to spend more, and therefore put together better line-ups.

All this remains to be seen.

Overtime

– Logical.

– He turns 21 today!

– Alex Ovechkin is the all-time leading scorer, according to Jeremy Roenick. [Responsible Gambler]

– Wow!

– Whew.

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Juraj Slafkovsky benched: St-Louis is much tougher on his players

For the first time in a very long time, the Montreal Canadiens completely dominated a team’s scoring last night.

The Habs won by four goals last night, defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1, which means there will be free wings at the Cage aux sports until the next game.

It’s a win that may look perfect from the outside, but when you look at it more closely, you realize that the Habs weren’t consistent, as they struggled in the second period.

What’s more, before scoring three quickly in the third period, the Habs led by just one goal, so the lead didn’t hold much water.

In short, Martin St-Louis had to make decisions to try and hold on to the lead, and one of those decisions was to put Juraj Slafkovsky on the fourth line late in the second period and bench him early in the third.

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Indeed, Slaf was allowed presences on the fourth line, as well as missing a few early in the third period.

Martin St-Louis clearly wanted to send a message to his young player, who is not off to the best possible start to the season, even though he has 11 points in 15 games.

Slafkovsky has just one goal this season, which is clearly not enough.

MSL needs to shake up its troops, and while Slaf wasn’t necessarily having a bad game last night, the head coach decided it was the right time to shock his player.

St-Louis is clearly more rigid and harder on his players, and Jake Evans noticed.

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Indeed, Evans claims that MSL treats them all the same, regardless of their status in the team, and therefore treats everyone more harshly.

On the face of it, you’d think the players might not like this change in St. Louis, but Evans says the players need this right now.

They need to be shaken up and woken up, especially considering the poor start to the season and the many tasteless, emotionless games lost as if nothing had happened.

In short, I’d like to see St-Louis be tougher on his players, but I think there’s a bit of a problem.

Evans explains that the head coach treats everyone the same, but yet, it really looks like he’s still favoring his veterans.

Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia and Mike Matheson have never been benched or even left out, despite some very difficult moments since the start of the season.

On the other hand, when Slaf doesn’t perform, he’s quickly shuffled and punished.

I understand the need to coach the youngsters, but in the midst of a rebuild, is it really the right thing to put Slafkovsky on the fourth line and Lane Hutson on the second powerplay?

Let’s see where all this leads and if St-Louis makes the right decisions regarding its dressing room and bench.

Extension

The Habs honoured Shea Weber before the game, and the former captain got a very nice ovation from the Bell Centre crowd.

Weber remained true to form with a VERY short, but good speech.

It was also a special game for two Blue Jackets players, who were back in Montreal for the first time.

Sean Monahan and Jordan Harris were greeted by the crowd.

Monahan showed his appreciation for the Habs’ relief(#sarcasm) by stealing Lane Hutson’s stick during the game.

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Arber Xhekaj: “We had to put on a better show (than Paul and Tyson)”.

The Habs played a good game last night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, entertaining the crowd in many ways, from goals to a fight.

Indeed, in addition to his five goals, the Habs entertained the Bell Centre crowd with a solid fight, as Arber Xhekaj threw down the gloves with Mathieu Olivier.

The two men got in some good trades and some good shots, which woke up the crowd in the second period as the match took a quieter, flatter turn.

In short, it was a fight that kept the crowd entertained, which made it different from Friday night’s fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson.

In fact, in the penalty box, Arber Xhekaj felt that he and Olivier had to put on a better show and provide better entertainment than Friday night’s fight.

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In the end, both men really put on a better show with their fight, which was a very strong one and instead ended in a draw.

Olivier is really making a name for himself throughout the National Hockey League, and that’s very interesting considering that the Québécois forward will be a free agent next summer.

It would be really great to have him in Montreal, and it’s Renaud Lavoie’s dream to see him land in Montreal next summer.

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Lavoie had a very nice interview with the Québécois forward, and he really believes that adding Olivier to the Habs line-up would be an excellent decision, as it will take a lot of pressure off Arber Xhekaj’s shoulders.

Having Olivier and Xhekaj in the line-up would allow Xhekaj to have less sheriffing and brawling responsibilities.

For $2 million a year, Renaud Lavoie believes Mathieu Olivier would be a bargain, and a clear crowd favorite.

He’s the kind of high-energy player who makes others comfortable around him, and that was one of the first recommendations Rick Nash made when he joined the Blue Jackets’ management team.

“When Rick Nash joined the management group in Columbus, the first thing he recommended to just about everyone around the table was to dress Mathieu Olivier at every game to make the young guys more comfortable.” – Renaud Lavoie

In short, it remains to be seen, but it would be a great idea to add Olivier to the Habs roster.

Overtime

– Here’s Lavoie’s interview with Olivier.

– It was cool to see him!

– Magnificent victory.

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Top-5: Ryan Reaves ejected for violent shoulder blow to the head

There were 12 games in the National Hockey League yesterday.

So there were plenty of goals and plenty of action.

Without further ado, here’s what caught our eye.

1. Ryan Reaves ejected for his hit on Darnell Nurse

The Edmonton Oilers were in Toronto last night to take on the Maple Leafs before heading to the Bell Centre in Montreal on Monday night.

This kind of confrontation between two highly talented Canadian teams always puts on a great show, and once again yesterday, we weren’t disappointed.

Unfortunately, the Maple Leafs’ 4-3 overtime victory was somewhat tarnished by a horrific blow to Darnell Nurse’s head by Ryan Reaves.

The Leafs’ forward slammed his shoulder into Nurse’s head and was ejected from the game, while Nurse did not return to the game.

Honestly, it’s very dirty on Reaves’ part, and I can well imagine he’ll be suspended for at least a few games. We’ll keep an eye on that today.

As for the game itself, it was Mitch Marner who gave the Leafs the win in overtime.

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2. Jets suffer second straight loss for first time this season

The Winnipeg Jets have been virtually perfect since the start of the season, with 30 points in 17 games and only two losses prior to yesterday.

However, last night, while in Florida to face the Stanley Cup champion Panthers, the Jets suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat.

Getting shut out and dominated like that is a first for the Jets this season, who also suffered a second consecutive loss for the first time this season.

They also lost to the Lightning 4-1 two days ago.

In short, the fairy tale is probably coming to an end for the Jets.

Note that in the win, Sam Reinhart had three assists, extending his streak of games with at least one point to 10, as he has 16 points (eight goals and eight assists) during this stretch.

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3. Penguins win, despite a sick team

It was a rather special situation last night, when just before their home game against the San Jose Sharks, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that Kris Letang would not play due to illness, and that the rest of the team represented a pre-game decision.

So there was some question as to whether the Penguins would be able to play, but in the end, it all worked out, and the Penguins played the game being I guess all sick.

The beauty of it all is that, despite their poor start to the season, the Penguins were able to overcome this ordeal and find a way to win 4-3 in a shootout against the Sharks.

Note that in defeat, Tyler Toffoli scored two goals, giving him eight this season.

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4. Martin Necas extends his streak of games with at least one point to 12

Here’s one who’s really surprised everyone this season.

All summer long, Martin Necas was linked to major trade rumors, even involving the Canadiens, but in the end, the Czech forward stayed in Carolina.

Since the start of the season, Necas has been the Hurricanes’ best player, producing at a blistering pace that ranks him 5th in the entire NHL.

In fact, last night, Necas picked up an assist in the Canes’ 4-0 win over the Ottawa Senators, extending his point streak to 12 games.

He now has 23 points (eight goals and 15 assists) in that streak.

He picked up an assist on Sebastian Aho’s goal last night.

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5. Anthony Richard has six points in five games

Since being inserted into the Flyers lineup, Anthony Richard has managed to stay in the lineup night after night.

The Québécois is currently on an excellent run, with six points in five games this season, and at least one point in his last four games.

He registered two assists yesterday in the Philadelphia Flyers’ 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Six points in a season is a personal best for Richard, to whom we truly wish the best.

Let’s hope for his sake that it continues.

Note that Matvei Michkov also picked up two assists last night, making it 15 points (six goals and nine assists) in 16 games.

Overtime

– Here are yesterday’s results.

– Here are yesterday’s top scorers.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Today’s program: four games.

(Credit: Google/NHL)

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Arber Xhekaj and Mathieu Olivier fight furiously

Arber Xhekaj has made a name for himself with his physicality throughout his career.

This season, he seems to have matured in his game, not putting himself out of position as often as he used to.

The Montreal Canadiens’ colossus last fought on October 5, when the Habs took on the Ottawa Senators in pre-season.

This was Xhekaj’s first regular-season fight of the year.

Rather unusual on his part, but you get the feeling he’s been waiting for more opportune moments to throw down the gloves.

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Xhekaj left for the dressing room on the spot.

More details to come…

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Michael Chandler (UFC) invites Matt Rempe to practice with him

Last night (Friday) saw the long-awaited boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.

Despite an ending that was much disliked by fans, the other fights at least put on a good show.

Speaking of combat sports, there’s also UFC 309, which takes place this Saturday evening at Madison Square Garden.

The main fight card features two highly anticipated bouts.

Jon Jones will face Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title, while Charles Oliveira will take on Michael Chandler at lightweight.

Some fighters on the card have had the opportunity to view fights by Matt Rempe of the New York Rangers, and many were impressed by the colossus.

In fact, Michael Chandler invited Rempe to practice with him.

“Is that #73 again? This guy is an animal! #73, give me a sign, buddy. We should practice together.” – Michael Chandler

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Chandler also wondered why guys don’t headbutt and if it’s illegal.

Imagine if the NHL allowed head-butting during fights.

Popular Jon “Bones” Jones also mentioned that the brawlers in Rempe’s fight montage haven’t joined the right sport.

“They joined the wrong sport. They should be fighters in the UFC.” – Jon Jones

The latter was also told that it’s crazy that you’re preparing for a 35-minute fight and they’re preparing for a 30-second fight.

Jones countered by saying that it’s like 30 seconds in hell on ice.

It seems a very apt comparison.

Hockey fights may be short, but they are undoubtedly very exhausting.

Another of the fighters to compliment the technique of Nicolas Deslauriers and Matt Rempe during their brawl.

He liked the fact that they used their shoulder to protect themselves, then followed up with a powerful punch from their rearmost fist.

One thing’s for sure, mixed martial arts and hockey fighting are two very different worlds.

Overtime

– Another Rocket victory.

– Well done. The Regina Rams must have been wondering what was going on.

– Read more.

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