Author: Dose

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Future of Patrik Laine in Montreal: Alain Crête does not see him long-term with the Canadiens

What is Patrik Laine’s future with the Canadiens?

It is known that at the moment, Laine is highly regarded by fans and those involved with the Canadiens. His ability to energize the power play alone is worth the entry ticket to the Bell Centre.

However, just because he is good during five-on-four situations, it does not mean he is indispensable.

He has been absent for a week. And we can’t say that the Canadiens have slowed down. – Alain Crête

Note: The veteran media member, who said this morning on BPM Sports, is not claiming he is completely useless. But he states that at equal strengths, he is not the most noticeable player.

Of course, he just returned to the game and will surely bounce back… but Alain Crête is correct since Laine has mentioned this several times since his return.

 

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Expect to see Connor Hughes returning to Switzerland next season.

Let’s talk about the situation of the CH and the Rocket in front of the net.

Right now, the Canadiens are relying on Samuel Montembeault as #1 and Jakub Dobes as #2. The latter has taken the spot of Cayden Primeau, who is now paired with Connor Hughes in Laval.

These are the four main goalies in the organization at the moment. Luke Cavallin (three games in Laval) is also there from time to time, but without being a regular.

That’s for this year. But what will it be like next year?

Montembeault will surely be in Montreal, and Dobes will surely be in the organization, whether it be in Montreal or Laval. I don’t know what Cayden Primeau will do, but we can think that he is on borrowed time within the Canadiens’ organization.

What about Connor Hughes?

According to reports in the media “24 Heures” in Switzerland, it is not impossible to think that the goalie, whose contract expires in a few months, could return to play in Switzerland as soon as next season.

Goaltender Connor Hughes, currently engaged in the Montreal Canadiens organization, is expected to return to Switzerland next season. – 24 Heures

In the Swiss media Watson, the term “stuck” is used to talk about Hughes’s situation in Laval and within the Canadiens’ hierarchy. It is said that John Fust, the GM of the Lausanne club (his former team), is working hard to bring him back next year.

These are still some good clues regarding Hughes, who has spent many years in Switzerland. And another good element, in this piece from Swiss Habs: his agent would have proposed him to Swiss clubs, including Lausanne, for 2025-2026.

The possibility of seeing the Rocket’s goalie leave is quite real. And if that’s the case, we can think that the situation in front of Pascal Vincent’s net will need to be completely rebuilt—if Dobes remains up, which is not guaranteed.

Obviously, the name Jacob Fowler is one to keep in mind. I wouldn’t be surprised if the American becomes the #1 goalie in Laval next year—and I wouldn’t be surprised if Connor Hughes knows that too.

Is Quentin Miller, who recently left the LHJMQ, also going to be an option for Laval next year? It’s much less certain, but it’s a name to keep in mind.

However, we must bear in mind that last year it was tough for Dobes until a veteran (Kasimir Kaskisuo) arrived in town. If Fowler is in Laval, a guy like Connor Hughes—whether it’s him or someone else—could be very useful to support him.

In brief

– Notice to the interested.

– Trading Mike Matheson: a mistake by the Penguins. [BPM Sports]

– To be continued.

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Stolen laptop: Trevor Letowski must hope that the data from the CH does not circulate in the city.

It was recently learned that Réjean Tremblay had agreed to write for Punching Grace.

And without wanting to make a bad pun, the Godfather’s column today is a “punch” type since we learned that Trevor Letowski had his computer stolen.

This could certainly have significant complications.

Letowski, who left his computer in his car before the holidays while going to the Bell Centre, had his equipment stolen. But what needs to be known is that according to Réjean Tremblay, there are still interesting things in the computer.

We don’t know exactly what was in the computer, but this sentence from Réjean Tremblay’s text is important.

At the station, the police quickly realized after questioning Letowski that the contents of the laptop were explosive if they fell into the wrong hands. – Réjean Tremblay

Does this mean that the players’ data has been stolen? That the team of Martin St-Louis’s gaming system is somewhere in the city? Not necessarily.

According to Renaud Lavoie, who heard about the story without digging into it deeply, it would be Letowski’s personal laptop. That’s what he said this morning on the BPM Sports airwaves.

The Godfather’s information suggests that it was a homeless person who stole the computer, left openly in the car of Martin St-Louis’s assistant, to sell it at a pawn shop to buy drugs.

It is also learned that the normal procedure in such cases is to erase the data from the computer for resale. And since no fraud has apparently been reported in his case, we can think that it will stop there.

But that is not certain either.

In my opinion, this is the last time that Letowski and many people at the CH will leave their computers in plain sight on the streets of Montreal. And everyone reading my text this morning should take note of that.

In brief

– USHL: Johnny Gaudreau’s number will be retired.

– The Ravens must not panic. [BPM Sports]

– Yes.

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Zach Hyman and his family are buying Michael Andlauer’s junior club.

EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 29: Zach Hyman #18 of the Edmonton Oilers awaits a face-off during Game Four of the Western Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Dallas Stars at Rogers Place on May 29, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zach Hyman

A year ago, Andrew Berkshire made headlines.

How? By stating that if Zach Hyman managed to reach the NHL and score 50 goals in a season, it is partly due to the fact that his wealthy parents bought a league to ensure he got playing time when he was younger.

In short, for no apparent reason, he chose to criticize Hyman at an important point in his playing career.

This is the first thing I thought of when I saw that Hyman, who is not having the best season (only 13 goals at the moment), had made a purchase with his parents.

What did he buy?

According to CHCH News, the forward and his family (we must assume we are talking about his parents here) bought the Brantford Bulldogs, a team that plays in the Ontario junior league.

The Hymans are buying the team from Michael Andlauer, the former minority owner of the Canadiens who now owns the Senators.

This means that the Bulldogs will go from an owner who is linked to the Senators to an owner who is linked to the Oilers. Am I the only one who sees the beginning of a conflict of interest?

Andlauer has long been affiliated with the Bulldogs hockey. Whether it’s the Canadiens’ farm team in the AHL, the OHL version from 2015 to 2023, or the recent years in Brantford (where the team seems destined to stay), Andlauer was present.

Now, he is stepping aside.

We may wonder, however, if Hamilton will let the OHL go to better bring back the AHL. Andlauer said that the Belleville Senators were in Belleville to stay, but… who knows.

In Brief

– News from the Golden Knights.

– William Stanback in Ottawa.

– To read.

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Canadian: better points percentage than the Bruins in the standings

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

The Canadiens are currently #InTheMix and earlier this week, after their victory on Monday, they were even virtually in the playoffs.

Since then, things have changed. The Canadiens are just a few points away from the second wild card spot, which grants access to the playoffs. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that they are not far off.

The proof? Right now, the Bruins hold the top spot for wild card teams… and the Canadiens have a better points percentage than the Boston team, which has just lost six in a row.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Pretty interesting, huh?

The Lightning has managed to climb into the top 3 of its division (with Toronto and Miami), leaving Boston in the wild card spots. With 44 games played, no one in the East has played more games than the Bruins (.511) at the moment.

The Canadiens (.513) have four fewer points than the Bruins in four fewer games. No one has played fewer games than the Canadiens in the East this year, which gives them some leeway.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that the Canadiens will win the games they have in hand on their rivals since the schedule is not easy for them at the moment. But still: Martin St-Louis’s men are not in a bad position – especially compared to expectations.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Tonight, only the Red Wings (Blackhawks) and the Canadiens (Capitals) will be in action among the teams in the Eastern race. A loss for the Canadiens (in regulation) and a win for the Wings would allow Michigan’s representatives to surpass the Canadiens in the standings.

On the other hand, if the Canadiens win, they will pass the Senators.

Note that even if the Canadiens win in Washington tonight, they will not be able to surpass the Penguins or the Blue Jackets (who haven’t stopped winning since Patrik Laine decided to call them losers) right away.

Another winning streak could possibly help them settle into the playoff picture. Will the guys manage it?

In brief

– Ouch.

– The bottom-6 of the Canadiens and identity. [TSN 690]

– Well done.

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Top 5: Sidney Crosby, the ninth highest scorer of all time

Last night, the Canadiens did not play, even though it was Thursday.

However, 20 teams were in action.

Here are the results and highlights:

1. Sidney Crosby, the ninth all-time points leader

To become the ninth all-time points leader in NHL history, Sidney Crosby needed just two points.

And he collected those two points in the first period. The Penguins captain surpassed Joe Sakic with 1,642 points. Not bad!

He still has a long way to go before catching up to a certain Mario Lemieux.

By the end of No. 87’s career, where will he rank on this list?

As for the game against the Oilers, Pittsburgh started the match strong by scoring four goals in the first period.

And in the second period, Sid even scored the team’s fifth goal, bringing his total points to 1,643.

In the 5-3 loss, Leon Draisaitl became the first player of the 2024-2025 season to score 30 goals.

He ended the game with two goals, his 30th and 31st of the season.

2. 10 points in 10 games for Jonathan Drouin

Since joining Colorado, Jonathan Drouin has revived his career.

His 56 points last year earned him another contract in the NHL, and this year, even though he does not play much, he is making an impact. In the games he was in uniform, he collected points.

In 10 games this season, the Québécois has 10 points. Yesterday, in a 6-1 victory for the Avalanche in Minnesota, he registered two assists.

It was a night to forget for the Wild at home.

First, the team only had one professional goalie in uniform.

And the only healthy goalie, Filip Gustavsson, allowed six goals on 27 shots.

One cannot say he was helped by his teammates…

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Michael Andlauer more influential than Geoff Molson, according to THN

Since their hiring, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have the complete trust of their boss, Geoff Molson.

The owner is not too involved in hockey decisions, but he remains a fairly influential person in the hockey world.

But to what extent? The Hockey News has revealed its list of the 100 most influential people in hockey and the owner of the Canadiens comes in at 64th place, behind many others of his title, including Michael Andlauer (Senators).

Let’s remember that the new boss in Ottawa, who has confirmed that the Belleville Senators will remain in Belleville, once owned shares of the Canadiens.

I find it quite special that he is more influential… He just bought an NHL franchise and it’s not like he has accomplished much since his purchase.

It is also worth noting that Molson is not even one of the most influential owners in the league. According to THN, 13 owners have more influence than him. Besides Andlauer, Jeremy Jacobs (Bruins), Murray Edwards (Flames), Craig Leipold (Wild), Ted Leonsis (Capitals), Edward Rogers (Maple Leafs), David Blitzer (Devils), Jeff Vinik (Lightning), Chris Ilitch (Red Wings), Henry Samueli (Ducks), Mark Chipman (Jets), James Dolan (Rangers), and Vincent Viola (Panthers) have more influence in their sport than Molson.

That’s a lot of people!

Note that five general managers have more influence than Molson and no other player/member/representative of the Canadiens appears on the list. However, Marie-Philip Poulin is ranked 98th, one rank ahead of Connor Bedard and two ranks ahead of Piper Henderson, an associate attorney with the players’ association.

Unsurprisingly, Gary Bettman ranks first on the list, followed by Marty Walsh and his assistant Bill Daly. To view the complete list, I invite you to check out the article on THN.

In Brief

– It’s true.

– Atlanta back?

– Things are going badly in Boston.

– Exciting playoffs are to be expected.

– Fires are ruining the homes of many people.

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3 of the 6 clubs with the highest chances of winning the Cup are Canadian.

TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 15: Auston Matthews #34 and Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skate against the Buffalo Sabres during the third period at the Scotiabank Arena on December 15, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)

We have to go back to 1993 to see a Canadian team lift the Stanley Cup.

Since then, five of the seven teams from Canada have come close (Senators, Canadiens, Flames, Canucks, and Oilers), but in the end, they lost in the Stanley Cup final.

This season, Canada is in a good position to bring the major honors back north of the border. Indeed, three of the six teams most likely to win the major honors are Canadian.

No, the Canadiens, despite their recent rise, are not on the list.

The Oilers are the team with the highest chances, and the Maple Leafs (10%) as well as the Jets (8%), which are the two Canadian teams that have not participated in a Stanley Cup final since 1993, are the other two clubs in this ranking.

The Lightning, Hurricanes, and Devils complete the top-6.

But for Canadian teams, the three mentioned above have over a 99% chance of making the playoffs. But once in the playoffs, it’s historically more difficult, especially for Toronto, which has only won one series in I don’t know how long. Is this the season?

Craig Berube’s team is currently in first place in the Atlantic, and if this position holds, they would finally face the second or third team from the Atlantic instead of facing the worst or second worst team in the playoffs in the East.

For those wondering, the Canadiens, according to statistics provided in a text by The Athletic, have less than one percent chance of winning the major honors and 5% chance of participating in the spring tournament.

Their recent successes have not increased their chances that much, so it’s up to the Canadiens to defy the odds.

In brief

– Indeed.

– Too bad.

– The Jays will have to open the checkbook sooner or later.

– Schedule change.

– Not easy for Stuart Skinner.

– What a player!

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“It’s terrible” Tuukka Rask, regarding the rivalry between the Canadiens and the Bruins today.

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

I was born in the 1990s, and when I watched the Canadiens play against the Bruins when I was younger, there was a strange feeling that inhabited me.

And the reason is simple.

The two clubs hated each other… And the matches between the Montreal team and the Boston team were ALWAYS entertaining.

But in recent years, it seems that it is no longer the same.

Brendan Gallagher is the last player in Montreal who has really experienced the rivalry between the two clubs, and even though he tries to annoy the opponent when the Canadiens play against the Bruins, there isn’t as much commitment from both clubs.

Times have changed, and Tuukka Rask (who was a guest on Chris Nilan’s podcast) describes the Montreal vs Boston rivalry as “terrible”.

He was present at the Bruins’ centennial game (against the CH)… And he said that the match could have been presented against the Kraken, and it would have felt the same.

This gives a good idea because Rask was there when it was intense:

Tuukka Rask is right in saying that the game has changed too.

We no longer see the guys playing the style of the 2000s, when it was very physical, and that is normal: today, the NHL is based on speed and the individual talent of the players.

It’s more interesting in the eyes of some because we really see the players showcase their skills, but at the same time, a good physical match… That’s always enjoyable too.

The game between the Canucks and the Canadiens on Monday at the Bell Centre is a perfect example. We saw physicality throughout the game (on both sides of the rink), and it resulted in a good outcome.

But we must not forget that the Bruins and Canadiens do not play each other often since the regular season schedule changed in the NHL.

This means that players have less time to hate each other… And it leads to rivalries becoming rarer today in the big league.

In Brief

– It’s crazy, though.

– True pillars on the blue line.

– Indeed.

– Logical.

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According to Roman Rotenberg, Ivan Demidov is developing better in Russia than if he were in Montreal.

SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - 2024/11/07: Ivan Demidov (91) of SKA Hockey Club is seen in action during the hockey match of the Kontinental Hockey League 2024/2025 between SKA Saint Petersburg and Sochi at the Ice Sports Palace. (Final score: SKA Saint Petersburg 2:5 Sochi). (Photo by Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Roman Rotenberg is funny.

A month ago, the coach didn’t want to hear about the idea of giving reasonable playing time to one of his best players, Ivan Demidov.

The hope of the CH – more often than not – was not playing much, even though he had proven himself since the beginning of the season.

Now, as SKA is doing better and Demidov is playing more, Rotenberg claims that his young player is in the best place to progress.

Rotenberg also says that the playing system in Saint Petersburg is “stronger” than in Montreal… And that allows Demidov to improve and develop in the right way.

The Habsolument Fan website also published an article on the subject:

Since December 19 – that is, since Kent Hughes’ trip to Russia – Demidov has had more playing time.

And it’s no coincidence that he has collected 11 points in his last seven games.

Everyone (except Roman Rotenberg) knew he had the talent to be very good, but you can’t help your club when you’re on the bench.

It’s funny, but I don’t feel like the SKA coach would have said the same thing at the beginning of December…

Speaking of Demidov, let’s get right to the point.

Zachary Fucale, who had the chance to face him in the last two years in the KHL, wanted to praise him during an interview with RDS:

Every two days, there is something new about him; new highlights, a new point, another goal. He’s a very special player, there’s no doubt about it. – Zachary Fucale

This says a lot and it’s exciting for the Canadiens organization:

Sergei Samsonov, who played and had success in the NHL, shares the same opinion.

According to him (Responsible Gambling), Demidov will become a star player in the NHL and he even compares him a bit to Alex Ovechkin when he was younger.

All this to say that he is good, the kid!

I mentioned it yesterday, but Kent Hughes’ visit to Russia seems to have really benefited the player.

Ivan Demidov has started producing at an interesting pace since that moment and it must be believed that the increase in his playing time is one of the reasons for all this as well.

In Brief

– Nice.

– The top scorers in the NHL right now are…:

– A second child for the Terry family.

– Yikes.