SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - 2024/09/23: Ivan Demidov (91) SKA Hockey Club and Darren Dietz (4) Avangard Hockey Club seen in action during the Hockey match, Kontinental Hockey League 2024/2025 between SKA Saint Petersburg and Avangard Omsk at the Ice Sports Palace. (Final score; SKA Saint Petersburg 4:1 Avangard Omsk). (Photo by Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Russia may not have been represented at major international tournaments for a few years now, but it was well represented at the last two NHL drafts.
Russia has many legendary players in its ranks, including Pavel Datsyuk, Alex Ovechkin and Sergei Zubov. The latter recently spoke to Sergey Demidov of RG.org about Russia’s two new gems: Ivan Demidov and Matvei Michkov.
For Zubov, the arrival of these two players at the next level signifies a kind of passing of the Russian torch. He compares these two players to Datsyuk and himself, making them the new faces of Russian hockey.
Russian hockey legend and @hcsochi head coach, Sergei Zubov offers valuable insights on the future of Russian hockey, highlighting Matvei Michkov’s determination and Ivan Demidov’s growth.https://t.co/iGgAdIWvfC
– RG.org (@RGSafePlay) October 29, 2024
That’s quite a compliment for two players with so little NHL experience.
For Michkov, the comparison isn’t bad at all, who already has nine points after as many NHL games in his rookie season.
As for Demidov, Zubov is aware that there’s still work to be done since he hasn’t yet reached the NHL. However, he sees great similarities between his talent and that of Mishkov.
According to Zubov, the most important thing in Demidov’s case is to be able to remain consistent in every game. This is something he has the opportunity to learn by playing with experienced KHL players like Evgeny Kuznetsov.
A Stanley Cup champion like Kuznetsov not only has the talent to help Demidov’s progression, but also allows him to learn how to establish himself as a top player.
Michkov and Demidov still have a long way to go before they reach the level of Zubov and Datsyuk, but they’re on the right track.
LAVAL, QC - OCTOBER 18: Laval Rocket right wing Filip Mesar (48) plays the puck during the game between the Rochester Americans versus the Laval Rocket on October 18, 2023 at Place Bell in Laval, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Everything was going well for Filip Mesar.
He had collected five points in his first five games of the season with the Canadiens’ AHL training camp… Before suffering an injury.
And said injury is still significant, according to what the Rocket announced in the final minutes.
Here’s what you need to know: Mesar is suffering from a lower-body injury that will force him to miss eight to ten weeks of activity.
This is a major blow for him and for the Rocket.
Vincent Arseneau, Laurent Dauphin and Brandon Gignac are on the sidelines, but are being evaluated on a daily basis.
Forwards Vincent Arseneau (upper-body injury), Laurent Dauphin (lower-body injury) and Brandon Gignac (ill) are evaluated on a daily basis.
We hardly talk about it, but the Laval Rocket is off to a blazing start.
Pascal Vincent’s team has won five of its first six games of the season and is in 2nd place in its division, behind the Toronto Marlies, who have a 6-0-0 record.
Getting back to Mesar, the injury is a shame because we felt he was playing with a lot of confidence after being cut by the Canadiens at practice camp.
In the five games he played, the forward was involved on the ice and his coach wasn’t afraid to use him because the Slovak was doing things the right way.
Let’s hope his confidence is still at 1000 when he’s able to return to action, because I get the impression that he’s winning points with management.
That’s pretty impressive, so reminiscent of his 82-point season with the Flames in 2018-19.
After eight games in 2018-19, however, he had eight points. That’s one less than his current total!
It’s also a better start to the season than last year, when Monahan had seven points after his first eight games. He completed the campaign with a total of 59 points.
Prior to Monday night, Monahan was scoring exactly one point per game. However, he took advantage of the fact that the Oilers had to play without McDavid to score two goals in the same game.
Monahan is currently the Blue Jackets’ second-highest scorer behind Kirill Marchenko, who already has 11. It’s good to see Columbus enjoying some success after such a hectic and sad end to the summer.
With four wins, three losses and another in overtime, Columbus is off to a start beyond expectations, especially for a team that received an exemption from qualifying for the salary floor.
So far, the Blue Jackets have no regrets about offering Monahan a five-season contract at $5.5 million per season.
What a way to pay tribute to Johnny Gaudreau. We hope for Monahan and the Blue Jackets that this sequence continues for a long time to come.
Overtime
– Let’s think about Mike Matheson’s future.
With 8 points in 9 games, Mike Matheson is off to an excellent start.
Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre thinks the Canadiens should consider trading him next summer to maximize his value! pic.twitter.com/i6wrafQJzM
– He still has a lot to learn, but he’s on the right path.
My column on Canadiens rookie forward Oliver Kapanen adjusting to life in the NHL and needing to build some more confidence with the puck. His hockey IQ is obvious. #Habs#HabsIO:https://t.co/xnT8UbC9eb
It’s confirmed: Juraj Slafkovsky will be back in action tonight.
The Canadiens’ forward, who missed last week’s activities, practiced this morning with Alex Newhook and Joel Armia. So he won’t be playing with Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki or even Kirby Dach: all three will be playing together.
But as he said in a press briefing, he doesn’t seem to mind too much. He understands the situation.
Martin St-Louis said he expects Slaf to return to the top line, either tonight or eventually.
But it’s worth noting this about the Slovak: Slaf, who feels 100%, confirms that it wasn’t a shoulder problem that prevented him from playing last week. But that’s what we thought.
So what was it? He won’t say. But what he did say was that it was a freak injury, and before he injured it, he wasn’t sure it was even possible to have such an injury.
Hm…
#Habs Juraj Slafkovský says his upper-bodty injury wasn’t a shoulder problem like had been speculated – Slaf wouldn’t disclose exactly what the injury was but said it was a weird one that he never heard of before having to deal with it.
Kaiden Guhle and Justin Barron skated this morning, but won’t be playing tonight. They should be part of the trip (the club leaves for Washington tomorrow), that said.
So they’re getting closer.
Guhle and Barron don’t return to action tonight, but are expected to accompany the team to Washington and Pittsburgh later this week.
“They’re getting closer,” said Martin St-Louis.
– The line-up for the Four Nations Tournament won’t necessarily be announced on December 2.
While the deadline to submit 4 Nations rosters is Dec. 2, the NHL/NHLPA still finalizing plans for how rosters will be revealed but likely won’t be that day. Sometime that week is current thought.
Over the past few days, the Canadiens have consistently had three players on the sidelines: Juraj Slafkovsky, Kaiden Guhle and Justin Barron. All three were injured.
But all three are clearly making progress.
According to Renaud Lavoie’s live report from the Flanelle’s practice, all three players took part in the club’s regular practice with jerseys allowing them to receive contact.
Kaiden Guhle gets closer to a return to action as he has a regular jersey at practice. @CanadiensMTL@TVASports
Slafkovsky and Guhle are players who will play if they’re healthy. We’ll have to wait and see what Martin St-Louis has to say on the subject, but it’s questionable whether they’ll return to action tonight against the Kraken.
Barron? If he’s ready, we’ll see.
Details to follow…
Overtime
– Rafaël Harvey-Pinard is making progress too.
Good news from the Canadiens: Slafkovsky, Guhle and Barron all take part in morning practice in regular jerseys.
Harvey-Pinard is also around in a non-contact jersey.
Trevor Zegras falls into the prestigious “forever linked to the Canadiens” category in the rumour mill. Wayne Simmons, Jaromir Jagr and Pierre-Luc Dubois are also on the list.
I could name 1,000 others, but I have a life to live.
Of course, there’s no telling whether Zegras will end up playing for the Canadiens. That said, the more time passes, the greater the chance that he’ll leave Anaheim one day.
If that’s the case, it’s logical to assume that the Habs will want to take a chance. After all, he’s been linked with the player in the past, and that’s the kind of gamble the Canadiens can take.
At the right price, of course.
I don’t know to what extent the player’s start to the season, which is less and less productive as the years go by, will push a team to get him out of Anaheim at the right price, but it’s clear that some must be thinking about it.
And of those, David Ettedgui tells us to keep an eye on the Nashville Predators.
This is the best time for the Canadiens to pick up Trevor Zegras, they need a change and the Habs are the perfect team. With the uncertainty at forward and the injury to Laine, I’d add him and rebalance the top 6, keep an eye on Nashville on this one. pic.twitter.com/26DCqNYxgR
The Preds are a team that isn’t afraid to make big moves. They’re a team that develops defensemen like no one else. It’s also a team that’s off to a bad start this season.
It wouldn’t be a bad bet… depending on the price, of course.
Note also that in his tweet, Ettedgui refers to the Habs as the perfect team for Zegras. It’s not the first time we’ve heard that, and I wonder what Martin St-Louis thinks of it.
Last month, Elliotte Friedman said he no longer believed in Zegras in Montreal. Where do we stand on October 29?
You know the Jeremy Filosa situation. After saying on-air that he no longer believed man had ever walked on the Moon over a week ago, Filo was inundated with comments on social networks, and 98.5 management took a moment to reassess his future.
Meanwhile, the sports journalist was at home.
But now, according to La Presse’s Hugo Dumas, a decision has been made in the Filosa file. As a result, he will keep his job, but will be reassigned.
Basically, Filo has agreed to undergo training in basic journalistic standards. That’s what his bosses asked him to do.
If the process goes well, he’ll get his microphone back. But until then, he’ll be doing research to prepare the radio station’s sports programs. One wonders whether this will only be during the week, or whether he’ll also be working a bit on weekends or during the holiday season.
In other words? He’s losing his microphone (for now), but not his job.
I wonder: would the situation have been the same if he hadn’t been unionized? But since he is, it means that even if the questioning is good, we’re questioning ourselves in a vacuum.
You should also know that his job was twofold: contributor to Philippe Cantin’s show and sports journalist. The microphone he had on the comeback show he won’t be getting back once his training is over, according to Hugo Dumas in his text.
It’s that of sports journalist that he’ll have again – if all goes well – next year.
What this means is that Meeker Guerrier should be here to stay in the afternoon, but that Kevin Dupont and Daphnée Malboeuf should replace Filo on a temporary basis in the field.
My colleague Maxime Truman posted some info on this subject yesterday, on Stanley25’s Patreon. I invite you to subscribe and listen to the next episode of the podcast, due out in the next few days.
I talked about Filo last night on Stanley25’s Patreon.
So, in the short term, three people will take over Filo’s responsibilities at 98.5. A bit like the Dodgers trying to win the World Series tonight with a committee of relievers, like…
Filo will, in a way, replace Kevin Dupont, working in the shadow of the radio station’s sports broadcasts.
It’s good to see that 98.5 decided to give the veteran a second chance and that the journalist wasn’t tased because of a mistake. Everyone deserves a second chance, don’t they?
It remains to be seen when we’ll be able to hear him on air again. We’re talking about next year… but next year could be January or December, we agree.
I mentioned it a few weeks ago, and the rumours are getting louder about a move to Newfoundland. NO it’s not official but it looks like the Titan, despite a superb start to the season, are living on borrowed time in Bathurst. #QMJHLhttps://t.co/KYnlJkkrkP
The Edmonton Oilers aren’t off to a great start to the season.
They had won just four of their first nine games of the campaign prior to yesterday’s game, and the opportunity was there to remedy the situation, as the team was visiting Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets.
But the evening turned out to be a nightmare.
Early in the game, the club lost the services of its captain, who suffered a lower-body injury after a freak fall:
Connor McDavid will not return after sustaining a lower body injury off the opening faceoff vs. the Blue Jackets.
The Oilers flew to Nashville after the game for tomorrow night’s game against the Predators.
But Connor McDavid didn’t follow the group: instead, he returned to Edmonton to undergo extensive testing for his injury.
Let’s hope it’s not too serious:
Kris Knoblauch told the media tonight that Connor McDavid is heading back to Edmonton for further testing on his lower body injury. pic.twitter.com/BRi9URhqd1
It was a party in San Jose, because in winning the game, the Sharks picked up their very first victory of the season (1-7-2 record).
I imagine that Utah’s André Tourigny must have been pretty pissed off after the game… Because you can’t give away three goals and then lose in overtime to the worst team in the league.
He was then asked if that was for all positions combined, and his answer remained the same.
Lavoie thinks Hutson is better than Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Mike Matheson. That’s a lot for a defenseman still taking his first steps in the NHL!
What Lavoie is asking is that fans only watch Hutson when he’s on the ice. His play is almost always impeccable and he has a major impact on the Habs’ success.
Let’s not forget that he’s also the Canadiens’ most-used player. He’s used for everything.
Hutson can be seen on the powerplay, shorthanded and five-on-five. And he’s also on the ice when Martin St-Louis pulls his goalie.
Funnily enough, with Hutson on the short-handed, the Canadiens now rank third in one-man efficiency. The Habs have allowed just three shorthanded goals so far this campaign.
And on the powerplay, even if he doesn’t always get points, he’s able to turn the puck around and draw players to him to free up his teammates.
Renaud Lavoie loves all these aspects of Hutson’s game. His only complaint is the power of his shot. Let’s just say it’s the kind of thing that can easily be improved.
This is the best time for the Canadiens to get Trevor Zegras, he needs a change and the Habs are the perfect team. With the uncertainty at forward and the injury to Laine, I’d add him and rebalance the top 6, keep an eye on Nashville on this one. pic.twitter.com/26DCqNYxgR
MONTREAL, CANADA - FEBRUARY 17: Mike Matheson #8 of the Montreal Canadiens looks on during the warm-up of the NHL regular season game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre on February 17, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images)
Mike Matheson is off to a strange start this season. His offensive production is superb, while many fans are disappointed with his defensive performance.
Despite all the hype about Matheson, the 30-year-old defenseman is currently excelling in the points department.
In fact, he’s currently producing at the best rate of his career. With eight points in nine games, he’s on track to finish the season with around 72 points (72.88 to be exact). He collected 62 points last season, which was his best NHL campaign in terms of points.
Say what you will about Mike Matheson, he’s still a top-10 defenseman with 8 points in 9 games.
Don’t get too excited. That’s if he keeps up his points-per-game pace and plays every game for the Canadiens this season.
You never know, it could happen, but we all agree that he could be in for some tougher times that will slow him down.
The same goes for Cole Caufield. With his eight goals in nine games, he should theoretically finish the season with 72 goals! We all know that’s extremely unlikely.
On the other hand, we have to admit that Matheson’s performances have been excellent. With Guhle away, he and Hutson have had to spend a lot of time on the ice, which becomes very exhausting, especially when they’re playing two games in two nights.
Matheson is off to such a good start that he ranks fifth in the entire NHL for points among defensemen. He’s tied with Victor Hedman, Shea Theodore, Adam Fox and Josh Morrissey. Not bad!
On a slightly less glorious note, Matheson leads the NHL… in penalty minutes.
NHL Skater stat leaders as of October 28th:
Goals: Nico Hischier (9 goals)
Assists: Makar & Stone (13 assists)
Points: Mark Stone (17 points)
Plus/minus: Koepke & Cuylle (+10)
PIMS: Mike Matheson (23 pims)
OT Goals: Leon Draisaitl (2 goals)
Game-winners: Mackinnon & Draisaitl (3… pic.twitter.com/CdKiY3Qw4j
https://t.co/iGgAdIWvfC
vs Canada 
game at the Bell Centre on Feb. 15th:
#NHLStats:
: 
pic.twitter.com/IWTmrKZPaA
& 
#LetsGoBuffalo
https://t.co/tlmwsAan7D
We talk about it at Combo this week with