Author: Dose

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« Ivan Demidov could be the best player of the CH upon his arrival in Montreal »

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 28: Ivan Demidov poses for a portrait after being selected fifth overall by the Montreal Canadiens during the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Sphere on June 28, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)

When looking at Ivan Demidov’s season in Russia, what stands out quite clearly is the lack of ice time the undeniable talent of the kid. Even if he is not always placed in optimal conditions, he manages more often than not to stand out from the crowd.

The Rookie of the Month in the KHL often has little ice time, but scoring 26 points in 38 games despite this shows that he is a special young player.

And this means that his coach is quietly forced to play him accordingly. Tomorrow, he will again be on the first line of SKA for a big match against CSKA.

But in Montreal, we are mainly looking forward to seeing him in the Canadiens uniform. And clearly, there are those who see big things for the arrival of the young Russian.

Eric Engels (Sportsnet) recently chatted with an executive from an Eastern team… and the executive in question does not hide it: he believes Demidov will be a game-changer in Montreal.

How much? To the point where he believes that upon his arrival in Montreal, Demidov will quickly become the best player on the Canadiens… and that he could be as soon as he sets foot in Quebec.

Obviously, this is a strong statement considering that the young player will arrive in the city at 19 years old (his current age) and that the Canadiens are relying on quality players. Guys like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovský, and Lane Hutson are no slouches… but Demidov is truly a special talent.

We saw it in Philadelphia this year with Matvei Michkov: it didn’t take him long to demonstrate the extent of his talent. One can wonder if the same will be true for Demidov… or if it will be even more impressive.

The executive surveyed by Engels has no doubt, however: Demidov will have an immediate impact with the Canadiens, and while one must remain cautious with expectations, the young Russian really seems to be a very special young player.

Let’s see if he will immediately be the best player on the team upon his arrival.

In Brief

– This is not ideal.

– Three-game suspension for Zachary L’Heureux.

– Calder: Lane Hutson is not too concerned about it.

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Two points in seven games: Alex Barré-Boulet is not pushing the management’s hand.

MONTREAL, CANADA - OCTOBER 9: Alex Barré-Boulet #27 of the Montreal Canadiens tapes his stick in the locker room before the NHL regular season game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre on October 9, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 1-0. (Photo by Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images)

Michael Pezzetta is in a strange situation in Montreal. As we approach January and the Canadiens have played 37 games, the good Pezz has only played three… and everything indicates that this is not about to change.

The 12 regulars are doing well right now. No one is really “movable”… and the Canadiens are lucky this is happening at this time. Let me explain.

If a forward were to get seriously injured with the Canadiens right now, one might think the team would probably look to Laval. The problem is that right now, the options are not particularly interesting.

Alex Barré-Boulet, who started the year in Montreal, would be the logical name. That said, he has only two points in his last seven games… and he has only one goal since the beginning of December.

He is not exactly forcing the management’s hand for a call-up right now.

Things are going pretty better for Joshua Roy… but it hasn’t been easy for him in the NHL this season. Is he really ready to move up?

We could also think of Brandon Gignac, but he is on the sidelines…

Owen Beck is doing well, but he is probably not ready to graduate yet…

Luke Tuch and Florian Xhekaj are good physical players, but Pezzetta can take on that role…

Filip Mesar has no points in four games since returning from injury, with only one goal in nine games this season (and he must be happy to see Emil Heineman make better sense of the Tyler Toffoli trade)…

Rafaël Harvey-Pinard has only six points in 15 games in Laval this season…

You see where I’m going with this? There isn’t really a call-up that makes sense offensively for the Canadiens right now. All of these guys have something that prevents them from forcing the club’s hand.

Fortunately, right now, the 12 regulars on the team’s offense are all playing great hockey. Because right now, the alternative options are Pezzetta… or a handful of players in Laval who, for various reasons, would not be ideal call-ups.

Things can change over time, but right now, the Canadiens really need their 12 forwards to hold the fort… and the good news is that they are doing brilliantly at the best possible time.

In Brief

– A thorough correction.

– A true top performer (in terms of points, at least).

– What do you think?

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Avalanche: Gabriel Landeskog skated with his teammates today.

It has already been a few years since Gabriel Landeskog has been sidelined in Colorado. The last time we saw the Avalanche captain play a game was when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup, on June 26, 2022.

And as we just welcomed 2025, it reminds us how long Landeskog has been out of the game.

That said, the captain continues to work hard to try to make a return to the ice. Despite setbacks in his rehabilitation, Landeskog still clings to the hope of coming back…

And today, in Colorado, we witnessed a nice moment at practice as the captain skated with his teammates this morning.

And he didn’t look too beat up…

However, one must be careful with such a situation, because in reality, it doesn’t mean he is getting closer to a return. It mainly seemed like a nice way to test the veteran’s rehabilitation a bit and motivate the rest of the group.

Because Jared Bednar acknowledged it: it feels good for the group to see Landeskog being around the team… but we shouldn’t think he will be back on the ice anytime soon.

It should also be noted that currently, the Avalanche has only $3.9 million of cap space, meaning they cannot activate Landeskog (with a cap hit of $7 million) without moving some money off the books. One might wonder if this will happen before the playoffs for that reason, as the team would probably have to part with a guy like Samuel Girard to make room for Landeskog (who likely isn’t the player he once was).

But in any case, seeing Landeskog skate with the rest of the group today is a nice story… and if it can inspire Avalanche captain Marc-Édouard Vlasic, who hasn’t played since the beginning of the season due to an injury, he will finally play his first game of the campaign today.

He hasn’t missed as many games as Landeskog, but it remains a nice story as well.

In brief

– Trevor Letowski shows love to Alexandre Carrier.

– They won the hearts of many during the tournament.

– The guys are enjoying themselves.

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It was before Christmas that Cayden Primeau learned he would be placed on waivers.

In December, Samuel Montembeault got 10 consecutive starts in front of the Canadiens’ net. The reason? The team had completely lost confidence in Cayden Primeau, to the point that he was not being played.

But obviously, this was not a sustainable method in the long term. Monty was already showing signs of fatigue, and sooner or later, the Canadiens would have to find a solution… and they did by recalling Jakub Dobes on the morning of December 26.

Cayden Primeau, on the other hand, was placed on waivers the next day (the transaction freeze did not allow for it to be done earlier), that is, on December 27. That said, even though it happened on the 27th, it did not exactly catch Primeau off guard that day.

While chatting with the media in Laval today, Primeau talked about the end of his time in Montreal, and as reported by Dave Lévesque (Journal de Montréal), the goaltender was informed of the team’s decision… on December 23.

It was Kent Hughes who called him to let him know.

So this means that even though the goaltender was placed on waivers on the 27th and Martin St-Louis only announced it the day before, Primeau was already aware of all this for a few days (and he suspected it was a possibility even before the call from his GM). And that explains why he didn’t even bother to make the trip to Florida.

But now that he hasn’t been claimed, he needs to roll up his sleeves and try to bounce back from all this. The good news is that Pascal Vincent wants to help him in Laval, as he has openly stated his goal of trying to help Primeau regain his confidence.

It won’t necessarily be easy, but we know that Primeau has had his share of success in the AHL in the past. And in the absence of Jakub Dobes (who is in Montreal), the Rocket needs another goaltender to win games and help the team make the playoffs.

After supporting Dobes at the beginning of the season, Connor Hughes will now try to lend a hand to a guy whose confidence is much lower.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how we’ll divide the starts between the two guys in Laval in the near future…

In Brief

– Great first period for the United States.

– Attention interested parties.

– Who will be better: the Capitals post-Ovechkin or the Penguins post-Crosby?

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Freshly recalled, Kirby Dach’s brother will make his NHL debut against the Canadiens.

In Montreal, Kirby Dach has been well-known for a few years now. The forward, who started his career with the Blackhawks, was traded to the Canadiens on draft night in 2022.

It was Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton’s first draft… and they put on quite a show.

However, what some may not know is that Dach has a younger brother who also plays hockey. And like the Xhekaj brothers in Montreal, the Blackhawks had brought the Dach brothers together back then, selecting Colton in the 2021 draft.

Kirby was traded a year later… but Colton has continued to make waves in the organization… and today, the Hawks announced that he has been recalled to join the big club.

He will therefore make his NHL debut tomorrow night… and this will happen while Kirby is in town.

Of course, it’s pretty cool to be able to face your brother in your very first NHL game. This must have made Colton happy, but I imagine it also brought joy to Kirby, who will have the chance to share the moment with his younger brother.

The two guys actually had dinner together yesterday… and we can think that Colton possibly shared the news with Kirby at that moment.

So it’s a beautiful story for the family, and for the occasion, dad Dach will be in the stands, but their mother and sister won’t be there. Both are in Europe, so they won’t be able to attend.

At least, dad will be there… and Colton is confident that his mother and sister will find a way to watch the game.

For those who are not as familiar with Colton Dach, we’re talking about a guy who, even though he is lighter than his brother, plays like a true power forward. He is unafraid to attack the net and combines great physical strength with very nice skating skills.

In 30 games in the AHL this season, the young 21-year-old winger has registered 12 goals and 25 points.

At his team’s practice today, Colton was on the second line and part of the second power play unit. Basically, he is pretty much already in the same position as his brother…

So we’ll see what Colton can do against the Canadiens tomorrow, but having the opportunity to make your debut in the show while facing your brother is something that must be special for him (and for the brother, of course).

Because I have this strange feeling that it’s a childhood dream coming true for the Dach brothers.

In Brief

– I personally like the second name.

– Gabriel Landeskog skated with his teammates this morning.

– The Latvians aren’t giving up.

– The waiver wire of the day.

– Two recalls to Nashville.

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David Savard left before the end of the training | Samuel Montembeault will play tomorrow

NEWARK, NJ - NOVEMBER 07: David Savard #58 of the Montreal Canadiens skates during the game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on November 7, 2024, in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images)

After spending yesterday away from the ice, Martin St-Louis’ men jumped onto the rink in Chicago today. The goal? To prepare for tomorrow’s game against the Blackhawks.

What we need to note, right off the bat, is that according to Renaud Lavoie, defender David Savard left his team’s practice.

We do not know exactly what the reason is, but it is logical to think that it is not just because he needed to go to the restroom, if you know what I mean.

Logically, the two most probable reasons are as follows: he has either been traded or he got hurt.

Since Savard sometimes takes days off for treatments, he has not been healthy for all of the CH’s games and the trade market is slow, we might think he is injured somewhere.

Obviously, it is still early to talk about this, but we have to ask if he will be able to face the Hawks tomorrow night. This is a question that arises, given the circumstances.

If he cannot play, there is Jayden Struble who is patiently waiting for his turn.

We must also note that the Canadiens announced that it will be Samuel Montembeault who will play against the Blackhawks tomorrow. And in my opinion, this is still a surprise.

I thought that the time was well chosen to give one to Jakub Dobes.

If Dobes is called to play Saturday, I wonder why the opposite was not done. And if Montembeault has to play Saturday, I wonder what that means for the future.

In any case, I am surprised at the moment. Dobes in Chicago made sense.

In a nutshell

– A race to follow.

– He’s good, that one.

– To watch closely.

– When will a significant contract happen for the Blue Jays?

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Let’s play the coach: let’s determine which goalkeeper will play at which time.

Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images

The next few weeks won’t be easy for the Canadiens. Up until the Super Bowl, the Canadiens’ schedule won’t be a walk in the park.

Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes will need to stay alert to keep the Canadiens #InTheMix for the upcoming challenges. But we have to wonder who will play when.

After all, now that Cayden Primeau is down, the #2 goalie may play a bit more often.

It’s important to remember that Monty is the #1 goalie for the team and we shouldn’t overwork him. We should also keep in mind that he won’t have a break in February, as he will go to the Four Nations Tournament.

And most importantly, we need to remember that Dobes will have to play to avoid warming the bench, but he also needs to be placed in good conditions to help the team win.

That’s several elements to keep an eye on.

Dobes, who needs to play at least once a week, should play tomorrow’s game, in my opinion. A back-to-back in Chicago and Denver awaits the team, and Monty is a logical candidate for Saturday.

(Credit: NHL.com)

On January 6, it should be Montembeault. After that, we will have to wait until January 10 and 11 to see a doubleheader: Friday in Washington and Saturday against the Stars at home.

I would be surprised if Montembeault doesn’t play at home on Saturday night, January 11.

After that, it gets a little more complicated. After all, there will only be one other doubleheader before the end of January: January 18 and 19, at the Bell Centre.

Expect, if everyone is healthy, to see the Quebecer play against the best team on Saturday night, in a duel between two rivals… and to see Dobes against the struggling Rangers the next day.

But otherwise?

A first more complicated decision will come just before the doubleheader, during the short trip to Salt Lake City and Dallas. Will Dobes get the match against Utah HC? Will both matches go to the starter? I would give one to Dobes, considering the travel.

(Credit: NHL.com)

On January 21, 23, and 25, there will be three matches, including one on the road against Detroit on Thursday. It makes sense to think that this match will be the one Dobes has during the week.

Jets and Wild at home before heading to California with no game on Saturday night? I give the Jets to Montembeault and the Wild to Dobes.

After that, I start by giving the match in Anaheim to Montembeault before splitting the matches in San Jose and Los Angeles between the two guys. Probably I would go with Dobes against the Sharks.

And finally, the Devils and the Lightning in the afternoon at home during the Super Bowl weekend? That would be split in two, surely giving Monty a break on Sunday before the Four Nations.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Of course, all of this is just a fun plan. And it can change depending on the performances of the guys and any injuries. But at the moment, this is how I would go.

With a second goalie that we need to test, we’ll need to give him games. Warming the bench is not a solution.

In Brief

– He is improving.

– Jakub Dobes is not a flash in the pan. [TVAS]

– QMJHL in Newfoundland: what will the club be called?

– Interesting.

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Third practice canceled for Team Canada junior: Dave Cameron doesn’t know what he’s doing.

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Everything regarding Team Canada junior this year is negative.

It started with the many players excluded from the tournament (including those who don’t take it seriously) and now, it’s the poor performances of the team that are catching the attention of Canadians.

The indiscipline, effort, and ability to score goals of the Canadians are not up to par. It shows.

One might think that being led by Dave Cameron doesn’t help at all. Yesterday, my colleague Pablo Herrera was quite clear on this point: Canada’s coach is simply lost, as he doesn’t know what to do to keep his team disciplined.

And let’s just say that what’s coming up isn’t going to help my colleague feel any better.

First, we learned that this morning, just a few hours before a must-win match for Canada (quarter-final at 7:30 PM tonight against the Czechs), practice has been canceled.

This is the second consecutive day this has happened, as yesterday, after the loss against the Americans, it was also canceled.

Cameron, who also canceled a practice earlier in the tournament (after the loss to the Latvians), hasn’t made his guys skate since last year, which was after the defeat against the United States on December 31.

How can he practice his poor team if he doesn’t make the guys skate? Is he trying to reinvent hockey, or does he have a good reason for appearing lost? I’m asking you.

Dave Cameron is therefore being criticized for this. Scott Wheeler, prospects expert for The Athletic, says that a pro coach texted him this morning asking why the Canadians never skated.

We are at that point.

But it goes even further, as during the skate session for goalies and extras (the only ones who skated this morning), Carson Rehkopf, one of the best players on the team, was spotted.

He looks set to miss today’s must-win game.

We must wonder if he is injured. And if he’s not, we need to ask if coach Dave Cameron should give up his head coach position in the coming hours to someone else.

That’s where we are, I think.

In brief

– Too bad.

– The CH will practice at 12:30 PM today.

– Oh really?

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“I feel like I’m rotting”: another controversy in the Rangers’ locker room

NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 23: Zac Jones #6 de los New York Rangers patina durante el calentamiento antes del partido contra los New Jersey Devils en el Prudential Center el 23 de diciembre de 2024 en Newark, Nueva Jersey. (Foto de Rich Graessle/NHLI a través de Getty Images)

The leadership of a company starts at the top. And the Rangers must be starting to realize this.

Whether it’s the owner’s fault or Chris Drury’s, the president of hockey operations, it’s clear that the atmosphere in the New York Rangers’ locker room is simply toxic.

This has been evident for several weeks now, let’s say.

It seems that every week, there’s a new example demonstrating just how dysfunctional this organization is. And now we have another example that falls into our hands.

And it comes from Zac Jones.

In light of an article penned by Larry Brooks, we understand that the defenseman is not exactly adopting the Michael Pezzetta method (who would have the right to complain, by the way) to deal with being sidelined by his coach.

As he prepares to miss a fifth game in six outings, Jones publicly complained.

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Ilya Kovalchuk: “the media in Montreal can send a young player to the AHL”

These days, there is an interview with Ilya Kovalchuk that is causing quite a stir.

The point that garnered the most attention is when the Russian, in an interview in his native language, mentioned that playing in Montreal was very positive for his career.

Even though his time was short, it clearly left an impression on him.

But while he enjoyed playing here and the pressure of a Canadian market didn’t seem to intimidate him, he is still aware that Montreal is a different beast.

And he did not hesitate to talk about it.

In his view, the media is so present during practices and games that if they start talking about a young player who isn’t doing well, they have the power to influence the situation and push the CH to send him down to Laval.

You can listen to the excerpt (subtitled in English) here.

Ilya Kovalchuk says that messing up plays in practice can affect the journalists’ perceptions on site, and we understand that he thinks the media’s power puts pressure on the club.

Kovalchuk also says that young players read everything that is said and that they quickly leave the locker room when journalists arrive after a game. It was clearly like that in his time, at least.

Those who know that playing in Montreal is great (if everything goes well) are right that hockey is big here.

But even though some journalists wield influence, it’s important to remember that Martin St-Louis has said before that he doesn’t listen to the criticism of people he wouldn’t turn to for advice. He can’t be the only hockey person, past or present, who thinks that way. Right?

In Brief

– It’s Cole Caufield’s birthday.

– To watch out for.

– The Jake Evans situation is far from over.