NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Kaapo Kakko #24 of the New York Rangers during warm-ups prior to the game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game One of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 5, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kaapo Kakko
The Rangers did not take long to resolve the situation involving forward Kaapo Kakko.
Set aside earlier this week, Kakko expressed his displeasure to the media, stating that he was not the problem in this team and that he did not understand why he was the victim in this situation.
He will no longer have such problems, as he was traded to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night.
#NYR have acquired defenseman Will Borgen, a 2025 Third-Round pick and a 2025 Sixth-Round pick in exchange for Kaapo Kakko. pic.twitter.com/4OTAZWuFBs
In return, the Rangers acquire defenseman Will Borgen, as well as third and sixth-round draft picks in 2025.
Borgen is not a bad defenseman, but he is part of a weak return for Kakko, who has the skills to become a talented player in the NHL.
Kakko has shown his potential several times in the past, but he struggles to remain consistent. He is having a decent start to the season so far, with 14 points in 30 games.
The second overall pick in 2019, Kakko may thrive in Seattle if he finds his footing with the change of scenery.
This makes him the third player selected in the top 4 in 2019 to change teams. Kirby Dach (third pick) and Bowen Byram (fourth pick) have also been traded.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 29: Rasmus Dahlin #26 of the Buffalo Sabres skates against the Vancouver Canucks during an NHL game on November 29, 2024 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)
At 24 years old, Rasmus Dahlin is now one of the best defenders in the National Hockey League.
It took a bit of time for the first overall pick from the 2018 draft to establish himself as a true impact player in Buffalo, but the Sabres’ success generally goes through him.
He was not on the ice yesterday at the Bell Centre for the game against the Canadiens, and it showed in the Sabres’ defensive play.
Things are not going well in Buffalo, though: the Sabres have now lost their last 11 games… This is not ideal for a team that is supposed to be relatively good.
There are good players on this team, after all.
But in order to shake things up, maybe Kevyn Adams (GM) will have to make a tough decision by trading some guys.
Mathias Brunet and Martin Lemay (who are friends again) have each put forward a trade proposal to bring Dahlin to Montreal.
And in both cases, it’s eye-opening:
Canadiens’ first pick (not protected), Michael Hage, and Cole Caufield OR Kaiden Guhle for Dahlin (Mathias Brunet)
Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield for Dahlin (Martin Lemay)
That’s a lot:
.@mathiasbrunet would give the Canadiens’ first pick (unprotected), Michael Hage, and Cole Caufield (or Kaiden Guhle) for Rasmus Dahlin!@MartinLemay would give Lane Hutson and Caufield!!
To acquire a star player, you usually have to be prepared to pay a high price.
The Canadiens were lucky in the Patrik Laine trade because the player was in a dreadful situation in Columbus, but you understand the principle.
That being said, giving up a pick that could be top-10, an established sniper like Caufield or a good young defender like Guhle, and a quality prospect like Michael Hage — I find that to be a lot.
It’s too much in my eyes. Even Martin Lemay’s proposal concerns me… Because Lane Hutson has what it takes to become one of the best offensive defenders in the National Hockey League.
Still, the idea of acquiring a defenseman of Rasmus Dahlin’s caliber is appealing. The Canadiens would have their true #1 defenseman for several years (Dahlin is 24 years old) and it would resolve a certain “problem” in Montreal.
But still: I would not be willing to let go of so many quality players/pieces to bring in just one guy. Dahlin is good — he’s excellent, even — but the Canadiens have more weapons by keeping Caufield, Hage, Guhle, and even their next first pick in the bank.
In Brief
– So much the better.
Cayden Primeau today who concludes our discussion with a “good day” and Brendan Gallagher who enters the locker room saying “hello, hello!”.
I’m noticing more and more little details showing that players are making an effort in French.
Happy birthday to former Canadiens goalie Charlie Lindgren, who turned 31 today. This season with the Washington Capitals he has a 9-6-0 record with a 2.62 GAA and a .902 save percentage. #Habs#HabsIOpic.twitter.com/uyBnF1X0JT
Obviously, Carey Price can no longer push himself as much as before with his body.
He has to be careful because his knee is fragile, but that doesn’t stop him from spending time and playing with his children.
In the end, that’s what matters to me.
After all, Carey gets to share his passion with his son, and that’s great.
There are athletes who have spent their careers getting injured, and by the time they retire, they are limited in their movements because their bodies just can’t keep up anymore.
But Price can enjoy precious moments like these with his kids because he is able to do so… And that is what counts at the end of the day.
And who knows: maybe Carey’s son will start to love hockey too, which would allow the father to stay involved in the hockey world in some way.
In Brief
– Nice contest.
Come and see a Canadiens game with your kids during Family Weekend in collaboration with Parc Oméga and Tim Hortons, on February 8 and 9!
Je prépare mes notes pour le @5a7RDS et Sports30 et ça me renverse un peu de constater que Patrik Laine a plus de buts en avantage numérique que Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Mikko Rantanen, David Pastrnak et même Alex Ovechkin qui a joué 18 parties !
The 2023 draft remains etched in the memory of many.
And that’s understandable: when you see a 20-year-old who could have been drafted by the Canadiens having a lot of success in his rookie season, it grabs attention.
Matvei Michkov has been outstanding since his entry into the NHL, and the decision to select David Reinbacher ahead of him doesn’t sit well with many today.
But according to Mathias Brunet, the Canadiens wouldn’t have drafted him even if Reinbacher was no longer available.
The journalist (La Presse) argues that the Montreal organization would have leaned towards Ryan Leonard (Capitals) or Dalibor Dvorsky (Blues):
If Reinbacher hadn’t been available, we probably would have opted for a Ryan Leonard or a Dalibor Dvorsky. – Mathias Brunet
Note that the website Habsolument Fan also wrote an article on the subject.
Kent Hughes and his group didn’t decide to avoid him for fun or to cause frustration in the city. They made their decisions because they had their reasons.
That being said, it’s logical to see Mathias Brunet say that the Canadiens wouldn’t have drafted the Russian even if Reinbacher were no longer available.
Because if Michkov’s name had come before the defender’s on the Canadiens’ list, he would probably be playing in Montreal right now.
And if Reinbacher were no longer available at the 5th pick, it would mean that one of the top-4 players slipped down to the Canadiens’ spot.
It’s agreed that here, we have to exclude Connor Bedard because he was seen as the logical 1st pick… But things would have been different if Leo Carlsson, Adam Fantilli, or Will Smith had been available for the Canadiens.
In the end, whether we like it or not, Matvei Michkov will always be linked to the Canadiens for the reasons we know. And even if some are upset with the Canadiens’ decision, no one has the power to go back in time to change history.
#Avs place Tye Felhaber on waivers.#Preds place Marc Del Gaizo on waivers.#Isles place Grant Hutton on waivers. #WPGJets place Dylan Coghlan on waivers.
Notably, Del Gaizo was fantastic last night vs the #NYR
I don’t know if you’re in the mood to laugh. But if you are, I suggest you check out this excerpt from the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, where Paul Bissonnette suggests that Sean Avery could be the next GM of the Rangers.
What Biz heard is that Sean Avery is heading to New York to talk with none other than James Dolan, the owner of the Rangers, about “the state of the Rangers” right now. As if things weren’t bad enough already.
And the former goon added this:
There is a crazy side to James Dolan that makes it possible he could consider replacing Chris Drury with Sean Avery as the Rangers’ GM. – Paul Bissonnette
Bissonnette says Avery has confirmed that he will be chatting with the owner of the Rangers. But obviously, the GM talk is coming from the podcast host, with the elements he has in hand.
And let’s just say I don’t believe it. Even if his colleagues didn’t call him crazy after he brought up his idea.
Okay, Dolan needs to shake things up, and yeah, Sean Avery is still liked in New York. But he has no experience with a team (or as an agent, for that matter) to take a club like the Rangers right now.
I’m not saying that Avery can’t be part of the solution. Maybe his love for the Rangers could be an asset in some role within the organization.
But if a guy like him, who has no experience as a GM and has a very controversial past, becomes the boss of the New York Rangers, I will be floored. And that won’t happen.
If the playoffs were to start today, Canada would have a six in 16 chance, or 37.5%, of bringing the Stanley Cup back to the country.
After all, right now, there’s only the Montreal Canadiens, unsurprisingly, that are not in playoff contention. The Habs are more #InTheMix for a high draft pick.
In the East, the Maple Leafs are obviously well-positioned, but the Senators are a surprise.
(Credit: NHL.com)
After all, I didn’t expect to see these poor Senators, who have been struggling for ages, take a step forward in recent weeks. But with a record of 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, that’s indeed the case.
Good for the fans there: they deserve it.
But it should also be mentioned that in the West, four of the eight playoff teams are from Canada. I didn’t have that on my bingo card a week before Christmas.
The Jets, of course, are at the top of the West. As for the Oilers, they rank third in their division.
We didn’t know what to expect from the Canucks, but for now, they are the first wild card team in the West. I don’t know if it will hold, but there you go.
That said, the surprise is Calgary.
(Credit: NHL.com)
The coming weeks should change things, and it won’t be for the better. After all, it is impossible for the Habs to get back into playoff contention, which means it could only get worse for Canada.
Let’s remember, however, that the Habs of 1993 are the last Canadian team to have won the Stanley Cup. I wasn’t even born yet. #1996
In Brief
– If Pezz gets his face smashed in by one of his coaches, that explains why he isn’t playing. #Just kidding
Colleague Vincent Demuy attended the morning practice of the Rocket in Laval. Filip Mesar therefore takes a spot on the right side of the dynamic duo Beck-Davidson. https://t.co/cg2xo6hoKG
As you now know, the Canadiens’ executives are in Russia to closely follow the development of Ivan Demidov.
Kent Hughes, Vincent Lecavalier, and Jeff Gorton Nick Bobrov are the representatives of the team. They attended yesterday’s game, during which Demidov played 11 minutes. That’s a peak since a month ago. #Coincidence?
There was also a “summit” meeting with Roman Rotenberg, the best friend of Habs fans Demidov’s agent.
Nick Bobrov, Kent Hughes & Vinny Lecavalier with Roman Rotenberg in St. Petersburg, Russia pic.twitter.com/WYgDZhO9VN
The main interested party himself posted a photo of the meeting and wrote a long paragraph on social media about what happened during the meeting with the team.
And he was… extremely polite. Let’s put it that way.
He reiterated his respect for the team numerous times and expressed that he appreciated the discussion with the Canadiens executives. He praised the Montreal hockey culture to the skies.
But at no point was Ivan Demidov’s name mentioned by the coach.
Roman Rotenberg announces a lengthy meeting with the Montreal Canadiens brass (Hughes, Lecavalier, and Bobrov).
He did mention that “the development of young players” was discussed… but you know very well that Hughes was there for one guy in particular. He wasn’t there to make new friends just for fun.
And that’s completely normal.
Rotenberg stated that the biggest common goal between the Canadiens and SKA is the desire to bring Russia back to the heart of international hockey. This means that, according to Rotenberg, the Canadiens support the return of Russia to international competitions.
But we do not know what was said about Demidov. I didn’t expect otherwise, however.
In Brief
– The owner of Utah HC is generous.
If you’ve never seen @utahhockeyclub live, it’s amazing. Giving away some tix for tonight’s game for people who’ve never been.
LMK who you’d bring and we’ll pick some people to join!
Call them The Travii, or call them “an old married couple,” but the friendship between Travis Sanheim and Travis Konecny has helped fuel the Flyers and put them on Canada’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off https://t.co/Ew4JHyOKfo
The Canadiens finally signed a convincing victory in front of their fans last night: crushed 6 to 1 against the poor Buffalo Sabres.
It was different to end a Tuesday night with cheers and applause instead of boos and disappointment.
It must be said that the Sabres are pathetic: they suffered an 11th consecutive defeat… and they haven’t made the playoffs since 2011. Barack Obama was still president that year and Thomas Vanek was the top scorer for the Sabres. #ItFeelsLikeAYear
Patrik Laine was the star for his team, finding the back of the net three times on power play (in addition to hitting a post so hard that officials initially awarded another goal to Laine).
Laine has 6 goals and 1 assist in seven games so far with the Canadiens. And he doesn’t think he’s playing good hockey…
It’s worth noting that his cumulative differential of -5 (-4 in the last week) proves that yes, he can do better at even strength.
However, Laine’s presence in the lineup brings positives. Not just for the fans, the coach, or the standings… but also for Cole Caufield!
Laine has taken Caufield’s preferred spot on the first power play unit… and he’s scoring at an insane pace. His shot is unmatched.
Caufield finally has some real challenge in his role as a Montreal scorer. He no longer automatically has access to the best conditions de facto.
It’s no longer him, the best shooter on the team; it’s PatrikHatrik Laine.
The young American forward will have to prove over the next few weeks that he deserves every privilege the coach gives him (or not). He now has to operate in a more meritocratic system where internal competition will be finally present for him.
And he will have to continue developing into a more complete player.
Since Laine’s return, Caufield has 1 goal and 6 assists. That’s a point per game, you know…
The internal competition clearly isn’t stifling him. So much the better!
And Patrik Laine’s perfect attitude – I can always do better, I am not satisfied – will force Caufield to aim even higher in my opinion.
$40,000 or $75,000 to “buy Georges Laraque” JT and I recorded yesterday (and published this morning) our 10th and final episode of season 2 of Stanley25.
We set out to find the amount for which Georges Laraque was sold/traded in 1996. Reminder: Laraque went from the Laval Titan to the St-Hyacinthe Laser, then to the Granby Predators, with whom he won the Memorial Cup.
Jean spoke with the group of owners who bought, then sold Georges Laraque during the same season. According to their version of events, Georges was bought for $60,000, then sold for $40,000 a few weeks later.
But Georges heard at that time that he had been sold for $75,000.
Who has the exact figure? Who has the best memory?
It doesn’t matter…we can agree that it’s a lot of cash back then (and for a QMJHL player). We’re talking about $100,000 to $135,000 in today’s value.
I invite you to watch the full episode to learn more about the Mathias Brunet/Martin Lemay story (which is settled, thank God), about Juraj Slafkovsky’s lifestyle, about the parallels between Patrik Laine and Alex Kovalev, about the hotels booked by our sports journalists, and much more.
Lane Hutson played less (and that’s okay)
The CH crushed the Sabres yesterday and Lane Hutson played 18:30 on the ice. These are two facts.
Third fact: Mike Matheson (24:40), Arber Xhakej (20:18), and Kaiden Guhle (20:15) all played more than Hutson. And that’s just fine!
Hutson is a rookie and even though he is excellent, playing 25 minutes per game doesn’t make sense at his age. You can’t have everything handed to you on a platter…
And seeing Arber Xhekaj find his rhythm is a blessing for the Montreal club.
Christmas replacements
The regular programming of our TV and radio shows will end this week. Replacement teams will take over.
At BPM Sports, Greg Lanctôt will host a show from 7:00 to 11:00 on weekdays for the next two weeks (and his weekend show will be paused). Martin Leclerc, Renaud Lavoie, Anthony Marcotte, Patrick Friolet, and many others will collaborate with Greg.
From what I understand, the show will then be replayed throughout the rest of the day.
At 98.5 FM, Mario Langlois will be going on vacation in a few days. Some evenings, he will be replaced by Louis Jean while on others, it will be Meeker Guerrier.
Let’s remember that Meeker was the one who replaced Jeremy Filosa in the show following Philippe Cantin. By the way, we are still waiting for news about Filosa’s “rehabilitation”…
Did he take the journalism course that was imposed on him?
It’s worth noting that Filo is currently doing the research and booking for Mario Langlois’s show and according to the people I spoke to, he is excellent and behaves like a true professional.
I can’t wait to see if we will find him on air in January.
In recent weeks, we have seen Jonathan Toews share photos from his trip to India.
He went there to recharge and for personal reasons. And since he is no longer playing hockey, he does what he wants during the NHL season, let’s agree on that.
Just yesterday, he shared travel photos. He is on a different beat than that of the NHL.
Because he shared photos yesterday, I assumed he was still there. But in fact, no: these are photos that are not from yesterday since he is back in North America.
And in fact, last night, he was in Montreal.
Yesterday, the former captain of the Blackhawks was in the stands at the Bell Centre for the Montreal/Buffalo matchup. He, who has roots in Quebec (on his mother’s side) likely took the opportunity to see Kirby Dach, his former teammate.
But that’s just a question out loud.
Toews is apparently at the Bell Centre. A free agent since summer 2023. Represented by Pat Brisson.
Recently, he has been doing better thanks to a rather esoteric treatment in India. https://t.co/HUnaFdLpw7
It is interesting to note that Nicolas Cloutier (TVA Sports) went to the sources and, as one might suspect, Toews was not in Montreal to shop for a hockey job.
He was there to see friends.
Even though we suspected it, I confirm that Toews is not preparing for a return to play he was there to see friends https://t.co/u6u8QhSbiC
In any case, if he wanted to shop for a job with the Canadiens, he would have needed to go to Russia. Why? Because that’s where Kent Hughes is right now. #Hehe
Would you have liked to see Toews sign with the CH? In my opinion, he is retired to stay, and that’s perfectly fine: he had a very nice career, but that’s now behind him.
In Brief
– Things are going poorly for Patrick Roy’s Islanders.
#Isles are now off to their worst 33-game start since 2013-14. Comparing this season’s start to that and some from the last few years.
With two more assists last night, Lane Hutson in his rookie season with the Habs:
– 1 goal
– 21 assists
– 22 points in 31 games
– 15th in points among NHL defensemen
– 20 years old
– Ages of D-men with more points than him: Bouchard (25), Carlson (34), Josi (34), Pionk (29),… pic.twitter.com/bKJJHGecfH
The show Patrik Laine is in town. And he is worth the price of admission.
Last night, he continued to show that he is a top sniper by scoring three identical goals on the power play in a big 6-1 win for the Canadiens against the Sabres.
Much like Alex Ovechkin, top scorers find a way to create space by doing the same thing every night. It’s impressive.
It’s crazy to realize that in seven games, he has six goals. And even though he “scored” at even strength early in the game (before the decision was overturned), his six true goals have all come on the power play.
The Canadiens have four wins when he scores and three losses when he does not. And for the last seven games, no one but Laine has found the back of the net on the power play.
The sample size is small, but still: it’s striking to see this.
By the nature of things, this means that Laine, at five-on-five, is not the biggest factor for the Canadiens. No one is worried about that (or his -5 rating) for the time being… except the main interested party, who felt that his game was “average” last night. And except Philippe Boucher.
“I think overall, at least for myself, it was kind of an average game. If you take away the goals, I’ve had a million times better games than that & had zero goals. On the power play, it went in. Outside of that, I would call it a pretty average performance for myself today…”
“There are players on waivers right now in the NHL who could help Patrik Laine more than the players on his line tonight” – @Booboo4343: pic.twitter.com/ITHnK43GrH
After the game, Laine said he had played hundreds of better games where he didn’t score.
I understand what he means, in the sense that he didn’t feel up to speed… but I would take that three-goal game on the power play over many others.
With Lane Hutson and Patrik Laine being new additions to the top power-play unit, let’s just say it energizes the attack of the Canadiens. But more than that: these guys are making the fans happy.
Seeing that Laine (who has as many goals as he did in 18 games last year in Columbus) has recovered so well from his injuries must please management, which accepted a second-round pick for his services.
The fourth-best goal scorer for the Canadiens this year (!) evidently brings a breath of fresh air that the team needed. And that’s good for the infamous mix– ah forget it.
It has been a long time coming for the Flanelle to find a player like this to cheer for…
Despite his hat trick, Patrik Laine feels he didn’t do enough against the Sabres on Tuesday
But anyway. That’s not all we should take away from that game, which will nonetheless allow many Canadiens fans to be in a good mood a week before Christmas.
What do I take away?
1. Juraj Slafkovsky, who played with Laine earlier this month, found the back of the net for the third time this season. Laine did that in one game, though… but whatever.
He better not waste all his arrogance too quickly so people don’t become too cynical towards him. But at the same time, what do I know…
It’s huge, I score once a month, let’s hope it’ll start to come in a little more. – Juraj Slafkovsky
At least it’s nice to see he scored. That should do him good.
Let’s also mention that, in good sport, he said that his ovation during his hat trick last season was louder than Laine’s last night. That’s good sportsmanship, I think.
2. Colleague Marc-Olivier Cook is right: it wasn’t Samuel Montembeault and Arber Xhekaj who made the most noise yesterday, but they did what they had to do.
Sometimes, that’s all it takes.
I was at the Bell Centre for the CH vs Sabres game. What a great evening!
1. Patrik Laine owes me money because I lost my hat for his (joke)
What a player!
2. I have to mention: Arber is playing well. He is excellent lately, even.
3. The owner of the Sabres made a round trip to Montreal on Monday to talk to his players. The fact that he didn’t stay long might lead, as Renaud Lavoie said this morning on BPM Sports, to the guys taking him more or less seriously.
The result? 11 consecutive losses… and apart from a few minutes at the start of the second period, we can’t say the Sabres were in control of the game. Not at all, really. #Laziness
4. Martin St-Louis, when it was 6-1 late in the game, decided not to send out his top power play unit. Even Patrik Laine, who could have made history with four goals in a game on the power play, stayed seated.
That’s class.
5. Kirby Dach missed the end of the first period after a nasty fall and physically, he had a tough game. He wasn’t perfect either as a hockey player.
When you see Nick Suzuki play and all the details of his game, it’s clear that the difference is striking between the two guys.
6. Besides Slaf and Laine, Joel Armia and Josh Anderson also found the back of the net. But even though the Canadiens scored six times and the team dominated, they only had 27 shots on net, which is six more than the Sabres.
That’s not much.
7. By the way, the Canadiens’ victory means that the Sabres are now at the bottom of the Eastern standings. Martin St-Louis’s men have a game in hand on Lindy Ruff’s team, too.
The Canadiens currently have the fifth-best odds of winning the lottery.
(Credit: NHL.com)
Overtime
The Canadiens will practice at 11:30 am this morning in Brossard. The next game will be on Friday in Detroit, meaning the team will leave tomorrow after practice.
There are three games left before Christmas: Friday in Detroit, Saturday at home against the same Red Wings, and December 23 in Columbus.
dollar dropped below 0.70 USD cents today for the first time since 2002.
he was there to see friends 
(joke)
