Author: Dose

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Michael Hage does not expect to be invited by Junior Team Canada this winter

Photo by Zac BonDurant/Getty Images

Normally, when a Canadian prospect is drafted in the first round, he has a chance of playing for Junior Team Canada this holiday season. Especially if they’ve had a great start to the season.

Even if it’s a 19-year-old tournament, big 18-year-old players sometimes get their chance. And the way Michael Hage is playing in the NCAA, he should at least be on Team Canada’s radar.

But as he told Marco D’Amico of Responsible Gambler, he doesn’t expect Team Canada to invite him to their camp for the World Junior Championship this holiday season.

Hage wasn’t invited to the spring Team Canada camp to show off. And he doesn’t expect that to change for the next WJC camp, which starts in a few weeks’ time.

He says he understands the circumstances.

I control what I can control. My goal is to improve as a player and help my university win the national championship.

And if that comes at the expense of representing my country, I accept it. – Michael Hage

I don’t know if the NCAA’s new rules on CHL player eligibility will change things in the future, but historically, Canadian NCAA players are often shunned by Team Canada.

That’s surely what’s at issue here.

IF Hage had played in the OHL at 16 and 17 (before going to university), you’d think he’d have been invited last spring by Hockey Canada. And he’d clearly be invited in a few weeks’ time.

We’ll see if Hage, who doesn’t know if he’ll make the leap to the Canadiens this year, is left out in December despite his nine points in nine NCAA games. Stay tuned.

Overtime

– Habs: practice at 10:30am.

– Good question.

– Please note.

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The Canadiens face a leadership crisis

Things are going badly at ‘shop. I’m not telling you anything new.

The Canadiens are still 32nd and last in the overall standings. Monday afternoon’s win – after six consecutive losses – didn’t solve everything.

But Monday gave us two answers. The first: this team has enough talent to win games in the best league in the world.

The second: they don’t have a leader on par with Shea Weber, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame a few hours after the Habs game.

We’ve seen many rebuilds that have worked over the years… but we’ve also seen the Sabres, Oilers and a few other clubs go in circles during their rebuilds, because they didn’t surround their youngsters with good veterans to guide them.

A young team is cool, but it will always take good old hands to show them the way… and calm their anxiety(s). This advice could also apply to CF Montréal…

What to do?
There’s a lot of talk about bringing a strong forward, an experienced goalkeeper or a right-handed defender to Montreal…

But above all, we need to make sure we have the right mentors in the dressing room to guide the kids. We traded Jake Allen, even though he was an excellent mentor. The result: we lost leadership in the Montreal dressing room… and the Devils’ dressing room immediately gained it.

We also traded Johnathan Kovacevic (also to New Jersey) as well as Sean Monahan. When you replace all these guys with kids, you may end up lacking the experience in the dressing room to weather the storms.

When the Canadiens reached the Stanley Cup Final, they had Corey Perry, Eric Staal, Carey Price, Shea Weber, Joel Edmundson, Ben Chiarot, Jeff Petry and so on. To win, you need veterans… and to guide your youngsters to victory, you need them too. You know, the famous tree players who won’t be around to reap the rewards of the collective effort Martin St-Louis was talking about…

Are Josh Anderson, Brendan Gallagher, Mike Matheson, Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia really the veterans you want to show your youngsters the way? Apart from telling the youngsters not to talk to the media, what does a guy like Armia teach the young Swedes and Finns in the band?

You’d better think twice before trading David Savard for a distant deadline pick…

Another question: does Nick Suzuki really have what it takes to be captain of the Montreal Canadiens? Does his leadership style suit the current circumstances? I’m not saying he should be replaced at all costs… but is he really qualified to lead the current team? Is he vocal enough to rally everyone around him when the going gets tough?

And is he surrounded by enough people? We’re still a long way from Shea Weber, Guy Carbonneau and Vincent Damphousse when it comes to leadership…

He may have the same leadership style as Shea Weber, but he’s no Shea Weber.

We’re talking here… but could the coaches (all inexperienced) and the GM (inexperienced) use a little experience on their side, too?

Kent Hughes is a former agent and Martin St-Louis a former player; both think like players and tend to protect players. Hughes has Jeff Gorton on top of him, but St-Louis has no one. That’s why the rumours involving Gerard Gallant were so popular (even if probably untrue)…

Yes, Nick Suzuki is collecting points (17 in 16 games), but I’d like to see him be an even better leader. Why would I do that? Because the club is going through a leadership crisis. Certain people need to stand up and assert themselves; the captain is one of those people.

Secondly, I hope the management realizes that it will need to graft some good, experienced veterans onto its young group of players to ensure that the collective is heading in the right direction.

Since Sean Monahan was traded, the Habs have won just 11 of their 35 games. Yes, Monahan was a good player, but he was also the best leader in that locker room (along with Jake Allen).

More leadership would ensure a few more wins for the team, but more importantly, it would increase the likelihood that the organization’s young players would develop in the right way… imbued with a winning culture.

Right now, it seems as though no one is in a position to take courage and lead the way. Except perhaps David Savard…

But did he go and tell the captain that he stopped playing too early and gave the opposition a goal last week ?

In closing, no, the solution is not to give Lane Hutson the “C”. Just to make sure everyone understands me…

Overtime

– What do you think?

– Of note.

– Still.

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Offer sheet for Romanov?

Since leaving the Canadiens, Alex Romanov has established himself as a useful defenseman in the Islanders lineup.

He played only eight games this season due to injury, but has done well since his New York debut.

In addition to being good defensively, he has collected 22 points in each of his first two seasons with the Isles.

The Habs veteran is in the final season of a three-year contract he signed in the summer of 2022.

He will be an RFA in a few months’ time, on July 1.

On that subject, James Mirtle(The Athletic) talked about players who might be susceptible to an offer sheet for next season, and Romanov is one of them.

But where it gets especially interesting is when you realize that the journalist has placed Romanov in the “rising stars” category.

To put it another way, he’s talking about players who could sign a contract worth between $4.81 million and $7.2 million per season.

If that happens, and the Islanders decide not to match the offer, they’d receive a first-round pick and a third-round pick:

Over $4.8M for a defenseman like Romanov… Seems like a lot.

Especially in the context that in Montreal, the Canadiens have a defenseman like Guhle who signed a contract worth $5.5M per season.

But by letting him go, the Islanders would potentially get back the price they paid to acquire him in 2022.

Let’s not forget that they gave the 13th pick of the draft + a fourth-round pick to complete the transaction with the Canadiens… And the Habs turned that third pick into Kirby Dach.

They would have been able to take advantage of his performance for a while before he became too expensive.

That would be good management on Lou Lamoriello’s part… But on the other hand, there’s also a world in which the Islanders figure they’d be better off keeping him, because a defenseman who’s consistently a top-4 player isn’t necessarily easy to find in the NHL.

That remains to be seen, to put it another way. But one thing’s for sure: in New York, we’re going to have to make a big decision… Especially if another team decides to make a big, hostile offer sheet.

In Overtime

– James Reimer has been claimed by the Sabres.

– He’s got the right attitude.

– It’s been a long time!

– I agree.

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Trevor Zegras has one goal (in an empty net) and two assists in 14 games this season

Photo by Ethan Cairns/Getty Images

There’s been a lot of talk about Trevor Zegras in Montreal over the past year and a half. That said, there have always been two different groups when it comes to the possibility of the Habs picking him up in Anaheim.

The first: people who see him as a talented player, a guy who would add raw talent to the Habs line-up.

The second: people who think he’s too soft and don’t appreciate his style of play, which is – admittedly – too flashy at times.

Whether you’re in the first or second group isn’t important.

What’s important is that when you look at his start to the season, you realize that the Canadiens may have dodged a time bomb.

I say that because in 14 games, the forward has collected only… three points.

He scored a goal in the first game of the season in an empty net and earned two assists:

Trevor Zegras will finish the season with 18 points if he keeps up the pace.

18 points, for a talented player like him… That’s really disappointing.

There’s clearly something wrong with him, because he’s been steadily regressing since the end of the 22-23 season. He scored 65 points in 81 games that season, but it’s been tough ever since.

Is the kid still affected by the injury he suffered last season? Could be:

(Credit: Hockey DB)

Trevor Zegras is known as an offensive player.

He’s proven in the past that he’s capable of creating plays for his teammates with his vision and puck-handling skills, but we haven’t seen that Zegras for some time now.

His confidence seems to be at zero…

That said, take 15 seconds to imagine how much everyone would be talking about him if the Canadiens had acquired him and he was producing at this rate in Montreal.

That’s why I’m thinking that, in the end, it was probably a good thing that the Canadiens didn’t move and pay the big price to get him.

He can still bounce back because he’s only 23, but his performance since last season is starting to raise a lot of questions…

Overtime

– Love this.

– No easy feat…

– He’s such a good defenseman.

– What will they do?

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Cayden Primeau in Laval?

Photo by Rich Gagnon/Getty Images

Right now, Cayden Primeau’s confidence is shattered.

He’s not playing to win: he’s playing to save his own skin and to try not to look crazy in front of the net.

That’s when the chain can come off for a goalie. Without confidence, it’s hard to stop the shots of the best hockey players in the world…

Since his performance against the Sabres, it’s the same question that keeps coming up.

“What do we do with him?

Obviously, the option of sending him to Laval is on the table. He’d have to go through the waivers before he could join the Rocket’s ranks… But given his performance so far this season, it would be surprising to see him claimed by another NHL team.

But Stéphane Waite went even further last night on L’Antichambre (RDS).

For the former CH goaltending coach, the Canadiens have no choice but to send him down: Waite maintains that Primeau needs a stay in Laval to regain his confidence.

Last season, Primeau had some relatively interesting numbers.

His 2.99 goals-against average wasn’t the best, because the Canadiens gave up a lot of goals in general, but his .910 efficiency rate was respectable.

If he had a .910 save percentage this season, he’d be in the top-17 NHL goaltenders in that category.

But right now, his efficiency rate (.845) is the worst of any goaltender in the National League, and that’s why it’s time for the Canadiens to make a decision in his case.

The Canadiens need to help him out a bit, and sending him out to face the best players in the world isn’t going to do it.

That said, if the Habs put Primeau in the waivers with a view to sending him to Laval, they’ll have to call up a goalie to replace him. And at that point, you’d have to wonder whether Connor Hughes or Jakub Dobes would get the call.

A little birdie tells me it’s Hughes because he’s older and has more pro experience… But we also know that the Canadiens really like Dobes.

Anyway… All that to say, it’s not too hard to agree with Stéphane Waite’s comments.

Overtime

– He has six points in his last six games.

– Sidney Crosby looks like such a good person.

– Will he score tonight?

– Logical.

– Whoa.

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Magical night for McDavid, now just one point shy of 1000

EDMONTON, CANADA - NOVEMBER 12: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers throws a hat into the crowd upon being named the game's first star after the game against the New York Islanders at Rogers Place on November 12, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Habs players enjoyed a day off yesterday!

That said, across the NHL, there were still seven games on the schedule.

What caught the eye? Let’s find out:

1: McDavid nears 1,000-point plateau

Before last night’s Oilers game, Connor McDavid had 995 career points.

But the club captain is clearly eager to reach the 1,000-point plateau because he was dominant against Patrick Roy’s Islanders.

He collected four points, including one on this magical sequence:

The Islanders did everything they could to stay in the game and were able to force overtime.

But of course… It was the Oilers captain who stood up again.

He was an accomplice on Leon Draisaitl’s goal, which gave the Oilers a 4-3 victory:

Connor McDavid (one goal, three assists) played a part in all four of his team’s goals.

He now has 999 points on the scoreboard… And he could get his 1000th as early as tomorrow, when the poor Predators visit Edmonton.

Sounds great!

2: The Jets are too strong

For real… The Jets are starting to look really, really impressive.

Since the start of the season, no club (except the Leafs) has been able to beat them… And the Jets had a big test last night, when they were at Madison Square Garden to dispatch the mighty Rangers.

But the Jets were never afraid, and went on to defeat the Blue Shirts 6-3 :

The Jets now have a record of 15-1-0… And they’ve obviously settled into first place in the overall NHL standings.

They’ve also become the fastest NHL team to get 15 wins in a season.

3: A win that will do the Bruins good

Things aren’t going as planned in Boston.

The Bruins are disappointing despite the club’s big acquisitions last summer, and we’re even starting to hear that Jim Montgomery could lose his job because things are so bad.

Last night in St. Louis, however, the big guns came out in force.

The Bruins went into the third period trailing 2-0 and came back to win 3-2.

David Pastrnak played hero late in the game with a cannonball:

A goal and an assist for Pastrnak in the game… Just like Charlie McAvoy.

This win will do wonders for the Bruins’ morale.

4 : NHL Fight of the Year

The name Jonah Gadjovich probably doesn’t ring a bell.

But you’ll remember it after watching his fight with Brendon Dillon yesterday.

And I’m not talking nonsense:

Whew…

Now that really is a heavyweight fight. And let’s just say I would have passed!

It was the Devils who won the game, putting the brakes on the Florida Panthers’ seven-game winning streak.

Paul Cotter scored a magnificent goal with a simply violent shot:

5: Linus Ullmark back in the game

Last night saw the Battle of Ontario between the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Tim Stützle was playing in his 300th career game, and he took the opportunity to score two goals.

This one’s worth sharing:

But what’s important to know about this game is that Linus Ullmark was perfect against the Leafs’ big attack.

He stopped all 27 shots he faced to earn his first-ever shutout in a Sens uniform.

And he didn’t steal it:

Last week, Ullmark said publicly that he didn’t know where his game was.

He’s found it, obviously, otherwise he’d never have been able to blank a club like the Leafs.

Good for the Sens, who won 3-0.

– The Canucks won against the Flames (3-1).

– And in the victory, Brännström scored his first goal with the Canucks :

– He’s too strong.

– Paul Cotter… the DJ?

– Top scorers of the night :

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Five games tonight in the National League :

(Credit: Google)

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Gerard Gallant confirms he has not spoken with the Canadiens

Since Monday lunchtime, the rumour that Gerard Gallant had been spotted chatting with the Canadiens has been raging.

On the one hand, Georges Laraque was told by a friend that he had seen them with his own eyes. On the other, numerous NHL journalists and informants, in addition to Kent Hughes, have refuted the information.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun went straight to the source to find out.

Appearing on RDS’s 5 à 7 on Tuesday, he revealed that he had spoken to the main interested party in this story, Gerard Gallant, who confirmed that he had never spoken with the Canadiens.

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A post shared by RDS (@rds)

In fact, Gallant explained to LeBrun that he was genuinely surprised to hear the rumour.

Like many people on social networks, LeBrun raised the theory that Laraque’s source might have confused Gallant with someone who might look like him.

Several people thought Gallant looked a bit like John Sedgwick.

Gallant has remained unemployed since leaving the Rangers organization in 2023. He had only held the position of head coach in the NHL from 2014 to 2023.

We can therefore imagine that he would probably prefer a head coaching position to becoming an assistant.

This would close the Gallant file in Montreal, even if Laraque remains convinced of his info. It could be that his tip is true and that Gallant is hiding the truth, but for now, everything points to falsehood.

Perhaps the Canadiens should give Gallant a try anyway, now that the idea is out there. Martin St-Louis could really benefit from the advice of an experienced head coach to help him lead the Canadiens.

Overtime

– Lars Eller returns to Washington.

– It might make sense.

– The general managers discussed several topics on Tuesday.

– Sad news.

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Eric Engels already sees Lane Hutson as the next captain of the Canadiens

MONTREAL, CANADA- OCTOBER 17: Lane Hutson #48 of the Montreal Canadiens fights with Adrian Kempe #9 of the Los Angeles Kings in front of the net during the third period of the NHL regular season game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Los Angeles Kings at the Bell Centre on October 17, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Arianne Bergeron/NHLI via Getty Images)

Nick Suzuki is the Canadiens’ captain, and his job doesn’t seem to be in jeopardy. He’s the most complete player on the team and seems to be a unifier, without being very extroverted.

The next captain debate isn’t something we’re really thinking about, except that Eric Engels already has his own idea of the next Habs leader.

Appearing on Tony Marinaro’s Sick Podcast on Monday evening, Engels was full of praise for defenseman Lane Hutson. This is the player he sees wearing a “C” on his jersey in the future.

It’s only a suggestion, however. Engels didn’t go out of his way to say that Suzuki should rip the “C” off his jersey tomorrow morning and give it to Hutson, far from it.

What Engels is saying is that the Habs’ young defenseman is showing great qualities in his game. He plays with discipline, unlike many other players who possess his talent and play the same style as he does.

It’s useful to make little dekes to outwit opponents, but in just 18 NHL games, Hutson has already shown he understands that this strategy isn’t always the answer. He makes intelligent choices.

It’s a bit odd, though, to see Engels talking about Hutson as a potential captain when the youngster has only 18 NHL games under his belt. We agree that he’s heading in the right direction, but you have to be careful about what you expect from a rookie.

However, Engels found an excellent sequence to demonstrate the intelligence of Hutson’s game.

In Monday’s game against the Sabres, Hutson helped the Canadiens keep the puck in the opposition zone and used his vision to spot Emil Heineman, who was in an excellent position to unleash a dangerous shot.

He didn’t need any lacework, nor did he need to outwit three players to do it. The defenseman was just smart on the sequence, which allowed the Habs to score an important goal.

We can’t expect Lane Hutson to become the Canadiens’ captain in the next few seasons, but the young defenseman is proving that he has what it takes to be a leader on the ice.

Overtime

– The Canadiens aren’t ready.

– Two guys who like each other.

– Losses teach lessons.

– Another charge for him.

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Matthew Schaefer, the player who would guarantee a Stanley Cup within 6 years (according to Simon Boisvert)

We’re starting to hear about the next draft (even though it’s still months away) because the Canadiens aren’t having a good season.

Right now, we know that James Hagens is seen as the best prospect in the draft, but there are other interesting names too.

Of the lot? Matthew Schaefer, who plays in the OHL for the Erie Otters.

Schaefer is a 6’2, 183-pound left-handed defenseman who stands out for his skating stroke.

We’re talking about a two-way defenseman… but he’s more than capable of producing offensively.

He collected 10 points (three goals) in eight OHL games this season, at the age of 17. That’s quite an output for a junior defenseman of his age.

Simon Boisvert talked about him on the recent episode of the Processus podcast (with Mathias Brunet), and to hear him tell it, the Canadiens should be targeting Schaefer instead of James Hagens.

Because, according to the Snake, Schaefer could take the Habs to the next level… And beyond:

I’m saying that the player Montreal should go after, and who’s guaranteed a Stanley Cup within the next 6 years, is Matthew Schaefer. – Simon Boisvert

In Simon Boisvert’s eyes, Schaefer is that good:

The Canadiens already have plenty of left-handed defensemen in their ranks, but they don’t necessarily have a left-handed defenseman who has the potential to become a complete #1 on the blue line.

Schaefer has that potential.

Lane Hutson is excellent defensively, but he’s lacking defensively… And Kaiden Guhle is injured too often for that position to be secure for him in the future.

The idea of selecting Matthew Schaefer may therefore gain ground.

In addition to Schaefer and Hagens, there are also two guys who are gaining in popularity lately.

I’m talking about Porter Martone and Michael Misa.

Both 17-year-old players are burning up the OHL:

I really like what Porter Martone brings to the rink.

He’s big (6’3 – 208 pounds) and he’s not afraid to use his body to create space for himself on the ice.

Oh, and he’s also capable of scoring beautiful goals.

He’s got good hands, he’s got a good shot… And that explains why he’s scored 16 goals in as many games so far this season:

Misa is a little smaller than Martone (6’1 – 185 lbs.), but he’s got talent coming out of both ears.

We’re talking about a guy who received the exceptional status to play in the OHL at age 15… And that year, he collected no less than 56 points in just 45 games.

But Misa, who is known as a passer, has been showcasing his maverick qualities since his season began.

He has 22 goals in his first 18 games of the campaign, and is installed as the leading scorer in the entire CHL:

If the Canadiens have the luxury of selecting in the top-5 for the fourth year in a row, Kent Hughes and his assistants will be able to get their hands on an impact player.

That said, will the Habs go for a forward, or a defenseman?

That’s a boring question, but the answer is still months away.

Because let’s agree on one thing: things have a lot of time to change between now and then.

Overtime

– It goes without saying!

– I love it.

– MLB rumors:

– Not surprising.

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If you listen to Kent Hughes, Habs aren’t ready to trade

MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 10: Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes addresses the media on February 10, 2022, at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Watching the Canadiens struggle on the ice, it’s easy to advise Kent Hughes to get some help.

Because as it stands, the club won’t be in the mix if it continues to lose more often than not.

But the GM isn’t panicking. He’s sticking to his plan…

We know that Kent Hughes is looking at the long term. His goal is to see the Canadiens be competitive for a long time to come… But that doesn’t mean he automatically has to make a move right now to make that happen.

After all, the Canadiens aren’t one player away from being one of the National League’s dominant clubs. Far from it, in fact.

That’s why, for the time being, the idea of a trade is not the priority of the GM, who met with the NHL’s general managers at their meeting.

Instead, Kent Hughes is using his time to evaluate the players he currently has on hand:

We’re not going to do short-term things that are going to interfere with our long-term goals. – Kent Hughes

TVA Sports also published an article on the subject:

In recent weeks, there have been rumors that the Canadiens’ GM was looking for a defenseman.

But being interested in a player and paying the big bucks to go get him is different.

Kent Hughes has his eyes set on the future, and that’s why he’s not ready to sacrifice his pieces to help the club right now.

In a way, that would be illogical, because the Canadiens’ season… Well, let’s just say we shouldn’t necessarily expect much glory based on what we’ve been seeing lately.

All of which is to say that we shouldn’t necessarily expect a trade based on the words of Kent Hughes, because the organization’s plan is to learn more about the guys already in place to see if they can help the team in the long term.

And I don’t think that’s a bad thing in the current context.

Overtime

– Of note:

– Jets add depth in front of net.

– At least…

– Dante Fabbro in his new colors:

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