Author: Dose

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Brady Tkachuk: the Rangers’ #1 target (according to Larry Brooks)

Photo by Chris Tanouye/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images

Things are hopping in New York.

While we’re still waiting to find out which team Jacob Trouba will be traded to(it’s looking like a trade, but waivers are an option) for the rest of his career, we wonder what’s behind it all.

Clearly, the Rangers want to clean house. And it’s not just about shaking up the boys’ cage.

According to Larry Brooks, who works for the New York Post, the Rangers would like to get Trouba’s $8 million out of the way in order to make room on the payroll for a big player.

And according to Brooks, Brady Tkachuk is the Rangers’ #1 target right now.

Remember that the Panthers were lucky to get Matthew Tkachuk, and the Rangers would obviously like to recreate the recipe with his brother. It’s understandable.

Do the Senators, who saw Tkachuk ask to be named captain in order to sign for the long term, also want to clean up their act? We don’t know.

Tkachuk earns just over $8.2 million a year until 2028.

Note that Brooks, in his text, talked about Alexis Lafrenière going the other way. Clearly, the Sens need to talk about the Québécois in such a process, we agree.

On the other hand, several journalists were keen to deny the whole thing. Whether it was Bruce Garrioch or Darren Dreger, both men insisted that there was no story there between the Sens and the Rangers.

Who’s right?

At the moment, the names of the Blue Jackets, Red Wings, Ducks, Sharks, Sabres and Senators have been linked to the Jacob Trouba file. It remains to be seen who is really interested in him.

With Trouba out of the way, Tkachuk can’t really land in the Big Apple.

Extension

If the Rangers really do use the waivers to get out of the Trouba situation, you’d think it would hurt the reputation of hockey operations boss Chris Drury.

After all, with Barclay Goodrow last year, the message it would send is this: if you sign with us, you’d better always be good. Otherwise, we’ll do everything we can to cut you.

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Nick Suzuki: Saying no to Hockey Canada hurt him for the Four Nations

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

You can sense that Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are upset that they didn’t get the call that they would be taking part in the Four Nations Tournament in February.

That’s understandable.

I don’t know how closed the door is for Caufield. After all, he’s the NHL’s leading American scorer, and even if he doesn’t play well defensively, he can help the States. And he’s been named in this piece that aims to say who the replacement candidates are in case of need.

And if you do the research you want in the paper, you won’t find Suzuki’s name in the Canadiens section.

Yet Suzuki is a fine hockey player who is responsible on 200 feet. That he’s not considered a serious option, at this point, must be hiding something.

And on that subject, Darren Dreger(as he told TSN 690) believes he’s hit the nail on the head.

Saying no to Team Canada in the spring of 2024, in preparation for the World Championships, has undoubtedly hurt his candidacy. After all, you’d have to be pretty good to say no to Hockey Canada and have it make no difference.

If Hockey Canada calls you, you’d better have a good reason for saying no. – Darren Dreger

Suzuki said no because he wanted to spend time with his significant other. He took her on a trip… and along the way, it wasn’t his girlfriend: it was his fiancée. But that obviously worked against him.

Note that if a player plays in the NCAA instead of the CHL, it can work against him at the CMJ. That’s obviously how hockey works in Canada. #MichaelHage

There’s a certain amount of hypocrisy here, though, because Samuel Montembeault also said no to the tournament last spring… but made the Four Nations Club anyway. But then again, it’s not the same game in front of the net… and Monty speaks French. #Hehe

It’s also worth noting that Dreger isn’t even sure whether Suzuki received a call to tell him he wasn’t making the club. Several players (including John Tavares) have received such a call, and that’s another clue as to how the Canadiens’ #14 is viewed by Hockey Canada.

I don’t know if this will change for the Olympics if Suzuki agrees to go to the 2025 World Championships. But in the short term, you’d think he could book a vacation in February 2025 with his fiancée.

And if it motivates the Habs captain in the meantime, that’ll be something.

Note also that, according to Renaud Lavoie, if Nick Suzuki were playing for Jon Cooper and the Tampa Bay Lightning instead of the Habs, it’s clear in his mind that he would have received his invitation.

Cooper, who takes a lot of room in decisions, will have three of his players with him at the tournament.

Overtime

– Chris Kreider doesn’t want to talk about the Jacob Trouba situation.

– Peter Laviolette on the same page as his boss.

– Read more.

– Difficult for Québécois on the international hockey scene. [JdeM]

– Oh well.

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“Kirby Dach didn’t arrive in good shape with the team this year”.

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Yesterday, Kirby Dach was a negative factor for the Habs.

After all, even though the Canadiens won 3-0, the fact remains that the penalties cut into the Canadiens’ backbone. The Preds enjoyed five powerplays.

And while you have to tip your hat to the guys on the power play (starting with Samuel Montembeault), you have to wonder why there were so many penalties.

Whether it was the referees’ or the players’ fault, there were too many penalties. However, it’s clear that the one that bothered Martin St-Louis more than the others was the Dach penalty.

Dach didn’t play for the last 10-12 minutes of the game, when he took his penalty.

Even if he wasn’t having a bad game, the fact remains that the center often does things to shoot himself – and his club – in the foot at the wrong time.

And we wonder why.

On this subject, it’s interesting to note that this morning, on BPM Sports, Anthony Marcotte recalled that earlier this week, Mathias Brunet had said on the radio that Kirby Dach hasn’t arrived in good shape with the team this year.

Does this explain why his on-ice presences are harder to watch at the end of the shift? It could.

Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach are surely the two players who most need to take their game up a notch, and right now they’re being pulled by Patrik Laine on the second line.

Slaf has been told so, and you’d think Dach would be too.

If Dach is struggling because he doesn’t trust his knee enough, that’s one thing. But if he didn’t arrive ready for practice camp, as Mathias raises, that’s another.

It won’t help people to sympathize with him.

Let’s remember that Dach could have been ready to play last April, at the end of the 2023-2024 season. That means he could have had a normal summer of practice, and injury can’t be an excuse – as far as we know – on this one.

What’s it going to take for Dach to stand up?

Overtime

– Jacob Trouba: the case gets more complicated.

– Who shoots the hardest in the NHL? [RG]

– Four Nations: the Finns have always wanted Patrik Laine. [RG]

– Really?

– Makes sense.

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Deal or waivers: Jacob Trouba won’t play tonight

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 22: Jacob Trouba #8 of the New York Rangers during the anthem prior to the game against the Florida Panthers in Game One of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 22, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)

Did we ever tell you how hot things are in New York?

The Rangers are looking to shake up their club and bounce back from a tougher start to the season, but it’s not exactly easy to do things the right way at MSG.

After all, announcing that the big players are available on the trade market hasn’t necessarily had the desired effect.

The Rangers have been playing for .400 for the past 10 games, and if the club doesn’t want to miss the playoffs, something will have to give. And once again, Chris Drury seems to have a genius idea to fix everything.

Basically, he’ll send a message to his captain, Jacob Trouba.

What we do know is that the defender won’t play tonight… and it’s not because he’s not up to it. It’s to send a message to the rest of the group.

Victor Mancini is expected to be recalled to take Trouba’s place. And the question on everyone’s mind right now is whether Trouba has been traded or whether he’ll be placed on the waivers.

It’s safe to assume that right now, the Rangers are working on a deal and if it doesn’t materialize soon, he’ll be sent to the waivers while it’s sorted out.

I wonder who the Rangers are talking to.

It’s also conceivable that the Rangers could use the “Barclay Goodrow” format with Trouba, i.e. send him to the waivers to be claimed by a particular team.

To be continued.

Overtime

– Well done.

– After yesterday’s match, the question arises.

– Good listening.

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Lane Hutson didn’t play much yesterday (and that’s a good thing).

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

And how do you like the Canadiens’ week?

Clearly, the Habs haven’t exactly been playing National League powers for the past two games (Islanders and Predators), but Martin St-Louis’ men have won twice.

And the fans who show up at the Bell Centre are having a great time.

Let’s face it: the Patrik Laine effect is real. He’s scored twice in two games, and you can feel the impact he’s having on the ice and in the dressing room for the Canadiens.

The guys are happy for him – and so are the fans.

For both goals, he was fed by Lane Hutson. Hutson has yet to find the back of the net on the Bettman circuit, but he continues to prove his worth to the club’s success.

With 17 points in 26 games, he’s one of the NHL’s top rookies.

But Lane Hutson didn’t play much – for his standards – during the game, which was won 3-0 by the Habs. He played less than 17 minutes (16:36) for the first time this season.

Only Justin Barron (13:29) played less.

(Credit: NHL.com)

What should be noted, as Renaud Lavoie said this morning on BPM Sports, is that Lane Hutson touched the ice only twice after Laine’s goal.

Laine scored early in the third.

What’s interesting is that the Habs pilot didn’t punish Hutson: instead, he used his defensemen to their strengths and didn’t have to overload the American defenseman, which hasn’t always been the case this season.

Because Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble did well (they’re doing better) and the Habs were looking to protect a lead, Hutson played less. And that’s okay, at this point.

Even without Kaiden Guhle (ill), the Canadiens were able to avoid overloading Hutson. This is good news, as it means that the club’s defensive corps is doing better.

And that’s even if it was in a game against a club that’s more disorganized than disorganized.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Note that even though the Preds are low in the standings, so is the Habs. Despite their two straight wins, they’re still 30th in the NHL (or 29th for optimists using points percentage) on this Friday morning in December.

Patrik Laine can score, but he can’t work miracles. #InTheMix

But it’s not just Lane Hutson who’s the talk of the town. Several players deserve to be talked about, whether for the right reasons or the wrong ones.

So what do I take away from the game?

1. Samuel Montembeault is the Canadiens’ most important player on the power play, a unit that’s been working well this season. And yesterday, he saved his teammates’ butts on a couple of occasions.

Monty leads the league in shutouts (3), and since learning that he’s made his mark with Team Canada, he’s been excellent. But I’m not saying that to play politics… #EnFrançaisSVP

2. Patrik Laine scored again and is fast becoming a crowd favorite. He has a rallying effect.

Obviously, things won’t always go so well for him. But a guy with confidence can wreak havoc… and for the first time in a long time, he’s in a position to do just that.

3. Jake Evans is proof that a player can take time to develop, but that it’s really possible to see a player blossom if he’s well surrounded. What a great season for him.

He’s also proof that an NHL player given time and space can turn into… Patrik Laine.

4. With all this, guys like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield go under the radar more. Both players, ignored by their respective countries for the Four Nations Confrontation, have less pressure on their shoulders with a more… respectable second line.

It’s not right that Suzuki is less talked about than the referees, let’s say. But that’s another matter.

5. Kirby Dach will have to look for consistency. Patrik Laine’s center didn’t do badly, but he took a nasty penalty in the third… and wasn’t seen on the ice again.

Martin St-Louis got his message across during and after the game. #HardCoaching

6. Mike Matheson doesn’t put his ego ahead of the club’s success. For example, he barely played on the powerplay and no one hears him complain about it.

He played a lot on the short-handed and was a key to victory. It takes guys like that and like David Savard, who blocks shots without asking too many questions.

Extension

The Canadiens have announced a day off for their players. This means that the players won’t hit the ice until tomorrow, in preparation for the game against the Capitals at the Bell Centre.

I expect the Habs to field the same lineup tomorrow night as yesterday – unless, of course, Kaiden Guhle is able to play.

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Top-5: Three points for Michkov… In the same period

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

There were nine games in the NHL last night.

The Canadiens took advantage of the Predators’ visit to pull off a shutout in front of their fans, but there was plenty of action in all four corners of the league.

Let’s find out what happened:

1: Matvei Michkov is too good

It’s not for nothing that many were talking about Matvei Michkov as a truly talented player.

We saw it last night in the game between the Flyers and the Panthers: Michkov picked up three assists… In the second period only.

The Flyers lost 7-5, but still :

Michkov now boasts a total of 22 points (nine goals) in just 24 games this season.

He’s quickly establishing himself as an impact player for the Flyers… And he’s performing up to expectations.

Did the Habs miss out?

2: Matthew Tkachuk is on fire

Let’s stay in the same game, because we also have to talk about Matthew Tkachuk’s night.

When the American shows up and is in form, he’s capable of being the best player on the ice.

He’s capable of single-handedly changing a game, and we had a great example of that last night :

One goal, four assists, four powerplay points, two body checks… That’s a perfect game, that.

We tend to forget it, but Tkachuk already has two 100+ point seasons under his belt, and he could have another if he keeps playing like this.

He has nine points in his last two games:

3: 4 points for McDavid

Three points for Michkov…

Five for Tkachuk…

But let’s not forget Connor McDavid.

The Oilers’ captain took advantage of the Blue Jackets’ visit to finish off his night’s work with four points (four assists) :

Zach Hyman’s performance also stood out in the Oilers’ 6-3 victory.

He got off to a slow start, but was able to find the back of the net twice last night.

Hyman now has five goals so far this season… And let’s just say he’s a far cry from last year, when he scored 54.

4: Lightning having fun at home

No matter how good Macklin Celebrini is, the Sharks are struggling this season.

And yesterday, in Tampa Bay, the Lightning took full advantage to have some fun.

The club scored not one, not two, not three… but eight goals (!!!) against the Sharks’ poor defense.

The Lightning had a 5-0 lead after the first period:

The match ended 8-1.

It must be hard to swallow for the Sharks, because these defeats always hurt. The club may be rebuilding, but losing 8-1… It’s still pretty humiliating.

Brayden Point (four assists) and Brandon Hagel (two goals) stood out for the Lightning.

5: The Sens got hot

We’re transported to the end of the Senators-Red Wings game.

Josh Norris already had a goal in the game, with just under a minute to play… And that’s when Norris stepped up to the plate, scoring his second of the game.

The goal gave the Sens the win:

Linus Ullmark was brilliant, stopping 19 of 20 shots.

Drake Batherson also contributed to his team’s victory with two assists.

When the best are the best, it helps!

Prolongation

– He’s really good.

– Nice winning goal for the Blues.

– The Jets won against the Sabres.

– Still dominating.

– Ping!

– Things are getting nasty in Philly.

– Top scorers of the night :

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Six games tonight in the NHL :

(Credit: Google)
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Another fine goal for Patrik Laine

We knew he had a dangerous shot.

We knew he could help the Canadiens, especially on the powerplay.

And so far, no one in town is disappointed.

Patrik Laine scored another Patrik Laine goal.

You can’t learn that:

More details to come…

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Mika Zibanejad’s turn on the Rangers’ market

In recent weeks, the New York Rangers have been placing some big players on the trade market.

First, we recall thatKaapo Kakko and Chris Kreider were on that list.

Recently, colossal defenseman Jacob Trouba was offered to other teams.

And today, we learn that Mika Zibanejad is also on the market.

There are starting to be a lot of names on this list.

General manager Chris Drury will definitely have his work cut out for him between now and the trade deadline.

And these aren’t small names, either…

With guys like Kreider, Trouba, Kakko and now Zibanejad, we can expect a very good return for these players.

They could be of interest to a number of teams looking to add offensive punch, youth, toughness or even depth for some well-heeled clubs.

Of course, it’s important to remember that they all have big salaries, except in the case of Kakko, who has a salary cap of $2.4 million for this season alone.

Mika Zibanejad ($8.5 M/year), Jacob Trouba ($8 M/year) and Chris Kreider ($6.5 M/year), that’s a lot of dollars on a lot.

It’s easy to understand why the Rangers want to trade so many big players: to make room for future contracts.

So, in addition to the young Finn, the contracts attached to the other players on the market are likely to weigh heavily on the balance.

So there will have to be salary restraints or contracts in return if there is to be a deal.

Interestingly, the Rangers can hold back three salaries, since there are currently no salary holdbacks.

Let’s see what Drury has in store for us in the coming weeks/months.

Overtime

– Michael Hage is player of the month. He’s also the top rookie with the best points-per-game average in the NCAA (tied with James Hagens).

– Necas is the first player in Hurricanes and Whalers history to collect 40 points so quickly.

– What a great transition and finish from Chris Boucher.

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Subban vs. Weber: David Poile approached Marc Bergevin

Let’s go back to June 29, 2016.

It’s hard to know exactly what we were doing that day without any other information.

If I tell you that on that day, the Canadiens de Montréal and the Nashville Predators completed a trade that shocked the world, it probably rings more bells.

That’s right, the famous trade of P.K. Subban for Shea Weber.

Let’s face it, not many people saw this trade coming.

However, additional information about this blockbuster trade was recently released.

Pierre LeBrun added it to the latest episode of the Athletic Commission‘s Radar podcast.

It was David Poile – then GM of the Preds – who approached Marc Bergevin to discuss a trade.

Pierre LeBrun even played the role of Poile to announce this:

“It was David Poile who went to see Marc Bergevin and I think he surprised him towards the end of the draft when he said: ”Shea Weber, are you interested? ”. That’s how it started between the two of them.” – Pierre LeBrun

Still, very interesting to know.

Even Anthony Desaulniers was shocked to hear the news.

Afterwards, LeBrun went on to say that he’s not 100% sure, but he’s pretty convinced that’s what happened.

He also added that David Poile was beginning to understand that Subban’s name was starting to circulate more and more.

As LeBrun so aptly puts it at the end of the above excerpt: ” The rest is history “.

Overtime

– Interesting.

– It’s Tyler Kozak’s first game.

– Incredible!

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Mathieu Olivier in Montreal: To hear Darren Dreger tell it, you should probably forget it.

MONTREAL, QC - NOVEMBER 16: Kaiden Guhle (21) of the Montreal Canadiens battles for position with Mathieu Olivier (24) of the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period of the NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Montreal Canadiens on Nov 16 2024, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC(Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

In Montreal, fans love the players who show up on the ice.

Those who work their butts off for the logo always have a good reputation in town, for logical reasons.

That said, in recent weeks, many have talked about the idea of bringing Mathieu Olivier to Montreal from Columbus, because he’s a hard-working player. He also has interesting physical qualities for a club like the Canadiens, which doesn’t hit very hard.

But to hear Darren Dreger(Insider Trading) tell it, we should probably forget it.

Why?

Because, according to the insider, Olivier is in Columbus, the Blue Jackets love him… And the two sides are already negotiating his next contract.

Yikes.

Mathieu Olivier will turn 29 next summer. And he’ll be as free as a bird.

That said, the Québécois is in his prime and it’s only natural that the Blue Jackets want to do everything they can to keep him.

Olivier fights hard, he’s one of the most physical players in the National League because he’s never afraid of upsetting the opposition, and we’re even seeing a certain offensive touch in his game this season.

He still scored seven goals in his first 24 games of the campaign.

That’s a pace of 24 goals a season!

Also, the Blue Jackets are rebuilding and need veterans to surround their youngsters in the right way.

Mathieu Olivier has all the qualities to fill that role perfectly… And at the same time, the Blue Jackets have room under the payroll to pay him to make sure he stays in Columbus.

Knowing all this, I really feel we have to rule out the possibility of Mathieu Olivier playing for the Habs for a long time to come.

Overtime

– That’s right.

– The next generation:

– Tit-Cole!

– Logical.