Author: Dose

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Lane Hutson works on his shooting this summer

Lane Hutson is an electrifying player. It was anyone’s guess how well his NCAA prowess would translate to the NHL, and he proved that it wasn’t exactly a problem. The result was the season we saw… and it put him in a position to be a very rich man in the short term. We’ll see when his next contract is signed, but we can expect something lucrative.But is Lane Hutson a perfect player? No. In fact, he still has aspects of his game to work on – which is normal. And one of them is the quality of his shooting, which isn’t very dangerous at the moment. Marco D’Amico, who appeared on Shaun Starr’s podcast, reported that Lane Hutson is working on the quality of his shooting this summer in preparation for next season. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaFouBY3zns&t=3s [content-ads]If you’re looking for someone surprised, don’t look in my direction. After all, it’s well known that Hutson loves to work on his game more often than others, and we saw it this year: he was always on the ice. It’s in his nature to want to be better, and I really feel that this summer, he worked on several aspects of his game, including the quality of his shots. This is his easiest weakness to target, and if he can get himself a better shot, it’s clear that it will make the Habs more dangerous than before. Imagine Hutson taking a sharp shot from the point on the powerplay: opposing defenses would be even more on their guard…[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Hulk Hogan has passed away.

–

– Nice.

– The club wants to progress.

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Canadiens: Bogdan Konyushkov signs contract extension in Russia

A surprise in Russia: Canadiens prospect Bogdan Konyushkov has extended his contract in Russia by one season. This means he’ll be tied to his team (Torpedo) until the end of the 2026-2027 season, leaving him with two years left on his contract there.

This doesn’t change the fact that the Canadiens have their rights. A Russian player can’t, like an NCAA guy, wait a few years to enjoy his autonomy.Unless something changes, he won’t be coming to the NHL until June 1, 2027, so [content-ads]What you have to understand, that said, is that a defenseman always needs more time to develop. And at 22, he still needs more mileage. Seeing him play in the KHL instead of Laval isn’t a bad thing, though. If he decides to come to Montreal and sign in the summer of 2027, he could be more ready than ever to try for an NHL job, which I don’t see him doing right now.

On the right, the Canadiens currently have Noah Dobson and Alexandre Carrier. David Reinbacher is in the affiliates and Lane Hutson could play right wing for a while this season, so I don’t mind seeing him add a season to his deal. spacer title=’Overtime’]- To read.

– Indeed.

– Interesting.

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Kirby Dach: the Canadiens have no choice but to be patient with him

Three years ago, the Canadiens traded Alexander Romanov for Kirby Dach. Basically, that was the deal, which also involved a high first-round pick who ultimately went from New York to Chicago.The surplus on the left meant that Romanov wasn’t becoming indispensable to Montreal. At the time, it seemed like an excellent deal for the Habs. But the picture in 2025 is different. Alexander Romanov has established himself as the trusted defenseman on Long Island (and was paid accordingly by Mathieu Darche) and Dach… What about Dach? The Canadiens’ center had a good first season in Montreal. But since then, injuries (and other factors) have meant that he hasn’t been the player the Habs were looking for. He didn’t look like the most invested man on the ice in 2024-2025. But now, all indications are that Dach will be in top form for the Canadiens’ 2025 camp. And even though he didn’t play at the end of the season and in the playoffs, the absence of a true #2 center makes him relatively indispensable to Montreal. The subject was discussed on Shaun Starr’s podcast, where Marco D’Amico was also present.

[content-ads]How much of a chance will Dach, acquired for big money by the current administration, get? A year away from becoming a compensated free agent, it’s safe to assume he will. If Mason McTavish or any other center had been acquired, it would be a different story. But under the circumstances, the Canadiens don’t have much choice but to test Dach one more time, to make sure he really is – or really isn’t – the right man for the job. I guess the last thing the Habs want is to see him blossom elsewhere. Right?circumstances dictate that Dach must be given a fair chance, but that it must be a big one. In other words: if it doesn’t work out, the quest for a second center will have to continue. Will he be able to make up the ground he’s lost over the past two years? Not having played in the playoffs (or even in the playoff race) has put him way behind, though. [spacer title=’en rafale’]- Last night, the Yankees were pitiful.

– And then… what?

– Indeed.

– To watch in the next hour.

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Stanley Cup in Montreal: “It could happen within three years”

Montreal has been dreaming of a Stanley Cup since 1993. The team has come close a few times, notably in 2021, but that’s about it.

Since that famous final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Habs fans have had to wait a long time for a good team, but the time for long springs may come sooner than expected.

According to Pierre McGuire, who appeared on the Sick Podcast – The eye test. In response to a question from a fan who wondered if we should wait 3 to 5 years before really believing in a cut, McGuire was quick to disagree.

“I don’t know if we can talk about 3 to 5 years. It could be a lot sooner than that. I’ve talked to people very high up in the organization. They’re really moving in the right direction.” – Pierre McGuire

He added that despite the fact that the effect of taxes in some U.S. states could cut into Canadian teams’ budgets, he believes the Canadiens can claim the Stanley Cup very soon.

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This statement shows the confidence he has in the process established by Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, but we have to be careful.

In my opinion, the Habs will have all the tools they need to win within 3 years. That’s going to depend on the proper development of Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage, in particular. At that point, the Canadiens should have a good mix of youngsters like Hage, Demidov and Hutson and veterans like Caufield and Suzuki.

The Habs will also have to solve their second-center problem, even if it means overpaying a little if necessary. Windows of success are short in the NHL, and Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton will have to take full advantage of the Canadiens’.

[spacer title=’Overtime’] – Interesting perspective:

– He’ll be one to watch.

– Amazing!

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Nick Suzuki: sixth-highest scorer among NHL centers last year

Nick Suzuki can no longer be ignored by Team Canada. I don’t know if he’s part of the country’s plans for the next Olympics and international competitions, but one thing’s for sure: he deserves to be in the top 12 forwards. Last year, he finished as the NHL’s sixth-highest scoring center, just two points behind Sidney Crosby, a sure bet for Team Canada.

In front of Suzuki, there are three Canadiens : Crosby, Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. These three center players will play on the first two lines for sure (one of them will play on the wing like at the Four Nations Tournament), which leaves room on the third line – if not the fourth – for the Canadiens’ protégé. content-ads] Canadian coaches like superstars, but they don’t just want offensive players, either. If Suzuki has 89 points and contributes offensively with the Canadiens, with his country in international competitions, it’s certain that he’ll be relegated to slightly more defensive duties, such as playing shorthanded and preserving a one- or two-goal lead at the end of games.

In addition to Nick, Cole Caufield, Patrik Laine, Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, Juraj Slafkovsky and Samuel Montembeault all have a chance of representing their nation at the next Olympics. In Canada’s case, the fans voted and, while Suzuki deserves to be on the team, in their opinion, Dobson is over the limit.

[spacer title=’Overtime’] – Ah well.

– Please note.

– Yes.

– He’s on fire.

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Tony Marinaro: In the best-case scenario, a 40-goal season for Laine is possible

Patrik Laine scored 20 goals in his first season with the Canadiens.Actually… I’ll start my sentence again. Patrik Laine scored 20 goals in his first season with the Canadiens, playing just 52 games. By not having a regular line-up. With an injury-plagued knee. And yet, he helped the Habs earn their ticket to the spring dance. With better support and health, he might have been able to put in even more. And that’s what Tony Marinaro said on the latest episode of his Sick Podcast. Without saying he sees Laine scoring 40 goals next season… Marinaro seems to think there’s a world in which the Finn can score 40. The stars have to align: Laine needs to arrive at camp fit, he needs to stay healthy… and he needs to take advantage of the talent of Ivan Demidov – and Kirby Dach, if it works out – to produce even more.

[content-ads] Do I believe it? Not necessarily. Because there’s one thing I’m not sure about: Laine might not play on the top-6 if Zachary Bolduc explodes, and Laine might lose his spot on the 1st wave of the powerplay with the emergence of a guy like Demidov. That said, we know the big sniper has the shot and the skills to pull off a feat like this. If that happens, the Habs could have two excellent scorers in Caufield and Laine… and Tony Marinaro makes a good point of mentioning it: if these two guys are able to fill the net, the Canadiens are going to have a wicked good chance of making the playoffs.Especially in the context that the Canadiens are the only club in their division to actually be better – on paper – than they were last season.

I can’t wait to see how Laine performs, because he’ll have to work hard to be an important player in Montreal next season. But then again: if the stars align… anything’s possible, considering the talent in Montreal right now.

[spacer title=’Overtime’] – Oh yeah?

– I agree.

– Rightly so.

– Seen the same.

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Zachary Bolduc ahead of Patrik Laine in the top-6: a strong argument in favor of the Québécois

Yesterday, I wrote a piece on the offensive issues to watch for at the Canadiens’ training camp , including, of course, the composition of the second line, where I see Ivan Demidov. Ultimately, I think Kirby Dach and Zachary Bolduc will be there too,but that remains to be seen in due course.We know that Dach and Alex Newhook will battle it out at center. The loser of the “duel” could go to the wing of the second line, but I can see Patrik Laine battling Bolduc for the other wing spot. By necessity, this will be an important duel. After all, Laine and Bolduc are both talented players, and the presence of Ivan Demidov means he’ll have to be well surrounded. Would he be well surrounded by Laine? In terms of talent, yes. Demidov would get a lot of assists playing with the Finn, we can all agree on that.But on yesterday’s Sick Podcast, Brian Wilde and Tony Marinaro made an excellent point: Bolduc’s defensive play must be an argument for bringing the Québécois onto the second line. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCtnLgyOt5c [content-ads]Are we saying that defensive play is everything? No. If we were, we’d be bringing Jake Evans into the debate,but what we are saying is that, as one of the factors that can make the difference when it comes to deciding on a winger for the second line, defensive play has to be part of the discussion.

If Demidov were ever to play with Dach and Laine, he’d be playing with a center who had one of the league’s worst injury differentials and a winger who doesn’t give a damn about his defense. To me, differential isn’t the most representative statistic… except in extreme cases. And guys like Laine and Dach are in the extremes. Alex Newhook too, for that matter.

Hockey DB

[content-ads]Anyway, we don’t need the differential to know that Laine isn’t folding.Zachary Bolduc, on the other hand, maintained a plus-20 differential in St. Louis… as a rookie. That’s better than any of the Canadiens’ players in 2024-2025, including captain Nick Suzuki. We want Bolduc to take on centre-player responsibilities, especially on face-offs… we know that Martin St-Louis’ system means that a winger can have centre-player responsibilities after the face-off.clearly, we’re opening the door in Montreal for Bolduc to take over on a line, and if it helps Demidov avoid playing on a defensively awful line, I think the Russian would benefit from Bolduc’s presence on his line.and when you have the puck, you can have fun in the offensive zone. [spacer title=’Overtime’]- Yes.

– CF Montreal is the talk of the town this morning.

– Blue Jays loss,

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Re-draft 2022: Lane Hutson isn’t number one, says Scott Wheeler

The Canadiens made a steal by picking up Lane Hutson with pick #62 in the 2022 draft. He could afford it because he had three top-33 picks, but still.#Today, it’s clear that no one in Montreal regrets that choice. After all, it’s hard to get better value for a second-round pick like that, and some clubs are going to be kicking themselves for a long time to come. But if we were to have fun re-drafting the 2022 draft, everyone would agree that Lane Hutson would jump several dozen spots, wouldn’t they? On that subject, Scott Wheeler, The Athletic’s prospect expert, played the game of re-drafting the 2022 draft three years later. First of all, we note that prospect Owen Beck is not in the top-32, but in the honorable mentions. It‘s also worth noting that the top spot doesn’t belong to a Canadiens player. It’s Logan Cooley, the Coyotes’ third overall pick and a Mammoth player in 2025, who’s in first place.[content-ads]In two full NHL seasons, Cooley hasn’t had a campaign with more points than Lane Hutson’s 66 as a rookie. And Hutson is a defenseman,but Cooley already has 45 NHL goals (39 more than the Canadiens’ defenseman) and he’s a first center, which has a lot of value in the NHL.If I had to choose between Nick Suzuki (early in his career) and Lane Hutson, for example… I’d take #14 ahead of Hutson.Cooley ranks ahead of Lane Hutson and Juraj Slafkovsky, who occupy the #2 and #3 spots in the expert’s rankings. I agree with Wheeler’s top-3.

[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Ahh, the famous letters published at 5am to announce a rebuild.

– Interesting.

– Nice.

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“Every time I saw Emil Heineman, he was one of the best players on the Habs.”

When the Habs acquired Noah Dobson, they not only sent two first-round picks to the Islanders, they also traded Emil Heineman. The latter showed great things with the Habs last year, and will now continue his career on Long Island.Heineman struggled in the second half of the season (after being hit by a car), but he’s still an interesting player.The Swede, in addition to having a good shot, is a guy who can play physical and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. And clearly, there are some on Long Island who really like what they’ve seen from Heineman. Thomas Hickey, for example, saw Heineman play a few times against the Islanders last year (he covers the team’s games) and really liked what he saw, as he told the On The Line podcast.

In fact, according to him, every time he saw Heineman play, he was one of the Habs’ best players.

[content-ads]TVA Sports also reported the news earlier today.What’s interesting is that the Swede didn’t pick up a single point in three games against the Islanders last year. That said, Hickey liked what he saw of the kid, but also of his line.Clearly, he liked the energy Heineman brought to the game.We saw Heineman in a more limited role with the Habs last year, and we have to wonder if the Islanders will want to give him more responsibility. We know the team really coveted him in the Dobson deal, and he’s the kind of player who fits in well with the Isles‘ philosophy.He only amassed 10 goals and 18 points in 62 games, but he was on a much better pace before he was hit by a car.So we’ll see what’s in store for Heineman with the Islanders, but obviously there are people on Long Island who have high expectations for the former habs man. Spacer title=’Overtime’]- Lane Hutson’s father is a long-time friend of Cole Caufield’s father.

– The Matthew Tkachuk deal is now three years old.

– Wow!

🎾🇺🇸

– A lack of opportunism sinks the Jays against the Yankees.

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13th pick: Nick Suzuki well on his way to becoming the best in history

In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights made Nick Suzuki the 13th overall pick in the draft. That said, Suzuki didn’t last long in the Knights organization: barely a year later, he headed to Montreal in the deal that sent Max Pacioretty to Vegas.Remember that Marc Bergevin originally wanted Erik Brannström or Cody Glass, but agreed to “settle” for Suzuki.And today, Suzuki is (far) superior to the other two players. He’s coming off an 89-point season… and now has 375 points in 455 career regular-season games. Interestingly, Suzuki’s 375 points put him in a very good position to become the NHL’s all-time top 13th pick. Because, after all, the career points leader by a 13th pick (Craig Janney) has only 751 career points.

[content-ads]So Suzuki is only 376 career points short of the top spot… which isn’t much when you consider he’ll be just 26 at the start of next campaign and has been improving steadily since joining the NHL.If he scores 80 points a season, he’ll even surpass Janney before his current contract expires in five years’ time. Infact, Jean-Sébastien Giguère is one of the best 13th picks in NHL history… but obviously, in terms of points, he’s no match for Suzuki.

Josh Morrissey and Seth Jarvis are two other players who could be in the running… but Suzuki is more productive than they are.So there really is a world in which Suzuki, who is a true iron man, becomes the 13th pick with the most career points by the end of his current contract with the Habs.Nothing less.

[

– Very cool, that.

– The Québécois is at the heart of trade rumors.