Author: Dose

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“The Habs still have payroll problems, we’ll see what happens with Patrik Laine.”

As we saw last year, Patrik Laine is a special player. His ability to score on the powerplay is second to none on the Habs… but at 5-on-5, it’s not always easy.You can tell he’s putting in the effort this summer, and that’s encouraging.

And in 2025-26, Laine will enter the final year of his contract, which pays him an average of $8.7 million a year. That’s a hefty cap hit… but it’s especially noteworthy in light of the fact that the Canadiens are currently over the salary cap.Many people expect Carey Price’s contract to be traded in September, but right now it’s still on the Habs books.

That’s why it’s interesting to note that last night, on Tony Marinaro’s Sick Podcast, Eric Engels talked about the CH’s powerplay… and he had this to say about Laine:

The CH still has payroll problems. We’ll see what happens with Patrik Laine.

–

Eric Engels

[content-ads]It’s pretty peculiar that he mentioned this when the conversation wasn’t even about Laine’s salary in the first place… but mostly, because we know Engels is well connected to what’s going on with the Habs.Does he know there’s a chance of Laine being traded soon? Mathias Brunet also said earlier this summer that he felt the Habs were trading Laine right now… and when you look at all this, you have to wonder if the Finn will actually start the year in Montreal.

Once again, the “salary cap problems” will be solved if Price’s contract is traded (which is likely to happen in September)… but that doesn’t stop the Habs from trading Laine either, either as an alternative if they can’t trade Price’s contract, or to get more leeway.We’ll have to keep an eye on this, but it’s interesting to see Engels mention Laine’s case when talking about the Habs’ payroll problems. Because yes, it’s also a way to solve the problem… especially since the Habs can facilitate a transaction by withholding salary.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Kaapo Kakko signs for three years with the Kraken.

– The Oilers are looking for another top-6 player.

– Weird story.

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Filip Mesar: “The Canadiens are still counting on me”

Filip Mesar isn’t the most attractive prospect on the Montreal Canadiens’ roster. We’re talking about a first-round pick (2022)… but we’re also talking about a guy who isn’t producing up to expectations. The forward finished last season with 18 points (four goals) in 42 games in Laval… and he only played one game in the playoffs because Pascal Vincent had better players on hand. and he only played one game in the playoffs because Pascal Vincent had better players on hand. It’s too early to pull the plug on Mesar because he’s only 21, but with what he’s shown so far, we can’t believe he’s the organization’s saviour either. He said in an interview in Slovakia that the Canadiens are “still counting on him”… but even so, it’s possible to believe that he won’t change the game on his own. And that’s if he ever plays in Montreal…

[content-ads] In the interview in question, Mesar also revealed his injuries from last season. His shoulder was sore for a while… and he also tore ligaments in his ankle. He had to use crutches for a month, and he couldn’t put any weight on his foot. From what we understand, then, the 24-25 season wasn’t easy – or obvious – for the main man involved. He had to deal with boo-boos, he wasn’t extremely productive on the ice.however, without saying that time is of the essence, Mesar had better get going and show the Canadiens organization that they can still trust him.

He needs to start dominating down low if he wants to play in the NHL, because with his offensive style, that’s the only way he’ll make it to the big leagues.Mesar knows he’s got a long way to go before he gets there…

– I love it. Hehe.

– Oh yeah?

– Oh…

– Vladdy needs to wake up.

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Suzuki wedding: Slafkovsky will miss a team-building activity in Slovakia to be there

I went to Brossard this morning to see if any of the Canadiens players would decide to practice.And… to my great surprise, Juraj Slafkovsky was among the group. The big forward was in Slovakia last week, but now he’s back in Montreal.

In fact, here’s what you need to know: Nick Suzuki is getting married next weekend,and Slaf will be there. But what’s also interesting is that, according to Martin Turčin, a Slovak sports journalist… Slaf will even miss out on a Slovak team-building activity in order to be present at his captain’s wedding.Note that some 40 Slovak players have been invited to the activity in question.

[content-ads] I wonder if Slovakia’s leaders are happy to hear about this. At the same time…. We know that Slaf and Suzuki are close, that they have a good relationship and that they’ve been playing on the same line for a while now.I imagine that Slaf had already spoken to his country’s officials and that they understand why this decision was made. And I also imagine that Suzuki is happy to know that his boyfriend will be there for him on such a special day in his life. All in all, it shows just how much team spirit the Canadiens have.

Seeing so many guys on the ice this morning in Brossard is an indication of that… and so is seeing Slafkovsky miss out on a team-building activity for his country. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Of note:

– Logical.

– To be continued.

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If Mike Matheson is traded, the Rocket and the Canadiens will suffer

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m not one of those who think the Canadiens should trade Mike Matheson .Iunderstand that if a talented young second center is on the table, they’ll have to pay. But taking Matheson out of Montreal for the 2025-2026 season would hurt the Canadiens, andthe first thing Kent Hughes would do is try to find another Mike Matheson.I’mnot one of those who thinks he wouldn’t have a role. On the contrary: I think that even though he’ll lose time on the powerplay with the arrival of Noah Dobson, the Québécois will have his uses. After all, a club with aspirations needs depth:he was Martin St-Louis’ trusted defenseman… and because a right-handed player arrives, the coach won’t need him anymore? It doesn’t work like that.

The main thing to remember is that, in the event of injury, the Habs would be thin. I say that because, right now, we already know which seven defensemen – I don’t see the CH going with six or eight guys – are going to make the club. Unless there’s a surprise, it’ll look like this at the start of the season

  • Lane Hutson
  • Noah Dobson
  • Kaiden Guhle
  • Mike Matheson
  • Alexandre Carrier
  • Arber Xhekaj
  • Jayden Struble

[content-ads]Imagine if Matheson were to leave and Kaiden Guhle were to get injured. Right now, the Canadiens have five youngsters who can be recalled from Laval

  • David Reinbacher
  • William Trudeau
  • Adam Engstrom
  • Marc Del Gaizo
  • Nate Clurman

We agree that the last two are not really options. And we also agree that in an ideal world, the Habs will recall Reinbacher when they want to, not when they have to. Recalling two of these guys should be done if Matheson is traded and another player were to get hurt. That would be very hard on the NHL guys, since they’d be thrown into the lion’s den.And it would be horrible for the Rocket,too. Nor do I see the advantage of trading Matheson to replace him with another NHL guy. The Québécois wants to be here and he’s useful to the Canadiens as well as to his club-school, question of not putting pressure on the prospects.

[spacer title=’Overtime’]- To read.

– Utah will lose its ECHL club. [I

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Alexandre Carrier: playing for the Canadiens was on his bucket list

The deal that brought Alexandre Carrier to Montreal last season was a game-changer for the team. The defenseman stabilized a defensive brigade that was struggling… and the club went back to winning with regularity afterwards.

He’s not the flashiest player, but he’s extremely effective on the ice.

But above all, what really stood out was that the Québécois really seems to enjoy his time with the Habs. You can tell he’s really happy to be back home… and he and his wife chatted about it all on the latest episode of the No Restrictions podcast.

In fact, what both explain is that playing in Montreal is truly a dream for them. For Carrier, wearing a Canadiens jersey is something he’s always dreamed of… but for his wife Alicia Lessard, who works full-time in Montreal (even when Carrier was playing in Nashville), it was also great news to see the defenseman traded to Montreal.

But what we also understand is that, one way or another, Carrier would have ended up with the Habs, because as his wife notes, playing for the Habs was on the defenseman’s bucket list.

And clearly, when you listen to the podcast, you understand that this transaction really changed the couple’s life for the better. The defenseman’s wife no longer has to make the Montreal-Nashville round trip as often, and for both of them, it allows them to be closer to their family.

In many ways, they consider themselves “blessed by the gods”.

One has to wonder whether Carrier, who has two years left on his contract, will really want to leave the Habs in the summer of 2027. Playing for the Habs seems to be a blessing for both him and his wife… and it’s logical to wonder if he’ll even be willing to leave money on the table to stay in Montreal beyond his current contract.

It’s early days yet, of course… but for a right-handed defenseman like him, there will be long-term room in the city. That might not have been the case had he been left-handed, but right-handedness is a luxury.

In any case, it’s really nice to see how happy the couple are to be in Montreal full-time. And clearly, some Habs fans are happy to have Carrier in town.

Overtime

– Interesting.

– He will join Djurgarden.

– Things are going well for the Québécois.

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Brandon Gignac at Kloten: David Reinbacher showed him around the club’s facilities

Brandon Gignac is no longer with the Montreal Canadiens.

The forward has decided to sign a contract in Switzerland after eight years in the American Hockey League.

He has signed a two-season deal with EHC Kloten.

We know this club.

It is, after all, where David Reinbacher played in the 22-23 and 23-24 seasons. And since Reinbacher is familiar with the club’s facilities, he took the opportunity to introduce them to Gignac, with whom he played in Laval this year (and at the end of the 23-24 campaign).

Kloten posted a video about it on Instagram:

It’s cool, honestly.

It’ll help Gignac acclimatize better to his new environment, and having Reinbacher give him some tips/advice in addition to showing him the team’s facilities feels different in a way.

Let’s not forget that Kloten had a really difficult season in Reinbacher’s last year in Switzerland.

The team changed head coaches several times in the space of just a few months, the team didn’t win many games (17 out of 52) and it really seemed to be managed a bit crookedly.

That said, things turned around for Kloten last season, as the club was able to secure its ticket to the playoffs. The team lost in the first round of the elimination tournament… but still: it was (much) better than the year before.

It remains to be seen whether the addition of a dynamic forward like Brandon Gignac will help Kloten achieve even greater success.

Overtime

– Love this.

– Good point.

– It’s going to be tough.

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A 75-point rookie season for Ivan Demidov: Tony Marinaro believes in it

What will Ivan Demidov’s production look like in his first (full) season in the National League?

It’s hard to say.

But the fact that he’s already got some pro-level experience from his KHL games should help him be productive pretty quickly. Especially when you combine that with his skills…

Just for fun, Tony Marinaro and Eric Engels(Sick Podcast) had some fun projecting Demidov’s first season in Montreal.

And in Marinaro’s eyes, if all goes well, the youngster plays 82 games and stays healthy… a 75-point rookie season could be possible.

In the last 10 years, we’ve seen two seasons of 75 points or more in Montreal from one player.

Those two seasons belonged to Nick Suzuki (23-24 and 24-25).

That said, to see Demidov produce that much in his first season in the National League would be something interesting.

He’ll be well surrounded… and we know he has the talent to pull off a feat like this.

Demidov made quite an impression this morning in Brossard with his golden hands:

It could be possible in the context that Demidov will be able to get a lot of ice.

He’ll be playing on the top-6… and he could quickly have an important role on the powerplay, as was the case with Lane Hutson last season.

On the powerplay, with guys like Hutson, Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, Demidov could really have some fun… and the points could pile up pretty quickly too if it clicks on the first wave of the powerplay.

Anyway.

It’s kind of hard not to get excited about what’s to come… and Demidov’s season is sure to get a lot of attention for many reasons.

Overtime

– Maybe a guy like Mitch Marner could help… #Oops

– He knows how to have fun.

– Great news.

– That’s a lot of money.

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It’s “very” likely that Struble won’t have to go to arbitration on August 3 (according to Marco D’Amico)

A few players are eligible for salary arbitration this year in the NHL.

And one of them is Jayden Struble.

The Canadiens’ player will technically be the last to go before an arbitrator… But he might not have to go through the process, either.

In reality, Struble and the Habs can still agree on the terms of a new deal before August 3.

And at this level, Marco D’Amico says in a tweet that it’s “very” likely that Struble won’t have to go before an arbitrator to sign his next contract.

The file is on Kent Hughes’ table and an announcement could be made in the next few days too.

Because August 3 is fast approaching…

Jayden Struble is in no position to ask for the moon.

After all, we’re talking about a guy who’s still trying to cement his place as a regular defenseman in the Montreal Canadiens lineup, having been left out of the lineup a few times last season.

The left-hander even took a trip to the AHL (for conditioning purposes) in January, because Martin St-Louis was unable to give him a place on his defensive brigade.

He was becoming a problem in Montreal… and the Canadiens saw fit to send him to Laval to play a bit.

That’s why, in my opinion, discussions between Struble and the Habs shouldn’t be too complicated either.

Kent Hughes knows the value of his defenseman, and Struble has to accept the fact that he hasn’t yet proven he’s capable of helping the Canadiens night after night.

We’ll keep you posted.

Overtime

– His turn to play.

– Great story.

– Oh.

– This news is bigger than sports.

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Reconstruction on Crave: Season 2 to be released on August 21 (and that’s a good thing)

The first season of the Canadiens’ “Rebuilding” series on Crave gave fans a chance to learn a little more about what goes on behind the scenes of the Montreal organization.

The result was a success… and we knew that the second season was filmed during the last NHL campaign (24-25).

Today, we learn that season 2 will be launched on August 21. And that’s actually a good thing.

It’s a good thing, because at the end of August, it’s always a fairly quiet period in the National League and at the Canadiens, since the practice camps aren’t yet underway.

There’s never much going on at that time… and that’s going to monopolize the attention of fans – who will be looking forward to the start of the club’s next season.

I can’t wait to see what it’s going to be like.

And let’s not forget: the Habs did make the playoffs last April…

That’s promising, because a lot happened in the Canadiens’ last season.

Patrik Laine’s injury at the start of training camp, the goaltenders’ performance, the tougher times, the team’s impressive moments after the 4 Nations Showdown, the guys’ emotion in the playoffs against the Washington Capitals…

Season 2 could really be a good one.

That said, since the rebuild wasn’t really over yet, it wasn’t surprising to see the Canadiens do a Season 2 series. After all, the ice is broken and the guys at the club are used to the concept.

But if the Canadiens continue to enjoy success with the new additions, Season 3 will have to have another name… if the Habs decide to go with another season.

There’s no confirmation of that yet.

Overtime

– He’s impressive.

– That’s right.

– Sick.

– News from Montreal CF practice.

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Here are the players practicing in Montreal today

It’s summertime. There’s no NHL hockey to get your teeth into.

But just because there’s no NHL hockey doesn’t mean the guys on the Habs and other teams aren’t working hard to stay in shape. As you know, players work hard during the summer.

One of the ways they do this in Montreal is through the SISU league, or summer hockey.

But otherwise, there’s also the guys’ practices at Complexe CN. Players who want to practice there are allowed to do so in the Canadiens’ facilities, of course.

And many of them do.

We know that many players spend their summers in town, which means they can go to Brossard on a regular basis. And on that subject, Patou Info showed up at the Complexe and posted a video of the guys skating today.

Keep in mind that the guys who didn’t skate today aren’t necessarily out of Montreal for the summer: it’s really a snapshot of what’s happening on July 22.

Captain Nick Suzuki was one of them. Among the forwards, Patrik Laine, Ivan Demidov and Alex Newhook, all candidates to play in the top-6, were also on the ice.

Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble, who will undoubtedly fight for the same position (defenseman #6), were also present.

Note that there were two goalies, but they’re hard to identify. Is Kaapo Kahkonen one of them? It would be interesting if the answer were yes, as he fights for a position in the NHL.

I think it’s great to see so many guys (none of them Québécois) in town in July. It shows that a great culture is being built in the city, and that it’s fun to spend time in Quebec during the off-season.

overtime

– Nothing less.

– News from CF Montreal.

– It’s coming.

– Nice.

– Coming up.