Author: Dose

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Luke Richardson would be the perfect candidate for the Canadiens

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 10: Chicago Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson speaks to the press prior to the game against the Minnesota Wild at the United Center on November 10, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)

It’s amazing how quickly life changes.

Yesterday, Luke Richardson was the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks… And today, he’s out of a job.

He was fired by the Hawks in the last hour:

Obviously, you never wish a person to lose their job.

It’s part of life… But it’s never pleasant.

That said, the timing of this news is interesting because in Montreal, there’s a glaring lack of experience behind the bench.

So why wouldn’t the Canadiens call him up?

Luke Richardson would be the perfect candidate for the Canadiens. Because there are some pretty logical arguments.

He has over 10 seasons of NHL coaching experience (eight in Montreal as an assistant and two and a half in Chicago as head coach), he knows the Montreal market because he’s already worked for the Canadiens, he’s already played with Martin St-Louis and Vincent Lecavalier in Tampa Bay…

But above all, we’re talking about a coach who is renowned for his work on the defensive end.

And we know that the Habs have been struggling in this area for the past few seasons.

The team is still rebuilding, but even so, the Habs are the 3rd club to have allowed the most goals since the start of the campaign, and they also have the second-worst differential in the NHL.

Things aren’t going well defensively, to put it another way.

At the same time, perhaps having an experienced coach like Richardson would also allow the young defensemen to progress better.

I’m not saying Stéphane Robidas doesn’t know how to do his job… But the difference is that Richardson has spent several seasons in that role.

And with the Habs’ young defense, I like the idea of having a guy who can guide these youngsters with his experience.

That’s something to keep an eye on, and what’s interesting is that Richardson’s contract with the Hawks expires at the end of this season.

It’s rare for head coaches to become assistants before the end of their contract… But with Richardson, it’s different, as his agreement ends soon.

All that to say, it would be interesting to see Richardson make a return to Montreal. And it’s likely to be the talk of a lot of people in the coming weeks.

Overtime

– Here it is:

– He ain’t little, Sheriff.

– Beautiful style.

– Brings back memories.

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Luke Richardson is fired

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 19: Head coach Luke Richardson of the Chicago Blackhawks looks on during the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on February 19, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images)

Luke Richardson left the Canadiens after the 21-22 season to become head coach of the Blackhawks.

However, the team in Chicago has never performed well since his arrival… And now management has lost patience.

According to Frank Seravalli on Twitter, the Blackhawks have decided to fire him:

More details to come…

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Losing on purpose: Steve Yzerman did everything he could to draft Alexis Lafrenière

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 28: General manager Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings looks on from the stage during the first round of the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Sphere on June 28, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)

Before the 2020 draft, Alexis Lafrenière was seen as the next big thing in the National Hockey League.

He’d been the talk of the town for a few years now, even earning comparisons with the likes of Sidney Crosby in the process.

He was that good in the QMJHL.

In the end, it was the Rangers who won the lottery that year, and they took the opportunity to select the Québécois with the very first pick in the draft.

That said, it was Steve Yzerman who must not have been happy, because he did everything in his power to select Lafrenière first overall.

Renaud Lavoie talked about it this morning on the radio(BPM Sports): Yzerman “didn’t bother” with his club in the final stretch of the season to make sure he got the best possible pick.

I’ve never seen a general manager abandon his team like that.

From January 12 to March 10, the Red Wings played a total of 26 games to end their season.

And during that stretch, the club won… five times:

(Credit: ESPN screenshot)

At the 2020 trade deadline, a few months before the Laffy draft, Steve Yzerman took the necessary steps to hurt his club.

He traded Andreas Athanasiou and Mike Green to Edmonton, leaving the Red Wings with little quality left in their lineup.

You only have to look at the team’s top scorers for the season to understand just how pitiful it was :

(Credit: HockeyDB)

In the end, Steve Yzerman’s plan failed miserably.

The Red Wings didn’t even get a chance to draft in the top-3 that year… But they were lucky anyway, as they got their hands on Lucas Raymond with the 4th overall pick.

It’s a good consolation prize because Raymond is still an important player in Detroit.

On the other hand, Renaud Lavoie has a point when he says that we should punish teams that want to lose on purpose.

It’s not good for the sport’s image (although it’s also seen in the other three major leagues in North America) and it sends a negative message to the team’s fans who still travel to the games.

Overtime

– I can’t wait to see it.

– Wow!

– Ouain…

– Happy reading.

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SKA: Demidov plays less than 10 minutes for 7th straight game

In SKA’s last game, Ivan Demidov didn’t play.

Roman Rotenberg decided not to use him, in fact.

The Habs and SKA prospects were back in action today, and Demidov started the game on his team’s third line:

But ultimately, Demidov’s game isn’t too complicated to sum up.

He spent just under four minutes on the ice in the first period (3:54) and in the second, he made three appearances for 2:50 of playing time.

I didn’t mention the third… Because the Canadiens’ prospect was never able to touch the ice.

He finished the game with a superb (or not) 6:44 of playing time and a shot on goal.

All his appearances can be seen in these two videos, which were posted by the Habs Nation account on Twitter:

Since the start of the season, Roman Rotenberg has been known to be inconsistent in his decisions with Demidov.

But now, over the past month or so, it’s become blatantly obvious. Demidov hardly plays at all:

  • 9:59 of playing time on November 13
  • 9:44 of playing time on November 15
  • 9:54 playing time on November 18
  • 6:46 playing time on November 21
  • 8:24 playing time on November 28
  • Bench-pressed the entire game on November 30
  • 6:44 of playing time today

That makes seven straight games in which the Habs prospect has warmed the bench more than anything else.

He’s picked up just one point in that stretch… But can we really blame him?

After all, it’s hard to perform and stay confident when your own coach isn’t playing you. And the sad thing is that this is becoming a frequent occurrence… Even though Demidov has proved since the start of the season that he can help the club offensively.

In closing, it’s worth noting that his club lost today to Dinamo Minsk.

After 32 games, Demidov has 20 points, including six goals.

Overtime

– Yep.

– A good choice.

– Time to break out the toques!

– Oh, wow.

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Kent Hughes is the one who “gave the shit” to Juraj Slafkovsky

After Tuesday’s game, we learned that Juraj Slafkovsky had “eaten shit” from a Canadiens executive on Monday. This was in connection with his more difficult performances.

It obviously whipped him, as he performed better on Tuesday.

And now we learn that it was GM Kent Hughes who was behind the discussion in question. He’s the one who shook him up a bit to get the best out of him for the future.

That’s what we learn in a text from The Athletic, via Arpon Basu.

I’m not surprised it’s coming from the GM. After all, it was Kent Hughes who negotiated his $7.6 M per year contract (2025-2033) and he probably wants to see him perform.

I get the feeling that Hughes was speaking for everyone.

Note that Slaf had specified that it wasn’t Martin St-Louis who was at the heart of the meeting (before revealing that it was Hughes) since the coach does it more often.

Martin tells me that every day. – Slaf

It’s worth mentioning that Slaf has the character to take such discussions in stride. After all, he wasn’t obliged to publicly disclose the nature of his discussion with Hughes, but he chose to do so in front of the media anyway.

He often finds a way to keep a smile on his face, and clearly doesn’t let people who want to help him affect him too much. And right now, with Patrik Laine, he’s got the potential to set the rink ablaze.

Overtime

– Pardon? The club just left Oakland and 30 seconds later, they’re offering the biggest guaranteed contract in their history?

– He’s happy. #TeamCanada

– To watch.

– He’s back and healthy.

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Four Nations: Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield motivated by their exclusion

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

The Canadiens will have three representatives at the Four Nations Confrontation: Joel Armia, Patrik Laine and Samuel Montembeault.

Montembeault is undoubtedly the most talked-about of the three. After all, many are wondering to what extent he deserves to be there, and to what extent he is not there “by default” as a Québécois.

But Patrik Laine is also the talk of the town, given that he’s only just started playing again. However, he has known for months that he had a chance of being chosen.

And the forgotten ones?

While we suspected there was a chance Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield would be left out, the fact remains that the guys didn’t appreciate not being chosen.

And on that subject, Nick Suzuki defended his American teammate, saying he was surprised he was left out. After all, no American has scored more than him (16) this season.

And the Habs made a point of saying so.

Suzuki, who says he’s shown what he’s made of by taking on the best opponents with the Habs, says he and Caufield will use their exclusion as motivation for what’s to come.

That’s something.

I also wonder how much playing for the wrong team has changed the game – especially in Suzuki’s case.

Why do I say that? Because, as Elliotte Friedman (32 Thoughts) pointed out, the only Canadian to have a spot in the tournament who plays for a club that doesn’t play for .500 is… Montembeault.

The fact that Caufield is omitted is a sign that the Americans don’t see him on their top-6 – and that Caufield isn’t a defensive player. Suzuki, on the other hand, is a defensive player.

That’s probably what tickles him.

It’s also worth noting, as pointed out in Friedman’s text, that commercial breaks will be even longer than in the NHL (60 seconds more), and that the best players could therefore play more.

Did this have a role to play in the composition of the teams’ bottom-6 ? We don’t know.

Overtime

– No changes expected tonight.

– The bosses were watching the players this morning.

– To watch.

– Nathan Beaulieu’s party.

– Indeed.

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Canadiens: some media outlets no longer systematically send a reporter on the road

Since the start of the Canadiens’ season, I’ve often talked about how difficult rebuilding can be for many Habs-related businesses.

TV and radio partners are suffering; when the club was at its lowest point a few weeks ago, less than 400,000 people (average per minute) were watching the games on RDS and TVA Sports.

These two media outlets pay tens of millions of dollars per season to show Habs games, and at 375,000 people per game, it’s far from profitable.

When you meet with an advertising company or agency, you sell them spots for 500,000 people, let’s say… and when you don’t even reach 400,000, you have to reimburse the client or give them equivalent advertising elsewhere in the schedule. But not on Sundays at 6:12 when no one is listening…

Most print media – both traditional and strictly digital on the Web – are also experiencing a drop in traffic related to the Canadiens. The camp was interesting… and Patrik Laine’s return is just as interesting right now; except that, in between, it’s been pretty tough.

Especially since social networks are overflowing with free information for fans these days…

During these more difficult times, I was told thatat least two French-language media outlets had decided not to send journalists on the road during a Habs game. I talked about this this week on the Stanley25 podcast.

Reminder: English-speaking journalists had already begun to desert the press galleries.

10 years ago, such a scenario would simply have been unthinkable…

But here we are in 2024, and the media environment is undergoing a veritable revolution. Opinion trumps news (and it costs less to produce), and alternative media have eaten up much of the space once occupied strictly by traditional media.

Managers at the various media outlets have to deal with shrinking/survival and much tighter budgets. Especially when their media receives little or no subsidy…

Sending someone to Columbus for a short one-game trip (plane, two-night hotel stay, journalist’s salary, per diem, etc.) is sometimes hard to defend financially. It’s also logistically difficult when the club is playing in Montreal the day before. That’s why some media outlets didn’t send anyone to Ohio on November 27, according to my sources…

There’s also the need to reduce our carbon footprint, according to the philosophy of certain Québécois media companies. When the opinion or news section of your media constantly pushes this theme to its readers, it’s normal to see the sports section reduce their trips…

With games being broadcast in high definition on our TVs (notably in 4K on Amazon Prime Video on Monday nights) and press briefings being presented live on the Habs‘ social networks, journalists at certain media outlets need to prepare a big list of arguments to convince their bosses to hit the road. And that bothers some of them…

On a purely business level, a boss has to figure that spending $4,000 or $5,000 on a one-game trip to Columbus will be profitable before authorizing it. But if the journalist is only gathering the same information that’s available online – or refusing to release what he sees or hears when he’s close to the team – it’s hard to justify such an expense. Especially when viewers, listeners and readers are less likely to be there than they used to be…

The other problem is that on November 14, the Canadiens had already planned to sleep in Minnesota after their game, then return to Montreal the following day after practice.

Many journalists therefore spent an extra day in Minnesota – and the expenses that go with it – only to see the Canadiens cancel the practice AND the media availability afterwards.

Journalists who were there first and foremost to take clips in the locker room had to go back to town empty-handed. And that bothered a lot of people on the media side.

Extension

A former boss of a (very) large media outlet told me on Tuesday that he often sent reporters on the road to follow the Canadiens’ activities, but that in the end, 98% of the information they were looking for could have come from Montreal.

The media world – especially the sports world – has become a business. Revenues, expenses, profits (or losses)… that’s how the big bosses think these days.

And we have to ask ourselves a question as a society: should we really be subsidizing journalism?

Yes, especially for investigative journalism…

But “on the beat with the Canadiens” sports journalism?

I’m REALLY not so sure. It seems to me that there are far more important areas to put our collective money into, don’t you think?

Take BPM Sports, for example: the station just had an impressive fall survey… and it doesn’t send anyone on the road. They cover the Canadiens on site when they’re in Montreal or Brossard, but on the road, they rely on social networks. And the people who do (paid for by their #1 employer).

The future is digital.

Actually, no: the present is digital. Unfortunately or fortunately…

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Cédric Paré against the Rocket: “in my opinion, Xhekaj… it could be”.

We all remember what Cédric Paré did two months ago, don’t we?

In a warm-up game, he injured Patrik Laine. As a result, he made a lot of enemies in Quebec. Things got out of hand and the story took on enormous proportions.

We remember his name, anyway.

In recent months, water has flowed under the bridge. Paré’s name came out of the news, Laine said he didn’t hold it against him, and recently the Finn returned to the game.

He has, by necessity, brought the fun back into the Bell Centre.

Why am I talking about Paré this morning? Because in his morning column on BPM Sports, Anthony Marcotte talked about the fact that the player’s current club, the Toronto Marlies, will be in Laval this weekend.

And, of course, he wondered if that was going to be a big deal.

The question on the table (apart from whether the Québécois, who played eight games this year with the Maple Leafs’ training club, will be dressed) is whether the hatred that inhabits the people of Montreal also inhabits the guys from Laval.

If it does, Marcotte has a theory.

In my opinion, Florian Xhekaj… could be. – Anthony Marcotte

The Rocket will be back at home tomorrow, and the club will be looking to stick some wins together. And with only two road games in the next month, it just might happen.

For all these reasons, I have a feeling there’ll be a great atmosphere at Place Bell tomorrow.

(Credit: RDS)

Overtime

– Read on.

– A name to watch on the market.

– Enjoy.

– Like it or not?

– Joel Farabee defends Travis Sanheim’s presence at the Four Nations Confrontation.

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Rumor: Evgeni Malkin in Dallas

I’m not sure when the Pittsburgh Penguins will light up, but it’s time to rebuild.

Obviously, the presence of Kristopher Letang and Evgeni Malkin makes it hard to think about rebuilding. And Sidney Crosby’s presence makes it “disrespectful” to think about rebuilding.

But it has to happen one day.

For it to happen, the big names would have to be traded. It wouldn’t exactly be simple to do that, since the guys don’t seem too keen on the idea of leaving.

But it might get people talking too.

And on that subject, according to what Cam Robinson has heard between the sticks, it wouldn’t be totally impossible to think that the Stars might try to get their hands on Malkin.

He’s heard echoes of this and says the rumor refuses to die.

According to the Elite Prospects member, he’s been hearing this for several weeks, but was waiting until he was more certain before releasing the whole thing. And clearly, the unveiling of Tyler Seguin’s injury, which could keep him out of the regular season, is a game-changer.

The Stars have known for a while that this injury was coming.

Obviously, for this to happen, the Stars would have to make sure that Seguin ($9.85M on lot) wouldn’t return in the regular season, but just in the playoffs. That way, it would work on the payroll.

The Stars would also have to give a good youngster to the Penguins (who wouldn’t want to let him go on the cheap) and the Penguins’ #71, who loves his life in Pennsylvania, would have to say yes to such a deal.

Note that the Stars will have to keep in mind that the $6.1 M on the lot that comes with Malkin doesn’t end in 2025, but in 2026. We’ll have to make room for him next year, too.

I know the cap will go up and the Penguins can withhold salary, but the cap increase will likely cover Jake Oettinger’s new contract, which goes into effect in a few months.

He’ll go from $4M to $8.25M…

When I look at this, I say to myself that if Malkin lands in Texas, Jamie Benn will have to accept quite a bit more than his current $9.5M to stay in town in the summer of 2025. His contract is up in a few months, for those of you wondering.

In Overtime

– Seth Jarvis instead of Nick Suzuki: why?

– Interesting.

– Will they re-sign with the Habs or not?

– Emil Heineman with Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach? [TSN 690]

– Cayden Lindstrom hasn’t played yet and Tij Iginla won’t play again this year.

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Samuel Montembeault “present by default”: he is the only Québécois at the Four Nations Tournament

Canada's goalkeeper Sam Montembeault saves the puck during the IIHF Ice Hockey Men's World Championships Preliminary Round - Group B match between Slovakia and Canada in Riga, Latvia, on May 15, 2023. (Photo by Gints IVUSKANS / AFP) (Photo by GINTS IVUSKANS/AFP via Getty Images)

At the next World Junior Championship, there will be, at most, two Québécois on the team: Ethan Gauthier and Mathieu Cataford. And the two guys aren’t guaranteed to make the club.

That’s not much.

And if you take a look at Canada’s line-up for the Four Nations Confrontation, you’ll see that it’s the same story, with only one Québécois making the team: Habs goaltender Samuel Montembeault.

We know that in front of the net, Canada isn’t super strong… and right now, he seems to be goalie #3.

Even if we took the guys who didn’t make the club and made a second Canadian team, there wouldn’t be many Québécois. Marc-André Fleury and Alexis Lafrenière are the only ones on Sportsnet’s fictitious #2 roster. It’s a good club, though.

The fact that there’s only one local guy raises the question: was Samuel Montembeault chosen because he speaks French?

It’s a legitimate question, given that the #3 goaltender position was probably the last decision to be made. One wonders if this was a factor in the decision.

On this subject, there are two schools of thought.

On the one hand, there are those who think it did. David Staples, who covers hockey in Alberta, believes that you can’t separate politics from hockey, and that Montembeault’s selection had something to do with it.

If you look at the ratio of Francos to Anglos on the team, Canada had no choice but to select Samuel Montembeault. – David Staples

In his eyes, there were better candidates, but the decision to take a Québécois (who won’t play much, in his opinion) is politically motivated. He also adds that it’s not a knock on Monty, whom he considers a good goalkeeper.

Is he saying this to start the debate again, or because he knows something? Is he basing his remarks on what John Shannon (who makes a similar point) says? Is it just to avoid insulting Québécois? Who knows.

For his part, Marco D’Amico, who works for Responsible Gambler, has done his homework and talked to people who think otherwise. According to them, Monty deserves his place.

And according to them, Montembeault has been on Team Canada’s radar for a long time.

Because Montembeault won gold at the World Championship in 2023, because he’d be better if he played for a good NHL club and because he knows what it’s like to play at the Bell Centre, where the tournament starts, he was a good candidate in the first place.

That’s the view of a lot of people, anyway.

It’s worth noting that Montembeault has been monitored by Hockey Canada for many years and has been part of the program in the past. That must be part of the equation, too.

When it comes down to it, we’ll probably never know 100% of the reason for his presence. At this point, the Habs goaltender can only push himself and try to earn playing time.

Extension

The Canadiens will have three representatives at the tournament. In addition to the Québécois, Finns Joel Armia and Patrik Laine will be representing their country.

Is it too early to pick Laine? Your guess is as good as mine.

Note that Cole Caufield (USA) and Nick Suzuki (Canada) are two candidates who failed to make the cut. But perhaps if there are injuries, they could end up with an invitation?

Being them, I wouldn’t plan my February vacation in the sun too quickly…