Author: Dose

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5-on-5 efficiency: Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen are subject to regression

Since the start of the season, Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen have been paired on the same line. The two kids, who had shown great things together at the rookie camp, had the opportunity to repeat the experience in the regular season.

And generally speaking, it works quite well.

What’s impressive, though, is that both rookies are scoring a lot. Kapanen has scored eight goals so far this season, while Demidov has six.

What we’ve noticed, though, is that both kids are a bit lucky. In fact, when you look at the percentage of shots converted into 5-on-5 goals since the start of the campaign, Demidov and Kapanen have the two highest percentages in the NHL this season.

In concrete terms, this means that both guys are scoring a little over their heads at the moment. And that makes them subject to regression.

It’s a similar situation to that of Jake Evans last year, when he was scoring non-stop in the first few months of the year. That said, it was all due to a (very) high efficiency rate… and his goal production eventually plummeted for the rest of the season.

It would be a miracle if both kids continued to convert 17-18% of their shots into 5-on-5 goals for the rest of the season. Eventually, that rate will drop.

That said, there’s still plenty of reason for optimism, especially in Demidov’s case. We know he’s a very talented kid… but he’s often afraid to shoot.

Even if his efficiency rate drops, increasing the number of shots means that Demidov is likely to maintain a relatively similar level of production. Especially since, in his case, he also plays big minutes on the powerplay (unlike Kapanen or Evans).

What’s clear is that we have to be cautious before thinking that the two youngsters will continue to score as often. Because right now, it’s true, they’re a bit lucky.

Keep an eye on them.

Overtime

– An injury to keep an eye on.

– Of note.

– Transaction in the MLB.

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Matvei Michkov wants to stay in North America this summer for better preparation

Matvei Michkov hasn’t had the start to the season he’d hoped for. With 16 points in 26 games, he’s on track for a 50-point campaign. That’s 13 points less than his total from last season, when he was a rookie.

Mishkov is not satisfied with his performance this season and believes he needs to make some changes to his preparation.

Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reported Michkov’s comments explaining that he would like to stay in North America next summer to better prepare himself physically.

It’s true that his preparation didn’t go so well last summer. He arrived at the Flyers’ practice camp in poor physical shape.

So the physical preparation in Russia wasn’t the best, but neither was the mental preparation.

Earlier in the summer, he had been involved in a car accident while traveling. Let’s just say it’s not the best idea for mental preparation.

His playing time has wavered since the start of the season. It’s not unusual for him to be benched during a game.

According to Kevin Kurz, Michkov would like to take the time to practice properly during the Olympic break, so that he can come back with a vengeance as soon as he returns to the game.

By staying in the Philadelphia area, Michkov will have the support of his teammates who will also be staying there. It’s also an opportunity to forge ties with fans and the community.

The best example is Ivan Demidov, who made the decision to spend the summer in Quebec. The practice seems to have paid off since the start of the season and, by taking part in various events in the community, he has forged strong links with his new fans.

Following this example would be a good first step for the hard-working Michkov.

Overtime

– A sad story.

– Andrei Markov can be a good source of inspiration for Ivan Demidov.

– A well-deserved honor.

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Selke Trophy: another place where Nick Suzuki is the favourite

Nick Suzuki’s start to the season is giving him points for a place with Canada at the Olympics.

Not only does he stand out offensively, but he’s also impressing defensively.

Suzuki is so effective defensively that he’s the favorite in the race for the Selke Trophy, according to ESPN.

This isn’t the first time Suzuki has been named favourite for the Selke Trophy this week.

On Monday, we reported that The Athletic had named him favourite for the Selke. Twice in one week by two different media, it’s starting to feel unanimous.

Except that ESPN has also named Anthony Cirelli and Leon Draisaitl in the Selke race.

What sets these players apart is not only their defensive play, but also their ability to deny their opponents scoring opportunities. In other words, the best defense is forward play.

As ESPN explains, the absence of Aleksander Barkov also weighs in the balance, as he has started virtually every season as the favorite to get his hands on the Selke.

One of the people who voted in the ESPN poll explained that the race for the top is extremely tight.

This person believes that to remain the favorite, Suzuki must continue to be important to his team down low.

The battle is said to be close, but Suzuki still garnered 43% of the first-place votes in the poll. His closest challenger, Cirelli, received only 14% of first-place votes.

There’s still a lot of hockey to be played, but Suzuki could get his hands on a big individual trophy if he keeps playing like this.

Overtime

– Ouch.

– It’s not a happy story.

– Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen soon on the market?

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Ivan Demidov launches personalized clothing line

Ivan Demidov is a popular player. And not just in Montreal.

He’s already a star in Russia, and as soon as he arrived in North America, we saw him team up with several different companies. He knows how to make money on the side.

Today, we learn that the young Canadiens player is launching his own line of personalized clothing. He made the announcement himself, via a post in his “storys” on Instagram.

On the website, we see that there are several different items available for those who want to buy some.

Short-sleeved sweaters, long-sleeved sweaters, vests, caps, toques… there’s a lot to choose from, to put it another way. And the prices aren’t outrageous either.

Ah, and the fact that the #93 can be found on every piece of clothing… it really solidifies the fact that it probably won’t be changing numbers in the future.

(Credit: Screenshot / 93demidov.com )

At the time, we remember that P.K. Subban did the same thing.

In fact… let me start my sentence again.

Back in the day, we remember that P.K. Subban did the same thing… and not everyone was happy about it. P.K. got kicked out of Montreal for that kind of thing, and that’s no secret either.

But times have changed. Demidov wants to take advantage of his own brand to make a name for himself, and with the popularity he’s got around town, I don’t think that’s going to bother many people either.

It’s not as if we’re talking about a guy who was out of his depth and really polarizing off the ice, after all. That said, at the same time… I’m thinking that some people might take it the wrong way because he’s only played 28 games since the start of his NHL career.

Anyways.

All this to say that you shouldn’t be surprised to see someone wearing an Ivan Demidov hat or jersey in the near future.

Overtime

– Indeed.

– Sick.

– Really?

– MLB news.

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Andrei Markov: Steve Bégin has only had one discussion with him in six years

One day is like another, but not the same, they say.

They do! On Tuesday, the Canadiens came out ultra-flat and delivered another disastrous performance in front of their home fans.

The next day, they fought back – literally and figuratively – and managed to beat the big Winnipeg Jets (once again at the Bell Centre). Let’s just say that Wednesday’s $200 ticket made for a much better show than Tuesday night’s $200 ticket..

But it wasn’t just the game itself that had fans in the Bell Centre on tenterhooks: the video tribute to Andrei Markov, the standing ovation he received afterwards, and his speech sent shivers down the spines of many fans

“I love you Montreal!”

Except that many of us were surprised to see Markov talking so much at the microphone. Why was that? Because when he was still a Habs player, he never spoke in public. And when he did answer journalists’ questions, he did so in very few words. With a desire to be elsewhere most of the time..

Steve Bégin told Martin Lemay an anecdote yesterday afternoon, one that corroborates EXACTLY what we’ve been hearing for years about Andrei Markov’s personality during his time in Montreal. Bégin was his team-mate for six years with the Canadiens… and he only had one discussion with him during those six years.

What was that conversation? Something like, “Hi, how are you?” followed by, “Why do you want to know that?”

In 2020, Bégin also told RDS that Markov almost always responded to him in the dressing room with a shake of the head, not words.

As for Louis Leblanc, he told the hosts of the Sports Dep Podcast(yesterday) that one summer day, while practicing in Brossard, Markov came up to him and asked him to shave the back of his head. Leblanc was young… and of course he said yes.

Still, it must be special to shave someone who hardly ever speaks and whom you see as a role model/idol.

overtime

– Interesting.

– Read more.

– It’s the Canadiens’ birthday.

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Habs to face Jets in away game

Do you want some good news?

The Montreal Canadiens will face the Winnipeg Jets in an away game. The game will take place on October 25, 2026… and it will be played in Winnipeg.

We’ve been waiting a long time to see the Canadiens play outdoors again. And Habs fans are in for a treat!

October 25 is still early in the season. There may not be snow this early in the season, but the temperature may not be a problem.

After all… we have to remember the game between the Ducks and Kings that was presented at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ home in 2014. Or recall the time the Stars hosted the Preds for an away game in Texas for the Winter Classic.

It was 20 degrees (Celsius) that day. I tend to think that in October, in Winnipeg, it won’t be a thousand and one degrees outside…

Once again, this is good news for Canadiens fans. Seeing your club play an away game is always special.

And seeing the Habs play an away game is even more special.

Tickets for the event have not yet gone on sale, but those interested in purchasing them can already fill out a short form on the National League website for further details.

I can’t wait to see how crowded the Blue Bombers’ stadium will be for the game. But a little bird tells me it’s going to be packed… and that there won’t be many empty seats among the 32,343 available at the stadium.

Two Canadian teams playing outside…

What a great idea!

Extra time

I don’t know who the starting goalie will be for the Canadiens that night… but I’d like to see him wear a toque.

Because that moment with José Théodore really stuck in my mind :

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Return of the Expos: An entrepreneur who is financially ready to bring back a club right now

It’s been over 20 years since the Expos left Montreal for Washington.

Yes… already.

And much like the Nordiques’ comeback, the Expos’ comeback continues to be a hot topic of discussion, because people would like to see a ball team back in Montreal. That’s normal… because Nos Amours didn’t end so well in 2004.

Entrepreneur Ashkan Karbasfrooshan, who wants to bring baseball back to Montreal, was on Max Lalonde’s show this morning on BPM Sports to talk about his project.

What you need to know?

Right now… the problem isn’t money – and the project would be financed without government help. Karbasfrooshan’s main point was that it’s up to the league to make a decision about the possibility of an MLB team returning to Montreal.

It’s up to the league to decide if they want a team here. – Ashkan Karbasfrooshan

(Credit: YouTube)

It’s worth mentioning that Ashkan Karbasfrooshan doesn’t necessarily believe in the Olympic Stadium. He’d like to build a stadium – between Atwater and McGuill – to encourage space so that said stadium is well placed for everyone.

But more to the point, he’d like to see the project come to fruition before too long… because the price of concessions in the MLB keeps rising, as it does in the NFL, NHL and NBA.

Unfortunately, I think that if it’s 2030 and the valuation of the clubs is going to go to four or five billion dollars, I wouldn’t be comfortable telling investors that it’s worth going in right now. – Ashkan Karbasfrooshan

Speaking of investors… let’s note that the money for the project would mainly come from American funds, which is interesting to know. But then again, Ashkan Karbasfrooshan is keen to point out that the “problem” at the moment is timing, not money.

He’s made it clear on a couple of occasions that the decision will ultimately rest with the league.

It’s all very interesting. You get the sense that he’s really serious about what he’s doing, because he’s a guy who loves the sport… and there’s no doubt that the project will get a lot of attention if there are more developments in the next few months or years.

It piques my curiosity.

Overtime

– It’s true that it was beautiful.

– Oh.

– Well done.

– To be continued.

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Kiefer Sherwood in Montreal: Zachary Bolduc’s name thrown into the discussion

In the last few days, we’ve learned that the Canadiens are interested in Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood.

We’re talking about a 30-year-old who can (at best) play on a team’s second line. But he’s more of a third-line player, to be 100% realistic.

That said, there seems to be some connection between the Habs and the Canucks… because some Vancouver scouts were on hand at Tuesday’s Bell Centre game against the Sens to watch the players on the ice. Rick Dhaliwal (The Athletic) talked about this on his podcast yesterday.

But the reporter took it a step further… wondering if Zachary Bolduc could be a target for the Canucks in the event that Sherwood is traded to Montreal.

And on paper… it doesn’t really make sense.

It doesn’t really make sense because the Canadiens have just acquired Bolduc, a young Québécois player with the potential to score goals in the National League.

It fits in with the current (and future) needs of the Montreal club.

Things aren’t going too well for Bolduc at the moment: he made just nine appearances on the ice last night against the Jets, and Martin St-Louis doesn’t seem to have much confidence in him at the moment. That said… things would have to be really, really bad to see Bolduc traded for a third-line guy like Kiefer Sherwood.

And it’s impossible (or almost impossible) to think, logically, that we’re already there with Boldy… who has played a grand total of 26 games in the blue, white and red.

It’s far too early to throw in the towel, to put it another way. And Kent Hughes didn’t go looking for him to trade so soon for a player who wouldn’t break the bank in Montreal.

That would be illogical, at least… And I’m convinced that Kent Hughes won’t fall into that trap, even if he really wants to improve his team at all costs.

Overtime

– It’s good for guys who don’t play on 200 feet (hehe).

– Nice bunch.

– Too good, this club.

– Yikes.

– Congratulations!

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Jordan Binnington could say no to the Canadiens

In recent days, Darren Dreger (briefly) linked Jordan Binnington’s name to the Canadiens.

Then, David Pagnotta, who said that there are people in the NHL who wouldn’t be surprised to see the Canadiens make a trade for reinforcements in front of the net, also brought up Jordan Binnington’s name.

That’s a lot of Binnington per square foot.

Since this seems to be a rumor that just won’t die, let’s talk a little more about it. After all, when two informants put in a good word, it becomes more concrete.

We know that the Blues and the Habs have been linked quite a bit in the past year (Jordan Kyrou, Alexandre Texier, Logan Mailloux, Zachary Bolduc, etc.) and we also know that the Missouri organization isn’t afraid to send scouts to the Bell Centre.

We know that the Blues could soon be selling some of their players. We’re talking about one of the league’s worst clubs, which is having an ugly season in the Western Conference.

The playoffs aren’t that far away, but the club is heading for the wall. And it shows.

(Credit: NHL.com)

What we have to wonder is why the Canadiens would go after Binnington, whose contract expires in (less than) two years.

Is it just because the club wants immediate reinforcements?

The way I see it, in two years, Jacob Fowler should normally be in the NHL. I suppose there are links to be made with this situation.

But does that mean the Habs would give up on Jakub Dobes? Because I don’t see the Blues taking Samuel Montembeault, also a free agent in 19 months, for Binnington.

It’s possible to think that the deal wouldn’t be based on a Habs goalie heading to St. Louis… but to me, that doesn’t work.

But since I can’t see the Canadiens giving up on Dobes, and I can’t see the Blues asking for Monty, it seems I don’t quite understand how Binnington (who isn’t off to a scintillating start to the season) would fit in.

(Credit: Hockey DB)

It’s also worth mentioning that the Blues’ goalie, who earns $6M a year on average (that’s a good amount, anyway) until 2027, can say no to 14 teams this season under his partial no-trade clause.

Next season, it will be 10 teams for the Stanley Cup winner. So he could potentially say no to the Canadiens.

(Credit: Cap Wages)

Of course, we don’t know if the hot-headed goalie (would that fit in here?) would want to come play in Montreal, a place he knows in part because of the most recent Four Nations Confrontation.

So, without saying that I don’t believe the rumour, let’s just say that I see several pitfalls that could derail a potential goalkeeping project between the two clubs.

overtime

– Wow.

– How much will the Sabres sell for?

– Interesting stuff.

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If the Canadiens make a big deal, keep an eye on the goalies

There’s no smoke without fire, as they say. Will this apply to the Canadiens’ situation in front of the net?

Because right now, the Canadiens’ goaltending is starting to look a little smoky. And it’s obviously linked to the difficult performances of the club’s goaltenders.

Right now, it’s clear that the roller-coaster outings of the club’s goaltenders aren’t making management very happy.

(Credit: NHL.com)

I say there’s no smoke without fire since Darren Dreger, at the request of… nobody, brought to the forefront the rumour that the Habs were interested in Jordan Binnington.

But he quickly denied it. He’d heard about it, looked into it, but to no avail.

And then David Pagnotta, on the DFO Rundown podcast, mentioned the fact that a member of another team had told him that if the Canadiens were to make a splash on the market (i.e., a big deal), the goaltending file would have to be watched.

It should be noted that he said this before Dobes’ outing against the Jets. That said, one swallow doesn’t make a spring…

Does this mean that the Canadiens are indeed looking for a goalie? I’m not saying it’s the case at all costs, but it’s possible to think that if the price is right somewhere and it fits in with the club’s plans…

Note that on another platform (Inside Sports), Pagnotta also mentioned that the Habs (who often host scouts from the Blues recently) potentially had their eye on Jordan Binnington.

So it’s something to keep an eye on, even if it’s not necessarily the top priority.

The Canadiens continue to look at all their options – in most cases, it’s probably not the goaltending position – and Kent Hughes is well aware of the current state of the transaction market.

Seeing a scorer land wouldn’t be a surprise either. Especially if he can play center and fits in with the age range of the rest of the group.

To be continued.

overtime

– The question often comes up.

– Gabriel Perreault, too smart for the AHL?[JdeM]

– Listen now.