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Potential deal: Dvorak’s salary will complicate Kent Hughes’ job

Christian Dvorak could meet the needs of the Blue Jackets, while helping the transaction on the accounting side.

Christian Dvorak is not a fan favorite in Montreal.

Many say the same thing: he’s useless if he doesn’t win his face-offs… And his impact on the ice is minimal.

That’s also why, in the eyes of 85% of the club’s fans, Kent Hughes would be better off trading him.

But trading Christian Dvorak is no piece of cake. And the reason is simple: his contract hurts.

When a 3rd / 4th line player has a cap hit of $4.45M… We agree that it’s far from ideal.

That said, trading D-VO will be even more complicated for Kent Hughes in the coming months, because he’s making a $5.75M salary even though his contract counts for $4.45M on the payroll.

That’s a lot of money, and it’s likely to scare off other National League clubs. Elliotte Friedman wrote about this in a recent article:

Ideally, Kent Hughes would have to keep some of his salary if he wanted to trade the veteran.

Because no NHL team is going to want Christian Dvorak at $4.45 million per season even if his contract expires next summer.

Unless Kent Hughes decides to add a pick to get rid of the center and his salary… But that would surprise me because it’s not the GM’s style.

Kent Hughes likes to make these trades, but only when he’s on the other side of the table. The Sean Monahan trade is a good example.

All of which is to say that we’ll have to keep an eye on this one, especially if the main player plays the way he has for the past two weeks.

Dvorak seems to have found his feet again after a very difficult start to the season… But it’s going to take more than that for a club to decide to take an interest in his services.

Then again, especially at the salary he’s making.

Overtime

– Excellent text by Nicolas Cloutier (TVA Sports). A great opportunity to learn more about Sam Harris:

– He’s really unlucky.

– Good point.

– Whoa.

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Juraj Slafkovsky practices as a center this morning

Tony Patoine will be pleased.

Why do I say that? Because recently, our colleague Patoine wrote about how he wanted to see the Canadiens experiment with Juraj Slafkovsky at center.

And this morning, the Habs took their first step in that direction.

Face-off specialist Marc Bureau was back in Brossard to help the club’s center players before official practice. He was joined by Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Jake Evans, Christian Dvorak, Lucas Condotta…

And Slaf, who practiced as a center forward.

I don’t know what the Habs’ long-term plans are in this regard. But to see that the club is thinking of including it in a practice reserved for centers says a lot.

It says a lot to me, anyway.

One has to wonder if the Habs want to find solutions related to Kirby Dach’s struggles this season… or if the club just wants to run a test unrelated to Dach.

To be continued.

Overtime

– Seen the same.

– Tony DeAngelo wonders who should make room for Jim Montgomery.

– He’s a quick learner.

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Cole Caufield: no tied goals in November

Yesterday, TSN published its rankings of the best under-24 groups across the NHL. And as you may have seen, the Canadiens were ranked at the very top of the league.

Cole Caufield (#1) and Michael Hage (#7) are both in the rankings.

But there’s something else that unites the two youngsters: both are set to be overlooked by their national teams in the coming months – according to predictions, anyway.

Hage, it’s probably because he plays in the NCAA.

But for several days now, we’ve been hearing that Cole Caufield may not have a place on the U.S. team for the Four Nations Tournament in February. And he’s the talk of Montreal.

Why should he be ignored? Because he’s not a fourth-line player, basically.

When you do the Americans’ projections, it’s hard to see Caufield on the first two threes, and apart from scoring, he’s not the best on the ice. So if the States don’t take him on the first three, he’s not the most useful.

That’s got to work against him.

And you know what else is probably working against Caufield? Since the beginning of November, he hasn’t found the back of the net on the power play. He only has two powerplay goals.

(Credit: ESPN)

Basically, he only scored against Buffalo – and both times, it was on the powerplay. In all other games, he didn’t find the back of the net for the Habs. Yet he had started the season with 10 goals in October. #Sequence

He hasn’t scored on the power play since being separated from Nick Suzuki.

He scored on the powerplay on October 31 against the Capitals and on the powerplay on October 29 against the Kraken. To go back to a power-play goal in a Habs win? We go back to October 26, against St. Louis.

Do I really need to conclude my text by saying “he’s got to give more for the Habs and his American bid”, or did you get it anyway?

Overtime

– Like this post.

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– Jonathan Toews in search of his health.

– Jake Evans in Phillip Danault’s footsteps? [TVA Sports]

– The Montreal CF is on a roll.

– Ivan Demidov is impressive.

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Joel Quenneville’s name starts circulating again in the NHL

How much is Joel Quenneville’s name circulating in the NHL?

We know that the former coach of the Blackhawks and Panthers (to name just two teams) is entitled to return to the NHL after being denied entry to the league for what happened in 2010 in Chicago.

And according to what Renaud Lavoie said this morning on the radio (BPM Sports), at least one team has called the league in recent weeks to inquire about Quenneville in greater depth. His name is back in circulation.

Basically, the team in question wanted to know if, in hiring Quenneville, the coach would have to serve a suspension. And the league confirmed that, no, he wouldn’t have to.

So he could coach right now… and I wonder how open the Bruins are to getting rid of Joe Sacco in the short term.

It’s worth noting that this question (about Quenneville) was asked before Jim Montgomery lost his job. Is Quenneville, in the eyes of teams considering a coaching change, a better option than the former Bruins man?

Hard to say, of course.

But what we do know is that Montgomery will be in demand. His performance in Boston has been overwhelmingly positive, and many teams will be looking to sign him in the coming months. Whether as an assistant or as a chief pilot.

Note that I don’t expect him to be an assistant – especially not this year, when he’s still on the Bruins’ payroll. I think he has what it takes to return to the NHL as a head coach.

Clearly, Montgomery’s dismissal is the talk of the town. After all, one wonders whether Boston made the right decision to replace him with Joe Sacco, who was his assistant.

As Jimmy Murphy(Responsible Gambler) wonders, one has to wonder if the Bruins aren’t thinking of cleaning house on the second floor in the coming months.

Hiring Sacco, who isn’t an outside addition, on an interim basis makes it easy to tamp him down. And should the club end up changing GMs by season’s end, the new boss could bring his man to Boston in the summer of 2025.

Yes, Montgomery’s dismissal does stir things up.

Overtime

– Keep in mind.

– Antoine Roussel believes in Kirby Dach. [98.5 Sports]

– We wouldn’t see this in the NHL.

– No.

– Listen now.

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Top-5: Penalty for sending the wrong starting line-up

Last night, five NHL games were played.

And three of them ended in shutouts.

Here are the results and highlights:

1. Penalty for sending the wrong starting lineup

In Seattle, the Predators started the game four against five.

But why?

Because they didn’t send in the right lineup, the one submitted before the game. That’s right, you read that right…

Pretty special…

The Kraken didn’t take advantage of the powerplay, but went on to win the game 3-0.

Daniel Sprong, on a pass from Chandler Stephenson, scored the first and winning goal.

Stephenson finished the game with an assist on all of his team’s goals.

Nothing goes right in Nashville…

2. Ryan Poehling scores first goal of the season

In Philadelphia, Ryan Poehling isn’t being paid to score 30 goals a season, but let’s just say that by the end of November, he shouldn’t be in the clear.

Well, yesterday, against the Hurricanes, he finally broke the ice. It’s not the prettiest, but he’ll take it.

It was his club’s only goal against the mighty Hurricanes, who just keep on winning.

It’s already the 14th win for Rod Brind’Amour’s team, who didn’t take long to set the tone for the game.

Final score: 4-1.

3. First NHL goal for Fraser Minten

Last night in Toronto, the Grey Cup came to Scotiabank Arena.

Before the game, Argonauts players were honored.

This clearly whipped the Leafs, as they blanked the Golden Knights 3-0. 31-save shutout for Joseph Woll.

For his part, Fraser Minten will remember this victory for the rest of his life.

He scored his first NHL goal.

Vegas is the Habs’ next opponent on Saturday.

4. A goal in the Kings-Sabres game

In the final game of the night, the Kings hosted the Buffalo Sabres.

I hope you didn’t stay up too late for this game, as only one goal was scored.

It was the work of Jason Zucker.

Otherwise, this game was decided by the goalies.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen posted a 23-save shutout.

As for his counterpart David Rittich, he made 18 saves on 19 shots.

5. Stars beat Sharks

In Dallas, the Stars had the chance to face one of the NHL’s worst teams, the San Jose Sharks.

An easy 5-2 victory.

In the win, Wyatt Johnston scored a goal and an assist. It was he who gave the Stars the lead in the second period.

Jason Robertson also had a strong game. He finished it with a goal and two assists.

And in a losing cause, Mikael Granlund shone with a goal and an assist. He collected his 400th career assist.

Extension

– What do you think?

– White game for Joey Daccord.

– Robertson and Stephenson lead the charge.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– 20 teams in action tonight.

(Credit: Google)

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“We thought Zuccarello was going to lose a nut” – Marcus Foligno

Last Thursday, the Minnesota Wild hosted the Canadiens. It was a game the Habs lost 3-0, but in which they didn’t necessarily look bad.

In fact, it was the Habs’ only loss in their last four games.

That said, Mats Zuccarello paid the price in that game. As he stood in front of the Canadiens’ net, team-mate Brock Faber’s shot hit him… where it hurt.

We finally learned that he had undergone “lower body” surgery… and as it turned out, he tore a testicle on this sequence.

Phew.

Teammate Marcus Foligno chatted about the whole thing… and admitted that, at the time, Wild members were convinced that Zuccarello “was going to lose a nut”.

Nothing less.

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Foligno, who insists that Zuccarello was hit “where the sun never shines”, also revealed that his teammate’s shell was seriously dented in the sequence. It’s not because he wasn’t protected: the shot simply did some damage.

Phew.

The good news, however, is that the Norwegian is going to recover. The guys tease him a bit about not being able to lift anything, but he’ll be fine, and we should see him in action by Christmas.

And it’s safe to assume that he’ll probably change his shell, because obviously, this one didn’t exactly do the job… although at the same time, imagine what it would have been like if he hadn’t been wearing one.

Overtime

– Rafaël Harvey-Pinard cleared on his return to action.

– Nice save by Jakub Dobes in defeat.

– Whew.

– That’s cool.

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It’s the end of the road for Morgan Frost in Philadelphia and the Habs must take advantage.

The Philadelphia Flyers’ center line leaves much to be desired, especially on the offensive end.

Sean Couturier is no longer the same, and the vast majority of centers are defensive-minded.

The team’s only offensive center is Morgan Frost.

The only problem is that he lacks consistency, and this season it’s more difficult than ever, as he’s been left out of three of the last four games.

It’s not the first time the 25-year-old has been left out in recent years.

He usually bounces back afterwards, as evidenced by his last two seasons of 46 points (81 games) and 41 points (71 games).

However, this can’t last and a change of scenery could be beneficial for both clans.

Kevin Kurz, a reporter for The Athletic covering the Flyers, wrote about the situation earlier today, and he too believes the end is nigh.

It really wouldn’t be a bad idea, as Frost seems to need a breath of fresh air and the Flyers can’t keep hoping he’ll bounce back.

What’s more, Kurz spotted a dejected Frost (more than ever) in front of the cameras in the dressing room on Tuesday night.

In the case of the Canadiens, we still don’t seem to know if Kirby Dach will be the #2 center or if he’d be better off on the wing.

What’s more, several teams could be interested in Jake Evans’ services.

Christian Dvorak, at a (very) low price and with part of his salary withheld, could also be of interest to a team looking for a deep defensive center.

Reinforcement at center could be welcome.

By the way, the HabsLink page retweeted Kurz’s article, mentioning that Frost could be a target for the Habs, should Evans and/or Dvorak leave.

I’ve always liked Frost as a player, and in the junior ranks he was more than impressive to watch.

Even today, when he has the puck, what he can do with it is out of the ordinary.

He’s not afraid to use his Sunday hands, as you can see from HIS goals between the legs.

If it were up to me, he’d already be with the Habs, but is he really the answer at second center?

Based on what he can bring offensively, the question doesn’t even arise, but his lack of consistency and defensive struggles weigh heavily.

His six points (including a single goal) in 16 games this season simply aren’t enough, which is why he skipped his turn recently.

And it’s not as if John Tortorella doesn’t like him, but if you don’t do the job, others are ready to do it.

However, if there’s one bright spot, it’s that he could take the Habs’ powerplay efficiency to another level, having recorded four of his six points on the massive attack.

On the second wave, alongside Lane Hutson, it could be dangerous.

Let’s see what Daniel Brière does with his 25-year-old center.

Overtime

– This is his chance to prove he can be a good head coach in the NHL.

– David Pastrnak is right.

– I’d love to understand why this goal was ultimately disallowed, but more importantly, why it took as long as it did to review the sequence.

– Biz Nasty’s comical as ever, but the guys have a point. A little respect for Crosby.

– Nice photo, that.

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In 2017, it was Gerard Gallant or Claude Julien for the position of head coach of the Canadiens.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 17: Head Coach of the New York Rangers Gerard Gallant watches the play on the ice during the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on December 17, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

On February 14, 2017, the Canadiens made a big decision.

Michel Therrien was fired, and Claude Julien was hired as head coach to replace him.

But at the time, there was also another candidate in the running for the Montreal head coaching position. And we know who it was…

Here’s what you need to know: at the time, Gerard Gallant was also looking for a job in the NHL after being fired by the Florida Panthers.

And it was he who came close to succeeding Michel Therrien in Claude Julien’s stead.

The information was divulged by Pierre LeBrun in a recent episode of his podcast (Radar), which he hosts alongside Anthony Desaulniers :

It’s ironic because lately, we’ve also been hearing rumors about Gallant and the Canadiens.

But what’s interesting in Pierre LeBrun’s comments is the realization that Marc Bergevin may have been ready to hire a head coach who doesn’t speak French.

Remember when Randy Cunneyworth replaced Jacques Martin (interim) behind the bench in the 11-12 season? Fans weren’t keen on the idea of an English-speaking coach taking over, and it’s safe to assume that the same thing would have happened if Gallant had been hired to replace Claude Julien in 2017.

And that’s even though Gerard Gallant is an excellent coach in the NHL.

In the end, Julien got the job and Gallant ended up in Vegas. It’s funny, too: Gallant AND Julien were in the running for the Montreal job… But both men were also in the running for the Vegas job.

The difference is that Gallant was able to lead the Knights to the Stanley Cup Final (2017-2018), while Julien was fired before seeing the Canadiens to the Final in the 20-21 season.

Overtime

– Big night ahead!

– Really?

– It’s true that it’s special.

– What’s your favourite?

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HP and Laine to return soon: Martin St-Louis has a problem on his hands

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

The Canadiens’ infirmary is starting to empty slowly, but not fast.

Rafaël Harvey-Pinard will play his first game of the season tonight with the Rocket… And Patrik Laine was at practice with the rest of the group this morning.

The Finn was wearing a non-contact sweater, but still: his return is just around the corner.

I expect Rafaël Harvey-Pinard to spend the week in Laval before being recalled by the Habs.

The Rocket play tonight, and there are also two games on the weekend schedule. HP will have time to get back into shape.

On the other hand, if Harvey-Pinard is going to be ready to play against André Tourigny’s team next Tuesday (November 26), there’s one player who’ll have to bail out, and the logical solution is Lucas Condotta.

When the Québécois returns, the Rocket captain will most likely be handed over to Laval to rejoin his squad and make room for HP.

But it’s really when Patrik Laine returns that things get complicated. Not only will the Habs have to make room for him in the lineup… they’ll also have to make room for him in the official 23-man roster.

And there are two names that come to mind when you think of players who could be in danger: Michael Pezzetta and Emil Heineman.

Unless the Canadiens decide to send a message to one of their veterans (Anderson, Armia, Dvorak)… But that would surprise me greatly.

The title of this TVA Sports article sums up the situation quite well: Martin St-Louis will have a puzzle to solve.

There are no right answers in my eyes.

Emil Heineman plays like an NHL guy and he has qualities that can be useful to the Canadiens. He’s good at forechecking, he’s got a great shot and he’s not afraid to hand out checks to upset the opposition.

On the other hand… Pezzetta deserves a chance to shine, because we know he’ll be there when he gets his chance. He works hard all the time and we know the effort is there when he’s in the line-up.

You need guys with a heart like Pezz.

So I can’t wait to see what Martin St-Louis does with all this. Things have time to change, because the Canadiens aren’t immune to injury (even if we don’t want that to happen), but the Habs head coach is likely to face a nice dilemma.

A big one, in fact.

Overtime

– This is normal.

– Happy Birthday!

– Coming up.

– Will they succeed?

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“The Canadiens may have no choice but to trade Mike Matheson”

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 02: Look on Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson (8) during warm-up before the Florida Panthers versus the Montreal Canadiens game on April 02, 2024, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Mike Matheson has established himself in Montreal as a fine NHL offensive defenseman.

He collected 34 points (injuries) and 62 points in his first two campaigns in a Habs uniform, and if he keeps up the pace, he’ll finish the current season with a total of 56 points.

For a guy making $4.875 million a season, that’s pretty excellent.

Knowing that he can produce, and knowing that he’s cheap, there are bound to be teams contacting Kent Hughes between now and March to inquire about #8.

And in Frank Seravalli’s eyes, the Habs may have no choice but to trade him.

The tipster believes that Kent Hughes may be tempted to sell him out because the defenseman’s value will be at its highest:

They (the Canadiens) may have no choice, given that his value will probably be at its highest by the deadline. – Frank Seravalli

Matheson is on a Daily Faceoff list of 15 players who could change address before the deadline.

The Habs defender is ranked 9th:

If Kent Hughes has an offer on the table he can’t refuse… Maybe there, the idea of trading his veteran might interest him.

But all this will also depend on David Savard’s situation, in my opinion.

We know there’s going to be interest in the right-handed defenseman, and we know he could be worth a lot of money to the Habs. But if Kent Hughes trades Matheson… He won’t trade Savard.

And if he does trade Savard, Matheson is the one who’ll be staying in town.

The GM’s objective is to see his club progress and improve. However, that won’t happen in the final stretch of the season if Matheson and Savard play elsewhere, because it takes AT LEAST one veteran to guide the blue line.

I like Kaiden Guhle and he seems to have great leadership qualities… But he’s not ready to play big brother just yet because he lacks experience (128 career NHL games) and because he’s only 22.

The same goes for Xhekaj, Struble, Hutson, Barron, Mailloux… You know what I mean.

In his article, Seravalli mentions that Kent Hughes might also be interested in keeping Matheson because the Canadiens “don’t need” more draft picks.

For the tipster, the Habs need help now… But at the same time, there’s nothing to stop Kent Hughes from going after Matheson’s picks (if he really wants to trade him) and then flipping them to acquire a player who can help quickly.

The Alex Romanov transaction is a good example.

We agree that nothing has been done yet, because there’s still a lot of hockey to be played between now and the NHL trade deadline.

However, the fact that Matheson’s name is being suggested for a deal while it’s still November gives us reason to believe that he already has some value on the market at the time of writing.

Overtime

– I love it.

– Nice.

– It’s not crazy.

– Seen the same.

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– Hey boy. The reputation of the Edmonton Elks is at an all-time low….

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