Author: Dose

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Salary cap: An increase of $17 million by the 27-28 season is possible.

Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images

The salary cap for each NHL team is set at $88 million this season.

We know it’s going to increase in the coming years because the league’s revenues are strong right now… But what can we really expect?

If we take Allan Walsh’s words into account, it could really be different starting from the 27-28 season.

The player agent talked about it on his podcast last week, and Elliotte Friedman shared his information in an article.

It is known that the cap could rise by $10 million as early as next season, but the anticipated increase for the 27-28 season… That’s something:

“I’ll tell you right now, the upper limit of the salary cap next year will be $97 million,” adding that it could reach $105 million by 2027-28. – Elliotte Friedman

By 2027, the salary cap could thus increase by $17 million.

That’s a significant amount… Especially since 2027 is only two years away:

Obviously, this would allow teams to spend even more.

Players’ salaries will rise, but teams will have more flexibility to maneuver and sign quality players.

An additional $17 million on the salary cap would be enough to offer a new contract to both Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov, for example…

That said, this would be great news for the league because it would prove that the NHL is healthy. The salary cap, while sometimes disliked for various reasons, would make it cool to build a team with lots of star players… But we can see what is happening in MLB right now.

There is no salary cap in Major League Baseball, which allows some teams to take advantage. Think of the Los Angeles Dodgers, for example… Who were able to sign nearly all the players they wanted this winter.

Dodgers fans are happy. But elsewhere in MLB, fans are not, because watching the Dodgers build a team like that undermines parity across the league.

It’s like it’s the rich against the poor…

All this to say that things are likely to get quite interesting in the NHL soon.

Seeing such an increase in the salary cap would be exciting… And at that level, it will be interesting to see what the plans are for different teams in the league.

In Brief

– Good point.

– YES!

– Well done.

– I like it.

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Power ranking: The Canadiens ranked 14th on the NHL.com list

The Montreal Canadiens will be in action tonight.

The team is in Detroit to face the Red Wings, and the match will be exciting to follow because it will have an impact on the playoff race in the East.

The Wings are also fighting for a spot right now:

(Credit: NHL.com)

The Canadiens will be looking for their third consecutive win, but it goes even further than that.

I should say that the Canadiens are trying to win for the 14th time in their last 18 games… And it makes one realize that recently, things have been going very well for the Montreal team.

The club’s recent successes aren’t going unnoticed, either: yesterday, The Fourth Period released its ranking of the best teams in the NHL, and it was interesting to see that the Canadiens are ranked 10th on that list.

That being said, the NHL also shared its top-16 of the best clubs right now and again, the Habs are included.

The Tricolore is ranked 14th:

I don’t remember the last time I saw the Canadiens featured in a list like the NHL’s and The Fourth Period’s.

And you?

No kidding, this shows one thing: the club is making progress in its rebuilding, and it’s happening faster than one might have imagined originally.

This might be a bad thing in the eyes of some because it would have been nice to snag another good draft pick…but at some point, the club cannot grow in defeat.

The young players will not progress if the club is losing all the time – like in Buffalo or Ottawa, you know – and now, the Canadiens’ players are able to taste success.

It’s good because they will want to find that taste again in the coming years on a more frequent basis.

And ultimately, seeing the Canadiens win is really refreshing because the losses have been (much) more numerous than the wins since the team’s playoff run in the summer of 2021.

In a nutshell

– Thank goodness they are better at hockey!

– He has good stats against the Habs.

– Makes sense.

– Maxime Truman spoke to two new players from CF Montreal today. Here is what you need to know:

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Lane Hutson: Jeff Gorton never believed in the idea of seeing him play in the American League.

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Often, a young player must pass through the American League before establishing himself for good in the National League.

We see guys drafted in the first round who play in the AHL, and that doesn’t discredit them.

After all, the goal of teams is to see their young players progress so that they can reach the NHL and stay there.

In Montreal, we see this notably with several young players. Mailloux, Beck, Engström, Roy (to name just a few)… These guys have qualities that could one day be utilized by the Canadiens (or another NHL team), and they are continuing their learning process down there.

There are a few exceptions, however.

In Montreal, there is a 20-year-old who is impressing with the Habs right now, and you will understand that I am talking about Lane Hutson.

That said, before seeing him make the jump to the professionals, we often heard the same phrase regarding the defenseman: “he will need time in the American League to get accustomed to the more physical game… because he is too small.”

This notion never convinced Jeff Gorton… Because Lane Hutson is an extremely talented player, according to the principal interested party (The Sick Podcast – The Eye Test) :

At first, people talked about Laval for Hutson. But I don’t think that was really going to happen. – Jeff Gorton

The Canadiens’ VP took the time to praise his defenseman – and rightly so.

Jeff Gorton also wanted to send a message to Lane Hutson’s detractors by saying that the player “is more than” capable of defending.

He praised Hutson’s defensive play because he puts in the effort to defend well and because he is capable of going into the corner with bigger players and coming out with the puck.

That’s not false!

Hutson deserves to receive accolades because he leads rookies in several different categories. For a defenseman, this is noteworthy:

  • 1st in points (39)
  • 1st in assists (36)
  • 1st in power-play points (16)
  • 1st in ice time (22:36)
  • 1st in blocked shots (64)

The small defenseman has found a way to be excellent even while he is in his first steps in the National League, and that is good news in itself for the Canadiens.

He is already really good at 20 years old… And the beauty of it is that he will continue to improve in the coming years.

Overtime

While we’re talking about Lane Hutson, let’s note that he could break the NHL record for most consecutive games with at least one point by a rookie.

He is tied with Shayne Gostisbehere (9 consecutive games), and by earning a point tonight against the Red Wings, the small defenseman could enter the history of the National League.

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The Canadiens suffer their first defeat against the Red Wings this season.

Three players from the Canadiens reached an important milestone during Thursday’s game against the Red Wings. Brendan Gallagher played his 800th game in the NHL, while it was the 500th for Patrik Laine and Christian Dvorak.

Michael Pezzetta also made a return to the lineup.

Montreal may have won the first two meetings between the two teams this season, but one shouldn’t expect it to be an easy game.

Here is the Canadiens’ lineup:

And here is the Red Wings’ lineup:

The Tricolore completely fell apart in the first period. The Canadiens players managed to take just four shots on the Red Wings’ net during the entire period.

The worst part is that Detroit was able to direct 17 shots towards Samuel Montembeault’s net. It’s simply crazy.

In comparison, the Capitals had taken 17 shots against the Canadiens in their last meeting and there was an overtime!

Faced with such an onslaught, Montembeault eventually faltered. Jonatan Berggren opened the scoring midway through the period.

Then, at the end of the period, the Red Wings took advantage of a power play to double their lead. Montembeault completely bit on the passing fake, which allowed Alex DeBrincat to score into an empty net, just a few seconds after Kirby Dach’s penalty ended.

The first 20 minutes of this game were certainly forgettable for the Canadiens, who headed to the locker room down 2-0.

The Canadiens’ power play has been doing quite well this season. However, they made a serious mistake by allowing Andrew Copp to get away.

The Red Wings thus led by three goals.

The good news for the Canadiens is that they managed to stem the bleeding with their first goal of the game.

Christian Dvorak was convinced he scored in his 500th NHL game, but it was ultimately Kirby Dach who opened the scoring for Montreal.

Detroit was eventually able to regain a three-goal lead. Dylan Larkin took advantage of a gift from Montembeault to score on the power play.

Montembeault really didn’t have a great game.

Kaiden Guhle gave the Canadiens some hope midway through the second period. His wrist shot from the blue line found its way behind Cam Talbot.

After two periods, the Canadiens were still trailing by two goals, this time by a score of 4-2.

Every means is good to come back. Cole Caufield played long minutes in the third period, taking Michael Pezzetta’s spot on the fourth line as well as playing on the first line of the CH.

Midway through the third period, Christian Fischer was convinced he had scored a fifth goal for the Red Wings, but the officials quickly disallowed the goal because Michael Rasmussen made contact with Montembeault.

The Red Wings requested a review of the sequence, but the referees did not change their decision.

The Tricolore thus had a power play, but it was unsuccessful.

Montembeault may not have had an easy game, but his performance can be excused by the fact that the Red Wings took 45 shots on him during the game. His teammates really did not help him.

Martin St-Louis pulled Montembeault in the final minutes of the game, but Montreal was unable to score even a single goal. Juraj Slafkovsky was also penalized with about a minute left in the game, ruining the chances of a comeback.

The Red Wings thus won the game by a score of 4-2.

Lane Hutson’s streak of games with at least one point ended at nine, as he was held off the scoresheet.

The Canadiens will be back in action on Saturday, as they host Jake Allen and the Devils at the Bell Centre.

Overtime

– A scoring player for Montreal.

– Not great as a first period.

– Suzuki had stayed quiet for a while.

– Max is not a big fan of the song.

– It’s something he needs to improve.

– It was to be expected.

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Laine and the Finns at the 4 Nations tournament: “We hate Sweden. There’s nothing more to say.”

MONTREAL, CANADA - DECEMBER 09: Patrik Laine #92 of the Montreal Canadiens skates through the neutral zone during the second period against the Anaheim Ducks at the Bell Centre on December 9, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

So… Are you looking forward to the Four Nations Tournament?

It seems that the excitement that was in Montreal has dissipated in recent weeks, and that’s normal.

In fact, fans are more focused on the Canadiens’ season because things have been going better lately. I share the opinion of my colleague Maxime Truman, who talked about it on the radio today (BPM Sports): I would prefer the season to continue instead!

Several Canadiens players received the call to defend the colors of their respective countries for the event, including Patrik Laine.

For the record, Samuel Montembeault (Canada) and Joel Armia (Finland) will also be part of the competition.

But to return to Laine, let’s just say that the big forward is looking forward to the tournament’s opening… Because he wants his country to be able to beat its great rival, Sweden.

Laine – in an interview with the NHL – did not hide the fact that he hates the Swedes and that it is the same for the other guys from Finland:

We hate them. There’s nothing more to say about it. – Patrik Laine

It’s promising…

Patrik Laine won’t have to wait long because Finland and Sweden will face off on February 15 at the Bell Centre.

It will be Finland’s second match, which will start its tournament against the United States on February 13:

(Credit: Hockey Canada)

Things are likely to get heated between Finland and Sweden because the two countries really do not like each other.

I’m looking forward to seeing the intensity level for the match. Especially in the context where we are not talking about a regular-season encounter in the NHL.

At least, if we go by Patrik Laine’s comments… It should be a good show.

In Brief

– Me too, Bob!

– Good!

– Reminder: the Canadiens really like Jake Evans.

– That would be a nice acquisition in Toronto.

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Brendan Gallagher wants to stay in Montreal after his career.

MONTREAL, CANADA - APRIL 16: Brendan Gallagher #11 of the Montreal Canadiens skates during overtime against the Detroit Red Wings at the Bell Centre on April 16, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in a shootout. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

Brendan Gallagher will always be a significant player in the history of the Canadiens. His tenacity and playing style have charmed the crowd in Montreal, but the city has also charmed him since the beginning of his career.

Gallagher kicked off his 800th NHL game with the Canadiens on Thursday night against the Red Wings. This is a huge milestone that places him 21st in the entire history of the Tricolore for games played with the team.

Before starting his 800th career game, Gallagher spoke with Jean-François Chaumont from LNH.com. In this interview, he explained that he loves Montreal so much that he would like to stay there even after the end of his career.

Montreal has not only allowed Gallagher to have a remarkable career but also to find love. The number 11 of the Canadiens met Quebecer Emma Fortin a few years ago and married her this summer.

The couple is even expecting a child in the coming months. Gallagher confirmed to Chaumont that he is happy to be building a family in Montreal.

There is no doubt that Gallagher is a crowd favorite, but his game has slowed in recent years, which has made his contract worth $6.5 million per year excessive.

Some Canadiens fans would like to see his contract bought out, but that is unlikely to happen. Renaud Lavoie explained during his Thursday column on Le Club du matin on BPM Sports that he does not believe a contract buyout is in Kent Hughes’ plans.

In any case, it does not seem to slow down the Canadiens these days. Gallagher still brings a lot of grit and continues to find the back of the net from time to time.

Gallagher’s contract will expire at the end of the 2026-27 season. He will then be 34 years old. It is possible that the Canadiens will offer him a contract extension, but with a significant salary cut.

If Gallagher wants to stay in Montreal after his career, he could follow in the footsteps of Paul Byron. The former CH player has become a player development consultant for the team.

Gallagher could become an excellent mentor for the young players of the Canadiens. We would all love to see him teach his techniques on how to play with grit to the team’s prospects.

Quick Hits

– It’s true.

– News about Markstrom.

– That’s a lot of money.

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Elias Pettersson was defrauded for over $200,000.

Elias Pettersson is not having much fun lately. The situation with J.T. Miller is not very pleasant, but it’s not the only thing that could affect his good mood.

The Canucks forward lost a significant amount of money because he was defrauded during a real estate transaction in Sweden.

His father, Torjorn Pettersson, revealed to the Swedish daily Sundsvalls Tidning that his son was defrauded for a total sum of $240,000 USD.

To summarize the story, Pettersson attempted to buy a luxurious property for $2.4 million USD in the municipality of Danderyd, Sweden. To proceed with the purchase, he had to pay a deposit of $240,000 USD, but what he didn’t know was that the house had several defects.

There were multiple repairs needed on the house, which convinced Pettersson to cancel the transaction. The problem is that he was only able to cancel the mortgage by suing the real estate agent who sold him the property.

His deposit disappeared. He completely lost his money, according to his father’s statement.

It’s a sad story for Pettersson, but the good news is that the real estate agent is now in prison. He received a six-year prison sentence for another fraud case.

Pettersson has a contract worth $11.6 million per season, which makes the loss a bit less bothersome, but it remains a heavy loss that could weigh on his mind, especially as he is already going through tough times in Vancouver.

Pettersson’s father is aware that the situation is sad, but he is ready to forget everything and move on.

The Pettersson family still has another home to live in Sweden. It is a property in the city of Stockholm.

Now that this story is behind him, Pettersson must do everything to help the Canucks get back on the path to victory. Vancouver has only won two of its six games in January.

In brief

– Wow.

– It’s not going to be easy.

– Interesting.

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Jeff Gorton: The CH will think about improving the team because the players deserve it.

The leaders of the Canadiens have a plan in mind.

They want to ensure that the team is able to compete long-term in the coming years, and they will not deviate from that plan.

Jeff Gorton said during his appearance on The Sick Podcast – The Eye Test: if you want to see one of the young players who will help the team in the coming years, you will be disappointed because it won’t happen.

However, in the context where the Canadiens are fighting for a playoff spot right now, there is also a chance to see the Canadiens make moves to improve the team.

Because in Jeff Gorton’s eyes, the guys deserve it:

If there’s a possibility to help these guys because they deserve it right now with the way they are playing, we will consider it.

If we can help them, we will evaluate our options. – Jeff Gorton

Jeff Gorton reiterated that the goal of the management is to see the team in the mix by the end of the season.

And to achieve that, the idea of adding a player who can help reach that goal is on the table, according to the comments from the Habs’ VP.

The Canadiens need to keep up their momentum for that to happen, however!

On the other hand, it can also be understood from all of this that the Canadiens do not seem very open to the idea of trading some of their players before the trade deadline.

At least, if the Canadiens are considering the option of seeking help… It would be illogical to believe that the plan is to send important players (Evans, Savard, Armia) elsewhere before March 7.

On the other hand, knowing that Kent Hughes might want to make a move to improve his club if the opportunity arises is still big news in itself.

The Canadiens’ management does not want to rush the rebuilding process because they want to stick to their plan, but it also makes sense to believe that recent successes are slightly changing the game.

This remains to be seen, though. But Jeff Gorton may have just given a hint about the next decisions that will be made by the Canadiens.

In a nutshell

– Will this continue tonight against the Red Wings?

– Good to hear.

– Obviously.

– That’s normal. Poor guy…

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The Canadiens in the top 10 of The Fourth Period’s NHL power rankings

The Canadiens are currently riding a wave of success. This means that the team is fighting for a playoff spot for the first time since the start of their rebuilding process.

Everyone loves it, and it catches the attention of the media that covers hockey.

In its latest NHL power rankings, The Fourth Period placed the Canadiens at 10th in the entire NHL. Yes, yes, in the entire NHL!

To explain the Canadiens’ position in this ranking, Tab Bamford simply stated that Montreal has a record of 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and that the players are having a lot of fun playing these days.

The players are having so much fun that they played with a stuffed Youppi! after Patrik Laine’s overtime goal against the Rangers.

This good streak isn’t just for show. It has allowed the Canadiens to climb into a playoff position.

Before Wednesday night’s games, Montreal held the second wildcard spot in the East, just one point behind the Lightning, who occupy third place in the Atlantic.

To return to the power rankings, only three teams from the East are ahead of the Canadiens. We’re talking about the Panthers (ninth), the Maple Leafs (fifth), and the Capitals (first).

All the other teams ahead of the Canadiens are in the West!

This means that, according to The Fourth Period, the Canadiens are currently better than the Hurricanes, the Lightning, the Devils, and the Senators, all of whom are ranked above Montreal.

Based on this ranking, the Canadiens are also doing better than the Edmonton Oilers. We’re talking about a team that features Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and was just one game away from winning the Stanley Cup last year!

Since December 17, the Canadiens have won 13 of their last 17 games. It’s an impressive streak, considering the team has faced quality opponents.

However, the streak must continue for the Canadiens as only two points separate the top position from the sixth in the wildcard standings.

In Brief

– The Rocket wins in overtime.

– Very funny!

 

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Patrik Laine gave quite a scare to his fiancée.

When hockey players go on the road with the team, the players’ partners do not always accompany them. During the Canadiens’ long trip over the holiday period, Patrik Laine’s fiancée, Jordan Leigh, stayed in Montreal.

She got used to living alone for quite a while, as the Canadiens were on the road from December 23 to January 4!

After getting used to sleeping in the same bed as her partner, sleeping alone for an extended period can change habits, and that’s exactly what happened with Laine’s fiancée.

Jordan Leigh posted a video on her Instagram account where she explains how Laine gave her the fright of her life without doing anything.

Here is the video in question.

 

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