Author: Dose

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David Reinbacher very explosive on skates: a very good news

With all the success of the CH and the slowdown in Matvei Michkov’s production, David Reinbacher is no longer being talked about much. We will remember that the CH prospect underwent left knee surgery on October 1st.

The news is very encouraging in his case as he has started skating again in recent days with the team therapists.

The news is even more encouraging today as images of his training have been captured.

I am not a doctor, but he seems very comfortable and fluid on his skates. He has participated in various types of fairly intense exercises, and his knee appears to have responded well.

Could he be ahead of schedule? The CH had announced that he would miss 5 to 6 months, which brings us to between March and April.

Reinbacher seems well on his way to seeing action before the end of the regular season. Anthony Marcotte mentioned in recent days that the Rocket would not hesitate to use him for the end of the season and the playoffs if he recovers well.

The mistake would be to bring him back too quickly and for him to suffer another injury, which would be a disaster for the organization.

But if he is indeed ready, he needs to see action to save his season a bit. He had performed well with the Rocket at the end of last season and could play a big role in the playoffs.

I am one of those who believe that the CH should have chosen Matvei Michkov 5th overall, but I believe in David Reinbacher’s potential to establish himself as an excellent defenseman in the NHL. The type of defender that is so useful in playoffs where fewer goals are scored and the game is tighter.

In brief

– The Rocket trailing after 40 minutes.

– Beautiful goal.

– Pretty crazy.

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David Ettedgui sees Sam Bennett as the 3rd center of the CH (and it makes sense)

So far this season, there aren’t really any players who have disappointed significantly for the Canadiens.

Cayden Primeau is one of the names that comes to mind in terms of disappointment, but there’s also Christian Dvorak.

For Dvorak, the chances of seeing him again next year are quite slim.

Jake Evans is having quite a season and is an excellent bottom-6 center. With Dvorak likely leaving, there would be another center missing from the last two lines looking ahead to next season.

To support Evans, David Ettedgui has suggested signing Sam Bennett as a third center this summer, if he does not extend with the Florida Panthers.

And honestly, that makes a lot of sense.

That’s what he announced yesterday on BPM Sports.

We know what Bennett can bring to a team, especially in the playoffs, having played a key role in winning the Stanley Cup last summer.

He scored 7 goals and collected 7 assists in 19 games, while playing just over 16 minutes per game during the spring dance.

He doesn’t hesitate to hit and go where it pays off. He is also very effective along the boards.

The Canadiens announced earlier this season that they would look to add a rugged forward for the bottom-6.

And even if it means waiting until this summer, Bennett would be one of the best options, if not the best option for that role.

However, we must not forget that the Canadiens will have to re-sign Evans, and it won’t be cheap. He should be able to get at least $4 million a year, and this, even if it has been a bit more difficult for him lately.

If, on top of that, the Canadiens have to pay a lot to acquire Bennett, Kent Hughes will need to closely monitor the salary cap for the years to come. Otherwise, he might have to make tough choices.

Let’s just say I fully trust Kent Hughes with the future of the Canadiens. The Montreal club is in very good hands.

In Brief

– Too bad for the Penguins.

– Interesting.

– Chabot is undoubtedly happy to finally have a regular partner by his side.

– Indeed.

– That’s the least you could say.

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4 nations: The price to see Canada at the Bell Centre is astronomical.

Several hockey fans are eagerly awaiting the Four Nations Tournament.

Even though countries like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Russia will not be part of the tournament, Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland will excite all the spectators present.

However, ticket sales for the tournament are currently sluggish, and the NHL is concerned about this.

By looking at the prices, especially for the Canada games, we better understand why.

As reported by Michael Leach from the Toronto radio station 680 News, the prices for the Canada versus Sweden match at the Bell Centre in the pit are exorbitant.

The prices above were on the Ticketmaster site, and wait until you see the price for the match on February 15, featuring Canada and the United States.

The price for a single ticket is more than $500…

And if some wealthier individuals want to treat themselves and watch the match from the front row, they should expect a minimum of $2300 + taxes to go solo.

Looking on the billets.ca, ticket prices are less astronomical, but they remain very high.

It should be noted that the matches on February 12, 13, and 15 will be held at the Bell Centre, while the matches on February 17 and the gold medal match (February 20) will be in Boston.

Even though I expected them to sell like hotcakes, looking at how much a pair of tickets would cost, with a little snack and parking, it’s getting expensive.

At least, the matchups not including Canada are relatively affordable, similar to a price to see the Montreal Canadiens, and it will still be excellent hockey.

In short, I think I will watch all this from my couch on my television.

In Brief

– A nice milestone for Marner.

– Worth listening to.

– Really unfortunate for the Blue Jays.

– Worth reading.

– Good news for Bayern Munich.

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Dans les coulisses

Compared to the last season (after 44 games), the CH has only three points more.

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed watching the Canadiens play this much.

And I’m sure I’m not alone on my island!

After the past few difficult years, it’s nice to see the team winning…

There’s a real buzz in the city right now since the Canadiens are the team to watch in the NHL.

The Habs are one point behind the Bruins and a playoff spot… And they are also just three points behind the Lightning and third place in the Atlantic division.

The team is making progress, but to what extent?

I ask the question because this morning, Réjean Tremblay mentioned in his column that the team’s progress in terms of points collected is “quite minimal.”

And he is right.

After 44 games last year, the Canadiens had a record of 19 wins, 18 losses, and seven overtime losses.

The team collected 45 points over its first 44 games of the season, to put it another way.

What does it look like this year?

The Habs have a record of 22 wins, 18 losses, and four overtime losses after playing their first 44 games of the season.

That amounts to 48 points:

(Credit: NHL.com)

The difference in points isn’t huge, let’s be clear.

But it is in the standings. After 44 games last season, the Habs were sitting in 24th place in the league standings.

They are in 18th place as I write these lines.

Overall, we see progress, and that’s what’s important. The Canadiens managed to get back on track after a terrible start to the season, and they find themselves in an interesting position today.

This aligns with the organization’s goals as well. The management spoke about the mix even before the season started, wanting the team to improve collectively.

That’s exactly what’s happening right now.

In brief

– Suspension for the Islanders player.

– Interesting news in the NHL.

– It looks good.

– A few updates from MLB:

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Rumor corner: The Devils are (very) involved in the J.T. Miller situation.

Nothing is going well for the Canucks.

The Vancouver team has lost 11 of its last 15 games, and right now, the chain is really falling apart.

The leaders of the club no longer want to give their all on the ice, and it shows. Yesterday, J.T. Miller looked like a guy who couldn’t care less, quite simply:

There are several rumors surrounding Miller right now because things are not working out for him in Vancouver.

We’re talking about a super talented player… But we’re also talking about a guy who seems to want to do things his way most of the time.

And it doesn’t work like that if you want to help your team win.

It’s relevant to discuss the forward because, according to the latest news, it seems that the Devils are very interested in the idea of adding his services.

And there might even be discussions happening right now to make it happen:

In New Jersey, it is known that Simon Nemec is not satisfied with his usage.

Could the defender be included in an offer to convince the Canucks to let Miller go? That would make sense…

However, it’s worth noting that the Devils currently have cap space of just under $2 million ($1,894,436) and they will need to shed some salary to add Miller to the lineup.

If they are able to… They will be worth watching because they already have a potent offense:

(Credit: Daily Faceoff)

Seth Jones on the market in Chicago?

As we know: things are going badly in Chicago.

The Hawks are not progressing as they have not been able to surround Connor Bedard in the right way, and now, questions are starting to arise about the team’s rebuilding process.

That said, given that it’s not working out and as he is starting to age, Seth Jones is at the center of some rumors right now.

According to Darren Dreger, teams have called for the services of the big defenseman:

The problem with Jones is as follows.

He is in the third year of an eight-year contract… Which totals him $9.5 million per season.

That is a lot of money for a 30-year-old defenseman who seems to be in decline.

Obviously, the Hawks will have to retain part of his salary to transfer him elsewhere because there is no team that would accept that contract.

It’s unfortunate that the Coyotes are gone… They were known for taking on bad contracts to meet the salary floor in the NHL. Hehe.

Seriously, the Jones situation will be worth monitoring in the coming weeks. But if a trade happens, I expect it to occur next summer.

Trading a big contract like his is complicated during the regular season…

The Avalanche do not want to trade Rantanen

The situation of Mikko Rantanen in Colorado is starting to gain traction.

Will he be able to sign a big contract and be paid what he’s worth? That’s what seems complicated right now…

The Avalanche still have the option to trade him before the trade deadline (or July 1) to avoid losing him for nothing, but that is not in the organization’s plans.

Not at all, even:

No, Colorado has no interest in exploring a trade involving Mikko Rantanen. – David Pagnotta

Chris MacFarland has a significant problem to solve.

What I’m really wondering is what Rantanen thinks about all of this…

Let’s not forget that he won the Stanley Cup (2021-2022) and that he’s been playing in Colorado since the start of his career.

Will he want to sign a new contract (perhaps for less) with the team that drafted him in 2015… Or would he rather test the free agent market to sign one of the biggest contracts in the NHL?

Hmm…

Quick Hits

— Interesting, nonetheless.

— Wow.

— Yes!

— So sweet.

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Caufield is one point behind Suzuki: It really is time to start talking about #13’s season.

I find that we don’t talk enough about Cole Caufield.

Last year, we all criticized him because we expected more from him. Yet, he finished the 23-24 season with his best career numbers, both in goals (28) and points (65).

This is not trivial.

But this year, we see a different Cole Caufield.

The young forward has claimed a total of 43 points in 44 games since the beginning of the season, and it shows that he has improved his game without the puck.

Eric Engels is right to point this out on Twitter.

I want to give some love to #13. Are you ready?

Here we go!

Caufield has scored 18 points, including seven goals, in the last 16 games (since December 12).

He is the leading scorer for the Canadiens since then, with Hutson (17 points) and Suzuki (16 points) closely following.

Caufield ranks 31st among the top scorers in the entire NHL.

Last year, after 44 games, he had only 33 points… and was ranked 85th among the league’s most productive players.

Caufield has scored 24 goals on 130 shots since the start of the season. His shooting percentage is 18.5%.

Last year, after 44 games, Caufield scored 14 goals on 159 shots. His shooting percentage was 8.8%.

There is a clear improvement as evident as rock water in his game, and it’s beautiful to see. It was reasonable to think that Laine’s arrival might cause him some issues (especially in the power play)… But that is not the case.

Both are capable of co-existing on the ice, and both can be productive on the power play even while playing together, which is interesting.

They seem to get along well, too:

But what stands out is when we see Caufield being so good five-on-five. 32 of his 43 points this season have been scored at even strength (he leads the Habs in that area as well), and that changes the game because he is constantly dangerous right now.

This wasn’t always the case during the last campaign.

All this to say, there is no one in town who can be disappointed with Tit-Cole’s performance right now.

He is playing up to his talent level, scoring important goals… And we see how important he has been in Martin St-Louis’s lineup since the beginning of the season.

It feels good because we know how much he has the tools to become one of the (very) good players in the NHL.

He is only 24 years old, after all!

In brief

– Oh. Reinforcements in Edmonton.

– Good point.

– Colleague Maxime Truman asked questions to Prince Owusu and Samuel Piette today. Here are the highlights:

– Anyway.

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The Canadiens will not issue a recall today.

The misfortune of some brings happiness to others. Right?

Since forward Emil Heineman was struck by a car on Monday, it is Michael Pezzetta who has the opportunity to replace him in Martin St-Louis’ lineup. But we know what the problem is with Pezz.

He may be a good teammate, as Martin St-Louis said… But we are still talking about a guy who hurts the Canadiens when he’s on the ice. That’s why in January, in six games, the forward had an average ice time of 4:17 per game. That’s not much.

We could have expected the Canadiens to recall a player from Laval for their game yesterday in Dallas, but they did not do it.

The strategy paid off as the CH went on to achieve a big victory against the Stars. We can thank Jakub Dobes, by the way.

However, the CH will return to the Bell Centre tomorrow for their game against the Leafs, and we should expect the team to make a recall. Because playing with 11 forwards (and a half) and six defenders is not ideal.

What you need to know, in all of this, is that the Canadiens will not make a recall today according to what Anthony Marcotte reported on Twitter.

The Rocket is in action tonight in Utica:

It’s rare to see the Canadiens and the Rocket playing at home at the same time, but that will be the case on Saturday.

The Canadiens’ affiliate will host the Utica Comets in the second game of a two-game series (in as many days).

Let’s note that for tonight, Cayden Primeau will be in goal for the Rocket:

There are some interesting names in Laval for a recall.

And in the context of replacing a guy on the 4th line, there are mainly three logical candidates in my opinion:

  • Luke Tuch
  • Jared Davidson
  • Lucas Condotta

I expect it to be Condotta because he knows the NHL. He has played seven games with the big club this season and could easily fit into the team’s 4th line since he also knows Martin St-Louis’ system.

But on a personal level, I would really like to see Davidson get a chance to showcase himself. He is having a great season so far and has characteristics in his game (fervor, intensity) that could help the Canadiens.

We can also say the same about big Tuch, ultimately…

All this to say that we will have to wait and see, but we should really expect the Canadiens to make a recall during the day tomorrow.

In Brief

– Attention to interested parties:

– Good choices!

– Minor signing in Columbus. Another defender!

– The Avalanche says no.

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Dans les coulisses

Jake Evans has no points in the last eight games.

Since the beginning of the season, we have been singing the praises of Jake Evans. And for good reason.

Clearly, the center player for the Canadiens has chosen the right season (a few months before full autonomy) to reach another level as a player for the Canadiens.

This is attracting a lot of attention, as you know.

So we wonder at what price the Habs and the player could agree to avoid him becoming a free agent. It’s probably one of the most important files on Kent Hughes’ desk right now.

After all, with everything the player is doing, losing him would hurt on many levels.

But the last few weeks serve as a reminder that Jake Evans is still a player with limited potential. Why? Because since he scored five goals in five games around the holidays, he has been in a scoring drought.

Basically, since the December 31 game in Nevada, Evans has not had a single point.

(Credit: ESPN)

Eight straight games without a point, including the seven games played in 2025, is the longest drought of his entire season. And it’s not even close: his longest stretches of this kind were three games.

However, he had already gone eight games without scoring earlier in the season. But he had assists during that time.

This reminds us that a player like Evans, as complete as he may be, was playing above his offensive head. His shooting percentage (his number of goals compared to his number of shots) was 31.3% after the game against Tampa Bay.

This means that in his first 36 games, he was scoring more than three times for every ten shots.

But since then? He has taken 11 shots over the past eight games, and his percentage has dropped to 22.7% this season. We’re talking about less than one in four shots that find the net, which is a significant difference in the middle of a campaign.

I’m not saying that Evans is a bad player, and I still believe the Habs need to find common ground with him. But what I’m saying is that the natural course is returning, and he needs to be signed at the right price.

In Brief

– Do you like it or not?

– He’s good, this one.

– A must-read.

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Dans les coulisses

Let’s play GM and manage the files on Kent Hughes’ desk.

Kent Hughes has several files on his desk at the moment. That’s normal.

I want to “take” a few of them to see what the club should do, in my opinion, ahead of the deadline. This will concern unrestricted free agents from July 1st.

After all, following the great season of the CH, the club shouldn’t have to manage anything else (in terms of contracts or trades) with players under the club’s control.

Michael Pezzetta

I know Pezz is the 13th forward the club wants (so they can leave him in the stands as long as he wishes), but the guy too often holds back and when he plays, he’s not at the right level.

Get him out of his misery and send him to waivers.

David Savard

Unless the Canadiens get a king’s ransom for his services (a first-round pick or equivalent), I keep him. His best value is in Montreal, with the young players.

Arber Xhekaj is a new man by his side.

I don’t see how the CH would benefit from letting him go for another third-round pick at this moment. He is a veteran the Canadiens desperately need to support the guys.

And if he wants to stay for another year at a maximum of two million dollars in a more limited role, I offer him a contract extension. We know he wants to stay in Montreal with his family.

Joel Armia

I am not trading Joel Armia before the end of the season. And if the guy wants to sign a contract worthy of a fourth-line player, I would be willing to keep him. But under no circumstances should he be a player even slightly overpaid.

We must keep in mind that three key elements of the penalty kill (Savard, Armia, and Evans) are in the final year of their contracts. Opening the door to not let everyone go must be done.

Jake Evans

The only scenario in which I trade Jake Evans is if the CH is no longer in the race, he has a golden offer on the market, and if negotiations with Evans show that the player and the club are light-years apart from coming to an agreement.

Otherwise, I keep him. And I try to sign him.

Pierre LeBrun recently said that the player and the club will both have to be uncomfortable to come to an agreement. I imagine the club will offer four years at three million dollars (12 M$ total). And the player, if he’s greedy, will ask for six years at four million dollars (24 M$ total) from the CH.

Do you offer him five years and 3.5 M$ per season? Is that too much for a guy playing above his head? In my eyes, it’s too much. It will be less than that if it actually happens… because Evans would be less greedy.

Christian Dvorak

We know that the center player has little value on the market (even at 50% of 4.45 M$, I wonder who would want him that much) and that he will leave at the end of the year.

If I’m the GM, I keep him to finish the year because he’s part of a trio that works and because at the faceoff circle, he helps. But if he leaves in March, that’s fine too.

In a nutshell

– Indeed.

– Hmm…

– Reminder: the CH has plenty of picks.

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From the worst to the best team in the NHL: the two faces of the Canadiens

Inexplicable! Improbable! Disconcerting!

What the Canadiens – who were languishing in the basement – are currently accomplishing could not have been foreseen. Going from the worst team in the league on November 25 (32nd in the standings) to the best team in the league for the past month is something.

Since December 16, the CH has a record of 11-2-1.

(Credit: NHL.com)

During this period, the Montrealers scored 51 goals, one less than the 52 from the Oilers and Blue Jackets, and they only allowed 30.

Their two special teams have a combined efficiency rate of 110%!

Jakub Dobes, Patrik Laine, Alexandre Carrier… some additions are at the heart of this turnaround. But Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kaiden Guhle, Mike Matheson, Samuel Montembeault, Jake Evans, Joel Armia, and others are not strangers to the team’s current success.

Are we going to make the playoffs?
The CH is in 10th place in the East this morning, just one point away from a playoff spot. With two games in hand…

(Credit: NHL.com)

In short, our club is in the mix.

The problem is that it won’t draft top three there are eight teams fighting for the two Wild Card spots in the East: the Blue Jackets, Bruins, Senators, Canadiens, Red Wings, Flyers, Rangers, and Penguins.

Two of the aforementioned teams are therefore likely to make the playoffs.

Does this mean the CH only has a 25% chance of extending its season after its 82nd regular game?

No! The Canadiens are on a good run and are closer to the top eight than the Flyers, Rangers, and Penguins. And they have an easier schedule than some teams in direct competition with them.

The renowned site MoneyPuck.com gives the Canadiens a 36% probability of making the playoffs this morning. It sees the Bruins and the Sens making the playoffs… but it also sees the CH and the Flyers as the most likely candidates to surpass them.

Let’s remember that MoneyPuck uses advanced statistical calculations to determine its percentages.

The site PlayoffsStatus.com is more generous regarding the Canadiens’ probabilities. It estimates the chances of seeing the CH play in the playoffs at 50%.

According to the site’s calculations, the Canadiens and Senators have better chances of extending their season than the Blue Jackets and Bruins.

The Flyers, Penguins, and Rangers have very little positive probabilities, according to PlayoffStatus.com.

Ultimately, the Tricolore has between one in three and one in two chances of making the playoffs…

Which makes the odds for this on Mise-o-jeu VERY interesting: 4.50.

I think I’m going to bet a little $20 on the CH.

In a nutshell

– It will be Toronto or L.A.

– Logical.

– Frederik Andersen is back.