Author: Dose

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Here are the five players from the CH who impressed the most in 2024.

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

In 2024, the Canadiens had a rather difficult year on the ice. The team’s record (32-37-14) is not particularly dominant, and the club was never close to making the playoffs.

That said, it would be wrong to say that 2024 was a completely wasted year for the club. Five players particularly impressed this season, and they deserve to be recognized for their efforts.

Here are the five players on the team who impressed the most in 2024:

Juraj Slafkovský

A year ago, there were serious doubts about Juraj Slafkovský’s development. There was uncertainty about whether the first overall pick in 2022 would eventually become the player the Canadiens thought he could be.

However, at the turn of the year, there was a breakthrough for Slaf. He suddenly seemed to gain confidence, and his chemistry with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield was evident on the ice.

He earned a huge eight-year contract, and even though his 2024-25 season has been a bit disappointing so far, we saw this past year that a confident Slaf can change the game in Montreal.

Statistics in 2024: 80 games, 20 goals, 58 points

Lane Hutson

Since being drafted in 2022, Lane Hutson has been a source of excitement for fans in Montreal. After dominating the NCAA for two years, Hutson made the jump to the NHL this year.

And while some wondered if the kid would need a bit of time to find his footing in the NHL, that was certainly not the case: right from his arrival, he showed he was up to the task.

He plays like a guy who can aspire to be among the elite offensive defensemen in the NHL for many years.

Statistics in 2024 (NHL): 39 games, 2 goals, 28 points

Samuel Montembeault

By trading Jake Allen, the Canadiens clearly demonstrated that the plan in 2024 would be to see if Samuel Montembeault has what it takes to be a #1 goalie in the NHL.

After being a success story since his arrival, Montembeault stepped up in his new role, even earning a spot on the Canadian team for the Four Nations Faceoff.

He’s even capable of showing some flair in front of his net, and until a young player takes his place, Monty is right where he belongs as the #1 on a rebuilding team.

Statistics in 2024: 55 games, record of 23-24-8, goals against average of 3.06, save percentage of 0.902

Jake Evans

Jake Evans has been grinding as a supporting player in Montreal for a few years now. The center, who rarely makes headlines, has however stepped up his game in 2024.

Set to become a free agent at the end of the current season, he has found his scoring touch, while also becoming a real asset for the Canadiens on the penalty kill.

He is well-positioned to command a hefty paycheck this summer, whether it be in Montreal or elsewhere.

Statistics in 2024: 83 games, 15 goals, 40 points

Brendan Gallagher

It has been a struggle for Brendan Gallagher these past few years in Montreal. The veteran, who has mileage on his body, has greatly slowed down since his peak years.

However, over the past year, we have seen Gallagher return to being a quality supporting player in Montreal, proving he can still be effective in a reduced role.

He may not be playing up to his annual salary of $6.5 million… but he has been able to redefine himself.

Statistics in 2024: 78 games, 21 goals, 36 points

Conclusion

Of course, players like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have also been solid, but in their case, this is what we expect from them. They are the two highest-paid players on the team offensively (excluding Patrik Laine), and we expect to see both of them elevate the team.

Laine could also have been considered, but let’s wait and see if he can maintain his pace a bit longer. After all, he has only played one month.

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Canadian: Eight players are on track to score 15 goals or more this season.

MONTREAL, CANADA - OCTOBER 9: Cole Caufield #13 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates after scoring a goal during the first period of the NHL regular season game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre on October 9, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images)

Scoring goals has not been an easy task for the Canadiens in recent years.

Often – too often, in fact – it was evident that there was a lack of offensive power within the team, which partly explains the club’s failures over the past few seasons.

But it seems that the trend is changing.

I’m saying this because the Canadiens could have eight scorers with 15 goals or more by the end of the season if all the guys stay in town and continue to produce at this level.

And it’s been a long time since we’ve seen this in Montreal:

  • Cole Caufield: pace of 42 goals over an 82-game season
  • Nick Suzuki: pace of 24 goals over an 82-game season
  • Brendan Gallagher: pace of 22 goals over an 82-game season
  • Jake Evans: pace of 22 goals over an 82-game season
  • Patrik Laine: pace of 35 goals over a 58-game season
  • Emil Heineman: pace of 20 goals over an 81-game season
  • Alex Newhook: pace of 15 goals over an 82-game season
  • Joel Armia: pace of 15 goals over an 82-game season

Let’s remember that Laine missed the first 24 games of the season, while Heineman missed one.

That’s why we shouldn’t project over 82 games. Heineman will play 81 games if he stays healthy, and Laine will play 58 if he doesn’t have to sit out.

We don’t know if Armia and Evans will be around after March because they could be traded before the trade deadline.

But still: for now, both guys are doing well.

(Credit: HockeyDB)

In the second half of last season, we saw Juraj Slafkovsky break through.

He finished the campaign with a total of 20 goals… And it could happen again this year if he finds his rhythm.

There’s also Josh Anderson, who is giving himself a chance to finish the season with 15 goals or more. If he maintains his current pace, he would finish the season with 13 goals, but we know Andy can also have a good streak.

All this to say that there are currently eight players on track to score 15 goals or more this season with the Canadiens, and we shouldn’t necessarily rule out Slaf and Anderson from the equation.

It’s a nice change after the recent tough years offensively.

Overtime

In all this, we somewhat overlook Lane Hutson because he has only two goals this season.

But the Canadiens’ defenseman is rather racking up assists.

He could accumulate 54 assists (over 82 games) if he keeps his current pace. For a rookie playing defense… That’s more than excellent.

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Patrick Roy pulls his goalie during a face-off in his zone (and gets scored on).

Patrick Roy is known for pulling his goalie at different times than others. But today, he really pushed the envelope.

As his team struggles this season and all solutions should be on the table, the New York King decided to pull his goalie during a faceoff… in the defensive zone.

You heard that right.

The Maple Leafs were leading by one goal with about forty seconds to go and they had a power play. Roy, wanting to make a hockey hail mary, decided to take action.

We saw the Islanders lose the faceoff, be aggressive… and concede a goal.

This means the Islanders lost by a score of 3-1. Roy’s strategy did not work, and even though he knew he might be risking it, he still looked… perplexed.

It probably wasn’t pleasant in the locker room afterwards.

With the way things are going for the Islanders, it will be increasingly difficult to dig themselves out of the hole. The club does not have a bright future, and the present is not exactly shining either.

At the time of writing this piece, here is the standings in the East.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Will Lou Lamoriello, who is not exactly known for his patience, grow weary of changing coaches? The right thing to do, in fact, would be to rebuild… but does Lamoriello want to undertake that at his age?

Let’s see what awaits the Islanders.

Overtime

– The next two weeks for the Islanders won’t be easy.

(Credit: NHL.com)
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Elias Pettersson: He is not mature enough and he could be traded, according to his GM.

Nick Suzuki has been a top-line center for the Montreal Canadiens for several years now.

His consistency, versatility, and intelligence make him valuable in all facets of the game.

He has been scoring at a pace of almost a point per game since last year, and fans are very happy to have such a good top center. A true top center has been quite rare for the CH in recent years.

However, some still wonder if Suzuki is truly a genuine top-line center, or if he would be a very good second-line center instead.

Adding a #1 center is very difficult, but Kent Hughes could pull off a big move, as Elias Pettersson is available for a trade.

This is at least a possible option, according to his general manager, Patrick Allvin, who has not closed the door on trading the Swede.

Allvin also mentioned that his star player lacks maturity.

“I believe in him, but he needs to mature and understand that there are certain expectations of him and that it doesn’t get easier. You have to face the music when things aren’t going well. Is a trade possible? I guess anything is possible.” – Patrick Allvin

He didn’t say word for word that he is on the trading block, but knowing that things haven’t been going very well for him lately, it all makes sense.

Moreover, his underperformance coincides with the return of J.T. Miller, and there seems to be friction between these two players.

However, both players involved have denied the subject, saying that the media fabricated this story.

However, Rick Dhaliwal, a reporter from The Athletic covering the Canucks, stated that this is not something made up.

He remarked that Bruce Boudreau and Travis Green could confirm: there have been issues between the two in the past and that it is not new.

Allvin could therefore decide to shake things up by trading one of the two players.

The Tricolore could undoubtedly be interested in one of the two, but Pettersson would be the better choice. In fact, they MUST be interested.

Having the opportunity to have Pettersson and Suzuki as center lines is worth trying.

It is difficult to assess the potential return that the Canucks could receive for Pettersson.

He is reliable defensively but also had a season with 102 points.

Kent Hughes has several assets that are interesting for a trade of this sort.

Personally (and don’t throw stones at me for this 100% fictional proposal), the Tricolore should propose an established player and Kirby Dach comes to mind immediately. On top of that, I would add the CH’s unprotected first-round pick to give a very interesting value and possibly one or two prospects, if necessary.

It must be kept in mind that the CH is not far from a playoff spot and adding a Pettersson would help them win more games. The chances that this pick remains in the top 3 are quite low, but anything is possible.

With a Pettersson-Suzuki center line, along with Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Patrik Laine, and soon Ivan Demidov, that would be intimidating.

That may seem like a lot, and I am not an NHL trade expert, but you have to give to receive and Pettersson still has very high value.

Kent Hughes really needs to give Allvin a call.

In a nutshell

– There’s only Patrick Roy to do that.

– That must hurt.

– An expensive train.

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Elvis Merzlikins paid the tribute to the Latvians after the victory against Canada.

At every Junior World Championship, there are always surprises.

The biggest surprise so far is Latvia’s victory over Canada in the first preliminary round match.

This shocked many, myself included.

When you have such a well-equipped team with so many first-round draft picks, it seems impossible to lose against the Latvians.

The effort and intensity made the difference in this match, but it was mainly goaltender Linards Feldbergs who was more than incredible.

In short, the entire team played very well and it paid off.

However, the players and staff members were not just rewarded with this victory.

Indeed, Elvis Merzlikins contacted Latvia’s management to let them know he was inviting everyone to dinner at a steakhouse in Ottawa.

This is what Bob Hartley revealed on RDS.

A very nice gesture from the Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender.

Merzlikins called the team via Zoom while they enjoyed the goaltender’s treat to congratulate them.

Bruce Garrioch from the Ottawa Sun also confirmed that they dined at Giovanni’s, an upscale restaurant.

For those who know the restaurant, it’s really not a bad choice.

This must have further motivated the young Latvians, who must be overflowing with confidence right now.

When do I get my invitation, Elvis?

In rapid succession

– Finally, a return to play for the Quebecer.

– A first in the NHL.

– That makes for a lot of interested teams.

– Klay Thompson responded beautifully.

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Jagr loses teeth, but still finishes the game with a assist mention.

Jaromir Jagr is a true force of nature.

Here he is now at the age of 52… But he is still playing for his club in the Czech Republic.

And let’s just say his last game was a bit of a wild ride.

On his very first shift during the game, the veteran took a stick to the face.

The result? He lost some teeth… So much so that he now has a slightly different smile. Hehe.

But what’s crazy about all this? Jagr finished the game… And he managed to get an assist along the way.

A true warrior!

It is often said that hockey players are tough.

And here, Jaromir Jagr has just proven it.

It’s not just the fact that he lost some teeth that impresses: at 52, he could have decided to leave the game for quite logical reasons.

But he chose to stay and help his team win 4-2, and that really deserves recognition.

Note that Jagr has played 19 of his team’s 31 games since the start of the season and has accumulated six points, including three goals.

For a guy his age, that’s more than respectable… And it shows how much he loves the sport.

He is still able to help his team on the ice, and that certainly makes him a respected player in his team’s locker room.

Quick Hits

– That explains that.

– He’s going to be good.

– That’s great.

– Oh really?

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Top-3: Another embarrassing defeat for the Predators

The Rangers and the Predators are among the clubs that have disappointed the most since the start of the season.

It’s a good thing: they were in action last night, with three games presented in the NHL.

Let’s see what happened:

1: Again…

It’s crazy how bad the Preds are.

And it would have been difficult to predict that they would be out of the playoff picture by December 31, after what they did this summer.

But that’s the case, and we had another example of it yesterday: the Nashville team was never able to break through Connor Hellebuyck’s wall.

The Jets’ goalie was perfect in the game by stopping all 22 shots directed at him, allowing him to earn his 5th shutout (!!!) of the season.

He’s really having an incredible season:

Gabriel Vilardi stood out for the Jets by scoring twice during the game.

He’s also having a good season: his 16th and 17th goals of the campaign place him 3rd in his team’s scoring leaderboard (34), tied with defenseman Josh Morrissey.

The Jets won the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade:

The Jets won the game by a score of 3-0.

Note that the Preds have a record of 4-5-1 in their last ten games.

2: A nice milestone for Panarin, but…

The Rangers’ descent into hell continues.

They had a big test yesterday as they were in Florida to face the Panthers… And they were unable to answer the call.

The Rangers ultimately lost 5-3, marking their eighth defeat in their last ten outings.

Chris Kreider, who was benched by his coach two weeks ago, scored during the game:

Jesper Boqvist had fun down in Florida.

He scored two goals and benefited from a pass from his brother, Adam, to score his 2nd of the match.

It makes for a nice story:

It should be noted that on Kreider’s goal, Artemi Panarin recorded his 500th point in a Rangers uniform.

He became the fastest player to reach that landmark in New York, by the way.

It’s too bad that his team lost…

3: Kraken victory over Utah

We can all agree on one thing.

The game played between the Kraken and André Tourigny’s team… Let’s just say it wasn’t the most exciting to watch.

But the Kraken delivered a strong performance in front of their supporters.

Yanni Gourde opened the scoring for Seattle with a beautiful shot on reception.

And the crowd was loud after his goal:

Logan Cooley scored his 9th goal of the season for Utah, but it wasn’t enough.

The Kraken won by a score of 5-2, largely thanks to a three-point performance from the veteran Jaden Schwartz.

Matty Beniers also scored for Seattle… And let’s just say the Utah goalie will want to review the play:

Overtime

– It’s crazy!

– The top point scorers of the night:

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Several games today, including the Canadiens’ game in Vegas:

(Credit: Google)
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Winter classic: Steps to get to the Blues’ locker room

We hear about it more or less this season, but the Winter Classic will take place tomorrow, December 31.

It will be a matchup between the Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues.

Here are the jerseys that both teams will wear for this game at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

They are really beautiful, I love them.

The setup for the Winter Classic is also incredible, as it is every season.

However, there is something quite special about the facilities.

There are several stairs that separate the Blues’ locker room from the outdoor rink.

You can even see members of the organization going down those very stairs.

You don’t see that very often.

We have to think about the fact that the players will have to climb those stairs at the end of the game…

That might be a pain.

In the video published by the team’s Twitter page, you can see that some players are much more comfortable than others.

Goalie Joel Hofer is one of them, who was wobbling while going down the stairs.

(Credit: St. Louis Blues)

All the players seem to find it relatively funny.

The Winter Classic is a very special moment.

Let’s hope no one gets injured trying to get to the rink. It’s not easy with skates on your feet.

It’s also a first for many players, including young Connor Bedard, who can’t believe he has the chance to experience this unforgettable moment.

“This is one of the most cool experiences of my life so far and the game hasn’t even started yet.” – Connor Bedard

Experiencing this at only 19 years old must be quite special, indeed.

Some players and media members had the chance to test the ice earlier today.

Bedsy decided to give Paul “Biz Nasty” Bissonnette a lesson on the rink while having fun with him like a puppet.

Definitely a day that will be forever etched in Bedard’s memory.

In Brief

– Speaking of the Classic, Nick Foligno’s children asked the other Hawks players if they could beat their father in a race on the ice.

– Ouch, that hurts a lot.

– It won’t be long before there’s a change in the organization.

– The Boqvist brothers (Jesper and Adam) are teaming up on this play.

– Karl-Anthony Towns ended the game with 32 points in 31 minutes.

– Oufff…

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The Dallas Stars have been fined for holding a practice on December 26.

Yesterday, we learned that the Dallas Stars and Peter DeBoer are being investigated by the NHL for holding a practice on December 26.

Ultimately, the Texas organization was fined.

This was reported by Chris Johnston from TSN and The Athletic.

According to Article 16.5(b) of the NHL collective bargaining agreement, it is prohibited to ask players to practice on December 24, 25, and 26.

Paying $100,000 for holding a practice during the holidays definitely warrants reading the collective bargaining rules.

At least, this amount will be directly sent to the NHL Foundation.

The owner of the Stars can thus say that he is making a generous donation for a good cause.

Interestingly, this is not the first time this has happened, as the Toronto Maple Leafs were also fined $100,000 in 2022. The team’s players had to fly on December 26 for their first game after the holidays.

The holiday season is made for resting anyway.

The NHL implements a transaction freeze from December 20 to 27 and teams cease all activities from December 24 to 27.

It’s better to take it easy, enjoy visiting family (even if it possibly involves a flight), and eat good food.

In brief

– Very nice message from Jakub Dobes.

– It must be quite special, indeed.

– Worth reading.

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“Jake Evans is the new Phillip Danault” – Renaud Lavoie

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 16: Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans (71) plays the puck during the Detroit Red Wings versus the Montreal Canadiens game on April 16, 2024, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Jake Evans is having a very good season so far. The forward already has 10 goals and 23 points in 36 games, along with a +5 plus/minus rating, all while playing on the fourth line. He is currently on a five-game streak with at least one goal. Not bad at all!

His offensive production places him fourth among the team’s top scorers, behind Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Lane Hutson.

And let’s not forget that right now, Evans is the most utilized forward on the penalty kill in the NHL.

Moreover, his +5 rating with a team that has faced its share of difficulties at even strength is remarkable.

In short, Evans is the new Swiss Army knife of the Canadiens. He can be used in all situations and is reliable in all areas of the game.

According to Renaud Lavoie, in a column on BPM Sports, “Jake Evans is the new Phillip Danault”.

It’s hard to disagree with the remarks about how the center is playing this season.

The loss of Danault hurt the Canadiens, who tried to replace him with Christian Dvorak, who has never been able to provide the same offensive contribution or defensive stability.

This season, Evans is providing a contribution similar to that of Danault and helps to address our weakness at center.

It must be said that the presence of two solid wingers in Joel Armia and Emil Heineman, who have 18 and 15 points respectively, contributes to Evans’ success this season.

Let’s say that right now, the Canadiens have a luxury fourth line.

In fact, this line’s contribution is at the heart of the Canadiens’ recent successes.

Jake Evans has really become an indispensable player for the Habs, and I believe the team should not trade him before the trade deadline, unless they receive a ridiculous offer, even though he will be a free agent at the end of the season.

On the contrary, the organization must ensure to sign their center for a few seasons because he is the type of player you need in your rebuild.

And if he continues to perform like this, Evans risks experiencing a significant salary increase, as he currently earns a salary of $1.7 million.

In Brief

– Happy December.

– Team photos.

– Drouin returns.

– A must-read!