Author: Dose

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The Preds had Justin Barron in their sights for a while.

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Justin Barron never became the defender that was hoped for in Montreal.

He played 109 games in the Canadiens uniform, and even though he collected 31 points, it cannot be said that the experience was a success for him in the city.

The Canadiens finally sent him to Nashville last night, in exchange for defenseman Alexandre Carrier.

But even though the CH decided to part ways with the young defenseman, it doesn’t mean that he won’t have a bright career in the NHL.

He is only 23 years old and in Nashville, they believe a lot in him.

At least, that’s what we can think when we hear Andrew Brunette say on the radio (The Game Nashville) that the Preds had Justin Barron in their sights for a while.

The Predators’ coach claims that the organization is excited about welcoming him because he has been talked about “several times” in Nashville:

Nicolas Cloutier shared a tweet that aligns with this as well.

According to the TVA Sports journalist, the Preds wanted to draft Barron in 2020 before the Avalanche:

The fact that he is going to Nashville knowing that the Preds want him must also be comforting.

Justin Barron seemed like a guy without confidence on the ice in recent weeks and he was not in the best situation in the world, but he has the opportunity for a fresh start in Nashville, and it’s up to him to take advantage of it.

Moreover, it was noted that last night, Barron went out for dinner with four other Canadiens players according to what Arpon Basu (The Athletic) reported.

We’re talking about Jayden Struble, Arber Xhekaj, Michael Pezzetta, and Kaiden Guhle.

Barron received a call from Jeff Gorton while he was on his way to pick up his teammates, and it was then that the guys understood that something was happening.

We know that Jeff Gorton was the one who called Alexandre Carrier to welcome him to Montreal.

And evidently, he is also the one who had to intervene with Justin Barron because Kent Hughes is currently in Russia.

I am eager to see if Justin Barron will be able to blossom with his new team. He has talent, and we have seen flashes from him, but he needs to work on his consistency.

He has the qualities to become a good NHL player. Now, the Preds also need to place him in a favorable situation for that to happen.

In Brief

– Logical.

– Ouch.

– A comeback in Toronto.

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Kent Hughes canceled an interview at the last minute.

Kent Hughes’ visit to Russia is generating buzz. Colleague Charles-Alexis Brisebois earlier penned an article on the topic today.

After all, SKA took advantage of the fact that the GM and some members of the Canadiens were there to meet the club by publishing videos and being very visual, which has created quite a stir.

Because looking at the images shared by SKA, it seems like everyone is “buddy – buddy”… And given the current circumstances in Russia, this does not sit well with some.

At the end of the day, this puts the Montreal Canadiens in a strange situation.

They should have anticipated that this might happen… But no one knew that SKA would be so open in its posts regarding the Canadiens’ visit.

This is where it becomes tricky.

The situation has become so “sensitive” that this morning, Kent Hughes had to cancel an interview at the last minute.

According to information from Maxime Truman, the Canadiens’ GM was supposed to speak with a journalist from Russia who works in collaboration with other journalists from Canada and Quebec, but it never happened in the end.

Max shared the info on the show of Georges Laraque and Stéphane Gonzalez (BPM Sports):

Ultimately, the Canadiens’ visit to Russia… has become larger than the sport due to political stakes.

This was to be expected, even if the Canadiens have the right to check on their investment since Demidov is the club’s most important prospect.

It should be noted that after today’s practice, Martin St-Louis was asked about the Canadiens’ visit to Russia and he said he did not want to comment on that matter.

That was the right thing to do.

In Brief

– Already?

– Well… It’s not ideal, let’s put it that way.

– Happy reading.

– A big piece falling in battle in Tampa Bay.

– Oh really?

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Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have seven to nine times more subscribers than Apple TV+ (in Quebec).

Who listens to what?

The Canadian national TV rights for the NHL will expire in a year and a half, and we are starting to hear that negotiations for the next contract will begin as early as January or February.

We know that NHL revenues are significantly increasing and the salary cap could rise by $7 to $9 million if both players AND owners give their OK.

But beware! The Canadian dollar, which is depreciating week after week, will reduce the league’s hockey-related revenues since many revenues are first recorded in Canadian dollars. This could slightly tarnish the current excellent picture.

And some people tell me that yes, Gary Bettman is likely to chat with traditional broadcasters and online streaming services in January or February… but he will wait to have a good idea of what the negotiations for the upcoming collective bargaining agreement – which will also expire in 18 months – will look like before closing anything in terms of TV.

What’s coming?
We all suspect that at least one streaming service AND one English-language TV network will be part of the next deal. It remains to be seen who…

And to whom the French rights will then be awarded.

Amazon, which has started to work closely with the NHL, is obviously in the picture. As for Sportsnet (Rogers) and TSN (Bell Media), everything remains to be seen…

Sportsnet is the current partner…

TSN has always been part of the discussions when it comes to sports TV rights…

But Bell Media has withdrawn from MLSE…

While retaining the rights to the Raptors and Maple Leafs. It’s all quite confusing.

If Sportsnet wins the bid again, will they subcontract their French rights to TVA Sports again? Or will they look for new partners?

If TSN wins, it seems obvious to me that the franco rights will be awarded to the little brother from Quebec, RDS…

Amazon, the right solution for the NHL
Doing business with an online streaming service is clearly the path the NHL will take. Gary Bettman knows this and has not hidden it.

The danger is choosing the wrong streamer… and giving them all your content.

You’ve understood that I was referring to MLS and its exclusivity deal with Apple TV+.

Why?

A study conducted by Numéris (NETendances 2024) titled Digital Portrait of Quebec Households speaks for itself.

In Quebec, 30% of people are subscribed to a streaming service, 18% to two, and 30% to three. The others don’t have a single one…

When they have only one, you’ll have guessed that it’s often Netflix. Indeed, 54% of those surveyed by Numéris had a subscription to Netflix.

Then comes Amazon Prime Video in second place (41%).

Following in order are Disney+ (24%), Crave (17%), Club Illico (15%), Tou.tv Extra (10%)… and then Apple TV+ (6%).

Who watches what?
(Credit: Mashable)

Out of the 1,253 people surveyed, only 77 had a subscription to Apple TV+.

Netflix had 674, which is almost nine times more!

And Amazon? 517, which is almost seven times more!

By doing a simple rule of three, we can thus think that about 4 to 5 million Quebecers have access to Netflix, that about 3 to 3.5 million Quebecers have access to Amazon Prime Video… but that only 500,000 people have access to Apple TV+ content. In the best of worlds…

Netflix is investing in the NFL, boxing, and wrestling to continue to please its subscribers (who are many). Amazon is aligning with hockey to do the same, especially in Canada, as well as to acquire a few more subscriptions.

But Apple TV+ had bet that sticking with MLS (and Lionel Messi) would explode its subscription numbers. Except that’s not what happened…

And the league is suffering today. It aligned with someone who had a different strategy and prioritized quick money over the long term.

Let’s stay in Quebec…

Out of the 500,000 people who have access to the Apple TV+ service, how many have decided to pay an extra of over $100 for the MLS Season Pass? Very few, I’m told…

Thank goodness we offered MLS Season Pass subscriptions (without Apple TV+) to season subscribers; otherwise, Frédéric Lord and Vincent Destouches would be talking to themselves quite a bit on match nights.

Someone confided to me last summer that the average viewership ratings (per minute) of CF Montreal’s matches were in the three or four digits.

“If it’s in the four digits, it’s not in the high four digits.”

Yes, MLS and its teams pocketed $2 billion with the Apple TV+ deal, but we can already see the perverse effects of that deal. Many traditional media have also chosen to boycott the team after losing the rights they previously held…

I repeat, but major sports leagues would do well to partner with streaming giants…

But they must learn from the mistake made by MLS. Basically, they must:

1. Ensure they partner with the right one,
2. Not grant exclusivity of all their content.

NFL broadcasts about 10% of its matches exclusively online. I expect about the same ratio from the NHL with its next Canadian deal…

To return to CF Montreal, it’s fortunate that RDS has retained the broadcast of about 15 games per year. That saves the situation, even if it is clearly not enough.

To think there are still eight years left on the deal binding CF Montreal and Apple TV+! #PatienceFans

Overtime

– It’s no coincidence that several CF Montreal matches are offered for free to Apple TV+ subscribers. We clearly haven’t succeeded in breaking into the Quebec market with MLS Season Pass subscriptions, and the club must be tired of not being watched as much as it was before on TVA Sports.

– In 2023, RDS had 1.7 million subscribers, and TVA Sports had 1.3 million. In Quebec, a normal household is considered to be about 2.5 people. In short, Netflix would therefore have about 1.8 million subscriptions, and Amazon Prime Video, 1.4 million. These numbers are very similar to those of our French-language sports channels.

– Only 44% of young people aged 18 to 35 have a subscription to a traditional cable distributor. They were nearly 60% before the pandemic…

This is where the decline of traditional media is evident. And it’s even worse in the English-speaking sector, both in Canada and the United States.

– Apple TV+ also made a big mistake in its coverage of MLS: there is no interesting content between matches, before matches, and during halftime. #RetainYourAudience

– Since we’re talking about CF Montreal, I’m told that the chances of seeing the French-language radio broadcast of the matches remain excellent on BPM Sports.

– TSN and RDS (Bell Media) have announced several partnerships with Amazon over the past few months. Interesting…

Although Amazon Prime Video is currently broadcasting national games on Monday nights thanks to a partnership with Sportsnet.

– Finally, since we’re talking about streamers, Amazon Prime Video announced this morning that a second documentary series, Faceoff: Inside The NHL, will be presented in 2025 (six episodes). The Tkachuk family will be involved in this second season.

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Ivan Demidov scores a beautiful goal in front of Kent Hughes.

Kent Hughes is currently in Russia to monitor the performance of Ivan Demidov.

The Canadiens’ prospect had a chance to impress future GM today as his team faced Bogdan Konyushkov’s team (Torpedo)… And that’s exactly what he did.

Demidov took advantage of a nice pass from Evgeny Kuznetsov while positioned in the slot to beat the opposing goalie with a precise shot into the top corner:

For Demidov, this is his 7th goal scored since the start of the season.

He also has 14 assists to his record for a total of 21 points in 35 games.

More details to come…

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Samuel Montembeault will play tomorrow night (and that says a lot about Cayden Primeau)

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Normally, a back to back means that two goaltenders play to prevent one from playing two games in 24 hours. That’s the standard in the NHL – to the dismay of all those who experienced the old days.

Logically, since the Canadiens play tomorrow night on the road and Saturday night at home against the same team (the Red Wings), we should expect to see Samuel Montembeault play on Saturday.

Now, Martin St-Louis, without confirming the identity of his goaltender for Saturday’s game, said that it’s the Quebecer – and not Cayden Primeau – who will play tomorrow night, that is, Friday. This will be his eighth consecutive start.

And that says a lot about what’s to come.

After all, I don’t see a scenario where Monty plays on the road on Friday and it’s Primeau who gets the Saturday night game, just before Christmas, at home.

And since I don’t believe a Laval goaltender will necessarily come play on Saturday night in his place (even though it’s not completely impossible), I feel like predicting that Monty will play both games of the back to back.

In fact, expect, at this point and under the current conditions, to see him play all three games before Christmas, including Monday, December 23.

I’m really getting the feeling that Martin St-Louis doesn’t want to trust Cayden Primeau. Because if he had wanted to give him a game, it would logically have been the one tomorrow night.

I wonder how the goaltender is taking this.

Let’s also note that defenseman Alexandre Carrier, who will join the Canadiens in Detroit, will be in uniform tomorrow night. He will thus make his debut with his new organization.

Logically, expect Michael Pezzetta and Jayden Struble to be in the stands.

In brief

– Alexandre Carrier brings depth to the group.

– To be continued regarding the draft.

– Too bad for the two brothers.

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Rangers: an employee dismissed for having eaten with a player from the club

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Things are going badly for the Rangers. In fact, it’s really going badly.

The club is in complete disarray and truly represents the following statement: in a business, leadership comes from the top. So when things are all twisted up top, it leads to…

It leads to the Rangers.

Chris Drury, the GM and president, is not managing his club well. And as time goes by, we realize more and more that he has ridiculous rules that undermine team spirit in New York.

Example? When Alexis Lafrenière couldn’t speak French with reporters. It gives off the same vibe as the former CH players who couldn’t speak to CH players under Marc Bergevin.

But now there’s another type of rule that’s causing a stir on social media concerning the Rangers.

According to what journalist Vince Z. Mercogliano reports, a public relations employee of the club lost his job because he – brace yourselves as I’m about to tell you the crime of the year – shared a meal with a player.

In short, management refuses to let members of the organization spend unnecessarily time with players or coaches. They do their job with the players… and that’s it.

It’s not a healthy atmosphere. No need for me to paint a picture for you because when your boss controls who you can talk to or not in the same company, it creates friction.

The journalist also mentions that the firing of Jim Ramsay, who now works for the Canadiens, hasn’t helped the climate within the team. He was liked, after all.

It’s no coincidence that the Rangers (and the Sabres) are teams to watch on the market right now.

In brief

– I like it.

– Noteworthy.

– Makes sense.

– Makes sense.

– Welcome to the NHL.

– Noteworthy.

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Caleb Desnoyers: the Quebec target of the Canadiens at the draft

Photo by Dale Preston/Getty Images

Let’s talk about the draft a little.

Last month, my colleague Maxime Truman wrote an article in which he reported that the Montreal Canadiens were interested in Caleb Desnoyers, a Quebecer from the QMJHL.

He also mentioned it on the Stanley25 podcast, but here’s the gist of his argument.

The Canadiens (Nick Bobrov, Martin Lapointe, and Serge Boisvert) have been spying on young Caleb Desnoyers several times since the start of the season, particularly in Quebec. – Maxime Truman

And clearly, JT and he were right as Caleb Desnoyers’ name is becoming more and more prominent around the Canadiens as a top target for the team.

The site Responsible Gambler echoed this as according to the site’s information, it seems that Desnoyers is still a significant target for the Canadiens.

In fact, according to what has been written, sources mention that if the Habs do not draft in the top-5 and the Quebecer is still available, he would be Montreal’s pick.

This can change, of course, but still.

Desnoyers is a 6’2 center who shoots left. In his second year with the Moncton Wildcats, the native of Saint-Hyacinthe has 42 points in 26 games, including 17 goals.

He is the best prospect in the QMJHL since Alexis Lafrenière in my eyes.

In a nutshell

– News from practice.

– Interesting.

– Makes sense.

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Kent Hughes is harshly criticized for stepping foot in Russia during wartime.

The Canadiens visited earlier this week the leaders of SKA, Ivan Demidov’s KHL club.

Nick Bobrov, who is Russian, was accompanied by two Canadians: GM Kent Hughes and Vincent Lecavalier, who also works on the second floor for the Habs organization.

Together, they spoke with Roman Rotenberg and notably visited the facilities of the Russian club.

Even though several topics were discussed, it is understood that the reason the Canadiens were there was to talk about the development of Ivan Demidov, an excellent prospect too often left on the bench by his coach.

Otherwise, they would not have gone to Russia.

What we notice, however, is that several articles from Quebecor have been signed by journalists who condemn the presence of the Canadiens in Russia due to the war.

Jean-Nicolas Blanchet is wondering if the Canadiens are above the war and François-David Rouleau wrote an article that, in Loïc Tassé’s eyes, discusses an odious and condemnable decision on the part of the Habs.

The debate is interesting because yes, the war exists. Yes, there is a moral debate to be had. And yes, politics and sports, whether we like it or not, will always be linked to each other.

But it is understood that the Habs were there legally to follow one of their top prospects. If they did not do this, they would be criticized.

At a certain point, we must also let people do their jobs, and the job of the Habs is to make sure that Ivan Demidov, a prospect that the Habs had the right to draft, progresses. And it’s not as if the Habs enjoy watching him play in Russia since in an ideal world, he would be in Quebec.

Moreover, it should be noted that in the articles, there is not really any mention that the Habs would have been in favor of Russia’s return to international competitions, according to what Roman Rotenberg said. In my opinion, that would have been a more concrete basis for debate.

There are Canadians in the hockey world who work in the KHL as players and coaches. And we have not seen the same criticisms directed at them as towards the Habs this week.

Yet, they established themselves there. They are not just passing through.

It should be noted that even Renaud Lavoie, who works for Quebecor, was not exactly in favor of such articles. He mentioned it on the radio (BPM Sports) in his morning column.

I understand where the debate is coming from, but I won’t throw the first stone at Kent Hughes when he has the right to do so… especially given that it has been known for months that this visit was in the plans.

In brief

– Exactly.

– Hmm…

– Contract: Patrik Laine will not gift the Habs anything. [98.5 Sports]

– Brady Tkachuk will be showcased by the NHL. We will see him behind the scenes of his sport.

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Alexandre Carrier: David Savard and Mike Matheson become more easily tradable.

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

In 2022-2023, the Canadiens had four options among the veteran defensemen: Mike Matheson, David Savard, Chris Wideman, and Joel Edmundson. So, there was experience on the blue line.

But since last year?

With Wideman and Edmundson not having played in Montreal since spring 2023, let’s say it had been a while since Savard and Matheson were the only two veterans in the defensive group. And when one was absent, the other was alone.

Clearly, this didn’t seem to be the biggest issue in the world for management if it took them a year and a half before adding a guy like Alexandre Carrier. But it was perhaps starting to become an issue to think about.

We know that the CH was looking for a defenseman of that kind recently.

Now that the CH has three defensemen on the blue line, we must open the discussion: is returning to two veteran Quebecois on the blue line, the formula used for over 100 games, part of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton’s plans?

In other words: do Mike Matheson or David Savard have a greater chance of leaving now that Carrier is there until 2027?

I included Matheson in the mix because he is clearly an attractive candidate for contending teams. But in fact, eyes are currently turning toward David Savard.

After all, he is slower and more defensive than Matheson. He is in the same mold as Carrier (more the type to play on the penalty kill than on the power play), and his contract will expire in a few months.

From the way things are going, we do not necessarily expect Savard to sign a new contract in Montreal. In my view, he was already on borrowed time in the city.

Carrier is an ideal replacement. And the CH is in a strong position to shop Savard (the thing to do by then) by the trade deadline without creating a hole, right now.

Savard is very important for the Canadiens (and his contributions will not be forgotten when he is elsewhere… and I really say this without wanting to seem like the guy who sends Savard away too quickly) and he is a reason explaining the Canadiens’ good penalty kill.

It is good to know that Carrier will be able to continue doing this the day Savard is no longer there.

Extension

Let’s also note that even though he is a forward, Jake Evans is also in the final year of his contract and he is a very important element of the team’s penalty kill. Savard and he are key players.

If both were to leave, replacements would be needed. Carrier fits into that mold.

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It was Jeff Gorton who called Alexandre Carrier (and not Kent Hughes) after the trade.

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

The Montreal Canadiens, last night, acquired the services of Quebecer Alexandre Carrier. In return, Justin Barron is heading to Nashville to continue his career.

It is known that the Quebecer is happy to be in town and that he has received the green light to play, after being injured. However, there are still several angles to address regarding this transaction.

What do I take away from the Canadiens’ trade?

1. It was Jeff Gorton – and not Kent Hughes – who called Alexandre Carrier to welcome him to Montreal. Normally, it is the GM’s job to do this after a trade.

The main interested party confirmed this to Maxim Lapierre from La Poche Bleue. Great job by Max to have him so quickly, by the way!

It is important to note that normally, it is the GM who calls a player in such a situation. But here, it was the VP of the Canadiens who took the phone to call the club’s new acquisition.

There are two reasons that might justify why it was Gorton who called and not Kent Hughes.

  • The GM is on the other side of the world
  • The VP is the real boss of hockey operations

In my opinion, the fact that Kent Hughes is on the other side of the world (he was on Tuesday, anyway) can explain why Gorton took the phone to call Carrier. Who knows if Hughes was sleeping at the time of the announcement.

Kent Hughes certainly receives calls like this. But here, in my view, there are circumstances.

The trade was likely discussed before Hughes left for Russia to see Ivan Demidov play. It was formalized, notice, when Carrier was taken off the injured list.

That said, when we know that Jeff Gorton is the boss in Montreal, the question is worth raising nonetheless.

2. Kent Hughes, a former Quartexx agent, went to get a client from Quartexx. And even though they haven’t worked together much (Carrier has not been with the agency for years, and Hughes has never been his agent), it is still noteworthy.

If the Canadiens want to know a player’s character, all contacts are good.

3. The Canadiens not only traded for present talent but also exchanged a player obtained by the new administration. Marc Bergevin has nothing to do with Justin Barron’s presence in town (who is on his third organization, mind you).

But since the Canadiens wanted reinforcement in the top-4, it was the right thing to do.

4. This morning, on the radio (BPM Sports), Anthony Marcotte said that this summer, the Canadiens had interest in Alexandre Carrier. He, however, decided not to become a free agent and signed for $3.75 million a year until 2027.

So he got himself back by acquiring him through trade.

5. The Predators trading Carrier for a defender (Barron) who may never be as established as the Quebecer, is this a sign that Barry Trotz’s reconstruction threats were valid?

The question arises.

6. Carrier will stabilize the Montreal defense. He can play around twenty minutes per game and in short-handed situations, and while he may not be as offensive as Barron can be, he has a clear identity in the NHL.

That will definitely help.

In Brief

– Interesting.

– NHL: how to manage the Canadian dollar? [98.5 FM]

– Alexandre Carrier knows Trevor Letowski. #TeamCanada