Author: Dose

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Cole Caufield: Bill Guerin wanted to change the rules to make room for him at the 4 Nations.

Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images

During the Four Nations Confrontation, which will take place next February, there will be three players from the Montreal Canadiens: Samuel Montembeault, Patrik Laine, and Joel Armia.

But it’s not just the chosen players who are causing a stir: the absentees are too.

Not seeing Nick Suzuki has stirred conversation. And even though Julien BriseBois said otherwise yesterday, one might think that the Canadian captain from the Canadiens was not too in demand. Not going to the World Championship in 2024 has probably hurt him.

And the other player who has made headlines is Cole Caufield.

After all, as the Canadiens have not hesitated to say, Cole Caufield was the top American scorer in the NHL at the time the teams were announced. And he still is.

But because the Americans had other players for the top-6 and Cole Caufield is not exactly built to face Canada’s fourth line, he was left out.

But don’t think it was an easy decision.

According to what Renaud Lavoie reported this morning, Bill Guerin (the American GM) called the NHL to request that rosters increase from 23 players to 25. His goal was to make room for Caufield.

But he was told no.

This means that Caufield was one of the finalists for a spot. It would therefore not be surprising if, in the event of an injury, he is the one to get the call from the national team to be a replacement.

All of this remains to be seen… but if I were him, I wouldn’t book my sunny vacation too quickly in February, let’s say.

In Brief

– A name to watch in 2025.

– Still.

– Not wrong.

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Jakub Dobes was injured “every time he was near a reminder.”

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 11: Laval Rocket goalie Jakub Dobes (71) is in a spotlight after allowing a goal during the second period of the American Hockey League game between the Laval Rocket and Cleveland Monsters on April 11, 2024, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Let’s talk about Jakub Dobes for a moment.

Several months ago, my colleague Maxime Truman mentioned that the Canadiens hold Jakub Dobes in high regard. Basically, his message was this: don’t just talk about Jacob Fowler among the goaltending prospects.

Since then, Jeff Gorton praised him, and he has helped the Rocket have some good moments at the start of the season. Let’s just say he was helping his case for a potential recall.

Talking about Dobes is interesting right now because the Canadiens have to deal with Cayden Primeau, who is not up to the challenge that has been given to him this season.

And in Laval, Dobes is having a great season. Connor Hughes is too, by the way.

(Credit: Hockey DB)

On this subject, this morning on BPM Sports, Renaud Lavoie mentioned that every time Jakub Dobes was close to getting a recall with the Canadiens, he got injured.

Interesting, isn’t it?

It is possible to think that Primeau is living on borrowed time with the Canadiens. He hasn’t started a game since December 1 and is not even guaranteed to play one of the two games over the weekend.

Martin St-Louis said earlier this season that having a different goaltender for the second game of a back-to-back was the norm. But yesterday, he did not want to confirm whether Primeau would get a start on Friday or Saturday against Detroit.

The most likely scenarios are seeing Samuel Montembeault play both games or Cayden Primeau playing the Friday game, which will be on the road.

I’m not saying a goaltender won’t be recalled, but since Dobes is recovering from an injury, it’s really not likely.

It should be noted that the Canadiens can decide to test Dobes without sending Primeau to waivers or trading him. After all, a recall for one game is a possibility.

The CH could wait for Dobes to get back in form, that said.

Primeau must believe that he is still in Montreal until proven otherwise. But clearly, he must feel the pressure on him because things have not been going well since the start of the season.

This is not the first time it has been said, but his next outing will be important.

In brief

– Great Big Papi.

– Worth reading.

– For CMJ fans.

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Mathias Brunet and Martin Lemay have made a decision regarding the future of their segment.

Did you have a bad day yesterday?

Just remember that Mathias Brunet and Martin Lemay understand you.

While the two men debated the presence – or absence – of veterans in the endless rebuilding of the Buffalo Sabres, Martin asked Mathias to stop talking nonsense…

And Mathias left the studio before the end of his segment. And Martin’s famous finger went viral on social media…

Since Mathias is a weekly commentator on the return show of BPM Sports, many people were wondering if Mathias would be back on air today (Tuesday) for his segment.

Well, according to several people involved in the situation, the plan at 8:00 AM this morning was to apologize on air, hug it out, and deliver the segment as usual.

In short, we should expect to see Martin and Mathias – two people I appreciate, by the way – continue working together.

That’s great, because it’s one of the best segments of the return show. Removing it would have had consequences since listeners enjoy those 15, 20 daily minutes (which are sponsored, let’s remember).

In short, two colleagues who have had their share of disputes argued on air, clarified their issues, and they should continue their collaboration soon. Hoping that the chemistry is still there after all this…

I think we will be more numerous than usual to listen to watch the return show today. And that’s good for the ratings (even though it was in no way staged).

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Top-3: Two goals and a shot to the face for Zach Hyman

Pretty quiet Monday in the NHL last night.

Only six teams were in action.

Here are the results and highlights:

1. Eventful night for Zach Hyman

Since his return to play, Zach Hyman has been performing much better.

Last night, he scored two goals, bringing his total to seven in his last six games.

However, his great night was marred by a pretty painful injury.

Positioned in the crease, he took a slap shot from Evan Bouchard to the jaw.

He’s tough, though.

In the third period, he returned with a full cage.

The Oilers ultimately lost by a score of 6-5.

So they lost by one goal, and this Matthew Tkachuk goal was upheld:

Was it good, in your opinion?

In any case, it sparked reactions on social media…

2. Natural hat trick for Kiefer Sherwood

Late in the night, the Avalanche were visiting Vancouver.

The home team won the match by a score of 3-1.

The Canucks scored the first three goals of the game, courtesy of Kiefer Sherwood (natural hat trick).

His name was chanted throughout the venue.

Vancouver also played a physical game. Artturi Lehkonen even lost his helmet.

30 saves on 31 shots for Thatcher Demko.

He won his first game of the 2024-2025 season.

3. Action-packed match in Dallas

In Dallas, the Capitals were visiting.

The Stars eventually won by a score of 3-1, thanks in part to Lian Bichsel’s winning goal.

In three NHL games, he already has two goals.

In the second period, tensions flared. Brandon Duhaime and Brendan Smith started throwing punches.

At the end of the third period, Roope Hintz drove the final nail into the visitors’ coffin with a devastating slap shot.

Overtime

– Solid.

– The top 10 scorers from the previous night.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– 20 teams in action tonight.

(Credit: Google)
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Kirby Dach must be removed from the lineup.

TORONTO, CANADA - OCTOBER 11: Kirby Dach #77 of the Montreal Canadiens waits for a puck drop against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 3rd period in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on October 11, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Canadiens 6-5 in a shootout. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kirby Dach

We start this text strongly, but it needs to be addressed.

Kirby Dach is not meeting expectations this season (at all).

And I’m not just talking about his offensive contribution (which we are eagerly anticipating in Montreal), but about his overall game.

He seems lost, hesitates too much with the puck, and is often late on the play, leading to far too many penalties on his part.

Taking good penalties is possible, but the Canadiens, in general, are far too undisciplined, and Dach is a significant part of that.

In fact, the CH is ranked 4th in the league for the number of penalty minutes this season.

Dach needs to change something in his game, otherwise, the worst could happen: watching a game (or several) from the press box.

As for me, he should have sat out for a while a long time ago, and Tony Marinaro thinks the same.

This morning on BPM Sports, Marinaro shared his thoughts on the Canadiens’ big center.

“The fact that Kirby Dach plays like one of the worst players in the NHL is the problem. If Kirby Dach didn’t have a certain name […] and if the CH didn’t have so much hope in him, he wouldn’t be in the lineup.” – Tony Marinaro

That was clear enough.

And on that point, he is completely right.

Any player performing like Dach is would have already had their turn in the press box and that is what Martin St-Louis must do if he truly wants to wake up his troops.

Putting Dach as a healthy scratch and bringing in a Michael Pezzetta or recalling a deserving player from Laval in his place will certainly make a difference.

At the very least, the player in question should understand that he needs to change something.

Reducing the number of penalties he takes would already be a good start.

As Arpon Basu explains in his latest piece on The Athletic, he dissects the indiscipline of the CH and Dach’s situation.

D’abord, ce qu’il faut comprendre, c’est que ce n’est pas Dach qui a le plus de pénalités chez le CH.

It’s Josh Anderson who is actually at the very top in the NHL among forwards in this regard.

But Anderson, it’s because he works hard and tries to create something.

Dach is simply late and lacks the grit and intensity that explain Anderson’s penalties.

But as I mentioned earlier in the text, there are good penalties and bad ones. And Dach often falls into the latter category…

Even if Dach only has “10” minor penalties this season, most of them occurred at crucial moments and/or were costly.

“Three of Dach’s penalties were in the third period; the game was tied in two of those three instances. He took another penalty in overtime on Long Island, but his teammates blocked four shots to kill it before losing in a shootout.” – Arpon Basu

Definitely, Dach needs to correct his indiscipline at the wrong moments.

This cannot continue like this, and for the next game against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, I would sit him out to bring Pezzetta into the lineup.

He may not score much (like Dach, in fact), but he at least brings something else to the table.

In Brief

– To listen.

– Zach Hyman has been on fire since his return to action: already his 7th goal (at the time of writing) in just six games.

– The giant defenseman (who accidentally cut Michael McCarron in the neck) is the second defenseman in franchise history to score two goals in his first three career games.

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Rumor Corner: Bowen Byram wants to be a #1 defenseman

As the 2024-25 season slowly progresses, some disappointments from the year are starting to surface.

The New York Rangers’ season has elicited a lot of reactions, and as we know, several names in New York are on the trade market.

Even Adam Fox is being offered to other teams.

Although the problem seems to be more internal, with Chris Drury increasingly stirring conversation, players will always be the first to receive criticism.

Here’s what the recent rumors in the NHL look like.

Bowen Byram wants to become a #1 defenseman

Even though several teams are underperforming, the Buffalo Sabres are struggling a lot, probably more than others.

10 consecutive losses is never positive.

By the way, Buffalo will be the next opponent of the CH on Tuesday night.

Bowen Byram is a 23-year-old defenseman, the 4th overall pick in 2019, and has been playing in Buffalo since last year, after being traded from the Colorado Avalanche.

So far, the left-shot defenseman is not doing too badly this season, but nothing prevents rumors from circulating.

On the 32 Thoughts Podcast with Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas, Friedman mentioned that Byram would love to be a #1 defenseman.

With Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power as other important left-shot defensemen, this makes sense.

The Canadian defenseman will also become a restricted free agent this summer and will be looking to sign a big contract, and he also wants to test the waters.

There are also recent rumors regarding the young center of the Sabres, Dylan Cozens.

Nothing concrete in his case.

However, during the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman proposed a very interesting trade between the Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks.

« Bowen Byram + Dylan Cozens for Elias Pettersson, who says no? » – Elliotte Friedman

For my part, I would be surprised if Vancouver doesn’t ask for more than that, even though these are two excellent prospects.

Pettersson has already made his mark in the NHL as one of the best centers in the league.

It will take more than that for the Swedish star.

The Boston Bruins are receiving a lot of calls for Trent Frederic

Despite a tough Atlantic division on paper, the Boston Bruins are doing quite well with the 3rd place in their division.

However, with four more games played than the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are just one point behind the Bruins, that won’t last long.

Still in the 32TP, Friedman talked about Trent Frederic.

First, the Frederic camp and the Boston Bruins camp are struggling to find common ground for the impetuous forward’s next contract.

Some teams are aware of the contractual issues between the two camps and are increasingly interested.

He is in the last year of a two-year contract paying him $2.3 million per season.

His utility within a 3rd-4th line is significant, which is also why the Bruins are receiving many calls for the services of the 26-year-old center.

Whoever has the chance to improve their bottom-6 with Frederic, who is even more useful in the playoffs and when things get rough.

Brandon Saad could be moved, despite his full no-trade clause

Ah, those famous no-trade clauses, no-movement clauses, partial or full…

More often than not, these clauses tie the hands of executives trying to improve their team.

However, it is not uncommon to see a player lift their no-trade/no-movement clause, or modify it to accommodate everyone.

Brandon Saad, a veteran of the St. Louis Blues, could be the next to lift his clause, according to Elliotte Friedman.

« I believe that with Saad, even though he has a full no-trade clause, what’s circulating about him is that you shouldn’t assume he won’t change addresses. I think there are places he would lift his clause to go to that some may not think of. » – Elliotte Friedman

Saad could definitely bring experience, but he also won two Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks, and that counts for something.

However, Saad’s salary may restrict some teams.

He is in the fourth year of a five-year contract paying him $4.5 million per year.

St. Louis has no salary retained and could use one of its three “spots” to retain part of Saad’s contract to get the most they can.

Let’s see where all this leads.

In brief

– That’s good.

– The legendary Terry Fox will officially be on our $5 bills.

– A must-read.

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Goals in 60 minutes: Michael Hage is at the top of the NCAA

Michael Hage meets all the expectations that Montreal Canadiens fans had for him in his first year in the NCAA.

Let’s just say he’s doing pretty well, as he keeps on scoring.

Just last Saturday night, the Canadiens’ prospect scored the overtime goal, his 10th goal of the season. And all that, in just 15 games.

10 goals in 15 games gives an average of 0.67 goals per game…

Not bad for a freshman.

His goals per game average places him second in all of NCAA.

The only one ahead of him? Ryan Leonard (0.75), drafted 8th overall a year before Hage and is in his second season in NCAA.

However, what stands out even more in his case is that he scores abundantly despite the fact that he plays less than 15 minutes per game on average this season.

Grant McCagg from The Sick Podcast – Recrutes Draftcast delved into the advanced statistics of the beautiful prospect from the Sainte-Flanelle and discovered a nice nugget.

Hage is ranked first in the league (and by far) for goals scored per 60 minutes of play.

And it’s with this statistic that we can see everyone at the same level and understand that the right center is truly in a class of his own.

In the latest episode of the podcast, which you can listen to right here, McCagg announces that Hage is at 2.85 goals per 60 minutes played.

We were talking about Ryan Leonard earlier, who has the best average per game. Well, the sophomore is at 2.08 goals per 60 minutes.

The difference is truly incredible.

As McCagg said, it’s almost a goal more for every 60 minutes of play.

Interestingly, Hage has no less than four game-winning goals this season, tying him for 4th place in the league.

The three players ahead of him have won games for their teams five times, and that includes Ryan Leonard.

The Canadiens can be pleased to see how comfortable Hage is in his first year in the university world.

The future looks bright for the young 18-year-old center.

In Brief

– This is what we call shaking up the lines.

– It’s pretty amazing to see the success the Capitals are having this season, but this statistic is even more astounding.

– The coincidence is strong on this one.

– A first media presence for Gregg Popovich in a long time.

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Maxim Sergeyev, this former player who is currently in prison for espionage.

It's about the number of pucks that have crossed the opposing line in 11 games!

This story is completely crazy.

Maxim Sergeyev, does that ring a bell?

We’re talking about a Russian hockey player who played in Poland… But who today, finds himself in prison.

The main interested party was arrested in June 2023 by Polish police because he was accused of espionage.

According to Rick Westhead, Sergeyev had documents produced by the Wagner Group on his computer at the time of his detention, a Russian paramilitary group.

That said, he got “caught” after renting an apartment in Poland that overlooked a factory producing military equipment for Russia.

He is currently serving a sentence of nearly three years in prison after pleading guilty:

Maxim Sergeyev – who played as both a forward AND a defenseman – was never drafted by a National Hockey League team.

He was playing in the second league in Poland at the time of his arrest and has not played in a professional game since then.

It’s crazy how quickly dreams can vanish…

Ultimately, these kinds of stories never happen in North America and I don’t need to spell out the reasons why.

But still: it’s something special. Very special, in fact.

In the Rush

– I’m going with Makar. You?

– Attention poolers:

– This file remains to be followed, then.

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There was a strong debate between Martin Lemay and Mathias Brunet on the radio.

Mathias Brunet and Martin Lemay have been collaborating for several years.

But now, the chain seems to have dropped in this afternoon, while Mathias was in the studio for his daily segment.

Things got loud:

Martin Lemay and Mathias Brunet disagreed on a point and things escalated quickly afterward.

The tone rose, Martin Lemay wanted to speak again… And Mathias Brunet decided to leave the studio before things got any more out of hand.

At the end of the video above, we also see Martin Lemay quickly getting up from his chair to go down the hall of the station, presumably to talk to Mathias Brunet.

And let’s just say that the host of Retour des Sportifs looked quite upset, judging by the way he got up…

Mathias Brunet has his podcast (Processus) which he hosts alongside Simon Boisvert.

Martin Lemay, on the other hand, also hosts the show “On Jase” on RDS during lunchtime.

That said, one might wonder if the relationship between the two men is still good after what happened today.

Thank goodness the BPM Sports Christmas party has already passed…

It should be noted that the station removed its live video on YouTube to protect itself. Mathias Brunet’s segment was also not published on the station’s website.

Let’s recall in conclusion that this is not the first time we have seen a clash between Martin Lemay and Mathias Brunet.

Both are passionate and they do not always agree on the same point… But today, it was much more intense than usual.

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When Demidov decides to humiliate his opponent before scoring a magnificent goal.

In recent days, Ivan Demidov participated in a three-on-three competition held between representatives from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and the rest of the world.

This was on the sidelines of the “Channel One Cup” tournament, currently ongoing in Russia.

The Canadian prospect performed well in the competition, earning the tournament MVP title.

The matches in question were not broadcast in Quebec, making it difficult to find footage of Demidov.

That said, the Dom_Habs account on Twitter managed to obtain a video of Demidov scoring a simply magnificent goal. The site HabsolumentFan also published an article on the subject.

Demidov retrieved the puck in his zone before breaking the defenseman’s ankles with a beautiful feint… And then he took the goalie down before sending the puck into the top of the net with his backhand.

A goal worth watching and rewatching:

To score a goal like that, it takes talent.

That said, we know Demidov has good hands and is creative with the puck.

And at this level, I imagine the defenseman hadn’t really done his homework before facing the Canadiens’ prospect… Because he looked a bit foolish falling on his butt after being shown up like that.

Of course, it was a 3-on-3 match that didn’t count in the KHL standings, and that goal ultimately didn’t matter.

But seeing Demidov having fun on the ice and enjoying some freedom is refreshing as well.

Because if he had attempted that move while wearing the SKA uniform during a game and lost the puck, Roman Rotenberg would have benched him until the end of the match.

There, he had no one to come down on him even if he was trying some fancy moves on the ice.

In brief

– The Canadiens are among the most penalized teams in the National Hockey League.

See this post on Instagram

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– It’s not like he had a million choices either…

– Devin Shore is placed on waivers by the Wild.

– I like his response.

– Good.