Author: Dose

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Another fine goal for Patrik Laine

We knew he had a dangerous shot.

We knew he could help the Canadiens, especially on the powerplay.

And so far, no one in town is disappointed.

Patrik Laine scored another Patrik Laine goal.

You can’t learn that:

More details to come…

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Mika Zibanejad’s turn on the Rangers’ market

In recent weeks, the New York Rangers have been placing some big players on the trade market.

First, we recall thatKaapo Kakko and Chris Kreider were on that list.

Recently, colossal defenseman Jacob Trouba was offered to other teams.

And today, we learn that Mika Zibanejad is also on the market.

There are starting to be a lot of names on this list.

General manager Chris Drury will definitely have his work cut out for him between now and the trade deadline.

And these aren’t small names, either…

With guys like Kreider, Trouba, Kakko and now Zibanejad, we can expect a very good return for these players.

They could be of interest to a number of teams looking to add offensive punch, youth, toughness or even depth for some well-heeled clubs.

Of course, it’s important to remember that they all have big salaries, except in the case of Kakko, who has a salary cap of $2.4 million for this season alone.

Mika Zibanejad ($8.5 M/year), Jacob Trouba ($8 M/year) and Chris Kreider ($6.5 M/year), that’s a lot of dollars on a lot.

It’s easy to understand why the Rangers want to trade so many big players: to make room for future contracts.

So, in addition to the young Finn, the contracts attached to the other players on the market are likely to weigh heavily on the balance.

So there will have to be salary restraints or contracts in return if there is to be a deal.

Interestingly, the Rangers can hold back three salaries, since there are currently no salary holdbacks.

Let’s see what Drury has in store for us in the coming weeks/months.

Overtime

– Michael Hage is player of the month. He’s also the top rookie with the best points-per-game average in the NCAA (tied with James Hagens).

– Necas is the first player in Hurricanes and Whalers history to collect 40 points so quickly.

– What a great transition and finish from Chris Boucher.

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Subban vs. Weber: David Poile approached Marc Bergevin

Let’s go back to June 29, 2016.

It’s hard to know exactly what we were doing that day without any other information.

If I tell you that on that day, the Canadiens de Montréal and the Nashville Predators completed a trade that shocked the world, it probably rings more bells.

That’s right, the famous trade of P.K. Subban for Shea Weber.

Let’s face it, not many people saw this trade coming.

However, additional information about this blockbuster trade was recently released.

Pierre LeBrun added it to the latest episode of the Athletic Commission‘s Radar podcast.

It was David Poile – then GM of the Preds – who approached Marc Bergevin to discuss a trade.

Pierre LeBrun even played the role of Poile to announce this:

“It was David Poile who went to see Marc Bergevin and I think he surprised him towards the end of the draft when he said: ”Shea Weber, are you interested? ”. That’s how it started between the two of them.” – Pierre LeBrun

Still, very interesting to know.

Even Anthony Desaulniers was shocked to hear the news.

Afterwards, LeBrun went on to say that he’s not 100% sure, but he’s pretty convinced that’s what happened.

He also added that David Poile was beginning to understand that Subban’s name was starting to circulate more and more.

As LeBrun so aptly puts it at the end of the above excerpt: ” The rest is history “.

Overtime

– Interesting.

– It’s Tyler Kozak’s first game.

– Incredible!

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Mathieu Olivier in Montreal: To hear Darren Dreger tell it, you should probably forget it.

MONTREAL, QC - NOVEMBER 16: Kaiden Guhle (21) of the Montreal Canadiens battles for position with Mathieu Olivier (24) of the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period of the NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Montreal Canadiens on Nov 16 2024, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC(Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

In Montreal, fans love the players who show up on the ice.

Those who work their butts off for the logo always have a good reputation in town, for logical reasons.

That said, in recent weeks, many have talked about the idea of bringing Mathieu Olivier to Montreal from Columbus, because he’s a hard-working player. He also has interesting physical qualities for a club like the Canadiens, which doesn’t hit very hard.

But to hear Darren Dreger(Insider Trading) tell it, we should probably forget it.

Why?

Because, according to the insider, Olivier is in Columbus, the Blue Jackets love him… And the two sides are already negotiating his next contract.

Yikes.

Mathieu Olivier will turn 29 next summer. And he’ll be as free as a bird.

That said, the Québécois is in his prime and it’s only natural that the Blue Jackets want to do everything they can to keep him.

Olivier fights hard, he’s one of the most physical players in the National League because he’s never afraid of upsetting the opposition, and we’re even seeing a certain offensive touch in his game this season.

He still scored seven goals in his first 24 games of the campaign.

That’s a pace of 24 goals a season!

Also, the Blue Jackets are rebuilding and need veterans to surround their youngsters in the right way.

Mathieu Olivier has all the qualities to fill that role perfectly… And at the same time, the Blue Jackets have room under the payroll to pay him to make sure he stays in Columbus.

Knowing all this, I really feel we have to rule out the possibility of Mathieu Olivier playing for the Habs for a long time to come.

Overtime

– That’s right.

– The next generation:

– Tit-Cole!

– Logical.

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Luke Richardson would be the perfect candidate for the Canadiens

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 10: Chicago Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson speaks to the press prior to the game against the Minnesota Wild at the United Center on November 10, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)

It’s amazing how quickly life changes.

Yesterday, Luke Richardson was the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks… And today, he’s out of a job.

He was fired by the Hawks in the last hour:

Obviously, you never wish a person to lose their job.

It’s part of life… But it’s never pleasant.

That said, the timing of this news is interesting because in Montreal, there’s a glaring lack of experience behind the bench.

So why wouldn’t the Canadiens call him up?

Luke Richardson would be the perfect candidate for the Canadiens. Because there are some pretty logical arguments.

He has over 10 seasons of NHL coaching experience (eight in Montreal as an assistant and two and a half in Chicago as head coach), he knows the Montreal market because he’s already worked for the Canadiens, he’s already played with Martin St-Louis and Vincent Lecavalier in Tampa Bay…

But above all, we’re talking about a coach who is renowned for his work on the defensive end.

And we know that the Habs have been struggling in this area for the past few seasons.

The team is still rebuilding, but even so, the Habs are the 3rd club to have allowed the most goals since the start of the campaign, and they also have the second-worst differential in the NHL.

Things aren’t going well defensively, to put it another way.

At the same time, perhaps having an experienced coach like Richardson would also allow the young defensemen to progress better.

I’m not saying Stéphane Robidas doesn’t know how to do his job… But the difference is that Richardson has spent several seasons in that role.

And with the Habs’ young defense, I like the idea of having a guy who can guide these youngsters with his experience.

That’s something to keep an eye on, and what’s interesting is that Richardson’s contract with the Hawks expires at the end of this season.

It’s rare for head coaches to become assistants before the end of their contract… But with Richardson, it’s different, as his agreement ends soon.

All that to say, it would be interesting to see Richardson make a return to Montreal. And it’s likely to be the talk of a lot of people in the coming weeks.

Overtime

– Here it is:

– He ain’t little, Sheriff.

– Beautiful style.

– Brings back memories.

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Luke Richardson is fired

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 19: Head coach Luke Richardson of the Chicago Blackhawks looks on during the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on February 19, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images)

Luke Richardson left the Canadiens after the 21-22 season to become head coach of the Blackhawks.

However, the team in Chicago has never performed well since his arrival… And now management has lost patience.

According to Frank Seravalli on Twitter, the Blackhawks have decided to fire him:

More details to come…

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Losing on purpose: Steve Yzerman did everything he could to draft Alexis Lafrenière

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 28: General manager Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings looks on from the stage during the first round of the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Sphere on June 28, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)

Before the 2020 draft, Alexis Lafrenière was seen as the next big thing in the National Hockey League.

He’d been the talk of the town for a few years now, even earning comparisons with the likes of Sidney Crosby in the process.

He was that good in the QMJHL.

In the end, it was the Rangers who won the lottery that year, and they took the opportunity to select the Québécois with the very first pick in the draft.

That said, it was Steve Yzerman who must not have been happy, because he did everything in his power to select Lafrenière first overall.

Renaud Lavoie talked about it this morning on the radio(BPM Sports): Yzerman “didn’t bother” with his club in the final stretch of the season to make sure he got the best possible pick.

I’ve never seen a general manager abandon his team like that.

From January 12 to March 10, the Red Wings played a total of 26 games to end their season.

And during that stretch, the club won… five times:

(Credit: ESPN screenshot)

At the 2020 trade deadline, a few months before the Laffy draft, Steve Yzerman took the necessary steps to hurt his club.

He traded Andreas Athanasiou and Mike Green to Edmonton, leaving the Red Wings with little quality left in their lineup.

You only have to look at the team’s top scorers for the season to understand just how pitiful it was :

(Credit: HockeyDB)

In the end, Steve Yzerman’s plan failed miserably.

The Red Wings didn’t even get a chance to draft in the top-3 that year… But they were lucky anyway, as they got their hands on Lucas Raymond with the 4th overall pick.

It’s a good consolation prize because Raymond is still an important player in Detroit.

On the other hand, Renaud Lavoie has a point when he says that we should punish teams that want to lose on purpose.

It’s not good for the sport’s image (although it’s also seen in the other three major leagues in North America) and it sends a negative message to the team’s fans who still travel to the games.

Overtime

– I can’t wait to see it.

– Wow!

– Ouain…

– Happy reading.

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SKA: Demidov plays less than 10 minutes for 7th straight game

In SKA’s last game, Ivan Demidov didn’t play.

Roman Rotenberg decided not to use him, in fact.

The Habs and SKA prospects were back in action today, and Demidov started the game on his team’s third line:

But ultimately, Demidov’s game isn’t too complicated to sum up.

He spent just under four minutes on the ice in the first period (3:54) and in the second, he made three appearances for 2:50 of playing time.

I didn’t mention the third… Because the Canadiens’ prospect was never able to touch the ice.

He finished the game with a superb (or not) 6:44 of playing time and a shot on goal.

All his appearances can be seen in these two videos, which were posted by the Habs Nation account on Twitter:

Since the start of the season, Roman Rotenberg has been known to be inconsistent in his decisions with Demidov.

But now, over the past month or so, it’s become blatantly obvious. Demidov hardly plays at all:

  • 9:59 of playing time on November 13
  • 9:44 of playing time on November 15
  • 9:54 playing time on November 18
  • 6:46 playing time on November 21
  • 8:24 playing time on November 28
  • Bench-pressed the entire game on November 30
  • 6:44 of playing time today

That makes seven straight games in which the Habs prospect has warmed the bench more than anything else.

He’s picked up just one point in that stretch… But can we really blame him?

After all, it’s hard to perform and stay confident when your own coach isn’t playing you. And the sad thing is that this is becoming a frequent occurrence… Even though Demidov has proved since the start of the season that he can help the club offensively.

In closing, it’s worth noting that his club lost today to Dinamo Minsk.

After 32 games, Demidov has 20 points, including six goals.

Overtime

– Yep.

– A good choice.

– Time to break out the toques!

– Oh, wow.

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Kent Hughes is the one who “gave the shit” to Juraj Slafkovsky

After Tuesday’s game, we learned that Juraj Slafkovsky had “eaten shit” from a Canadiens executive on Monday. This was in connection with his more difficult performances.

It obviously whipped him, as he performed better on Tuesday.

And now we learn that it was GM Kent Hughes who was behind the discussion in question. He’s the one who shook him up a bit to get the best out of him for the future.

That’s what we learn in a text from The Athletic, via Arpon Basu.

I’m not surprised it’s coming from the GM. After all, it was Kent Hughes who negotiated his $7.6 M per year contract (2025-2033) and he probably wants to see him perform.

I get the feeling that Hughes was speaking for everyone.

Note that Slaf had specified that it wasn’t Martin St-Louis who was at the heart of the meeting (before revealing that it was Hughes) since the coach does it more often.

Martin tells me that every day. – Slaf

It’s worth mentioning that Slaf has the character to take such discussions in stride. After all, he wasn’t obliged to publicly disclose the nature of his discussion with Hughes, but he chose to do so in front of the media anyway.

He often finds a way to keep a smile on his face, and clearly doesn’t let people who want to help him affect him too much. And right now, with Patrik Laine, he’s got the potential to set the rink ablaze.

Overtime

– Pardon? The club just left Oakland and 30 seconds later, they’re offering the biggest guaranteed contract in their history?

– He’s happy. #TeamCanada

– To watch.

– He’s back and healthy.

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Four Nations: Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield motivated by their exclusion

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

The Canadiens will have three representatives at the Four Nations Confrontation: Joel Armia, Patrik Laine and Samuel Montembeault.

Montembeault is undoubtedly the most talked-about of the three. After all, many are wondering to what extent he deserves to be there, and to what extent he is not there “by default” as a Québécois.

But Patrik Laine is also the talk of the town, given that he’s only just started playing again. However, he has known for months that he had a chance of being chosen.

And the forgotten ones?

While we suspected there was a chance Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield would be left out, the fact remains that the guys didn’t appreciate not being chosen.

And on that subject, Nick Suzuki defended his American teammate, saying he was surprised he was left out. After all, no American has scored more than him (16) this season.

And the Habs made a point of saying so.

Suzuki, who says he’s shown what he’s made of by taking on the best opponents with the Habs, says he and Caufield will use their exclusion as motivation for what’s to come.

That’s something.

I also wonder how much playing for the wrong team has changed the game – especially in Suzuki’s case.

Why do I say that? Because, as Elliotte Friedman (32 Thoughts) pointed out, the only Canadian to have a spot in the tournament who plays for a club that doesn’t play for .500 is… Montembeault.

The fact that Caufield is omitted is a sign that the Americans don’t see him on their top-6 – and that Caufield isn’t a defensive player. Suzuki, on the other hand, is a defensive player.

That’s probably what tickles him.

It’s also worth noting, as pointed out in Friedman’s text, that commercial breaks will be even longer than in the NHL (60 seconds more), and that the best players could therefore play more.

Did this have a role to play in the composition of the teams’ bottom-6 ? We don’t know.

Overtime

– No changes expected tonight.

– The bosses were watching the players this morning.

– To watch.

– Nathan Beaulieu’s party.

– Indeed.