Author: Dose

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“I have no doubt that the Blues wanted to give Jordan Kyrou more than Zachary Bolduc.”

For several weeks now, the Canadiens have been rumored to be interested in Jordan Kyrou, even though the team has just completed a deal with the St. Louis Blues.

What’s more, even though his no-trade clause came into effect on July 1, he would be willing to come and play in Montreal if the opportunity arose. [DLC link]

What if it was the Canadiens who didn’t want Kyrou?

That’s what Rick Springhetti and Grant McCagg discussed on the Recrutes Draftcast podcast.

They believe that the Habs didn’t take Zachary Bolduc after trying to acquire Kyrou, but rather the opposite, and Montreal instead demanded Bolduc in return for Logan Mailloux.

That makes a lot of sense.

At 22, Bolduc is an improving athlete who has just played his first full season with 36 points, including 19 goals, in 72 games.

He has scored 13 goals in his last 24 regular-season games.

He’s the perfect age to develop with our core group of players who should be contenders for top honours in a few years’ time

What’s more, the Québécois brings a physical dimension that the Canadiens need, and he’s in the final year of his three-year, $2.59 million entry-level contract ($863,334 per year).

His next contract will probably be a 3-4 year transition contract, which should be easier for the Habs to manage.

Kyrou, for his part, will complete the third of an eight-year contract worth $65 million ($8.125 million per year).

And after scoring 75 points in 74 games in the 2021-22 season, the forward has seen a slight decline, with 73, 67 and 70 points respectively in the last three campaigns.

Without being dramatic, if this slump continues, his contract could quickly age badly and hurt the Habs.

At 27, Kyrou represents a bigger risk than Bolduc, and could already be on the decline by the time the Habs’ window of opportunity opens.

What’s more, as McCagg points out, Kyrou’s production is similar to that of another 27-year-old, Patrick Laine, but so are his defensive problems.

And one wonders if the Canadiens really need a second Laine in their line-up?

Overtime

-What do you think?

– Good news for the Alouettes.

– What a catch!

– The kickosaurus!

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According to Ilya Sorokin, the Islanders sacrificed Noah Dobson to keep Alexander Romanov

The Canadiens struck a blow on draft day by acquiring Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders.

In doing so, the Habs filled one of their two most pressing needs by acquiring a top-notch right-handed defenseman.

What’s more, Montreal didn’t weaken itself by giving away its first two picks of 2025 and Emi Heineman in return for Dobson.

Many wonder why the Islanders let a player like Dobson go in his prime.

Yes, the defenseman saw a bit of a dip in production last year, but that’s been pretty much the case for his team as a whole, and at just 25, it’s unlikely he’s on the decline.

However, since the Long Island club selected Matthew Schaefer first overall in the last draft, also an offensive defenseman, some believe the organization preferred him to become the team’s blue-line general for the future.

However, according to Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who gave an interview on sports website RG, his team had to sacrifice Dobson in order to retain the services of Alexander Romanov.

Although he was surprised by the decision, he believes that Romanov’s extension, which the goaltender is delighted about, unfortunately cost Dobson his departure.

On June 30, the Canadiens veteran signed an eight-year deal worth $50 million ($6.25 million per year).

For his part, Dobson signed a contract for the same duration, but for a total of $76 million ($9.5 million per year).

With only $3.875 million on their payroll, the Islanders couldn’t have afforded to keep both players.

At least, not as things currently stand.

On the other hand, if the New Yorkers preferred Romanov, it may be because they believe that the Russian, who is more of a stay-at-home defenseman, will be better able to help their rookie defenseman.

As Sorokin reminds us, it’s the reality of the salary cap that often forces teams to make tough decisions.

Sorokin also wishes his former teammate every success and believes he got a good contract with the Canadiens.

Overtime

– Ovy isn’t thinking about retirement.

– A formality?

– Jays defeat before the break.

– Direction Toronto for JoJo Parker.

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“I think Oliver Kapanen has a 50% chance of being the Habs’ second center this season.”

Oliver Kapanen impressed at last year’s Habs camp. The young forward, who was due to return to Europe, started the year with the Habs instead, and we even saw him play a few games.

He wasn’t terrible, but it was clear that he still needed to fine-tune his game. So off he went to Europe, where he scored 15 goals and 35 points in 36 games, and played six playoff games (where he picked up three points).

Kapanen returned to Montreal to finish the season, then was sent back to Laval to help the Rocket in their playoff race. That said, he only picked up six points in 11 games during the AHL playoffs, and didn’t particularly impress in those games.

But clearly, there are some who have high expectations for Kapanen this season. Of the lot, Grant McCagg (who has always been a big Kapanen fan), wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a big role this season:

I think Oliver Kapanen has a 50% chance of being the Habs’ second center this season. – Grant McCagg

McCagg explains that he’s aware it would be quick, but that Kapanen is the kind of player who won’t hurt you in a game. He’s defensively responsible, wins his face-offs consistently and sees potential for an offensive explosion this year.

The problem, though, is that Kapanen isn’t exactly a sure thing offensively right now. After all, we’re talking about a kid who amassed just two points (in 18 games) with the Habs last season. But he added another in all three of his playoff games.

Kapanen, who played mostly on the wing with the Habs last year, would thus inherit the responsibility of being the one to help Ivan Demidov offensively. He could help more than Dach at 200 feet, of course, but the youngster’s offensive potential seems much more limited than Kirby Dach’s.

The latter, while far from perfect, has already demonstrated that he’s capable of producing in the NHL. That’s a big advantage over the other candidates for the position.

If Kapanen wants to play center for Demidov this season, he’d better arrive at camp with a knife between his teeth. He really hasn’t shown that he’s got what it takes, and he’ll have to show some real promise at camp to supplant Dach in the pecking order.

It’s not impossible… but a 50% chance seems pretty high to me.

Overtime

– Kapanen could join this glorious list if he makes it.

– He’s a tough kid.

– Still.

– Chelsea dominate PSG in the final.

– Great class.

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Fourth choice overall: the Mammoth asked the Islanders for Mathew Barzal

At the last draft, the Utah Mammoth selected Caleb Desnoyers fourth overall. The Québécois center was a closely watched prospect in Montreal, but the Habs surprised last year, taking him out of the running for Desnoyers.

But we know that the Habs liked him a lot, that said, and that he would have really filled a need in Montreal. The club was simply too good to get such a high pick.

That said, we do know that one team was working hard to get one of the top picks in the draft: the New York Islanders. Matthew Schaefer was selected first overall by the club, but the Isles wanted to get their hands on Long Island native James Hagens.

In the end, they didn’t succeed in their mission, but according to David Pagnotta, it wasn’t for lack of trying. In particular, the Islanders talked to the Mammoth for the fourth pick, but the price tag didn’t sit well with them.

Because, according to Pagnotta, the Mammoth wanted Mathew Barzal for the fourth pick. Nothing less.

NHL Rumour Report reported the news yesterday.

What we understand, then, is that the Mammoth held Desnoyers in very high regard. So it would have taken a huge return for them to consider trading that pick… and that’s when the Islanders realized they “didn’t like Hagens that much”.

It’s also interesting to note that, in Montreal, the idea of the Habs trying to move up to select Desnoyers was raised. And if the Mammoth asked the Islanders for Barzal, you have to wonder what the price would have been for the Habs.

You might think it would have cost Cole Caufield, for example. And since he’s not a center (unlike Barzal), the price could have been even higher.

All this means that today, Caleb Desnoyers is a member of the Utah Mammoth, while James Hagens is a member of the Bruins. But we agree that seeing Barzal traded on draft night would have been something… especially after Mathieu Darche told him he wouldn’t be traded this summer.

Overtime

– Arturs Silovs traded to the Penguins.

– Jason Robertson: teams are still on the case.

– Jannik Sinner champion at Wimbledon.

– Lions signing.

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“To reunite the Hughes brothers, Dougie Hamilton would no longer be part of the formation”

One of the rumors that has been circulating for some time is the New Jersey Devils’ desire to reunite the three Hughes brothers.

They’re “only” missing Quinn Hughes, which won’t be easy.

We all agree that acquiring one of the top two picks to win the Norris Trophy (best defenseman) won’t be cheap.

It’s hard to say whether the Devils currently have what it takes to acquire the older brother.

On the other hand, there are growing rumors that defenseman Dougie Hamilton could be headed elsewhere.

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski discussed the matter on The Sheet podcast with Jeff Marek.

According to Wyshynski, if the ultimate goal is to reunite the Hughes line, Dougie Hamilton would be out of the picture.

However, he points out that the 32-year-old right-handed defenseman would not necessarily be directly included in the trade to acquire Quinn Hughes.

Click on the YouTube video below to go directly to the excerpt in question.

Hamilton certainly has good value right now, and if the Devils want to trade him, it would have to be sooner rather than later, otherwise his value could drop.

By trading Hamilton and a quality prospect like 6’7″ defenseman Anton Silayev, the Devils would acquire a very attractive piece that could be used to acquire Quinn Hughes.

However, it remains to be seen what the Canucks would like to receive in return.

Silayev would certainly be attractive to Vancouver, as he’s a left-handed defenseman with high potential, who could provide a backup if Hughes leaves.

So Hamilton should be in a package with another prospect or attractive element. Forwards Arseny Gritsyuk and Dawson Mercer could also attract the attention of some clubs.

In the end, Hamilton would have to go somewhere other than Vancouver, along with other attractive players, to acquire THE centerpiece that would attract the Canucks’ interest.

The Devils will have their work cut out for them, as adding the services of a player of Quinn Hughes’ calibre is no easy task.

Overtime

– It’s such a shame to see such a great player leave so soon. It’s like the death of the Gaudreau brothers…

– It’s certain that he wouldn’t have had as big a role as he’s had in recent years

– I’m also looking forward to the additions.

– Read on.

– Very encouraging for the Alouettes.

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“Lane Hutson just had a full season where no one could grab him.”

Ahh, that Lane Hutson. Did he give Montreal Canadiens fans a thrill this season?

His hesitation of the head, his drastic changes of direction and his incredible vision of the game have thrown more than a few fans for a loop.

Truly, Hutson seems to have been too comfortable in his rookie NHL season.

But will he be able to continue to produce as much this season, or will we have to talk about the famous second-year jinx?

It’s hard to believe that this jinx could affect a guy like Lane Hutson, but looking at Connor Bedard’s second season, it’s clear that no one is immune.

However, TSN’s Frank Corrado really believes that Hutson will have another excellent season offensively.

He wonders if opponents will start to catch on to the little defender and his little dekes, and that would be his challenge for next season.

You can listen to his entire column right here.

“What happens when the players figure it out? I’ll say this, he just had a full season where no one could really grasp it.” – Frank Corrado

Corrado also mentions that Hutson has more than one trick up his sleeve to trick opponents who try to attack him.

In the comments section of this Habs On Reddit tweet, one user wrote something very interesting: How do you know what someone is going to do when that player doesn’t even know what he’s going to do?

This is an excellent point, as Hutson is extremely unpredictable, which makes the task even harder.

Personally, I have every confidence in #48’s offensive arsenal to continue breaking ankles as he did so well in his first full NHL season.

This goal against the Flyers is certainly one of his finest highlights, if not the finest, of the entire 2024-25 season: a Bobby Orr goal.

Will Lane Hutson hit the 80-point milestone in 2025-26, or is that a bit of a stretch?

Overtime

– A very good interview by Marco D’Amico with the Islanders’ goaltender. Sorokin addressed the trade rumors against him, and also talked about Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov.

– The only Québécois in the NHL Finals brings the Stanley Cup home.

– It’s amazing how Bedard can draw the puck with such ease.

– The son of Julien BriseBois joins the Sherbrooke Phoenix.

– Tristan Jarry could be a nice, inexpensive option to back up Stuart Skinner.

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Fan Vote: Nick Suzuki voted 28th best forward in the NHL

What would be your ranking of the best forwards in the entire National Hockey League?

This is clearly a fun exercise to do, and it’s always interesting to compare different lists to see what different people think.

The exercise becomes even more interesting when a ranking takes into account the opinions of several thousand people.

Well, as it does every year, this is the exercise carried out by the X/Twitter account JFresh, as it takes the time to tally the votes of its subscribers to produce a ranking of the best forwards.

He normally also does this for defenders, goalkeepers and, of course, all players put together.

This generally gives us a pretty good idea of the state of the forces in the NHL, as over 8,300 hockey fans vote and have therefore been able to give their opinion.

So it’s interesting to see how the various NHL fans rate the different forwards, especially those of the Canadiens.

Well, if you look at JFresh’s list, you’ll see that Nick Suzuki is ranked 28th.

It’s a respectable position for the Habs captain, who is coming off his career-best season with 89 points, including 30 goals, in 82 games.

Clearly, I’d have seen Suzuki move up a few spots, ahead of guys like Tim Stützle, Nico Hischier and maybe even Brady Tkachuk, but hey, it’s still a great position for the Habs’ number 14.

As for the Habs’ other forwards, well, in the top-100, there’s only one other, Cole Caufield, whose name appears at number 53, just ahead of a certain Jordan Kyrou (linked to the Habs via several rumors).

53ᵉ may be a bit low for Caufield (who just scored 37 goals and 70 points), when he clearly deserved to be in the top-50, ahead of guys like Andrei Svechnikov, j.T. Miller, Matthew Barzal and Nikolaj Ehlers.

Obviously, this is just my humble opinion, and you’re entitled to think differently than I do.

Now, if we expand the list to see the top 128 NHL forwards according to this fan vote, we can spot another Habs player, Juraj Slafkovsky at 115th.

What’s also interesting about this second table is that it shows the positions of each of his players in the JFresh rankings over the past four seasons.

Suzuki has climbed steadily in recent years, from 70th to 28th since 2022, and up 15 places since last season.

As for Caufield, it has climbed back up after suffering a small drop from 70th to 74th between 2023 and 2024. He has now climbed 21 places since last season.

As for Slafkovsky, he’s gone from 92nd to 115th since the 2023-2024 season.

In short, it’s really interesting to analyze this ranking, and not just for Habs players.

The top-10 is fairly evenly distributed, and the Stanley Cup champions have five forwards in the top-50.

Florida Panthers :

  • Aleksander Barkov – 5th
  • Matthew Tkachuk: 13th
  • Sam Reinhart: 15th
  • Sam Bennett : 43rd
  • Brad Marchand: 45th

Let’s just say they’re not two-time Stanley Cup champions for nothing…

For those interested, here’s a list of the forwards who have risen and fallen the most in this ranking since last year.

Overtime

– Good point.

– I couldn’t agree more.

– Interesting.

– Diogo Jota’s death still seems unreal.

– Up next.

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Emil Heineman: the Islanders really wanted him, says Elliotte Friedman

Toughness and sandpaper in general are an increasingly rare commodity among forwards in the National Hockey League.

Players capable of breaking and tackling on a regular basis are not to be found on every street corner, especially those who are capable of being consistently intense as well as having a certain offensive touch.

The Montreal Canadiens provided a pleasant surprise in this department with the emergence of Emil Heineman.

The Swede had made a name for himself in Montreal thanks to his intensity, robust play and excellent shooting.

He had become a much-appreciated player among fans, and was seen as an important element to have in the line-up.

Unfortunately, Heineman was traded in the deal that brought Noah Dobson to Montreal, and even though it was a very good trade for the Habs, the loss of Heineman still hurts.

The Habs must have been reluctant to part with him, but the Swede was really valuable to the New York Islanders.

Indeed, Elliotte Friedman stated that the Islanders really wanted to get their hands on Heineman.

That’s what the renowned tipster said in the latest episode of his “32 Thoughts” podcast, when he discussed the Noah Dobson deal from the Islanders’ point of view.

And Friedman was very clear about Heineman, when he reported that the Islanders were keen for him to go the opposite way of Noah Dobson in the deal.

Mathieu Darche and the Islanders really like Heineman’s style of play, and they sincerely believe he’ll bring a lot of identity to the team.

With the recent retirement of Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck a year ago, the Islanders felt they needed to replenish their lineup in terms of intensity and toughness on their bottom-6, which explains their strong interest in Heineman.

In short, any Montreal Canadiens fan can only understand the Islanders’ interest in the Swedish forward.

It’s a shame to have lost Heineman’s services, but you have to pay to improve, and that means sacrificing things you like and value.

Heineman is likely to enjoy success on Long Island, so we wish him all the best, and above all, get back to where he was before getting hit by a car in Utah.

Overtime

– It would have been big.

– Ouch.

– The Alouettes are no longer alone at the top.

– Read on.

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Katie Gaudreau’s wedding: a brilliant tribute to her brothers

It’s been almost a year since the wedding of Katie Gaudreau, sister of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, was called off due to the huge tragedy that occurred on August 29, 2024.

The two Gaudreau brothers were hit by a drunk driver while riding their bikes on the eve of their sister’s wedding.

On Friday evening, that wedding finally officially took place, as Katie Gaudreau married her high school sweetheart, Devin Joyce.

And for the occasion, Katie Gaudreau and her husband took the time to set up countless ways to pay tribute to the Gaudreau brothers during the wedding.

In an article for “People” newspaper, Katie took the time to talk about the event and reveal many of the little touches that were made throughout the evening to honor her two brothers.

It’s truly touching what the couple has prepared and put in place to honor Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Gaudreau.

With each little attention revealed in the article, tears welled up in my eyes, thinking back to the horrible tragedy that completely shook the National Hockey League and the entire hockey world.

“We have honoured my brothers in many ways to reflect who they were and the joy they brought to this world. We keep their legacies alive through various tributes in their name.” – Katie Gaudreau

First, one of the first tributes Katie revealed was to her veil, where she took the time to inscribe “Love you – Matty” and “Love ya – Johnny” in her brothers’ exact handwriting.

“It was their words, their hands, a part of them that accompanied me and spoke to me as I walked down the aisle, each on one side of the veil protecting me.” – Katie Gaudreau

Here are more Overtime tributes from the wedding:

  • Beautiful photos of the two Gaudreau brothers were printed in the jacket of Guy Gaudreau, the father.
  • All the groomsmen, as well as Katie’s husband’s father, wore socks with the numbers 13 and 21, the Gaudreau brothers’ numbers.
  • Rose bouquets containing exactly 13 or 21 roses, depending on the bouquet.
  • A video montage showing Johnny and Matthew laughing, dancing and lighting up every room they entered.

During the video, Katie Gaudreau replicated the same dance Johnny Gaudreau had done at his own wedding, making for a very touching moment.

In short, it’s truly a beautiful tribute that was paid to the Gaudreau brothers by their sister, and seriously, I very strongly invite you to go read the People article and check out all the photos in the article, as well as in the stories on Katie Gaudreau’s Instagram account.

It’s really worth it.

Overtime

– Read on.

– Love this.

– Of note.

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Samuel Piette played last night despite a hospital stay on Thursday

Montreal CF is having an absolutely catastrophic season on every level.

The Montreal club is in last place in MLS (30th) with just 15 points accumulated in 22 games, and a horrible differential of -22.

Worse still, if we look at the club’s record, it’s just three wins this season in 22 games, including just ONE home victory at Stade Saputo.

It’s really a season to forget, and let’s just say it’s really hurting the club’s reputation, and above all, it’s leading a large number of fans to give up on this team.

Virtually the entire line-up changes every season, which makes it very difficult to become attached to the club, especially when all it does is lose.

Despite all this, Montreal CF captain Samuel Piette is still loyal to the post, and continues to give his all for the club despite its glaring failures.

As proof, after a trip to hospital on Thursday due to dizziness that has lasted several days, the Québécois was still in uniform last night in Orlando, playing 71 minutes.

It’s impressive how Piette is a warrior, playing such big minutes despite dizziness, a flight to Orlando and suffocating heat.

But no matter how much we praise Piette, this situation reveals a much bigger problem with the lineup.

Piette has decided to play because of a lack of manpower, given that there are no midfielders other than himself and Victor Loturi available.

It’s really not normal for Marco Donadel to have only two midfielders available for a game away from home, and it’s another situation that adds to CF Montreal’s disastrous season.

Nevertheless, the Montreal club came away with a 1-1 draw in Orlando last night, thanks to Prince Owusu’s 83rd-minute penalty-shot goal.

In short, the Montreal CF is literally surviving this 2024-2025 season, when it’s clear that everyone – fans, players, staff, coach and journalists – can’t wait for it to end.

The next game is on Wednesday against the Union in Philadelphia.

The Union are on fire, and currently sit in first place in MLS. This could be a good one, the 30ᵉ team against the 1ʳᵉ team in the league.

Overtime

– Resigning Ivan Provorov was the Columbus Blue Jackets’ plan C, if not D.

– Read more.

– Interesting news.

– It’s really impressive and inhuman at this point.

– Wow.