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Will the Habs finish ahead of the Leafs? | Pronman, Fox and the Hutson brothers

Things have been hopping in Toronto in recent months. The same could be said for Montreal.

But we all agree that things haven’t stirred in the same way, and that the way things have moved in Montreal is unquestionably more positive.

And it may not be over yet!

Kent Hughes still has the resources to complete a transaction that will make the Habs an even more superior team in October or later this fall.

Let’s compare the two realities and the possible additions for these two great rivals.

A more defensive and truculent Leafs…Despite Auston Matthews being hampered by injury for most of the season – I know, I had him in my pool! – the Leafs had a superb campaign last year.

But no club suffered a greater loss than Mitch Marner.

[content-ads]It’s nothing against Nicolas Roy, one of the NHL’s good bottom-six players, or Easton Cowan, a legitimate forward prospect, or the possible resurrection of Matias Maccelli in Ontario, but the departure of Toronto’s little wizard completely changes the Leafs’ offense.

The ” Core Four ” is no more, and the “window of opportunity” officially begins to close in the Queen City. The defense, despite the fine addition of Brandon Carlo, and the offense are slowly but surely aging, the succession is slim and Matthews has only three years left on his contract..

In short, maybe the Leafs, who will be betting more on defense and proverbial truculence, will still be ahead of the Habs next spring, but maybe not..

And let’s just say that, unlike Montreal, nobody sees them as favourites to win the Cup in 2029-2030 or before..

[content-ads]An exciting Habs with the wind in their sailsWe’ve been talking and analyzing the additions of Dobson and Bolduc all summer.

Nothing but positives! The Habs have added two players to their core without sacrificing anything they absolutely wanted in return.

There was also (much) less talk about the departures of effective veterans Dvorak and Armia, and the sacrifice of Heineman.

But let’s not forget other “additions” that could compensate for these losses and make a positive difference over an entire season… including two recent top 5 draft picks!

A first season for DemidovFor one, Demidov will be playing his first full season and, following in Hutson’s footsteps, is the clear favorite to win the Calder .

We’re not saying that Demidov will necessarily be a “star” or “superstar” player in his first season, as was the case with Hutson, but he might not be too far off those statuses. He will certainly be an impact player, superior to the average NHL player. A 20-goal, 40-assist season seems quite realistic, and perhaps a little conservative in his case..

[content-ads]He who should be the fourth most-used forward, will steal “offensive” minutes from players like Dach and Newhook. At least one of these two will have no choice but to play on the third line and/or lose powerplay minutes.

That said, it wouldn’t be at all awkward to bet on players like Dach and Newhook on a third line. In the end, it would compare rather well with the Dvoraks and Armias of this world in those chairs…

But more importantly, the additions of Demidov and Bolduc alone should generate around 45 goals. That’s some 20 more goals than the Armia-Dvorak duo. Provided they don’t account for too many goals against, there’s a huge potential net gain here.

Given that the other forwards are having seasons pretty much living up to expectations, the arrival of the Bolduc-Demidov duo should be enough for the Habs to present one of the NHL’s 10-12 best offenses, a first since the 2014-2015 season, during the “great Pacioretty years”…

[content-ads]Roy is in great shape…Speaking of “additions”, here’s one we shouldn’t bury too quickly. In very, very good shape, if Joshua Roy performs well at camp and is asked to play a role similar to Joel Armia’s on the third or fourth line, would we really be surprised if he had a 30-point season?

Roy remains a talented player with an above-average sense of anticipation. With a better focus on his career, more speed and explosion, watch out…

With the departures of Dvorak, Armia and Heineman, he could even eventually become a solution on the power play. We’ll see…

[content-ads]The “other” top 5 pick…Last but not least, David Reinbacher is an addition that is still uncertain as of today, but one that is by no means negligible. When he is ready, he will radically change the face of the defensive brigade.

When the Austrian, selected 5th overall in 2023, settles in Montreal for good, whether this fall or winter, the Habs will be even more clearly in the top third of the league’s best defensive brigades. It will have achieved the “Holy Grail” at the blue line by being able to dress not only three left-handers and three right-handers, but also by presenting a perfect balance between “offensive” and “defensive” backs.

So, not only will the team have replaced the loss of a washed-up Savard with a star defenseman in Dobson, it will eventually be able to replace a “decent” back like Struble with an impact defenseman with a superior hockey IQ in Reinbacher.

It’s only a matter of time… and a 100%-recovered knee!

In short, given a relatively healthy club, with its anticipated gains in offense and defense, I fully agree with Mathias Brunet and find it hard to see how the Habs could field a worse lineup in 2025-2026.

Few teams will add two top-5 picks to their roster this year…[content-ads]Pronman, Fox and the Hutson brothers

Lane Hutson’s historic season and Calder Trophy didn’t change a thing. By dropping him from 39th position in February to 34th this week, Corey Pronman still places a pocketful of “dubious” players ahead of him in his famous U23 rankings.

Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but that doesn’t mean all opinions are equal. But that doesn’t mean that all opinions are equal. They must take into account the obvious and the facts, and respect a certain logic while avoiding bias and prejudice

This is the basis. That’s what we teach at school.

[content-ads]In a pinch, why not have the Habs’ #48 in Pronman’s top 10?

Even if I don’t agree, it’s defensible. Maybe with difficulty for certain choices, but it can be defended.

Excluded from his top 15?

Yep.

Would you really take Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley, Wyatt Johnston, Michael Misa and Sam Dickinson over Hutson?

Not for me, but let’s just say that the question may arise for some of them..

[content-ads]But the fact that, from positions 16 to 33, Porter Martone, Mason McTavish, Matty Beniers, Will Smith, Berkley Catton, Caleb Desnoyers, Artyom Levshunov, Kent Johnson, James Hagens, Shane Wright, Anton Frondell, Owen Power, William Eklund, Jake O’Brien, Zayne Parekh, Carter Yakemchuk, Beckett Sennecke and Anton Silayev are all placed ahead of Lane Hutson defies belief!

And above all, Pronman isn’t helping his cause by comparing Lane Hutson to Adam Fox to defend his choice!

The Rangers’ superstar would already be a highly respectable, enviable, even unhoped-for comparable for many people ahead of Hutson on his list.

So, to begin with, his logic doesn’t hold water.

The Blue Shirts’ fullback has already won the Norris (2020-2021) and has just put together five stellar seasons of 70 (prorated over 82 games), 74, 72, 73 and 61 points, while combining a positive differential of +90 during that period!

Differential is obviously a limited statistic, but even in last year’s crooked Manhattan club, he found a way to finish the campaign at +9, tied for second on his team!

And beyond the differential he has this even more telling statistic about the quality of Fox’s play and impact at 5-on-5…

[content-ads]But the worst thing (for Pronman) is that Hutson could become better than Fox!

Anyway, at 20-21 in his first year in the NHL, he had 24 more points than Fox at 21-22.

Not 3, 4 more points, no, 24!

At least Pronman seems to have learned a bit from Lane’s brother Cole, whom he bumped up from 95th to 43rdon his most recent U23list… For my money, Cole may be just a tick below Zeev Buium, whom Pronman now ranks 5th.

In fact, to be more accurate, Pronman is just sticking to the same family pattern (and the same prejudice against “little” defensemen), since before ranking Lane in his U23 top 40 in February, he still had him at… 87th last September!

Quite comical!

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McDavid is open to “a long-term, short-term or no-term deal”

Connor McDavid is the best hockey player on the planet. His talent is undeniable, and his current situation is attracting attention for logical reasons. After all, the Oilers captain is entering the final year of his contract in Edmonton… and he still hasn’t signed a contract extension as of today. Is it going to happen? Earlier this week, onTSN radio, Pierre LeBrun said that Oilers fans could start to worry at the start of the season if McDavid hasn’t reached an agreement with his club. And when McDavid talks like that openly… it must be a bit stressful for fans in Edmonton:

all options are on the table, whether it’s a long-term deal, a short-term deal or no deal at all.

–

Connor McDavid

Clearly, McDavid is open to all avenues,but hearing him say this is not reassuring for Oilers management.

[content-ads] At 28, Connor McDavid has one goal in mind:to win the Stanley Cup.For two years in a row, he’s made it to the finals only to see his club lose to the Florida Panthers. For two years in a row, he’s experienced the ultimate disappointment for a hockey player, and that’s sure to play a role in his decision in the end. Because therein lies the rub: the Oilers have to show him that he can win in Edmonton. If they want to see him sign a long-term contract, they have to make sure they surround him with the right people and give him the tools he needs to have the best possible chance of lifting the precious trophy. But seeing the file drag on the table may also force a few teams to change their plans.

It’s obvious: if McDavid becomes available, clubs will be lining up for his services… and that’s likely to shake things up quite a bit in the NHL, as Elliotte Friedman discussed on his podcast.

This is an issue to keep an eye on, and it’s likely to take on even greater importance in the coming days and weeks.Especially if he doesn’t sign a contract extension before the start of the season… [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Absolutely.

– Interesting.

– Your pick?

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Ken Dryden has passed away

Sad news: last night, the Canadiens announced the death of Ken Dryden. The legendary goaltender passed away after a battle with cancer at the age of 78. #TooYoung Obviously, this news affects a lot of people. Dryden helped the Canadiens win six Stanley Cups as a goaltender in the 70’s and his reputation is huge in Montreal. He will always be remembered as a great player in the organization, but also a great person.

[content-ads] In 2014, Dryden was on hand at the Bell Centre for the team’s opening game.

Ken Dryden

Ken Dryden, in total, played eight years. He spent eight seasons in the National League… and won six Stanley Cups in the process. No worse average… especially considering he lost only 57 regular-season games in his career (out of 397). It also explains why his number 29 was retired from the heights of the Bell Centre on January 29, 2007. The Canadiens wanted to honor him, and they did so in the right way. Ken Dryden is one of the Canadiens’ all-time greats… but he’s also one of the greatest in the history of the NHL. And learning that he’s gone will never change the fact that he’ll remain one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history.

[spacer title=’Prolongation’] I forgot… Dryden has six Stanley Cup rings, but he also won the Vézina Trophy five times in his career. He also won a Conn Smtyhe… and the Calder Trophy in his first season in the league. He’s truly a legend, Ken Dryden.

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Michel Therrien officially announces his retirement

Michel Therrien has just announced his retirement on 98.5 FM’s Amateurs du sport

The former coach seems to have given his decision a great deal of thought. Therrien feels that he needs to move on to another stage in his life, and enjoy the freedom from obligations and commitments. He could be seen on TVA Sports as a speaker at the Canadiens’ Saturday night game. But, in addition to preparation, Therrien often missed time with his wife, who had to dine alone on Saturdays. This was one of the sacrifices demanded by his profession in the media.

So, at 61, he chose to step down from his analyst duties to concentrate on his marriage and his health. Therrien says he’s in better shape than ever, but wants to concentrate on treating his back problems [content-ads]. His goal is simply to enjoy life. Michel Therrien has had a storied career in hockey. The Montreal native began his hockey career in the 1980s, but never played higher than the AHL.

He really came into his own as a coach, first in the QMJHL and then with the Fredericton Canadiens in the AHL, before getting his first chance in the NHL with the Canadiens.

After the CH, the coach got a second chance with the Pittsburgh Penguins, first with their school club in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and then with the big club, which he took to the Stanley Cup Final in 2008. Therrien got a second chance with the Canadiens as he returned to lead the team from 2012 to 2017.

In 2019, he accepted the position of assistant to Alain Vigneault, then coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. Since then, he has worked mainly as a game analyst on TVA Sports. Although Therrien never won the ultimate honors in the NHL, he had a remarkable career wherever he went. In short, we wish him a happy retirement! [spacer title=’Overtime’] – An option for the Habs?

– The Jays win in the Bronx.

– Three more hits for Bo Bichette.

– He’s in!

– Chargers lead at halftime.

KCvsLAC

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Carey Price had to agree to lift his non-movement clause to be traded

The news of the day is the trade of Carey Price to the San Jose Sharks. Once again, Kent Hughes has made a good trade for the Canadiens, as the CEO paid far less than most experts expected by giving away a fifth-round pick to get rid of Price’s contract worth $10.5 million a year.

This gives the Habs some leeway on their payroll , which could allow them to acquire a second center. However, for the Habs to trade their former goaltender, he had to agree to be traded to San Jose.

Yes, it was a technicality for him, but I think it can also be seen as the retiree’s final farewell gift to his former organization. By the way, even though Price will officially end his career on the Sharks payroll, he will forever be associated with the Montreal Canadiens.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the club signed him to a one-day contract next year so that he could officially retire as a member of the Habs. The goaltender has given so much to the organization throughout his career, including sacrificing his physical health to lead the team to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.

[content-ads] One wonders how the Canadiens will honour the career of their former star.

Detractors will always say that Price didn’t win the Stanley Cup, but when you look at his entire career with the teams ahead of him, you quickly realize that the goalie was one of the best of his generation.

And instead of wanting to go and win the big honours elsewhere, Price preferred to stay in Montreal and made the team better year after year. Will the Habs give their former goalkeeper the ultimate honour and retire his jersey?

Personally, I think number 31 belongs in the heights of the Bell Centre even if he never won the Cup, but that’s probably a discussion for later.

[spacer title=’Overtime’] – Reunited at last!

– Now that’s funny!

Iconic

– What a race!

– And what a hit!

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Once again, Kent Hughes has won his prize

I don’t think I need to tell you what the hot news is in Montreal. What I’m going to talk about in this piece is the fact that Kent Hughes seems to be a genius. Okay, there have been a few minor missteps since he took over as general manager of the organization, but that’s almost nothing compared to the excellent moves he’s made. In his column of bad moves, we’re obviously thinking of the acquisition of Kirby Dach. Frank Nazar really does seem to have a promising future in the NHL, and there was also the trade of Arturri Lehkonen, who was sent to Colorado for Justin Barron and a second-round pick. But Hughes recovered nicely by using that second-round pick to acquire Michael Hage. And he also traded Barron, one for one, for Alexandre Carrier, who played an important role in getting the team into the playoffs last spring. But when you look at the GM’s moves, one thing becomes clear: once again, Kent Hughes has had his price, and that’s of course Carey Price. Many people see the Carey Price contract trade as a stroke of genius:

[content-ads]Trading a staggering contract like Price’s often comes with a pretty hefty price tag. Consider the Flames’ gift of Sean Monahan in addition to a first-round pick, and based on this tweet, we understand that trading Price’s contract would have technically required a second-round pick…

Another stroke of genius from KH.

Continuing to talk about Hughes’ patience and the acquisitions/signings he’s made at a good price since arriving in Montreal, we can of course think of Jake Evans. The rumours went on for quite some time in his case, and the GM was very patient and managed to get a good price for his centreman.The text below talks about some of the good moves made by the Habs GM, and one wonders whether Hughes could be one of the organization’s best GMs in a long time.

In this text, we also talk about Noah Dobson. Although his contract extension didn’t call for patience, he was able to negotiate a lower salary for his new defenseman. We’re reminded that Dobson was asking no less than $11M per season from the Islanders and would accept $10M per year if he became a member of the Habs. In the end, it turned out to be $9.5 M per season. This may seem high, but the most important aspect to remember is the increase in the salary cap. Considering that the 2026-27 season could see a payroll of over $104 M, the percentage of his salary will obviously be much smaller. Compared to Suzuki’s, and at the time of his signing, the percentage of the payroll he’ll occupy will be quite low.

We can also mention the acquisition of Patrik Laine, who arrived in Montreal, along with a second-round pick for Jordan Harris, who no longer belonged in Montreal. Obviously, his high salary is quite important in the equation, but he was able to propel the powerplay to its best and clearly helped the club make the playoffs. The same cannot be said for Jordan Harris and what he could have done in Montreal last year. What’s more, the Habs could afford to take on Laine’s salary ($8.7 million per season) for two campaigns. In short, I think we can come to a consensus: Kent Hughes is certainly one of the best Habs GMs in a long time, probably since Serge Savard. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – A big thank you to this Habs (and Rocket) legend.

– Don’t expect it to settle in the time it takes to say it.

– Incredible.

– Indeed.

– Good contract-bridge on both sides.

– All’s well that ends well.

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Carey Price is gone: time to bring in a second center

For the first time since 2005, Carey Price is no longer a member of the Canadiens organization, having been traded to the Sharks. And even if it was just a formality, it’s now official:a new page has been turned in the city.Of course, the reason it was done was to give the club a boost in terms under the cap. And what about Gannon Laroque? If he’s injured and doesn’t play, his salary doesn’t really hurt. And if he does play, his cap hit of $836,667 is well hidden in the minors. So, in my eyes, everyone wins. After all, as we speak, theCanadiens find themselves with $4.56 million under the salary cap.

[content-ads]As our colleague Maxime Truman said in a piece where he talked about the Price deal in relation to another potential acquisition, the Habs can go out and get even more. How? By starting the season with 22 guys instead of 23 on the roster. Let’s go a step further: if the Habs are going to get one more player, they can also give up a guy to Laval and free up even more salary. And that brings us to our next point: the Habs are now in a position to make a move.

🤞

Many people have linked Price’s departure to a potential arrival. I’m not saying that Kent Hughes is going to go and get “little McTavish in Anaheim” and give him a bridge contract… but he can now do it.The first domino has fallen, in any case. [spacer title=’prolongation’]- Now that Price is no longer a member of the organization, he shouldn’t be present at the Bell Centre for the opening game, as was the case before. Right?if he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame in June 2026, when his contract hasn’t expired yet… it’ll be funny.

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Carey Price is traded to San Jose

We knew there was a good chance Carey Price would be traded, and guess what? It’s done. The Habs have traded the goaltender to the San Jose Sharks – along with a fifth-round pick – in return for defenseman Gannon Laroque.

More details to come…

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David Reinbacher: Rocket wishes he could have used him every night after injury

When David Reinbacher returned from his serious injury last season, he didn’t play every night. And the reason was simple: the Canadiens wanted to take their time with him, so that he could get back into the swing of things. But that’s not because Laval didn’t want him to play. Far from it… Daniel Jacob, on Patrik Bexell’s podcast (Habsent Minded), said it out loud: the Rocket would have liked to have him in the line-up every night.The Rocket would have liked to be able to count on him every game.And hearing that, it’s easy to understand: the CH had a clear, precise plan for his rehabilitation. And in a way, that’s normal… because we know that the organization cares (a lot) about him.Montreal management didn’t want to risk anything, which isn’t surprising.

[content-ads] Daniel Jacob touched on another interesting topic in the podcast and I think it’s relevant to talk about. This summer… the Habs wanted to see Reinbacher improve in one specific area (as is the case with many other youngsters): they wanted him to work on his physical strength in the gym. The Canadiens liked the idea of seeing the defenseman get bigger, stronger, faster… and maybe that’s what it takes for him to one day be a talented NHL defenseman who can keep up and hold his own against the league’s players. Remember that Reinbacher says he’s 100% ready for next season, and that’s good news too.

The defender hasn’t had it easy in the last two years… but if he can start the campaign strong, if he can play to develop – whether in Montreal or Laval – it will help him in his progression. And that’s what’s important right now. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Price for me. You?

– No surprise there.

– Will they be able to punch their ticket to the playoffs?

– Bravo!

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Lane Hutson: “we’re not going to start giving $80m to someone who’s only played one year”

This summer, when it came to Lane Hutson, two things got the most attention: his contract and the lack of an invitation to the U.S. team’s summer camp. And thanks to Rob Hutson, both topics came back to the forefront. We understand that Lane Hutson’s father talked mostly about the U.S. team… but the whining in question made it all about him.

This morning on BPM Sports, Renaud Lavoie addressed the subject at length.I wonder what Rob Hutson thinks of the negotiations… but wait a week and we might find out. What exactly are the elements that make a contract signing not imminent? That’s the question on everyone’s mind at the moment, and it’s clear from the journalist’s comments on the morning show that if Hutson wants $10m right now, it’s not going to happen [content-ads] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCNCKGv0MVk Why?

Because Renaud Lavoie mentioned that the Canadiens don’t want to give $80 million (eight years at $10 million a year) to a youngster who’s only played one year in the show.So if he wants it now, it won’t happen. Renaud’s official prediction, should a contract be signed soon, is $8.5 million a year. That’s more than Nick Suzuki, but less than Patrik Laine, Carey Price… and Noah Dobson.[content-ads]And on that subject, we need to talk about Noah Dobson. Renaud Lavoie mentioned that he was the Canadiens’ #1 defenseman, and reminded us that Lane Hutson was going to have to fight to stay on the first powerplay.

And if Hutson plays on the second power play, he’ll logically score fewer points… which will affect salary negotiations, should a contract not yet be signed.It’s important to remember that Noah Dobson earns $9.5 million a year. But he was a year away from complete autonomy when he signed his contract with the Canadiens.Lane Hutson, if he signs soon, would get quite a few years of autonomy WITH restrictions. And since he won’t have arbitration rights in 2026 and won’t be eligible for offer sheets in a year’s time either, that complicates his negotiating power. It’s a complex file, then. [spacer title=’en rafale’]- Wow.– NCAA: not too many losses in Quebec?[98.5 FM] – To read.