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Top 15 CH prospects: Graduates, departures and honorable mentions

We’re back at it again this summer with our “Top 15” of the Habs’ most important prospects!

What’s special about this countdown is that it takes into account the fact that more and more teams are continuing to develop their young prospects in the NHL.

In Montreal, this will obviously be the case next season with Ivan Demidov, but Hutson and Slafkovsky can also still be considered prospects by our definition.

For us, a prospect is simply a young player who can still aspire to the NHL or from whom we can still realistically expect a clear progression to the NHL.

It’s not a count based on age or an arbitrary number of games played or a certain level of performance achieved.

Of course, Slafkovsky and Hutson already have a certain amount of experience. They’re established, successful players.

In the case of the little American, we can even talk about a fairly high level of excellence: he’s won the Calder Trophy!

But can they still improve significantly?

We think so.

It will be no small task for Hutson to record 66+ points, but he can certainly score more than 6 goals, and there’s still room for significant defensive progress in his case.

The same goes for Slafkovsky, who was expected to produce more last season, but instead repeated his 50 or so points from the previous season.

But even though he has already played 200 games (!) in the NHL and is preparing for his fourth season in Montreal, it’s not unusual to take a small step to the side before making a big leap forward. Take a look at the careers of the Tkachuk brothers for proof. Even Nathan MacKinnon took five years to explode into the player he is today…

So what’s to stop us hoping for 70 points and a lot more consistency from Slafkovsky next year at just 21 years of age?

In short, we’ll have time to come back to these two “super prospects” and Demidov towards the end of our countdown, but let’s start today with the graduates, departures and honorable mentions.

Graduates

Kaiden Guhle
The 16th pick in 2020 under Timmins-Bergevin played 30 fewer NHL games than Slafkovsky. But given his slightly later arrival, his many injuries and his progress curve that is drawing to a close – unlike Pierre McGuire, I no longer expect a great leap forward in his game – Guhle is now one of the graduates of this ranking.

At just 23 years of age and more solid than ever defensively, we’re even hearing more and more about him as one of the club’s veterans!

While all scenarios seemed possible following his draft – he was already third in this ranking in 2021 and was predicted to score quite a few points! – his role in the Habs organization quickly became clearer, and we quickly adjusted our evaluations.

Guhle will probably never play another minute on the powerplay in his Montreal career.

On the other hand, he will undoubtedly be one of the organization’s top two shutdown players for a very long time to come, and will play a crucial role at 5-on-5 as well as on the power play.

He simply has to learn, again and again, to manage his somewhat “kamikaze” nature and protect himself better on the ice..

Arber Xhekaj
Another “vestige” of the Bergevin era, Arber Xhekaj – 24 years old, 165 games – has also served his time in this countdown.

Xhekaj made his debut in 2022 as one of our honorable mentions and has since held around 10th place.

After playing 70 games and posting his most modest statistics since joining the NHL in 2024-2025, we feel that Arber’s potential has been reached. Only small defensive improvements and the return of a little more offensive production are realistic in his case.

We’re definitely talking about a third-pair defenseman in a limited role who doesn’t have enough hockey IQ to take on the best players in the league night after night.

That doesn’t take away his offensive (especially his shooting) and pugilistic qualities, but it does take away minutes and favorable opportunities to deploy them.

Departures: Mailloux, Barron, Primeau, Heineman

Logan Mailloux
“Bonsoir, il est parti”!

Since his controversial arrival in the organization, we’ve always thoughtwe’d do everything we could to turn a negative situation into a positive one in the management of the “Mailloux file”.

Logan Mailloux the day after he was selected by the Canadiens in 2021.
(Credit: Screenshot: Youtube.com)

In retrospect, that’s what happened.

Over the years, we’ve also never missed an opportunity to talk about a “possible Mailloux departure” in this annual ranking , where the Ontarian has never climbed higher than 9th place for several reasons.

Firstly, we never felt that the new administration – which had not committed the “odious” act of drafting him – was going to do everything in its power to find a niche for him in Montreal.

Quite the contrary, in fact.

Kent Hughes’ first big deal was another big, mobile, right-handed defenseman: Justin Barron, who had already been converted into another right-handed defenseman, Alexandre Carrier. We’ll come back to this later.

Then, a few months later in the 2022 draft, the organization quickly drafted two talented, ultra-mobile left-handed defensemen in Lane Hutson (62nd), a talent many knew was worthy of the first round, and Adam Engstrom (92nd); two guys who quickly moved ahead of Mailloux in the minds of Hughes and Gorton.

But it was in 2023 that the fatal blow was probably struck with the selection of right-hander David Reinbacher at#5 overall, almost a carbon copy of Mailloux in physical terms, but with a far superior hockey processor between the ears.

In managing the Mailloux file itself, the organization did what we always suspected it would do: manage the initial crisis and turn the negative into a positive.

We helped Mailloux say and do the right things, then let him develop in the OHL and Laval at his own pace, away from the big spotlight, while making sure to give him a few NHL call-ups to boost his value just enough.

Time was also allowed to run its course in the NHL and, unsurprisingly, the old fans eventually returned to the dance floor.

That said, to my knowledge, no one in Quebec predicted that Mailloux would be traded for such a return. Zachary Bolduc was selected 17th overall by St. Louis in 2021, 14 spots ahead of Mailloux.

At 22, he recorded 19 goals and 36 points in 72 games, playing an average of just under 13 minutes last season.

Not exactly a celery stalk.

However, Doug Armstrong made it very clear that the Blues would have liked to draft Mailloux in 2021.

It’s worth noting that, according to Bob McKenzie’s pre-draft list for 2021, only one of the 10 scouts surveyed had Mailloux in their top 15…

Was it a Blues scout? Who knows?

In any case, Bolduc, with 97 games of NHL experience, will replace Mailloux in our rankings and should end up higher than 11th, the last position occupied by the Ontarian in 2024..

The Justin Barron mystery
Barron has been much, much less talked about during his time in Montreal.

I personally believed for a long time that his potential was slightly greater than Mailloux’s, but for some reason, Barron never managed to find confidence and consistency with the Habs.

It may come in Nashville, but in Montreal, we felt we’d been patient enough in his case. So the Habs welcomed veteran Alexandre Carrier with open arms, and everyone’s been better off ever since.

The departures of Barron and Maiiloux (and the health of Reinbacher’s knees?) undoubtedly motivated the organization to sacrifice its two first-round picks to acquire Noah Dobson and then turn to three other right-handed defensemen at the last draft: Pickford, Handel and MacNiel.

Will one of these three newcomers find a place in our 2025 rankings?

Stay tuned!

Cayden Primeau
With only 44 NHL games under his belt, Primeau found himself in 13th place in last year’s rankings.

A year later, and now with 55 games under his belt, he’ll now be playing for one of the organizations his father was familiar with, the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, after being traded for a7th-round pick in 2026.

Following a fairly solid 2023-2024 season in Montreal and Laval, the American had his share of difficulties before being returned to Laval, where he quickly found his feet. Then he ran into trouble again in the playoffs, among others against the Charlotte Checkers and the man who “replaced” him in the organization: Kaapo Kahkonen.

Good luck Cayden!

Emil Heineman
Heineman was never a big “star” in this countdown. But for the record, he was ranked 13th two years ago…

After an ordinary first season in Laval in 23-24, the Swede surprised everyone last camp by earning a spot in Montreal, stealing a chair sadly “abandoned” by Joshua Roy…

Very consistent and effective until his famous accident in Salt Lake City, which left him with a fractured wrist (10 goals, 17 points in 40 games), it was much more difficult on his return. He no longer seemed able to unleash his powerful shots with ease and precision.

We hope he’ll be back to his best under Patrick Roy on Long Island. A role player who clearly had some value, and a fine addition to the Islanders’ bottom line.

Honorable Mentions

Tyler Thorpe: We like Thorpe’s chances of breaking into the Habs lineup within the next few years. He fits in with the future, heavier, meaner identity the Habs seem intent on giving their final two trios. A guy “in the plans”. We can’t wait to see if he has a similar season to the one Florian Xhekaj had last year in Laval. He’s got a better shot than Arber’s little brother and has already improved his acceleration, which remains his biggest weakness. A McCarron with more finish and balance on skates.

Oliver Kapanen : ” Beige” is pretty much the color that comes to mind when I watch Kapanen play. He does a lot of little things quite well, but doesn’t really have his own identity or a quality that makes him stand out from the crowd. One of many right-handed centers in the organization, he loses quite a few points in “rarity”, let’s say… Ordinary in Montreal at the end of the season and in Laval in the playoffs… Serious candidate for a trade. If he survives next camp, the Habs will do well to increase his value by having him play games in Montreal in the fall. At worst, he’ll have to dominate in Laval.

Sean Farrell: Without making too much noise, there was a spectacular explosion on Farrell’s side last winter, when he scored something like 42 points in his last 45 games. Before that, he had 2 in 22! Often his team’s best forward, we saw a Farrell with a lot of timing, more speed and intensity, who scored a good number of goals from the slot and in front of the net. Here’s one who could muddy the proverbial waters, and who we may want to evaluate long enough for the next camp. The “little guy” knows how to play hockey and could logically finish among the AHL’s top scorers next year, but an encore is also far from impossible.

Joshua Roy: Roy has only himself to blame for last season’s disappointment. He’ll need a terrific camp to get back into the organization’s plans. From here, he should be competing with Kapanen, Farrell, Beck and Florian Xhekaj for a spot in Montreal. But the Beauceron has also become an excellent candidate for a change of address…

Vinzenz Rohrer: I’ve always liked the energetic Rohrer, who should be playing in Laval next year after a few seasons in the pros in Switzerland, where, all in all, he did well. Excellent at the last World Championship for Austria, Rohrer excels in forechecking and could become an energy player in the NHL if he continues to develop. One of the youngest players selected in 2022, we forget he’s still only 20! A great addition to the Rocket line-up. We’ll keep an eye on him.

Conclusion
I’d have liked to tell you about “project” goalkeepers Evgeny Volokhin and Arseni Radkov, who certainly deserve a place in the honorable mentions, but we’ll say a few words about them instead when analyzing the relative importance of Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler within this very deep bank of prospects.

We’ll be right back with the “official” start of the top 15!

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Jeff Marek: “Samuel Montembeault is the most underrated goalie in the NHL”

Many wonder if Samuel Montembeault is the goaltender who will take the Canadiens all the way to the playoffs, once the team is more dangerous than it is right now.

Personally, I don’t think so, but we all know that to win, you need a good defense and, above all, a goalie who’s “hot” at the time.

Adin Hill was never seen as an elite or concession goalie, but he was still smoking hot in the playoffs to help the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup. The same goes for Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues) and Darcy Kuemper (Colorado Avalanche), who all took top honours as starting goaltender.

At least the Habs have a backup plan with prospect Jacob Fowler, who has been excellent everywhere he’s been in his young career. And we saw glimpses of him at the end of the season and in the playoffs with the Laval Rocket.

But Montembeault is certainly a very good goalie, and he’s been doing the best he can since joining the Habs.

Jeff Marek, host of The Sheet podcast, talked about Monty in his most recent episode.

According to him, Montembeault is the most underrated goalie in the entire NHL.

If you click on the YouTube video of the episode in question, you’ll be taken directly to the excerpt.

It’s quite a statement from Marek.

And to hear him talk, no goalie comes close to being as underrated as Montembeault: it’s as clear as day, in his words.

This is very positive for the Habs and their fans, because since Carey Price’s last game, many have been wondering about his future in front of the net.

When fans have seen what Carey Price has done over the course of his career without having a really good team in front of him, it’s hard to think of anything better.

But knowing that the Habs have the NHL’s most underrated goaltender, as well as a quality prospect in Jacob Fowler, the future looks rosier than you might think.

Let’s not forget, though, that goalie development takes time, and Fowler won’t be an NHL dominant anytime soon, even though he seems to have fooled the prognosticators throughout his young career.

Let’s wait and see what level Fowler reaches as a goalie, but for now, the Habs have a very good goalie in Montembeault.

Overtime

– Reaves isn’t the best person to criticize an organization.

– Well.

– While their offense is far from catastrophic, it must be said that the defense is far from good…

– Quite a performance by Cody Bellinger against his former team.

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“The Canadiens have more than enough assets to get Jordan Kyrou”

Three days ago, Maxime Truman wrote that Jordan Kyrou would agree to be traded to Montreal, as he now has a no-trade clause in his contract.

That’s a game-changer, because we know that the Habs are very interested in the St. Louis Blues’ forward.

And we also know that Kyrou would bring a lot to the Habs, especially at five-on-five.

And he would fill a lot of the Montreal club’s need for a top-6 forward.

Ivan Demidov would be much better surrounded by him.

In short, we also know that the Blues are asking for established players in return: they don’t want to rebuild.

And according to Pierre McGuire, who spoke to TSN 690, the Canadiens have a lot of assets to secure his services.

It remains to be seen whether the Habs are willing to part with these assets to acquire Kyrou.

Mike Matheson would be the most logical main piece of the lot, as it would be very surprising if Kent Hughes touched his core to add value to the return. What’s more, the Blues would like to improve their defensive brigade.

Matheson isn’t indispensable, and with the acquisition of Noah Dobson, the Habs would still have a fine defensive brigade.

It would also leave room for Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj to make their mark.

And let’s not forget guys like Adam Engstrom and William Trudeau, who are still very young and could surprise many in the near future as left-handed defensemen.

But what could the Habs offer (in addition to Matheson) to make it more interesting for the Blues? It’s safe to assume that the Blues will have offers from other teams for Kyrou, so Montreal needs to stand out from the crowd.

There’s always the option of adding prospects/draft picks to fine-tune the deal, but you have to stay within the Blues’ demands.

Would they be interested in a guy like Alex Newhook? Hard to say. Maybe a Kirby Dach?

Once again, the real question is whether the Habs are interested in parting with established players to improve their top-6.

With what Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have done since the start of their reign, Habs fans can have confidence in them.

Overtime

– Tristan Jarry could certainly interest a few clubs.

– Ryan Reaves has a lot on his mind about his time in Toronto.

– If you go to Mark Masters’ page, you’ll find even more comments from Reaves on the Maple Leafs, but also on the city itself.

– Interesting.

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Pierre McGuire: “I think Jacob Fowler will be the starter a year from now”

The Montreal Canadiens took a major step forward this summer with the acquisition of Noah Dobson.

I don’t need to tell you that this will solidify (by a lot) the defensive brigade.

There are still a few holes to be filled before the Habs are considered a threat, but the club is close.

Already, we can see that there’s excellent chemistry within the group.

A second center is obviously missing, and many are wondering about the situation in front of the net.

Samuel Montembeault is doing a great job, despite his contract paying him $3.15 million a year until the end of the 2026-27 season. However, few believe he can take the team all the way.

At least the Habs have a very good prospect in Laval to guard the net in the future: Jacob Fowler.

Throughout his career, he’s silenced his critics by performing well beyond expectations, and we’ve already seen some great things from him with the Laval Rocket at the end of the season and in the playoffs.

Pierre McGuire, who spoke to TSN 690, had nothing but good things to say about the young American goaltender.

In fact, McGuire believes he’ll be the Montreal Canadiens’ starter a year from now (i.e., by the start of the 2026-27 season).

Still on the subject of Fowler, McGuire doesn’t see anything else happening in Fowler’s case.

In his opinion, unless he goes completely off the rails, he’ll be a star goaltender in the NHL.

That gives Habs fans even more prospects.

It’s very interesting, since Montembeault will still be under contract, so Fowler would surpass him.

And in 2026-27, Fowler will be in the second of three years of his entry-level contract.

Personally, I think this is very positive for the Habs, as they’ll have two good goalies (assuming Fowler continues to progress well) and all that for around $4 million.

That gives Kent Hughes a lot of room to maneuver on the payroll.

With around $4 million in front of the net, the Habs will certainly be able to find a second center until Michael Hage is officially ready to fill that role (if he becomes one).

Overtime

– Jared McCann’s name is circulating more and more around the league.

– Well.

– Roger McQueen served Beckett Sennecke a whole cup of tea.

– The Alouettes could very well have tried him out.

– Gross…

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The Canadiens have (by far) the youngest team in the NHL

The Canadiens have been rebuilding for some time now. Over the past few years, they’ve pulled out all the stops to bring in young talent… and the club now has some excellent young players.

In addition to Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Kaiden Guhle, who were already there before the arrival of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, guys like Juraj Slafkovský, Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov have been added to the group. And that’s not counting prospects like David Reinbacher, Michael Hage and Jacob Fowler, who will arrive eventually.

And once again this summer, the club has been rejuvenated. Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia and David Savard left, while Noah Dobson (25) and Zachary Bolduc (22) joined the group.

This means that the Habs, who were already among the league’s youngest teams last year, will be even younger this year. And according to NHL Rosters, Montreal’s roster is the youngest in the entire league…

And it’s not even close: there’s almost a full year’s difference between the average age of the Habs players (25.75) and those of the next youngest team, the Sabres (26.51).

Of course, it’s possible that all this could change between now and the start of the campaign (perhaps the Habs will add 27-year-old Jordan Kyrou or an experienced left-handed center), but all indications are that the Canadiens will still be in first place when the season kicks off.

And that makes sense, after all, because if nothing changes, the Habs will only have three thirty-somethings on their roster: Brendan Gallagher (33), Josh Anderson (31) and Mike Matheson (31). Behind them, Jake Evans and Samuel Blais are both 29, while Samuel Montembeault and Alexandre Carrier are 28.

In a context where the team is still at the height of its reconstruction, this wouldn’t be a problem at all. That said, having seen the Habs to the playoffs last year, there are aspirations to see the club back there next year… and it makes you wonder if the team won’t be too young to make it.

The good news is that many of these youngsters already have plenty of experience… but when times are tough, having veterans to lean on is worth its weight in gold.

Nick Suzuki, who will be 26 at the start of the season, will have to lead a very young team, and he’ll need to be able to rely on Gallagher and Matheson, his two assistants.

It’ll be a big challenge, but there are some good young veterans in the dressing room despite it all. It remains to be seen whether the loss of a guy like David Savard will hurt the dressing room, that said.

Overtime

– Speaking of departed veterans.

– Alex Belzile turned down offers to return to the Habs. [La Presse]

– Indeed.

– Still.

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Norris: the Habs have two of the 12 favorites (according to the bookies)

In 2024-25, Lane Hutson broke all records in his first year in the NHL. The Habs defenseman racked up 66 points in 82 games, and in the process won the Calder Trophy, awarded to the best rookie.

That said, he also made some noise in the voting for the Norris Trophy, awarded to the best defenseman in the Bettman circuit. He finished ninth in the standings… and beat out some big names.

So it makes sense to see Hutson as a good candidate for the trophy in 2025-26, but he won’t be the only one. In fact, he might even have some competition… from within his own team.

According to FanDuel, a sports betting site, Hutson is the eighth favorite to win the Norris next season. A little further down the list is Noah Dobson, tied for 12th.

(Credit: Screenshot/FanDuel)

Note that the Habs aren’t the only team with two defensemen in the top-12: the Dallas Stars, who are betting on Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley, also have two… but Hutson is the biggest favorite among these four.

We all know that offensive defensemen usually have the best chances of winning the trophy. There’s a reason why Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes are (by far) the two favourites: they’re in a class of their own.

That said, the Habs have two defensemen with a real chance should Makar and Hughes stumble. And with Dobson saying he can’t wait to learn from Hutson (which is pretty cool considering Dobson has quite a bit more experience than his young teammate), it’s clear the two guys could help each other get to the next level.

Obviously, it’s a safe bet that it’s going to be tough for both of them to be at the peak of the race. It’s far from impossible that one of them won’t get any time on the first powerplay wave(though the Habs’ second wave won’t be ugly either), so that would limit their point totals.

But the most important thing for the Canadiens is that both players help the club win games. And when you see how respected they are for their skills on the ice, you realize that the Habs really do have two star defensemen in their lineup.

Overtime

– Can’t wait?

– If he was that keen, it seems to me he would have announced his decision sooner, wouldn’t he?

– Indeed.

– They’re not a bad team.

– Nice gesture.

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The end of emergency goaltending (as we know it) in the NHL

When a team has to call on an emergency goalie in the NHL, it always makes for a great story.

We all remember, after all, David Ayres and his victory over the Leafs in 2020… hehe.

How could we forget?

On the other hand, we won’t be able to witness moments like that in the NHL.

In fact… the rule is no longer the same.

From now on, for a goalie to be used in this situation, he’ll have to be part of the organization and a team employee who follows the club to every game.

Basically… it’s no longer one goalie per amphitheatre who is assigned to this role: each team will have to designate someone to have the opportunity to play.

Oh, and the goalkeeper chosen by each club must not…

  • Have played one game in the NHL
  • Have played 80 games at professional level
  • Have played professionally in the last 3 seasons
  • Have another contract that would allow him to play elsewhere
  • Be on the NHL’s reserve list or free agent list

It’s going to be different:

What this means is that a guy like Marc-Andre Fleury (for example) couldn’t be used as an emergency goalie even if he becomes a Wild employee – which is expected.

Because he’s played in the NHL, because he’s played at least 80 games at the pro level… and because he’s played at the pro level in the last three seasons.

All in all, it’s going to be a little different because each club will have a goalie designated for that role.

Things won’t be the same… and I think that’s a shame in a way, because seeing an emergency goalkeeper on the bench or on the ice in case of injury was always a bit special.

Patrick Chèvrefils was called upon in the Montreal playoffs when Montembeault was injured (and it caused quite a stir, as we all remember):

Maybe this will help teams have a better alternative when they’re in a situation like this.

And it makes sense, in a way… even if the previous rule was rather peculiar.

Overtime

– Jeff Skinner goes to San Jose.

– That was sick.

– Great McDave.

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Former figure skater (a Québécois) hired as assistant in Dallas

Does the name David Pelletier ring a bell?

We’re talking about a former figure skater from Quebec… who won the gold medal at the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002.

But we’re also talking about a man who worked for the Oilers as their skating coach for the past 11 years.

Today, we learn that Pelletier is no longer with the Edmonton organization… because he has been hired as an assistant with the Dallas Stars.

He will work from the press gallery, joining Glen Gulutzan’s group, which was hired in recent weeks following Peter DeBoer’s dismissal.

Still, the news is special.

The Stars saw something in David Pelletier… and maybe bringing in a former Olympic figure skating gold medalist as an assistant coach brings a different element to the organization too.

But let’s not forget that he knows the NHL, having spent so many years with the Oilers in Edmonton.

I wonder what his role will be from the press gallery onwards.

Will the Stars ask him to monitor the qualities and shortcomings of their players’ skating techniques?

Will he be used in practice to fine-tune the skating of the guys in Dallas?

All in all, it’s interesting.

The Stars are getting creative… and I can’t wait to see how it turns out, too.

Overtime

– Really?

– Great news for the former Alouettes kicker.

– Also seen.

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Justin Carbonneau to stay in the QMJHL

Big news in the QMJHL.

Justin Carbonneau has finally made up his mind: the St. Louis Blues prospect won’t be playing in the NCAA in 25-26.

He’ll be staying with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada:

This is good news for the QMJHL and the Armada, but also for the CHL.

A number of fine youngsters have opted to take the NCAA route in recent weeks for the rest of their respective careers, and it’s hurt the Canadian Hockey League product.

And that’s why knowing that Carbonneau has decided to stay must be a relief of sorts.

Let’s not forget that the Armada is going to have a wicked good club for next season.

The team has added guys like Bill Zonnon and Spencer Gill… and is already counting on several talented players, including defenseman Xavier Villeneuve, who is seen as one of the NHL’s good prospects for the 2026 draft.

What I’m saying here is that playing for a big club and having the chance to win the Memorial Cup must have had an impact on Justin Carbonneau’s decision.

The idea of joining the NCAA ranks was clearly attractive for obvious reasons too, but clearly, he felt it was better for him and his development to play with a good team that can be very successful in the coming campaign.

And let’s not forget that he discussed this decision with the Blues, after being selected by St. Louis with the 19th pick of the first round in 2025.

Good for the Armada, good for the QMJHL… and good for the CHL, too.

Extension

Note that if Carbonneau had made the jump to the NCAA, it would have been with Boston College, where Jacob Fowler played in the last two years.

That said, I wonder if Boston is surprised by the Québécois’ decision…

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The Canadiens will not offer Evgeny Kuznetsov a contract (according to Louis-André Larivière)

We’ve been hearing about Evgeny Kuznetsov in Montreal for some time now.

Many have wondered whether the Russian could be a target for the Canadiens, who are looking for a second (preferably left-handed) center…

But, all in all, let’s forget it.

Because, according to Louis-André Larivière (who used to work for TVA Sports), the Habs won’t be offering a contract to the man who spent the last year working alongside Ivan Demidov in Russia.

He talked about this in a recent article (La Page Sportive).

Is this a bad thing?

In my eyes… no. Not at all.

In reality, Kuznetsov may no longer be capable of producing on a top-6 NHL team because he’s really not the player he used to be.

He’s not always intense on the ice, he has a certain reputation off the ice… and to surround Ivan Demidov in the right way, you need to find a guy who can do it properly.

I find it hard to believe that Evgeny Kuznetsov was the perfect guy for the job.

That said, it also suggests that the search for a 2nd center continues in Montreal.

Kent Hughes has his nose in the file, and is actively trying to find a quality player before the start of next season… but that doesn’t mean he’ll succeed in his mission either.

It remains to be seen, then, whether the Canadiens’ GM will be able to fulfill the objective he set himself after the Canadiens’ season ended last April.

And Evgeny Kuznetsov’s name obviously needs to be removed from the equation.

In Overtime

– Brad MacKenzie is the new coach of the Los Angeles Kings’ feeder club.

– Please note:

– A great story.