Author: Dose

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Steven Stamkos linked to the Montreal Canadiens

Although the Canadiens are off to a great start this season, securing a second center remains a priority for the organization.

Could Steven Stamkos fill that role in Montreal?

Jeff Marek, on the Sekeres & Price podcast, discussing the rumor that the forward is headed for Vancouver, believes that the Habs might also be interested in acquiring him to replace Patrik Laine.

It might be a nice publicity stunt to bring a veteran like Stamkos to Montreal, but I’d be really surprised if the organization made that move.

The problem is, the veteran has been a shadow of his former self since arriving in Nashville, and at 35, you really have to wonder if his best years are behind him.

After a sub-par season in which Stamkos scored 53 points, including 27 goals, plus a minus-36 rating, the forward has just one goal, one assist and a minus-6 rating in thirteen games so far this year.

The main thing we’d replace Laine with Stamkos is his problems on the ice.

Not to mention that the former Lightning star still has more than two years left on his deal, worth an average of $8 million a year. Even if the Predators agreed to pay 50% of his salary, it’s too long and too expensive a contract for a player in decline.

It’s not a gamble worth taking, as I don’t think the veteran can regain his former form at 35, and his acquisition is likely to be a problem for the organization to manage.

And that’s even if Nashville were to ask for very little in return for Stamkos.

What’s more, I’d be really surprised to see Kent Hughes do this deal. Acquiring a declining veteran of uncertain performance with a very bad contract is the antithesis of everything we’ve seen from the general manager since his arrival in Montreal.

In Overtime

– Lions defeat.

– The Canes are one to watch.

– He’s on fire!

– Ouch!

– MLB in a nutshell.

– He’s really dominant.

– What a kick!

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Martin St-Louis calls Alexandre Carrier a warrior (and rightly so)

It will soon be a year since Alexandre Carrier joined the Canadiens organization.

Kent Hughes picked him up from Nashville in December 2024 (on the 18th) in a deal that sent Justin Barron to the Predators, and so far, it’s been a good move.

In fact, it’s an excellent move on the part of the Montreal GM.

Carrier immediately added stability to the right side of the Habs defense… but he also greatly improved the right side of the defense. We’re talking about a guy who can be used at any time during a game because he’s responsible on the ice.

And with the departure of David Savard, we’ve seen him take on an even more important role since the start of the season. Martin St-Louis praised him today, calling him a “warrior”… and saying it’s contagious, seeing the Québécois sacrifice himself for the team by blocking shots.

The Habs pilot is right.

Carrier leads the club in blocked shots (32) and also ranks 5th in the NHL in that regard. Only Brayden McNabb (36), Darnell Nurse (35), Andrew Peeke (33) and Thomas Harley (33) have more than him.

Ah… and it’s also interesting to see that Mike Matheson is also among the league’s leaders, sitting at 10th.

Maybe it’s the Alexandre Carrier effect:

(Credit: Screenshot / StatMuse )

When you see one of your teammates giving it his all and doing everything to block shots, it’s inspiring.

And right now, that’s what Carrier is able to bring to the Canadiens’ lineup. We don’t often talk about him because he’s not a flashy player and because he’ll never win the Norris Trophy, but he deserves some credit because he plays such an important role in the club’s success in his own way.

Martin St-Louis has done well to give him the credit he deserves. And it’s here, too, that we understand just how much the defender is appreciated within the organization. We probably wouldn’t have had the same results with Justin Barron, who still seems to be looking for himself in Nashville…

Overtime

– Georges Laraque is right.

– To be continued.

– Logical.

– Really?

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Volokhin’s contract, a strange team spirit in Ottawa and history for Schaefer

Have you noticed how the Canadiens have quite a few goalies in the branches?

Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes are upstairs. Jacob Fowler and Kaapo Kahkonen are in Laval. But then there are a good number of prospects all over the world.

Alexis Cournoyer, Arseni Radkov, Yevgeni Volokhin, Mikus Vecvanags, Quentin Miller and Emmett Croteau are all prospects whose rights belong to the Canadiens.

We like the goalie strategy. After all, their development is hard to predict, and it’s best to take several chances before hoping to see a guy blossom.

Of course, this means that not all goalies can play in Montreal or Laval at the same time. It takes guys from other leagues.

And that’s probably why the Habs shouldn’t make too much of the fact that Yevgeni Volokhin, who is the third goaltender drafted in 2023 by the club after Fowler and Miller, will stay in Russia until 2028.

It was announced recently, but it’s safe to assume it was signed before November.

The Russian is only 20 and has had more playing time in the VHL than in the KHL so far this season. He’s going to need time to develop – and that’s okay.

See you in 2028 to see what’s what, then?

Nick Cousins in a state of indifference

On Saturday night, Nick Cousins fought Jayden Struble. Of course, he didn’t have much choice in the matter, considering what had happened during the preparatory calendar.

But something special happened afterwards, when he left the match.

His team-mates didn’t really care. His club didn’t necessarily issue an update on his condition. He just… disappeared for the time being.

Renaud Lavoie (not the first to suggest that Cousins isn’t Ottawa’s most valued teammate) spoke about it on the radio this morning.

Weird, isn’t it?

It seems that in Montreal, even though the club is younger and less experienced, we wouldn’t have seen this. The Canadiens’ youngsters are holding their own.

The race for the Calder

If Matthew Schaefer gets about as many points as Ivan Demidov, will he win the Calder? And if he scores more goals, how will that look?

This is a subject that will be the talk of the town for months to come.

Right now, the Islanders defenseman leads the rookies in goals (5) and points (10), which is pretty impressive for an 18-year-old defenseman.

Yesterday, he became the youngest defenseman in history to score two goals in a game. That’s no mean feat.

Lane Hutson has shown that a good passer in a club that makes the playoffs can win the Calder. So Demidov has a chance, if you look at it that way.

But what the Long Island player is doing… Wow.

overtime

– Hard blow for Washington.

– Interesting news.

– He’s a good kid.

– Not wrong.

– What do you think?

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Brendan Gallagher and Joe Veleno change lines

At practice this morning, there wasn’t much at stake.

I say that because the club has 18 healthy skaters, so we shouldn’t have expected anything extra on the ice. Barring an eventual recall, that’s the reality of the club right now.

Yes, we’re keeping an eye on the goaltending situation, but there’s not too much chaos in town at the moment, let’s say.

But just because the Canadiens don’t have any new ingredients for their fruit salad doesn’t mean the chef can’t stir it up a bit, regardless.

And this morning, he did.

Looking at the offensive trios, there’s one change from Saturday’s game against the Senators at the Bell Centre.

And that is? Brendan Gallagher and Joe Veleno have switched places.

Caufield – Suzuki – Slafkovsky
Newhook – Kapanen – Demidov
Bolduc – Dach – Gallagher
Anderson – Evans – Veleno

Did Martin St-Louis want to punish someone? Are we talking about an idea to add energy to the Bolduc and Dach line, two guys who want to give more?

Who knows.

We also don’t know if these trios will hold up for tomorrow’s game (possibly), when the Flyers come to town. We should have more answers tomorrow.

But Bolduc and Gally together, we know it can work.

overtime

– Nice.

– Interesting.

– Indeed.

– Of note.

– Transaction.

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All clubs in the East play for .500 or more

Incredible, but true.

When you look at the standings, you see that every team in the East is playing for .500 or more. And even though the sample size is still small, the season didn’t take off yesterday either, you know.

The Bruins play for .500, but since they’ve played more games than anyone else, they have the same number of points as the Lightning, who are third in their division.

(Credit: NHL.com)

It’s pretty crazy that the Canadiens, who are turning the corner on their rebuild, are in first place in the East when the playing field is this tough. The Montreal club is better than 15 clubs playing well.

The Habs (.750) are the only club playing for at least .700.

(Credit: NHL.com)

One reason for the high number of points is that there have been many three-point games since the start of the season. Many games go to overtime.

And since the Habs often win in overtime, it’s normal to see Martin St-Louis’ men at the top of the East.

At some point, you’re going to have to win games in 60 minutes, because it’s hard to always get back into games, and because wins in overtime or shootouts are worth less than regular tie-breaker victories.

But the Habs are winning, and that’s better than losing. No?

The Red Wings (3), Lightning (2), Devils (1) Hurricanes (3), Blue Jackets (2), Rangers (2), Senators (2), Bruins (2), Capitals (1), Panthers (1), Maple Leafs (2), Sabres (1) and Flyers (3) have all won at least one game over 60 minutes.

And the Habs have five, as we all know.

Only the Penguins and Islanders haven’t won in overtime in the East. And only the Habs, Red Wings, Devils, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets and Bruins have never earned a point in a setback this season.

Many of these teams have a negative differential, which means you have to take some and leave some. Mathematically, we know that normal will return.

It’ll be more like the West, at some point. Over there, there are no fewer than six teams below the .500 mark, and of the lot, the Flames really suck.

Here’s how it looks.

(Credit: NHL.com)

When you think that, in the past, the West was stronger than the East… it’s clear that this hasn’t been the case for some time. Will that change? I don’t know.

It’s also worth noting that seven of the last ten Stanley Cup champions have come from the East.

(Credit: NHL.com)

overtime

– Interesting.

– Of note.

– This is good.

– The question on everyone’s mind.

– Ah well.

– That’s fair enough.

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The time Chantal Machabée stood up to a Habs player in the locker room

Thank god! Society has changed a lot since the ’80s. No, I’m not starting my text by alluding to Québécois municipal politics or Donald Trump (I’ve just come from a weekend in the States for son).

30 or 40 years ago, there was still a culture of intimidation/initiation AND male privilege in professional sports. Especially in hockey..

In the old days, female sports journalists were rare, and before Chantal Machabée, they didn’t have access to the Canadiens’ locker room after games.

What’s more, anyone involved in or around a professional men’s hockey team like the Canadiens had to go through a certain initiation rite before earning the respect of others. You had to earn respect the hard way, let’s put it that way.

How did Chantal Machabée earn the respect of Canadiens players when she started covering the team on a daily basis? By standing up to Shayne Corson (nude) in the team locker room.

Chantal, now the Canadiens’ VP hockey communications, told this story on Saturday on the Télé-Québec program Pour une fois. She was the show’s main guest this weekend, interviewed by Élizabeth Rancourt, Steve Bégin, Sébastien Delorme and Maïka Desnoyers.

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A post shared by Télé-Québec (@telequebec)

The full episode is available HERE.

Anyway, Chantal Machabée was in the Habs locker room at the Montreal Forum chatting with Guy Carbonneau and Shayne Corson was walking around Chantal naked, throwing hockey tap balls at her as she laughed.

Chantal finished her interview as if nothing had happened, then looked Shayne Corson in the eye from head to toe – while he was naked, remember – and simply said: “You don’t impress me

All the players on the team laughed, and Shayne Corson went to give her a high-five. It ended there, she had just earned Corson’s respect.

A few years later, she went to eat at Corson’s restaurant… and he offered her the meal on his arm.

Note that Chantal never confirmed that this was Shayne Corson on the Télé-Québec set – describing him only as #27 – but I’ve heard this anecdote with Corson’s name. And Corson, who wore #27, once had a restaurant on Bishop..

As I said at the outset: thank God society has changed since the ’80s.

overtime

– Three games this week.

– Habs will practice at 10:30 today.

– Read more.

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Pavel Zacha would accept a deal in Montreal

Is the Canadiens a perfect team? No. It’s off to a good start, but nothing’s perfect.

With such a hole in the middle (with all due respect to the work of players like Oliver Kapanen and Alex Newhook, who are off to a good start), we don’t know if it can last.

In the long term, it’s important.

That’s why Kent Hughes, who wasn’t able to get big reinforcements at center this summer as he would have liked, is still on the case.

And quite rightly so.

Among the names that have been circulating and will inevitably continue to do so is that of Pavel Zacha. The Bruins player could well be leaving Boston soon.

And Nicolas Cloutier, who spoke to TVA Sports on the subject, provided some details.

What he’s saying is that he’s not sure the Bruins will trade Zacha, whom David Pastrnak likes. But if that happens, Montreal is clearly a possibility.

Why? Because the Habs need help at center, because Kent Hughes is his former agent… and because the player wouldn’t say no to such a deal.

Trusted NHL sources assure us that Montreal is not on the list of teams to which Zacha would refuse to be traded, quite the contrary. – Nicolas Cloutier

Quite the contrary? Hmm…

At $4.75 million a year until 2027, when he becomes a free agent, the 28-year-old would fit into the Habs’ plan. And next summer, the Czech could be in line for a contract extension.

Zacha has 12 points in 14 games this season, including two goals. He’s 6’4 and shoots from the left.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that the Bruins would want to send Zacha to Montreal. If several offers are on the table, sending him somewhere other than a big rival might make more sense in the event of a transaction.

But we’ll have to wait and see, because despite the Habs’ interest and the fact that Zacha wouldn’t say no to the Habs, there’s nothing to say that this will become a serious matter.

Stay tuned.

overtime

– Amazing.

– Well done.

– Read more.

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Simon “Snake” Boisvert targets Conor Geekie for the Habs

Simon Boisvert has come up with yet another target to get Canadiens fans talking. In the most recent episode of the Mathias and the Snake podcast , “The Snake” threw out an intriguing name: Conor Geekie, a young Tampa Bay Lightning player he believes deserves a serious look from Kent Hughes.

Simon Boisvert isn’t pulling this out of thin air. Geekie, a big 6’4″ center drafted 11th overall by the Coyotes in 2022, was traded to Tampa Bay in the trade that sent Mikhail Sergachev to Utah. Since then, he’s struggled to carve out a real place in the lineup of a veteran-filled team like the Lightning.

“The Snake” sees a familiar scenario: a young offensive talent stuck in an organization where playing time is scarce. Exactly the kind of gamble the Canadiens like to take since the arrival of Kent Hughes.

“The guy’s got offensive talent, but right now, he’s stuck in Tampa. It’s not because he’s not playing well… but rather than giving him eight, nine minutes a game, we’re sending him to the AHL.” – Simon “Snake” Boisvert

The picture is clear: Conor Geekie has the talent, but he doesn’t have the space. In a market like Tampa, where the Lightning are still aiming for top honours, individual development often takes second place to immediate performance. The result: a 20-year-old first-round pick who sees his progress slow down simply for lack of opportunity.

In Montreal, it would be a different story. The Canadiens have proven, with Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, that they know how to spot youngsters in need of a fresh start. The organization isn’t afraid to bank on potential, especially when it comes to players with interesting size and an offensive center profile.

And Geekie ticks a number of boxes. Tall, intelligent and capable of scoring, he’s exactly the type of player the Habs are looking to add to their core. Simon Boisvert would even trade a late first-round pick or a second-round pick and a prospect to acquire him. And when talking about prospects, Boisvert mentioned Owen Beck.

This kind of addition would fit in perfectly with Kent Hughes’ strategy of betting on youth, but on youngsters who are already a little more advanced. Players who still have everything to prove, but who already possess a solid base to integrate quickly into Martin St-Louis’ structure.

Tampa won’t be in a hurry to sell him, but the situation is worth keeping an eye on. With a tightly managed payroll, a limited pool of prospects and an aging core, the Bolts will sooner or later have to make some tough choices.

overtime

– Matthew Scheafer is the top scorer among defensemen.

– The Hurricanes have recalled goalie Pyotr Kochetkov and defenseman Domenick Fensore.

– Jonathan Huberdeau scores his second goal of the game against the Flyers.

– Beckett Sennecke scores his fourth goal of the season in fine fashion.

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Samuel Montembeault is still one of the NHL’s worst goaltenders

The Canadiens may have won 4-3 in overtime on Saturday night against the Senators, but let’s just say it wasn’t Samuel Montembeault who saved the day. His outing yesterday was unconvincing, and MoneyPuck’s numbers back up what many fans saw with their own eyes.

According to the specialized site, Montembeault currently ranks second among the NHL’s worst goaltenders in Goals Saved Above Expected, a statistic that measures how many goals a goaltender prevents (or allows) based on the quality of shots. As a result, he has let in 7.6 more goals than expected so far this season. Only Linus Ullmark of the Ottawa Senators does worse. Not ideal for a guy who’s supposed to be establishing himself as a number one in Montreal.

Here’s the chart in question.

And yesterday was another perfect summary of his start to the season: good saves here and there, but also some worrying sequences. On Ottawa’s first goal, the Québécois goalie went the wrong way, sliding to his left while the puck stayed on his right. The result was an open cage and a headache-inducing goal. It’s not an unstoppable shot, it’s a reading error, pure and simple.

This kind of sequence, when it happens once, you quickly move on. But when it’s repeated week after week, it starts to cause a stir. And in Montreal, we know how quickly patience runs out with a doubtful goalkeeper.

The rest of his game wasn’t disastrous, but he never seemed in complete control either. Dangerous puck returns, a little hesitation in his movements, and that little lack of confidence we’ve noticed since the start of the season. Fortunately, the forwards were up to the task again, otherwise we’d be talking about an entirely different result today.

Meanwhile, Jakub Dobes continues to impress. The young Czech, who has shared the net with Montembeault since the start of the season, is showing consistency and composure in goal, as he is still unbeaten. He doesn’t work miracles, but he doesn’t give away a lot of free goals. And that, for a coach, is worth its weight in gold.

In short, Montembeault needed to take advantage of the start of the season to establish his number-one status. Right now, he’s mostly giving Dobes a chance to steal the job. And in Montreal, when the net starts slipping out of your hands, it doesn’t come back easily.

overtime

– Charles Coste dies aged 101.

– Jean-Gabriel Pageau avenges his teammate with a hard-hitting check.

– The Lightning win their fifth in a row against the Utah Mammoth.

– Matthew Scheafer scores his fourth goal of the season.

– The Islanders score two goals late in the third period to escape with the win, having trailed by one goal.

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Top-5: Two late goals in 29 seconds give Islanders victory

Last night, there were five games on the bill.

Here are the results and highlights of those five games:

1. Two goals in 29 seconds give Islanders victory

In New York, the Blue Jackets were in town.

Columbus led for much of the game, but late on, it all came crashing down. The Jackets allowed two goals in 29 seconds, and not only did the home team win, but the visitors didn’t collect a single point.

Matthew Schaefer was sensational once again, scoring two goals.

He leads the NHL in goals for rookie defensemen with five.

And among all rookie players, all positions combined, he’s first in points (tied with Ivan Demidov) with 10.

(Credit: NHL.com)

What a comeback by the Islanders.

Elvis Merzlikins couldn’t believe his eyes.

2. Sam Dickinson scores his first NHL goal

The Wings were in San Jose yesterday to take on the young Sharks, who put on a good show.

Late in the game, young defenseman Sam Dickinson picked a good time to score his first NHL goal.

The goal sent the game into overtime.

Overtime decided nothing in the end, so the shootout was necessary.

James van Riemsdyk scored the shootout winner.

Cam Talbot then closed the door.

3. Fifth straight Lightning victory

The Lightning started the season very poorly.

But lately, it’s coming back. Yesterday, they faced the Mammoth and won 4-2. It was the fifth straight win for Jon Cooper’s team.

Utah had scored the first goal of the game.

But, at 2-2, Jake Guentzel scored the winning goal.

Nice move at the mouth.

In addition to the goal, the American picked up an assist.

On the losing side, Ian Cole played a part in both his team’s goals (two assists).

4. Cutter Gauthier continues to shine

The mighty Devils took on the young Ducks yesterday.

Cutter Gauthier took charge with a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory. He now has 12 points in 10 games.

Since the start of the season, he’s been very impressive and is probably the best player on his team.

Another young player dominating in Anaheim is Beckett Sennecke. He also finished the game with a goal and an assist.

Anaheim reminds me a lot of the Habs.

It’s the young guys who are dragging the team along. Here, you can see Jackson LaCombe’s magnificent pass.

Despite the defeat, Jack Hughes found the back of the net.

His 10th of the season.

5. Finally a Flyers win

Things are really bad in Calgary. After winning their first game of the season, the club has lost 11 of the next 12.

Yesterday, in Philadelphia, they held on for a 2-1 win.

A third win for the Flames. Jonathan Huberdeau opened the scoring.

The Québécois didn’t stop there, however.

He also scored his club’s second goal.

Travis Konecny closed the gap late in the third period, but it was too little too late.

Dustin Wolf did well in front of the visitors’ net, stopping 17 of 18 shots.

Overtime

– Yamamoto week, indeed.

– Six players collected two points or more yesterday.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Four NHL games on tap tonight.

(Credit: Google)