Author: Dose

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David Reinbacher for Nazem Kadri: Would you?

With the Canadiens’ success in the first month of the season, the pressing idea of looking for a second center has taken a slight step back. Despite all this, the rumour mill in Montreal is still going strong, especially when it’s powered by a guy like Pierre LeBrun.

Earlier this week, LeBrun hinted that the Canadiens would be an interesting team for Nazem Kadri. It didn’t take much more than that to spark a lot of debate.

On Thursday morning, the BPM Sports Morning Club team came up with the idea of a deal to bring Kadri to Montreal. Gilbert Delorme believes the Flames would ask for a top prospect like David Reinbacher.

This is where the debate exploded.

On the one hand, the Canadiens really need a second center if they hope to make any headway in the playoffs. On the other, Montreal has two prospects with good potential in Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky to perhaps one day take over the second center position.

Kadri is 35 years old and, counting the current campaign, has four seasons left on his contract. This deal, which weighs $7 million on the payroll, may not help Montreal at a critical time when the player is 38 or 39 and has slowed down.

Kent Hughes decided to spend so much on Kadri because he believes in the Habs’ chances of going far in the playoffs this year. The season is going very well, but it’s hard to believe that Montreal is just one center like Kadri away from taking top honors.

And then the real debate is whether giving away David Reinbacher is cost-effective for the Habs.

Anthony Desaulniers seemed torn between the idea of waiting too long and risking Reinbacher becoming a flop, and the idea that the young right-handed defenseman could have a bright future with Montreal.

According to Gilbert Delorme’s comments in this debate, it’s by trading big pieces like Reinbacher that you can win a Stanley Cup.

And he’s right. It takes two to dance. To go big, you have to pay with something equivalent.

At some point, Kent Hughes will have to make a big decision and part with a player with good potential to improve the team. He’s already done this to some extent with the Alexander Romanov trade and the Dobson deal involving the two first-round picks.

But next time, to get his hands on a good second center, Hughes will have to pay dearly. Reinbacher could be the price to pay.

It remains to be seen whether Montreal wants to win now or remain patient and wait for the Hage and Zharovsky of this world.

Overtime

– Nick Suzuki has silenced many detractors since the start of his career.

– Great idea!

– Oops.

– A true enthusiast finds a way.

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NHL Power Rankings: The Canadiens in the top-5

After a few seasons of misery, the Canadiens are once again a competitive team. Since the return of the 4 Nations Confrontation last season, Montreal even ranks among the NHL’s elite.

The Habs’ start to the season has been impressive. Eight wins in 11 games place the team first in the Atlantic Division and fifth in the entire NHL.

Speaking of fifth place, that’s also the Canadiens’ position in the latest NHL power rankings compiled by NHL.com.

It’s a great accolade from the experts at NHL.com.

Only four teams are ahead of the Canadiens: the Mammoth, the Avalanche, the Devils and the Golden Knights.

With all this success, more than one Canadiens player is expected to take part in the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games. According to Jean-François Chaumont’s analysis, many Montreal players could join Juraj Slafkovsky (already named to Slovakia’s preliminary team).

We’re talking about players like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Jakub Dobes and Oliver Kapanen.

After an “easier” October, we can expect a lot more action in November. In 11 games in October, the Habs played only two teams that made the playoffs last season, and both of those games were losses.

In November, the Habs will face such powers as the Devils, Mammoth, Golden Knights and Avalanche.

The Canadiens may well continue their wave of success over the next month, but expect a lot more adversity. So don’t start stressing out if a few losses follow against good teams.

Despite all this adversity, November will be a very entertaining month. In addition to taking on some big NHL teams, Montreal will be facing a number of important rivals, including the Senators, Maple Leafs and Bruins.

The Canadiens are on track for fifth place in the NHL power rankings, but they’ll have their work cut out to stay in the top five.

Overtime

– Alexander Zharovsky is on the right track.

– Nick Schmaltz’s value must be enormous.

– It won’t be an easy task.

– Jordan Harris to miss out due to injury.

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2nd center: What if the solution was…? Phillip Danault?

The Canadiens are always on the lookout for a player who can contribute to the team’s top-6 – especially at center.

Jordan Kyrou, Nazem Kadri, Matty Beniers, Jared McCann, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin (you name it)… these names have been associated with the Canadiens in recent months because they have what it takes to help the Canadiens.

But this morning, on the Sick Podcast, Jack Han (a former AHL assistant coach) raised an idea… an interesting one. What if the ideal solution was Phillip Danault?

Things aren’t going great for Danault so far this season.

He has yet to score in eleven games since the start of the campaign… and in the Kings’ last game, his head coach decided to bench him for a few minutes because he wasn’t satisfied with his performance.

Could he become available if the Kings start to collapse in the standings? And should the Canadiens be interested in a guy who’s not doing so well right now?

Danault earns $5.5 million per season.

His contract expires in the summer of 2027… and I have a feeling the Kings won’t be asking the moon for his services if they ever want to move on.

That said, Danault’s performance isn’t spectacular right now. But we’re still talking about a 32-year-old player who is very responsible on 200 feet and capable of adding a certain offensive touch to his game.

I don’t feel it would be a huge risk…

Having a responsible center like Danault can help. We saw him be so useful during the Canadiens’ playoff run in the summer of 2021, after all: he had a mandate to take on opposing top trios, and he was really good in that role.

Maybe his best years are behind him, though. And that’s what bothers me about bringing him back to Montreal…

Overtime

– Oh.

– With good reason.

– The suit is perfect.

– Nice lineup.

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David Reinbacher to return to action tomorrow

Want some good news?

Tomorrow, the Rocket will be in action at Place Bell. Pascal Vincent’s men take on the Rochester Americans, looking for their third win in as many games.

And for the occasion… David Reinbacher will play his first game of the campaign. Pascal Vincent confirmed this in the last few minutes to Greg Lanctot on BPM Sports.

So much the better, sincerely.

It’s been five weeks since we saw him injured, and knowing he’s got the green light to return to action is encouraging. Remember that the Canadiens were originally talking about a four-week absence.

Colleague Maxime Truman reported this morning that Reinbacher had been traded to the Rocket, and obviously he was right in saying that Reinbacher was healthy and ready to play.

I love it!

Of course, Pascal Vincent is happy about all this.

He’s got a quality defenseman back and it’ll give him more depth on the club’s blue line. Especially since Marc Del Gaizo was also sent back to Laval last night… and the Rocket could welcome back William Trudeau if he isn’t called up for the waivers by another NHL team.

Laval’s defense is taking shape. And that’s good news too.

I imagine that Jacob Fowler is also happy to know that he’ll have even more help in front of him…

Overtime

– That’s for sure.

– Hum…

– Hehe.

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Mathew Barzal will be left out tonight because he arrived late for the bus

Mathew Barzal is one of the best players in the National League.

Long Island is counting on him for success, and the Islanders need him in the lineup to make that happen. He’s the club’s offensive engine and plays an important role on the ice.

But just because you’re a good hockey player doesn’t mean you don’t have to play by the rules. And Barzal learned this the hard way…

Barzal arrived late for the Isles’ bus departure this morning. The result?

Patrick Roy has decided that Barzal won’t play tonight, when the Islanders visit Carolina to take on the Hurricanes. He’ll be left out even if he’s healthy, and that sends a pretty clear message: you can’t be late for the bus, even if you’re talented.

Would Patrick Roy want to be without his best forward against a powerhouse like Carolina tonight?

Obviously, the answer to that question is no. But at the same time, the Isles pilot didn’t have much choice: it’s part of the team’s rules and he had to act accordingly.

It’s part of the game.

On the other hand, Barzal must be feeling a bit down. He knows he can help his team on the ice, but his absence tonight could hurt because he made a bad decision.

Granted, he probably didn’t mean to be late for his club’s bus departure. But that’s what happened anyway, and now it’s up to him to live with it.

I have a feeling he’ll be putting his dial on earlier so it doesn’t happen again in the future…

Overtime

– That’s right.

– Meh…

– Nice.

– Well done!

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Habs place William Trudeau in the waivers

William Trudeau has yet to play this season.

He was unable to participate in the Canadiens’ training camp due to injury. He appears to be very close to a return to action, however.

But to send him down, the Canadiens first had to submit the defenseman to the waivers. And that’s what happened today.

More details to come…

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A $92 million contract for Martin Necas in Colorado

The Avalanche have just settled a huge deal.

Martin Necas has signed an eight-year contract extension(the contract will begin next summer), which will pay him $11.5 million per season. That’s a lot of money.

We’re talking about $92 million for the full term of the agreement. Necas will also have a no-movement clause for the first seven years of his contract:

Necas has won his bet.

In the summer of 2024, he decided to sign a contract for just two seasons to bet on himself. It worked… because today he was able to break the bank in Colorado.

Things have been going well for him since he was traded. He’s become one of the Avalanche’s most important pieces, and the club sees him as a player who can help in the long term.

The Avalanche’s next big deal will be Cale Makar.

The defenseman’s contract ($9 million per year) will expire at the end of the 26-27 season, and we agree on one thing: he’ll get a lot more money annually with his next pact.

He’s still considered one of the best players in the National League (and the best player at his position)… and we know that salaries are skyrocketing in the National League.

The salary Necas will receive with his contract extension is a fine example.

So much the better for the Avalanche, though, who found a way to “replace” Mikko Rantanen properly. The club didn’t have the luxury of losing Necas for nothing on the free agent market next summer, since he was acquired for Rantanen, who is among the NHL’s elite.

That would have really hurt Colorado.

Extension

Martin Necas is on track for a 96-point season if he can keep up his current pace.

He really seems to have found his niche with the Avalanche, to put it another way.

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Samuel Montembeault to play Saturday

We wondered which goaltender would be in uniform Saturday against the Senators.

And now it’s been confirmed by Martin St-Louis: Samuel Montembeault will get the start at home, following the club’s return from its Western trip.

Note that the Habs announced this 48 hours in advance.

Montembeault, by necessity, will have some pressure on his shoulders. After all, he hasn’t had a great start to the season, and people wanted to see Jakub Dobes at home.

But at some point, Monty must also be given the chance to pull through. Solo work in practice is all very well, but he needs to put it into practice.

This is the first time in two weeks (October 18, at home) that the Québécois will play a game that isn’t a “two games in two nights” affair, and he’s going to have to be good.

In my opinion, he’ll be hungry.

It’s interesting to note that the Saturday night game at home, for which MSL places a lot of importance, goes to whoever is officially #1.

Details to follow…

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Jordan Kyrou: The Habs will be interested in him if he becomes available

This summer, Jordan Kyrou’s name was very popular in Montreal.

The Canadiens were looking for a top-6 player, and Kyrou fit the bill. There were a thousand and one rumours about him… although in the end, nothing materialized in terms of a transaction.

Does that mean we should automatically forget about the project? Perhaps not, no…

After all, things are going badly for the Blues at the moment. The club hasn’t had a good start to the season, and if that continues, we could see some guys become available on the trade market.

If that happens, Kyrou’s name could end up in that group. And Marco D’Amico sees the Canadiens taking an interest in the principal interested party if the Blues decide to go that route… and if the principal interested party wants to lift his no-trade clause in order to be traded to Montreal.

It’s likely to cost a lot of money, and maybe that’s where Kent Hughes comes in.

But at the same time, we know that the GM of the Canadiens will be ready to pull out all the stops and overpay to make a deal. He’s open to the idea.

It’s been a long time, after all, since we’ve seen so much demand for a top-6 player or a top-6 center in the NHL. And as Cam Robinson (Elite Prospects) reports, the price for a player like this is, and will be, quite high.

We’ve been talking about Jordan Kyrou as an interesting player for the Canadiens for a long time now, and that’s truer than ever with the team’s success in Montreal.

Because in reality, adding a talented guy like him to the team’s current roster would be a really interesting move. It would help the Canadiens to have a real second line with Kyrou and Ivan Demidov, and it would add depth to the attack.

This is one file that obviously doesn’t refuse to die.

Overtime

– That’s a good one.

– Love this.

– Hello, Josh.

– Great mentality.

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Treatment day for Kirby Dach and Brendan Gallagher | David Reinbacher in Laval

This morning, for the first time since the club’s return to Quebec, the Canadiens practiced in Brossard.

There are a few things to note about all this. But the first is that two forwards were unable to take part, as they were receiving treatment.

We’re talking about Brendan Gallagher and Kirby Dach.

Right now, the Canadiens only have 18 healthy skaters up top, if you count Dach and Gally. After all, yesterday, Joshua Roy and Marc Del Gaizo were traded to the Rocket.

Will Dach and Gallagher be able to play on Saturday? Who knows.

After all, just because the guys aren’t able to skate today doesn’t mean they won’t be able to play on Saturday. It’s too early to say.

However, we still have to wonder, more than ever, if a recall or two isn’t on the table in the short term.

Among the Canadiens’ other announcements, we see that the club has confirmed a tip from colleague Maxime Truman: the Habs have traded David Reinbacher to the Rocket.

He was injured up top during camp, so he wasn’t on the Rocket roster. It’s just a technicality, really.

What this probably means is that the Canadiens consider the defenseman ready to make a comeback. We should see him play soon, then.

And that’s good.

extension

– Jakub Dobes is practicing with the team.

– We like that. #BâtonJaune

– Interesting. Obviously, he didn’t practice.

– Defenders practice their mobility.