Author: Dose

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Canadiens: an interesting team for Nazem Kadri, according to Pierre LeBrun

Over the past few days, Nazem Kadri’s name has been circulating throughout the NHL.

One suspects that the Flames, if the right offer is on the table for the club as well as the player, will be keen to explore the transaction market for the veteran.

It’s only natural.

His contract is worth $7 million on the Flames’ books until July 2029. And as Pierre LeBrun told RDS, that’s an amount that’s becoming less and less of a problem for teams.

Why? Not only is the offensive production there for the center, but also because the more time passes, the less scary his contract becomes. #LessLong #CappingWhatMounts

And interestingly, LeBrun also talked about the Canadiens’ potential interest in picking up the 35-year-old center.

Here’s what the tipster had to say.

The Canadiens, in my opinion, could be an interesting team for Kadri. – Pierre LeBrun

Obviously, we’re not there yet. Kadri hasn’t decided anything yet, and it’s possible that the matter will be shelved until the trade deadline in March.

But the NHL is starting to think about it.

I’m not sure how interested the Canadiens would be in paying a good price for an older second center who isn’t Sidney Crosby. Nazem Kadri doesn’t fit into the club’s age group, after all.

I doubt that Kent Hughes is so impressed with his team’s start to the season that he’d be willing to go all out for a center like Kadri. But that can change quickly, in the world of sport.

overtime

– Interesting.

– Samuel Blais could play tonight.

– A 100% Québécois goal for the Habs that has people talking. [LP]

– What a crazy game.

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Sidney Crosby won’t leave Pittsburgh in the short term

The Penguins are off to a great start this season. Who would have thought?

If the Penguins were in the Canadiens’ division, they’d be in first place. In the overall standings, only the Devils and Mammoth, the Bettman circuit’s teams of the hour, are ahead of Pittsburgh.

That’s no mean feat.

In the short term, of course, it’s nothing to get Sidney Crosby thinking about leaving. The club under new coach Dan Muse is performing better than expected.

Crosby wants to win, and he wants to do it in Pennsylvania. Right now, it’s possible.

But it’s also worth mentioning that right now, Crosby is 23 points away from surpassing Mario Lemieux for the most points in the Penguins organization. He won’t want to leave before then.

Crosby has 1701 career points. The #66, meanwhile, is at 1723 in his career.

That said, everyone agrees that the Penguins aren’t a team that’s going to stay at the top of the standings for the next few months.

Kyle Dubas doesn’t want to deviate from his plan.

I have a feeling that the Penguins’ start to the season is delaying the process. Crosby is able to tell himself that he wants to believe because he’s been doing it for years now.

And without any reason to believe.

If the Penguins start losing and Crosby gets his taste for victory back by representing his country at the Olympics, could the club captain ask to leave around the deadline? Who knows?

It’s a story to keep an eye on.

overtime

– Good news.

– Interesting.

– Yes.

– Exactly.

– Great news.

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Without its reconstruction, the Canadiens would still be in “no man’s land” today

Many in the media have (strongly) suggested over the past three years that Montreal should put an end to the rebuild and go for a clear-cut strategy: do everything to win and make the playoffs. Even if it means hoping for the playoffs once, according to Marc Bergevin..

These same people – often from an older generation than mine – are satisfied this season and are not shy about saying that the club is finally aiming for victory. You can hear or read them raving about the team’s current results.

Except they don’t understand – or they’re deliberately forgetting – one very important thing: without the years of rebuilding, asset sales, room for young prospects and high draft picks, the Canadiens wouldn’t be 7-3-0 since the start of the campaign.

The proof? Who have been the Montreal club’s best players since the start of October?

Nick Suzuki: acquired by trading the team captain (Max Pacioretty).

Cole Caufield: acquired by daring to take a risk at the draft,

Ivan Demidov: selected fifth overall after a miserable season. And a brain freeze from Columbus scouts..

Juraj Slafkovsky: selected first overall after a down-and-out season.

Lane Hutson: selected in the second round because the Habs had several picks in the first two rounds, so they took a chance on a small defenseman.

Noah Dobson: acquired in return for two first-round picks and a young player (acquired in the Tyler Toffoli sale ).

He never comes to Montreal if the Habs don’t ” tank ” for a few seasons.
(Credit: Capture d’écran/Twitter)

Zack Bolduc: traded for a young right-handed defenseman selected in the first round.

Jakub Dobes: selected in the draft with one of the team’s many 2020 picks.

We could even stretch the sauce by talking about Alex Newhook (traded for draft picks, which the Habs had in bulk), Mike Matheson (traded for a defenseman who had just taken the team to the Stanley Cup Finals), Alexandre Carrier (landed in Montreal because of Justin Barron, who had been acquired in the Artturi Lehkonen sale ) and Oliver Kapanen (selected in the second round in 2021).

In short, the Canadiens’ current success is due first and foremost to the fact that they lured the best free agents to Montreal at a discount in summer, were patient, were willing to gut the house before rebuilding it, and had a string of miserable seasons. Without that, the Habs would most likely still be languishing in the bottom third of the league, aiming for the playoffs with a gang of disillusioned veterans. #NoMansLand

People who savour the Habs’ performance in 2025-26 should constantly remind themselves of this..

Of course, there are a few exceptions/errors in the actions of the Jeff Gorton – Kent Hughes duo.

Finishing at the bottom in 2022-23, then selecting David Reinbacher with the fifth overall pick when Matvei Michkov, Ryan Leonard, Dalibor Dvorsky and Zachary Benson were still available could haunt the Habs for years to come. We’ll see.

Acquiring Patrik Laine didn’t pay the dividends we’d hoped for. Although, without him, the Canadiens’ youngsters aren’t learning how to play playoff hockey last spring..

Filip Mesar, selected in the first round, is likely to be a flop.

And Kirby Dach will probably never be better than Frank Nazar and Alexander Romanov.

Except that, on the whole, the Habs’ strategy was the right one. Nobody hits for 1,000 when they take risks..

Extension

The Canadiens announced last week that Patrik Laine would be out for three to four months for abdominal wall muscle repair (via surgery). In other words, Laine had a sports hernia in the “middle of his body”..

Except the Canadiens aren’t talking about mid-body yet . Thank god.

When Laine had to sit out (and seek a second medical opinion a few days later), the Canadiens were talking about a lower-body injury for Laine.

But when I asked the AI if the abdominal wall was in the upper or lower body, the AI replied: neither; it’s in between, in the middle of the body.

So here it is: Patrik Laine is currently in rehab for a mid-body injury. No one has yet ruled out where EXACTLY the lower body begins.

We’ll have to wait and see if Laine plays another game in a Canadiens uniform. It should, but it’s also safe to assume that Laine won’t have any rhythm when he laces up his skates again in a few weeks/months. It’s bad enough he hasn’t had any since he arrived in Montreal..

Note that pretty much everyone agrees on one thing this morning: Laine won’t be signing a contract extension with the Habs. I don’t see him fitting anywhere in Montreal next year.

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Next contract: Mike Matheson has empowered the Canadiens

Even if contract negotiations haven ‘t yet begun between Mike Matheson and the Canadiens, we know that everyone wants to see the defenseman stay in town.

Except those who still want to trade him, of course.

We don’t yet know how the negotiations will go, but we do know that the Canadiens will try, as they have done with others, to convince him to take a discount.

Will it work? We’ll have to see.

But we suspect Matheson knows what he’s in for, having seen how his former agent runs the Canadiens as GM. He sees the culture of the Canadiens, clearly.

And in reality, he’s really not worried about it, in light of what he’s said.

Why not? Because even though negotiations haven’t started yet, we all agree thatMatheson’s statement (reported by Arpon Basu) speaks volumes about his mentality.

In my opinion, I’d rather be underpaid than overpaid. That’s the way I see it. – Mike Matheson

Still, eh?

I don’t know if his agent is happy to see Matheson say that. After all, even if it helps him get the fans and club on his side, it gives power to the GM and president in future negotiations.

So clearly, Matheson wasn’t lying when he said he really wasn’t thinking about his contractual situation.

Normally, when a player signs for fewer years, he can take more money. But if he signs for less money, it could be because it’s on the terms of a longer contract.

When Matheson says he doesn’t want to be a pushover, is that in annual salary or in years? Who knows.

Clearly, it’s the talk of the town. For the past few days, it’s been the talk of the town almost more than the talk of goalies. Besides, who’s going to score tonight?

overtime

– Interested parties: I’ll be at Tony Marinaro’s show around 11:30 a.m. to talk ball.

– Canucks on the case of Pavel Zacha?[RG Media]

– Jayden Struble: competition doesn’t just come from within. [98.5 FM]

– Interesting.

– Read more.

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David Reinbacher: Pascal Vincent (finally) provides an update

Let’s talk about David Reinbacher.

It’s been four weeks since the Canadiens announced Reinbacher’s four-week absence due to a practice camp injury.

But since then, there’s been no real medical update on the case of the Canadiens’ prospect, who suffered a fractured metacarpal bone.

It was only natural to ask a few questions. Has the top prospect suffered a setback in his rehabilitation towards a return to the game?

It’s hard to say when you don’t know anything… and not saying anything opens the door to speculation.

But now Pascal Vincent, on the heels of an appearance on tonight’s L’Antichambre, has confirmed that the Austrian is doing very well and that a return to action is imminent.

Reinbacher is skating and practicing, but waiting for the medical OK to start playing again.

Obviously, he’s going to need time to find his rhythm. And you can be sure that the Rocket will give him plenty of chances to regain his timing.

After all, not only does the Canadiens need to see him develop properly, but the Rocket also needs to see him eat up good minutes quickly down the stretch.

And when healthy, he can do it.

So his goal will be to play games to show that he can stay healthy. After all, it would go a long way towards calming the fans’ discontent with him, and it would help the Habs’ cause in general, in the short and medium term.

overtime

– To hear about the Calder, you have a choice.

– Speaking of the Rocket: Owen Beck needs to give more. [98.5 FM]

– To be continued.

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Patrik Laine: “It’s clear that the Canadiens won’t be renewing his contract”

Patrik Laine is injured until 2026.

He should be back in three or four months… but as the Olympics are three months away, that means we shouldn’t necessarily expect him back before the Games.

Basically, that’s my reading of the situation.

In the short term, there are players who will be fighting for more playing time. And since Laine wasn’t really playing big minutes at even strength, that’s being replaced.

But above all, this gives Martin St-Louis the chance to create trios with more defined identities. Laine, with his erratic five-on-five play, wasn’t in the right chair when he was playing.

All these reasons make it harder than ever to imagine Laine staying in town after the current season, which is the last of his contract.

And on this subject, Antoine Roussel, in the podcast Sortie de zone, hit the nail on the head for me.

It’s clear that the Canadiens won’t be renewing Patrik Laine’s contract. – Antoine Roussel

The former NHLer’s point is that the player doesn’t really fit into the fast, hard-working identity the Canadiens are trying to build.

It’s also questionable how well he fits into the dressing room.

Fans of Laine (and his enormous talent) will say that there’s still time to put things right… but it’s clear that the situation is becoming increasingly difficult.

Clearly, we have to expect a split within a year. Especially since there are plenty of top-six guys (Laine’s ideal role) growing up in the Canadiens’ subsidiaries, which makes Laine’s shot less important.

The injury means the Canadiens don’t have to play him in the meantime, but it also means the Finn will be harder than ever to trade at the trade deadline.

But for now, the priority for the player and the club’s doctors is to get him back to full health. After that, we’ll see where the season takes him.

overtime

– It’s a record in series history for whoever pitches tonight. Reminder: the Blue Jays lost in 18 innings yesterday.

– Now that’s funny.

– Did the guys stay up late to watch the Blue Jays? At least they’re out West…

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Top-2: Sidney Crosby reaches 1,700 career points

Last night, it was game number three of the World Series between the Dodgers and Blue Jays.

But let’s not forget the two NHL games.

Here are the results and highlights:

1. Sidney Crosby reaches 1,700 career points

In Pittsburgh, the Penguins hosted the St. Louis Blues.

Pittsburgh won 6-3 and continues its excellent start to the season. The winning goal was scored by Sidney Crosby, and on the sequence, he reached the 1,700-point plateau for his career.

He is the ninth player in history to achieve the feat.

It didn’t take long for Crosby to collect his 1701st career point.

Evgeni Malkin, too, is off to a good start.

He picked up two points last night and now leads the NHL in scoring with 16.

Can the Penguins keep it up?

2. Sens score seven goals against Boston Bruins

In Canada’s capital, the Senators hosted the Boston Bruins.

It started well for Boston, who scored the first goal, but after that, everything fell apart.

Ottawa scored seven unanswered goals. Drake Batherson first tied the score.

Claude Giroux then scored a goal in spite of himself.

When Alejandro Kirk hit his three-run home run, the Canadian Tire Centre exploded.

See the sequence:

Very tough night for the visitors… in many facets of the game. Here, Charlie McAvoy just had a hard time drinking water.

Extension

– We hope everything is beautiful.

– Things are bad in St. Louis.

– 10 players with two or more points.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– The 32 teams in action tonight.

(Credit: Google)
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Samuel Montembeault’s failure: Like his GM, Martin St-Louis isn’t worried

Samuel Montembeault played a big part in helping the Canadiens get into the playoffs last season.

Although he wasn’t exceptional, he held down the fort and made key saves.

This season, however, things are (much) more difficult for the Québécois. He hasn’t yet lost his position as #1 goaltender to Jakub Dobes (who’s been on fire in five starts), but the fact that both goaltenders have made so many starts this season speaks volumes.

Monty definitely needs to get his act together as soon as possible. Not just for his team, but above all for himself and his possible participation in the Olympic Games in Milan.

Recently, general manager Kent Hughes praised the Québécois goalie’s consistency and was not worried about his poor performances.

Earlier today, at a media scrum, head coach Martin St-Louis also said he wasn’t worried about Montembeault.

Clearly, it helps to regain confidence when your GM and coach aren’t worried about your poor start to the season.

“Sam is a good goalie, he proved that last year. Without Sam, we’re not where we were last year.” – Martin St-Louis

The Habs know that Montembeault is the team’s #1 goalie. Bad passes happen to all players, and MSL also mentioned that they happened to him in the past. He added that it’s not as if he doesn’t know how to play hockey anymore.

The important thing is not to sink too low because of it and the lack of confidence that comes with it. Confidence plays a big part in being an NHL goalie.

Lately, Monty has been arriving at practice early to help him counter this bad streak, and we know he has the character to overcome it.

Let’s see how Montembeault performs in his next outing.

Overtime

– Sky is the limit for us”: Nick Suzuki thinks big for himself and his line mates.

– Let’s hope he’s feeling better now.

– Erik Karlsson is on fire.

– Ordinary, indeed.

– What an important slap from Alejandro Kirk to give his side the lead in this match.

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“For the sake of the show, let the keepers fight” – Renaud Lavoie

In the NHL, fights are an integral part of the sport and always electrify the crowd.

Goalie fights, on the other hand, are much rarer. So rare, in fact, that it’s been nearly five years since two goalies fought.

A few years ago, Jordan Binnington and Marc-André Fleury came close to trading blows before the referees called a halt.

Just this past Saturday, the referees of the Ottawa Senators-Washington Capitals game once again interrupted a goaltending battle. This time, it was Linus Ullmark who crossed the ice to join the fray (and Charlie Lindgren) at the other end.

In short, the NHL doesn’t seem to want to let goalies fight, and there are certainly reasons behind it.

However, that doesn’t take away the fact that fans love to see fights during games. Even more so when two goalies are involved.

Renaud Lavoie was on the JiC show, and the subject was discussed.

According to the TVA Sports tipster, the NHL should let the goalies fight “for the good of the show”.

Lavoie has a point. It would liven up games a lot more, especially when the game in question is quiet and lacking in animosity, or when there’s a big gap in the score.

Of course, there’s the safety of the masked men to consider. First, they have to take off their helmets. What’s more, the guards are playing with very cumbersome equipment, and a wrong move can happen quickly (and a concussion too), but if the guards want to, they might as well let them.

In the event of a fight between two goalkeepers, they would of course receive a five-minute penalty for fighting. On the other hand, one of the goalies could also get a two-minute misconduct if he crosses the red line, but for show, why not?

Lavoie mentioned on JiC that he finds it sad and appalling that referees have to stop a fight between two goalies at all costs.

And he’s right.

Hockey fans want to see a show, and while that mainly involves great plays/goals, fights are still part of the game and part of the show. I don’t need to tell you that a goalie fight is even more exciting.

We haven’t seen that since the pandemic, and it’s pretty sad.

Overtime

– He’s on fire.

– Crosby reaches a plateau.

– Not crazy.

– Read more.

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Mike Matheson and the Habs have not yet begun negotiations

Renaud Lavoie discussed Mike Matheson’s contract situation this afternoon on BPM Sports.

And according to the TVA Sports reporter, the defenseman and the Canadiens have not yet begun negotiations. Matheson is in the final year of his eight-year contract, and it’s no secret that he wants to stay in Montreal.

The Canadiens want him to stay too.

Should we be worried?

In my opinion, not necessarily. There’s a strong mutual interest between the two clans because they both want the same thing. That doesn’t mean 100% that Matheson will sign a new deal with the Canadiens… but it does mean that the chances are high.

It would be good for everyone, after all.

Keeping Matheson in Montreal could really pay off for the Canadiens.

Since the start of the season, the Québécois has formed one of the NHL’s best defensive pairs with Noah Dobson. Both (25 for Dobson and 31 for Matheson) are relatively young… and the Canadiens could have an effective pair for a long time to come.

The question that comes up when we talk about Matheson’s next contract is the number of years. Whether it’s for five, four or three years, Matheson can still help the Habs, and Kent Hughes should take advantage.

I won’t fall off my chair if the defenseman and the club come to an agreement before the end of the season.

Kent Hughes is capable of negotiating during the regular calendar, after all: we saw it with Lane Hutson… and we also saw it with Jake Evans last March, a few days before the last National League transaction deadline.

Here again, we know that the defender and the club want the same thing. And usually, in these situations, the two sides are able to find common ground so that there’s a level of satisfaction on both sides.

Overtime

– Coming up.

– He’s on fire.

– Wow.