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Second center: Tony Marinaro mentions Evgeni Malkin as plan B for Montreal

The biggest debate right now among the Montreal Canadiens is who will be the club’s #2 center for next season.

We know that Ivan Demidov needs more support, and a true center for the 2nd line would be ideal.

Kirby Dach is still the backup option, but something more needs to be added to this line.

Several players have been named as possibilities, but nothing concrete so far.

Mason McTavish, Sidney Crosby, Sam Bennett, John Tavares and so on.

Still, it’s fun to talk about, and that’s what Tony Marinaro did during his appearance on TVA Sports’ JiC segment.

Marinaro named an interesting player as Plan B to fill this need: Evgeni Malkin.

At the end of the clip, there’s a brief moment on the famous subject of Montreal’s second center.

As Marinaro mentions, the Habs’ initial goal is to find a center in his prime, in his mid-twenties, so that he fits in well with the team’s core and can stay for a good while.

On the other hand, finding a 2nd line center in his prime isn’t easy and, above all, it would be expensive.

That’s why having a plan B is always a good idea.

Acquiring a veteran of Malkin’s calibre would cost something, of course, but much less than Sidney Crosby, for example.

And Marinaro’s suggestion makes a lot of sense for other reasons too.

Let’s not forget that Ivan Demidov needs a good player to follow him into his first full season, and that’s just as well, since Malkin is Demidov’s childhood idol.

What better way to launch your show career than playing alongside your all-time idol?

Plus, not only would he not cost the moon to acquire, but he’s definitely better than Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, without taking anything away from them.

And it would be perfect to give Michael Hage time to develop and arrive in two or three years (ideally).

Malkin has great size, even if he’s never played like, say, Corey Perry.

But his imposing size helps him protect the puck (especially when you add his silky hands to that), which would give Demidov plenty of room, and he’d benefit amply from it.

Even though he’s 38, he still managed 50 points in 67 games this year as a 2nd center.

Malkin would definitely be an excellent Plan B.

Overtime

– Ehlers should test the free agent market this summer.

– That’s a good point.

– It really wouldn’t be like that in Montreal.

– To be continued, so far, things aren’t going too well for the Oilers.

– To listen.

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Carey Price at the Temple on Saint Jean-Baptiste Day: there’s a real chance!

One week from today, it will officially be four years since Artturi Lehkonen scored the St. Jean-Baptiste Day goal. We’re talking about the goal that sent the Habs to the Stanley Cup Final… when nobody expected them to be there.

Let’s not forget that the Habs were crowned Western champions that year. Yes, the 2021 season was weird.

And of course, at that time, Carey Price was in front of his team’s net. And that night, in fact, he was sparkling in front of his net, turning aside 37 of the 39 shots he faced.

It had been a beautiful June 24 for the goalie… and for the second time in four years, he might have a reason to celebrate St. John the Baptist Day.

The reason this time? That’s the day we’ll find out who’s been inducted into the Hall of Fame… and Price is eligible for induction this year.

In reality, Price is still an active player, as he is still under contract. He won’t announce his retirement until next summer, when his contract expires… but he’s still eligible to be inducted into the Hall as early as this year.

Remember, guys are eligible after three seasons without playing… and the last time we saw Price was in 2022.

Of course, Price isn’t necessarily guaranteed induction. That said, seeing Shea Weber inducted into the Hall last year (in his first year of eligibility) suggests that Price’s chances are pretty good.

Zdeno Chara, Joe Thornton and Duncan Keith are other newcomers to the process who have a real chance of being inducted. P.K. Subban is also eligible for the first time… but it’s harder to see a world in which he’ll be one of the inductees.

So, four years after reaching the final, Price will have another chance to become immortal on June 24. And I have a feeling he won’t have too much trouble making history next Tuesday…

Overtime

– If the Habs don’t trust David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux…

– It’s true.

– What do you think?

– Who better than Roberto Luongo to wake up the crowd in Florida?

– Interesting.

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“I’m convinced that Connor McDavid will continue his career outside Edmonton”

Game #6 of the Stanley Cup Final kicks off in just a few minutes. The Oilers must win to force a Game #7, while the Panthers would like to lift the Cup in front of their fans tonight.

Returning to Edmonton for a game #7 is not in the reigning champions’ plans.

For the Oilers, a second Grand Final loss in two years would hurt. And for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, as good as they are, it’s something that would hurt their legacy.

McDavid’s case is particularly interesting, as his contract expires at the end of next season. Many expect him to sign a new contract with the Oilers this summer… but Jean-Charles Lajoie isn’t necessarily convinced.

In fact, he even wonders if tonight’s game could be McDavid’s last in an Oilers uniform.

JiC explains that he doesn’t see the Oilers taking a risk like the Maple Leafs did last summer by keeping Mitch Marner without a contract extension. The host notes that if McDavid isn’t ready to sign right now, he expects the Oilers to store him around.

And Tony Marinaro doesn’t disagree, either.

That said, I don’t necessarily get the impression that McDavid wants to leave Edmonton. It’s not impossible that he might (perhaps he’s tired of his team having a revolving door in front of the net), but I have serious doubts about that.

Do you think Leon Draisaitl would really have signed an eight-year contract without being almost 100% sure McDavid was here to stay? I don’t think so.

I have the impression that this matter will be settled fairly quickly this summer and that McDavid will sign a contract that will make him the NHL’s highest-paid player (in 2026-27) a few days after July 1 at the most.

That said, it’s true that it’s not completely impossible that McDavid will play his last game in an Oilers uniform tonight. But I’ll believe it when I see it.

Overtime

– Enjoy.

– That’s right.

– Mika Zibanejad doesn’t want to be traded.

– Corey Perry would like to stay in Edmonton.

– What do you think?

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Nordiques: Luc Poirier (still) interested in bringing them back to Quebec City

Last fall, colleague Maxime Truman spoke with Luc Poirier. He recounted the main points of that interview in a text for DLC (available HERE), and among them was the subject of a Nordiques return to Quebec City.

What we learned was that, in the last decade, Poirier had tried to bring the Nordiques back. He made an offer of $800 million for an expansion team, as well as an offer of $380 million to buy out the Coyotes, but in both cases, it didn’t work out.

Why am I telling you this today? Well, in the last few days, Poirier was at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve for the Grand Prix… and he took the opportunity to give an interview to RDS.

And in that interview, Frédéric Plante, who chatted to him on air, asked him if he was interested in investing in the world of Formula 1. Except that, obviously, the businessman isn’t necessarily interested… who has a different interest in the world of sport:

I’d rather have a team, let’s say the Nordiques return to Quebec City, I’d like that. – Luc Poirier

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Our colleagues at HabsAndLNH also reported the news.

Presumably, then, the failures of the past decade haven’t affected Poirier’s interest in bringing an NHL team back to Quebec City. He’d obviously still like to do it… even if prices have skyrocketed since he last tried to acquire a team.

Particularly since he said the NHL wasn’t really interested in returning to Quebec City at the time. And the leaders haven’t really changed since…

Now, it’s interesting to hear him say this a few weeks after Renaud Lavoie noted that “no one in Quebec is coming forward to bring a team back to Quebec City”. It was then that the idea of an American bringing a team to the capital was mooted.

So it’s safe to assume that, despite his interest, Poirier hasn’t necessarily made himself clear.

We’ll have to see if all that changes eventually, but at least there seems to be someone somewhere in Quebec who’d like to get involved in this project.

And that’s better than nothing.

Overtime

– Wow.

– Name to watch.

– Patrick Kane is expected to stay with the Red Wings.

– Well, well.

– What do you think?

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Olympic Games 2026: “Nick Suzuki is a little ahead of the game for his position with Canada”

In 2024-25, Nick Suzuki took his Habs career to another level. The captain, who led his team into the playoffs, collected 30 goals and 89 points in 82 games, becoming the first player to collect a point per game in Montreal since Alex Kovalev.

It also earned him votes for the Hart Trophy (including a first-place vote), as well as the Selke Trophy.

Because yes, beyond the points, Suzuki also contributes through his defensive play. That means he’s capable of helping his team in many ways… and with the Olympics just a few months away, where NHL players will be back, you have to wonder what that means for his chances of representing Canada.

He is, after all, the kind of player who increases his chances given his ability to contribute in a supporting role (which isn’t necessarily the case for Cole Caufield, for example).

On this subject, Eric Engels was asked by Tony Marinaro on the Sick Podcast about the chances of Suzuki playing for Canada at the next Olympics… and Engels has the impression that Suzuki has a bit of a head start on the other candidates for his position with Canada.

We know that Suzuki, who wasn’t selected by Canada for the 4 Nations Confrontation, broke everything in the final stretch of the season. Inevitably, therefore, there’s reason to believe that his candidacy has gained points in recent months.

Especially since teams can bring 25 players to the Olympics, two more than at the 4 Nations Confrontation.

The problem, though, is that there are quite a few candidates for the chair Suzuki would occupy. Guys like Robert Thomas, Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard, for example, could all vie for the position… but Suzuki has the advantage of playing in the Montreal market, which means he gets the spotlight more often.

That helps build a reputation.

However, the captain will need to make a strong start to the season to secure his place, as he’ll need to find a way to force the hand of management. And Engels brings up another interesting point: if Christian Dvorak doesn’t return to Montreal and isn’t really replaced, Suzuki could even more easily win points.

Dvorak’s departure would force the captain to play even more short-handed, for example… and you’d think he’d take on a role like that with Canada. If he excels at short-handed play and does it often, his candidacy will become even more interesting.

We’ll see how all this develops over the next few months, but Suzuki seems to have a real chance of joining Juraj Slafkovský as the Habs’ representative at the Olympics.

At least, he probably has a better one than Caufield and Lane Hutson.

Overtime

– Speaking of the wolf.

– Two different realities in front of the net for the Panthers and Oilers.

– Coming up.

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Olympic Stadium: baseball, soccer and football possible as early as 2028

The Olympic Stadium in Montreal has been undergoing renovations for some time now. The latest major project, to replace the stadium’s roof, is a rather complicated one.

After all, the size of the stadium and the way it was built make for a complex project.

And today, Minister Caroline Proulx paid a visit to Jean-Charles Lajoie’s podcast, Jean-Charles en liberté. Obviously, the subject of the Grand Prix came up… but so did that of the Stade at the end of the show.

Interestingly, the Minister noted that the Stadium should be operational as early as 2028 (tests will take place in 2027, but the official opening is scheduled for 2028). And when it opens, the Stadium will be able to host baseball, soccer and football.

The Minister mentioned the idea of the Alouettes and “FC Montréal” playing there… and the subject of baseball was also raised.

In fact, JiC mentions at the start of his question that, had it not been for renovations to the Stadium, this is where the Tampa Bay Rays, whose stadium was demolished by a hurricane in the last few games, would have played their home games this year… to which the Minister replied this:

You’re well connected. – Caroline Proulx

So there’s reason to believe that serious negotiations have taken place to see Major League Baseball played in Montreal this year. That said, due to renovations, it didn’t happen… and the Rays are currently playing at the New York Yankees’ practice facility in Florida.

Does this mean that in 2028, the Rays could move to Montreal in a newly renovated Olympic Stadium? The question arises.

We’re still a long way from having all the answers on this one, but this little segment is very interesting and suggests that there are some interesting sports projects in the pipeline for Montreal in the coming years.

All that remains to be seen is whether the next government, which takes power in 2026, will have the same vision.

Overtime

– Something to watch.

– Roman Josi: tests revealed a medical condition. He seems confident it won’t affect the rest of his career.

– It’s about time, Leon.

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Marco D’Amico: If you trade Mailloux, it’s only to get a quality 2nd center

Logan Mailloux is – and always will be – a polarizing player in Montreal.

That’s been the case since he was selected by the Canadiens in the 2021 draft, despite the circumstances… and it’s never going to change.

Especially now, when his name is being heard in transaction rumours.

Mailloux is in the news because, this summer, the Canadiens want to get their hands on a quality player who can play in the top-6. And given that the defenseman is one of the organization’s top prospects… the idea of including him in a transaction to get immediate help is circulating.

Marco D’Amico talked about it on TSN 690: for him, there’s no reason to be in a hurry to trade Mailloux.

Unless…

Unless the Habs are able to pick up a second center who can grow up in Montreal and play with Ivan Demidov in the long term.

Logan Mailloux isn’t untouchable in Montreal.

But… that doesn’t mean we should send him elsewhere for a pittance either. He has a certain value, and if the Canadiens really want to trade him, they have to be able to get a return that’s more than worthwhile for him.

Because it’s true that Mailloux has qualities that can help Montreal and everywhere else in the NHL: he’s big, he’s got good size, he’s got great potential – especially offensively – he throws from the right…

There aren’t a thousand and one defenders like him all over the league. And if Mailloux continues to develop and progress, he really could be a top-4 defenseman in the league for years to come.

That’s why I agree with Marco D’Amico. If you’re going to trade Mailloux, you might as well do it to get your hands on an excellent player. Not to get another prospect, project or whatever.

After all, we saw what happened with Mikhail Sergachev…

Overtime

– I like this.

– Really?

– Nice.

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Rumor mill: Brad Marchand and the Stars are the ones to watch

The Stars are in a strange position.

The club is looking to trade Jason Robertson because he’ll command too big a salary increase (he averages $7.75M per year until 2026, when he’ll be RFA), but the Stars aren’t prepared to just lose his production.

The goal in Dallas? Make it to the finals in 2026.

If the Stars were able to trade Robertson (for valuable assets) and replace him with a player who would arrive as a free agent, it would no doubt be a perfect world.

And according to Jeff Marek, the idea of Brad Marchand in Dallas shouldn’t be underestimated.

Marchand, who is performing well in the playoffs, could replace Robertson on the ice and in the pack. He could also bring leadership and play for a team aiming for the Stanley Cup in the short term.

And if his goal is to make money, working in Texas is a good way to keep some in his pocket. You might say that in Florida too, but we’ll see what happens in due course.

Among the other files to keep an eye on, you know as well as I do that Mitch Marner’s will get a lot of attention.

He will, after all, be the most coveted free agent on the market this summer. He could even command $14 million per season should the stars align for him.

But it could be a long time (not as long as in baseball, though) before we know which city he’ll be flying to with his family for the rest of his career. After all, he’ll take his time.

Could he take two weeks to make up his mind once July 1 arrives, as Darren Dreger pointed out? If so, it could stall the market for a while.

Speaking of which, there’s one club I refuse to take out of the running too quickly: the Tampa Bay Lightning. The club wants to do big things this summer to take advantage of the window of opportunity for existing players.

And I wouldn’t be all that surprised to see Julien BriseBois get his nose in the game. We know he’ll be on JJ Peterka’s, but I’m keen to keep an eye on Marner and Florida.

overtime

– Speak of the devil.

– Unbelievable.

– People love Paul Maurice.

– Ouch.

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Practice: when Carter Verhaeghe prevents the Oilers from practicing their way

Tonight there’s a hockey match. I’d almost forgotten that the final was taking place, it’s so long between games…

The Panthers lead the series 3-2 over the Oilers. If Florida wins at home tonight, they’ll win the Stanley Cup. If not, game #7 is Friday night in Alberta.

My colleague Maxime Truman just did a piece to set the table for tonight’s game. #FiveThingsToWatch

Obviously, players need to prepare properly for the game. Especially for the Oilers, who have absolutely no room for error between now and the end of the 2025 series.

Stuart Skinner is expected to defend his team’s cage.

And on that subject, Carter Verhaeghe has gone to great lengths to make sure he plays in the Oilers’ heads. This morning, he clearly won the game within the game, as they say in the sports world.

How did he do it? By staying on the ice longer, in order to prevent the Oilers, who were practicing in second gear, from arriving on the ice early to start their practice ahead of schedule.

The Panthers player didn’t need to take any more shots. He was left alone on the other ice just to bother the Edmonton guys.

Normally, the Oilers would practice at 11:30, but Verhaeghe left at 11. Many guys, however, like to arrive more than 30 minutes before the start of regular practice.

If the Oilers win tonight… will they win on Friday? For sure.

Note that at 11 a.m., the Zamboni showed up. The Edmonton folks told the guy driving it to leave it alone so the guys could get on the ice as quickly as possible. I love it.

overtime

– The Oilers need to give more.

– Nice.

– His agent praises him.

– Read more.

– Interesting.

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Game #6 of the Stanley Cup Final: 5 things to watch out for

Just because it won’t be below 20 degrees Celcius next night doesn’t mean we won’t be watching hockey on our Québécois TVs tonight. On the contrary, the Stanley Cup could come out of its box around 11:00 p.m. to be handed over – for the second time in as many springs – to the Florida Panthers… in Florida!

Are you near Fort Lauderdale and want to attend tonight’s game? The cheapest ticket is currently selling for almost $800 Canadian on StubHub.

Remember, if the Oilers ever manage to upset the Panthers tonight, they’ll force an ultimate Game #7 on Friday in Edmonton. That would be INCREDIBLE for the NHL and their broadcast partners. Renaud Lavoie Louis-Philippe Neveu dreams about it at night, I’m told..

So far, each game of the final series broadcast on TVA Sports attracts an average of 100,000 more viewers than at the same time last year.

What questions should we be asking ourselves as we approach Game 6 between the Panthers and Oilers?

1. Who will win the Conn-Smythe Trophy if the Panthers lift the Stanley Cup tonight?

The NHL’s top three playoff scorers are Oilers players: Leon Draisaitl (33), Connor McDavid (33) and Evan Bouchard (23). Sam Bennett (22) is fourth, but has 15 goals, the highest playoff total.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Would the NHL award a second playoff MVP trophy to a guy on the losing team?

Would Sam Bennett have done enough to top the Oilers’ two-headed monster?

Would Sergei Bobrovsky (15-7, 2.26, .912) have been influential enough to be named MVP?

If the Oilers win tonight and Friday, I think we’re all ready to give Leon Draisaitl the Conn-Smythe. But if the Panthers win, we’re in the doldrums..

2. Who will get tonight’s start, Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard?

Stuart Skinner (7-6, 2.99 and .899) and Calvin Pickard (7-1, 2.85 and .886) aren’t having a great spring, let’s put it that way. Skinner has been chased from his net in his last two starts, but Pickard didn’t fare much better in Game #5.

Skinner is the #1 goalie and he practiced as a starter yesterday. Smells like Skinner..

3. Who will change teams next season?

Brad Marchand, Tomas Nesek, Sam Bennett, Nico Strum, Nate Schmidt, Aaron Ekblad and Vitek Vanecek will all be eligible for full autonomy in July. For the Oilers, Corey Perry, Jeff Skinner, Connor Brown, Kasperi Kapanen, Trent Frederic and John Klingberg will also be able to choose their new team for next season. Many will not be returning to their current teams.

Will Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett play their last game with the Panthers? Possibly, in Marchand’s case..

Will Corey Perry, who has already mentioned he wants to play again next season, lose a fifth final in six seasons? That would be something.

Will Kasperi Kapanen, entrenched in the (minor) turmoil of Game #5, be back in the line-up?

We’ll see.

4. Can Connor McDavid afford to lose tonight?

Wayne Gretzky made history.

Mario Lemieux has written his story.

Sidney Crosby has written his story.

When a generational player arrives in the NHL, we expect to see him win Stanley Cups to protect his legacy once his career is over.

What will we be saying about them in 20 years’ time?
(Credit: Getty Images)

Connor McDavid will play the final season of his contract next year, before he is granted full autonomy. There’s no telling when he’ll get another chance to play in a Stanley Cup Final, as he turns 30 in 19 months’ time.

McDavid doesn’t want to become a Joe Thornton; he’s desperate for a Stanley Cup ring. This week could be his last chance. You never know if there’ll be a next time..

5. Brad Marchand will be the..

If the Panthers ever lift the precious trophy tonight, when will Brad Marchand be called upon to take the trophy in his arms?

From Gary Bettman to Aleksander Barkov, then directly to Brad Marchand? To Matthew Tkachuk first? To Seth Jones first?

overtime

– Of note.

– The Canadian Grand Prix is in Montreal to stay, but…

– The issue continues to be the talk of the town.