Author: Dose

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In pictures: The Canadiens’ Halloween costumes

Every year, the Canadiens throw their famous Halloween party on Thursday night.

And every year, we’re treated to some great costumes from the Habs players.

The first to be unveiled is probably the best. Juraj Slafkovsky was dressed as Tony “Scarface” Montana.

It’s the perfect costume for him, who’s had a scar on one cheek since taking a skate from Christian Dvorak during a prep game.

Second in this fashion show is Arber Xhekaj. He dressed up as Russell from the movie Up There.

Noah Dobson and his wife came up with a slightly spookier idea to get in the Halloween mood.

The defenseman dressed up as a Frankenstein’s monster, accompanied by his wife.

Brendan Gallagher and his wife Emma Fortin dressed up as prisoners.

The cutest part is their daughter Everly dressed as a policewoman.

Credit: Screenshot – Instagram (@Emmafortin14)

We end the ball with Patrik Laine dressed as Buzz Lightyear from the movie Toy Story!

His wife, Jordan, is dressed as Jessie.

We’re likely to see more photos of the players’ costumes in the coming days.

A little birdie tells me that Jakub Dobes’ costume might have something to do with a mattress or a bed…

Overtime

– Very scary.

– Utah can remain a competitive team for many years to come.

– Samuel Montembeault will be able to bounce back. [98,5 Sports][Journal de Montréal]

– Happy listening.

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Rumor: Canucks interested in Steven Stamkos

It’s not just the Canadiens who are looking for a good second center. The Canucks desperately need one.

That’s why a rumor is circulating that Vancouver has shown interest in Steven Stamkos.

This information was reported by Rick Dhaliwal of the Donnie & Dhali podcast, which follows Vancouver sports news.

A few hours later, Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects confirmed that he had also heard the rumor.

Both men are unable to confirm the rumor, but hearing it from two different credible sources suggests there’s some truth to it.

For now, Stamkos is far from the same player he was with the Lightning. So far this season, he has just one goal and one assist in 11 games.

Ah. And his goal was a lucky one against the Canadiens. His shot wasn’t even headed for the net and deflected off a skate.

A change of scenery could do Stamkos a world of good.

For their part, the Canucks really want to add a quality center forward. They traded for Lukas Reichel during the season, but let’s just say he’s no luxury second center.

Stamkos is in the second year of a four-season deal with the Predators. His contract is worth $8 million on the payroll.

With such a large salary, it’s to be expected that the Canucks will ask Nashville to retain part of it. In any case, without salary retention, he’s not worth much.

This is an issue to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

In Overtime

– An important plateau for Tyler Seguin.

– Excellent costume!

– This is the kind of player many teams dream of having.

– We’ll have to wait to see Adrian Kempe sign a contract extension.

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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…