Author: Dose

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Jonathan Drouin: “My time in Montreal wasn’t very good for me”

Jonathan Drouin didn’t make the Canadiens’ history the way people would have liked.

The deal involving Mikhail Sergachev for the Québécois didn’t exactly help the Montreal club, and we all know how it ended for the player in Montreal.

After his $33 million contract expired two years ago, he signed as a free agent in Denver.

We knew, of course, that a change of scenery would be necessary in 2023 for Drouin, who was once again enjoying playing in Colorado with his good friend Nathan MacKinnon.

And now, having signed with Long Island (a club that takes care of him and his family) for two years, Drouin is visibly more open to talking about his past.

I say that because onthe heels of his appearance on the NHL Network, where he was asked to comment on his time in Denver, he said that’s what he needed because he’s back to enjoying the game.

And he added this:

My time in Montreal wasn’t very good for me. – Jonathan Drouin

Obviously, I don’t think anyone here is surprised by Drouin’s comments. We may be surprised to see him talk so openly about it, but not about the nature of his statement.

Clearly, playing in Montreal wasn’t for him.

I think a lot of people in Montreal are happy to see what he’s become over the past two years. He’s back to being the player he can be in Colorado, and we’ll see what Patrick Roy does for his career.

It can’t be any worse than it was in Montreal… unless the player’s intensity doesn’t make the coach happy.

overtime

– Speaking of Mikhail Sergachev: he loves his life in Utah.

– Wow.

– Interesting.

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Toronto: Michael Pezzetta grows in stature now that Ryan Reaves is gone

In recent days, the Maple Leafs have offered Michael Pezzetta a two-year contract. Pezzetta joins Ryan Reaves among the players who can compete in Toronto.

Despite past altercations between the Habs and the Maple Leafs, Pezzetta was going to play with Reaves.

But now the San Jose Sharks have changed all that, picking up Reaves from Toronto. And since the veteran earns just over $1 million and isn’t a big addition to the salary cap, we’re not sure why the San Jose club did it.

By necessity, because Reaves was no longer the tough guy he once was, the addition of Pezzetta meant that the Maple Leafs didn’t necessarily need the big forward anymore.

We’d been feeling for a while that Reaves was more in the legs than anything else.

Since the Maple Leafs certainly didn’t want to have two forwards like that (who don’t rack up points at an insane rate, let’s say), trading Reaves made sense.

And it did.

Will the Maple Leafs be happy to rely solely on Pezzetta, who definitely can’t play all 82 games in a season for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations? We’ll see.

Because while there are other tough players out there, guys in the Pezz mold aren’t a dime a dozen in the NHL.

I also wonder, by the way, what the good Arber Xhekaj thinks of the Maple Leafs deal. After all, Reaves has had his moments with the Habs in recent years….

I imagine the question will be put to him when he talks to the media on the heels of the season opener.

overtime

– The Hurricanes really wanted Mitch Marner.

– Can Kaiden Guhle reach the next level? [TSN 690]

– Gavin McKenna bids farewell to the WHL.

– Who do you think will win?

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Sidney Crosby’s future in Pittsburgh could depend on the next lottery

Is Sidney Crosby’s future in Pittsburgh? That’s the question on everyone’s lips throughout the NHL.

The most logical destination besides Pittsburgh is Montreal, and everyone knows it.

Even if the Penguins aren’t going anywhere, there’s a world out there where Sidney Crosby puts his desire to win behind him and stay where his legend began. Greg Wyshynski spoke to Jeff Marek’s podcast The Sheet and believes the upcoming lottery could have an impact on the 87’s future.

According to the American journalist, if the Penguins, who will be among the worst teams on the Bettman circuit next year, win the Gavin McKenna lottery, it could have an influence on the captain’s future.

His questioning makes sense, because instead of leaving, he could do what Mario Lemieux did and stay in Pittsburgh to help grow the next face of the franchise.

From Mario, to Sidney, to Gavin: that would be three consecutive franchise players. The Penguins would be lucky indeed. Because yes, McKenna has a chance to become Crosby 2.0 and build a dynasty with the Penguins when all seemed lost for this franchise.

But before we can think about that, the club has to finish among the NHL’s worst teams. With captain Evgeni Malkin (for one last season) and Kris Letang, that’s not necessarily going to happen.

The Penguins are also counting on Erik Karlsson. According to Chris Johnston, the Swede won’t be traded to another team. If Kyle Dubas doesn’t get a solid offer for his defenseman, he won’t trade him, period.

Overtime

– Ah well.

– Of note.

– That remains to be seen.

– Nice catch.

– That’s a good quality to have.

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The Islanders sent jerseys to Jonathan Drouin’s family after his signing

On July 1, Jonathan Drouin left the Avalanche to join the New York Islanders and Patrick Roy.

The Québécois capitalized on his fine end-of-season performance in Denver to sign a handsome pact with New York. The two-year, $8 million deal makes him the organization’s sixth-highest-paid forward on an annual basis.

Today, the Québécois was interviewed by NHL Network and said that the organization sent him and his family new team jerseys after his signing.

According to him, it shows the class of the organization.

It’s a nice gesture in any case, and it’s a nice gift to give to a player who has just put his trust in your team.

Drouin has spoken with a few players, including Anthony Beauvilier, about New York and they agree that it’s a great place to play. I guess he hasn’t talked to Noah Dobson.

His agent Allan Walsh even commented on the Islanders’ new acquisition. #DrouinIt

In 43 games last year, Drouin collected 37 points. He richly deserves this contract and, should he have two more good seasons, he could command a nice salary increase in July 2028.

In New York, he won’t have the pressure he had in Montreal, and he’ll be playing with quality players. Maybe not a Nathan MacKinnon, but the likes of Mathew Barzal and/or Bo Horvat are a good bet. And on the power play, he’ll be able to play with Matthew Schaefer.

Overtime

– The Flames are active.

– RFA: the class of 2026 is intriguing. [The Athletic]

– Who will win the competition?

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LAST HOUR! 19-year-old CHL players get to play in the AHL

Times are tough for the CHL due to new regulations allowing players to exile themselves to American universities.

A few days ago, we learned that Gavin McKenna was leaving the WHL to go to Penn State. It’s all very well, but money continues to dominate.

No Canadian team can match an offer of $700,000…

But, as Q president Mario Cecchini said, “Canada would have lost him next year anyway.

Sad, but true. In June 2026, he’ll be drafted, and barring a major surprise, he’ll start right in the NHL.

Today, Frank Seravalli revealed a very interesting piece of information, but one that won’t help Canadian teams retain talent. The journalist said that, under the new collective agreement, NHL teams will be able to bring one 19-year-old player from the Canadian leagues to the NHL per season.

This change will begin as early as the 2026-2027 season and will be very beneficial for NHL teams and 19-year-old players who have capped out.

I’ll give you an example: instead of playing his fifth junior year at 19, Joshua Roy could have played with the Rocket, where he would have developed much more. A guy like Shane Wright wouldn’t have needed the special clauses to play in the AHL at 19 like he did.

If this change went into effect as early as 2025-2026, it wouldn’t have made any difference to the Habs, who don’t have any top prospects who have capped out in the CHL.

But players like Beckett Sennecke (Ducks), Cayden Lindstrom (Blue Jackets), Tij Iginla (Mammoth) and Berkley Catton (Kraken) could benefit greatly from this new rule. Simon Boisvert will be happy with the change, in any case.

A victory for the NHL, (another) defeat for the CHL, which will continue to lose its stars a year early…

Overtime

– Great read on Noah Dobson.

– It’s got the merit of being clear.

– To be continued.

– I don’t believe in Anthony Volpe.

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RHP: several teams were interested in its services

Rafaël Harvey-Pinard did not qualify for the Canadiens.

He finally became an unrestricted free agent and decided to join the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s a good decision for the forward, as there’s less depth at forward than before, and he’ll have a much better chance of becoming an NHL regular.

That said, he wanted to stay in North America, where several teams were interested in his services. We learn this in a text by Roby St-Gelais on the Radio-Canada Sports website.

Pittsburgh had good things to say about RHP, and the love was mutual.

The man who knew his time in Montreal was coming to an end can’t wait to start practicing with legends like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

I’m excited to have a fresh start on a new foundation. There are players like Sidney Crosby who I watched growing up, and now I’ll be able to watch him from the rink. – Rafaël Harvey-Pinard

The Québécois, who signed a one-year contract worth $775,000, will spend most of the summer in Québec, but will soon head to Pittsburgh to familiarize himself with the facilities and environment of the Pennsylvania Penguins.

In an interview with Radio-Canada, RHP also opened up about the mysterious injury that caused him to miss the start of last season. Until today, we knew it was a leg injury sustained during a charity event. In his interview, he confessed that, during a softball game, one of his friends ran into his leg in the field.

I got hit in the side of the leg by one of my friends and the leg gave out, let’s say, it was a pretty tough moment with four months off. You never know when it’s going to happen and when it does, you’re disappointed. – RHP

Injuries have really slowed him down in recent years. It’s a shame, because in 2022-2023, he finished the season with 20 points in 34 games.

Overtime

– I hope so.

– Absolument.

– Read more.

– Nearly a billion for three players.

– Toronto has some nice depth.

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William Trudeau to miss start of next season

William Trudeau is one of the Montreal Canadiens’ intriguing prospects.

Aged 22, he has just completed his 3rd season with the Laval Rocket and is progressing well.

The more he progresses, the more likely it is that one day he’ll have a chance to play in the NHL. But it won’t be at the start of next season.

After all, the defenseman is injured at the moment and will have to miss the Canadiens’ practice camp.

Trudeau suffered a torn pectoral muscle during the recent Laval Rocket playoffs… and as yet, there’s no date set for his return to action.

Mikaël Fillion (RDS) spoke to the player himself:

All in all, Trudeau will have to start the next campaign in Laval.

And… he should have an even bigger role due to the departure of Logan Mailloux, who was traded to the St. Louis Blues last week.

That said, the Québécois has shown great promise since turning pro, and if the Canadiens need to recall a (left-handed) guy next season in case of injury, Trudeau could still prove an interesting target.

He’s got some offensive flair in his game, he’s gotten really better defensively… and his decision-making is good, as he never gets into trouble with what he’s doing in his zone.

It’s just a shame, though, that he’s going to have to miss the Canadiens’ training camp, because it might have sent a message to Montreal management.

It would have been a great opportunity for him to show his colors… but whatever. The important thing is that he’ll be able to return to action in the first half of the season, and in that respect, I can’t wait to see the impact he’ll have in the Laval Rocket line-up.

In Overtime

– New contract for Josh Manson.

– Aatos Koivu Cook.

– What’s your answer?

– I love this.

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Majority of GMs vote to keep decentralized draft formula

Two weeks ago, the 2025 NHL draft was held in Los Angeles.

And you know as well as I do: it was… a disaster.

The event was flat, the event was long, the event was awful. Nobody liked the decentralized draft experience… because it was just plain bad.

In fact, GMs seem to have liked it, because the majority of GMs voted to keep the decentralized draft.

I’d like to tell you that this is a joke, or that it’s April 1st… but no.

It’s no joke.

Basically, the GMs voted in favor of a decentralized draft for one reason.

We wanted to save money… because bringing the whole team of executives and scouts to one place for a weekend is expensive in terms of expenses.

That said, you have to look at the results of last week’s draft to come to a fairly obvious conclusion. It didn’t work, it was done a little crookedly… and the show simply sucked, in the end.

That’s why, if it happens again, the fans won’t be happy.

The draft was always fun to watch, because it was a good time for everyone. Fans and prospects alike…

Clearly, the NHL will have to get its knickers in a twist before making a decision.

As Tony Marinaro explains in the following tweet: the league must listen to its fans.

And if the NHL brings back this format next year… there’ll be tears everywhere.

Avoid this:

Overtime

– Marco Rossi is still available.

– Transaction: Matt Dumba moves to Pittsburgh.

– Well done.

– Cha-ching.

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Patrick Roy sings the praises of Zachary Bolduc and Noah Dobson

Zachary Bolduc and Noah Dobson are now part of the Montreal Canadiens organization.

And both players have one thing in common: they’ve played for Patrick Roy since the start of their junior careers.

Roy coached Bolduc in junior (Remparts) and he also coached Dobson with the Islanders. He knows them well, to put it another way.

So the Isles pilot is well placed to talk about both guys.

And in each case, he sang the praises of both new habs members.

Roy sees Bolduc as a guy who can succeed in a market like Montreal’s, and he also sees him succeeding with the Canadiens because of his offensive qualities. Kevin Dubé(Journal de Québec) reported in an article:

Simon Gagné, who also rubbed shoulders with Bolduc with the Remparts, thinks the forward might even be capable of scoring 30 goals in a single season in Montreal.

That would be interesting:

For Dobson, it’s a similar story for Patrick Roy.

Roy got to know him over the last two years on Long Island, and he knows that Dobson can help a club offensively.

He spoke about this at the Omnium Québec Célébrités held at the Club de golf de Lévis:

Obviously, according to Patrick Roy, the Canadiens have added some big pieces in Bolduc and Dobson.

And… what’s peculiar is that he’s not the first to say so either.

The bottom line, after all, is this: Kent Hughes has found a way to improve his team for next season by acquiring a #1 defenseman and a young forward with great potential.

It remains to be seen, then, how the two guys will adapt to their new market.

And if they’re able to do so quickly enough… you’d think they’d be crowd-pleasers before too long.

In Overtime

– The Rocket schedule is out.

– Whew.

– Go!

– Very interesting.

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Blue Jackets: Their 1st-round pick in 2025 (a goalie) signs a 5-year contract in Russia

It’s not often that a goalie is drafted in the first round of the NHL.

But that’s exactly what happened this year.

With the 20th overall pick, the Columbus Blue Jackets selected a Russian by the name of Pyotr Andreyanov. That said, there’s a little problem with this pick…

There’s a little problem because the main player involved has agreed to a five-year contract with CSKA in the KHL.

Andreyanov, who is 18, could therefore arrive in the NHL at just 23… if he decides to make the leap to North America.

Jackets fans could, however, hope to see him coming in four years’ time, since there’s a potential NHL opt-out clause in the goalie’s contract.

But four years is a long time.

You’d have to think the Blue Jackets knew what they were doing.

Probably they knew Andreyanov was going to sign a long contract in Russia, but still made the decision to pick him in the first round because of his talent.

Because yes… the goalie’s got a lot of talent.

We’re talking about a super-athletic guy who has a lot of fun in front of the net, making spectacular saves. He has the potential to become one of the NHL’s great goalies at some point… if, and only if, Andreyanov wants to play in North America one day.

Clearly, this is going to be an interesting one to watch over the next few years.

Because if it doesn’t work out and he decides to stay in Russia… it’s the Blue Jackets who are going to look really crazy, in the end.

Overtime

– He wasn’t one to argue the contrary.

– Hum.

– Nice signing.

– Will it work?

– Ouch.