Author: Dose

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Samuel Blais: the Canadiens didn’t expect the Maple Leafs to ask for him

Yesterday afternoon, the Canadiens made their final cuts to their roster for the start of the season. Florian Xhekaj, Owen Beck and Adam Engström were dealt to Laval, while Samuel Blais and Kaapo Kahkönen went to the waivers.The club had hoped to send both guys to Laval,but while Kahkönen went unclaimed, Blais did not: the Québécois was claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he will reunite with his former coach in St. Louis, Craig Berube.

In an interview with TSN 690, Kent Hughes admitted that he hadn’t expected Toronto to ask for Blais,despite the link between Blais and Berube.

[content-ads]In fact, as Hughes explains, the Maple Leafs could have signed Blais on July 1. And given that they didn’t (opting instead for Michael Pezzetta), he didn’t necessarily expect the Toronto outfit to jump at the chance.In Hughes’ eyes, it’s probably more because of the injuries in Toronto that Blais is currently a Maple Leaf.Of course, it’s debatable whether the decision to put Blais up for waivers rather than keeping him in town was the right one. It’s easy to wonder, after the fact, but the Habs lost a fine piece of depth who had a good camp.He would have been relegated to a 14th forward role, of course. But at least he would have stayed with the team,so it’s safe to say that the Habs missed out on this one. It’s not likely to have a huge impact on the rest of the season, we agree… but it’s still a shame to see Blais with a division rival right now.[spacer title=’Overtime’] – Interesting.

– Samuel Montembeault: 18th best goalie in the NHL, according to The Athletic‘s experts. [The Athletic] – Big win for Dodgers,

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Kent Hughes admits it: Kirby Dach isn’t 100% at the moment

When Kirby Dach arrived in Montreal, the plan was clear: to make him a top-6 center with the Habs. The club was already banking on Nick Suzuki, and they wanted Dach to fill the other chair on the top-6.Whether as a second center… or even as a first center, ahead of Suzuki.That said, Dach never really got established that way in Montreal for one simple reason: injuries. He suffered a major knee injury at the start of the 2023-24 season, and this past February, he suffered the same knee injury. Still, Dach will start the year in the Habs’ active lineup… but in an interview with La Presse, Kent Hughes admitted that Dach isn’t at the top of his game:

[Kirby Dach] won’t be at 100% of his athletic potential.

–

Kent Hughes

[content-ads]The GM admits: coming back to 100% from such an injury takes a long time. He cites the example of Connor Brown, his former client, who needed 18 months before feeling 100% after suffering the same injury,and Dach last year, who clearly wasn’t 100% at the start of the season (despite a full year of rehabilitation). If we take Brown’s example, we can assume that it won’t be until the start of the 2026-27 season (by which time it will have been 19 months) that Dach will feel 100% again.But despite everything, Hughes is clear: he wants to see Dach improve this season. In fact, he wants the center to improve in the “details” this season, which will help him be a much better player when he’s back at 100%.And in an interview on TSN 690 this afternoon, the GM said he was encouraged by Dach’s camp (and health).

If the club’s practices are anything to go by, Dach will have a little less pressure on his shoulders as he won’t be at Ivan Demidov’s center. Instead, we’ll see him with Zachary Bolduc and Brendan Gallagher, two guys who have doggedness and are capable of scoring goals.Let’s see if this will be the right combination to bring out the best in Dach, who is very good at making plays… when healthy.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- When you look at his stats, it seems.

– McDavid, Matthews and Tkachuk: three stars who play in Canada will be free as a bird in the summer of 2028.

– Indeed.

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5-on-5 play: Kent Hughes helped Patrik Laine this summer

Patrik Laine came to Montreal just over a year ago. At the time, the Finn wanted to leave Columbus… and in Montreal, they seized the opportunity to acquire at low cost a player who has already demonstrated that he is capable of making an impact in the NHL.He is, after all, one of the best pure scorers in the Bettman circuit. And we saw it last year: despite injuries and rust, he scored 20 goals in just 52 games.That said, Laine hasn’t been the talk of the town. And the reason is quite simple: at 5-on-5, he seriously struggled, and Kent Hughes clearly realized that. In an interview with La Presse, the Habs GM mentioned that he focused on this issue this summer, taking the time to intervene with Laine on the subject.It’s rare for the GM to do such a thing (although he did it with Juraj Slafkovský at the start of the season last year), but he felt the need to do so.

[content-ads]Hughes explains that this isn’t a bad thing (he wasn’t going to say otherwise, of course): he just wanted to make sure he had a chat with his player to let him know what was expected of him and to make sure the message got through.

The GM is clear: he wants Laine’s priority to be to play well at 5-on-5 and not to score 40 goals at all costs.It’s interesting to see Hughes mention all this in the light of the fact that Laine’s greatest strength is scoring goals. They seem to be trying to get him to adjust his identity a little and focus on details that will help him be a better player, even if it diminishes his offensive production.That said, you’d think the GM’s involvement wasn’t for nothing: with Laine just a few months away from becoming a free agent (and having expressed his desire to stay in town beyond this season), hearing this message from the guy you’ll be negotiating your next contract with must help get the message across, y’know.

This year, Laine will start his season at the same time as everyone else, and he’ll be less rusty than he was last year after a normal summer of practice.Let’s see if his GM’s message will prompt him to adjust his game now.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- New contract : Lane Hutson and the Habs spoke again today. Nothing imminent, though.

– The mood is clearly good.

– Adrian Kempe: nothing imminent.

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Michael Hage leads NCAA in points so far this season

Michael Hage is back for his second NCAA season, and let’s just say that the Canadiens’ prospect is off to a strong start. He scored five points (two goals) in his first game of the campaign on Friday night… and followed that up on Saturday, with two more assists in his second game. He now has seven points in just two games… and that puts him at the top of the NCAA scoring charts. That’s interesting!

What’s also special is the fact that Hage is doing all this… playing on his club’s second line. The center gets some powerplay time, but he’s playing on his team’s second unit at even strength.I have a feeling that could change if Hage continues to be so dominant….

[content-ads] Obviously, it’s still early in the season and we can’t draw conclusions too quickly either.

But by producing like this, Hage could give himself a real chance of going home with the Hobey Baker trophy at the end of the season. Which, in reality, would be really interesting for him. It could give him confidence for what’s to come, and it could allow him to move on to the next level (the AHL or NHL) with a big season behind him, which can always help a youngster of his age. Because let’s not forget this either: we could see Hage sign his first pro contract and play a few games in Montreal or Laval between now and the end of the campaign (following his club’s elimination), and if he arrives with full confidence, his adaptation will go more smoothly.

In any case, for the time being, it’s hard to fault him for anything in his game. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Logical.

– FINALLY.

– A big sandwich!

– News in MLB.

– To be continued.

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Gavin McKenna: 57 NHL scouts (!) were on hand for his first NCAA game

Gavin McKenna is a popular name in the hockey world, and I’ll explain why in one simple sentence: we’re talking about the NHL’s top prospect for the 2026 draft… but we’re also talking about the best NHL prospect we’ve seen in a long time. 17-year-old McKenna scored 129 points (41 goals) in just 56 games last season in the WHL, and that’s… something. Connor Bedard’s cousin made the jump to the NCAA for the 25-26 season, and let’s just say his first game didn’t go unnoticed. In fact, 57 NHL scouts (!) were on hand for his first collegiate game this past weekend… and McKenna picked up two assists in the process. 57 scouts coming to see a player is special.

[content-ads]

The lottery prize is simply too appetizing because McKenna is being talked about as a generational player. A bit like we saw with Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby in the last 20 years… Note that McKenna also had a strong second game with Penn State as he gave his club the win in the final minutes of the game. He now has three points (one goal) in three games… and he didn’t wait to show off his talent.

We’re going to keep hearing about Gavin McKenna in the coming months – especially if he’s able to enjoy a lot of success and if he’s able to keep the momentum going. In any case, right now, the hype is real for him. And it’s likely to stay that way until next June… #Draft2026[spacer title=’Overtime’] –

– Interested parties:

– Great contest.

– 😅😅

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La reconstruction: Crave’s cameras were in Brossard this morning

The series “La reconstruction : au cœur des Canadiens de Montréal” is popular on Crave. The first six episodes of the second season have already been released… and all signs point to a third season as well. Why do I say that? Because Sean Campbell and Mitch Gallo (TSN) were on hand this morning to cover the Canadiens’ practice, but also to record segments for said series

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A post shared by Campbell (@seanrcampbell)

It’s interesting. Fans have had access to exclusive images of the Canadiens for two years now, and the last season is different from the first. In season 1, we saw more of the difficult moments… but with the Habs’ run in the last campaign, it’s a bit more positive, because we see the club fighting for a playoff spot [content-ads] So, what will season 3 of the series be like? We agree on one thing: it all depends on how the team performs on the ice in the next campaign. If the Canadiens have any setbacks, it will dictate the outcome of the season… and the opposite is also true in a way. But I wonder if this will be the last season of the “rebuild”. It’s fun, seeing more special images of the team… but at some point, the rebuilding of the Canadiens will come to an end too.Unless we decide to keep the same format and change the name of the series?That could be an idea, in the context where people really seem to like the concept of a project like this.

[spacer title=’En rafale’] – Condotta (C), Belzile (A) and Bisson (A) will wear a letter on their jerseys this year in Laval.

– I like it.

– Oh!

– The problem will have to be corrected.

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Samuel Blais and Cayden Primeau called for waivers by the Leafs

There’s a lot of action in the NHL today, withConnor McDavid signing a contract extension… but we were also waiting to see what would happen at the Habs’ waivers, because let’s not forget: yesterday, the Canadiens put forward forward Samuel Blais and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen for a waiver to send them back to Laval. Kaapo Kahkonen is going to Laval… but Samuel Blais has been claimed by the Leafs in the waivers.The Toronto team has also claimed Cayden Primeau, who was placed in the waivers by the Hurricanes:

[content-ads] It’s a shame to see Blais leave. He had what it takes to help the Canadiens physically, he didn’t have a bad camp… and he was really good last Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators. And we’re also talking about a guy with experience since the Québécois lifted the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019. I guess his last game proved to the Leafs that he can contribute to the team’s success this year. And it’s not a big risk for Toronto either, since Blais will earn just $775,000 in 25-26… For Kahkonen, however, it’s no big surprise. The goaltender played in the AHL last season (with the Colorado Eagles, Manitoba Moose and Charlotte Checkers) and, although he has experience, his heyday really seems to be behind him. That said, he’ll be able to back up Jacob Fowler in net in Laval, and that’ll give the Rocket a good goaltending tandem. It’s likely to produce interesting results, at least, and we can expect to see Fowler play more games than the Finn, because we see him becoming an important player in Montreal within the next few years [spacer title=’Prolongation’] It’s special to see the Leafs claim Blais AND Primeau in the waivers at the same time. I can’t wait to see what their plans are for the two former habs!

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8 years at less than $9.5 M per season: Lane Hutson was ready to sign a contract like this one

Lane Hutson’s next contract remains one of the most important issues in Montreal. We don’t know how many years he’ll sign for, nor do we know what the annual amount of his deal will be. But with the market seeming to have exploded in the last few days, the issue is starting to become even more important… Hutson has the arguments on his side to sign a huge contract – much like we saw with Luke Hughes and Jackson LaCombe last week. And in that regard, it’s interesting to know that the defenseman was ready to agree with the Canadiens on the terms of an eight-year contract… at less than $9.5 M per year (the amount Noah Dobson is paid annually). Emily Kaplan reported the information on X, also specifying that it didn’t work out on the Canadiens’ side.

[content-ads] What’s dangerous in all this is that the Canadiens may want to take their time because there’s no press.especially if Hutson continues to progress and produce as much – if not more – on the ice.

It’s also worth noting that, according to Elliotte Friedman (32 Thoughts Podcast), negotiations between Hutson and the Canadiens have become a little… emotional, which explains why both sides needed to take a little break.

We’d all like to know the answer to that question. Everyone’s anxious to see the deal close, and right now it seems hard to predict what’s going to happen – yet, especially with the market changing – but one thing’s for sure: the player wants to stay, and the Canadiens want to keep him. At this level, no one needs to worry… [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Reminder: McDavid signed a two-year extension ($12.5M per season) with the Oilers.

– I love this.

– Juraj Slafkovsky should aim for 70 points. [TVA Sports] – The end of the Yzerman era in Detroit? [98.5 FM]

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Connor McDavid has signed a contract extension with the Oilers

We’ve been talking about this one for most of the summer, but now we’ve reached the finish line: Connor McDavid signed a contract extension with the Oilers today. The Edmonton club captain wanted to stay, but we also knew he wanted to win. Clearly, Oilers management have sold him on a plan that he likes, and that allows him to believe he has a chance of lifting the Stanley Cup in Canada.

McDavid also made the announcement himself on social networks, posting a message to say that his journey continues with the Oilers.

And clearly, it’s going to be a party today in Edmonton:

[content-ads]More details to come…

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Logan Cooley turned down $9.6 million a year: Ivan Demidov must be salivating

More than ever, with the salary cap rising like crazy, it’s a game-changer for players. The fact that Kirill Kaprizov has signed for $17 million a year from 2026 to 2034 speaks volumes about how players are shopping for salary increases. And at the same time, it’s only natural: the cap will continue to rise after years of stagnation. According to Elliotte Friedman (32 Thoughts), by 2026-2027, the cap could be at $107m instead of the projected $104m.

And that’s something Logan Cooley has figured out. The Utah Mammoth star has turned down, Frank Seravalli reports, a contract (starting in 2026) worth $76.8m. We’re talking eight years at $9.6m a year[content-ads]

Yes, prices are going up.So clearly, this means Cooley wants an annual salary in the eight figures. Will the Mammoth give in to his demands? We’ll see. Cooley scored 44 points in his rookie season in Arizona and 65 points in Salt Lake City last year. With one year left on his rookie contract before becoming a free agent, the center has more leverage in his negotiations than Lane Hutson, who has just one full year behind the tie. But Hutson, a defenseman, had more points than Cooley in one season (whatever season you use for comparison), still…I know that in a year’s time, Ivan Demidov will only have one full season under his belt. I also know that he’s a winger, not a center, but as prices rise, he’ll be able to (try to) tell the Canadiens that he’s worth more than Cooley if he has more than 44 points in his rookie season. And Cooley said no to that contract…[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Nice.

– First pick of last draft is in the NHL

– Interesting.

– To read.

– Good angle.