Author: Dose

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Cayden Primeau and Michael Pezzetta in the waivers

On Sunday afternoon, NHL teams made their final cuts in preparation for the start of the regular season.My colleague Marc-Olivier Cook wrote an article on the Montreal Canadiens’ latest decisions, as Samuel Blais and Kaapo Kahkonen were put in waivers. However, two former Habs players were also put in waivers: Cayden Primeau and Michael Pezzetta.

Pezzetta isn’t the kind of player who can be a regular on a team, but in a 13th or 14th forward role, he does the job very well and, above all, he’s not going to complain about his meager playing time. As for the Hurricanes, it’s not necessarily Primeau’s inclusion in the waivers that’s surprising. Brandon Bussi, formerly with the Boston Bruins, seems to have demonstrated enough for the Canes to trust him over Primeau.

More details to come…

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Beck, Engström and F. Xhekaj in Laval | Blais and Kahkonen in waivers

That’s it. We know the Canadiens’ decisions for the end of training camp: Owen Beck, Florian Xhekaj and Adam Engström are off to Laval. This isn’t very surprising, even if they had good camps and left a good calling card in Montreal. Samuel Blais and Kaapo Kahkonen, on the other hand, have been placed in the waivers.

[content-ads] More details to come…

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312 penalty minutes, 16 expulsions, fines, suspensions: It was a busy day in Florida

You’d think the Senators and the Canadiens would have hit it off Tuesday night in Quebec City, but that’s nothing compared to what happened last night in Florida between the Panthers and the Lightning.We knew the two clubs didn’t like each other very much, and we knew there was a rivalry between the two teams. But last night, it was… next level:

In the end, 312 penalty minutes were awarded in the game. That’s right, 312! 16 players were sent off, making for a very special match. In fact, for a preseason game… it’s amazing how emotional it was on the ice.

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[content-ads] Expulsions, two NHL hearings (J.J. Moser and Scott Sabourin), two fines ($2,098.52 for Roman Schmidt and $3,125 for Gage Goncalves)… Honestly, it’s as if this game turned out to be pointless for both clubs. Exit games are there for clubs to prepare for the season, and yesterday’s match between the Panthers and Lightning wasn’t it. Fights, dirty shots, lots of stupid gestures… This isn’t supposed to be a preseason game:

The Panthers and Lightning will meet again on November 15, and it’s clear that this game will be… intense.

But clearly, what happened yesterday shouldn’t have happened either – yet, especially for a game that had no importance in the league standings. And that’s where we see, at the moment, how some preseason games are starting to become a bit pointless…

[spacer title=’En rafale’] – Oh.

– Nice contract for the Hawks.

– He deserves his spot.

– Oh yeah?

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Alexander Zharovsky: third consecutive game with at least one point

Last season, Ivan Demidov’s performances in the KHL were being closely watched, and rightly so, given the young Russian’s talent and potential. This year, the KHL will again be closely watched, but for an entirely different player, Alexander Zharovsky.

The Habs’ second-round pick (34th overall) at the last draft had no guarantee of playing in the KHL this season, but with his current performances, he could be in it for the long haul: Zharovsky, who missed the first seven games of the season, has been putting in excellent performances with Ufa’s Salavat Yulaev since returning from injury.

In fact, this morning, in his third game of the season, Zharovsky picked up an assist in his club’s 3-1 win over Sochi HC, giving him four points in three games. Zharovsky now has at least one point in each of his first three career regular-season games in the KHL.

[content-ads] It’s obviously a small sample, but so far, it’s still impressive what the Habs prospect is achieving at 18 in the KHL, the second-best league in the world.

Zharovsky has already established himself as one of his team’s top players, as evidenced by his ice time, which so far varies between 14 and 18 minutes. He has an important role to play, and it’s clear that he will help Salavat Yulaev climb back up the standings, as the team is currently last in its conference with eight points from ten games.

Zharovsky is playing inspired hockey at the moment, and he’s showing great confidence on the ice, while he doesn’t seem in any way overwhelmed by the level of play in the KHL, quite the opposite. I remind you that this is still a small sample, and that we shouldn’t panic just yet, but if the Habs prospect maintains this production and pace, it will be VERY interesting for the future.

At 18, it’s only prodigies like Mishkov and Demidov who are capable of producing in the KHL. Let’s see if Zharovsky can follow in his footsteps. [spacer title=’En Rafale’] – Of note,

– Here’s the top-10 in Singapore.

– Too strong.

– A nice surprise.

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“Gallagher will be 35 at the end of his contract, I don’t see the Habs keeping him.”

The Montreal Canadiens have really turned the corner in their rebuild, as evidenced by the presence of several top-notch young players on the team. The prospects we’ve been talking about in recent years have finally arrived, and they’re at the heart of the team, pushing veterans like Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson back onto a fourth line. The craziest part of all this is that the Habs still have several prospects pushing hard who could earn a spot in Montreal in the next few years.

And with these prospects growing, Stu Cowan was asked by a fan in his latest mailbag what will happen with Gallagher and Anderson in two years’ time, when their respective contracts expire. Well, Stu Cowan was clear in his answer, stating that he simply couldn’t see the Habs keeping Gallagher at the end of his contract, when he’ll be 35.

[content-ads] Indeed, when you think about it, when Gallagher’s six-year contract (annual value $6.5M) ends, the Canadiens will be that much more competitive.

In two years’ time, Michael Hage and even Alexander Zharovsky will have joined the Habs, so there won’t be room for Gallagher even then. Add to that the fact that Florian Xhekaj, Owen Beck and company are still pushing hard for a spot, and if it weren’t for Gallagher and Anderson’s hefty contracts, would probably have made the team by this year.

And as sad as it is, it’s true that at 35, the Habs wouldn’t really have a reason to re-sign Gallagher, other than to ensure that he remains a member of the Habs for life. Maybe Gally will retire in two years’ time, but for now, there’s no indication of that [content-ads] And what makes Gallagher’s presence with the Habs in 2027-2028 even more dubious is a Habs prospect whose style is very similar to Gally’s.

Indeed, Vinzenz Rohrer, who just had an excellent practice camp in Montreal before being sent back to Switzerland, is a young, energetic player who is often compared to Gallagher in various analyses of him, so if he continues to develop well, Rohrer, who is only 21, could really fill Gallagher’s role in a few years.

In short, it’s a shame, but the Habs need to look forward, and clearly, Gallagher is living on borrowed time in Montreal right now, because at 35 in two years’ time, the Habs will be looking elsewhere. As for Josh Anderson, he’ll be 33 in two years’ time, and his presence with the Habs beyond his contract really depends on what he brings to the team in the next two seasons.

He could still have some important role in terms of depth in two years if he develops some chemistry with a guy like Florian Xhekaj.I’ll leave you Stu Cowan’s full mailbag here.[spacer title=’Overtime’] – Happy birthday to two legends!

– It’s also the birthday of another Habs alumnus.

– For those interested,

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Martin St-Louis prefers to go with 13 forwards: Samuel Blais to be waived

Now that the preparatory schedule is finally over, the various NHL teams will be making their final cuts and adjustments in preparation for the regular season. As far as the Canadiens are concerned, there would normally remain two forwards, three defensemen (including David Reinbacher and William Trudeau, who are injured) and one goaltender to be cut in order to respect the 23-player limit.

This would allow the Habs to start the season with 14 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders. However, it’s not quite that simple, given that Habs head coach Martin St-Louis has indicated that he prefers to go with a line-up of 13 forwards instead of 14. So, if St-Louis follows his preference, the Habs will have to cut another forward, in addition to Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj.

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[content-ads] Of the 14 forwards remaining after the impending cuts of Beck and Xhekaj, 11 are guaranteed to make the club, and I’d go so far as to say 12, considering St-Louis’ comments yesterday about Oliver Kapanen’s line.

Kapanen seems pretty assured of making the club, given that he’s developed great chemistry with Ivan Demidov, leaving two players whose place in Montreal isn’t guaranteed, namely Joe Veleno and Samuel Blais.

And between the two, I think the Habs would prefer to keep Veleno as a 13ᵉ forward, given that he’s a left-handed center, which makes him more versatile. Nothing’s done of course, but I think it’s a real shame that one of the two players has to be sent to the waivers, given that both really had an excellent practice camp.

Blais and Veleno stood out even more last night, but in the end, if the head coach only wants 13 forwards, that’s his choice [content-ads] I personally would have thought that in the current situation, where several players are standing out and playing well, St-Louis would have decided to keep 14 forwards, but hey.Nothing’s done, but if the coach’s preference is anything to go by, it looks bad for Veleno or Blais.

We’ll be watching at 2 p.m., when we’ll find out if either player is sent to the waivers, and hope no one claims Veleno or Blais. We can expect the same for Kaapo Kahkonen, who will also have to go to the waivers when he’s sent back to Laval.

Jakub Dobes kept his place as Montreal’s second goaltender by not allowing a goal during the preseason, forcing the Habs to send the Finn to the waivers [spacer title=’En Rafale’] – Great!

– To be continued on the Senators’ side.

– To be continued.

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Noah Dobson clearly doesn’t play like a $9.5M guy

The Montreal Canadiens played their final pre-season game for the 2025-2026 season last night, and it was a game Martin St-Louis’ team lost 3-1 to the Ottawa Senators.It wasn’t a great game for the Habs, but at least now the pre-season is finally over and we can get on with the real business.

The Habs will have completed their pre-season schedule with a record of 4-2-0. For this final pre-season game, the Habs fielded an almost complete line-up, with only one line – Ivan Demidov– as well as Zachary Bolduc and two defensemen (Mike Matheson and Alexandre Carrier) out of uniform.

As for the rest, it was pretty much all Habs regulars. Noah Dobson and Kaiden Guhle were back in action for this final preparatory game, and once again, Dobson left us wanting more. Indeed, the Canadiens’ new defenseman has been rather ordinary since the start of practice, in every game he’s played.

I’d even go so far as to say that yesterday was his worst game, even though he was ripping it up at several points on the ice. As my colleague Maxime Truman put it so well, he doesn’t play or skate like a $9.5-million guy, which is the annual value of his contract.

[content-ads] Dobson seemed to lack speed at times, in addition to making a few mistakes, without ever really threatening offensively.

Let’s just say that so far, we haven’t really seen the best of Dobson, at least I hope not. His shots are often blocked, he drops the puck, his passes aren’t always precise, and defensively, he makes mistakes. In short, I seriously hope that Dobson still has a slight groin discomfort, which is why he was absent for a few games, because if not, there’s plenty to worry about.

Obviously, it’s only preseason, and things can change very quickly, but so far, I’m really not impressed with the Habs’ new highest-paid player. He’ll be given more time to acclimatize to his new team, as will Zachary Bolduc, but let’s just say that the Habs’ new acquisitions aren’t really breaking anything so far.

Dobson and Bolduc will need to shine as quickly as possible if the Habs are to succeed this season [content-ads] Now, aside from concerns about Dobson’s play, what else did I retain from this game that will certainly not go down in history?1. Samuel Blais was probably the Habs’ best forward last night. He was all over the ice, hitting everything that moved (very) hard, as evidenced by his six checks in the game.

Blais stood out throughout the game for his physical play, but also because he generated offense at various times.

The Québécois himself was proud of his game,saying that what we saw was the real Samuel Blais, a physical player capable of playing well offensively. In short, with his performance yesterday, there’s no doubt that Blais deserves to start the season in Montreal [content-ads]2. Joe Veleno also stood out sufficiently. The Montrealer had another strong game, and in my opinion, he also did enough to deserve to start the season with the Habs.

Veleno’s talent, skating and vision are exactly what the Habs need in a depth player. He’ll play games with the Habs, but he’ll start as the 13th forward, behind Oliver Kapanen, unless Zachary Bolduc isn’t ready for Wednesday’s game in Toronto.3. Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj will return to Laval. Beck stood out and made the most of his last audition, but even so, he’ll be joining the Rocket, having left a fine calling card. Xhekaj, for his part, was very discreet last night, hardly being seen at all, which in my opinion seals the outcome of the debate, as he’ll be starting the season with the Rocket.4. Adam Engstrom was very good. The Swedish defenseman made the most of his last audition, showing us all the facets of his game: speed, puck control, vision and good passing. He had many flashes, and even if he returns to Laval, Engstrom represents a great project, and a guy who could certainly be recalled this season in case of injury in Montreal.

In short, not the Habs’ best game, but a few players stood out, while Lane Hutson (obviously) and Kirby Dach also played well. spacer title=’Overtime’] – Read on if you missed anything this week.

– Indeed.

– Don’t miss it from 8 a.m.

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The Canadiens skip their final warm-up game

At last, the Habs’ final warm-up game was played tonight. Here are the lineups:

Ottawa struck midway through the first period, Shane Pinto completing a superb move by Jake Sanderson to open the scoring.

The Senators outright dominated the first period. But after 20 minutes, they led by just one goal. Thanks to Joe Veleno.

[content-ads] Montreal had a much better second period, but the visitors were more opportunistic. David Perron doubled his team’s lead, well posted at the mouth.

Samuel Montembeault then saved Noah Dobson. Nice powerplay save by the Québécois.

The Habs played much better in the third period even scoring once.

Unfortunately, it was too little too late. Final score: 3-1 Sens, who scored in an empty net. At least it was a hockey game, not a boxing match, and the Habs’ next game will be a regular-season one. Wednesday, in Toronto, starting at 7 p.m. Montreal finishes its preparatory schedule with a 4-2-0 record. Next year, there will be only four preparatory games. spacer title=’Prolongation’] – Joe Veleno has earned his place with the big club.

– A great opportunity for the brothers.

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– Scouts on site.

– Ah, the battle of Florida…

– He’s been excellent all camp, this one.

– Well done.

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“Montreal would do everything in its power to obtain Sidney Crosby”

The Canadiens aren’t necessarily the favourites to win the Stanley Cup, we agree, but if Sidney Crosby were to come to town, it would be a game-changer. Without necessarily being the favourites, I wouldn’t dare put my money on Martin St-Louis’ team. In any case, Darren Dreger told the Barn Burner podcast yesterday that Montreal would do whatever was possible to get Crosby in town.

Many teams would move heaven and earth to get the Penguins’ captain, but with the Habs, it’s probably even truer. Crosby grew up in Halifax and was a Habs fan. Kent Hughes has what it takes to move with Kyle Dubas without sacrificing his future. The 87, who earns $8.7 million for two more seasons, not only has a salary that makes sense, but would also fit in really well with Montreal’s young team bank. That’s mainly Dreger’s point, by the way. content-ads] Crosby wouldn’t be around for a thousand years, but his stint, which is only two years, would be so beneficial for everyone. It would help Nick Suzuki at the hockey level – he’d have support at the center position – but also at the leadership level. Crosby’s arrival would not only represent talent and leadership: it would also offer an exceptional marketing asset and become a powerful argument for management to attract future free agents. No one would say no to 87 in Montreal… Unless Ivan Demidov or Lane Hutson are given away, but that’s not going to happen [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Of note:

– The Jays crush the Yankees and lead the series 1-0.

– Really?

– Good.

– It wasn’t all Core 4 in Toronto.

– Not the year of the East.

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Filip Mesar throws down the gauntlet during a Rocket prep game

Filip Mesar was the talk of the rookie camp. The CH’s first-round pick in 2022 said out of the blue that he intended to fight harder this year… which is surprising when you know the player.At least, it really surprised Pascal Vincent when he heard about it.And after a stint at the CH’s practice camp, Mesar is currently at the Rocket’s camp, where he’s trying to prove that he deserves a big role in the club-school’s line-up.

And today, as part of the Rocket’s preparatory game, Mesar found a way to make his presence felt… by throwing down the gloves.Yes, you read that correctly.

[content-ads]Mesar threw down the gloves against Rhett Parsons, a six-foot-three-inch, 210-pound tough guy. We’re talking about a player who, in 62 games last year in the ECHL, picked up just five points… but 116 penalty minutes.The two guys aren’t in the same weight class… but Mesar was targeted because of a penalty on his part. And despite the size difference, Mesar held his ground, withthe Rocket winning the shootout 2-1. It was a Joshua Roy goal that made the difference in the shootout,but to see Mesar throw down the gloves and hold his own against a colossus was the big story of the game. And we wonder what Pascal Vincent thought of it, hehe

[spacer title=’Overtime’]- I love it.

– Draw for the Montreal CF.

– Convincing win for the Brewers,