Category: Uncategorized

Several months ago, Marco Normandin (Habsolument Fan) spoke about the Trevor Zegras case and the Canadiens.

In short, he learned that Logan Mailloux and a first-round pick (the one that ultimately allowed the Canadiens to get their hands on Michael Hage) were on the table to get Trevor Zegras – and a second-round pick.

It was ultimately Kent Hughes who refused to go ahead with the transaction.

What’s interesting is that in the latest episode of Tellement Hockey, Radio-Canada’s podcast, Alexandre Gascon confirmed the information about this.

But most importantly, we now know why Trevor Zegras is not a member of the Canadiens.

In short, the selection of Ivan Demidov, a very talented player, at #5 in the draft meant that the Canadiens no longer felt the need to get their hands on Zegras’ services at that price.

You can go to the 43rd minute of the podcast to listen to him talk about it.

What all this tells me is that the Canadiens were indeed afraid of missing out on a guy like Ivan Demidov, who could have easily been picked in the top 4, before the Canadiens’ first pick.

The GM clearly wanted to add talent to his organization, and he was able to do so without trading Mailloux and (indirectly) Hage.

Note that Zegras would have played for the Canadiens in 2024-2025, unlike Demidov. So, I wonder, in terms of talent, if Patrik Laine would have taken the path to Montreal if Zegras had been acquired by the team.

But that’s a different story.

Extension

Still in the segment, the Radio-Canada journalist reports that the Canadiens are no longer attached to the idea of getting their hands on the Ducks player. Is it because of the price to pay? The team’s needs? The player’s performance? His attitude?

Is it a mix of all that?

After weeks of speculation, the Mikko Rantanen file has finally been settled.

He has taken the direction of Dallas, where he will spend the next eight seasons of his career. In total, he will earn $12 million annually, or $365,000 more than if he had accepted the Avalanche’s last offer.

At 5 to 7, Pierre LeBrun revealed the offers of the three teams involved in the Rantanen file.

And on his podcast Radar, he even revealed a few mystery teams in the Rantanen derby.

According to the informant, Utah, Calgary, and Anaheim were aggressive in the file. But I imagine that none of these teams were on Rantanen’s list of four clubs.

Imagine if Rantanen was with Utah, Calgary or Anaheim right now…!
The new episode of Radar on the behind-the-scenes of the deadline is here
https://t.co/SxAJ0UBpuB#rantanen #utah #calgary #anaheim #lnh #Radar @PierreVLeBrun @Anthodezo pic.twitter.com/v1FmDAYNts

— commissionathletique (@Commissionathl) March 11, 2025

Two of the four clubs being the Stars and (probably) the Avalanche. Stéphane Gonzalez and Georges Laraque think that the Leafs and the Oilers were the other two teams, themselves.

When he was traded to the Hurricanes, the Finn was obviously shocked and did not think he would be traded by the Avalanche. He believed he had a few more negotiations ahead of him with the team that drafted him.

But to his surprise and the general surprise, he moved to Carolina. Now we know that he never wanted to be there and, even if the Hurricanes’ GM tried to convince him, he would never have given in. At least the player didn’t fake it with the organization and told them from the start that he didn’t see himself in Carolina in the long term.

But what’s most shocking in this story is the difference between the Stars’ $12 million offer and the Avalanche’s $11.65 million offer. That’s a $365,000 difference, which isn’t too reasonable, considering he wanted to stay in Colorado. The Hurricanes offered $12.5 million.

In retrospect, the big forward may have lowered his demands, seeing that no team was offering him $13 million, but it was already too late to say yes to the Avs… No, he couldn’t have been traded back to the Avalanche since he kept part of his salary. Same story for the Blackhawks, but they were never in the running anyway.

I understand that taxes are different in Texas than in Denver, but $365,000… Come on.

In a hurry

– To read.

Joshua Roy will play the first of a series (he hopes) of games that will be decisive for his future with the CH.

Last week, Pascal Vincent spoke to me about Joshua… and reminded me of an element of his game that many often forget. https://t.co/AQegzs4mV2

— Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) March 12, 2025

– Wow.

WHAT A DEFENSIVE PLAY BY MATTHEW HIGHMORE
pic.twitter.com/P2V1xLQG9V

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 12, 2025

– His last season?

DeAndre Hopkins makes the jump with the Ravenshttps://t.co/MkJ0zGkaLw

— RDS (@RDSca) March 12, 2025

I would be lying if I said I believed in Martin St-Louis’ chances of winning the Jack Adams Trophy, but…

MSL has taken his team to another level this season. The Canadian is four points away from the playoffs on March 11. To say that the team is still in reconstruction…

Even if he’s not among the finalists (unless the Canadian participates in the playoffs), the team’s coach is doing well in the latest vote of the NHL Broadcasters Association. MSL is one of the 14 coaches who received a top-5 vote.

“My Adams ballot for this vote:
1. Dean Evason
2. Spencer Carbery
3. Scott Arniel
4. Paul Maurice
5. John Hynes https://t.co/Ien3NWjtXR”
— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) March 11, 2025

And among the 14, with a total of three points, he ranks 11th, ahead of guys like Paul Maurice (Panthers), Todd McLlelan (Red Wings), and Bruce Cassidy (Golden Knights), and tied with Jim Hill (Kings). He’s in good company, then.

The points are cumulative as follows:
* 5 points for first place
* 4 points for second
* 3 points for third
* 2 points for fourth
* 1 point for fifth

Logically, MSL did not accumulate any first or second-place votes, but he could very well have received a third-place vote or a few fourth and fifth-place votes.

Obviously, Spencer Carbery (75 points), the Capitals’ coach, is in the lead. He is followed by Scott Arniel (Jets) and Craig Berube (Leafs).

Back to St-Louis, at the time of writing, he is leading a team with three games above the .500 mark and four points away from the playoffs. And this, without Kaiden Guhle, without a real second center, and with a real point-producing trio. Yes, he deserves the votes for the Jack Adams.

Does he deserve more votes, even? Absolutely. Imagine if Montreal were to enter the playoffs. Top-5 guaranteed.

In a rush

– The Hawks have been playing better since the trade deadline.
“We’ve gotten rid of some distractions”
Nick Foligno had some STRONG words about this #Blackhawks group.
New for @TheHockeyNews: https://t.co/sddG11ruWI
— Vinnie Parise (@VinnieParise) March 11, 2025

– In front of John Tortorella.
Matvei Michkov attempts the Michigan goal, but it’s FAILED! #OTTvsPHI on RDS pic.twitter.com/SDSKSni5uS
— RDS (@RDSca) March 12, 2025

– Well done.
Scheffler has the complete game to win the Players’ Championship for the third time in a row https://t.co/PAbi8n7iRs
— RDS (@RDSca) March 11, 2025

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about Mitch Marner in Toronto. Indeed, he is the big unrestricted free agent in sight of July 1st, especially since the signing of Mikko Rantanen’s contract.

Naturally, guys like Sam Bennett and Nikolaj Ehlers are also free agents, but there is one name that is rarely mentioned recently. It’s John Tavares.

And Jean-Charles Lajoie wonders if Tavares could interest the Canadiens. Because, as we know, Montreal is looking for a second center. It won’t be Kirby Dach or Alex Newhook. Michael Hage is coming, but he shouldn’t make the jump to professional hockey next season.

The organization hasn’t given up on its young player → https://t.co/rxTlvksfOk

— DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) March 7, 2025

That’s where signing a leader like Tavares could become interesting, but a signing would come with many conditions.

Firstly, the price. I don’t know how much he’ll demand on the free agent market, but it can’t be more than $10 million. If his demands exceed that figure, Kent Hughes won’t be in the running and we won’t even be talking about it. JiC proposes a four-year, $36 million contract (so $9 million annually).

That’s not bad, especially considering the salary cap increase in the coming years. By the end of a potential four-year deal, the former captain of the Islanders and Leafs would be 38 years old. Tavares has a style of play that will allow him to be good until that age. He would allow guys like Ivan Demidov to grow alongside a leader and Patrik Laine to count on a responsible linemate over 200 feet.

Will Tavares, who will probably be a third-line center in three years, be expensive? Yes. Will $9 million be worth it for the first two seasons? Maybe.

Hage would learn from an exceptional mentor and Suzuki would finally have protection at center. A win-win for everyone?

Yes, acquiring Mitchell Marner would be a better signing on paper, but Hughes has to fix the center position in the attack. Lajoie also proposes other alternatives, like Ryan O’Reilly, Brayden Schenn, and even Sam Bennett, who, without being a number one center, can bring energy and production to the top-6.

One thing is certain, the Canadiens’ general manager won’t be idle this summer.

In a hurry

— Yes.

“Suzuki is good, we all know that, but at some point, there’s a limit” https://t.co/rq9J6IC0wT

— TVA Sports (@TVASports) March 11, 2025

— Teemu Selanne’s rookie season goal record (76) is not in danger.

“I’m so excited. Now, something is going to happen that a lot of people thought was untouchable.”

Teemu Selanne will be in the house to watch Alex Ovechkin try to move closer to Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal record tonight in Anaheim: https://t.co/sAZ3BhVfxl

— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) March 11, 2025

— We were expecting it.

New Brandon Tanev headshot just dropped pic.twitter.com/M2dvWyaWg8

— NHL (@NHL) March 11, 2025

— Before KK?

Brady Tkachuk is the first player from the 2018 draft to reach the 400-point plateau in his career! #OTTvsPHI on RDS pic.twitter.com/Na61RtWDlo

— RDS (@RDSca) March 11, 2025

In view of the back-to-back games against the Vancouver Canucks and the Seattle Kraken at the very least, Joshua Roy has been recalled from Laval.

To make room for him, Owen Beck was sent to the Rocket. The center left a nice calling card in the metropolis, but now it’s up to Roy to do the same. And let’s say Martin St-Louis has put him in a position to succeed. At today’s practice, he was alongside Alex Newhook, who is also auditioning, and Brendan Gallagher.

The Quebecer may be at his last chance with Montreal, he who is having a disappointing season in the NHL. Georges Laraque (BPM Sports) even believes that he is in his final moments in Montreal.

.@GeorgesLaraque thinks that since Joshua Roy lost his position at the last camp, his days in Montreal are numbered and he won’t be back with the Canadiens next year pic.twitter.com/SuLnKURu69

— BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) March 11, 2025

Big Georges says that next year, he’ll be gone.

He’s convinced that he’ll be traded.

Last year, in his first steps with the big club, Roy had started on fire. He was so good that at the last training camp, he had a place not to win, but to lose. And as it happened, he lost it.

Laraque believes that Emil Heineman is a better NHL player and that eventually, he could have a place on a third line. As for Roy, with the arrival of Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage, the return of Kirby Dach and perhaps an acquisition during the summer, Roy’s place is in jeopardy.

Seeing him being traded is not crazy at all. Because the guy has talent and he could very well bloom elsewhere. But if he’s not playing on a top-6, I don’t really see his usefulness. He has talent coming out of his ears, but in a defensive bottom-9 role, he wouldn’t be in his place, in my opinion.

In four games with the Tricolore this season, Roy has not yet scored a point. In Laval, his production is not a problem (35 points, including 20 goals, in 46 games), but it’s in the NHL that we want to see him produce. Will he get his first point of the season in the NHL tonight, in Vancouver?

In rapid fire

– Will the saga be over soon?

And let’s recall that Vladdy said that the club and he were far from an agreement. https://t.co/pN0CCVyGbh

— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) March 11, 2025

– Martin St-Louis, in the top-11 candidates for the Jack Adams award.

My Adams ballot for this vote:
1. Dean Evason
2. Spencer Carbery
3. Scott Arniel
4. Paul Maurice
5. John Hyneshttps://t.co/Ien3NWjtXR

— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) March 11, 2025

– No doubt.

McGuire: MacKinnon is the MVP right now https://t.co/5ZrtmpQdnf

— TSN 690 Montreal (@TSN690) March 11, 2025

– A trophy in the name of the Gaudreau brothers.

The Devils created the Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau MVP Award for Jersey’s high school hockey championships pic.twitter.com/jUC3wxKyy9

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 11, 2025

– Kyler Murray has a new assistant.

Lane Hutson is a good hockey player. Did we already tell you that?

No joke, the young man – who is in his first season in the NHL – has exceeded expectations since his arrival in Montreal.

And that means he will have a greater impact on the Canadiens’ payroll next year, even if it will be the last year of his entry-level contract.

Ultimately, here’s what you need to know.

Hutson will be able to earn bonuses for the season he’s having.

Nicolas Cloutier talked about it in an article: Hutson will earn an additional $250,000 for having at least 25 assists, he will earn another $250,000 because he has at least 40 points… And he “could” earn another $250,000 by finishing the season among the top 4 defensemen used by the Canadiens (which will happen).

Hutson could have earned a maximum of $750,000. And he did:

Let’s recall that at the moment, having Carey Price’s contract on the Canadiens’ books means the team is still at the salary cap maximum.

And that means Kent Hughes is forced to defer bonuses.

For example?

In the last game of the 23-24 season, Juraj Slafkovsky scored his 20th goal of the campaign. This allowed him to earn a $250,000 bonus… Which was deferred to the Canadiens’ payroll this season.

All this to say that Lane Hutson will be able to earn bonuses this season and the amount ($750,000) will count towards the payroll for the 25-26 season – unless Carey Price’s contract is traded.

Same thing for Slaf, who could earn an additional $500,000 if he scores nine more goals (20) and collects 11 more assists (30). He is already virtually guaranteed to earn a $250,000 bonus since he must finish the season among the top six forwards used by the Canadiens.

And it’s the same story for Guhle, who could earn a maximum of $420,000 this season if he is one of the top 4 defensemen used by the Canadiens and if he finishes the season among the top three defensemen on the team in terms of differential.

If Slaf is able to earn his three bonuses, Guhle earns his two bonuses, and we add Lane Hutson’s three bonuses to the equation, the Canadiens could have a total of $1.92 million that will be penalized on the payroll.

This will be something to watch since the season is not over yet.

But in reality, we know that the Canadiens will have AT LEAST $750,000 in penalties due to Lane Hutson.

So much the better, in a way… Because it means the defenseman is doing well right now.

In a hurry

– Will the Canadiens be the best Canadian team in the next five years?

– The Avalanche is undefeated in its last 11 games with Nichushkin in the lineup. [Adrian Dater]

– Logan Stankoven didn’t expect to be traded. [TheHockeyNews]

– Good reading.

I don’t think it’s debatable to say that it’s been tough in Buffalo for a long time.

The Sabres are simply unable to have success, after all. Their last playoff appearance dates back to the spring of 2011 and as of this writing, the team is ranked 29th in the NHL’s overall standings.

Not super, you know…

In the context of things going poorly, Paul Bissonnette said today on his podcast (Spittin’ Chiclets) that Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin is looking to leave the organization.

The news spread fairly quickly and the player in question was asked about it by journalists today in Buffalo.

Dahlin’s response? You be the judge:

I don’t know what he’s talking about. I never said I wanted to leave here. I’m not happy with the current situation, I don’t want to lose. We need to improve.

But I never said I wanted to leave here; I thought that was clear… – Rasmus Dahlin

Directly from our captain.

[image or embed]

— Buffalo Sabres (@sabres.com) March 11, 2025 at 1:05 PM

Dahlin wasn’t about to say otherwise.

He wears the “C” on his jersey, after all… And it would have looked bad for him to openly say that he’s tired of playing there right now.

Imagine if Nick Suzuki said he wanted to leave the Canadiens in front of journalists in Montreal?

That would be chaos in the city!

But at the same time, it’s worth remembering that the guys from Spittin’ Chiclets were the ones who revealed information about Mike Babcock in September 2023.

Many questioned the validity of that information… and a few days later, we saw Babcock lose his job in Columbus due to his behavior with his players.

The guys from Spittin’ Chiclets were right, so…

Right now, it’s impossible to know who’s telling the truth. However, it would be normal to think that Dahlin wants to go elsewhere to win because he’s wasting good years of his career in a team that’s going nowhere – and has a long way to go before consistently winning again.

This file will be one to watch this summer, to say the least.

In rapid fire

– Three points for Oliver Kapanen today. [Patrik Bexell]

– Sad news for Tiger.

Tiger Woods announced on social media that he ruptured his Achilles.

Woods says he underwent surgery Tuesday.

[image or embed]

— The Athletic (@theathletic.bsky.social) March 11, 2025 at 3:54 PM

– Filip Mesar and Noel Hoefenmayer practiced with the Rocket today. [RDS]

Is Patrik Laine sick right now?

It seems to be the case.

But, despite everything, few people believe that he is “really” struggling with flu symptoms. At least, Luc Gélinas is part of that group…

The CH is in Vancouver for tonight’s game and there was no morning skate scheduled for today.

The guys practiced yesterday.

However, Patrik Laine still took the opportunity to get on the ice. He was the only guy on the ice in Vancouver, as reported by Eric Engels on X.

It remains to be seen if he will be in uniform or not tonight… Or if it’s Pezz who will take his place in the lineup, as was the case on Saturday in Calgary.

Note that Renaud Lavoie also posted a video (X) in which we see Laine on the ice in Vancouver.

But whether he plays or not tonight, Laine is becoming a distraction for the rest of the team.

Everyone knew that his acquisition came with certain risks. We knew that Laine didn’t have the best reputation to start with, and we’ve been talking about him – or almost – for a few days now.

And the timing is bad because the Canadiens are currently fighting for a playoff spot.

The team really doesn’t need this…

Ultimately, let’s recall that for tonight’s game against the Canucks, Samuel Montembeault will get the start for the Canadiens.

Monty lost his last game against the Oilers and this will be a good opportunity for him to get back on the winning track.

Note that the Quebecer has four wins in his last five outings.

He’s been doing well since the return of the 4 nations:

In a hurry

– The chemistry between the Sedin brothers was incredible. [NHL]

– When two legends (Ovechkin and Selanne) meet. [BarDown]

– GSP loved Simon Benoit’s Superman punch. [BarDown]

– What to expect from the Dodgers in 2025?

At this time, the case of Patrik Laine is being discussed.
I therefore asked myself the following question: if Kent Hughes decided to buy him back this summer, how much would it cost the Canadian? What would be the impact on the payroll?
I am not saying he should be bought back and I do not think the management is there. I wonder, is it possible that he may be difficult to trade and that the Canadian may not necessarily want to bring him back.
Going to the Spotrac site, we have the option to see how much a buyback would cost the Canadian if the club decided to go ahead with such a solution.
This summer, Laine will receive a $2 million bonus. And then, in real terms, he will earn $7.1 million in the 2025-2026 season.
If he is bought back, he will receive two-thirds of $7.1 million, spread over two years. We are talking about $2.37 million per year.
And on the payroll, instead of $8.7 million in 2025-2026 and $0 in 2026-2027, it would be $3.91 million in 2025-2026 and $2.37 million in 2026-2027, which is one year after the normal expiration of his contract.
The structure of the HTML is maintained, with comments and embeds, without triple quotes.
The text to be translated is:
At this time, the case of Patrik Laine is making waves.
I asked myself the following question: if Kent Hughes decided to buy him back this summer, how much would it cost the Canadian? What would be the impact on the payroll?
Currently, the site has an HTML structure, with comments and embeds, without triple quotes.
The text is:

At this time, the case of Patrik Laine is making waves.

I therefore asked myself the following question: if Kent Hughes decided to buy him back this summer, how much would it cost the Canadian? What would be the impact on the payroll?

I am not saying he should be bought back, and I do not think the management is there. I wonder, is it possible that he may be difficult to trade and that the Canadian may not want to bring him back.

The rest of the text is:

En ce moment, le cas de Patrik Laine fait pas mal jaser.

Je me suis donc posé la question suivante: si jamais Kent Hughes décidait de le racheter cet été, combien est-ce que cela coûterait au Canadien? Quel serait l’impact sur la masse salariale?

Je ne dis pas qu’il faut le faire et je ne crois pas que la direction en soit là. Je me demande, c’est tout…

En allant sur le site Spotrac, on a l’option de voir combien un rachat coûterait au Canadien si jamais le club décidait d’aller de l’avant avec une telle solution.

Je ne dis pas qu’il faut le racheter et je ne crois pas que la direction en soit là. Je me demande, c’est tout…

Ce qu’il faut savoir, c’est que cet été, Laine va recevoir un montant de deux millions de dollars en boni. Et par la suite, en argent réel, il touchera 7,1 M$ en 2025-2026 et 2,37 M$ en 2026-2027, soit un an après l’échéance normale de son contrat.

En rappel, le plafond salarial va monter à 8,7 M$ en 2025-2026 et 0$ en 2026-2027, ce serait 3,91 M$ en 2025-2026 et 2,37 M$ en 2026-2027, soit un an après l’échéance normale de son contrat.

En rappel, le DG ne voudra pas forcément ajouter du dead money.

The HTML structure is maintained, with comments and embeds, without triple quotes.

Je n’ai pas dit qu’il fallait le racheter et je ne crois pas que la direction en soit là. Je me demande, c’est tout…

Let’s look at the standings.

In addition to the Senators’ win yesterday (against Detroit, who lost in regulation), the Montreal Canadiens are now four points away from the Blue Jackets and the playoffs.

Two teams need to be overtaken to qualify. The Canadiens have 19 games left in the season.

But aside from the two teams to be overtaken, it remains that the Canadiens must also not be caught up by the other teams currently in the playoff race.

It’s no wonder the CH has less than 10% chance of making the playoffs, as of this morning.

The Canadiens, who will play in Vancouver tonight, have no choice but to win. After all, if they lose a third game in a row, they will likely wake up in a tough spot in the standings the next morning.

Why? Because it would be surprising if all the teams in the race lost.

There are many matchups to watch for the Canadiens. First, the Senators, who have a five-point lead over the CH, will face the Flyers, who trail the Flannel by four points

The Bruins, who have two more games behind the Canadiens but have the same number of points, will host the Florida Panthers. Brad Marchand will be in town.

The Blue Jackets, who have four more points than the CH, will be in New Jersey.

The Rangers, who have two more points than the Canadiens and have played one more game, will be in the West to face the Jets in Winnipeg.

All these games will start before the Flannel’s, which will take place at 10 pm for Quebecers. But 30 minutes later, the Islanders, led by Patrick Roy (65 points in the standings), will face the Kings in California.

The Islanders and the Bruins can overtake the CH (66 points), and teams like the Rangers, the Blue Jackets, and the Senators can increase their lead. So no, the CH has no choice but to win – if only to prove to Kent Hughes that he made the right decision in trusting the team.

In a hurry

– Hello, Brad Marchand.

Brad Marchand took the ice at TD Garden this morning … in a Florida Panthers jersey.

[image or embed]

— Amalie Benjamin (@amaliebenjamin.bsky.social) March 11, 2025, at 11:40

– Deadline: the Snake would have traded the Canadiens’ rental players. [CA]

– Cole Caufield scores a lot on the road. [TVAS]

– Nikita Grebenkin has advice for Ivan Demidov. [RG media]

– Nice.