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2025 Draft: Nick Bobrov on the case of Justin Carbonneau

Justin Carbonneau is one of the rare Quebec hopes that could be called in the first round of the next NHL draft in June.

Could the Quebecer be in the Canadiens’ sights, who will have two first-round picks in the 2025 draft?

Yesterday, the Canadiens’ amateur recruitment co-director, Nick Bobrov, and scout Donald Audette were seen at the game between the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and the Moncton Wildcats.

This game featured Carbonneau and another prospect who is expected to be drafted in the first round: Caleb Desnoyers. Moncton won the game 5-2, with Carbonneau scoring a goal and Desnoyers getting an assist.

This afternoon, Carbo was much more convincing with three goals and an assist in just one period of play. He added another goal to finish the game with five points in a 7-2 Armada win over the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

The native of Lévis is having a very good season with Boisbriand, ranking second in the QMJHL for points with 87 and goals with 46.

Bobrov has been spotted at several Armada games.

What is the Canadiens’ interest in the young Quebec winger?

Currently, the Canadiens have the 11th and 16th picks (from Calgary, acquired with Sean Monahan) for the draft.

This could change by the end of the season, but probably not drastically, and the two picks are likely to be somewhere between 10th and 20th overall.

Meanwhile, Carbonneau is ranked 13th among North American skaters. We can think that he might still be available for the lower of the two picks.

The Canadiens could even try to make a big move by drafting Desnoyers with their first first-round pick and Carbo with the second.

I’m far from being one of those who think the Canadiens must absolutely go after Quebec players, but with equal talent, it could be an interesting experience to go after two guys from here.

And for those who would wonder, Carbonneau is not closely related to former player Guy Carbonneau.

In rapid fire

— Josh Anderson is doing great work.

— Classic!

— Blue Jackets win.

— Second hat-trick of the season!

— Third consecutive win.

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A Rolex for thirteen games without his #96: Jack Roslovic has won the deadline date

Mikko Rantanen was only passing through Carolina.

The forward had not liked the trade that had sent him to Carolina on January 24 and it was clear that he had no intention of signing with the team at the end of the season.

The Hurricanes finally granted Rantanen’s wish by trading him to the Dallas Stars on the deadline, with whom he agreed to a $96 million contract for 8 years (average salary of $12 million).

Ultimately, the Finn will have played only 13 games in Carolina while displaying a poor performance of 6 points, including 2 goals, and a differential of minus-3. Very disappointing performances for a player who had over 100 points in the last two campaigns.

However, this brief passage was a good deal for Jack Roslovic.

The center, who wore the number 96 before Rantanen’s arrival, had agreed to let him have the number that the latter also wore with the Avalanche since the beginning of his career. In return, the Finn had given Roslovic a watch from the luxury brand Rolex.

And well, the American forward was able to get his number back after just 13 games and keep his Swiss watch as a bonus. Not a bad deal after all!

By the way, speaking of a good deal, the Hurricanes are offering to replace Rantanen’s name on the number 96 jerseys for free with Roslovic’s name or any other name (let’s say the demand for Roslovic jerseys is probably lower than for Rantanen’s).

A nice gesture for fans who may have gotten too excited with Rantanen’s arrival, which ultimately didn’t even last two months. We also feel that the Hurricanes want to turn the page quickly on this experience. Mikko who?

On his part, Rantanen had a good start with his new team, scoring a goal and an assist in a 5-4 loss to the Oilers in Edmonton.

Incidentally, the forward was sure to break a record even before the start of the game by becoming the player who has played for at least three teams in the same season with the most points.

The record belonged to Thomas Vanek with 68 points for the 2013-14 season when he played for the Sabres, Islanders, and Canadiens. Before yesterday’s game, Rantanen was already at 70 points and all he had to do was start the game to officially break the record.

With his two points from yesterday, that makes 72 and he has 19 games left to improve on that mark.

How many points do you think he’ll get to?

In rafale

– P.K. Subban talks about Matvei Michkov.

– 1600th point for Alex Ovechkin!

– Sydney Crosby beats Marc-Andre Fleury for his 20th!

– Is Mitch Marner a distraction?

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Brad Marchand injured not having extended his contract with the Bruins

It’s hard to say that the big news last Friday on the trade deadline was not Mikko Rantanen heading to Dallas.

On the other hand, we were expecting him to be traded by the Hurricanes.

If there’s one piece of news that surprised several people, it’s the fact that Brad Marchand is no longer a member of the Boston Bruins.

This one, nobody saw it coming.

Even Elliotte Friedman, who announced the scoop on Sportsnet, was taken aback, just like the rest of the panel present.

We can actually see the reaction when this news was announced in the latest Saturday Headlines from Sportsnet:

In this same Saturday Headlines, Friedman discussed the transaction and specified that he believes Marchand was hurt/disappointed not to be able to continue his career in Boston.

What led to this trade is the fact that the Bruins and Marchand were VERY far from an agreement on the annual salary.

Moreover, we knew that the annual salary offered to Marchand would have been $3M, which is a great disrespect.

He did everything for the club, giving his heart and soul.

According to what Friedman reported in Saturday Headlines, we understand that Marchand was willing to put aside some money to find an agreement with the club… but in vain.

« Where I think it went wrong is that Marchand asked for an in-person meeting and he asked for a compromise from both sides to find a way to complete this extension. » – Elliotte Friedman

Definitely, Marchand wanted to stay, but the Bruins’ management did not want to give in and pay more for the veteran.

There was clearly a large gap between the two price demands, still according to Friedman.

Now, the Bruins only have a conditional 2nd round pick from the Panthers, rather than giving a little more to the one who gave everything for the club.

Marchand has obviously slowed down in recent years, but he’s still on track for a 63-point season, and constantly disturbing the opponent.

He still has some good hockey left in him, but Boston will have to do without him.

Moreover, Marchand (who is currently injured) could return to play soon, according to his GM Bill Zito.

His arrival will undoubtedly be welcome in Florida, especially as the playoffs approach.

Imagine a trio made up of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Marchand… enough to give opponents nightmares.

In a hurry

– To listen to.

– 40 years old, that’s something to celebrate.

– With Marner, the Penguins could be very competitive next year and possibly offer one last run to Crosby and company for the Stanley Cup.

– Three more goals for Quebecer Justin Carbonneau, who is giving himself more and more arguments for the next draft.

– Still one of the best defensive defensemen in the NHL, despite being 34 years old.

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Less than 9% chance of participating in the series: It’s changing quickly for the CH

This is nothing new, the race for series in the Atlantic is very tight, which means that one or two losses can completely change the situation.

However, it was to be expected, as almost all the teams in the Montreal Canadiens’ division have what it takes to compete.

Now that we know the New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins have sold at the deadline, it helps the Canadiens to participate in the series.

On the other hand, the last two games (against Edmonton and Calgary) were not profitable for the Tricolore.

The chances of participating in the spring dance are now quite low (less than 9%), according to what is reported on the Moneypuck site.

TVA Sports recently wrote an article about it.

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Connor Ingram calls on the NHL’s assistance program

We never want to see this kind of news in the NHL.

But it helps us understand that athletes are human, too.

The league announced that Connor Ingram – who is the goalie for Utah – will be entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

Naturally, we know the routine.

Ingram will not be available to the team for an undetermined period as he needs to take time to get care.

The personal aspect is important, after all. And it comes before hockey…

Meanwhile, the goalie posted a message to explain his decision. His mother passed away at the beginning of the season from breast cancer and he wants to get the necessary help to heal.

I really admire his honesty:

Let’s note that Utah’s goalie played 22 games this season.

However, this news comes at a bad time since André Tourigny’s team is fighting for a spot in the playoffs.

We will have to find a solution within the organization… and quickly.

Because if Utah starts losing games, the team will fall out of the race pretty quickly:

(Credit: NHL.com )

Utah does not have a great replacement within the organization, and at this level, I think we need to pay attention to the trade market in the coming days to see if we can find a solution to replace Ingram in goal.

At the very least, the team needs to find a replacement for him if they want to participate in the playoffs. They still have 19 games to play, and Karel Velmejka cannot do everything alone.

To be continued, then.

Rapid Fire

– It’s just perfect.

– Good point.

– Yeah…

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Jonathan Bernier on Laine: “Maybe the time he was most useful since his hat trick”

The Canadian lost last night against the Calgary Flames.

The result of the meeting, for those who missed it? 1-0 in favor of the Flames.

Dustin Wolf was good enough to collect the shutout for his team. He stopped the 26 shots directed at him.

Michael Pezzetta was in uniform for the CH because Patrik Laine was not able to play.

Owen Beck found himself on a trio with Alex Newhook and Josh Anderson and the result was interesting.

The three guys played well together… Which leads Jonathan Bernier to say that even if Laine didn’t play, it’s maybe the time when he was the most useful since his hat-trick.

Dealing with flu symptoms, Patrik Laine was not able to face the Flames. Nevertheless, it’s maybe the time when he was the most useful to the Canadian since the hat-trick he scored on the power play in mid-December. – Jonathan Bernier

It’s true that the second trio did relatively well.

And it’s true that it brought more energy compared to when we see Laine on the second unit lately with Newhook and Beck.

But… it’s ironic to say that, because the Canadian was not able to score a single goal.

And God knows that Laine – even if the level of effort is not always at the point – has that quality in his toolbox: he is capable of putting the puck in the net.

If the CH had won its game, it would be different. And if the second trio had been able to produce with Laine’s absence, it would be different too.

But that’s not the case. It worked so well without Laine that the CH lost 1-0! You know…

We may not like his performance every night, but the Canadian needs an offensive player like Laine in the lineup.

And it shows in the team’s performance when he’s there:

The Canadian will play its next game on Tuesday in Vancouver, against the Canucks.

It will be necessary to monitor Laine’s health to see if he will be able to participate in the meeting.

And if he doesn’t play, I wonder how “useful” he will be to the CH like he was last night…

In a hurry

– That’s what a leader is!

– The defeat seems to be difficult to swallow.

– Money talks…

– I like it.

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7th whitewash in 32 matches: Jacob Fowler ends his regular season in style

The Montreal Canadien met Dustin Wolf last night.

The Calgary Flames’ goalkeeper was unbeatable, and he shut out the Tricolore to allow the Flames to win 1 to 0.

This was a frustrating loss to watch for the CH fans, as it is surely the case for other NHL fans after facing Wolf and the Flames.

It’s discouraging to face a goalkeeper who is so confident and solid in front of his net, and that’s a great strength to have on your team.

Luckily for the Tricolore, they potentially have a goalkeeper of this caliber who could come and frustrate opposing teams on a regular basis, just like Dustin Wolf did last night against the Canadien.

This goalkeeper, you all know him, it’s Jacob Fowler.

The 20-year-old CH prospect is sensational this season in the NCAA, as he strings together good performances with legendary calm.

Moreover, last night, Fowler completed his regular season with a 7th shutout in 32 games.

This was the last game of the regular season for Boston College last night, and the Eagles won 6 to 0 against Merrimack University.

Fowler stopped 27 shots, which further improved his already impressive statistics.

For comparison, in his rookie season in the NCAA, last year, Fowler had a record of 32-6-1 with a goals-against average of 2.14 and a save percentage of 0.926.

This was a very good season for Fowler, but this season, the Tricolore prospect has really taken his game to another level.

In short, Fowler is really showing us that he has great potential, and we’re all eager to see him make the jump to the pros next season.

He could join the Rocket/Canadien as soon as the NCAA playoffs, the Frozen Four, are completed.

Last season, Fowler and Boston College lost in the Frozen Four final to the University of Denver.

This season, it’s clear that Fowler and his team won’t want to miss out on it for a second time.

In a flash

— It’s sure.

— A prospect to watch at the next draft.

— Indeed.

— To follow.

— Wow. What a fight!

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” I’m trusted here” : Joel Farabee takes a shot at John Tortorella

Last night, only one goal was scored in the game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames.

This goal was scored by Joel Farabee, in a game that reminded us how painful and frustrating it is to face the Flames, just like it was in 2021, during the COVID year.

Farabee was the only one to find the back of the net, as he made a good shot to beat Jakub Dobes, who also had a very strong game despite the loss, stopping 23 of the 24 shots directed at him.

In short, it was a very important goal scored by Farabee, who has been a new member of the Calgary Flames since January 30, when the Philadelphia Flyers traded him along with Morgan Frost in exchange for Andrei Kuzmenko.

In 13 games with the Flames, Farabee has only three goals, but still, he seems happier with his role, as he stated after the game last night.

Moreover, he sent a nice shot at his former coach, John Tortorella, stating that he is trusted here, talking about Calgary.

Farabee explains that before Tortorella’s arrival in Philadelphia, he had an important defensive role, and he was therefore sent into the fray when his team was ahead in the last minutes of the third period.

However, as soon as Torts arrived, things changed, and Farabee was no longer used in such situations.

The new Flames player says he is happy to have regained this role, as he played at the end of the game last night against the Tricolore.

Farabee appreciates being trusted, which is a change from Tortorella, if we believe his words.

In short, it’s not the first time a player has taken a shot at Torts or simply complained about him.

We know that Tortorella is an old-school coach who doesn’t hesitate to be tough on his players, as is the case this season with rookie Matvei Michkov, or as it was with the entire Pierre-Luc Dubois saga in Columbus.

Wherever he has been, Torts has frustrated players, but he has also made many happy.

In short, it’s impossible to remain indifferent to Tortorella.

In a Flash

– Indeed.

– To be continued.

– Really cool.

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Lane Hutson has spent more than half of the third period on the ice

The Montreal Canadiens played their first game of the final stretch of the National Hockey League regular season last night, which was their first game after the trade deadline.

And unfortunately, it didn’t go well for the Canadiens, as they will have to wait even longer to score their first goal after March 7.

The Tricolore was shut out 1-0 by the Flames in Calgary, and therefore suffered a second consecutive defeat in Alberta.

This was a very frustrating game to watch for all Canadiens fans, but it was to be expected against the worst offense in the entire NHL.

As soon as the Flames scored the first goal, they stopped playing and only played the trap, defended, cleared the puck, and above all, relied on their 23-year-old goalie Dustin Wolf.

Wolf was extraordinary, despite his small stature for an NHL goalie, and he really managed to frustrate both the players and the fans of the Tricolore.

We have to give a lot of credit to Wolf, because without him, this victory would not have been possible for the Flames, and without him, Calgary would not be in the playoff hunt in the West.

He’s carrying the Flames on his back, and thanks to his third shutout of the season and his career, Wolf has put Calgary back in a position to make the playoffs, one point ahead of the Vancouver Canucks.

In short, the Flames are really lucky to have such a good young player, who really deserves to be talked about in the Calder Trophy race.

And on the Canadiens’ side, we can say the same thing, as we’re very lucky to have Lane Hutson on our team.

The 21-year-old defenseman may not have been able to get a point by piercing the wall of Dustin Wolf, but he did everything he could to make it happen.

Hutson was everywhere on the ice, and Martin St-Louis used him extensively, especially after the Flames took the lead.

It really seemed like number 48 was constantly on the ice, especially in the third period.

Well, it’s clear that our eyes aren’t deceiving us, as Hutson spent more than half of the third period on the ice, with 10 minutes and 21 seconds of playing time.

This is quite an impressive statistic, considering that with three pairs of defensemen, one defenseman wouldn’t normally spend more than half a period on the ice.

But for Hutson, it’s nothing out of the ordinary, and it was excellent bench management by Martin St-Louis and Stéphane Robidas.

Hutson deserved to be on the ice every other shift, as he was the player generating the most offense for the Canadiens and giving the most to the team.

The 21-year-old defenseman did everything on the ice, and he proved it even more when the Canadiens pulled Jakub Dobes.

Hutson controlled the game at the blue line, on the sides when he was descending, and he recovered the puck himself in the defensive zone.

In short, it was really impressive.

And so, even if he wasn’t able to convert all his efforts into a 50th point this season, we can only admire his performance and consider ourselves lucky to have him in Montreal.

Leading all rookies in points as a defenseman, especially in a Calder race as tight as this one, is impressive.

It will all come down to the final game between him, Macklin Celebrini, Dustin Wolf, and Matvei Michkov.

In a Flash

— Unfortunately not.

— No trophy for this loss either.

— Good riddance.

— News about the Canadiens’ prospect.

— To be continued.

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Top-5 : Mikko Rantanen scores his first goal with the Stars

There were ten games in the National Hockey League yesterday, as it was the first Saturday of hockey since the trade deadline.

Several players were therefore playing their first game in their new colors.

Here’s what caught our attention yesterday.

1. Mikko Rantanen scores his first goal in a Stars uniform

After a completely crazy saga with the Carolina Hurricanes, Mikko Rantanen finally found his new home for the next eight seasons, namely in Dallas with the Stars.

And last night, as the Stars hosted the Edmonton Oilers, Rantanen played his first game in a Stars uniform, and he took advantage of it to already score his first two points, including his first goal.

Rantanen went with his classic shot on reception on the power play, which gives a foretaste of what awaits Stars fans for the next eight years.

Despite the two points from the Finn, the Stars fell 5-4 to the Oilers. Rantanen will be back in action tonight against the Vancouver Canucks at 9 p.m.

2. Nathan MacKinnon reaches the 100-point plateau

The Colorado Avalanche’s number 29 has dominated the top scorers’ rankings since the beginning of the season.

Indeed, MacKinnon has not wavered since the start of the campaign, and he has been at the top of the top scorers for a long time now.

Moreover, yesterday, in a completely crazy game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, MacKinnon became the first player this season to reach the 100-point plateau.

He scored two goals in the Avalanche’s 7-4 victory, including the winning goal and a goal in an empty net.

This gives him 100 points, including 27 goals, in 64 games.

Also notable is that in the victory, Valeri Nichushkin scored a hat-trick, his first in his career.

This gives him 23 points, including 15 goals in 26 games this season.

3. Hat-trick for Steven Stamkos

The Nashville Predators have really disappointed everyone this season, as many of us believed in them with all their new additions.

However, it ultimately didn’t work out, as the Preds’ season is a real disaster.

Steven Stamkos is clearly bored with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Despite everything, the former Lightning captain hasn’t lost his scoring touch, and he proved it last night, as he scored all three of his team’s goals in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

He completed his hat-trick with the winning goal in overtime.

This performance will clearly do good for Stamkos, who now has 41 points, including 21 goals in 63 games.

4. Mark Kastelic scores from the neutral zone

Speaking of the Lightning, well, last night they had a very difficult evening, as they were shut out 4-0 by the newly rebuilt Bruins.

Indeed, the Bruins sold many of their players during the trade deadline, but last night it didn’t show.

The support players played well, and they could count on the help of Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Indeed, on the Bruins’ second goal, Mark Kastelic shoots the puck from the neutral zone, and managed to deceive Vasilevskiy’s vigilance.

A rather unusual moment.

5. Vitek Vanecek gets a shutout in his first start with the Panthers

It was the evening of firsts last night, and Vitek Vanecek wanted to join the list, as he got a shutout in his first start with the Florida Panthers.

With Spencer Knight gone to Chicago in the Seth Jones trade, Vanecek will occupy the second goalie spot behind Sergei Bobrovsky, and last night, well, Vanecek was perfect in the 4-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.

Overtime

– Here are all the results from yesterday.

This is his tenth career shutout.

On the Panthers’ side, well, they are simply unbeatable at the moment, as they have only conceded one goal in their last four games, in addition to scoring 12 goals in the same sequence.

 

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– Here are the top scorers from yesterday.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Today’s NHL schedule: eight games.

(Credit: Google/NHL)