Category: Uncategorized

Categories
Uncategorized

106 points in 51 games: In his 16-year-old season, Gavin McKenna is demolishing the WHL

Do you know the name Gavin McKenna?

If the answer is no, we’re talking about one of the best prospects for the 2026 draft. If his name rings a bell, it’s probably because he participated in the last World Junior Championship with Canada.

But ultimately, we need to talk about the season he’s having in the WHL.

McKenna – who received exceptional player status to play junior hockey at 15 – is in the same category as McDavid and Bedard: at his age, he’s seen as the next big NHL player.

He has the talent to become excellent, at least. And he’s been showing it since the start of the season… with 106 points in just 51 games.

Again, it’s worth noting that he celebrated his 17th birthday at the end of December.

At 16 years old, he’s already one of the best players in Canadian junior hockey and it seems easy for him:

Want a good one?

Gavin McKenna – with his three points scored yesterday – has now recorded at least one point in his last… 35 games.

He’s on a phenomenal streak.

We’re talking about a player who has everything to succeed, by the way: his vision is exceptional, he can score goals, he has a good size at 6’0, he uses his body to hit opponents because he’s not afraid of contact… and he has magical hands.

Really magical:

The rest of his journey before (and after) being drafted will be interesting to follow.

Right now, McKenna seems too strong for the league… and with the NCAA rules having changed, there’s a possibility of seeing him leave Canadian junior hockey to play at the university level.

It would allow him to play against older players and it would allow him to develop in the right way because he has nothing left to learn in the WHL.

It remains to be seen, to say the least. But don’t be surprised if he decides to take the NCAA path at the end of the current season.

It would be logical, at least.

In passing

— Anyway.

— There are only two games in the NHL tonight.

— Ah yes?

— Well done!

Categories
Uncategorized

Mikko Rantanen traded: If he doesn’t sign by March 7, it’s possible

Everyone’s talking about the Mikko Rantanen file right now.

We know that the Hurricanes want to keep him: after all, they made him a nine-figure offer and it’s not for nothing.

The management wants to secure his future in Carolina… And they weren’t afraid to make him a monstrous offer to try their luck.

But we also know that there’s a possibility of seeing him being traded by March 7th.

And the reason is quite simple: the Hurricanes may not want to risk losing him for nothing next summer.

It’s logical, you’ll tell me.

But if Rantanen hasn’t signed his new contract by the deadline, Frank Seravalli believes that Tom Dundon (owner) will think about sending him elsewhere to get something in return for his services.

Seravalli (Daily Faceoff) talked about it in the recent episode of his podcast:

Things are unfolding quickly in this story.

Mikko Rantanen must think he can get even more money… And on the other side, the Hurricanes want to make sure they can maximize his value – no matter what happens in the end.

Elliotte Friedman (32 Thoughts) talks about the idea of seeing the Hurricanes keeping Rantanen despite everything to try to win the Stanley Cup this season.

It could give arguments to convince Rantanen to stay and win… but there’s a certain risk involved in all this too.

That’s why – always according to Friedman – other teams are not sure about the player’s current situation:

In the end, we understand that the Rantanen file will clearly be one of those that will attract attention until March 7th in the NHL.

Because for now, no one seems to know what the future holds for someone who has been struggling since his arrival in Carolina.

For a player of his caliber, it’s quite crazy, really…

In a nutshell

– Absolutely!

– Good question.

– A good show.

– Oh.

Categories
Uncategorized

Jake Evans and the road to a first round pick

There are 11 days left before the trade deadline.

Unless Josh Anderson (who is injured…) and Mike Matheson leave, we can only expect rental players to leave. And the more time passes, the less I feel that Christian Dvorak will be traded.

David Savard has a good chance, but it seems that I don’t see how it would help the Canadiens.

Jake Evans? This is the most pressing case, as you know. And let’s say that the state of his salary negotiations will reveal a lot about the team with which he will finish the season.

At the moment, the negotiations are not… optimal, let’s say.

About this, Arpon Basu addressed the subject for The Athletic. The journalist wrote a paper (which is worth reading) on the state of things with the CH in view of the upcoming March 7th.

And he says that the chances of him leaving are good because the club and the player are not exactly close in terms of contract extension to keep him in the city.

What’s interesting is that Arpon Basu mentioned that at the moment, the return for Evans alone should not be incredible. The CH could have a choice, but not necessarily a good one.

But Basu brought up an idea he often mentions: sending Evans somewhere WITH Joel Armia to maximize the potential return. Thus, a club that wants a bottom-6 duo and a numerical disadvantage could have both players at the same time.

And since two rental players in 2024-2025 can be worth a first-round pick… #Penguins #Sharks

The Canadiens, if they release both players at the same time, would like to get their hands on a third first-round pick in 2025. This would give Kent Hughes the ammunition to have fun, both at the draft and on the market.

Will it happen? To be seen. But at the moment, even if Armia wants to stay, the CH’s GM is exploring the possibility of trading Evans and Armia together within the next ten days.

in bulk

– Ouch.

– Slaf: creating balance. [BPM Sports]

– It’s starting well.

Categories
Uncategorized

“David Savard will almost certainly be traded”

The Canadian is currently five points away from the playoffs.

Attention: I’m not saying the playoffs are easily accessible. After all, there’s the number of points to count, but there’s also the number of teams to overtake and the club’s injured players who are important factors.

On this subject, the CH must overtake five clubs to enter the playoffs. #MissionImpossible

(Credit: NHL.com)

There are only five games left before the trade deadline. The Hurricanes (Tuesday) and Sharks (Thursday) will come to the Bell Center this week. Then, the CH will go to Buffalo on Saturday before hosting the Sabres on Monday.

Then, the first game of the Western trip (Edmonton) will take place on the eve of the trade deadline.

So, there are only five games left for some players to try to increase their value. How much will injuries affect the Canadian’s plan? How many players will be on display in the coming days? And how much will it change anything?

Before we know it, the trade deadline will arrive.

The question we must ask ourselves is who will leave. Obviously, rental players (apart from Michael Pezzetta) are at stake, by the force of circumstances: Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, Jake Evans, and David Savard.

On this subject, in a recent article on the topic, journalist Stu Cowan (Gazette) believes that Savard will “almost certainly be traded” before the trade deadline.

I don’t know if it’s really worth trading Savard. After all, does the CH (which should surely use its last salary retention for this) really want to remove such a veteran from its lineup for a mid-range return?

In my opinion, it’s not necessarily worth it. Unless a team offers an excellent pick…

Kaiden Guhle is absent – I don’t expect to see him again this year – and without Savard, it puts a lot of pressure on Alexandre Carrier and Mike Matheson, who are in line to stay.

It would also force the club to play Jayden Struble regularly or to bring up a young player from Laval… without being ready.

Let the young players participate in the playoff race in Laval and keep Savard… while leaving the door open for a one-year contract with him this summer. For now, that would be my mindset.

But we’ll see what the CH decides.

Rapid Fire

– To be continued.

– Well done.

– Wow.

Categories
Uncategorized

Kirby Dach will not play tomorrow

There were many injuries during training: Josh Anderson, Brendan Gallagher, David Savard, and Kirby Dach.

Dach’s case was particularly notable. After all, the Canadian announced a lower-body injury. The player is still being evaluated and we await further updates on his case.

But as of this afternoon, Martin St-Louis was clear: Dach will not play tomorrow. For the others, we’ll see.

I know that Alex Newhook can play center, but the fact that a center like Dach is falling in battle means it’s very logical to see a freshly recalled Owen Beck play tomorrow.

We’ll see about the others.

More details to come…

Categories
Uncategorized

Carrier vs Barron : not as one-sided as initially thought

Kent Hughes rolled his counterpart with the Blackhawks in the dump by going after Kirby Dach for (roughly) Alexander Romanov.

This is roughly what everyone was saying about three years ago, when the Canadiens, Islanders, and Blackhawks made a deal in the hours leading up to the amateur draft.

Except that today, this certainty is a bit less certain, let’s put it that way. Romanov is playing on the Islanders’ top pair and is doing more than his job, while Kirby Dach has been raising more question marks than crowds for the past 18 months.

When Hughes managed to get his hands on Justin Barron (and more) in return for Artturi Lehkonen, several Montreal experts were telling everyone that Kent Hughes had screwed the Avalanche. Two years later, those same experts were saying the opposite.

Both in terms of transactions and the amateur draft, it seems we forget to take a step back before analyzing the actions and decisions made by our team. How many times do we read analyses of the amateur draft… the day after the first round? As if it was at that exact moment that we would be able to know who made the best selections…

Justin Barron vs Alexandre Carrier
In Montreal’s recent hockey history, we had the same reaction to the Justin Barron vs Alexandre Carrier trade.

“Kent Hughes rolled Barry Trotz in the flour by going after Carrier for Barron!”

Yes, everything indicates that the trade will work out for the Canadiens, both in the short and long term, but is it possible that the Predators didn’t get taken advantage of as much as we thought?

I’ll explain.

After a few tough games – he was even criticized by a teammate -, Justin Barron seems to have found his groove in Nashville.

Barron has been playing nearly 20 minutes per game for a few weeks, including on the top power play with Roman Josi.

He has collected five points in his last 10 games.

All of this while playing for a team that’s having a lot of difficulties.

In short, Barron, 23, is possibly playing the best hockey of his career in Nashville. We could talk about a resurrection, but I’d be more comfortable with the term “professional birth”, like…

Justin Barron is finally emerging (for real?) in Nashville.
(Credit: Getty Images)

Remember that Sidney Crosby has already talked about Justin Barron as an excellent hockey player. He knows what he’s talking about, Sid the Kid.

Be careful! I’m not saying the Canadiens got taken advantage of with this trade and/or that Carrier is not a good player. I just want to remind people not to jump to conclusions that are too hasty or too focused on the short term (recency bias).

You can use this last paragraph with Juraj Slafkovsky too.

After 30 games last year: Slafkovsky is a bust.

At the end of the 2023-24 season: Slafkovsky is top-notch. He deserves $10 million per season. He’s finally found himself.

After 50 games this year: Slafkovsky is (again) a bust. The Canadiens should have chosen Logan Cooley or Shane Wright.

Since Saturday: Slafkovsky is playing like Brady Tkachuk. The Canadiens are lucky to have him.

You see where I’m going with this?

Let’s call it the duty of reserve…

in a burst

– Official.

– Incredible.

– The Four Nations Face-off has left its mark.

Categories
Uncategorized

Kirby Dach is injured in the lower body

Why was Owen Beck recalled?

We have an element of an answer here since four players, including three forwards, are not at the club’s practice this morning. Josh Anderson and David Savard are having a treatment day, Brendan Gallagher is absent for personal reasons…

And Kirby Dach is injured in the lower body. He is still being evaluated.

Naturally, the first thought we have is to think about his knee. We will have to hope that the Canadiens’ forward is not affected in his knee, which cost him the 2023-2024 season.

Did he get injured in his first game back after a long break? If so, it’s either bad luck or a lack of preparation. But since he played all his shifts on Saturday, we don’t know for sure.

Let’s mention that yesterday, he was at the public practice, but not on the ice. It was a hint that he might not be 100% – even if he didn’t look hurt yesterday.

More details to come…

Categories
Uncategorized

Owen Beck recalled by the Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens made a recall.
Owen Beck, who was returned to Laval before the Four Nations Confrontation, has been recalled by the Canadiens. This was announced by the club a few minutes before today’s practice.
And it’s interesting.

Why is it interesting? Because the Canadiens left for the West with 12 forwards and six defensemen earlier this month, knowing that Logan Mailloux and Owen Beck were in the corner in the worst case.
In short, what I’m trying to say is that this year, the CH is still trying to have the fewest players on its lineup.
So if a young player like Beck is recalled when the CH has 13 healthy forwards (the 12 from Saturday and Michael Pezzetta) and he’s at home, it’s surely not to sit out.
But why do they need a forward? I have ideas.

  • There’s a virus going around the locker room
  • Injury: Emil Heineman or Josh Anderson or another player

It’s important to remember that Heineman is coming back from an injury, having been hit by a car last month. And Anderson has been missing practices and is clearly playing injured.
Yesterday, he didn’t participate in a skills competition that isn’t necessarily tough on the body.

More details to come…

in a hurry

– Former Canadien Phillip Danault is 32 years old.

– Trevor Zegras is in trouble.

– Well done.

Categories
Uncategorized

Nordiques: Quebec is going to demolish the Colisée

Since 2015, the Colisée de Québec has not been used much. Hockey (notably the Remparts) and shows have been held at the Centre Vidéotron, and the Colisée has not been used much, ultimately.

But a decision has been made regarding the future of the arena.

The City of Quebec has decided to demolish the Colisée. This is what journalist Émilie Pelletier, who works for Le Soleil de Québec, reported this morning in the newspaper.

The journalist announces that a mixed structuring project, which will include housing, will replace this place where the Nordiques played for years. So, it’s a page of history that is turning in Quebec.

I imagine that Gary Bettman will use this against the return of the Nord – ah, never mind.

What needs to be understood is that the longer it takes, the more expensive it would have been to tear down the Colisée. Making the decision now will allow for a quicker move to something else.

In 2020, an estimate valued the demolition between 17 and 20 million dollars. I imagine it will be the city that will pay.

What’s interesting is that in Quebec, needs have taken precedence over nostalgia. Even if the history of the Nordiques takes a hit with this news, it was the right thing to do strategically.

We can wonder to what extent Montreal should have taken inspiration from Quebec in the Olympic Stadium dossier.

Of course, I’m putting everything in a different verb tense than the present, since the renovations of the stadium’s roof mean that Montreal is not following Quebec’s lead.

I know that the metro line changes things and that the stadium is still used, but… I prefer what Quebec is doing to what Montreal is doing, let’s say.

in a hurry

– Ah, yes?

– Worth noting.

– He’s losing his feathers, he is.

Categories
Uncategorized

Top-5 : Tour of Ovechkin’s hat, who is 13 goals away from Gretzky

Here, several games were on the bill for a Sunday.

20 teams were in action.

Here are the results and highlights:

1. Alex Ovechkin’s hat trick

More than ever, the chase for the record is on for Alex Ovechkin.

Yesterday, against the Oilers, the Russian scored a hat trick. He is now only 13 goals away from Wayne Gretzky and has also become the first player to score 200 goals in three decades.

Here are his three goals against Connor McDavid and his team:

After a drubbing against the Penguins the night before, Washington made short work of the Oilers with a 7-3 win.

Their successes can be attributed to their captain, the future best scorer in history.

2. Cale Makar already has 400 points

It’s no secret to anyone that Cale Makar is an excellent defenseman.

Yesterday, in a 3-1 loss by the Avalanche to the Blues, he picked up an assist on his team’s only goal.

He has therefore reached the 400-point plateau in his career. He has only played 374 games.

Only Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey have reached this plateau in fewer games.

The Avalanche defenseman is therefore in very good company.

This season, in 59 games, the world’s best defenseman has collected 64 points, including 22 goals.

3. The Calder Trophy race is heating up

Early in the season, the Calder Trophy race was led by Matvei Michkov, Macklin Celebrini, and Lane Hutson.

But recently, Dustin Wolf has joined the party. Yesterday, with a 27-save performance in a 3-2 win for the Flames against Celebrini, he reached the 20-win plateau this season.

He’s not the favorite, but he could very well finish among the finalists.

As for Celebrini, who, in my opinion, is the current favorite, he finished the game with a goal.

That’s 41 points in 46 games for him.

Here’s a look at the top rookies in the NHL in terms of points.

(Credit: poolexpert )

4. Patrick Kane settles the debate in Detroit

In Detroit, the Red Wings and the Ducks put on a show for the fans.

The Wings ultimately won in overtime thanks to this beautiful goal by Patrick Kane.

The visitors had missed a great opportunity to win just moments before.

Cutter Gauthier, the Ducks’ rookie, sent everyone into overtime in the last minute of the game.

Yes, there were nine goals in the game, but what I also remember is this hit by Marco Kasper on one of the NHL’s tough guys.

Then, Anaheim was called for two penalties for tripping on the same sequence.

That’s not something you see often.

5. Three goals for Jason Robertson in the second period

In New York, the Stars greatly helped the Habs in their playoff run by defeating Patrick Roy’s team in regulation time.

We can say a big thank you to Jason Robertson, who scored a hat trick in the second period.

Matt Duchene and Roope Hintz also did well, picking up two assists each.

On the Islanders’ side, Casey Cizikas made headlines, but for the wrong reasons.

He was ejected from the game for this hit on Lian Bichsel.

Here’s a look at the playoff race in the East:

(Credit: NHL.com )

 

Overtime

— Shutout for the Devils’ goalie.

— Superb.

— Not the best day for the men.

— Six players with three points.

(Credit: NHL.com )

— Two games tonight.

(Credit: Google)