Author: Dans les Coulisses

Top 15 U23: Pronman’s list revised and corrected

“That’s what’s missing today, order, order!”
– Elvis Gratton

Corey Pronman’s controversial lists have once again exploded the Internet this week.

No surprise there.

In a context where he himself proposes to establish his ranking based on the anticipated career of players, when he ranks the logical favorite for the Rookie of the Year title, Lane Hutson, at the 39th place among U23s, he must expect to get stoned!

At least we can console ourselves, he has adjusted his aim a bit since September when he placed the same Hutson at… 87th place!

But still, even at 39th, the list of “unrelated” players placed ahead of the young sensation from the Canadiens is still too long to be fully displayed; go see it yourself if you have a solid heart…

How can anyone think that Lane Hutson, a star of the NCAA and now a Calder favorite, will have the 39th best career among the analyzed players?

It’s not like Hutson is some obscure hope in the second division at the end of Siberia; he’s one of the new faces in the NHL!

Unless Pronman is doing it on purpose to anger Habs fans and generate clicks!

Ah-Ah!

Because yes, in addition to Hutson being ranked 39th, he also found a way to not include Demidov in his top-15 and “forgot” to include Jacob Fowler, one of the best goalies in the NCAA, in his ranking of 150 players.

In his “defense,” he also did not include Red Wings prospect, goalie Trey Augustine, double gold medalist with the United States at the WJC and equally hot in the NCAA…

A top-15 that we hope is more “sensible”

Well, joking aside, I won’t make a list of 150 players here.

I will leave once again this pharaonic exercise of very, very high stakes (and the risks it entails!) to Pronman and the almost impossible mandate he has to fulfill with The Athletic.

We sympathize with him.

But to continue having a little fun and try to restore some order in all this (!), I focused on a top-15 by asking myself this simple question: according to the anticipated career for them, would I trade player 1 for player 2 (and so on)?

For comparison purposes, I will put Pronman’s ranking in parentheses. We will see that we still won’t completely disagree on everything!

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Category “Elite”:
Players with exceptional qualities and significantly higher hockey IQ. Just below the so-called “generational” players, without establishing new historical standards of excellence, they are dominant and can be “franchise players” in some cases. They make other players better. Capable of executing exceptional plays with ease on a regular basis. They lift their team upwards each season. Generally above average competition level. Major impact and/or exceptional production year after year. Carrière of excellence, often filled with individual and collective honors. Hall of fame almost assured very early in career.
Ex.: P. Bure, S. Yzerman, J. Sakic, P. Forsberg, N. MacKinnon, P. Kane, N. Kucherov, A. Matthews, Q. Hughes, C. Chelios, C. Pronger, A. Vasilevskiy, C. Helleybuck, etc. 

1. Macklin Celebrini (1st)

Celebrini will only be 19 next June, he is close to a point per game, plays on 200 feet, and is already the best player on his team. The young man is producing beyond the expectations of the most optimistic, who had given him about 60 points in 80 games. A very serious candidate for the Calder, in addition to being similar in style and temperament, Celebrini could have a career relatively comparable to those of Yzerman and Sakic, respectively the 7th and 10th best scorers of all time.

No disagreement with Pronman here. The native of North Vancouver appears to us to be the safest bet with the highest potential on this list.

2. Connor Bedard (3rd)

Connor Bedard probably doesn’t have enough qualities to become a generational player as many anticipated. He possesses a rather unique shot arsenal, but his speed and size, which were not problems at the junior level, prevent him from establishing himself so clearly and consistently in the NHL. Of course, he will become a little faster and a little stronger with the years, but he will never be the offensive reincarnation of McDavid nor a player as complete as Sidney Crosby. Presently, we see more of a right-handed Auston Matthews who is very poorly surrounded at 5’10.

That said, he should have 100-point seasons one day or another.

On this matter, the next player on our list would have helped him reach that goal even faster…

3. Ivan Demidov (16th)

If the Hawks are not already seriously questioning their choice at 2nd overall in 2024, they should! Demidov is currently the best player outside of the NHL. This should not be the case for long, however, as the Canadiens reserve him a lovely spot well within their top two lines starting fall 2025. Lane Hutson revolutionized the Canadiens’ defense from his very first strides with the team. Demidov should do the same with the offense.

A true magician with the puck and an intense player over 200 feet, we don’t exactly know what Demidov, at 19, the best points producer per 60 minutes in the KHL, concedes to Bedard and Celebrini in terms of talent. We just can’t wait to be able to compare them on an NHL ice rink. In our eyes, he is in the same “elite” category and he is already physically stronger than the other two. Let’s just say that this seems to be quite a tight top-3…

Let’s also remember that the main interested party sees himself as a “franchise player” without the slightest hesitation (7 min 30 sec.)!

Everyone cried scandal (rightly so!) because Pronman ranked Hutson 39th, but placing Demidov at 16th behind Guenther and Johnston, among others, is also not going to age well for this list from The Athletic’s expert…

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4. Lane Hutson (39th)

If any of Luke Hughes, Jake Sanderson, Zeev Buium, Sam Dickinson, Owen Power, Artyom Levshunov, Brock Faber, Carter Yakemchuk, Anton Silayev, Brandt Clarke, and Zayne Parekh, has a better career than Lane Hutson, that would already be something for Pronman who ranked them all ahead of the Canadiens’ #48.

But the problem is that it very likely won’t happen!

Among them, it is probably Hutson who stood out the most at the junior/NCAA level (honorable mention to Buium) and, among those involved, he is the one having the best start at the pro level!

With what we know and see daily, should Lane Hutson be more part of the “superstar” category or the “Bubble top and middle of the lineup player” category?

That’s the question…

In this world, Hutson is even outright better than all the players that Pronman has ranked in his “superstar” category, from Leo Carlsson to Lucas Raymond, including Luke Hughes and Matvei Michkov!

In our view, Hutson can therefore be anticipated right now as an “elite” player, capable of regularly making unbelievable plays for the average person, just like the three others who precede him on this list.

Even the venerable Scotty Bowman – always very perceptive and who has had his nose in hockey since the world began – dares to rank him in the same category as… Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes!

And Corey Pronman ranks him 39th? FAR behind Matty Beniers (17th), Owen Power (18th), Kent Johnson (24th), and Shane Wright (26th)?

This isn’t made up. This is hallucination.

Basically, don’t be like the Utah Hockey Club and “sleep on Hutson” as the “Americans” say…

 

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Category “Superstar”
Players with similar qualities but generally often just a little less complete, consistent, and dominant than the elite. Production generally well above average. Superb careers marked by more pronounced dominant or productive periods. Ideally “second-best players” on aspiring or championship teams. Strong chances of individual honors and/or Hall of Fame access.
Ex.: J. Tavares, M. Tkachuk, W. Nylander, E. Karlsson, P.K. Subban, K. Letang, S. Weber, H. Lundqvist, S. Bobrovsky, etc. 

5. Cole Hutson (95th)

Despite what Pronman may think, Lane and Cole’s parents had the very good idea to procreate!

They have thus ensured financial health for future generations while providing hockey fans with years of bliss.

Cole Hutson was 8th on my personal list last June. To my knowledge, no one had ranked him that high.

We know how it went. The Caps eventually picked him at the 43rd pick and must now be rubbing their hands together thinking about the future. We actually can’t wait to see if Cole imitates his brother by playing two years in college or if he makes the jump to the NHL as early as 2025.

In addition to having a very good season at BU, the “other brother” broke the record for most points by an American defenseman during a WJC. Hutson likely should have won the title of MVP of the tournament, ultimately awarded to Ryan Leonard, another Caps prospect…

Cole is Lane, only a bit more sturdy and a little less electrifying with the puck, but no less effective. He has, among other things, a better shot than Lane and is a bit more fluid on skates in every direction.

Some like “Snake” think Cole will be slightly better than Lane, others think the opposite. But everyone agrees that the difference between the two is probably minuscule, hence my ranking!

So where is Cole on Pronman’s list? That’s right, at 95th, in the “middle of the lineup” category, just like when he ranked Lane 87th!

Betting against Lane and Cole Hutson is a very bad idea every day of the year. You win with guys like that, proud, hard-working, proud, serious, tenacious, and incredibly talented players.

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6. Zeev Buium (8th)

Speaking of winners, Buium, the winner of the last Frozen Four and the last two WJCs, was my favorite defenseman from the last draft. Buium continues to excel with Denver this season, but as we saw at the WJC in Ottawa, he seems to have at least been matched by Cole Hutson over the past few months. He remains quite a selection by the Wild, while the Flyers preferred to trade their pick at 12th for the 13th pick (Jett Luchanko) and a 3rd round pick in 2025…

7. Tim Stützle (2nd)

We don’t quite understand why or how the prospects expert from The Athletic could place Stützle ahead of Bedard (3rd) in his last evaluation, but oh well…

Stützle has always had the talent of a superstar, but in addition to not having the shot of Celebrini or Bedard, he doesn’t seem to have the mindset of an “elite” player or an “elite” leader. That is where the difference lies between him and the Celebrini-Bedard duo, with whom Pronman dares to rank him.

More of a passer than a scorer, the dynamic German remains a superb skater and an excellent puck handler. We’re not sure if he is evolving in a favorable and optimal environment and culture for his career with the Sens, but to become a winner, he will need to continue his defensive progress and stop diving like in, you know, the other sport…

8. Adam Fantilli (10th)

Nothing too remarkable for now, but when Fantilli, 6’2, nearly 200 lbs, learns how to properly use all his tools at the NHL level, he could become one of the best forwards. All things being equal, this is somewhat what Nathan MacKinnon managed to do in his fifth season in the big league. The Ontarian has an excellent mentor in front of him in Columbus in Sean Monahan and like many dynamic young forwards with multiple talents, everything should fall into place in due time.

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Category “Star / top player”
Players well above average, with a good number of dominant qualities or several nice qualities, but who will not necessarily carry their team on their shoulders night after night. Significant impact and abundant and consistent production without being “exceptional” over a good number of years. Very nice career. Aspiring or championship teams often rely on several players in this category.
Ex.: V. Damphousse, N. Suzuki, C. Caufield, K. Connor, P. Kessel, M. Scheifele, A. Markov, M. Schneider, J. Quick, etc.   

9. Juraj Slafkovsky (14th)

The fact that he played for a good month with a completely dormant Kirby Dach probably plays a part, but good Juraj isn’t quite having the hoped-for season so far. He hasn’t been able to regain his sustained rhythm of nearly a point per game from the second half of 23-24. His confidence and creativity with the puck fluctuate, but generally speaking, he is improving and is establishing very nice chemistry with his teammates, especially Caufield.

That said, if he was able to maintain this rhythm for such a long period at 19 in his first real complete season, we can certainly imagine that he should be able to regain and even surpass that standard in the near future… After a very promising rookie year at 19 (48 points in 76 games) Matthew Tkachuk also plateaued a bit at 20 (49 points in 68 games) before unlocking at 21 (77 points) and ultimately reaching a whole new level at 24 (104 points)…

Slaf still has chances to reach the “superstar” or “game breaker” level; he regularly shows flashes when he “gets angry,” but let’s remain slightly conservative for now…

10. Lucas Raymond (9th)

Another player who experienced a slight decline in his second full season at 20, Raymond, a brilliant forward, bounced back the following season and quickly became a player averaging a point per game. We rank him behind Slaf because of their very different but roughly equal talents; we think that the physical strength of the latter will allow him to exceed the small winger from the Wings in a playoff context. Anyway, as of today, I wouldn’t want the CH to trade the Slovakian for the Swede one for one…

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11. Beckett Sennecke (21st)

Dominant in the second half of the season during his draft year, Sennecke continues his total domination in the OHL in 2024-2025.

The Ontarian was foolishly overlooked by Team Canada’s junior team and the (too) thinking heads of the organization fully got what they deserved a few weeks later when they were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

Sennecke is 6’4 and nearly 200 lbs of poetry on ice. Fluid on skates, soft hands, devastating shot, the Ducks tried to hit a home run with the biggest “riser” of the last draft. Even if they could have opted for Demidov, they will not leave empty-handed with the player from the Oshawa Generals.

We’ll see if all this poetry can translate into production at the NHL level…

12. Logan Cooley (13th)

Cooley is an electrifying player with a puck on his stick and seems to have progressed when he hasn’t. A bit in the same mold as his teammate Clayton Keller but more dynamic, the American now listed at 6’0 and 191 lbs will become an annual point-per-game player. But when mature, will he have a bigger impact on, say, a playoff hockey game than a Slafkovsky?

13. Brock Faber (23rd)

According to some, Faber deserved more consideration for the Rookie of the Year title in 2023-2024. The 45th overall pick in 2020 continues in the same vein this season within a very good team in Minnesota. Good in all phases of the game, his offensive potential, however, remains clearly inferior to that of the defensemen who precede him on this list.

14. Dylan Guenther (11th)

The winger from Edmonton was having quite a season under the orders of André Tourigny in Utah before getting injured last week. This followed an excellent second half in 2023-2024. Guenther, a very complete winger with a blazing and precise shot, is just getting started filling the net with Keller and Cooley to feed him… A future 40-goal scorer.

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15. Matvei Michkov (15th)

The talent alone forbids us from excluding Michkov from this top-15. The controversial forward has all the tools to become an annual 40-goal scorer and a player of over a point per game. But will he learn not to be a liability defensively? Does he have the will to become a more complete player? Will he be a good teammate?

So many questions…

If things don’t work out for him in Philadelphia, maybe some teams will want to give him another chance, but he is exactly the kind of player who might have to continue his journey in the KHL if he ends up burning too many bridges in America…

Honorable mentions: Luke Hughes (5th), Jake Sanderson (7th), and Seth Jarvis (25th) could also have earned a spot in this top-15. We see them as “star” players or future stars. Leo Carlsson? Maybe…

Conclusion

Whether we agree with this ranking or Pronman’s ranking, we are always here to have fun comparing ideas, let’s not forget that!

But I just didn’t understand how Pronman could justify his, even in terms of his top-15. We could still go on about it, Carlsson at 4th, among other things…

But let’s stick to the players from the Habs.

No matter the exact ranking, it’s still okay for Slaf at 14th, but in light of their respective achievements and glaring talent, there is no valid reason to exclude Demidov and Hutson from a top-15 of the best players under 23.

They are “elite” players or at minimum “superstar” potentials.

And if I’m mostly right, this heralds great things for your local team…

Matches decided by a goal: this year, the CH wins them (and that changes everything)

It has now been over a month since the Canadiens have been playing really well. In fact, they are currently the best team in the league (in terms of points percentage) for the past few weeks… and this is while the team was ranked 32nd in the overall standings back in November.

This is a turnaround that is as spectacular as it is unexpected.

To explain this success, pretty much everyone has received their due praise. The star players are performing well, the support forwards are contributing, Alexandre Carrier has solidified the blue line, Lane Hutson is phenomenal, Jakub Dobes is the reincarnation of Carey Price: pick your favorite from all of this.

However, there is something that isn’t talked about much, which was a point the team emphasized at the end of last season: games decided by one goal.

Because this year, the Canadiens are winning those games… and that changes everything. This even leads Serge Savard, who chatted with Marc de Foy (TVA Sports), to “wonder if the Habs’ success is really that impressive.”

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Savard’s point as a former defenseman and GM of the Canadiens is as follows: winning those games decided by one goal often indicates that a team is capable of finding ways to win.

And this year (especially since November 10, when the team had a record of 5-9-2), the Habs are quite good in this respect.

When looking at the Canadiens’ record in games decided by one goal, we see that it stands at 10-2-4. At the same time last year, it was 14-6-7.

All of this allows us to see two things: the team is playing fewer very close games (before, it was because they were getting dominated, but now it’s because they can be more dominant), and most importantly, it shows that they are winning those games with much more regularity.

Last year, at the end of the season, the Tricolore’s record in those one-goal games was 17-11-16. We recall that at the end of last season, the team emphasized the importance of winning those games more regularly, as they could very well have been much closer to the playoffs if they had been able to turn some overtime losses into wins.

But most importantly, what all of this indicates is that right now, the Canadiens are able to win close games… and unlike in previous years, the fact that they are playing fewer of them (and still continue to win) shows that they don’t always need to be saved by their goaltender. This too is something we haven’t seen in a long time in Montreal.

In brief

– No surprise here.

– Joseph Woll will face the Canadiens tonight.

– Things are going well for hockey in the Montreal area.

– The defensive impact of Alexandre Carrier with the Canadiens in numbers.

– A good read.

Voyaging in 2024-2025: the CH is the 3rd team in the East that travels the most.

All NHL teams travel extensively in a season to face each of the 31 other teams in the league at least once abroad.

Obviously, this presents a huge puzzle for the league in terms of creating the schedule and timetable for each team.

Sometimes it is necessary to combine games in sequence when they are in the same region to make it logical, but sometimes this is not the case.

We must also remember that amidst all this, we have to consider the availability of different NHL arenas and ensure there are no scheduling conflicts with another sport or event/concert.

Each team therefore has its own itinerary in a season, sometimes involving quite illogical arrangements.

In short, all 32 teams travel a lot during the season, but some cover significantly more distance than others.

What’s especially noticeable this year is the almost 17,000 kilometers of travel difference between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators.

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How is this possible?

How can such a distance of travel separate two teams that are only two hours apart by road?

The Canadiens are the 13th team in terms of kilometers traveled this season with 43,300, while the Senators are 31st with 32,800 kilometers.

Yet, Ottawa is the city with the closest NHL team to Montreal.

Clearly, there has been better scheduling organization for the Senators than for the Canadiens.

And we know this; we’ve been able to note it over the past few weeks, even a month.

  • On December 14, the Canadiens made a round trip to Winnipeg to face the Jets and then returned directly to Montreal for a game at the Bell Centre against the Buffalo Sabres.
  • On December 29, the Canadiens flew from Tampa Bay to Vegas to face the Golden Knights on the 31st.
  • On December 3, the Canadiens were in Chicago and then faced the Avalanche in Colorado the very next day, with three hours of flight separating the two cities.
  • Last Friday, December 10, the Canadiens went to Washington for a simple round trip before playing the next day at the Bell Centre against the Dallas Stars.

In short, it’s a very questionable schedule.

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The Canadiens are actually the third team in the entire Eastern Conference that travels the most this season, only behind the two teams from Florida, which logically, considering their geographical position (very far South), are in the top 10.

Ultimately, this shouldn’t change much, and seriously, as Canadiens fans, especially right now, we can’t complain about travel and road games.

It is partly due to tough away games against strong teams that the Canadiens began their incredible streak since December 17.

It remains interesting to note just how significant the difference in kilometers traveled can be between two teams that are supposedly so close.

In Brief

– Indeed.

– Worth reading.

– Interesting.

– Noteworthy.

– This will be worth following next season.

Five clean sheets in 19 matches: Jacob Fowler is simply unbeatable.

One of the hot topics right now in Montreal during this incredible stretch is, of course, Jakub Dobes’ performance since the start of his career in the National Hockey League.

The 23-year-old Czech goaltender has been impressive since he was called up to the NHL by the Canadiens, having won his first four games, and all of them abroad against excellent teams.

In short, the 6-foot-4 goaltender has clearly made a name for himself, and fans have high hopes for him, as they are practically all excited about his performances.

In all this, well, we’ve almost forgotten that, initially, Dobes is not quite considered to be THE goaltender of the future for the Montreal Canadiens.

That title belongs to Jacob Fowler, even though he is still playing in the NCAA.

Indeed, the 20-year-old goaltender has been proving for two seasons that he is destined for a bright future in the NHL, and this has only been amplified in recent weeks.

In fact, last night, Fowler recorded his 5th shutout of the season, as Boston College won 3-0 against Providence College.

What is even more impressive is that Fowler now has five shutouts in just 19 games this season.

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Fowler is averaging a shutout approximately every four games, which is simply astonishing.

The 6-foot-2 Canadiens prospect was particularly strong last night, as he managed to fend off 24 shots while preserving his team’s one-goal lead with key saves like that one against Alexander Bales.

With his five shutouts this season, Fowler has already surpassed his mark of three shutouts in 39 games last season, which shows how much the Canadiens’ prospect is improving and developing very well in the NCAA.

In 19 games this season, aside from his five shutouts, Fowler maintains a goals-against average of 1.74 and a save percentage of .932.

These are excellent statistics for the cornerstone of Boston College, and if he continues like this, there will be no doubt that the 20-year-old goaltender will have nothing left to learn in the NCAA and will be ready to make the jump to the pros next season.

I would be truly surprised to see the Canadiens send Fowler back to Boston College for a third season, as he would develop much more if he joined the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League.

In short, the future in goal for the Canadiens is in very good hands with Dobes and Fowler, and their recent performances are forcing Samuel Montembeault to step up and play his best hockey.

Next season will be very interesting to follow for both young goaltenders, as Dobes will want to continue proving that he belongs in the NHL, while Fowler will want to show that he is ready to play pro hockey.

In Short

– The Rocket will be back in action tonight after securing a nice 3-2 victory last night. We need to keep an eye on whether Joshua Roy will be able to play given that he left last night’s game.

– Mikko Rantanen will not be traded despite contract extension negotiations being at an impasse. [Responsible Gambler]

– Interesting.

– Good point.

Three years since his hiring: Kent Hughes has never tried to accelerate the rebuilding.

It has been exactly three years today that the Montreal Canadiens announced the hiring of Kent Hughes as the new general manager of the Montreal Canadiens.

At the time, many were skeptical after this bold decision by Jeff Gorton and the other members of the Canadiens’ upper management to hire a former player agent who was at the tail end of his career.

However, here we are three years later, and let’s say that no one regrets this hiring or holds it against Gorton and company.

Kent Hughes took over a team that was at its lowest with a record of 7-25-7 when he arrived at the helm, and he has brought it three years later to a team that is now in the mix for the playoffs.

In three years, Hughes has managed to implement a solid rebuild (which is not finished obviously) without cutting corners.

And this is where the GM of the Canadiens really excelled, in what he did not do, which is to try to speed up the rebuild.

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Several general managers have attempted in recent years to move faster and rebuild a competitive team quicker than expected, and often, well, they have failed.

Indeed, we think among others of Pierre Dorion with the Ottawa Senators or Steve Yzerman with the Detroit Red Wings.

Both GMs cut corners by making trades and signings that went against the rebuilding plan, and this harmed them significantly.

That’s why, until now, we can be very grateful to Kent Hughes for not taking unnecessary risks that would have hurried the pace of the rebuild for nothing.

Hughes is a patient man with a very clear plan in mind, and he has been following it to the letter since his hiring exactly three years ago.

It is a strength of Kent Hughes not to have deviated from his plan by sacrificing future assets or signing big free agents too soon.

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Currently, as the team is barely back in the mix, the Canadiens find themselves in an excellent position for the coming years, as they will have a nice margin of maneuver under the salary cap, allowing them to further improve.

In short, I am not saying that Kent Hughes has been perfect since the beginning of his term.

For me, the trades of Tyler Toffoli, Artturi Lehkonen, and Alex Newhook remain questionable, and the selection of David Reinbacher is a mistake.

But in the end, no GM can be perfect, and until now, Hughes has managed to brilliantly navigate the Canadiens’ rebuild by being patient with his rational plan.

Very few, if any, fans of the Tricolore are currently not excited about the end of this season and the next seasons.

So, thanks to Jeff Gorton for hiring Kent Hughes and congratulations to the latter for quickly silencing the skeptics.

To learn more, I just refer you here to the excellent article by Jonathan Bernier for TVA Sports.

In Brief

– Happy birthday Kaiden!

– To follow up with the Canadiens today.

– Sidney Crosby was really happy for his goalie.

– Dmitry Simashev could be coming to North America as early as next season.

– Indeed.

Top-2: historic night for Alex Nedeljkovic with 40 saves, one goal, and one assist

It was a very quiet Friday night last night in the National Hockey League, with only two games on the schedule.

Despite this, a few highlights (including one particularly big one) caught attention.

Here is a recap.

1. Alex Nedeljkovic becomes the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal AND an assist in a game

When a goalie scores a goal, regardless of the sport, it is generally quite an accomplishment.

It’s an event that makes the rounds on social media and obviously attracts a lot of attention.

And last night, in a 5-2 victory for the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Buffalo Sabres, Alex Nedeljkovic scored a goal.

What is most impressive, however, is the fact that Nedeljkovic also recorded an assist in that game, making him the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal and an assist in the same game.

Additionally, Nedeljkovic made 40 saves on 42 shots, which really sealed the Penguins’ victory, as they only registered 19 shots on goal.

It is also worth noting that with this goal, Nedeljkovic is the first goalie in the entire history of hockey to score a goal in the ECHL, AHL, and NHL.

In short, it was a historic evening for the 29-year-old goalie.

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2. Seth Jarvis scores two goals against the Golden Knights

In the other game of the night, there was no event as noteworthy and interesting, but we did witness an excellent duel between two excellent teams.

The Carolina Hurricanes managed to win a tight game 3-2 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Canes can thank Seth Jarvis, who scored two goals in the game.

With this victory, Carolina is now just one point behind the New Jersey Devils for 2nd place in the Metropolitan Division, with a game in hand.

Overtime

– Here are the results from the previous night.

– Here are the top scorers from the previous night.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– On the agenda today in the NHL: 15 games.

(Credit: Google/NHL)
(Credit: Google/NHL)

David Ettedgui suggests Sam Bennett as the 3rd center of the CH (and it makes sense)

So far, there are not many players who are significantly disappointing this season with the Canadiens.

Cayden Primeau is one of the names that comes to mind in terms of disappointment, but there is also Christian Dvorak.

For Dvorak, the chances of seeing him next year are quite slim.

Jake Evans is having quite a season and is an excellent bottom-6 center. With Dvorak likely leaving, there would be another center missing from the last two lines for the upcoming season.

To support Evans, David Ettedgui suggested signing Sam Bennett as a third center this summer if he does not re-sign with the Florida Panthers.

And honestly, it makes a lot of sense.

This is what he announced yesterday on BPM Sports.

We know what Bennett can bring to a team, especially in the playoffs, having played a key role in winning the Stanley Cup last summer.

He scored 7 goals and earned 7 assists in 19 games, while playing just over 16 minutes per game during the playoff run.

He doesn’t hesitate to hit and go where it pays off. He is also very effective along the boards.

The Canadiens announced earlier this season that they would be looking to add a rugged forward for the bottom-6.

And even though it would have to wait until this summer, Bennett would be one of the best, if not the best, options for this role.

However, it should not be forgotten that the Canadiens will need to re-sign Evans, and it won’t be cheap. He should be able to command at least $4 million per year, and this, even if it has been a bit tougher for him lately.

If the Canadiens also need to pay good money to acquire Bennett, Kent Hughes will need to keep a close eye on the salary cap for the coming years. Otherwise, he might have to make some tough choices.

Let’s just say I completely trust Kent Hughes for the future of the Canadiens. The Montreal club is in very good hands.

In Brief

— Too bad for the Penguins.

— Interesting.

— Chabot is undoubtedly happy to finally have a regular partner by his side.

— Indeed.

— That’s the least we can say.

Jake Oettinger on the Habs: “It’s crazy how this team is better than last year’s.”

Jake Oettinger got a close look at the Canadiens last week. After being the winning goalie during the Stars’ trip to Montreal on Saturday, he was back in net last night against the Canadiens, in a losing effort.

Despite the fact that the Canadiens did not perform extremely well as a team yesterday, managing only 23 shots on goal, they still came away with the win.

Oettinger did not hesitate to pay tribute to the Tricolore after the game.

«It’s crazy how this team is better than last year’s and the year before’s. Their power play is solid, their top-6 is as talented as anyone else in the NHL. If you give them a little space, they will make you pay.» – Jake Oettinger

After the coaches, it’s now the turn of the league’s excellent players to recognize the Canadiens’ level of play.

There is something truly special happening with this team. Beyond the number of wins, it’s the way they go after them that is impressive.

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There are no passengers on this team right now. Every player is comfortable in their role and finds a way to produce at the right moment.

Against Utah, Suzuki’s line wasn’t the most dominant, but Dach and his linemates found a way to score. Last night, it was Suzuki’s line that took charge. And despite the loss of Emil Heineman, Jake Evans’ line continues to perform well.

Everything is in place for an excellent game tomorrow night at the Bell Centre, as the Maple Leafs will be the visitors.

In Brief

– Kent Hughes looks like a genius.

– Wow!

– Pretty crazy!

David Reinbacher very explosive on skates: a very good news

With all of CH’s successes and the slowdown in Matvei Michkov’s production, David Reinbacher is not being talked about much anymore. It should be noted that CH’s prospect underwent surgery on his left knee on October 1st.

The news is very encouraging in his case as he has started skating again in recent days with the team’s therapists.

The news is even more encouraging today as images of his training have been captured.

I am not a doctor, but he seems very comfortable and fluid on his skates. He participated in various types of quite intense exercises, and his knee seems to have reacted well.

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Could he be ahead of schedule? CH had announced that he would miss 5 to 6 months, which brings us to between March and April.

Reinbacher seems well on his way to seeing action before the end of the regular season. Anthony Marcotte mentioned in recent days that Rocket would not hesitate to use him for the end of the season and the playoffs if he recovers well.

The mistake would be to bring him back too quickly and have him suffer another injury, which would be a disaster for the organization.

But if he is indeed ready, he needs to see action to salvage his season a bit. He had looked good with the Rocket at the end of last season, and he could play a significant role in the playoffs.

I am one of those who believes that CH should have chosen Matvei Michkov with the 5th pick, but I believe in David Reinbacher’s potential to establish himself as an excellent defenseman in the NHL. The type of defenseman that is so useful in playoffs where fewer goals are scored, and the game is tighter.

In Brief

– The Rocket is trailing after 40 minutes.

– Very nice goal.

– Pretty crazy.

Joshua Roy hits the boards hard and has to leave the Rocket game.

The Rocket is in action tonight in Utica against the Comets.

Unfortunately, they have lost the services of Joshua Roy, who fell heavily against the boards near the local net.

It was a silly fall and it seems his left shoulder took the blow.

It is his left shoulder that made contact.

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The Rocket has already announced that he will not be returning tonight.

We expect a call-up in the coming days by the Canadiens to compensate for the loss of Emil Heineman, and even though Roy was not the first name that came to mind, the timing of his injury is not good.

More details to come…