Habs Daily: AHL Coaching Situation, Potential Buyout Candidates

Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, highlights, and stories you may have missed on Friday.

Montreal Canadiens News

• In a surprising move, Laval Rocket head coach Jean-Francois Houle parted way with the organization to become the head coach at his Alma mater, Clarkson. We won’t bemoan Houle for his decision, but the timing is rather curious given that he signed a three-year contract extension with the team just three weeks ago.  [Canadiens And Houle Part Ways]
• Every day produces another mock draft in which the Canadiens end up with top forward prospect Ivan Demidov.

How do our experts see the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft playing out?

The picks are in for @scottcwheeler, @coreypronman, @chrismpeters and @m_bultman.

Listen to their analysis on a new episode of The Athletic Hockey Show ⤵️https://t.co/GX4azUgbJ5 pic.twitter.com/GS3zlfwfxk

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 21, 2024

• The NHL’s buyout period opens 48 hours after the Stanley-Cup clinching game, which means it’s time to take a look at some of the potential Montreal Canadiens buyout targets to judge whether heading down that route is the right decision in both the short and long term. [3 Potential Buyout Targets For The Montreal Canadiens In 2024]

• Top goaltending prospect Jacob Fowler is keeping busy during the summer as he prepares for his sophomore season with the Boston Eagles in the NCAA.

Jacob Fowler at the Bauer training camp pic.twitter.com/ouKTwRe5Di

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) June 21, 2024

National Hockey Now Network

• The Florida Panthers, for the third straight game, had a chance to win the Stanley Cup. For the second time in those three games, they attempted to pull off their ultimate dream in enemy territory. [Florida Panthers]
• Not everyone was star struck by Markstrom trade that was a long time coming, including former Devils goaltender, Cory Schneider. On a segment with NHL Network, Schneider both endorsed and criticized the Markstrom trade, giving props to General Manager Tom Fitzgerald for being aggressive, yet citing the 34-year-old goaltender’s age as a short-term band-aid solution. Jacob Markstrom couldn’t sleep on Tuesday night. The Swedish goaltender’s agent, Patrick Morris, explained to him a deal with the New Jersey Devils was close, giving Markstrom excited nerves the night before the Devils trade with the Calgary Flames was made official. Now that the veteran netminder is officially New Jersey bound, adding Markstrom with Jake Allen already in the fold gives the Devils goaltending their best crease presence in a long, long time. [New Jersey Devils]
• Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart, who was charged with one count of sexual assault in the 2018 Hockey Canada incident on Jan. 30, is set to become a restricted free agent on July 1, meaning the Flyers must tender him a qualifying offer in order to retain his NHL rights. The charge levied against Hart has not been proven in court, and the sensitivity and complexity of the situation have created a predicament in Philadelphia. Flyers general manager Danny Briere is still unsure of what he can or cannot do with Hart at this time. [Philadelphia Flyers]