Canadiens Wrap-Up: Habs Likely Trade Chips, Prospects Thriving

MONTREAL — There’s never a dull moment when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens, but many fans lead a very busy life, meaning it’s not always possible to keep up to date with every news story.

But don’t worry, we’re here to help!

Every Sunday we will recap the most exciting and relevant news stories that you may have missed throughout the week.

Monday

• It’s time for MHN’s Midseason 2023 NHL Draft Rankings! We review the top of this potent draft class and provide a top-64 ranking of eligible prospects. [2023 NHL Draft Rankings]
• Montreal Hockey Now sat down with top 2023 draft-eligible prospect Will Smith to discuss his strong play this season, his goals and his special relationship with Canadiens general manager, Kent Hughes. [Kent Hughes]
• As we hit the final month before the NHL Trade Deadline, the updated priority order for waivers could help the Montreal Canadiens snatch up a player heading into this unique trade period.[NHL Waivers]
• The Canadiens are looking to acquire top-end talent to build for a better future, and sacrificing veterans might not be their only means to achieving that goal. [Canadiens Trade Chips]

Tuesday

• Josh Anderson’s trade situation, coaching, poutine ingredients and coleslaw are some of the important topics that came up in the latest edition of the Habs mailbag.
• Take a closer look at some of the prospects that took a big step forward in their careers this season.
• Samuel Montembeault‘s emergence should make life easier for Kent Hughes and the rest of the goaltenders in the organization, both short and long term
• The growth of several young Canadiens defencemen could lead to a trade involving a veteran blueliner.
• This will shock you seeing as he’s received more accolades than the person who invented sliced bread, but Lane Hutson received yet another award. [BU Twitter]

Wednesday

• The Habs and the Kings have renewed trade talks, this time over defenceman Joel Edmundson. We break down what assets could be of interest to the Habs in a possible deal. [Joel Edmundson]
• Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson returns to the No.1 spot in our weekly power rankings. [Canadiens Prospect Power Rankings]
• The recent extensions to Dylan Cozens and Matt Boldy could provide the Canadiens with a clearer template of what a potential Cole Caufield extension could look like. Here’s how Caufield compares to his peers. [Cole Caufield]
• As the Montreal Canadiens enjoy some vacation time, their rivals in the “Connor Bedard Sweepstakes” are gaining ground on them in the standings; making the possibility of a bottom-five finish more of a reality. [NHL Draft]

Thursday

• The Montreal Canadiens overhauled their development team this summer. The results will take years to assess, but the changes made by Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton are receiving high praise from those involved. [Canadiens Prospects]
• Two emergency recalls took place on Thursday, with both Jesse Ylonen and Alex Belzile returning to the team after a short stint in the AHL. [NHL Recall]
• The Habs hit the ice for the first time since the All-Star break. It led to new lines as well as new defensive pairings. [Canadiens Lines]
• Vladimir Tarasenko was dealt to the New York Rangers, a good reminder that the NHL trade deadline is just a few weeks away. Take a look at the Canadiens forwards with the greatest odds of being involved in a trade. [Canadiens Trade]

Friday

• Check out the Friday edition of the Canadiens mailbag, which covers the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade situation, Habs players that may move by the trade deadline, the defensive logjam, smelling salts, and much more. [
• Canadiens mailbag]
• The Montreal Canadiens announced they came to terms with rookie defenceman Jordan Harris on a two-year contract extension which should bring great value to the organization. [Jordan Harris]
• It’s been one year since Martin St-Louis took over as the Canadiens’ head coach, a perfect time to evaluate his tenure with the team. [Martin St-Louis]
• Defenceman Kaiden Guhle skated for the first time since he was added to the injured reserve to due an upper-body injury. [Twitter]

Saturday

• Montreal Canadiens prospect Sean Farrell is thriving this year with the Harvard Crimson, a major jump in performance that has vaulted him to the top of the Hobey Baker conversation in the NCAA. [Sean Farrell]

The Season So Far

If you’d like to go back and comb over some of the biggest news so far this season, here’s a list of each weekly Wrap-Up so far:

Feb 4th – Habs To-Do List, NHL Trade Rumous

Jan 29th – Habs Prospects Take Over, NHL Trade Talk

Jan 22nd – 2023 Draft Plans, NHL Trade Chatter

Jan 15th – Trade Deadline Targets, NHL Trade Rumours

Jan 8th – 2023 Draft Odds, Habs Prospects Traded

Jan 1st – Big 2023 Draft Lottery Odds, 2019 Re-Draft

Dec 25th – Popular Habs In Trade Talks, Xhekaj Fights

Dec 18th – Habs 2023 Draft Gamble, NHL Trade Talk

Dec 11th – Habs Interest In Boeser, Prospects at WJC

Dec 4th – Caufield Extension, Montreal’s Plan For 2023 Draft

Nov 27th – Habs Trade Talk, Monahan’s Growing Value

Nov 20th – Kent Hughes Active, NHL Trade Rumours

Nov 13th – Hughes’ Trade Strategy, Kirby Dach’s Growth

Nov 6th – St-Louis Strategy, Caufield, Slafkovsky

Oct 30th – Habs Trade Talk, Roster Shuffle & Waivers

Oct 23rd – Juraj Slafkovsky Impressing, Xhekaj And More

Oct 16th – Hughes’ LTIR Strategy, Carey Price, Waivers

Oct 9th – Hughes Roster Strategy, Roy, Slafkovsky