Habs Daily: Gurianov’s Contract, Prospect Evaluation, AHL Playoffs

All the latest Habs news, recent Montreal Canadiens stories, as well as information from around the National Hockey League.

Habs News

• The Montreal Canadiens have used the injury situation to their advantage, getting prime evaluation time to help them plan their summer moves. if it weren’t for injuries, players like Justin Barron, Jesse Ylönen and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard likely would have never gotten their chance to shine at the NHL level. [Injuries Fast Track Evaluation]
• Denis Gurianov started his tenure with the Canadiens by scoring early and often, but things have cooled since then. The question becomes, can Gurianov bring value to the team on a consistent basis moving forward? [Contract Watch: Denis Gurianov]
• The Laval Rocket are currently in a playoff position, but participating in the Calder Cup playoffs is far from a guarantee. It may all come down to one game. [Rocket AHL Playoff Push]
• The Habs didn’t bother to show up for their game against the Detroit Red Wings, an embarrassing 5-0 loss. [Habs Leave Primeau Out To Dry]

National Hockey Now News

• In an amazing twist of hockey fate, things have come full circle for Garnet Hathaway with the Boston Bruins after growing up a big-time hockey fan in Kennebunkport, Maine. [Boston Bruins]
• Remember goaltending prospect Joel Blomqvist? A second-round pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2020 draft, he made a good impression last summer at the team’s development camp, then did not attend training camp in September and played this season in his native Finland. Now comes word that Blomqvist has signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Penguins’ American Hockey League affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton [Pittsburgh Penguins]
• Alexander Barabanov is unlikely to return this season. San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn was asked today if Barabanov, who hasn’t played since Mar. 25 because of an upper-body injury, was trending more in the injury direction of Evgeny Svechnikov or Andreas Johnsson. [San Jose Sharks]
• If the Florida Panthers end up making the playoffs, they can thank goaltender Alex Lyon. [Florida Panthers]
• The Detroit Red Wings’ plan to give Marco Kasper his second NHL game against Montreal was been derailed by a lower-body injury.. [Detroit Red Wings]
• Golden Knights rookie Pavel Dorofeyev is making it hard for Bruce Cassidy to take him out of the lineup again. [Vegas Golden Knights]
• Mikko Rantanen is on the verge of becoming the first Colorado Avalanche player in 20 years to break the 50-goal barrier. If he continues playing the way he has all year, there’s a good chance he tops 100 points for the first time in his career. [Colorado Avalanche]