Canadiens Wrap-Up: Waiver Wire Priority, Free Agents, Xhekaj

MONTREAL — There’s never a dull moment when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens, but it’s not always possible to keep up to date with every breaking news story.

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

Monday

• With the NHL combine now behind us, here is the legitimate short list of candidates for the Montreal Canadiens to consider drafting with the 5th overall pick. [Canadiens Draft Short List]
• Everyone loves a good mock draft, which is why you should check out MHN’s most-recent first-round mock draft.[MHN Final First Round Mock Draft]

Tuesday

• NHL betting odds have begun to take shape when it comes to the Canadiens’ 5th-overall selection. [Fifth Overall Odds]
• Supply-chain magnate Michael Andlauer, currently a minority owner of the Montreal Canadiens, has officially reached an agreement to buy the Ottawa Senators. [Canadiens Minority Owner Purchases Senators]
• Montreal Canadiens prospect Jared Davidson has had to fight tooth and nail for his opportunities, something that should serve him well if he’s assigned to the AHL. [Canadiens Prospect Review: Jared Davidson Surpassed All Expectations]
• You’d be hard-pressed to blame Graham Rynbend or Donald Balmforth for the Canadiens’ awful luck in the health department, however, their dismissal was not surprising given the team led the league in man-games lost for two consecutive seasons. [Oft Injured Montreal Canadiens Fire Medical Staff]

Wednesday

• The 2022-23 Stanley Cup has been awarded to the Vegas Golden Knights, and with it comes a few lessons that teams around the league could stand to learn, including the Montreal Canadiens.[Lessons The Canadiens Can Learn From The Golden Knights]
• The Florida Panthers finished the playoffs extremely banged up, a reality that may significantly impact the Montreal Canadiens’ future draft outlook.[Panthers May Influence Future Decisions]
• The Habs now know exactly where they’ll be picking in the 2023 NHL Draft. [Canadiens Picks Locked-In]

Thursday

• The Montreal Canadiens are playing a very familiar game heading into the 2023 NHL Draft. We’re two weeks away from the start of the NHL draft and there are rumours about who the Canadiens may be interested in, but nothing concrete.[Canadiens Using Familiar Strategy]
• One of the most legendary members of the Montreal Canadiens, Henri Richard, tested positive for CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), the disease that has been linked to brain trauma, particularly repetitive trauma, in sports. [Canadiens Legend Suffered From CTE]
• The Montreal Canadiens are reportedly performing due diligence regarding the cost of moving up at the 2023 NHL Draft with the intention of drafting either Adam Fantilli or Will Smith. That means it’s time to take a deep dive into the cost of moving up at the NHL Draft. [The Cost To Move Up In The NHL Draft]

Friday

• The Montreal Canadiens will not offer pending restricted free agent Denis Gurianov a qualifying offer, but they are open to possibly signing him at a lower AAV. The Canadiens are also interested in re-signing Sean Monahan, but they should proceed with caution. [Canadiens Must Proceed With Caution In Gurianov And Monahan Dossier]
• In this week’s edition of the Habs Mailbag we cover Arber Xhekaj’s place in the lineup next season, Brendan Gallagher’s future, drafting goaltenders, and a look back at one of the dirtiest things Zdeno Chara did to a Canadiens player. [Canadiens Mailbag]

Saturday

• The Canadiens will maintain a strong waiver-wire priority throughout the entirety of the offseason. [NHL Waiver Wire Priority]
• Information is starting to trickle down about the Montreal Canadiens’ 5th overall pick, with the latest betting odds painting an interesting picture. [Latest Odds]