Canadiens Wrap: Xhekaj Vs. Reaves, Trade Options, Slafkovsky

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

• The Canadiens made a surprise cut to the lineup, sending veteran Joel Armia to the AHL, which meant he had to be placed on waivers. Armia cleared and scored a goal less than 3 minutes into his AHL assignment.  [Canadiens Make Surprise Cut, Place Two Players On Waivers]
• With Armia out of the picture, the roster makeup became a lot clearer. [Armia AHL Assignment Clears Up Projected Roster]
• The rebuild is well on its way, but there are still several questions facing Kent Hughes and the Canadiens. [Five Important Questions Heading Into The Season]

Tuesday

• The Canadiens announced their opening-night lineup ahead of their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.  [Canadiens Opening-Night Roster And Lines]
• Most outlets expect the Habs to finish among the bottom five teams in the NHL this season. [Projected Standings For The 2023-24 Season]
• We always have to take preseason results with a grain of salt, but it’s worth noting that Juraj Slafkovsky flourished during the games leading up to the season opener. [Slafkovsky Excels In Preseason Games]

Wednesday

• The Canadiens have struggled on the powerplay for way too long, and Annik wants some answers. [Annik’s Angle: Where Is The Montreal Canadiens Quarterback?]
• Take a look at five bold predictions for the Habs during the 2023-24 season.[Five Hot Takes For the Montreal Canadiens This Season]
• Ryan Reaves got into it with Habs defenceman Arber Xhekaj. It didn’t go too well for Reaves, which explains why he re-wrote history and attempted to claim Xhekaj jumped him. As the video clearly shows, not only did Reaves not get jumped, he threw the first punch. [MUST SEE: Arber Xhekaj Pushes Ryan Reaves Around]
• The Canadiens dropped their opening game against the Leafs, but they actually outscored them at even strength, a very encouraging sign. [Xhekaj, Slafkovsky, and Newhook Shine In Loss Versus Leafs]

Thursday

• The Canadiens already have a lot of defencemen, but when we take a closer look at the situation, a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets makes a lot of sense. [Canadiens Are Logical Fit For Blue Jackets Defenceman]
• The statistics from Game No.1 versus the Leafs revealed that Juraj Slafkovsky got off to a great start to the season. [Habs Stats Pack: Dach, Slafkovsky, and Newhook Excel In Game 1]
• Take a look at a new feature from our contributor Franck Bernard, which highlights the good and not-so-good from the Canadiens’ performances. [Canadiens Game Report: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly]

Friday

• With the Montreal Canadiens preseason winding down, many decisions have been made, with just a few tough ones remaining. Dozens of Habs prospects put their best foot forward, hoping to show management the strides in their development, some leaving a great impression – others not so much. [Montreal Canadiens Decision Time – Camp Heroes And Zeros]
• Habs prospects Vinzenz Rohrer, Bogdan Konyushkov, and Adam Engstrom are enjoying a solid start to their seasons in Europe. [Canadiens Prospect Report: Rohrer, Reinbacher, and Engstrom]
• Speaking of prospects, phenom Lane Hutson is poised for a great season in the NCAA, again. [Montreal Canadiens Prospect Lane Hutson Poised For Big Year]

Saturday

• The Laval Rocket have a lot of talent in the lineup, but players such as Filip Mesar have to receive a healthy dose of ice time. [Laval Rocket Filled To Brim With Talent]
• Jake Allen started versus the Leafs, which meant Samuel Montembeault was tasked with shutting down Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks. [Canadiens Game 2: Montembeault Starts as Habs Face Bedard]
• Thanks to goals from Cole Caufield, Tanner Pearson, and Sean Monahan, the Habs won their first game of the season. [Canadiens Caufield, Pearson, Monahan Score In Win Vs. Hawks]