Canadiens Wrap: Trade Options, 5v5 Improvements, Prospects

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.

Sunday

• The Montreal Canadiens decided to send prospect Filip Mesar to the OHL. He will report to the Kitchener Rangers. [Canadiens Send First-Round Pick To The OHL]
• The team also decided to recall Joel Armia from the AHL. Some fans wanted Joshua Roy to receive the call, but it’s probably wise to err on the side of caution when it comes to important prospects such as Roy. Development is a marathon, not a sprint. [Canadiens Taking Wise Approach With Joshua Roy’s Development]
• It was probably a little too close for comfort, but the Canadiens did manage to beat Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. Veterans like Jake Allen and Brendan Gallagher played a starring role.  [Canadiens: Allen, Caufield, Gallagher Standout In Win Vs Capitals]
• Joshua Roy was leading the AHL in scoring, with an impressive 11 points in five games. [Habs Prospect Report: Roy, Farrell, Mailloux, Beck]

Monday

• The Montreal Canadiens may already be having injury troubles this year, but it could provide them with an added advantage this season. With the injury to Kirby Dach confirmed to be season-ending, the Canadiens’ roster took a serious blow, but their finances just got a nice bump. [The Canadiens’ Injuries Provide Major Flexibility On Trade Front]
• It was the veteran show on Monday night as Jake Allen, Tanner Pearson, Sean Monahan, and Brendan Gallagher led the charge in the win versus Buffalo. Gallagher, in particular, seems to be intent on finding his form of old. It’s also worth noting that Pearson has looked fantastic since joining the Habs. [Highlights: Canadiens Allen, Pearson, & Gallagher Star In Sabres Win]

Wednesday

• The Montreal Canadiens announced that David Savard would miss some time due to his injury against the Buffalo Sabres. Following the game against the Devils, they updated his recovery time and announced he would be out for six to eight weeks. [More Injury Issues For the Canadiens]
• Cayden Primeau was given the start against the Devils. He played well, but it wasn’t good enough to compensate for the brutal work of the special teams. It’s also worth noting that despite having a mediocre game overall, Mike Matheson scored one of the nicest goals you’ll see this season, an end-to-end rush that involved the defenceman carving through the Devils with the greatest of ease. [Canadiens Once Again Let Down By Special Teams Versus Devils]
• The third line, which features Brendan Gallagher, Tanner Pearson, and Sean Monahan, has looked great to start the season. The key to their success? Beyond having a chip on their shoulders, head coach Martin St-Louis is limiting their ice time, giving them an opportunity to go all out without burning all the fuel in their tanks. [Canadiens Coach St-Louis Using Wise Strategy With Revival Line]

Thursday

• The rebuild is far from over, but the Habs have improved their results in one very important metric during the early parts of the 2023-24 season.  [Montreal Canadiens Showing Massive Improvement In Key Area]
• Check out some of the very exciting prospects available at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, including Ivan Demidov, Macklin Celebrini, and Cole Eiserman. [Canadiens Draft: An Early Look At Top Prospects Available in 2024]
• Montreal Canadiens Defenceman David Savard’s great shift on the penalty kill against the Buffalo Sabres was praised by ESPN analyst Pat MacAfee. [Canadiens David Savard Receives Praise For Epic Shift]

Friday

• The Montreal Canadiens could have kept Filip Mesar with the Laval Rocket in a bottom-six role but preferred to send him to the OHL. They still have big plans for the young forward. Check out our recent interview with the Habs prospect. [The Canadiens Looking To Boost Mesar’s Development In OHL]
• Goaltender Samuel Montembeault was given the start against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night. [Canadiens Game 6: Montembeault Vs Columbus, Guhle Healthier]
• With six regular-season games in the books, we can see some storylines emerging from this edition of the Montreal Canadiens. The sample size is still small, but some trends are starting to appear, and like in the stock market, we can speculate on what assets could be depreciating or appreciating. [Bear vs Bull – A Montreal Canadiens Performance Evaluation]
• The Canadiens trailed for most of the game, but thanks to goals from Nick Suzuki, Sean Monahan, Mike Matheson, and Cole Caufield (surprise!), they managed an exciting 4-3 comeback win versus the Blue Jackets. As an aside, the officiating was about as poor as it gets. [Canadiens: Suzuki And Caufield Shine In Thrilling Columbus Win]

Saturday

• The Habs are showing some great competitiveness, but, if they do ever slow down, they have interesting pieces to be major players at this year’s NHL Trade Deadline. [Canadiens Could Be Major Players at The NHL Trade Deadline]
• It’s almost time to launch our Habs Prospect Power Rankings, but we need help from the fan community with setting the initial rankings. Make sure to submit your form ranking the top 10 Habs prospects. [Prospect Power Rankings: Habs Fan Vote]
• The Montreal Canadiens are off to a pretty good start to the 2023-24 season thanks to strong showings from players like Arber Xhekaj, Sean Monahan, and Tanner Pearson. [Five Reasons The Canadiens Are Off To A Good Start In 2023-24]
• Prospects Lane Hutson and Jacob Fowler enjoyed a great night in the NCAA. Hutson had a three-point game in his return, though his nicest play involved stealing a UMass forward’s soul with some sweet moves in the offensive zone. [Highlights: Hutson And Fowler Shine In The NCAA]