Habs Wrap: Slafkovsky’s Growth, Trade Options, Struble’s Play

MONTREAL — It’s the holidays, which means you don’t always have time to keep up with every single Montreal Canadiens story.

But we’ve got you covered. Here’s all the latest Habs news and relevant NHL news that you may have missed throughout the week.

Monday

• The Montreal Canadiens may not have an abundance of assets up for trade this year, but they’ll have plenty of cap space to get creative when it comes to potential deals. [Canadiens Salary Cap Status Provides Plethora Of Trade Options]
• Josh Anderson scored twice to help the Canadiens secure an exciting 5-3 win over the New York Islanders. The top line also looked very good, with Cole Caufield scoring his first goal in December. [Anderson Scores Twice, Top Line Excels In Exciting Win Vs. NYI]
• Anderson was quick to thank Habs fans after his two-goal effort. The fans responded with an ovation for the emotional forward.  [Josh Anderson Gives Heartwarming Interview]
• A closer look at Juraj Slafkovsky’s impact on the top line with Caufield and Nick Suzuki reveals some very encouraging signs. The production hasn’t quite caught up to the process, which has been excellent.  [Encouraging Canadiens Statistics With Slafkovsky On Top Line]
• Teams like the Carolina Hurricanes and the Los Angeles Kings are looking for help in the goaltending department. The Habs are a perfect fit, but the NHL’s upcoming holiday roster freeze could complicate things when it comes to a potential trade.  [NHL Holiday Roster Freeze Could Impact Canadiens Trade Options]

Tuesday

• The Montreal Canadiens have a few players who are garnering interest around the league, including veteran forward Sean Monahan. According to Sportsnet, the Toronto Maple Leafs would be a good trade partner in a Monahan-driven deal.  [Maple Leafs Could Be Interested In Trade For Canadiens Forward]
• Goaltender Jake Allen was given the start against the Winnipeg Jets. Head coach Martin St-Louis decided not to make any other changes to his lineup following the team’s 5-3 win against the New York Islanders on Saturday. [Canadiens Game 31: Allen To Start, Heineman Won’t Play]
• The Canadiens let a two-goal lead slip away but secured an overtime win against the Jets thanks to Justin Barron’s sixth goal of the season. [Justin Barron Plays The Overtime Hero For the Canadiens Vs. Jets]
• Oh, the horror! Sniper Cole Caufield admitted he is not a big fan of poutine, a favourite local dish for many Habs fans.  [Canadiens Forward Cole Caufield Admits He Doesn’t Like Poutine]
• Prospect Sean Farrell is nearing a return to play. The rookie joined the Laval Rocket on their road trip to Syracuse. It marked the first time in three weeks that Farrell practiced with the team.

Sean Farrell est allé rejoindre le Rocket à Syracuse. Une première présence sur la glace en 3 semaines pour lui. https://t.co/z0z2kb1ylY

— Anthony Marcotte (@anthonymarcotte) December 18, 2023

• In other Rocket news, the team has signed 30-year-old goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo to a professional tryout contract (PTO).

Le Rocket de Laval a annoncé avoir accordé un contrat d'essai professionnel au gardien Kasimir Kaskisuo.

The Laval Rocket signed goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo to a professional tryout contract. pic.twitter.com/EIzRXlvZxG

— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) December 18, 2023

• Prospect Owen Beck practiced on Team Canada’s fourth line, but there are healthy chances that the cerebral centre will receive more ice time at the 2024 World Junior Championship than your typical fourth liner.

I’d guess he’s in the 16-17 min range. Regular 5-on-5 shift + late-game + PK. Going to be important, even if technically ‘bottom-six’. Could see him moving up with skill guys if they struggle, too.

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) December 18, 2023

• Former Montreal Canadiens coach Jacques Martin is back in the NHL.

News Release: D.J. Smith has been relieved of his head coaching duties; Jacques Martin has been named #Sens interim head coach. Daniel Alfredsson joins the team’s coaching staff as an assistant coach: https://t.co/UtadFrrkEG pic.twitter.com/LZiNGB5Mbm

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) December 18, 2023

• Now that Smith has been fired, St-Louis is the 11th-longest-tenured head coach in the NHL.

With D.J. Smith being relieved of his duties, just 10 NHL head coaches have been with their current teams longer than Martin St-Louis has been coaching the Habs.

St- Louis only started on February 9, 2022.

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 18, 2023

• Can you blame them?

Some Habs fans in attendance still holding on to the Jake Evans grudge, booing Scheifele.

— Scott Billeck (@ScottBilleck) December 19, 2023

Wednesday

• The NHL’s holiday freeze is now in effect, which means the Montreal Canadiens can’t trade or waive players until December 28.  [NHL Holiday Roster Freeze Could Impact Canadiens Trade Options]

The 'NHL Holiday Roster Freeze' goes into effect across the league tonight at 11:59pm local time, and runs until December 28 at 12:01am local time.

What does that mean? Below is a breakdown of all the key points you'll need to remember. https://t.co/3B8UOBLIyt pic.twitter.com/oBJKMMKJI4

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) December 19, 2023

• Goaltending prospect Quentin Miller will join a new team after the holiday break. The Quebec Remparts have reportedly traded Miller to the Rimouski Océanic. [JdM (FR)]
• Kaiden Guhle was in a festive mood after Justin Barron’s game-winning goal against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. Viewer discretion is advised.

On est venu pour le but, on est resté pour la célébration 👏

Came for the goal, stayed for the celly#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/IiccQW8Imn

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 19, 2023

• Filip Mesar is expected to play a big role for Slovakia at the 2024 World Junior Championship. As a reminder, the tournament gets underway on Boxing Day, as per tradition.

Hey Filip 👋 🇸🇰 pic.twitter.com/ewNm97s6Ov

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) December 19, 2023

Thursday

• Points aren’t the only thing that matters when it comes to the development of Montreal Canadiens prospects, but scoring still remains one of the best indicators of future success. Take a look at which Habs prospects have improved their production this year. [Canadiens Prospects: Evaluating Year-To-Year Points Production]
• Carey Price is no longer part of the team, but he took some time to share a heartwarming story behind one of his many fan interactions over the years.

Like I needed another reason to say that the Habs need to retire his jersey. pic.twitter.com/CrNIC6qGqW

— Alex Jodoin (@colegoalfield) December 20, 2023

• Defenceman Chris Wideman discussed his life while on the mend from an injury. It involves a surprise decision to jump into the hair salon business with his wife Caroline. [NHLPA]
• Prospect Lane Hutson will wear a letter on his chest for Team USA at the World Junior Championship. He will serve as one of the team’s alternate captains.

Introducing Team USA's 2024 #WorldJuniors leadership group! 🇺🇸

Details → https://t.co/OmgqpIFWIp pic.twitter.com/6Oy1hK8wQK

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) December 20, 2023

• Martin St-Louis is known as a great motivator, but his influence extends beyond the Montreal Canadiens.

Martin St. Louis (@mstlouis_26) won Olympic gold for 🇨🇦 and leads the @CanadiensMTL. He also has a strong legacy in the 🇺🇸 through his years coaching @MFYHAHockey.

Listen to @DrewFortescue, the @usahockey and @BC_MHockey defenseman, describe Marty's impact.@NHLNetwork pic.twitter.com/QgpugDPbK1

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 20, 2023

Friday

• Montreal Canadiens forward Emil Heineman made his long-awaited NHL debut on Thursday night against the Wild. The 22-year-old winger played on the fourth line alongside Mitchell Stephens and Jesse Ylonen. [Canadiens Game 32: Heineman To Make NHL Debut Versus Wild]

#Habs Emil Heineman on his #NHL debut: "you notice how big of a step it is; it is another level . I just have to get those battles out there. It's a lot of different things compared to the American League; you have to learn how to react to different situations out there…"

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) December 22, 2023

• The Habs lost 4-3 in overtime to the Wild, but it was yet another very strong game from the first line. Juraj Slafkovksy, Nick Suzuki, and Cole Caufield had shown encouraging chemistry in recent games, but the 5v5 points were hard to come by. They were rewarded for their strong work on Thursday night. [Canadiens: Slafkovsky, Caufield, & Suzuki Shines In Loss To Wild]

• Shockingly, most NHL fanbases think Toronto Maple Leafs fans are the most annoying in the league. You’ll note that Canadiens fans had the honesty required to pick themselves as the third most annoying fanbase. These types of polls are essentially just a list of the most active fanbases on social media, but making fun of the Leafs is every hockey fan’s God-given right.

Here are the three most common fanbases picked as most annoying for each fanbase.

The most common combinations were:

Habs fans disliking Leafs fans
Canucks fans disliking Leafs fans
Rangers fans disliking Devils fans https://t.co/DNgUrPV5rD pic.twitter.com/k93axzn7RX

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) December 21, 2023

• Head coach Martin St-Louis prefers to keep Slafkovsky on the first powerplay unit, a wise decision given his recent play.

Coach Marty on if he’s considered playing both Justin Barron & Mike Matheson together on Habs PP1.

👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/KqXb9RwJfK

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) December 21, 2023

• Jacob Fowler played the second half of Team USA’s warmup game against Sweden, helping the Americans secure a 5-3 win. Fowler only allowed one goal, though it should be said it was due to a fantastic passing play by the Swedes. As usual, Fowler acted as a calming presence for his team.

Jacob Fowler is playing the second half of this game for Team USA.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/gnIXAYSUhk

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 21, 2023

• Prospect Lane Hutson is expected to play a big role at the 2024 World Junior Championship. And Thursday’s game was any indication, he may have a chance to set a few records. Hutson had a quiet outing, relatively speaking, but still managed to register two assists.

#GoHabsGo prospect Lane Hutson's assist vs. Sweden: pic.twitter.com/h5XldCfAjy

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 21, 2023

Saturday

• The NHL’s goalie market is heating up, or so we keep hearing. According to Hockey Insider Pierre Lebrun, a few teams have discussed the possibility of trading for a Montreal Canadiens goaltender. The Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils seem to be among the most interested teams when it comes to Jake Allen. [NHL Trade Talk: Teams Reportedly Interested In Canadiens Goalie]
• It was another big night for the team’s top line. Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, and Cole Caufield were the driving for behind the Canadiens’ comeback win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Though, Jayden Struble deserves credit for his big save in the first period. Check out the highlights! [Habs Highlights: Slafkovsky, Caufield & Suzuki Shine Again Vs. Chicago]
• Struble didn’t just save an important goal in the first period. He also got into a fight after delivering a clean reverse hit. The fight did not go according to plan for his opponent, MacKenzie Entwistle. He chose…poorly. [GOTTA SEE IT: Canadiens Jay Struble’s Big Hit And Fight]

• Habs prospect Owen Beck got off to a great start at the 2024 World Junior Championship. The 19-year-old centre scored two goals for Team Canada in their preliminary game against Switzerland. His second goal, a shorthanded breakaway, was particularly nice. [Canadiens Prospect Owen Beck Plays Starring Role For Canada]

• Speaking of Habs’ prospects at the World Juniors, Filip Mesar was named an alternate captain for Team Slovakia. He also scored a goal in their tune-up game against Germany.

#GoHabsGo prospect Filip Mešár drives the net and scores Slovakia's third goal of the game.

At least I'm 99% certain that's him. Angle isn't great and we have no replays. pic.twitter.com/WovSA2CKlC

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 22, 2023

• Sean Farrell did not waste any time once he recovered from his injury. The former Harvard Crimson forward scored a goal and an assist on Friday for the Laval Rocket.

Sean Farrell gets in on the action with his fifth goal of the year! pic.twitter.com/c4EOYoc0df

— Scott Matla (@scottmatla) December 23, 2023