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Canadiens Prospect Highlights

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

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4 months ago

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Montreal Canadiens Slafkovsky

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

Tuesday

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

  • 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.

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

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

  • Can you blame them?

 

Wednesday

  • 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.

  • 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.

 

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.

  • 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.

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

 

Friday

  • 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.

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

  • 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.

  • 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.

 

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.

  • 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.

 

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