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Habs Wrap: Hutson & Reinbacher’s Arrival, Canadiens Trade Options

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2 months ago

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Montreal Canadiens prospect Jacob Fowler

MONTREAL — There’s never a dull moment when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens, but it’s not always possible to stay up to date with every breaking story. On Sundays, we recap the most exciting and relevant NHL news stories that you may have missed throughout the week so that you can stay in the Habs loop.

Monday

  • The Montreal Canadiens have struggled to get results in recent games, but they’ve actually played much better than they did at the start of the year. Unfortunately, the improvements when it comes to the team’s process have not resulted in wins due to the goaltending normalizing, but as it stands the Habs are amid one of their best streaks when it comes to controlling the pace of the play. They don’t have the talent to win close games, at least not yet, but the recent play has been a big step in the right direction in terms of the long-term rebuild plans.  [Canadiens Rebuild: A Silver Lining Emerges Amid Difficult Stretch]

 

  • The match-up on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils followed the same script as the previous games. The Canadiens controlled the play, which means they had more quality scoring chances as well as expected goals. Special teams let them down, and the Devils won 4-3, but that also means the Habs also improved their lottery odds while continuing their solid 5v5 play. [Another Very Good ‘Rebuild Loss’ For Canadiens Versus Devils]

 

  • Jesse Ylonen had a decent 2022-23 season, both in the NHL and AHL. But 2023-24 has not been kind to the 24-year-old forward. With the NHL trade deadline on the horizon, Ylonen may have an opportunity to earn more ice time and show the Canadiens that he should be part of the team’s plans moving forward.  [What Should The Montreal Canadiens Do With RFA Jesse Ylonen?]

 

  • Defenceman Arber Xhekaj stole the show on Sunday when the team hosted its yearly skills competition. The hard-working blueliner hit 107.2 mph during the hardest shot competition. Zdeno Chara holds the record for the hardest shot in the NHL, with 108.8 mph.

Tuesday

  • A new edition of the Montreal Canadiens Mailbag is available. This time around Canadiens fans focused on questions related to the upcoming NHL Trade Deadline, including whether Jordan Harris should be moved (probably not), the most likely trade partners, which players may move, and more. We also discussed why Arber Xhekaj holds more value than some may assume, in addition to discussing Kaiden Guhle’s long-term value.  [Canadiens Mailbag: Habs Trade Deadline, Xhekaj’s Impact, Harris]

 

  • Remember how the Quebec Government, in all its wisdom, decided to pay the Los Angeles Kings up to $7 million to spend a week in Quebec City during the NHL’s preseason? Well, it turns out they’re doing the same thing in Salt Lake City, a city that is ahead of Quebec City when it comes to potential NHL expansions. The only difference is that the municipality will not have to fork over $7 million in taxpayer money when the Kings visit Salt Lake City. Must be nice. [Quebec Government To Pay $7M For NHL Preseason Games]

 

  • It’s not always easy to stay motivated when playoffs are officially out of reach, which has been the case for the Habs in the second half of the last three seasons. But there’s more to play for than just a playoff berth.

 

  • There was a ‘new’ report suggesting the Canadiens are interested in playing some games in Europe. It was just recycled news, but on that note, we already covered the subject in early December by taking a look at where the Canadiens would end up playing if they were to head to Paris, as well as the importance of the team improving its international reach.  [The Montreal Canadiens Want To Extend Their International Reach]

 

Wednesday

  • It finally happened! The Montreal Canadiens put an end to their five-game losing streak on Tuesday night when they beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-2. It was a very strong game from young players such as Joshua Roy and Jordan Harris. Roy, in particular, is quickly cementing his place in the Canadiens’ top six at a rather impressive pace when we consider his lack of professional hockey experience.  [Canadiens Youngsters Roy And Harris End Lengthy Losing Streak Xhekaj’s Impact, Harris]

 

  • If you’re worried about the impact of the win when it comes to the team’s Draft Lottery odds, I suggest you take a look at the remaining strength of schedule for the Canadiens. They’ll face a murderer’s row of opponents in the final stretch of the season. [Montreal Canadiens Outlook: Improving NHL Draft Lottery Odds]

Thursday

  • The situation has changed slightly for top Montreal Canadiens prospect David Reinbacher. His team, EHC Kloten, has not won any games since late January and will have to participate in the National League (NL) playout. However, there’s one situation that involves Reinbacher arriving in Canada a little earlier than expected. Now that we have the dates for the Swiss League (SL) playoffs, we have a much better idea of when he may arrive.  [Important Dates For Canadiens Prospect Reinbacher’s Arrival]

 

  • According to Greg Wyshynski (ESPN), two members of the Montreal Canadiens are among the most likely players to be traded between now and the deadline. David Savard is 20th on his trade bait list, whereas Jake Allen is 30th. There’s been a lot of smoke regarding the possibility of moving Savard, but it’s too early to suggest there’s a fire. Savard likes playing in Montreal and at the moment the team is not intent on moving him. On that note, if Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes receives a rich offer for a 33-year-old defenceman with below-replacement underlying numbers, he’d be foolish to ignore it.[NHL Trade Deadline Potential Movers]

  • With the NHL’s Trade Deadline (March 8) looming, there will be a lot of rumours and discussions regarding potential trades. One player that has been mentioned a lot in recent weeks is defenceman Mike Matheson. As it stands, there’s been little to no news when it comes to a potential trade involving Monahan. We should also note that Matheson is a rare player who hails from Montreal, has an above-average skill set, and enjoys playing for the Habs.

 

  • Prospect Filip Eriksson has enjoyed a significant uptick in production since he was assigned to Allsvenskan. While Eriksson was playing for Växjö in the SHL he managed just six points in 29 games. Now that he’s playing with Nybro in a lower league, he has scored nine goals and 12 assists in 21 games. As is often the case with prospects, usage was playing a big part when it came to production. Eriksson’s ice time has almost doubled since he was loaned to Nybro.

  • Injured forward Kirby Dach was once again spotted practicing alone. Remember, Dach is not cleared to play this season, which means we can’t expect any early return to play, but it’s still encouraging to see the young forward back in his preferred environment.

Friday

  • Once again, Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki was front and centre when his team needed him most. The 24-year-old centre had a three-point effort against the Florida Panthers, once again providing the type of consistency the Canadiens desperately need to take the next step in their rebuild. Suzuki’s season totals now stand at 24 goals and 35 assists.   [Canadiens’ Nick Suzuki Stays Hot In Exciting Loss Vs Panthers]

 

  • Florida head coach Paul Maurice had very nice things to say about Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, going as far as comparing him to Panthers captain Sasha Barkov. [Florida Hockey Now]

 

  • Piere LeBrun mentioned there’s an ongoing conversation as to whether the Canadiens should move defenceman David Savard by the trade deadline. According to LeBrun, the Habs have set a high price seeing as they’re not in any rush to move the veteran defenceman. It would reportedly take a first-round pick (or the equivalent) to convince Habs general manager Kent Hughes that moving Savard is the right decision. There’s certainly value in keeping a guy like Savard around. He’s your classic ‘glue guy’, helping a young locker room traverse the chilly waters of an NHL rebuild. But if we remove emotion from the equation, he’s a 33-year-old defenceman who is unlikely to play a big part in the team’s rebuild. Moving a defenceman who has struggled to produce above-average numbers is rarely a bad idea. If the Habs can somehow secure a first-round pick on top of liberating minutes for young defencemen they’d be wise to pounce on the opportunity.

  • Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman confirmed the price tag on Savard is much higher than some would assume. The right-handed defenceman is drawing interest, it just remains to be seen if anyone is willing to pay Hughes’ price. Given his history, it’s fair to say that Hughes is not bluffing in this particular situation. He’s a general manager who sets his price and waits to see if anyone can meet it. If not, he’s perfectly content holding onto his assets.

  • Former Habs goaltender Jocelyn Thibault announced he was resigning as the executive director of Hockey Quebec. Thibault was attempting to modernize the approach in a desperate bid to improve the quality of hockey players coming from La Belle Province, among other things. However, the various regions in Quebec were not willing to play ball, leaving Thibault frustrated to the point that he ended his mandate after just 27 months.

 

Saturday

  • If you’re wondering when top Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson is expected to make his NHL debut, we’ve got you covered. There are a few scenarios in play that will impact his arrival, including the NCAA playoffs. Our guide has everything you need to know regarding Hutson’s situation, including how it will impact his contract.  [Canadiens Timeline & Contract Options For Lane Hutson]

 

  • Habs captain Nick Suzuki was awarded the Molson Cup in February. It’s well-deserved when we consider he scored 11 goals and 6 assists in 11 games. He continues to be the engine that drives the Canadiens offence, as evidenced by his recent 10-game point streak. Suzuki also led all Habs players in shot control (57.6%), trailing only Joshua Roy when it came to expected goals (58.4%). [NHL]

 

  • There was some good news from a health standpoint. It appears that Rafael Harvey-Pinard is preparing to return to play, again. He is not expected to face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Of course, since it’s the Canadiens, there can’t be too much positive health news. Brendan Gallagher was absent from practice on Friday. Gallagher was hit in the head during Thursday’s game against the Florida Panthers.

 

  • Former Canadiens prospect Tim Bozon spoke to Blick about the meningitis that almost claimed his life while he played for the Kamloops Blazers. Bozon now plays for Lausanne, in the National Ligue (Switzerland), and is enjoying the best season of his career.  (French – Blick)
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