Connect with us

Canadiens Wrap

Canadiens Wrap: Draft Targets, Rebuild Analysis, Suzuki Decision

Published

2 weeks ago

on

Montreal Canadiens NHL Draft - Cayden Lindstrom

MONTREAL — There’s rarely a dull moment when it comes to Montreal Canadiens hockey, 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 Canadiens loop.

Monday

 

  • Habs captain Nick Suzuki has decided not to take part in the World Championship, declining Team Canada’s invitation. Michel Bergeron criticized the decision, but it must be said that few players have displayed the same type of effort as Suzuki while maintaining such a heavy workload. He’s certainly earned a little break. [Suzuki’s Decision Not To Play At Worlds Is Justified]

 

 

  • The PWHL Montreal chapter set a record this weekend with over 21,000 fans in attendance for a women’s professional hockey game. The ovation given to Marie-Philip Poulin was particularly impressive.

  • There was much more at play last weekend for the PWHL than the result between Montreal and Toronto. [PWHL Montreal]

 

Tuesday

  • Now that the Montreal Canadiens have completed their second complete rebuild season, it’s time to take a closer look at where the organization stands in terms of its long-term plans. In our first installment of the ‘State Of The Rebuild’ series, we take a look at the draft capital the team has acquired, as well as the options it gives general manager Kent Hughes this summer. [Canadiens Checklist: State Of The Rebuild – Draft Capital]

 

  • Prospect Oliver Kapanen has always brought good defensive value to the table, but the forward has struggled to reach any sort of encouraging note from an offensive standpoint. Until now. The 2021 second-round pick improved his scoring pace during the regular season, a necessary step toward being considered a legitimate option for the team in the future. But it was his impressive production during the playoffs that will go a long way in convincing management that he can be an important part of the rebuild. As for defenceman Adam Engstrom, he’s enjoying one of the most unlikely runs in recent playoff history, as his team, Rogle, went from participating in a playoff qualifier to beating some of the top teams in Sweden. [ Habs Prospects Canadiens Prospect Report: Kapanen Surge, Engstrom’s Run]

 

  • The Laval Rocket had the biggest increase in attendance last season among all AHL teams. Their year-to-year attendance improved by 21 percent.

Wednesday

 

  • Former Hab Shea Weber is now officially a member of the Utah (name to be decided at a later date). Weber’s contract is set to expire in 2026.

  • The youngest player in the lineup, Juraj Slafkovsky, was officially named to the Slovak World Championship roster.

  • David Reinbacher met with the media in Laval to discuss his brief but fruitful time playing in the AHL this season.

 

Thursday

 

  • Canadiens sniper Cole Caufield will take part in the 2024 World Championship, joining a very strong United States roster that includes talented players like Brady Tkachuk, Trevor Zegras, and Luke Hughes.

  • We’re not going to suggest Juraj Slafkovsky is a top 5 winger in the NHL just yet, but given he’s just 20 years old there’s plenty of time to reach that point.

  • PWHL Montreal faced New York on Wednesday, with alternate captain Laura Stacey scoring a very nice one-timer goal in the big win. With the victory, Montreal has officially clinched a playoff spot.

 

Friday

  • The State Of The Rebuild series continues, with the focus shifting to an organizational weakness. There’s no denying it, the Montreal Canadiens lack forward prospects who have game-changing potential. The good news is that they can go a long way in improving their glaring weakness at the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. [Canadiens Checklist: State Of The Rebuild – Forward Prospects]

 

  • There was some unfortunate news, as play-by-play legend Bob Cole passed away. The are few, if any members of the hockey community that made such an impact in many of the sport’s greatest moments, including the last time the Habs won the Holy Grail of hockey. “And now, a 24th Stanley Cup banner will hang from the rafters of the famous Forum in Montreal. The Canadiens win the Stanley Cup!”

 

 

  • Cole was also on the call during Game 2, which featured a hat-trick performance from defenceman Eric Desjardins, and of course, another classic Bob Cole call. “DESJARDINS! AND THE CANADIENS WIN IN OVERTIME! HIS THIRD GOAL OF THE GAME!”

 

  • Prospect Vinzenz Rohrer is still playing meaningful hockey in Europe. The feisty forward scored a goal for the Zurich Lions, who are facing Lausanne HC in the NL finals. Rohrer was also named player of the game for Zurich. Shoutout to Twitter user @elibu for the information.

  • Canadiens brass took in some of the action at the 2024 Under-18 World Championship, where Gavin McKenna scored twice to lead Canada to a 6-3 win over Sweden.

 

Saturday

  • While the Montreal Canadiens clearly lack high-end talent in their forward prospect pool, that’s certainly not the case among defencemen. From Lane Hutson to David Reinbacher, and everyone in between, the Habs have an embarrassment of riches among their recently drafted prospects. This abundance could lead to change down the road, as Kent Hughes attempts to use his surplus to solidify areas of weakness throughout the organization. [Canadiens Checklist: State Of The Rebuild – Defensive Prospects]

 

  • We now know the date for the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery. It will take place on Tuesday, May 7.  The event will be broadcast on TVA Sports and Sportsnet, however, the exact time has not yet been set. As a reminder, the Draft Lottery actually takes place before the broadcast, as the NHL Network wants time to plan the live show. As a reminder, the Habs will have an 8.5 percent chance of being given the No.1 overall pick. Click on the linked article to check out the rest of the Montreal Canadiens Draft Lottery odds.   [Montreal Canadiens Draft Lottery Odds Officially Locked In]

 

  • Canadiens prospect Yevgeni Volokhin enjoyed one of the easiest shutouts of his career, as he only had to make 14 saves in Russia’s 12-0 drubbing of Kazakhstan at the Liga Stavok Future Cup, taking place in Novosibirsk.

 

 

  • Thanks to the strong interest in women’s hockey, the PWHL Montreal franchise will play its playoff games at Place Bell, In Laval. Place Bell can host up to 10,000 fans.

 

Related Topics:
Click to comment
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments