Habs Daily: Berkly Catton Interview, Slafkovsky WC Start Delayed

Here are the Montreal Canadiens news, highlights, and stories you may have missed on Tuesday.

Montreal Canadiens News

• The Montreal Canadiens are in need of elite skill and goal-scoring in the organization, and few players available in the 2024 NHL Draft fit the bill quite like Berkly Catton. The 18-year-old was a dominant force in the WHL this season for Spokane and possesses one of the most elite offensive skill sets in this summer’s class. Naturally, Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes and his team have been monitoring him throughout the season, as he could be the dynamic offensive player needed to complete their young exciting core. MHN spoke to the incredibly talented forward, who is expected to be among the first names called at the upcoming draft.   [MHN Interview: Berkly Catton To Be a Top Canadiens Draft Target This Summer]

• Juraj Slafkovsky has not yet arrived in Czechia to take part in the 2024 World Championship for Team Slovakia. He’s still in Montreal, where he will undergo ‘medical procedures’ before he joins his countrymen. Fortunately, it does not seem like it’s a serious issue. [Canadiens Juraj Slafkovsky To Undergo Medical Procedures]

• Canadiens media guru Chantal Machabee was given a Medal of Honour by the National Assembly of Québec.

Notre ancienne collègue, Chantal Machabée, est l'une des récipiendaires de la Médaille d'honneur de l'Assemblée nationale du Québec!👏

Toutes nos félicitations Chantal❤https://t.co/TMDOikuQj5 pic.twitter.com/Bk76TcLm4W

— RDS (@RDSca) April 30, 2024

• Prospect Vinzenz Rohrer is now a Swiss Champion, as his team, the Zurich Lions, captured the NL Championship title on Tuesday.

Congratulations on winning the Swiss championship title @zsclions! 🏆👏🏼🎉 pic.twitter.com/W7XRxumGK5

— Swiss Ice Hockey (@SwissIceHockey) April 30, 2024

• Admittedly, I did not have many opportunities to catch the final series, but Swiss hockey expert Thibaud Chatel pointed out Rohrer had a very solid game alongside some relatively impressive teammates.

Rohrer with the 6th highest TOI among Zürich's forwards in this Finals.

Look at the names. All former NHLers
Rohrer played all 3 situations. Future is bright for him. pic.twitter.com/n2aXPVqklR

— Thibaud Chatel (@Thibaud_Chatel) April 30, 2024

• Speaking of prospects, goaltender Yevgeni Volokhin was named the top goaltender in the MHL this season. The 2023 fifth-round pick had a 22-4-4 record, a 1.57 goals against average, and a sparkling .938 save percentage. His work in the playoffs was even more impressive,  as he maintained a .954 save percentage in seven games.

MAIN #MHL AWARDS

Top goal scorer – Artyom Ivanov
Top Point Getter – Ivan Volgin
Top Goaltender – #GoHabsGo prospect Yevgeni Volokhin
Top Defenseman – Mark Ulyev
Top Rookie – #2025NHLDraft Ivan Ryabkin
MVP regular season – #2024NHLDraft Ivan Demidov
Top Coach – Oleg Tauber pic.twitter.com/PAZ4Stcprd

— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) April 30, 2024

National Hockey Now Network

• Round One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is showing a clear and large difference between the top teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences and everyone else. Not since 1987 has there been an opening round without a 2-2 series, and had the Dallas Stars not beaten the Vegas Golden Knights Monday night, 2024 would have been the next. So, why do the Pittsburgh Penguins even bother trying to remain competitive or regain a playoff spot? They won’t win the Stanley Cup anytime soon, they surely can’t beat the Colorado Avalanche or Florida Panthers, and their core is going to be 37 and older next season. [Pittsburgh Penguins]
• The Nashville Predators suffered a heartbreaking loss Sunday night to the Vancouver Canucks after giving up a 3-1 lead with under three minutes remaining in regulation to lose less than a minute into overtime. The mental errors and poor defensive-zone coverage that led to a blown two-goal lead were virtually unfathomable with just minutes to go in regulation.[Nashville Predators]

• It appears that there is a genuine possibility that star prospect Matvei Michkov joins the Philadelphia Flyers this summer, far earlier than originally anticipated. Michkov, 19, is under contract with KHL club SKA St. Petersburg for two more seasons, tying him down in Russia until 2026. SKA chairman Alexander Medvedev, however, declined to rule out the possibility that Michkov would join the Flyers earlier than that. And that includes this summer. [Philadelphia Flyers]