Habs Daily: Byron’s Role, Owen Beck Interview, Necas Offer Sheet

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

Montreal Canadiens News

• We had a chance to sit down with top Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck to discuss a bevy of topics, including how he will approach the upcoming training camp, his trust in the organization, learning with the young group of core players, the Memorial Cup, and much more. We also discussed how Paul Byron helped Beck improve his game throughout the season. [Canadiens Interview: Top Prospect Owen Beck Excited For Future]
• Mark Masters spoke to top 2024 prospect Cayden Lindstrom about the possibility of being drafted by the Habs at fifth overall. Some may shy away when it comes to the spotlight in Montreal, but Lindstrom suggests he’d thrive in that situation. [MHN Interview With Top 2024 Prospect Cayden Lindstrom]

“It’s a good franchise, good hockey market. Their fans are crazy obviously. It would be a really fun place to play…I can handle [the spotlight]. I really like the bright lights, I like the loud crowds. I think it motivates me more than anything.”

– Cayden Lindstrom on the Habs pic.twitter.com/j6UaiQD1uW

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) June 20, 2024

• Masters also spoke to Cole Hutson, Lane’s younger brother, about his future, including the interview he had with the Habs during the 2024 NHL Scouting Combine.[MHN Interview With 2024 Prospect Cole Hutson]

In a conversation with @markhmasters, 2024 Draft prospect Cole Hutson outlines how he is similar and different from his brother Lane and also reflected on his combine conversation with the Montreal Canadiens: https://t.co/ZGF0qDNHPu

— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) June 20, 2024

• This isn’t technically Canadiens news, but it’s worth noting nonetheless. Apparently, some teams are floating the idea of potentially signing Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas to an offer sheet because they believe the price set by Carolina is unreasonable. For the record, the Canadiens do have the assets available to put together an offer sheet, but that’s just about where the speculation ends, as it seems unlikely Kent Hughes and Co. will go down that road. [Canadiens Among Teams Interested In Trading For Necas]

Offer sheets are pretty rare but one thing I’ve heard a bit this week on the Martin Necas front is a few teams wondering if that’s a plausible avenue if the asking price in trade talks with Carolina remains too high. Probably a long shot play, but something to file away

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 20, 2024

National Hockey Now Network

• It seemed like the Colorado Avalanche had finally found a good mix down the middle moving forward after the NHL Trade Deadline. With Nathan MacKinnon, Casey Mittelstadt, and Ross Colton, Colorado looked set for the immediate future at the centre position. There’s apparently a chance we’ve already seen the end of that trio on the Avalanche. [Colorado Avalanche]
• Jacob Markstrom couldn’t sleep on Tuesday night. The Swedish goaltender’s agent, Patrick Morris, explained to him a deal with the New Jersey Devils was close, giving Markstrom excited nerves the night before the Devils trade with the Calgary Flames was made official. Now that the veteran netminder is officially New Jersey bound, adding Markstrom with Jake Allen already in the fold gives the Devils goaltending their best crease presence in a long, long time. [New Jersey Devils]
• The Boston Bruins began the off season with a variety of options in their search to trade goalie Linus Ullmark. But in just one afternoon, those options quickly dissipated as two teams reportedly interested in Ullmark found their solutions in goal elsewhere on Wednesday.[Boston Bruins]