Habs Daily: Demidov A Top NHL Prospect, New AHL Coach

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

Montreal Canadiens News

Scott Wheeler over at The Athletic listed his top 100 NHL prospects, with Montreal Canadiens draft pick Ivan Demidov finishing third overall, behind Matvei Michkov (No.2 overall prospect, Philadelphia Flyers) and Macklin Celebrini (No.1 overall prospect, San Jose Sharks). It remains to be seen if Demidov will reach his sky-high potential, but there’s something to be said about how highly rated Demidov seems to be according to most out-of-market outlets. The Habs desperately needed to add high-end talent to their prospect pool, and Demidov definitely fit the bill. [Instant Analysis: Canadiens Hit Home Run With Ivan Demidov Pick]

The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler on Habs prospect Ivan Demidov, who’s ranked 3rd on his top 100 drafted NHL prospects list.

The Habs, along with the Sharks & CBJ, lead the list with 6 ranked prospects.

👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/MglnYPGAGq

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) July 16, 2024

In the spirit of adding a highlight video to the Habs Daily every time we mention Demidov, here’s one of his many excellent games during the MHL playoffs, featuring two great goals, including the series-clinching marker.

Hockey Canada invited over 160 players to join their Program Of Excellence (POE) summer camp, including the players who are expected to represent their country at the 2025 World Junior Championship, taking place in Ottawa, Ontario. You’ll note Habs prospect Michael Hage is not among those who received an invitation, though it’s not overly surprising given that he’s a late bloomer who barely participated in any Hockey Canada events. That doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t be invited to the main training camp, but he’ll have to hit the ground running if he’s to force his way into the lineup. Given the recent discussion surrounding junior hockey in Quebec, it’s also interesting to note that only four of the 42 players attending the POE, only four hail from the QMJHL.

Laval Rocket general manager John Sedgwick appointed a new head coach to replace Jean-Francois Houle. Despite a wealth of experience and a fair amount of accolades, former NHL head coach Pascal Vincent will face his fair share of challenges as the team’s new bench boss. [Canadiens Coaching: Vincent To Face Tall Task With The Laval Rocket]

Two members of the Montreal Canadiens were featured in a list powered by fan votes to determine the top 100 forwards in the NHL: Nick Suzuki (No. 43) and Cole Caufield (No. 74).

Who are the top forwards in the NHL heading into 2024-25?

You voted.

1. Connor McDavid
2. Nathan MacKinnon
3. Auston Matthews

⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/X8JRgsnVKL

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 16, 2024

National Hockey Now Network

• Alexei Kolosov, the Philadelphia Flyers’ top goalie prospect, bailed on the team and slept through his flight instead of showing up to development camp earlier in the month as originally planned. [Philadelphia Flyers]
• Yes, there are technically still two months left in the off-season for the Colorado Avalanche and the rest of the NHL, but most of the work has already been completed. After yesterday’s trade to acquire Kevin Mandolese, the Avalanche have just one restricted free agent to sign. Beyond that, all their internal work is complete. There are one or two intriguing free agent options left on the open market, but for the most part, it’s slim pickings. What you see right now is likely what you’re going to get when training camp opens. This team, if nothing else changes, will look a little different compared to the one we saw bow out in the second round to the Dallas Stars. [Colorado Avalanche]

• After a breakout 2023-24 campaign, Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman finds himself among the early favourites to take home the Vezina Trophy this upcoming season. [Boston Bruins]