Habs Daily: Canadiens Prospect Rankings, Hutson, Xhekaj

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

Montreal Canadiens News

It’s time to discuss the impressive group of Montreal Canadiens prospects! The first edition of our Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings discusses the players who did not make the cut, as well as the team’s prospects ranked from No.40 to No.31. [Top Montreal Canadiens Prospect Rankings – 2024 Edition]

Stu Cowan spoke to Florian Xhekaj about his NHL aspirations. As is custom in the family, Xhekaj is brimming with confidence as he prepares for what should be his first legitimate NHL training camp. Xhekaj did participate in last year’s camp, but was cut early, on September 24, along with Quentin Miller and Cedrick Guindon. [Montreal Gazette]

ESPN mentioned top Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson as one of the players who could end up winning the Calder Trophy next season. It’s always encouraging to see a player named among the league’s best young hopes, but first and foremost, Hutson will have to earn his NHL job. Some may take it for granted given his elite skill set, and there’s merit to that logic, but he’ll have plenty of competition at training camp. [ESPN]

National Hockey Now Network

On this day two years ago, the Florida Panthers woke up a sleepy summer off season with a late night blockbuster trade in acquiring Matthew Tkachuk. Making a trade of this calibre, announced around 11 p.m. on a Friday night, may have been construed as the ultimate ‘news dump.’ There have been no negatives for the Panthers thus far. [Florida Panthers]

It’s slim pickings out there on the NHL free agent market. Would Colorado be better off just going into training camp and seeing if a young guy can earn a spot? Maybe, but there is one guy out there that does make sense for the Avalanche. And no, I don’t think it’s Tyler Johnson. [Colorado Avalanche]

Matvei Michkov is going to touch down in North America imminently, locking in stone his place on the Philadelphia Flyers for the 2024-25 season after signing the three-year, entry-level contract negotiated by agent J.P. Barry on July 1. But, now that “Michkov Mania”, as some have called it, is getting started, how can we temper our expectations for the 19-year-old Russian sensation in a way that isn’t harmful to Michkov and his Flyers teammates? [Philadelphia Flyers]