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Habs Wrap: Rookie Camp Lines, Demidov’s Ice Time, Suzuki Trade

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MONTREAL — There’s always Montreal Canadiens content to absorb, but there are only so many hours in a day. 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

The Habs announced the 23-player list of prospects invited to the team’s rookie camp, which begins this week. Owen Beck, Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux, and David Reinbacher headline a very strong group of NHL hopefuls.  [Canadiens Rookie Camp List Overflowing With Talented Prospects]

Despite the significant amount of talent attending camp this year, there are some notable omissions from the Canadiens’ roster list this year that won’t be attending rookie camp for various reasons. [The Biggest Omissions From Canadiens Rookie Camp]

Prospect Quentin Miller is expected to be in Montreal for the rookie camp, but a recent shoulder injury could lead to missed time for the 19-year-old goaltender. [Le Soir]

Once upon a time, Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher took to the ice with No.73, rather than his current No.11. He’s one among many Habs players who ended up changing their numbers throughout the years.  [A History Of Montreal Canadiens Jersey Number Changes]

It’s never a bad time for Ivan Demidov highlights.

Tuesday

The last time forward Kirby Dach featured in a game for the Canadiens was 332 days ago, making his appearance in Brossard on Monday a long-awaited event by fans and teammates alike. Dach’s presence in the lineup allows the Habs to ice at least two lines that are capable of driving the play, making him one of the most important players in the organization, and consequently, the rebuild. His health will be paramount in 2024-25, as the Canadiens will begin their long climb up the NHL standings.  [Kirby Dach Injury Early Curve Ball For Montreal Canadiens]

Top prospect Ivan Demidov has one assist in three KHL games with SKA Saint Petersburg, not to mention fairly low ice time. That’s to be expected, as the 18-year-old is just starting to get acclimatized to professional hockey. Fortunately, he’s shown enough during his limited ice time to suggest the best is yet to come. [Canadiens Top Prospects: Demidov’s Start To The KHL Season]

Lane Hutson’s elite puck handling speaks for itself, but there’s never a bad time for more footage. Hutson is among the young Canadiens defensive prospects aiming to earn a permanent roster spot this season. [Canadiens Depth Chart: Trades Improve Defensive Prospect Odds]

The PWHL’s Montreal Chapter officially announced its name, Victoire de Montréal, in addition to revealing its permanent logo.  I love the combination, especially when compared with the newly revealed branding from other PWHL teams.

Wednesday

2024 third-round pick Aatos Koivu registered his first point of the season for TPS, the same team his father Saku played for prior to making his NHL debut in 1995-96. Koivu was used on the fourth line, playing on the right wing rather than centre.

 

Tuesday marked the six-year anniversary of the trade that saw former Max Pacioretty join the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a very healthy return that included current captain Nick Suzuki. The entire Pacioretty saga was messy, but thanks to a little luck, the trade set the tone for the team’s current direction. [Habs Trades: How Luck Influenced The Suzuki – Pacioretty Deal]

Speaking of the captain, he was looking very sharp at the NHL’s media tour.

Lane Hutson is one of the many Canadiens prospects who will attempt to earn a roster spot, along with fellow rookie defencemen Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher. [Canadiens]

Alex Newhook joined the chorus of Canadiens voices excited by the recent acquisition of sniper Patrik Laine.

Thursday

Rookie camp officially opened on Wednesday, with the prospects performing medicals before taking to the ice today.

Emil Heineman, Adam Engstrom, and Filip Mesar will aim to hit the ground running and leverage a strong performance at camp into more opportunities down the road. [Top 3 Canadiens Prospects Needing A Strong Rookie Camp Start]

Elite Prospects ranked the Habs’ deep and talented prospect pool as the third best in the NHL. Some other rankings have them anywhere between second and fifth, but the common theme from every report is the Canadiens have quality prospects at every position.


Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent will lead the camp, giving him an early look at some of the key players who will end up playing an important role in the AHL.

Friday

Owen Beck, David Reinbacher, Lane Hutson, and other high-end prospects took the ice ahead of their scheduled back-to-back games against the Toronto Maple Leafs.


It’s too early to panic, but the early results from Russia aren’t particularly encouraging for the team’s top prospect, Ivan Demidov. SKA has been shut out in back-to-back games, with Demidov receiving very few shifts in the process. The good news is that he’s looked quite good in his limited usage. [Habs Prospect Report: Ivan Demidov’s Limited Usage In The KHL]

The Habs released a short video of sponsored content relating to newcomer Patrik Laine. It’s a good reminder that support and patience will be in order, as Laine has not played an NHL game since 2023. [Canadiens Forward Patrik Laine, Mental Health, And Patience]

Demidov wasn’t the only Russian prospect in action on Thursday. Bogdan Konyushkov scored his first goal of the season to help Torpedo beat CSKA Moscow.

Saturday

Having two Xhekajs in the organization ensures maximum entertainment, and that includes stories from what was probably a fairly rowdy childhood. To make things even more fun, thanks to social media we get to see the reaction from the very person who had to deal with the fallout of Arber and Florian’s mischievous adventures.

The long wait is over! The Canadiens will face the Toronto Maple Leafs this afternoon at 1 pm ET. Be on the lookout for the first game preview of the season this morning, but fair warning, I originally wrote ‘Adam Reinbacher’ and ‘David Engstrom’ in my first draft. Hey, it’s preseason for all of us. While you wait for the puck to drop, check out the projected lines and defensive pairings for the rookies who will face the Leafs.  [Analyzing Montreal Canadiens Rookie Camp Lines And Pairings]

Aatos Koivu played his second game of the season for TPS, marking the second time I had a chance to watch him play an entire game in a live setting. I’ll need a few more viewings before I feel comfortable writing up an official Habs prospect report, but seeing as he discussed his father prior to the game, it’s worth mentioning they do share some of the same strengths. I’m not sure if I agree that he’s better than Saku was at 18 years old, or that his shot is already better than his father’s in his prime, but that’s fine. He’s his own player and should be treated as such.  Despite playing limited time on the fourth line as a winger, Aatos certainly has a penchant for making the most of his shifts. Against Lukko he was given less than three minutes of ice time in the first period, and yet he managed to lead both teams with four shots on net. He also did a very good job earning the final few feet of precious real estate around the net. His defensive play is still a mystery to me, as he’s been held to roughly eight minutes of ice time per game, but to make a long story short, all signs at this early stage point to Koivu being a potential draft steal.

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