Habs Wrap: Xhekaj’s Fights, Laine’s Diagnosis, Waivers, Cuts

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 weekend turned sour when a minor-league player injured newcomer Patrik Laine in Saturday’s preseason matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Laine could not continue and had to leave the ice in what appeared to be significant pain. The NHL referees, in all their wisdom, opted not to penalize the clear kneeing penalty, which led to Arber Xhekaj taking matters into his own hands. Cedric Pare player did not answer the bell despite injury Laine, and cowered as Xhekaj rained down a series of angry punches. Xhekaj was then rightfully thrown out from the game.  [GOTTA SEE IT: Patrik Laine Injured, Arber Xhekaj Retaliates]

It was overshadowed by the violence in the game, but prospect David Reinbacher was also injured on Saturday. He absorbed awkward contact along the boards, leaving the game after just 13 seconds of ice time.

This didn’t look like a lot of contact, but Reinbacher left the game in a lot of pain after this play.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/oMgLy28Dfe

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 28, 2024

Xhekaj was only fined for his reaction to the knee-on-knee that injured Laine. There was some fear he’d be suspended, but given he kept his gloves on and missed most of the game, it appears the Department of Player Safety deemed it to be only worthy of a $3600 fine. [NHL Fines Arber Xhekaj For Retaliating After Patrik Laine Injury]

The Habs made their first round of cuts on Saturday, sending 27 of the players attending their training camp to the Laval Rocket in the AHL. Versatile forward Owen Beck headlined the list of players being assigned to their team’s AHL affiliate. [Montreal Canadiens Announce First Round Of Training Camp Cuts]

On Sunday two more players were cut, Brandon Gignac and Lucas Condotta, though they must be placed on waivers prior to being loaned to the Rocket. The Sunday cuts reduced the number of players at camp to 30. [Montreal Canadiens Place Two Players On Waivers]

As for the game itself, the Leafs once again won 2-1, though there was very little 5v5 time, a situation that always leaves the Habs in a difficult position, as their special teams have the potency of a dead horseshoe crab.  [Canadiens Instant Recap: Referees Lose Control, Habs Lose Laine]

Tuesday

There was no official update as to Patrik Laine or David Reinbacher’s injury status. In situations such as these, multiple doctors are consulted regardless of the initial diagnosis. In Laine and Reinbacher’s case, the diagnosis stage is not yet done, as per Jeff Gorton. [GOTTA SEE IT: Patrik Laine And David Reinbacher Injured]

We took a closer look at the Canadiens lineup now that Laine could potentially miss significant time. There are roster spots available, both among the forwards and the defencemen, though the exact number of job openings depends on how the Habs build their lineup, either running with 13 forwards and eight defencemen, or 14 forwards and seven defencemen. Alex Barre-Boulet, Oliver Kapanen, Emil Heineman, and Michael Pezzetta will be among the forwards competing for the final roster spots.  [Canadiens Roster And Depth Chart: Impact Of Laine Injury, Cuts]

Both Brandon Gignac and Lucas Condotta cleared waivers, and will be part of the 22 players who will open up the Laval Rocket’s training camp on Tuesday. More players are expected to join them as the Canadiens make their final training camp cuts. [Laval Rocket Announce AHL Training Camp Roster]

Speaking of waivers, the Habs will maintain the fifth-best waiver priority until November 1. Once we reach that point, the waiver priority list will be dictated by the 2024-25 NHL standings. [NHL Waiver Wire Priority List As 2024-25 Season Opens]

Wednesday

The day started with some unfortunate news, as top prospect David Reinbacher will be forced to miss four to five months of action due to a left knee injury that required surgery. He’s still very young, but given how poorly his Draft+1 season unfolded, missing the majority of his Draft+2 season is concerning to say the least. As for the impact of the injury on the lineup, it opens the door to one the possibility Adam Engstrom or Logan Mailloux could end up starting the season with the Canadiens. [Impact Of Reinbacher Injury On Canadiens Roster Construction]

Tuesday night’s game was another of the crazy-town banana-pants variety, featuring several fights, injuries, shenanigans, tomfoolery, fiddle faddle, some tommyrot, codswallop, a little tarradiddle, jiggery-pokery, fiddlestickery, and general humbuggery. Kirby Dach ended up fighting supertroll Ridly Greig, while Arber Xhekaj was once again kicked out for retaliating after a dangerous play by an opponent. When the teams actually played a little hockey, defenceman Jayden Struble stood out, a continuation of his strong play throughout camp. Oh, and the special teams were rotten, but that’s not really news, is it? [Canadiens Instant Recap And Highlights: Angry Dach, Furious Xhekaj, and Solid Struble]

In an attempt to lift spirits following the Reinbacher diagnosis, we discussed three areas that should still excite Canadiens fans as we prepare to start the 2024-25 season, including phenom Lane Hutson. [Three Reasons To Still Be Excited About Upcoming Canadiens Season]

The Canadiens proceeded to announce Patrik Laine would only miss two to three months, and would not require surgery. The news was met with an avalanche of happiness from Habs fans, which goes to show how much they’ve endured in the last few years. [Canadiens Receive Good News Regarding Patrik Laine Injury]

27 players were placed on waivers by their respective teams on Tuesday afternoon. [NHL Players Available To Montreal Canadiens On Waivers, Oct 1]

Thursday

The Habs made their way to Mont-Tremblant on Wednesday, their yearly team-building trip that takes place a week before the regular season opens. It’s never a bad idea to leave the hustle and bustle of Montreal behind, as a brief reprieve from the never-ending chaos can do wonders from a mental health perspective. This time around, the Canadiens are heading to a peaceful setting following a series of tumultuous games that featured non-stop fights and injuries, not to mention a constant supply of preseason shenanigans. In other words, the timing is pretty darn good. For those wondering,  Patrik Laine will join the team, a very encouraging sign from a team unity standpoint, which seems to be the theme of the 2024-25 season for the Habs. [On Topic: Canadiens Receive Good News Regarding Laine Injury]

Laine will join the Canadiens’ team bonding trip to Tremblant. #Habs

— Kenzie Lalonde (@KenzieTSN) October 2, 2024

You don’t want to see Arber Xhekaj kicked out of a regular-season game, but the recent incidents in preseason are part of the reason why he’s in the lineup. He can take a regular shift, the most important part of the equation, but he also ensures the team is no longer on the losing side of every physical battle, a longstanding issue in the organization. The preseason message sent via physical play is clear, the Canadiens are stick of being the NHL’s whipping boy in the league’s endless war of attrition.  [Canadiens Adopt ‘Take No Prisoners’ Attitude]

We’ll be keeping a close eye on waivers, especially now that the injury bug has started to hit. On Wednesday, 12 players were added to the NHL’s waiver wire, though none stand out as legitimate claim targets. [NHL Players Available To Montreal Canadiens On Waivers, Oct 2]

A general manager will never disparage his own player, but there’s something to be said about the confident tone used by Kent Hughes when discussing prospect Oliver Kapanen.

Marc Antoine Godin: “What has struck you in Oliver Kapanen’s game this training camp?”

Kent Hughes: “He’s very detailed, he’s very complete. He’s confident. You can see that he’s had experience in the pro leagues & the World Championships. He came here to make the (Habs) team.” pic.twitter.com/eyw8Tv0YcI

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 2, 2024

Friday

Top prospect Ivan Demidov has enjoyed a very solid start to his KHL career, despite not being given an abundance of ice time. On Thursday, Demidov was given a little over four minutes of play in SKA Saint-Petersburg’s 3-0 win over Dinamo Minsk. It’s understandable that an 18-year-old player has to work for his ice time, but there’s no doubt benching one of the most productive players in the lineup is a confusing decision.  [Canadiens Prospect Report: Ivan Demidov Finds Scoring Rhythm]

Here’s a clearer photo of Ivan Demidov at the end of the SKA game today.

He played 4:07 mins on the 4th line & had zero mins in the 3rd period.

He is one of the KHL players of the month for September. pic.twitter.com/AW0HtDvnc1

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 3, 2024

Newcomer Patrik Laine ended up joining his teammates for a team-bonding trip to Mont-Tremblant. Obviously, losing a player like Laine for half the season is not an ideal scenario, but there’s something to be said about the welcoming attitude the Montreal Canadiens players have adopted since he joined the team. [On Topic: Canadiens Receive Good News Regarding Laine Injury]

Reporter: “How important is it for (Patrik Laine) & you as a group to have him around here today?”

Cole Caufield: “He’s a huge part (of the group). We’re very lucky to have him around all the time, keep his spirits up. He’s a really funny guy, fun to be around. We’re just happy… pic.twitter.com/iFhCHVem72

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 3, 2024

Nick Suzuki joined Jackie Redmond for a feature on her new show to discuss his captaincy, his favourite snacks, and more.

Saturday

Prospect Michael Hage enjoyed a solid start to his NCAA career. The 21st overall pick from the 2024 NHL Entry Draft earned two assists as the University of Michigan lost 5-2 versus Minnesota State.

Whitelaw from Hage and Hughes for Michigan’s first goal of the season pic.twitter.com/DVq6RuTxJZ

— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) October 4, 2024

Oliver Kapanen has played well enough to deserve a roster spot, and seeing as the Montreal Canadiens have no deadline to return him to Sweden, they can offer the versatile prospect an extended audition in the NHL.,  [Oliver Kapanen’s Contract Situation Improves Roster Odds]

Head coach Martin St-Louis is only hoping for one thing as the Canadiens play the Ottawa Senators in their final preseason game. The last time both teams met, several players were injured, in a game that also featured a bevy of fights. [Canadiens Instant Recap: Dach Fights, Xhekaj Ejected]

Saturday night’s game between the Senators and the Canadiens predictably opened with a fight, as Senators forward Zack MacEwen lost a one-sided battle with Xhekaj. [GOTTA SEE IT: Arber Xhekaj Fights Zack MacEwen]