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Habs Wrap: Demidov And Hage Excel, Trade Options, Injury News

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montreal canadiens prospect ivan demidov

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

Our excellent community of Habs fans established the starting list that will be used for the weekly Montreal Canadiens Prospect Rankings. Over 90 percent of the votes had Russian forward Ivan Demidov as the team’s top prospect. Thanks to his excellent start in the NCAA, Michael Hage nabbed the No.2 spot. [Top 20 Montreal Canadiens Prospects Voted By Habs Fans]

The good news is the bottom six is definitely pulling its weight to start the season. The bad news is the top six has been underwhelming, to say the least. Fortunately, Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, and Cole Caufield have managed to outscore their opponents, but the same cannot be said about the struggling second line, featuring Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach, and Joel Armia. [Montreal Canadiens Forward Lines A Good And Bad News Situation]

The injury to Kaiden Guhle is unfortunate for both the team and the 22-year-old defenceman, but it does open the door to one of the team’s top defensive prospects, Logan Mailloux. [The Impact Of The Latest Montreal Canadiens Injuries]

Speaking of Mailloux, the AHL All-Star scored his first goal of the season on Saturday versus the New York Islanders. Cole Caufield also had a solid outing, but his two goals weren’t enough to secure a win for the Canadiens. [Canadiens Instant Recap: Mailloux Scores First, Caufield Stays Hot]

The New York Islanders placed Julien Gauthier on waivers. Gauthier was picked 21st overall in 2016, stands at  but has struggled to find consistency while playing for both New York organizations, not to mention the Carolina Hurricanes and the Ottawa Senators.

Tuesday

It’s no secret the top six has struggled to produce encouraging possession numbers this season. The bottom six, on the other hand, has been excellent. On that note, head coach Martin St-Louis used second-line centre Kirby Dach on the top line at practice on Monday. Dach, Cole Caufield, and Nick Suzuki played well when they were on the same line two years ago, so there’s some logic to the approach, but it certainly monopolizes the talent on a team that lacks depth. It would also mean a reduction in ice time for Juraj Slafkovsky, but at this point it’s only fair to say a change may be necessary. [Montreal Canadiens Forward Lines A Good And Bad News Situation]

Filip Mesar’s play in the OHL wasn’t as good as some expected, but we also have to remember he was used to playing professional hockey before he was asked to return to an amateur setting. Now that he’s playing with teammates that have a little more talent and experience under their belt, Mesar’s results matter much more. With that in mind, he’s off to a solid start in the AHL this year, with five points in four games, good enough to lead the Laval Rocket in scoring. He also set up prospect Owen Beck for his first professional goal, a very nice play that featured an engaged Mesar, exactly what the Habs want to see from him in a professional setting.  [Habs Prospect Report: Mesar Off To Great Start, Beck’s First]

Don’t look now, but top prospect Ivan Demidov has a three-game scoring streak in the KHL. He’s no longer being relegated to the fourth line, which comes with a much-needed boost in ice time. With his assist on Monday versus Vityaz, Demidov now has five goals and six assists in 18 games for SKA Saint Petersburg. [Canadiens Instant Recap: Mailloux Scores First, Caufield Stays Hot]

 

Wednesday

The Montreal Canadiens had some legendary guests on Tuesday night, as they welcomed members of the best team in NHL history to centre ice before the Habs faced the Rangers. It was a nice ceremony, but it was also a good reminder that the dynasty days are well behind us. There will never be a situation in which the Canadiens will have a dozen Hall of Fame players in the same lineup. Such is life in a sports league that has evolved significantly since the yesteryear of Habs dominance.

Ken Dryden had nothing but praise for the team’s current captain, Nick Suzuki.

The Habs lost ugly on Tuesday. It was one of their worst games of the rebuild. Suzuki attempted to breathe life into his team by scoring two goals, but it was all for naught, as the Rangers were clearly the better team in every respect. [Canadiens Instant Recap: Suzuki Scores Twice In Reality Check Game]

While we’re on the topic of losing ugly games, it seems ridiculous that one of their most efficient players, Joshua Roy, is stuck in the AHL. I’ve spoken at length about Roy’s impact, and while it’s true he runs hot and cold, the Habs simply cannot afford to ignore his offensive impact. I’d also immediately bring Arber Xhekaj back into the lineup, and not only because of his physical prowess. Xhekaj has solid underlying numbers, much better than any other player that has been used in the same situation. Finally, it may be time to give Emil Heineman a promotion, as he’s done well with limited chances. [Canadiens Prospect Rankings: Joshua Roy Deserves More Credit]

Thursday

Top prospect Ivan Demidov assisted on no less than four goals during SKA Saint Petersburg’s 8-0 dismantling of Kunlun Red Star. The multipoint effort pushes his season totals to five goals and six assists in 18 games. More importantly, it should alleviate some of the concerns regarding his usage in the KHL.

Demidov did all this in under 12 minutes of ice time, a testament to his ability to generate offence while receiving limited opportunities.

Habs fans have started to express a legitimate level of concern regarding the team’s recent play, but it’s not a matter of impatience toward the rebuild, as much as it’s a desire to see the team give an honest effort every night.  [Canadiens Hit Point Of Diminishing Returns On Selling Hope]

Friday

ESPN ranked the top 50 prospects outside the NHL, with top Habs hopeful Ivan Demidov taking the top spot. His recent uptick in scoring is encouraging, but the value being attributed to the 18-year-old forward goes beyond his limited usage in the KHL. There are few who can match his offensive prowess. Fellow Habs prospect David Reinbacher also made the list (27th). [ESPN]

It’s not what most fans want to hear, but the Montreal Canadiens are trending toward another lottery pick this summer, and that’s far from the worst possible result when viewing the situation from a long-term perspective.  [Canadiens Could Be In the Mix For A Lottery Pick, And That’s Okay]

The Canadiens players got together for their annual Halloween party. There are clearly a few Oompa Loompas in the mix, and I’m fairly certain David Savard dressed up like an old man, which is perfect, and hilarious. Even though he’s only 34 years old, he’s roughly a decade older than most defencemen on the team, if not more.

Prospect Yevgeni Volokhin enjoyed a solid start to his KHL, saving 21 of the 23 shots sent his way as Sochi lost 2-1 to Nizhnekamsk. For those who aren’t aware, Volohkin was drafted by the Canadiens in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Unfortunately, footage from his time in the MHL, where he dominated, has been hard to find. Now that he’s in the KHL, we will finally have more to go on than just his fantastic statistics from seasons past.

Saturday

Prospect Michael Hage was buzzing all night for Michigan as they faced the USNTDP in their annual exhibition showdown. His hard work paid off, with Hage scoring the overtime winner. It’s also worth noting a nice toe drag by Hage that led to a scoring chance was the reason the Wolverines were on the powerplay in the first place.

According to Pierre LeBrun, the Canadiens have started making calls to gauge the NHL’s trade market. Even though there are some players who could be moved without hurting the current lineup, improving the roster via an early-season trade will be a difficult task for general manager Kent Hughes. [Montreal Canadiens Options For Early-Season Trades]

Don’t look now, but top prospect Ivan Demidov is on a five-game scoring streak in the KHL. The 18-year-old forward assisted on Sergei Plotnikov’s goal during SKA’s 5-2 win over Spartak. As for the recent ice time drama, we should recognize he was given 16:21 TOI, which also led to four shots on net. With five goals and 11 assists this season, Demidov is tied for third in team scoring with former NHLer Evgeny Kuznetsov, though the latter has played 5 minutes more than Demidov on average per game. [Canadiens Prospect Rankings: Ivan Demidov Is A Game Changer]

 

The Rocket were outshot 30-22 on Friday night, but they emerged with a 4-3 win thanks to goals from Zach Hayes, Laurent Dauphin, Joshua Roy, and Florian Xhekaj. The game-winning goal by Xhekaj was the first of his professional hockey career.

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