Habs Daily: Canadiens Roster Changes, Roy In The AHL, Demidov

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

Montreal Canadiens News

The Habs decided to make a few changes on Wednesday, starting by loaning forward Oliver Kapanen to Timra IK (SHL). His father is the general manager, which essentially guarantees an uptick in both quantity and quality of ice time compared to how he was used in the NHL. Kapanen, like many skilled forwards before him, struggled mightily while serving on the fourth line with the Canadiens. [Canadiens Practice Notes: Jake Evans Receives Promotion]

You’ll note the Canadiens proceeded to call-up Lucas Condotta rather than Joshua Roy, who happens to be on pace to score more than 50 goals this season with the Laval Rocket. All things considered, if the Habs can’t find a spot for Roy in the top six, he’s best off playing in Laval, where he can continue to develop. Condotta is much better suited for the sporadic use that comes with a fourth-line role.

bonne fête Lucas 🥳

birthday shots, hockey edition (hbd Lucas 🎉)#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/uEFs0yDdd2

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 6, 2024

Top prospect Ivan Demidov is officially the highest rated player in the KHL. If you’re wondering what they base their ratings on, we’re in the same boat, but it’s never a bad sign when one of the youngest players in a top professional league ranks above all his counterparts. Demidov and SKA Saint Petersburg will face Sochi today at 11:30 pm ET.

Ivan Demidov still has a legitimate chance to lead the KHL in points as a rookie.

He currently has 19 points, the league leader has 22 points. https://t.co/WGwilh0HgD

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) November 6, 2024

The Habs will celebrate Shea Weber’s induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 16, at the Bell Centre.  [Former Canadiens Captain Heading To Hockey Hall Of Fame]

St-Louis also brought in former NHLer Marc Bureau to help the struggling Canadiens improve their overall faceoff efficiency.

Former NHLer Marc Bureau working with Canadiens centreman on faceoffs before practice this morning in Brossard. Bureau won 51.4% of his faceoffs with #Habs in 1997-98 and 56.3% with Flyers in 1999-2000. Habs rank 25th in NHL on faceoffs this season at 47.6%. #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/qyUJWE7H7M

— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) November 4, 2024

National Hockey Now Network

29 years ago, Paul Maurice became the youngest coach in the NHL when the Hartford Whalers elevated him from being the team’s fresh-faced assistant coach and put him in charge of the whole team. [Florida Panthers]

Tyler Motte feels he’s ready to be back in action on Wednesday as the Red Wings travel to Chicago to face the Blackhawks. At the same time, he knows that’s not his call to make.[Detroit Red Wings]

When it rains, it pours for the Philadelphia Flyers, as injuries are starting to mount up at a crucial point in the season. On Wednesday afternoon, the Flyers announced that former Hab Ryan Poehling has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 2, and former Laval Rocket forward Anthony Richard has been re-called from the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms to replace him. [Philadelphia Flyers]