Canadiens Daily
Habs Daily: Canadiens Aim To End LTIR Use, Rebuild Lessons

All the Montreal Canadiens news items, highlights, and stories you could have missed on Monday.
Montreal Canadiens
It looked like the Canadiens were finally going to play with some wiggle room this season, but general manager Kent Hughes decided to trade for Patrik Laine in August; taking on the entirety of his $8.7M contract and forcing the need for LTIR once again.
The Canadiens could theoretically remove the need for LTIR by sending down a player; reducing their roster size from 22 players to 21 players; but that would leave them exposed in case of injury, as they’d need to use LTIR again just to call up a replacement. [Canadiens Looking To End Use Of LTIR, Prepare For 2025]
As the eternally rebuilding Bufflao Sabres were forced to cancel their practice in Montreal in favour of an emergency meeting with the team owner, there are a few lessons to be learned for the Canadiens, especially when it comes to the challenges involved in taking the next step in a rebuild. [Rebuild Lessons On Tap As Struggling Sabres Visit The Canadiens]
Count me among those who are a fan of former Habs forward PJ Stock. He’s one of the few anglophones who makes regular appearances on the French side of the media barrier, and I will always commend people for exploring beyond their regular routes. With that in mind, since I know he can take a little criticism, I have to say I do not care much for his proposed lines, even if they are overflowing with creativity.
PJ Stock propose de changer les trios et de séparer Caufield et Suzuki!
Qu’en pensez-vous? 👀 pic.twitter.com/K0oTRLlSlh
— L’Antichambre (@Antichambre) December 17, 2024
Granted, this is a simplistic answer, but the main reason I try to avoid constantly complaining about referees is that the Habs have less discipline than a 17th century sailor breaking into a rum store room on an abandoned ship. Of course, the discipline issues for the Canadiens don’t quite date that far back, but it’s certainly not a new problem. In a vacuum, it may seem the Habs are always getting the short end of the stick, but the long-term trends point to a different issue.
Any surprises? 👀 pic.twitter.com/TLszwTKgnd
— BarDown (@BarDown) December 16, 2024
ICYMI: Prospect Florian Xhekaj enjoyed quite an outing against the Bridgeport Islanders. The 20-year-old centre stole the spotlight with a five-point effort, including the first hat trick of his professional career. Jared Davidson also scored a goal in the 6-2 comeback win, pushing his season totals to 12 goals and six assists in 23 games, a significant uptick compared to his rookie scoring pace in 2023-24. [Xhekaj And Davidson Find Rhythm With Canadiens AHL Affiliate]
National Hockey Now Network
New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald has a plan for his pending free agents. Thanks to his versatility and solid play, former Hab Johnathan Kovacevic is among the players the Devils hope to re-sign. [New Jersey Devils]
The Boston Bruins were completely lost through the first two games of their road trip, but a big win versus the Canucks changed the momentum. [Buffalo Sabres]
Nathan MacKinnon has been awarded the NHL’s Second Star of the Week (for the week ending Dec. 15) for the second time this season. [Colorado Avalanche]