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Habs Wrap: Ivan Demidov Mania, Upcoming Free Agents, Fowler

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montreal canadiens ivan demidov via screenshot

MONTREAL — There’s always Montreal Canadiens news to be absorbed on a daily basis, 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

It should come as no surprise that Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson made a greater impact on the ice than almost every other NHL player in the month of March. They’re both hungry for the playoffs, and they’re not going to be denied, which should provide the team with an important dose of springtime hockey experience. [Canadiens Calder Trophy: The Strong Case For Lane Hutson]

Since Monday was a day off for the Canadiens, it’s time to review some of the praise for Montreal’s prized rookie. Hall of Famer Ray Bourque had some very nice things to say about Hutson. Whenever you hear one of the most productive defencemen in league history compare a rookie to two of the best active players, you know something special is happening.

Suzuki followed up his Player of the Week accolade from the NHLPA by being named the Second Star of the Week in the NHL. Not bad at all.

Tuesday

The Tampa Bay Lightning made life a little less stressful for Habs fans. They were outshot by a wide margin on Monday night, but they still managed to beat the New York Rangers 5-1. We’ll discuss the playoff odds in detail later today, but for now, rest easy knowing the team is quickly approaching the 90% mark.

Wednesday

Okay, first thing’s first, everyone overlooked the Tyler Thorpe entry-level contract, and that’s not fair.

Our apologies, Tyler

Thorpe was a fifth-round pick in 2024, which makes his contract somewhat surprising when you consider fifth-round picks rarely make the NHL. That being said, the last guy the Habs picked from the Vancouver Giants in the fifth round ended up being pretty damn good, so maybe we should have expected Thorpe to thrive, despite his late draft status.

The 6’5″ forward had a very impressive development camp, which led a quick climb up the prospect depth chart. Much like Brendan Gallagher, Thorpe loves to outwork his opponents to make things happen. He also has a nose for the net, and an addiction for driving the play that way.

With 27 goals and 25 assists to his credit this season, Thorpe enjoyed a relatively healthy production rate for a 19-year-old in the WHL, but he’s not expected to dominate from an offensive standpoint once he makes his professional hockey debut.

On that note, having Thorpe, Jared Davidson, and Florian Xhekaj on the same team will surely drive any team facing the Laval Rocket up the wall.

The big news of the day was obviously Ivan Demidov’s contract. He was set to sign with the team in the next couple of months, but most expected him to play out the rest of his contract with SKA Saint-Petersburg (May 31).

Rather than send him to the minors, SKA opted to release him a little early, which was clearly the right decision for Demidov’s future.

It’s unclear when Demidov will play, but it’s never too early to start speculating about where he’ll end up playing in the lineup. Once he’s up to speed, the second line seems like the obvious choice, especially if the Habs want to place him in a situation that’s conducive to scoring. [Canadiens Lineup: Welcome to Montreal, Ivan Demidov]

Now that Demidov is officially in the fold, it’s difficult to suggest many other NHL teams have a brighter future than the Habs. They added the top defenceman prospect (Lane Hutson), the top forward prospect (Demidov), and one of the best goaltender prospects (Jacob Fowler) to the mix in less than a year. To make matters more interesting, the Canadiens were already one of the youngest teams in the league prior to signing Demidov.

The rebuild isn’t over, but for now, the stars are aligning when it comes to the team’s long-term rebuild plans. [The Future Is Very Bright In Montreal]

We also discussed the playoff situation prior to Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. If the Habs managed to win in regulation, their playoff odds were set to jump all the way to 96%! [Canadiens Playoffs: Updated Eastern Conference Wild Card Odds]

The Habs sleepwalked through the first half of the game versus the Red Wings, which is far from surprising. I’m honestly not sure if the Canadiens are capable of winning a game unless their opponents score the opening goal. Montreal woke up halfway through the game, which was enough to win in regulation, thus pushing their playoff odds from 84 percent to 96 percent. Cole Caufield scored the first line’s usual goal, but Tuesday’s win was mostly powered by the veterans on the third line. The resurgence from Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, and Christian Dvorak has been a crucial part of Montreal’s surprise run to the playoffs. [Habs Highlights: Another Exciting Canadiens Comeback Win]

Some fans over at the Habs Subreddit are attempting to track Demidov’s plane. As a reminder, he can’t arrive directly from Russia, as the government has banned all Russian aircraft from entering Canadian airspace due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. This connotes he’s likely to make a stop-over in the United Arab Emirates, or perhaps even Turkey, before making his way to Montreal.

Keep in mind this is all done in (obsessive) fun, and we really don’t know which flight Demidov will take. But the good news is that the end of the story will be a lot more fun than the ‘Shohei Ohtani to Toronto’ fiasco this summer. [Habs Reddit]

Thursday

It’s probably too early to start talking about next year’s lineup, but seeing as Ivan Demidov’s arrival has sparked a lot of interest in regard to the future, we’re going to do it anyhow. With the salary cap increasing, the Habs are in pretty good shape when it comes to their financial manoeuvrability, which should allow for a decent bid for a high-end centre to play alongside Demidov. If the Canadiens want to make life easier on their capologist, they’ll should do their best to trade Carey Price’s contract. [Demidov Situation: Projected Cap Space, Potential Price Trade]

Speaking of Demidov, the Habs announced he will wear No.93, the same number worn by Habs legend Doug Gilmour. Demidov has not yet arrived in North America, but he’s expected to land in Montreal in the next 48 hours. [RDS]

demidov no (via screenshot)

Josh Anderson will be Montreal’s nominee for the Masterton Trophy, a well-deserved honour for the 30-year-old forward. Reinventing yourself at his age is never easy, and Anderson has clearly put in a lot of work to bolster his production. If I may, I’d suggest Brendan Gallagher is another player who was worthy of the nomination.  [Canadiens.com]

It’s hard to oversell how impressive Montreal’s march to the playoffs has been since Patrik Laine joined the lineup. Of course, there’s more to it than just Laine’s ridiculous shot, but there’s no doubt he provided an offensive jolt when the team needed it most.

There’s no such thing as an optional practice for Lane Hutson. I don’t mean to suggest he’s going to become an all-time player, but he has the same type of dedication toward bettering himself as some of the most impressive athletes in almost any sport. [Lane Hutson Clearly Deserves The Calder Trophy]

Friday

Take a closer look at some of the top centres that could be available to the Canadiens should they want to find someone to play with top prospect Ivan Demidov.  Unrestricted free agents are never cheap, but the Habs may be able to find a good value contract by going the short-term route with an established veteran. [Canadiens Free Agency: Top-8 UFA Centres To Play With Demidov]

On a completely random note, here’s what Sidney Crosby looks like in a Habs jersey. He signed an extension recently, but it’s always fun to dream.

Speaking of the man, the myth, the legend, Demidov landed in Canada last night. There were a few hardcore fans there to meet him, and though some may consider it a little much, but I’d argue that’s exactly what you want to see from a fan base that’s supremely excited about the future. This is also perfectly normal fan behaviour in my mind. Soccer fans are well known for greeting players at the airport, and I’m sure the athletes appreciate it as well.

There are worse feelings than being showered with love by strangers as you prepare to start your professional hockey career in earnest. It’s this level of fanaticism that sets those who worship at the altar of Maurice Richard apart from other hockey fans.

Demidov probably loved every moment.

You didn’t really think we’d make it through the daily links without a Lane Hutson post, did you?


Because there’s always two Hutson hits in the daily links, minimum.

Here he is briefly discussing Demidov’s arrival.

Saturday

David Reinbacher was back at practice, again. I know, I know, we’ve been down this road too many times already. He’s having a hard time recovering from nagging injuries, but Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent doesn’t seem worried. The plan is to give Reinbacher as much time as possible, for precautionary reasons. [Patient Is In Order For Canadiens Prospect David Reinbacher]

The Habs failed to launch versus the Ottawa Senators, leading to a sleepy 5-2 loss for Martin St-Louis’ troops. The good news is that their playoff chances remain sky-high. By losing in regulation, Montreal’s playoff odds dropped to 98.4%. [Wild Card Race: Updated Montreal Canadiens Playoff Odds]

Top Canadiens goaltending prospect Jacob Fowler is officially the best netminder in the NCAA. The 20-year-old was given the Mike Richter Award, which is fitting, as he’s currently spending a lot of time with Laval Rocket starter Cayden Primeau, the last Canadiens prospect who received the accolade (2018-19). [Canadiens Prospect Jacob Fowler Wins Mike Richter Award]

Speaking of Fowler and Primeau (and Hughes), they can now say they play for the top team in the North Division, thanks to a 4-2 win over the Rochester Americans. Primeau saved 40 of the 42 shots sent his way to secure the win.

With just four games left on the docket, the Laval Rocket have great odds to finish the season as the best team in the AHL.

ahl standings montreal canadiens

ICYMI: Take a closer look at some of the top centres that could be available to the Canadiens should they want to find someone to play with top prospect Ivan Demidov.  Unrestricted free agents are never cheap, but the Habs may be able to find a good value contract by going the short-term route with an established veteran. [Canadiens Free Agency: Top-8 UFA Centres To Play With Demidov]

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Tyrone

Crosby looks even better in this jersey…

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