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Canadiens Wrap

Canadiens Wrap: Potential Draft Picks, Free Agents, Xhekaj

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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.

This edition of the Habs wrap will be slightly shorter than usual, as I was given a couple of days off last week, allowing me to sneak into the forest for some much-needed therapy.

And by therapy, I definitely mean fishing.

I always mean fishing.

Before you laugh, there are few things that do a better job healing the soul than shutting off your phone and spending time in nature, by a waterway. Doubly so if you spend a lot of time in a big city.

Catching fish, particularly delicious walleye, is simply a bonus.

Tuesday

No one can dispute the Habs enjoyed a successful season, at least relative to the expectations from most fans. However, the playoff appearance has raised the bar, which means Kent Hughes and Co. will have to maintain an upward trajectory in the next few seasons. To do so, they’ll need to fix a few glaring issues, including the current dearth of centre options. [Montreal Canadiens Summer Shopping List – Team Needs]

The Laval Rocket dropped Game 2 of their best-of-five series versus the Rochester Americans, which means the series is tied at 1-1.  The good news is that Laval opted to start the series on the road, which means the remaining games will be played at Place Bell, starting with Game 3 on Wednesday. We won’t have to guess which goaltender will start, as head coach Pascal Vincent has stated he plans to rotate Jacob Fowler and Cayden Primeau. [AHL Scores]

Emil Heineman used his excellent shot to help Sweden beat France by a sore of 5-0 at the World Championship.

Cole Caufield continues to honour his friend, teammate, and hero, the late Johnny Gaudreau.

Wednesday

Montreal Canadiens defenceman Mike Matheson made an excellent save during Team Canada’s 5-3 win over Sweden at the 2025 World Championship. It was an important win for Canada, as they were fresh off a 2-1 loss against Finland on Monday. Fellow Hab Emil Heineman was held off the scoresheet for Sweden.

Prospect Vinzenz Rohrer had another solid game for Austria. The 20-year-old scored twice as Austria beat Latvia 6-1 at the World Championship. With the two-goal effort, the hard-working forward now has four goals and two assists in seven games.


The Laval Rocket are set to play Game 3 of the North Division Final. Laval and the Rochester Americans will play the final three games of the series at Place Bell, which should give Montreal’s farm team a significant advantage, as the fans in Laval tend to create a very intense atmosphere for the home team. [Flo Hockey]

Emil Heineman used his excellent shot to help Sweden beat France by a sore of 5-0 at the World Championship.

I know the Toronto Maple Leafs want to avoid hearing they’re a team without grit, grind, or greatness, but their latest motto is not doing them any favours. Jokes aside, the Leafs really need to stop obsessing over the past and look forward to the future, but that’s never easy to do when half the teams in the Eastern Conference have recently eliminated them from the playoffs in a very embarrassing manner.

Thursday

Craig Button released his top-80, giving us a good opportunity to discuss a pair of prospects who should be available when the Montreal Canadiens draft 16th and 17th overall. I could see them picking Kashawn Aitcheson, but I’m not sure the Habs would have much interest in Cameron Schmidt. [Potential Canadiens First-Round Draft Picks Listed By TSN]

Mitch Marner’s time in Toronto ended in a disaster, but you’d be hard-pressed to argue he’s the lone reason why the Maple Leafs are destined for eternal sadness. With Marner hitting the open market, the Canadiens will have to consider whether to offer the high-scoring forward a contract, weighing the many positives against some heavy negatives. [Canadiens Pros And Cons Of A Potential Mitch Marner Contract]

Laval Rocket beat the Rochester Americans in Game 3 of the North Division Final. Cayden Primeau looked great, stopping 32 of the 33 shots he faced. Florian Xhekaj enjoyed the highlight of the night, scoring a great goal to give the Rocket a crucial 2-1 lead early in the third period. Joshua Roy (1), Luke Tuch (1), and Laurent Dauphin also scored in the 4-1 win.

The Rocket had to play most of the game without Tyler Wotherspoon, one of their most important defencemen. The hit that took him out of the game really didn’t seem overly violent, but it’s worth noting Wotherspoon absorbed a rather heavy hit in Game 2. Laval will have a chance to close out the series at home on Friday.

It seems that Ivan Demidov took a rather short trip to the Caribbean before quickly making his way back to Brossard. Lane Hutson may have some competition when it comes to players who simply can’t stand being away from the rink.

Friday

A few eyebrows were raised when the Canadiens picked Florian Xhekaj in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, but the hard-hitting prospect has done nothing but exceed expectations since then. Beyond setting a Laval Rocket record for the most goals from a rookie, Xhekaj has quickly climbed the prospect depth chart. A career in the NHL is not out of the question.  [Canadiens Prospects: Florian Xhekaj Flourishing In Laval]

Fans pushed back on the idea of signing Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, with a few suggesting John Tavares would be a better fit. The 34-year-old can still produce, but his underlying numbers took a nose dive this season.[Montreal Canadiens Free Agency: The John Tavares Situation]

Frederik Dichow, drafted in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, backstopped Denmark during a shocking 2-1 win over Canada at the World Championship. Dichow made stopped 39 of the 40 shots he faced. [Former Canadiens Goaltending Prospect Upsets Canada]

Prospect Vinzenz Rohrer was ejected in Austria’s 6-0 loss versus Switzerland. The feisty forward’s retaliation clearly lacked accuracy.

Saturday

The Habs own the 16th and 17th overall picks at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, which is more than enough ammo to move up in the first round. How far they can move up will depend on how much they’re willing to pay.  [Establishing The Cost Of Moving Up In The 2025 NHL Draft]

Former Montreal Canadiens forward Mathieu Darche was named the general manager of the New York Islanders, beating out former Habs GM Marc Bergevin. [Former Canadiens Player Beats Former Canadiens GM For Job]

The Laval Rocket were outplayed by a large margin by the Rochester Americans in Game 4 of the North Division Final. Jacob Fowler allowed four goals on 14 shots, and was replaced by Cayden Primeau early in the third period. Logan Mailloux had his worst outing of the playoffs, though you’d be hard-pressed to argue any defenceman played well beyond Adam Engstrom and William Trudeau. The good news is that Joshua Roy drove into traffic and was rewarded with his second goal in as many games, the bad news is that it wasn’t enough to change the momentum in the 5-1 loss. Game 5 will take place at Place Bell, on Sunday, at 4:30 PM ET. Seeing as this is a best-of-five series, Sunday’s game will decide which team will face the Charlotte Checkers in the Eastern Conference Final.

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