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Canadiens Wrap

Habs Wrap: Canadiens Trade Talk, Draft Pick Value, Laval Rocket

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Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes

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

Last week, we discussed how much it would potentially cost to move up at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, but what if the Montreal Canadiens traded both their first-round picks, in addition to some of their selections in the second and third rounds? Would it be enough to crack the top five? Mathematically, yes. Realistically? Not so much. [Canadiens Draft: Value Of Trading Both First-Round Picks]

All eyes are on David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux, the two front-runners for the job opening on Montreal’s blue line. Most fans agree they have the most potential among defensive prospects, but are they truly closest to being NHL ready? If we want to discuss well-rounded skill sets, Adam Engstrom must be in the conversation. The 21-year-old Swede has quietly put together a very solid resume heading into next season’s training camp. [Canadiens Defensive Prospects: Laval Rocket Playoff Edition]

Tuesday

All eyes are on David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux, the two front-runners for the job opening on Montreal’s blue line. Most fans agree they have the most potential among defensive prospects, but are they truly closest to being NHL ready? If we want to discuss well-rounded skill sets, Adam Engstrom must be in the conversation. The 21-year-old Swede has quietly put together a very solid resume heading into next season’s training camp. [Canadiens Defensive Prospects: Laval Rocket Playoff Edition]

Cayden Primeau stopped all 27 of the shots he faced on Sunday evening to secure the biggest win of the year for the Laval Rocket. A complete team effort led to a dominant outing for Pascal Vincent’s troops, to the tune of a 5-0 win over the Rochester Americans in the fifth and final game of the North Divisional Final. Laval will now face the Charlotte Checkers in the Eastern Conference Final, with Game 1 scheduled for Wednesday night.


Emil Heineman and Team Sweden did what Mike Matheson and Team Canada could not. They beat Denmark to secure a bronze medal finish at the 2025 World Championship. Heineman had an assist in the 6-0 win, giving him a grand total of one goal and two assists in ten games during the tournament. [IIHF]

Wednesday

If the Habs do keep all their picks they’ll be very busy to start the second day of the draft, as they currently have a pair of second-round picks, not to mention a trio of third-round picks. Given the team could use some help on defence, we took a look at some of the top right-handed defencemen that may be available. [Canadiens 2nd Round Draft Options: Right-Handed Defencemen]

The Trois-Rivières Lions are heading to the Kelly Cup Final. The Lions beat the Florida Everglades 6-0 to secure a 4–2 series win, putting an end to Florida’s quest for a fourth consecutive ECHL championship.

The AHL Eastern Conference Final gets underway on Wednesday, but the Laval Rocket will have to do without two of their most important defencemen: Tyler Wotherspoon and William Trudeau. Consequently, they recalled Vincent Sevigny from the Lions.

Thursday

The Habs held talks with Jonathan Marchessault when he was an unrestricted free agent, but Kent Hughes wouldn’t budge on the term, as he wasn’t willing to go beyond a three-year contract. Just one year into his five-year deal with the Nashville Predators, it appears Marchessault is ready to move on, with Montreal being reported as the ideal landing spot. Ideal for Marchessault, sure, but for the Habs? Not so much, at least not anymore.  [Canadiens Trade Rumours: Forward Marchessault Is In Play]

Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent has done a great job walking the line between winning at all costs and developing key Montreal Canadiens prospects in the AHL playoffs. [Canadiens Prospects: Fowler And Primeau Goalie Rotation]

Speaking of the Rocket, they dropped Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final versus the well-rested Charlotte Checkers. The good news is that the Joshua Roy, Oliver Kapanen, and Sean Farrell line looked very good throughout the game, an encouraging sign seeing as all three prospects are playing for their short-term future in Montreal.  [Canadiens Forward Prospects: Roy, Farrell, And Kapanen’s Future]

Friday

There was a (questionable) report circulating that suggested Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov would not win the Rookie of the Year award in the KHL, despite being the clear-cut favourite. As is often the case with oversea whispers, it turned out to be much ado about nothing, as the KHL did indeed give Demidov the accolade.

Speaking of Demidov, it’s clear the Habs are yet to find ideal linemates for the talented winger, but his play alongside Alex Newhook and Jake Evans in the playoffs was a very encouraging sign. [Canadiens Statistics – Ivan Demidov By The Playoff Numbers]

The Laval Rocket lost back-to-back games at Place Bell for the first time since late December. The 5-2 loss in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Final series versus the Charlotte Checkers was a mess. Cayden Primeau was pulled, Laurent Dauphin had to leave the game, and the Rocket played into the Checkers’ hands with their frustrated brand of hockey. The series now shifts to Charlotte for the next three games.

There were two (relatively) bright spots on Thursday. After what can only be described as a very rough game, David Reinbacher scored in the dying minute of the third period during a 5-on-3. Additionally, Jacob Fowler looked pretty good, and he even stopped a Michigan attempt.

One of the main Canadiens draft targets, Justin Carbonneau, may be heading to the NCAA. [NHL Draft Prospects Habs Could Target 16th & 17th Overall]

Saturday

Chris Johnston suggested the Montreal Canadiens are prepared to move one or both of their first-round picks in a trade that involves an NHL-ready player as the key part of the return. This lines up with what we’ve been hearing for several weeks now. [NHL Draft Prospects – Trades and Players Available at 16th and 17th Overall]

Johnston went on to list Habs prospect Logan Mailloux as a potential trade target for some teams, and that was certainly news. To be clear, the Canadiens aren’t in a rush to trade Mailloux, nor did Johnston suggest a deal is imminent. That being said, given that both Mailloux and David Reinbacher are yet to take a significant step forward in their development, at least in respect to their glaring weaknesses, the Canadiens would be wise to entertain offers. After all, it’s simply performing due diligence as a general manager. [Canadiens Trade Talk – First-Round Picks And Logan Mailloux]

The Laval Rocket were mum on Friday, not a surprising outcome given the difficult start to the Eastern Conference Final versus the Charlotte Checkers. Laval is down 0-2 in the series, with the next three games scheduled to take place in Charlotte.

As for which goaltender is expected to start Game 3 on Sunday afternoon, we can assume Jacob Fowler is on deck, but head coach Pascal Vincent is keeping his cards very close to his vest, which means Cayden Primeau may start his third game in a row.  For what it’s worth, Fowler looked pretty good in his limited time on the ice once he relieved Primeau.

Speaking of goalies, it’s always encouraging to remember Samuel Montembeault was playing incredibly well prior to his injury in the first round versus the Washginton Capitals. Unfortunately, the Habs were facing the best playoff goalie from a statistical standpoint.


It’s the offseason, which means we’re going to see a lot of footage from various individuals preparing for training camp. On that note, seeing top prospect Ivan Demidov busy at work is a reminder of his intense desire to continue improving upon his already impressive skill set. It’s the same type of dedication we’ve seen from Lane Hutson.

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Dino

Hey, I can see why Vincent has gone with Primeau in the first 3 games. It’s time to start Fowler in game 4. The Rocket’s backs are against the wall and they have nothing to lose. Playing & starting Fowler in Game 4 will give him some valuable experience and may even provide a much needed spark to the Rocket.
On another note, my hope is that Habs Brass aim at drafting some Bigger and Grttier guys with their numerous picks this year. Watching the Habs and recently the Rockets, nobody can argue that both teams exhibit fine levels of Skill and Speed, but they are both lacking in
Size and Grit. For long term future playoff success, both of these factors will need to be adressed.

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