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Canadiens Wrap

Habs Wrap: Dobson Blockbuster Trade, NHL Draft, Rumours

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montreal canadiens trade talk draft

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.

We will take a short half-day break in our coverage, and be back in action on Monday to prepare for the opening of free agency on July 1.

Monday

The latest trade rumour has the Habs loosely linked to pending unrestricted free agent Claude Giroux. If he’s actually serious about being interested in playing for the Montreal Canadiens, a short-term contract could work out for both parties should the dwindling UFA options continue to disappear.  [Canadiens UFA Centre Options Dwindling, Giroux Rumour]

Patrik Laine was in Florida to celebrate the Panthers’ Stanley Cup win with fellow Finn Sasha Barkov, and though he was clearly happy for his friend, his love for Montreal shone through.

Like most of the original six PWHL teams, the Montreal Victoire lost a fair amount of talent via the expansion draft and free agency. On the bright side, they did sign Hayley Scamurra.


ICYMI: For the first time in three years, the Montreal Canadiens do not own a top-five pick heading into the NHL Entry Draft. However, thanks to a few smart trades, their pre-draft pick value remains quite high compared to previous seasons. [Canadiens Maintain Surprising NHL Draft Pick Value]

Tuesday

Lynden Lakovic mentioned to TVA Sports that he’d love to play alongside Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky. The lanky forward may be available once the Canadiens take to the podium midway through the first round.[Canadiens 2025 Draft Targets: The Intriguing Lynden Lakovic]


Speaking of the draft, Ben Kindel isn’t the biggest prospect available, but he might be the best playmaker. With 99 points in the bank this season, Kindel is sure to garner first-round interest.[Canadiens 2025 Draft Targets: Elite Playmaker Ben Kindel]

Development coach Paul Byron had nothing but great things to say about Ivan Demidov. Beyond his excellent play while active, the Canadiens are lucky to have a standout person like Byron working for the team.

Wednesday

We have a decent idea of the top prospects that should be available at 16th and 17th overall for the Montreal Canadiens. And now that Bob McKenzie has released his final consolidated rankings for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the likely targets are becoming even more evident[McKenzie Draft Rankings Give Insight To Potential Canadiens Pick]

The 2025 HHoF class includes Montreal Victoire general manager and hockey legend Daniel Savageau. She was inducted as a builder, which is fitting since few people have worked harder to grow the sport.

Savageau was very busy on Tuesday. On top of the draft, she also traded Kristen O’Neill to the New York Sirens for forward Abby Roque. Considering the Victoire had depth issues last year, this is an excellent trade as Roque produces much more than O’Neill while also engaging in physical play with much more frequency.


The Montreal Victoire lost Anna Wilgren to Seattle in the PWHL expansion draft, but they added talented defenceman Nicole Gosling to the mix in the first round of the entry draft. Let’s see if they’ll be allowed to hold onto their draft picks this time around, because the expansion absolutely butchered last year’s draft.

Thursday

Jack Nesbitt is expected to be drafted in the first round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, but he’s far from a polished prospect. His frame and raw skill set make him an interesting draft target given that the Canadiens have back-to-back picks. [Canadiens 2025 Draft Target: Power Forward Jack Nesbitt]

The NHL is considering extending the regular-season to 84 games, which is exactly what absolutely no one asked for, except perhaps the owners.

There’s also a possibility they may make significant changes to the draft process, basing the rights solely on the prospect’s age rather than the league.

Marie-Philip Poulin took home… all the PWHL awards. Well, almost. She was named the league’s top forward, and more importantly, the MVP. She also led the league in goal scoring.

Friday

The most prominent news heading into the 2025 NHL Draft is Montreal’s interest in New York Islanders defenceman Noah Dobson. It will likely cost a pretty penny to acquire a player of his talent level, but he would surely check a lot of boxes for the Montreal Canadiens. There are also whispers the Canadiens have kicked the tires on a potential Jordan Kyrou trade. [Latest Canadiens Trade Rumours: Dobson And Kyrou]

The San Jose Sharks placed Montreal native Marc-Edouard Vlasic on waivers for the purpose of a buyout. The 38-year-old defenceman signed an eight-year, $56 million deal with San Jose back in 2017. Vlasic was once considered among the top defencemen in the league, but time comes for us all. [San Jose Hockey Now]

Top 2025 NHL Entry Draft prospect Carter Bear has been linked to the Canadiens more than any player available in the first round. Kashawn Aitcheson and Justin Carbonneau are among the half-dozen prospects who are also considered likely draft targets for the Habs. [Predicted Canadiens Draft Targets For The 2025 NHL Entry Draft]

Saturday

The Montreal Canadiens stole the show on draft day by acquiring talented defenceman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. The trade cost the Habs both their first-round picks (16th, 17th overall) and forward Emil Heineman. [BLOCKBUSTER NHL TRADE: The Canadiens Acquire Dobson]

On top of trading for a top-pairing defenceman, general manager Kent Hughes avoided losing any of his top prospects in the deal. There’s no doubt they paid a (relatively) steep price, but the trade should ensure a continued upward trajectory for the Habs. [Instant Analysis: Dobson Trade Smart Business By Canadiens]

Dobson immediately signed an eight-year contract extension worth $9.5 million per season, making him a core member of the Canadiens. The trade might also lead to a few other deals should the Habs require additional cap space. [Potential Canadiens Trades Following Dobson Blockbuster]

The Canadiens are reportedly still interested in adding Jordan Kyrou to the mix, though the Blues don’t seem to be in a rush to move the 30-goal scorer. [Latest Canadiens Trade Rumours: Dobson And Kyrou]

NBA champion Luguentz Dort was set to make one of Montreal’s picks in the first round, but the trade led to a different assignment.

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