Canadiens Daily
Habs Daily: Hage Team Canada, Thorpe, Demidov
Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, stories, and content you may have missed on Monday.
Montreal Canadiens News
TSN projected an early edition of Team Canada’s potential roster at the 2026 World Junior Championship. Craig Button believes Hage will make the squad, playing as a winger on the third line. Hage is a natural centre, but his fantastic play at the Summer Showcase was sufficient evidence to suggest he won’t have an issue on the wing. [Hage and Koivu Take Centre Stage At World Juniors Showcase]
We’ve reached the top 12 of our annual Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings, with feisty forward Tyler Thorpe nabbing the No.12 spot. He owns a fantastic shot, but there are a few things he’ll need to work on if he’s to one day play in the NHL. [Canadiens Prospect Rankings – Violent Tyler Thorpe]
Do the Habs own one of the best defensive squads in the NHL? Thomas Hickey seems to think so, with the driving force being the Noah Dobson acquisition from the New York Islanders. Personally, I’d argue they’re one of the most improved blue lines, but there’s a rather tall mountain left to climb before we can declare them among the NHL’s best.
“The addition of Noah Dobson, that’s a big one, but it’s the growth of players.”@Thomas_Hickey14 is a big fan of Montreal’s defense.@TonyLuftman | @asgrimson | @CanadiensMTL | #NHLTonight https://t.co/lxtMxndClt pic.twitter.com/GjnHtWE3ZJ
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 4, 2025
Ivan Demidov and the gang were back in Brossard, preparing for the upcoming season, just as they have been for most of the summer. Do they know they’re allowed to take a few days for themselves during the offseason?
Ivan Demidov back on the ice in Brossard today pic.twitter.com/bACOenWGce
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 4, 2025
National Hockey Now Network
Despite rampant trade talk of high-profile players and a draft class with three first-round picks, the story that generated the most hope among Pittsburgh Penguins fans has unquestionably been the possibility that Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle re-acquire the team from Fenway Sports Group. [Pittsburgh Penguins]
Last season, the Vegas Golden Knights were an offensive juggernaut. They had seven players who scored at a 20+ goal pace. Because of that, they did something they haven’t done in a full 82-game season since 2017-18: they finished top-five in scoring. [Vegas Golden Knights]
Seeking to balance out his attack, in the early 1950s, Detroit Red Wings coach Tommy Ivan briefly experimented with Jimmy Peters at centre between Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay, in place of Production Line regular Sid Abel. [Detroit Red Wings]
