I think it’s time to give the Montreal Canadiens many congratulations on being so much more transparent with us, the fans, since Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes, Chantal Machabee and Martin St. Louis joined the organization.
Although we the fans don’t get to interview them they are giving the main stream media more information and in a much more timely fashion than ever before and they in turn can pass it on to us much more quickly.
Not only are they giving us updates on the Canadiens’ injuries but the injuries on the Laval Rocket, their AHL affiliate as well, something that I don’t recall ever being done. It’s nice to know how the future prospects are recovering from their injuries. Now with this new administration almost weekly we are getting the Laval Rocket injury updates. For those who don’t know in the AHL there are no roster limits thus most teams don’t say who is injured or how long players are expected to be out due to injuries.
Also what I like is when the Tyler Toffoli trade was made they did say right away Kent Hughes wouldn’t be available that day as he was travelling back to Montreal from Boston, so they gave us a very logical reason for no press conference so soon after a major trade of a very well-liked player.
With Martin St. Louis he is more often than not letting the media know well before game time who is in and who is out so they can get it out to us. When Dominique Ducharme was head coach it was a last second thing to inform the media thus they couldn’t get out to us the fans.
Thanks very much once again Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes, Chantal Machabee and Martin St. Louis for being so transparent to the main stream media so we the fans know all the facts in a very timely manner.
From the Montreal Canadiens hockey game on Thursday February 17, 2022 once the game commenced two milestones were set by players and after the game ended there was another milestone.
I will write about each as all are milestones and mean a lot to all of them and being equally important I will do them in numerical order starting with the highest number and working downward.
Paul Byron
For Byron it was his 500th NHL game played, as an undrafted player, and that is a huge accomplishment. He made his NHL debut on January 22, 2011 while playing for the Buffalo Sabres. On June 25, 2011, coincidentally NHL Entry draft day, he was traded to the Calgary Flames.
On October 6, 2015 the Montreal Canadiens claimed him when the Calgary Flames placed him on waivers hoping to send him to their AHL affiliate. On February 23, 2016, he signed a three-year contract with the Habs worth a total of 3.5 million dollars. On September 22, 2018, he signed a four-year, 13.6 million-dollar contract extension with the Canadiens lasting until the 2022–23.
Byron played the entire 2020-21 playoffs in pain and during the off season had hip surgery.
He is a core part of the Habs leadership group off and on the ice and wears his “A” very proudly.
In attendance at Paul’s 500th NHL game, February 17th, was his wife and children.
It was only fitting, playing in his 500th NHL game, that he scored the games’ first goal.
Two above photos Paul Bryon’s children before his 500th game
Alexander Romanov
For Romanov February 17th was his 100th NHL game all with the Montreal Canadiens.
He was the 30th overall player selected in the NHL Entry draft in 2018, in the second round.
Although after only one year he has already played under three Head Coaches. He has also had to play his off side and doing that is hard as all your turns are done in reverse.
Romanov is one of those players who attends each and every practice and normally is the first on the ice and the last to leave.
The opposition fear playing, against him, due to his hard physical play.
Alex is still on his ELC (Entry Level Contract) and I’m sure he will get a nice raise, this off season, when he becomes an RFA come July 1, 2022
Martin St. Louis
St. Louis on February 17th won his first NHL game as Head Coach beating who else but the St. Louis Blues. Also very fitting was that when the Canadiens fell behind, very late in the game, who else, but Cole Caufield scored to tie the game up at 2 and then in overtime scored the winning goal. I say who else as Caufield, throughout his hockey career (going back to 7 years old) and at University, always wore number 26 as he idolizes Martin St. Louis who wore #26 as a player.
Before St. Louis signed, to be the Interim Head Coach of the Canadiens, he was coaching pee wee hockey. I for one never had him on my radar to be named, as Head Coach or as Interim, in case things didn’t work out.
I’m actually very glad the Canadiens signed St. Louis. He is bringing in fresh new ideas, running the team practices differently and making the practices more enjoyable for the players. Many of the younger players, such as Caufield, have improved dramatically since St. Louis was named Interim Head Coach.
Even in the teams’ losses, in his short tenure, the team as a whole played much better and has more intensity. Also St. Louis is playing the younger players all the time and giving them more responsibility so they will only improve and be a big part of the Habs organization moving forward.
In closing I’d like to wish Byron, Romanov, Caufield and St. Louis all the best and hope they can achieve many more milestones in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens Management Hiring February 18, 2022
Written by Fred Arshoff
On February 18, 2022 early in the morning the Montreal Canadiens announced they have hired Vincent Lecavalier as a Special Advisor to the Hockey Operations department and Nick Bobrov as Co-Director of Amateur Scouting, the other Co-Director is Martin Lapointe who also is Director of Player Personnel.
I wasn’t surprised at the hiring at all as both are known to Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes and like all executives do they will hire people they know are confident both can work well together.
Let’s all remember when Geoff Molson terminated the contracts of Marc Bergevin and Trevor Timmins he said they have problems in drafting and developing players, these hirings should help rectify these problems. I also do see more changes coming especially in the scouting department but that won’t be done until after the NHL Entry draft, as most teams won’t let you speak much less hire your scouts in mid season unless it was a massive promotion.
I also expect other hiring in the front office such as an Assistant General Manager for the Laval Rocket, to replace Scott Mellanby who left the day before the firings.
Vincent Lecavalier
From the moment the Habs hired Kent Hughes as General Manager I anticipated Lecavalier would be hired by the Canadiens in some front office capacity as Hughes was his player agent. Lecavalier also knows the Habs newly appointed Head Coach Martin St. Louis very well as they were former teammates for many years.
The main reason Lecavalier was made Special Advisor instead of a specific position is that he wishes to continue to work out of his home in Tampa Bay. He could scout teams, specific players very easily from home using his TV as most games are televised. For meetings/ conversations they can have a Zoom meeting or have a group chat by phone. If the Canadiens are trying to make a trade with any team who will be playing in Florida I would think that Lecavalier will go to the game in person, so he can see players’ reactions on the bench if they made a bad play. Those types of things aren’t shown often on TV. You can also see first-hand how a player reacts while being spoken to on the bench by the head coach or one of the assistant coaches.
Lecavalier has played hockey for many years and knows what to watch for and I feel he will be an excellent asset to the Canadiens upper management.
Nick Bobrov
Once I heard the Montreal Canadiens spoke to Bobrov on the Toffoli trade I had a feeling that the Habs were going to be hiring him in some sort of hockey scouting department job.
Jeff Gorton, the Vice President of Hockey Operations knows Bobrov from when he was General Manager of the New York Rangers. With Martin Lapointe having both the job of Director of Player Personnel and Director of Amateur Scouting, it was too much on his plate as a lot of amateur scouting has to be done in Europe and Bobrov fits that role perfectly. In the recent Tyler Toffoli trade, where the Canadiens obtained Emil Heineman, they spoke to Bobrov before the trade was made to get his insight into Heineman, as Bobrov is in Europe he would be the best person they could ask for thoughts on him. Just because you’re an amateur scout it doesn’t mean you don’t know the professional players.
Bobrov has been Director of European Scouting for the New York Rangers from 2015-21. He also had the same job with the Boston Bruins from 2001-06.
I also do like this hiring very much and feel it’s a great route to go to split up all the scouts and it’s getting more and more territory to cover. There are now more European based players being drafted into the NHL so you really do need a person you can fully trust to be your eyes on the ground there.
In closing I’d like to wish Vincent Lecavalier and Nick Bobrov the very best of luck in their new jobs with the Montreal Canadiens
My Assessment Of The Andrew Hammond – Brandon Baddock Trade
Written by Fred Arshoff
I’m writing this article as Martine McGuire asked me for my thoughts on this trade, and as I always do I’d rather reply in an article so all know my thoughts on the subject.
The Montreal Canadiens made this trade with the Minnesota Wild on Saturday February 12, 2022. At the time of the trade both Andrew Hammond and Brandon Baddock were playing for their teams’ AHL (American Hockey League) affiliates so there are some who may consider this an AHL trade but for the Habs GM Kent Hughes this wasn’t an AHL trade as the Canadiens desperately needed a goalie as Cayden Primeau was being lit up and you can also see he has lost all confidence in himself.
I would think before the trade was made Hughes did speak to Sean Burke, who is Director of Goaltenders for the Canadiens, to see if he thought Hammond could get the job done for the Habs until Jake Allen can return to play. Let’s remember after the 2016-17 season Hammond hasn’t played in the NHL, with the exception of one game in the 2017-18 season with the Colorado Avalanche. Hammond started playing professionally in the 2013-14 season signing with Ottawa but was assigned to the Binghamton Senators of the AHL. He played one game with Ottawa that year and was called up the next two seasons.
In the case of Brandon Baddock until he played the one game with the Montreal Canadiens, after he was called up from the Laval Rocket, as at the time the HABS had a lot of players on the COVID list thus they needed players. Baddock by no stretch of your imagination will be a super star or be a goal scorer but is a scrappy player who does have a physical side to his game. Baddock started to play professional in the 2016-17 season in the ECHL and for those who didn’t know that is one step below the AHL.
Comparing Hammond And Baddock
As Hammond is a goalie, he only plays in goal, while Baddock can play center and left wing.
Baddock was a 6th round 161st overall player drafted in the 2014 NHL Entry draft by the New Jersey Devils. Hammond played mostly in the AHL until finally getting one game with the Habs, this year, after being signed prior to the 2020-21 season.
Both players will be free agents come July 1, 2022 and both are UFA’s. Salary wise for this season both get the same amount, if playing in the NHL, but Hammond if playing in the AHL makes $50,000 more. At the present time Hammond is playing with the Canadiens while Baddock has been assigned to the Iowa Wild but from what I can tell hasn’t dressed for any games going by Cap Friendly. https://www.capfriendly.com/players/brandon-baddock
Hammond is listed as an emergency loan, due to both Carey Price and Jake Allen being injured, once either can return to play Hammond can be sent to the Laval Rocket without going through waivers.
How It Affected Cayden Primeau
Once Hammond arrived, in Montreal, Primeau was assigned to the Laval Rocket to work on his game and get his confidence back. Although I can’t blame Primeau for all the goals he let in, as the defence played awful in front of him, but when being pulled game after game it will make you lose confidence. What Laval Rocket Head Coach Jean Francois Houle, and repeated by Goalie coach Marco Marciano, the plan is not to start Primeau in any games until he has several very good practices so they can work out the flaws in his game and help him regain his confidence. I do feel this is an excellent plan.
Rating The Trade
I feel this trade benefits both teams. The Wild gain a depth player who can play two positions, in case of injuries, that is very helpful. For the Canadiens it gives them a more experienced goalie until Price or Allen can return to play.
Why Corey Schueneman Was Called Up And Not Sami Niku
Written by Fred Arshoff
I wrote this article as some people are wondering why Schueneman was promoted from the Laval Rocket to the Montreal Canadiens, to replace the injured Ben Chairot, and not Niku.
For those of you thinking it was a way for the Montreal Canadiens and Geoff Molson to save money you’re way off base as this move costs the Habs more money although both players get the same NHL pay there is a substantial difference in their minor league pay. Schueneman in the AHL is making $175,000 while Niku is making $425,000.
If you’re thinking about a contract termination that’s not the answer really as both will be RFA come July 1st.
If you’re thinking in terms of getting younger Schueneman is 1 year older than Niku.
I feel the reason for Schueneman is Gorton and Hughes both see him sticking with the Canadiens out of training camp for the 2022-23 season and want to give him more time to develop in the NHL to get ready for next season. This is Schueneman’s first season in the Habs organization, but it is the year he played the most games at the professional level. As of February 15th he played 22 games with the Laval Rocket and five games with the Montreal Canadiens.
My gut is telling me that Niku won’t be extended. Don’t forget he was a last minute signing by former Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, and as all new teams upper management do they want their own people as coaches, players etc.
Niku has played more professional games, including 13 this season, with the Canadiens than Schueneman, but personally I’m much more impressed with Corey.
Video below of Corey Schueneman interview after signing his contract with HABS
Right off the top I will say for a second trade, by newly appointed Montreal Canadiens General Manager Kent Hughes, this was an excellent one. I will admit I like Toffoli but when Gorton and Hughes were hired they did say there will be a rebuild/retooling of the Habs and this is part of it.
Before going into the players this trade helps the Canadiens salary cap a lot. Toffoli is making $4,250,000 and is under contract until July 1, 2024. What they got in return is Tyler Pitlick whose salary cap hit is $1,750,000 thus this helps the Canadiens with salary cap and Pitlick’s contract expires come July 1. If he will be extended I believe will depend on his play as assessed by the Habs’ new management team. I was very surprised that the Flames didn’t want the Canadiens to take more in salary from them in terms of players or to retain part of Toffoli’s salary. I say that as the Flames are in very tight against the salary cap, as of February 14th they have after the trade $174,750 left in salary cap space.
One of the reasons the Flames may have agreed to the Canadiens not retaining some of the salary or taking a player with a bigger contract is that Montreal agrees to allow the Flames to retain their 1st overall draft pick in the 2022 Entry Draft. If it is a top ten pick the Habs in exchange would get the Flames 1st round draft pick in the 2023 Entry Draft and their 4th round pick in 2024.
The reason the Calgary Flames wanted to make the trade now instead of closer to trade deadline is a very simple one. They are hoping to make the playoffs and feel Toffoli will help them and also with having him sooner rather than later he has more time to learn their system of play as each NHL head coach will have their own system.
I also like the idea of trading Toffoli out west so he won’t play against the Canadiens as often and not come back, like other players the Habs have in the east, to haunt the team.
Players Canadiens Received For Toffoli
The Canadiens received two players for Toffoli but it doesn’t affect the roster space or number of contracts for the time being. Tyler Pitlick, who is already on the Habs roster, taking the spot of Toffoli.
The second player, and the key to the trade, is Emil Heineman who is currently playing in Sweden and by all accounts that I have read is having a banner season. He is just 20 years young is 6”1 and weighs 185 pounds and is the player Hughes really wanted. He was the Flames 2nd round draft choice in the 2020 Entry draft, the 43rd overall player selected. He shoots left. As Heineman is playing in Sweden presently and under contract he is on the Canadiens Reserve list. Presently the Habs have 73/90 players allowed on the reserve list. Please see the video below of all of Heineman’s goals in the 2020-21 season in Sweden.
The Draft Picks Received
The Candieans received a 1st round draft pick for the 2022 Entry Draft that is a protected Top 10 pick and a 5th round pick in 2023. Before you say a 5th round draft pick isn’t good, one who is doing wonders presently for the Canadiens is Brendan Gallagher. The Flames’ 1st round pick comes with the following option: 1) If the pick is not in the Top 10, Calgary trades their 1st round pick in 2022; and 2) If the pick is in the Top 10, Calgary will have the option to instead trade their 1st round pick in 2023 in addition to a 4th round pick in 2024.
Tyler Toffoli Gone
As much as I like Toffoli, and he played very well with Nick Suzuki, in order to get talent back you have to give up talent so I fully understand where Hughes is coming from. Let’s look at the ages Toffoli is 29 years old and in a rebuild/retool, or whatever you wish to call it, it’s on the wrong side of 25. Although Pitlick is one year older the main piece is Emil Heineman who is only 20 so the Canadiens get younger plus have two or perhaps three draft picks to get players to develop for the next several years.
I would like to wish Tyler Toffoli and his wife Cat, and let’s not forget Dodger, all the best in Calgary and thank you Tyler for all you did for the HABS.
Photo above Tyler, his wife Cat and their dog Dodger
Drafted 5th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens back in 2005, Carey Price has certainly had more than his share of ups and downs during his, up ‘til now, 15 year career. He helped backstop this team to 4, 100 + points seasons, to the quarter finals 3 times, semi finals twice and to the Stanley Cup finals once. From a personal standpoint his best year was back in 2014-15 winning the Hart, Vezina, Jennings, as well as the Ted Lindsay award as most valuable player. As all players do, Price has had to deal with his fair share of injuries. After all, competing in the world’s toughest, most competitive hockey league in the world does often come at a price, (no pun intended). Those that we know of include; -2013, playoffs game 4 Vs Ottawa groin injury -2014, Eastern Conference finals game 1 Vs NYR a mysterious lower body injury after Kreider knocked him out of the playoffs -2015 an MCL Sprain at the start turned out to be a write off year for Price, as well as for the team. -2017 Another mysterious lower body injury near the start. -2018 Concussion -2021-04-19 Concussion -2021 the current one, a meniscal tear in his knee that required surgery. Now, adding to that, the fact that according to Price himself admitting that his 2015 MCL injury had never fully healed, him still playing for the most part, well over 50 games a year, the pressure he exudes upon himself to want to win a cup for not only himself, but for his teammates and us fans has to be at an elite level. So it can’t be a real surprise if he Imo, needed some rather strong pain meds to overcome his ailments. For starters, how good can a goalie be without healthy knees? Ask Mike Palmateer, (Trust me, he knows). Now having to play that many games on a wonky knee would probably not have been possible otherwise. Let’s just say that, he did what he felt he needed to do in order to compete amongst the best on as regular a basis as he could. That’s how badly he wanted to be in his office and help the team win, bottom line. With all due respect to Price, please do not hesitate to share with us, your thoughts. Thank you.
I wrote this article as Stephen Lynn asked about Josh Brook and as I always do I prefer to answer in an article so everyone knows my thoughts on the subject.
Josh Brooks was cleared to play on January 26, 2022. He was out with a knee injury suffered in the 2020-21 season after playing in 33 games.
At the time of Brook’s knee injury he was considered by me to be the first or second young defence prospect, the other being Cale Fleury who was taken in the NHL expansion draft by the Seattle Kraken.
Brook’s was a second round 56th overall player selected in the NHL Entry Draft in 2017 by the Montreal Canadiens. Brook’s started to play for the Laval Rocket in the 2019-20 season.
Brook’s has never played under Jean Francois Houle who is now the head coach of the Laval Rocket. In the 2019-20 and 2020-21 season Joel Bouchard was head coach of the Rocket. I would like to think that Rob Ramage who is director of player development and Francis Bouillon who is player development coach will sit down with Houle and tell him what are Brook’s strengths and weaknesses.
I anticipate that when Brook’s resumes playing in games he will be on the third pairing defence for several games so he can get his cardio back and his timing and as he gets it all together will move back up.
Although before his injury Brook’s was considered by most to be as I mentioned above the top one or two prospects for the Canadiens on defence. Due to his injury I believe he is now ranked third until he plays and shows he can play as well as he had before his knee injury. In front of him now is Corey Schueneman and Gianni Fairbrother. Where Brooks ends up for the 2022-23 season on the depth chart will depend on his play as well as the play of the others including Mattias Norlinder who is currently playing for the Frolunda HC. Although, as new general manger Kent Hughes goes through the rebuilding of the Canadiens there might be room for both to start the 2022-23 season. Of course, that depends on their play in training camp and preseason games. I don’t consider Xavier Ouellet to be a prospect but a guy who doesn’t have what it takes to be an everyday NHL defenceman, but for an NHL team will be a very good insurance policy to have on their AHL affiliate in case of injury, and help mentor the young upcoming defence prospects. I also don’t count Kaiden Guhle as a prospect yet as he is still playing Junior and by all accounts I do admit he will be an excellent defenceman. Until he plays at some professional level I wouldn’t try to grade the player.
This season Brook’s cap hit is $795,000 if playing in the NHL, as he is on a two way contract, while playing for the Laval Rocket his pay drops to $70,000. On July 1, 2022 Brook’s will be an RFA (Restricted Free Agent) and I expect him to be extended for three years.
Montreal Sports 