Is a “cherry on top” trade possible to end this Habs off-season?

August 31, 2024 It’s been one helluva summer for the Montreal Canadiens. Since the Habs finished at the bottom of the standings, and secured the fifth overall pick following the draft lottery, GM Kent Hughes has been a busy man. It began at the draft. After packaging picks to improve on their second pick inContinue reading “Is a “cherry on top” trade possible to end this Habs off-season?”

Checking in on the Habs progress against the McGuire Profile

August 24, 2024 On April 20, 2023 I wrote an article assessing where the Montreal Canadiens were in their development against what I named the McGuire Profile. The McGuire Profile is a 7-player profile which hockey analyst Pierre McGuire says was developed based on conversations with Scotty Bowman. The profile identifies seven essential pieces toContinue reading “Checking in on the Habs progress against the McGuire Profile”

Kent Hughes is an August fiend, and Patrik Laine is a Hab

August 19, 2024 There it is, right when you least expected it. On a sleepy Monday afternoon in the third week of August, the casual tweet from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Minutes later, the full deal was confirmed. The Montreal Canadiens sent Jordan Harris to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Patrik Laine and a second roundContinue reading “Kent Hughes is an August fiend, and Patrik Laine is a Hab”

The Habs have placeholder options to complete the top six

August 17, 2024 The 2023-24 season for the Montreal Canadiens ended with a definitive top line. The Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky line was strong down the stretch, and there is no reason to expect they won’t be set up to continue growing together this coming season. With Alex Newhook having a strong year despite injuries, and with KirbyContinue reading “The Habs have placeholder options to complete the top six”

Are we there yet? How close is the end of the Habs rebuild?

August 10, 2024 Are we there yet? That’s the question that inevitably surfaces deep into a long journey, and Habs fans have begun asking with respect to the status of rebuild. On November 28, 2021, the Montreal Canadiens fired General Manager Marc Bergevin and hired Jeff Gorton as the Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations,Continue reading “Are we there yet? How close is the end of the Habs rebuild?”

Three signings later, the Habs D group may be coming into focus

August 4, 2024 After striking out in free agency and dealing with the contract extension for Juraj Slafkovsky, the Montreal Canadiens were pretty quiet in July. Perhaps a vacation was in order for the management group before getting down to business again this week with three contracts signed with three young defenders. Arber Xhekaj hasContinue reading “Three signings later, the Habs D group may be coming into focus”

Can HuGo exceed expectations for the 2024 draft window?

June 26, 2024 It’s been two years since the management duo of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton entered their first amateur draft for the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal was the host and the Canadiens held the first overall pick. Shane Wright was projected to go first overall, but Hughes took to the microphone and made jawsContinue reading “Can HuGo exceed expectations for the 2024 draft window?”

Three Cane Errors the Habs Won’t Make

May 17, 2024 Last night the Carolina Hurricanes were eliminated in six games from the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the New York Rangers. After eliminating the New York Islanders in five games in Round 1, the Canes could not overcome the Rangers. It’s a familiar end to the hockey season inContinue reading “Three Cane Errors the Habs Won’t Make”

Three Leaf Errors the Habs Won’t Make

May 5, 2024 On April 11, 2014 Brendan Shanahan was announced as President and Alternate Governor of the Toronto Maple Leafs. A decade later, the Leafs have won exactly one playoff round under the Shanaplan. Volumes will be written about what needs to happen next in Toronto. As a Habs fan living in Toronto, andContinue reading “Three Leaf Errors the Habs Won’t Make”

Mesar’s Graduation: Thursday night in Kitchener

April 19, 2024 Last night, the Kitchener Rangers hosted the London Knights for Game 4 of Round 2 of the Ontario Hockey League Playoffs. I was there to grab an in-person look at Filip Mesar, who was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2022 draft at 26th overall. I likeContinue reading “Mesar’s Graduation: Thursday night in Kitchener”