Cowan: It should be a fun summer for Canadiens fans
Article content
This is going to be a very interesting summer for the Canadiens.
Article content
Since the team's rebuild started more than three years ago with the hiring of Jeff Gorton as executive vice-president of hockey operations and then Kent Hughes as general manager, the focus has been on asset management — acquiring as many young players and draft picks as possible.
Article content
After making the playoffs this season and stocked with plenty of draft picks and young players, the focus now is finding the proper mix of youth and experience to reach the ultimate goal of being a team that can compete for the Stanley Cup for several years in a row.
Article content
The Canadiens have two first-round picks (16th and 17th overall) at the NHL Draft to be held on June 27-28, two second-round picks and three third-round picks. Their two biggest needs are a second-line centre and a veteran defenceman — preferably a right-hand shot — to replace the retired David Savard.
Article content
Article content
The Canadiens realized this season how difficult it is to win in the NHL with young defencemen, which is why Hughes acquired Alexandre Carrier from the Nashville Predators on Dec. 18 in exchange for Justin Barron. The Canadiens had a 12-16-3 record when the trade was made and then went 28-15-8 and squeaked into the playoffs after the 28-year-old Carrier joined the lineup.
Article content
Both first-round picks could be in play at the draft as the Canadiens look to improve and defenceman Logan Mailloux is also a likely trade candidate. Mailloux, 22, has only played eight games with the Canadiens since being selected in the first round (31st overall) at the 2021 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-3, 213-pounder is physical with good offensive skills, but still needs work on his defence. He had 12-21-33 totals and 74 penalty minutes in 63 games this season with the AHL's Laval Rocket.
Article content
Article content
'I think there's definitely some areas of my game that I improved on this year,' Mailloux said after the Rocket's season ended. 'I still got to get more consistent, I think, if I want to be able to make the jump or make the step. I think just finding some consistency in my game.'
Article content
The Canadiens have reached a point in their rebuild where it is getting more difficult to allow young players to learn and make mistakes at the NHL level.
Article content
'I think everybody in the American Hockey League wants to get to the National Hockey League,' Hughes said at the end of the season. 'Most young hockey players — most people in general, I guess — would rather that happen yesterday, not tomorrow. But I think part of doing it right is communication, culture, what we're trying to do, ensuring that the culture that we're trying to build here is not unique to the Montreal Canadiens, it's the organization. And being able to stay true to that, I guess.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
17 minutes ago
- CBC
$75 OBO: Calgary woman lists husband for sale after he jumps on Oilers bandwagon
Social Sharing April Janecke says, after 17 years, she thought she knew her husband. They both grew up in Calgary and have been lifelong and loyal Flames fans, which she thought included disdain for their team's provincial rival, the Edmonton Oilers. But as the Oilers moved along the path toward a potential Stanley Cup victory, while other Canadian teams got knocked out, she says her husband Neil jumped on the Oilers-are-Canada's-team bandwagon. She found that out during a recent car ride with her hubby. And she lost it. "That's it, you're for sale," Janecke blurted out. "I'm making an ad now. I'm posting it now." Janecke says she quickly drafted up a mock advertisement and posted it to Facebook and Instagram, listing her husband for $75 (or best offer). A couple of lowballs The ad includes a photo of her husband standing by the side of the road (taken from a different day) and reads: "Husband for sale. He's decided to cheer for the Oilers. Pick up ASAP. Flames for life, apparently not my marriage." Janecke says she's had a lot of good responses — and even a couple of offers, mostly from Oilers fans. "I did have one friend send me a message and say, '$55 and I'll pick him up right now ... I'll take him, no problem.'" She says over the years the couple has been good and teasing one another. "It's OK. He'll come back to normal once all this madness is over," said Janecke with a chuckle. 'We deserve the Cup in Canada' In all seriousness, though, she says it's been great hearing the Canadian anthem continue to be played during the playoffs. And she believes it's bringing a lot of joy to the country. Her husband, who is taking this all in stride, says he just wants the Stanley Cup back in Canada and he's not that picky about who brings it. "Hockey is Canada's game," Neil said. "And yeah, we deserve the Cup in Canada." Janecke says she could get behind any other Canadian team. Ideally, the Flames. "Someday," said Neil.
Calgary Herald
43 minutes ago
- Calgary Herald
Around the NHL: What the latest rumours could mean for the Flames
Trade rumours around the NHL are starting to grow louder. Article content The Stanley Cup will be handed out in the next week or so, the draft is a little over two weeks away and free agency will open soon after that. Article content While the Calgary Flames themselves haven't been involved in any moves just yet, that doesn't mean the rumours that are swirling don't affect them. Article content So let's take a look at some of the chatter from around the league and what it means — if anything — for the Flames: Article content Article content Article content Players like Robertson don't come on the market all that often. He's only 25 years old and has put up 80 points for the past two seasons and had 109 in 2022-23. Article content For a team like the Flames, he'd instantly become their top scorer and would be a cornerstone to build around for the next half-decade. You'd at least want to give the Stars a call if you're Craig Conroy, right? Article content With all of that being said, the price is surely going to be astronomical. Are the Flames really at the point in their retool where they're looking to trade away young assets? Robertson would make them better, sure, but would he turn them into a Stanley Cup contender? Article content It's probably worth mentioning, though, that the Stars are very much in win-now mode. They've lost in the Western Conference finals in each of the last three seasons. They could be one of the teams that could use a guy like Rasmus Andersson, so who knows, maybe there's a deal to be done? Article content Article content Article content LeBrun reported that while the Flames are one of the teams that are in the market for a second-line centre, they would prefer someone with more size. Rossi is listed at 5-foot-9. At 23 years old, he definitely fits the age profile of what the Flames have been looking for and after putting up 60 points last season would provide a bit of offensive pop, too. Article content
Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
- Vancouver Sun
Skinner's late-series track record has him back in Edmonton Oilers net
While there have been a few of them for Kris Knoblauch , Thursday's Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final was only the biggest game of the year for his Edmonton Oilers . But if there is one thing he has shown since becoming the head coach of the club partway through last season, it's that he is never afraid to change things up. It's a big reason why he is two-for-two in Stanley Cup Final appearances in his short time as an NHL head coach. It doesn't always pay off, of course. But for Knoblauch, things tend to work out more often than not when he pulls the trigger on a defenceman here, a forward there, and — perhaps most effectively over the past two playoff runs — his starting goalie. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Stuart Skinner might have been coming off a 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 3, where he let in five goals on 23 shots before getting the hook. But this wasn't like the previous time in these playoffs, where he opened Round 1 with back-to-back losses before Knoblauch decided to go with backup Calvin Pickard, which hit the switch for the entire team catapult itself back on track with a six-game win streak. Long story short, Pickard got hurt, Skinner came back in and puck-stopped the Oilers to three shutouts on the way to wrapping up Rounds 2 and 3 in five games apiece. The Florida series is the first time the Oilers fell back-to-back since the first round, but this time, Knoblauch didn't balk and decided to continue the course with Skinner for Game 4. He did, however, swap out some skaters, bringing in the little-used Jeff Skinner for Viktor Arvidsson in his forward lines, and Troy Stecher in for John Klingberg on defence. 'It's obviously a big game. We felt that we have a lot of good players that have been in and out of the lineup,' Knoblauch said following Thursday's morning skate. 'Some players hadn't seen any game action in the series and we felt that we could use a change, have those guys come in and give us a boost. 'We've seen it throughout the playoffs where we've made alterations to our lineup and it's benefited us, and it's been difficult to take those guys out. Not that they've been playing poorly, it's just we feel like we've got something with guys who have been out so we're making some adjustments.' Just not in net. 'Since I've been here, I've been really impressed with how Stu has handled a lot of things, one being adversity,' Knoblauch said. 'Whether that's in the regular season or playoffs, things haven't always gone smoothly but he's been able to work it out and respond nicely. 'Another one is just how well he's played in the second half of series, that goes for every single series last year, this year, and there's confidence in here's a guy who's just going to continue to get better as this series goes on. And hopefully we've got a few more games where he can stand up and play really well.' Heading into Thursday's game, Skinner was a perfect 4-0, with three shutouts, after Game 3 of a series this year, while having gone 10-1, with one shutout, after Game 3 of a series in last year's playoffs. The lone loss of his career in the back half of a playoff series came, 2-1, in Game 7 of last year's Stanley Cup Final to the Panthers. The flip side, however, is Skinner has gone 4-5, with a shutout, in the opening three games of a playoff series this year, after having gone 5-7 in the first three games of a series last year. For anyone keeping score, that's a record of 14-1, with four shutouts, in playoff games late in a series (A.K.A., the ones that matter most.) Just don't ask him why. 'I'm not too sure. I've been getting a lot of texts about that and I've always been, like, I'm not too sure what you guys are talking about,' Skinner said. 'I didn't fully know the numbers. For myself, personally, I just think as series go on I get better and better. As series go on, I just feel like I start to get a little bit more of a rhythm and hopefully that continues. 'It seems like it's a thing, but I'm just doing my best every night, whether it's Game 1, Game 4 or Game 7. I'm just trying to do my best and give my team a chance to win.' E-mail: gmoddejonge@ On X: @GerryModdejonge Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
