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Habs GM Kent Hughes must make a commerce to accumulate top-six ahead to fulfill workforce’s low season objectives and have any shot at playoff spot.
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What participant would you examine Juraj Slafkovsky’s enjoying fashion to?
Hugh Roberts
It’s laborious to match gamers from completely different generations, however the extra I watched Slafkovsky enhance dramatically through the second half of final season the extra he jogged my memory of former Canadien John LeClair.
They’re each wingers, each shoot left and are virtually the very same measurement — Slafkovsky is listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 kilos and LeClair was 6-foot-3 and 226 kilos in his enjoying days.
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After scoring 19 objectives in every of his final two full seasons with the Canadiens, LeClair actually gained confidence and realized to make use of his measurement and shot to his benefit after being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. That resulted in three straight 50-goal seasons in Philadelphia whereas enjoying on the Legion of Doom line with Eric Lindros and Mikael Renberg.
LeClair was 26 when he had his first 50-goal season. Slafkovsky simply turned 20 and is coming off his first 20-goal season. There’s no assure Slavkovsky will develop into a 50-goal scorer, however I undoubtedly see similarities with LeClair.
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Highway to the Cup
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Who would be the first Canadiens participant to earn more money than Nick Suzuki? I say Ivan Demidov if he turns into what we predict he will probably be.
Mick Chow
Suzuki is signed by the 2029-30 season with an annual salary-cap hit of US$7.857 million, so there’s an opportunity Demidov might surpass the workforce captain sooner or later if he scores objectives the way in which the Canadiens are hoping he can after deciding on the Russian winger with the fifth general choose at this yr’s NHL Draft. However I believe the primary participant to earn greater than Suzuki will probably be a free-agent signing both subsequent summer season or the yr after that when the Canadiens are at a stage within the rebuilding course of that GM Kent Hughes will probably be ready to buy groceries. It is also a participant Hughes acquires in a commerce.
In your estimation, did Montreal administration obtain its low season objectives in rebuilding this Habs roster? And if not, what’s left to do?
Ed Helinski
The Canadiens want extra forwards who can present offence they usually took two gamers with the potential to do this sooner or later with their first-round picks on the NHL Draft — Demidov and Michael Hage (No. 21 general).
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Jeff Gorton, the chief vice-president of hockey operations, said earlier than the draft that administration wish to do one thing to fast-track the rebuild and contend for a playoff spot. I nonetheless consider Hughes will make — or a minimum of attempt to make — a commerce to accumulate one other top-six ahead or a younger participant with the potential to develop into one. If not, I consider administration could have come up in need of its objectives.
Have you ever heard who is perhaps in line to teach the Canadiens’ energy play subsequent season? Why are they taking so lengthy to signal all the opposite assistant coaches?
Sheldon Stein
Hughes not too long ago said that Martin St. Louis’s assistant coaches — Trevor Letowski and Stéphane Robidas — will probably be again subsequent season and that he would have discussions with St. Louis about who he would possibly wish to substitute Alex Burrows as an assistant coach — or if St. Louis would like to stay with two assistants behind the bench with him. I consider St. Louis would actually profit from one other assistant coach with lots of NHL teaching expertise — particularly on the ability play. It should even be attention-grabbing to see what Vincent Lecavalier’s function will finally develop into with the Canadiens. He’s now a particular adviser to hockey operations and he did rating 127 of his 421 profession NHL objectives on the ability play. Hughes nonetheless must signal somebody to switch Jean-François Houle as head coach of the AHL’s Laval Rocket. I might count on these positions will probably be stuffed earlier than the top of the month.
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Do you see an elevated function for Michael Pezzetta? The power he brings each shift is particular. When he’s on the ice, I hardly ever discover anybody else.
Paul Martin
I don’t see an elevated function for Pezzetta, however I do consider he can proceed to fill an necessary spot as an power participant on the fourth line — which isn’t a simple function to play with restricted ice time. I additionally take pleasure in watching Pezzetta play as a result of he offers all the things he has each single shift and by no means misses a possibility to throw a clear bodycheck. He’s additionally keen to defend his teammates when wanted.
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