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Seems like will be a smart player. David Reinbacher’s time in Laval will benefit his transition to Montreal in many ways - The Athletic "Rocket coach Jean-François Houle provided a lucid, straightforward assessment of what he saw from Reinbacher over 11 games. “I like his gap control a lot. I think his stick is really good,” Houle said. “He needs to get stronger. I think he can provide even more offence and I think he was maybe cautiously playing back a little bit, which is normal.” "As he adds muscle — something Kaiden Guhle also said he hopes to do this offseason despite having two years of NHL experience under his belt — Reinbacher’s aggressive nature in battle situations will become that much more effective."

Great to see Reinbacher get a dozen games in Laval under his belt, on smaller ice and intro to NA pro game. Laval Rocket eliminated from playoff contention with loss (habseyesontheprize.com) Luke Tuch stood out for me quite a bit among the forward group. He plays somewhat of a thankless game that probably won’t show up on the scoresheet a lot, but he back checks like his life depends on it, and is very capable in the dirty areas. If he keeps bringing that level of effort at both ends of the ice, he’ll eventually find himself getting a chance in the NHL. David Reinbacher is just so quietly effective. Outside of his assist, what really stood out for me was his puck distribution in his own zone. He seems to have an innate sense for where his teammates will be, and his first pass on the breakout is almost always right. He’s on the right track, and it will be interesting to see how he develops next season.

We need your A game tonight buddy. Habs can’t afford a win…

"My son weighs about 25 pounds and I struggled to hold him in my arms for more than a minute without discomfort," he said Tuesday morning during a lengthy interview with La Presse. Despite a "daily routine" that allows him to cope with pain, sitting or standing for a long time is now painful. Air travel, therefore, is "difficult". "I got to a point where I couldn't go on," he says. "I spoke with the medical staff of what my life after hockey could look like if I didn't stop. There was a lot of doubt about how it would affect me in the long run. When we started talking about it, it became real. Life is long after the end of a career."

Years ago, on this very site, I crunched a bunch of numbers on Koivu and discovered that he produced like a PPG player, except that he would have long slumps of, like 10-15 games per season where he would basically produce nothing. 🤷‍♂️ Hence the endless argument over whether he was a #1A or a #2C. The other thing about him was that (with all due respect to Commandant) he was a playoff beast. I mean, he put Joe Thornton in his back pocket even while playing through a cracked rib. The tragedy of Koivu, as I’ve lamented many times, is that he was never the same after his knee was destroyed. I am sure he could have been a top-10 player if not for that. He was that dominant before the knee injury.

If I was convinced Mailloux would be an all star then perhaps I would not make this trade. I am not as convinced as you are. If you make this trade a) you are almost guaranteed to end up with a stud forward at #3 (Demidov or Lindstrom) b) you have more choices at #5, a stud defensemen or maybe Iginla, Helenius c) plus you have Zegras who might be really motivated to prove himself with a new team It hurts to give up CC but overall this might be a better team. Trades like this are fun to talk about. In any event I do see possibilities of an Anaheim/Montreal trade as they do have pieces that compliment each other.

I'm not rooting for Roy. While he was a superb player for the Habs, ultimately he put himself ahead of the team and left. It wasn't all him, but the decision was his. Had he stayed, we might have won another Cup. I understand the situation, so I'm not holding a grudge, but neither am I going to root for him.

It may have taken me 18 attempts but I am glad I was able to finally pull it off. It didn’t look promising after the second to last game because the Habs needed only 1 point but Detroit’s miraculous comeback with 3 seconds left, followed by the the Habs’ overtime/shootout loss in the final game sealed the deal. Thank you @alfredoh2009 for the congrats and @Peter Puck for hosting, as always. GHG

Go Bruins, Sweep it up.

I heartily endorse the general sentiment. The Bruins are an authentic rival, and a truly great (and duly hated) opponent over the years; the Leafs are a creation of the TO hype machine. No amount of suffering is too much for them. And I know that if they win, we will NEVER hear the end of it - celebrated over and over on HNIC and the national media as the Greatest Day in Hockey History, universally beloved, blablablablah. Over and over, year after year, until we die. No thanks. The two worst things that could possibly happen to me as a hockey fan are these: 1. The Habs fold and leave town. 2. The Leafs win the Cup. I'm pulling for the Bruins 100% in this series. I'll cheer against them thereafter.

No it's not. It's an easy decision. I find it easy to cheer for the Bruins in this series.

Keep in mind any comparison is a stylistic comparison, not a talent one.... so just cause someone is compared to Aho doesn't mean that the point totals is what we are comparing. He's a centre IMO. Yes, I see him in the NHL in 25-26, but I wouldn't say regardless of who takes him. Every team has different philosophies on what they do for development, but I'd think barring injury and lost development time in 2024-25, he'd be in the NHL by then. Some teams might even put him in the NHL 2024-25. What are people missing? I think he has almost no weaknesses. He does everything you need a player to do at an above average level, while still being elite in a few areas

Arizona should celebrate with winning their last two games 🎉

WHY in the world would the Habs want to "ice their best lineup"? Wins only have the potential to worsen their draft position. Hutson is getting at least one game because that burns a year of his ELC ... THAT and getting some $$$ in his pocket immediately is why he signed now ... there was always the "possibility" of his waiting and ultimately deciding to play another NCAA season. Struble is with the Habs because they only have 7 healthy defencemen and one of them could be injured/get sick before the game roster is submitted. @dlbalr made it clear that Baby Xhekaj is playing because Stephens can't, not to "give him a game". So, not the management screw-up you seem to so often hope for.

Boy, look at Morgan Reilly's numbers. I always liked his game - my kind of defenceman. For a guy in TO, where they pump the tires of every bum who cycles through the lineup, he seems almost underrated. And that's the only nice thing I'm gonna say for the next 12 hours. F**k off, Leafs. I hope Boston or whoever takes a leaf-blower to you and sweeps you in 4.

A team filled with NHL prospects is not the way to succeed in the AHL, though, that's a different type of team construction.

College free agency has started up. I've done a series of pieces for PHR with an overview of some of the better options by position. Some goalies/defence have signed since posting while the forwards were just posted this weekend so they're all still available for now. Gorton mentioned recently that they were doing some planning for college free agency so it appears they'll be trying to sign some players, likely some of the ones in these columns. Goalies: https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2024/03/2024-college-free-agency-preview-goaltenders.html Defence: https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2024/03/2024-college-free-agency-preview-defensemen.html Centres: https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2024/03/2024-college-free-agency-preview-centers.html Wingers: https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2024/03/2024-college-free-agency-preview-wingers.html

It was a fun game to be at last night. First time in eons the Habs came away with a win in Colorado. There was a nice tribute video for Newhook, and he interacted with a few fans wearing his jersey during warmups. I was a bit surprised at the amount of "give me a stick" type signs that folks were holding up during warmups, I guess pictures or pucks isn't enough anymore to satiate some greedy fans. The Habs have a strong skating defense. Guhle and Matheson are fun to watch.

I'm quite OK with other people being excited about it now, and I'll get excited about it myself come draft day. But, for now, I'm not going to invest a ton of time learning about prospects that may never pull on the CH sweater. That's just me. 🙂 And I'm still keenly following all our prospects, and especially those that might be joining the team for the final games of the season. That's excitement enough for me!

There are a lot of unknowns with this trade. How far will Mailloux develop, how much further will Zegras develop, what will the #3 pick turn into? This is also another factor regarding this trade. I think in the back of Hughe's mind there is the thought that Mailloux will have an easier time away from the spotlight of the hockey mad Canadian cities. California would be perfect for that. I just think there is a deal possible between Anaheim and Montreal because there is a fit of complimentary pieces.

You aren't drafting players cause they are nepo-babies. They'd be taking Atsu in the 3rd or 4th round cause he's BPA. At some point in the draft, he is the best player on the board.

The league really should crack down on this. You see guys let go of the stick, hands in the air, while the opponent is still holding the stick under his arm. And which one gets sent to the box?

I want Roy to win as well. The “incident” did break my heart and I was angry at all sides, including Roy. I let that go when his number was raised. I will never forget 1986 - Roy was beyond incredible and 1993 wasn’t far off. I’m a fan for life

I am rooting for Roy, very unlikely he wins this series, but I am rooting for him. He is a passionate hockey "lifer" and has a very intense coaching style, while showing his deep knowledge-of and respect-for the game in interviews. I think he is an interesting coach to follow.

Cant say i ever considered it, would always pull for Canadian teams, aside from Leafs (which havent threatened forever anyways). Go Bruins!

He has already bathed in that cup and I blame Vancouver for letting that injustice happen. We can’t have that majestic trophy be further soiled by leaf stink.

At first glance without giving it much thought: Xhekaj: 2 x $1.4 (the Harris deal) Barron: 1 x $900K one-way Guhle: If extended, 8 x $6.5 Slafkovsky: Don't think he'll extend, think Habs will offer 8 x $7.5-$7.75. That's on the low end for #1 picks so his agent may suggest waiting. Ylonen: Takes a year at the minimum or is non-tendered. Could also go overseas and Habs then retain his rights with a QO.

This sums it up for me. My hate of the bruins comes from decades (minus the last ten years) of intense competition against a worthy (dirty) foe. The hate of the leafs is based only on the media and their fan base. If I was hate cheering properly, I would be hate cheering against boston, because I truly hate many players who have played for them. Including rat boy and their president Neely. And a huge list of their alumni. I don't actually hate anyone on TO. I actually like Matthews. But I still want boston, who I have reason to hate, to beat the leafs just so the media and fans can be let down. They won't shut up, but at least I can revel in their pain.

Sure I mean we are talking about bottom pairing Dmen here. I just think both fans and some media don’t appreciate how good these guys actually are - for bottom pairing guys

I also like Hughes' drafting logic: not drafting the best player today, but the one that will be the best in five years' time. So far, this looks to be working out with Slafkovsky.

He knows he sucked. From HEOTP: Josh Anderson has no excuses for his play this season.

As much as it pains me to see another year of rebuilding hockey, it's been way overdue in Montreal. It's been about 20 years of just ok teams, that may or may not make the playoffs, but had no real shot at a cup. The shots they did have, nobody really saw coming. For the sake of 10-15 years of high quality hockey as the prospect, I'm happy they're staying committed to the full rebuild.

For me, I have a copy of the CBA and the MOU extension on my computer. I rarely go more than a couple of weeks without needing to consult it for something whether it's for something here or on PHR so some of the obscure stuff sticks after a while. And as most here know, I'm a bit of a cap guy so I have some odd facts on that front in my head.

Have been thinking about what the Habs' D corps could look like for the next two years. Not the cup contender version, but the transitional team that should start competing for a playoff position. So, this is what I have on a (somewhat?) factual basis: Matheson has scored 60 points this season, no mean feat on a team that only has 224 goals, and does not look like he's slowing down Savard does look like he's starting to slow down Guhle is solid and reliable 1LD/2LD, now with some flexibility to play on the right as well Harris flexible on left/right, though better on the left Kovacevic is not stellar but quite reliable on the right Neither Reinbacher or Mailloux likely ready for NHL for another season or two Hutson is a wild card. He's only 20 and seasoning in the AHL would make sense but he'll surely be a target there Then we have Xhekaj/Struble and Barron I'm thinking that Matheson likely stays with the Habs, unless another GM is willing to pay a king's ransom to get him. For all his defensive warts, he is in the top 10 in D scoring in the league, and that's elite D scoring. Maybe pair him with Kovacevic for stability and balance? Our help on the right is a few years away, so does Hughes keep Savard? I suspect not, so that would mean that Harris and Barron need to be the other two RD, unless Reinbacher is stunningly good in training camp. I think very unlikely that they would bring him up at 19yo. So, need a defensive partner for Barron, and a more offensive one for Harris. Is that Guhle-Barron and Xhekaj/Struble-Harris? Or is Hutson really a viable option here? I would think not yet. Of course, if Hughes trades one of the young(ish) D, all this calculus will need to be redone. 🙂

Or the 2021 Habs!

It's funny how this goes. For some time, I've been excited about what I've heard about Hutson. He seems like a 'Quinn Hughes A' type, not a franchise player like Hughes but potentially a truly elite offensive defenceman. Now that he is on the Habs, my optimism immediately shriveled into anxiety: "What if he disappoints? What if he's overwhelmed?" Etc. Fan neurosis brought about by too many disappointing prospects over the years, I suppose.

It is sacrilegious but it's all about the greater good right now. Lose in regulation tonight, lose in regulation to Detroit on Monday, then they can win their final home game of the year. A perfect ending. Of course perfect endings rarely happen.

And that's okay from a seventh-round pick. If he's a reserve forward who comes in when injuries arise and can kill penalties and play on the fourth line, there's nothing really wrong with that outcome. That said, his price point can't go much higher than it is now if he wants to stick around. Fortunately, management saw this as a possibility and slightly front-loaded his contract so he'll only be owed a $1M qualifying offer next summer.

For those that were questioning Florian's pick in the draft, he is good enough to take Jakov Novak's spot in the lineup (3RV Lions best scorer)... not too shabby

I saw this posted today and wow there were a surprising number of #1 overall draft failures since the year 2000. Poor Columbus!

in some ways, how Primeau bounces back from tonight's performance may be more instructive as to his future than were simply the recent run of good games.

That is true, still think it was the right decision. Signing Danault would have made us better in the short term but still well short of being a playoff contender. He is 31 now, we needed to rebuild.

Anyone who has EVER thought that players "tank" was an idiot ... players can lose hope/spirit and play a stinker, but that is not the same thing.

We are trying to build an NHL team - that’s the ultimate goal. I isn’t give a rats ass if we win the Calder Cup in Laval very year but don’t win the Stanley cup. I hated the rush and no development model under Bergevin - I don’t think other than Lekhonan there is not a player he drafted that he was also successful in developing into a good NHL player - notice I didn’t use the word elite. Next is Evans as a decent NHL player. Therrien developed no one. I can’t really remember Julien being all that successful either as far as developing a young player. The AHL team was not only shit, but it wasn’t even used for development. Mailloux has been in Laval all year because that’s where he belongs. Ditto with Barron being sent down. Wifi as sent down to refine his game, and came Back a better player. Armia was garbage and Laval was used as a wake up call. Roy deserved to be promoted. He has shown he is an NHL player. The AHL is to prepare players for the NHL. If we win - great - but that’s a bonus and nice to have. It’s not the end goal. guys that needed to be sent down have been. Others like Guhle have shown they are NHL players. He is not Mete - who had no business being in the NHL - let alone on the first pairing. The only player I think belongs in Laval and isn’t is Josh friggin useless Anderson. Personally, even though I think that’s where he belongs and should have been there three months ago, I think he’d probably hurt Laval rather than help it. If he isn’t traded over the summer (highly unlikely unless we gave up major picks, pick up 50%, and have another team pickup another 25%), I hope his useless ass is buried in Laval. Feel free to buy a Josh Anderson Laval jersey in anticipation! Hell, the only mistake they probably made this year is not having Josh Anderson and Lia’s Andersson swap roles!

Geez, that is some rarified air. Well, except for Plasse, LOL.

I don’t hate the Flyers org in the way I hate Toronto (first with a bullet: hatred and contempt), Boston (hatred tempered with respect for a great opponent), and, a distant third, Ottawa (contempt curdling into intense dislike)…but I don’t like ‘em either. The Broad Street Bullies were a disgrace to the game and the Habs dynasty had to thump their asses in order to save hockey itself from sheer thuggery. Then there was the Hextall teams in the 1980s. Then that drooling jabbernowl Houle gave them Leclair and Desjardins in a disastrous overpay for Recchi, and they owned us for years. It’s been a pretty quiet 21st century between the two franchises, though, I’ll admit.

Well, we might as well make this the GDT since it's close to puck drop.

Hey just remember what our lineup used to be. Price was supposed to lead THEESE GUYS??? to a cup? Pacioretty-Desharnais-Cole Cammalleri-Plekanec-Kostitsyn Moen-Eller-Gionta Darche-Gomez-Leblanc Palushaj, Blunden Markov-Subban Emelin-Gorges Gill-Diaz Y. Weber Price-Budaj I’m definitely happier with where the team is now and the upward trajectory that the team is on.

Well, as a Habs rookie, Roy was of course required to go through the mandatory 4-6 week injury. Josh Anderson…even I gave up defending him months ago. He’s untradeable, so the best we can hope for is that he hits “reboot,” changes his summer regimen to ensure peak fitness, and gets his mojo back next season.