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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 Kotkaniemi teached us something, it's not to take too much from the results at this U18 tournament. Guessing the scouts go there to evaluate some specific skills and character aspect of players' game more than how they actually perform.

$8.5m for 7 years for a guy who doesn’t show up in more games than he does? No thanks. If he wasn’t French there wouldn’t Ben be a discussion about trading for him.

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

Im looking at the trade this way. (And yes i realize its all one trade, but this is just how i evaluate it). 1) 3rd overall for caufield. 2) mailloux and a pick in the 20s for Zegras. Part 1 i absolutely would not do.. give me the guy who has already shown signs of being a stud and is signed long term at fair value. Part 2) i would do but im hesitant as Zegras had an awful season, and there is a real chance hes just a flashy guy who gets 60 points and cant play without the puck. Id do but its not a slam dunk. I consider this somewher in between what we gave up to get dach and newhook. I think dach is much better than zegras. Zegras is better than Newhook but its not that big when you consider 2 way play. To me the loss in part 1 is bigger than the gain in part 2.

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.

Offsetting penalties would have been better but with 2 minutes to go in the game and both players were being shits, refs should have let it go. Leafs crying about it is nonsense too because Boston got screwed by the refs too. Fun game to watch

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.

I used to despise the Canucks. Moved to the Vancouver area during the "West Coast Express" era and was appalled when the fan base rallied in support of Bertuzzi when he viciously ended Steve Moore's career. Then I heard endless fan moaning about "the Sedin Sisters" (until 2011, when that garbage finally shut up). I wanted no part of Canuckleheads Nation. However, I find myself feeling these days that they've suffered enough. This is a traumatized fanbase, rife with pessimism and a sense of perpetual doom and gloom; and to lose the devastating way they did in 2011, to be followed by over a decade of complete managerial ineptitude, has been years of unremitting agony for these fans. Even this year - a magical year by any measure - huge chunks of the fanbase could not bring themselves to even hope that the team was for real. It was almost comical; I made money by betting my friends that the Canucks would make the playoffs. Naturally they couldn't make that bet fast enough. This fanbase is always waiting for the anvil to fall on its head. This team also has players on it that are right up my alley - particularly Quinn Hughes, who is a real artist. But they have a lot of quality players I either respect or like, including Demko. So yeah, I wouldn't mind seeing them go all the way this year. It's not going to happen now, IMHO.

I'm 40 yo. I've never seen the Leafs have any success, I've never been upset at the Leafs for beating us. I will never understand the hate until they elimintate us. This is why I want them to clear Boston. Once this is done, they can get beaten by anyone else, but I don't want the Bruins anywhere near another Stanley Cup.

Exactly. I like Dach but to say there is no room for a top 6 centre... hogwash. Imagine we win the lottery? Are we passing on Celebrini cause he's a centre? Kidney, Mesar, Beck, Kapanen are all maybes... and the fact is Beck and Kapanen are most likely to make it but are also unlikely to be top six centres. And its not Newhook can play wing. Its hes better at wing than at centre. There is a difference. So all of this means, if you think our top 6 centre spots are set... that means you are counting on both Suzuki and Dach to be in those spots. And if you add one more and those two are healthy and productive, great... you can have the equivalent of the Oilers having RNH, or you can put one on wing. You cant have too many good centers. No such thing.

I suspect Kovacevic will be worth more to the Habs than in a trade.

Kovacevic is terribly underrated the same way Kulak was.

I'm thinking that Beck might be a better fit for an Armia-type role, although he might ende up playing centre. I expect we'll know much more for both Beck and Tuch a year from now.

that is a great observation on the Newhook line. Anderson was considered by many as a glorified 3rd liner that had an outliers season before getting injured in CBJ MB touted him a à player that helps you in the playoff and often pushed criticism on regular season dry spells he had. He was overpaid because the Habs needed that type of player during the Price-Weber window. In the current team’s context, Anderson is useless. Playing 3rd line will not raise his trade value, unless he has an unselfish centre like Evans to do all the dirty/defensive work for him. my hope is that the Habs get an uncontested top-6 forward that pushes Anderson out of the top-6 and out of the team on a trade

He just.said yesterday that if D was the clear best player, hed take him. What are you talking about?

Good on MAF

Mailloux has a new number. I hope he scores and looks good in a losing effort.

Players hiding injuries is something no training/medical staff can prevent and it means they can't protect the players.

Some unknown rookie supposedly playing tonight. More details when available.

Right now it's fun. Going forward he has some things to work on and might need to start in the AHL next year.

Breaking the rules here but no GDT so here it is. Seriously, we need to lose this one

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.

Maybe we should break the mould and play 3 defensemen and 2 forwards.

End of season is finally coming. Sorry boys but it best if we lose. Wouldn’t mind if Suzuki or Caufield or Slafkovsky fills the net though.

I have this theory that it's going to be a trickle of small improvements that will suddenly burst the dam at some point - probably surprising 'expert' commentators when it does happen.

If we're going to blow the draft pick, might as well blow it in a big way!

Dvorak and Anderson and Gallagher all scoring in the same game? I think philly has to be relegated to the AHL now since that happened. Im pretth sure its a rule. They have totally quit on Torts. This is the 8th straight loss... only 1 win since healthy scratching Couturier. This is full rebellion against the coach.

I sincerely hope they mail it in tonight...we need a regulation loss.

They wouldn't need to burn a year on Xhekaj by signing him for this season. They'd just sign him to a future contract that begins in 24-25, then give him an ATO for Laval for the stretch run. I see no reason why he wouldn't be in Laval over the next few days unless he's been playing through an injury that needs to be addressed.

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.

2024 Bruins pick is with the Sens (via Detroit) ... as for the Flames 2024 pick https://prosportstransactions.com/hockey/DraftTrades/Future/Flames.htm

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.

Christian Dvorak on ice at #Habs practice this morning wearing full-contact sweater #Habs I thought he was done for the season but perhaps we see him soon.