dlbalr

Neither do I. But if you're getting an in-prime top centre, St. Louis has no reason to trade him unless they get one back or a boatload of top future assets. Yes, Hage is having a very good year in college but I don't think he's viewed around the league as an elite prospect by any stretch. Him as a centrepiece of a deal probably isn't going to get a core piece, unless it's one on a very short-term deal.

One top prospect, a decent prospect, a fringe defenceman, a cap dump, and a second-round pick doesn't feel like the type of package they can't say no to, especially for not just one but two of their top players. Here's a number one in-prime centre who isn't available barring an overpayment (a too good to be true offer). That's what teams are being told. A stud top-six F that's slightly younger than Thomas. That's Slafkovsky, not Hage and a collection of spare parts.

It might not have to be that long. If Texier is ready to return, I suspect that Veleno is the next one out, especially with Bolduc playing one of his better games last night.

Veleno also being a PK option helps his cause (though he didn't play shorthanded last night). It's not a coincidence that with Dach back, every forward has played at least 10 minutes the last two games. That's more the distribution they wanted going back to the start of the season. Blais has only reached that mark three times in 13 games (one of the three by all of five seconds). For whatever reason, they don't trust him to play more than 8 a lot of nights. With the team looking a little tired given the compressed schedule, I suspect they're going to lean more often than not toward balancing the minutes which is going to play into Veleno's favour over Blais.

It's good to see they were rewarded with the lead after a period like that. Take advantage of Minnesota while they're tired (and injured).

I agree that it's an interesting idea in theory but there's a reason that few players shift from defence to forward in their careers. Those who do often have played forward earlier in their careers. I don't think Xhekaj has so they'd be asking him to play a new position for the first time at the NHL level. That's asking a lot. From a value perspective, he's more valuable as a third-pairing blueliner than a fourth-line grinder. Accordingly, they'll keep him on defence unless he struggles so much that they have no choice but to try him up front. A lot would have to happen for that scenario to come into play.

And notably, not to Boston. Had Andersson been willing to sign an early extension, it looked like he was going there. But his camp decided today to not sign right away, leading to Boston pulling their offer on the table.

Considering the two organizations aren't on speaking terms and there's a lot of bad blood between Gorton and Rangers ownership, Drury would probably get hung for merely discussing any trade with the Habs let alone making one.

No announcement from the Habs yet but Evans has been activated off LTIR. (He was quietly moved there when Guhle was activated.)

A completely useless tidbit from the media site, Montreal no longer has the youngest roster in the NHL following today's demotions of Beck and Fowler. They're at 26.50, Buffalo 26.26.

Roy simply being in the game is quite impressive. He was listed as out four-to-six weeks all of 10 days ago. That's an impressive recovery and really gives them a second scoring line which they've been missing. Fowler backing up makes sense after playing last night. He'll get the start tomorrow.

It's a one-way deal, at least. Had he waited to sign until the summer, he was looking at a two-way QO and if his struggles would have continued into the second half, they could have tried to insist on the two-way deal. But no, not a big vote of confidence for sure.

Buffalo played last night so hopefully, the Habs will get the fatigue advantage this time after not having it in Washington.

Dauphin, Engstrom, and Fowler have been named to the AHL's All-Star game.

If you wait until the end of the season, then salary arbitration (or the threat of it, at least) comes into play along with his previous contract ($2.1 million) which his camp would use as the platform in discussions. So if they knew they wanted to sign him, doing so early makes sense. Personally, I think waiting until closer to the trade deadline might have been the better way to go although if he winds up sticking on the top line, the price could have been higher by then.