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Free Agents, Trades, Prospects, Most Underrated

Quebec June 2, 2024
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MONTREAL — Being a Montreal Canadiens fan never gets boring, but it's difficult to keep up with all the breaking news. On Sundays, we round up the most exciting and important events. NHL News you may have missed throughout the week to help you stay up to date on the Canadiens.

Monday

  • The Montreal Canadiens are at a crucial point in their rebuild and could learn from their rivals' mistakes about what to avoid this summer. Whether it was disastrous transfers, poor selection or poor asset management, their rebuild has been hampered by pushing the process too quickly. [3 Mistakes Made By Divisional Rivals The Canadiens Should Avoid]
  • Every coach has their own style. Some allow their players the freedom to rely on their instincts, while others have a strict system that everyone must follow. Too much coaching and structure and too little freedom can lead to you gripping your racket too tightly and worrying about not making a mistake instead of playing “your game.” [Canadiens Coaching: The Balance Between Structure and Instincts]
  • Junior Owen Beck scored a goal and had an assist in Saginaw's first game of the Memorial Cup, a 5-4 win over Moose Jaw, but was kept out of the goal in Saginaw's second game of the tournament, an impressive 5-4 come-from-behind win over Drummondville.
  • Kaiden Guhle was not in Canada's squad when the team faced Sweden in the bronze medal game at the 2024 World Championship. Guhle was injured in Canada's 3-2 shootout loss to Switzerland.
  • Tomas Plekanec was part of the coaching staff that led the host team Czech Republic to its seventh World Championship.
  • Cole Caufield continued to have good things to say about his linemate Juraj Slafkovsky.

Tuesday

  • Introducing our newest series, Habs Fan Votes. Every few days we run a new poll to give Montreal Canadiens fans a chance to voice their opinions. The first poll focuses on the most underrated member of the current NHL roster. With over 500 votes in the bank, players like Johnathan Kovacevic, Jordan Harris, Jake Evans and Arber Xhekaj currently lead the underrated squad. Be sure to cast your vote by clicking the link after this sentence. [Habs Fans Vote: Canadiens Awards – Most Underrated Player]
  • We often say that certain teams set the tone for success in the NHL playoffs, but trying to chase the meta rarely leads to success. By the time a team catches up, the reality of the NHL has already set in. Frankly, building a contender is a lot more complicated than simply drafting a lot of top-five players or developing top players. [Canadiens Analysis: Lessons From The NHL’s Final Four]
  • Young talent Daniil Sobolev has signed a two-year contract with Spartak Moscow in the KHL. The Habs would probably not offer him an entry-level contract. However, the Canadiens will retain Sobolev's NHL rights until June 1, 2025.
  • According to Dans Les Coulisse, Laval Rockets head coach Jean-Francois Houle is expected to sign a contract extension to continue as the team's coach. Although Houle did not qualify for the playoffs, it is hard to say he has been working at full strength given the number of injuries and appearances over the past two seasons. [Evaluating Whether Houle Is The Right Coach For The Laval Rocket]
  • Justin Barron lives life to the fullest. There's nothing wrong with heading to the Caribbean for a relaxing vacation, but personally I enjoy traveling much more than vacationing. To each his own, of course.

Wednesday

  • The discussion surrounding trading draft picks has intensified as we quickly approach the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Any trade should be considered, it's part of due diligence, but the Montreal Canadiens need to focus on quality over quantity in the first round. [Value Of Moving Down & Cost Of Trading Up At NHL Draft]
  • Instead of traveling to Buffalo for a junior tournament, the Canadiens will hold two games at the Bell Centre during their rookie camp. The Toronto Maple Leafs' junior players will face the Habs in both games. [TVA Sports (FR)]
  • Speaking of prospects, Owen Beck was named to the OHL’s third All-Star team.

Thursday

  • Daily Faceoff has updated its list of transfer targets ahead of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Two Montreal Canadiens players are in the top 20: David Savard and Christian Dvorak. [Daily Faceoff]
  • The Habs agreed to a three-year deal with Laval Rockets head coach Jean-Francois Houle. Houle was quick to point out that his lineup needed a little more leadership. [Canadiens AHL Affiliate Missing One Crucial Element]
  • Owen Beck and the Saginaw Spirit put in a great effort, but the London Knights were the team that went straight to the Memorial Cup finals. The Spirit will now face Moose Jaw to see which team will try once again to beat the strong Knights.
  • Lane Hutson's NCAA coach isn't worried about his transition to the NHL. Hutson's intelligence will serve him well when it comes to adapting to new situations. [Montreal Gazette]

Friday

  • Montreal Canadiens fans have cast their votes. Centre Jake Evans is the team's most underrated player, Arber Xhekaj and a whole host of defencemen made it into the top 10. [Habs Fans Vote: Results – Most Underrated Canadiens Players]
  • The Montreal Canadiens already have 39 of 50 contracts in place for the 2024-2025 season, which means they have some big decisions to make regarding some RFAs. The start of a rebuild is always fun. You draft and sign a large number of young players to build your pool of future assets in the hopes that some of them will take off and become impact players. But as the rebuild progresses and these young players progress, the business side of the NHL gets in the way and difficult decisions have to be made. [Decisions Looming On Six Canadiens Restricted Free Agents]
  • Speaking of contracts, the Habs are close to losing the rights to Petteri Nurmi, Jared Davidson, Cedrick Guindon and Miguel Tourigny. The deadline to sign the quarter is June 1. [Five Canadiens Prospects Could Have Rights Expire This Summer]
  • The unofficial start of the off-season calendar has always been June 1 (date of mandatory signing).

Below is this year's list of players who must be signed to an ELC by 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 1st or the team will lose their exclusive signing rights. pic.twitter.com/VwClxOUHXC

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) May 30, 2024

  • Owen Beck and the Saginaw Spirit have one last chance to qualify for the Memorial Cup finals. The Spirit will face Moose Jaw to see which team will try to defeat the powerful London Knights in the finals. [CHL Schedule]
  • Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki is also putting his time to good use in the offseason. The 24-year-old is once again working with the Asista Foundation, which trains service dogs to help veterans, first responders and people with autism.

Saturday

  • The Montreal Canadiens likely won't have an opportunity to draft Macklin Celebrini, but there's plenty of talent on the board besides the No. 1-ranked prospect for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Be sure to cast your vote in our latest Habs fan poll to give your opinion on the Canadiens' potential fifth pick. Habs Fans Vote – Available Candidates at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft]
  • Friday marked the third anniversary of the Habs' famous first-round win over the perpetually woeful Toronto Maple Leafs organization. We take a look back at the series and its impact on the franchise. [Canadiens History: The Epic 2021 Playoff Series Versus Toronto]
  • Jared Davidson has signed his entry-level contract. The gruff forward was rarely used by the Laval Rockets in his rookie season, but gained momentum as the season progressed, scoring 11 goals and five assists in 38 games. The contract expires in 2026.
  • Owen Beck and the Saginaw Spirit have one last chance to beat the powerful London Knights this season. Saginaw defeated Moose Jaw in the Memorial Cup semifinals to qualify for the final game of the tournament. Beck scored a beautiful goal midway through the game to secure the 7-1 victory. Beck's final CHL game is Sunday starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
  • Former Canadiens goaltender Carey Price received an honorary doctorate from the University of Northern British Columbia.

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