Who goes and who stays? That’s the question on everyone’s lips through the close of the trading period on March 3, and Managing Director Kent Hughes probably doesn’t have all the answers just yet, but I think he has the big end of the stick.
The Canadians’ most interesting loan player is obviously Sean Monahan and if he comes back into the game quickly his value will increase. I think if Hughes can pull off a masterpiece it’s on this side. It will depend on demand, but if it manages to create a bid, we may wonder about the quality of the return.
I can’t wait to see what happens with the likes of David Savard and Josh Anderson, who some teams may be interested in. They are valued athletes who are signed and play an important role in a young team like the Canadian’s and when Hughesà receives offers for them he has to weigh the pros and cons seriously.
It’s a double edged sword because they’re useful in Montreal and I don’t want them sent elsewhere for a dozen sticks. We need them, but if the offer is good, Hughes has to act. One may be surprised at their value, but one is not compelled to trade them. They say that sometimes the best trade is the one not made, and that could be the case with these two players.
The situation of Jonathan Drouin and Evgeni Dadonov is different. They’ll be independent by the end of the season, and since there’s very little chance of seeing them again in Montreal next year, you might as well exchange them for any value right away, rather than losing them for nothing.
Is there a take for Joel Edmundson, another infirmary regular with a year left on his contract?
By March 3rd, could a team’s goalie situation change enough to make us interested in Jake Allen? It would be surprising as Allen is certainly not the most desirable goalkeeper for a backup role, but it’s not impossible.
One thing is for sure, Hughes certainly has several ideas in mind and there will be several talks over the coming days. We’ll see movement, that’s for sure, but I’m not expecting a big hit that will give us the jackpot.
The rest of the season
With 26 games left on the regular schedule and the Canadian is not bad where we expected in terms of standings. It’s going to be difficult nights and it’s a shame we’re being robbed of the magic of Cole Caufield and a few other players, but as long as we see sustained effort, the people behind CH will come out on top.
Refreshing Harvey Pinard.
In the meantime, it’s good to see a player like Rafael Harvey-Pinard producing the France kit and having fun wearing it. Quebecers arriving with the Canadians always have that pride that drives them to outdo themselves and carry the torch. His seven goals in twelve games can’t be taken away from him and he represents the organization well. He’s already very popular and it was nice to see him compete in the skills competition. A beautiful story.
And Cayden Primeau
I’d like to see where goaltender Cayden Primeau is in his development, but unless there’s an injury to Jake Allen or Samuel Montembeault, he’ll stay at Rocket and that’s fine.
However, in the event of a recall, I would like him to get two or three games. In fact, the rest of the season will serve as a final tally for many players.
– Interview by Gilles Moffet
excerpts
Death of Mikhail Ovechkin
Archive photo, Martin Chevalier
It was with great sadness that I learned about the death of Mikhail Ovechkin, Alex’s father. I had the opportunity to get to know him during my two seasons with the Washington Capitals in 2008-09 and 2009-10 and what was special was that he had privileges that no other player’s parent had. He walked around the players’ lounge like he was part of the team. We played table tennis with him, we drank coffee, in short, he was like a guy from the gang. I sent my condolences to Alex earlier this week. Mikhail was obviously very proud of his son but unfortunately he will not be there on the day Alex breaks Wayne Gretzky’s record 894 goals. I know that he would have liked to have lived this moment. Ovi is casually only 82 gates from the gate.
The dazzling McDavid
Despite being only 26, Connor McDavid has just reached the 100 point milestone for the sixth time in his career, joining several players including Sidney Crosby, who is 35. To be so successful in modern hockey is incredible. It shows how dominant he is. He’s still a long way from Wayne Gretzky’s 15 100 seasons, but he has a good chance of joining Mario Lemieux with 10 or more 100 seasons.
Happy birthday to Mandolese!
Archive photo, Martin Chevalier
Great stories from Quebec goalies are rare these days, so I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate Kevin Mandolese, who had quite the baptism of fire with the Ottawa Senators in Tuesday’s 3-2 penalty shootout win over the New York Islanders and their star had goalkeeper Ilya Sorokin. Let’s hope he continues his momentum and earns himself a permanent position in the NHL. Cam Talbot is known to become independent at the end of the season.
The initiations
I was surprised to learn of the horrors some players suffered during the initiations. If it is brought into the realm of pee-pee and/or illegality, it is totally unacceptable. The initiation should be a gesture of welcome and integration, not intimidation or domination. Mentality is changing, and in the NHL, even rookie dinners have a cap on the bill.
