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Latest On Canadiens' Offseason Plans

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TSN’s Pierre LeBrun offered some new developments on today’s Insider Trading program, developments specifically regarding the priorities of three teams in possession of multiple 2023 first-round picks: the Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues, and Montreal Canadiens.

The final team LeBrun referenced in his report is the Montreal Canadiens, who own the Florida Panthers’ unprotected first-round pick thanks to last year’s Ben Chiarot trade. LeBrun believes that the Canadiens “would listen” to offers to move the Panthers’ pick if offered the type of “hockey trade” like the one they completed at the 2022 draft, when they acquired Kirby Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks for the 13th and 66th overall picks. (Which they had acquired from the New York Islanders in exchange for young defenseman Alexander Romanov, serving as another example of a club dealing a mid-to-late first-rounder for young established NHL-ready talent)

The Dach acquisition worked out quite well for the Canadiens, with the 2019 third-overall pick revamping his game under coach Martin St. Louis and scoring a career-high 38 points in 58 games.

Canadiens Recall Corey Schueneman

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The Montreal Canadiens announced today that Corey Schueneman has been called up to the NHL. The 27-year-old defenseman has played most of this season with the Laval Rocket, but has already suited up for four NHL games with the Canadiens this season as well. He has one assist in those four games and had two goals and six points in 24 NHL games last season.

With the Rocket, Schueneman has carved out a big role over the past two seasons, playing 58 AHL games this season and scoring five goals and 21 points. The 6-foot and 196 pound defender is a pending unrestricted free agent, and will get a short audition in the NHL to show someone he can be a reliable depth option for them next season.

This move signals bad news for defenseman Jordan Harris who appears to be just the latest Canadiens player to suffer an injury. Harris missed practice today, and though there was no official update on his status, the Canadiens would not need Schueneman if Harris was healthy. It is also important to note Schueneman was recalled on an emergency basis, which means the Canadiens do not have enough healthy defensemen for Tuesday night’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Defensemen Kaiden Guhle, David Savard and Arber Xhekaj are already out of the Canadiens lineup with injuries and Harris appears to be the next blue liner to join that list. It opens the door for Schueneman who is looking for a contract for next season.

Juraj Slafkovsky Won't Return This Season

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Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson took to the ice for practice today, per the Times Herald’s Bill Hoppe, as he continues his recovery from an upper-body injury. Thompson was initially injured during a game on March 24 and played the Sabres’ next contest before aggravating the injury, missing the three games since.

Thompson’s return to practice is a lifeline for the Sabres, who are still barely hanging in the Eastern Conference playoff race and have, arguably, their most important game in a decade tomorrow against the Florida Panthers. Per CapFriendly, Thompson is listed as a game-time decision. Thompson’s 44 goals still rank sixth in the league, and his 89 points lead the team. His impact in such a crucial game could be immeasurable, and if at all possible, he’ll be suiting up Tuesday night.

  • On the other side of the coin, the Florida Panthers could again be without goalie Sergei Bobrovsky against the Sabres as he continues to deal with a rather nasty illness, per Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards. He did not practice today and, like Thompson, is expected to be a game-time decision. The 34-year-old netminder has been sidelined for the past three games, but he’s been relieved well by Alex Lyon, who’s allowed just four goals in Bobrovsky’s absence.
  • In addition to news earlier today about Alex Belzile and Sean Monahan, rookie Juraj Slafkovsky is also officially done for the year due to a lower-body injury, per Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. Slafkovsky was issued a three-month recovery timeline in mid-January, putting any potential return right at the end of the regular season, so the news isn’t entirely unexpected. He finished his rookie campaign with 10 points in 39 games.

Sean Monahan, Alex Belzile Out For Season

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Injury news continues to pile up for the Montreal Canadiens, who announced Monday that forwards Alex Belzile (link) and Sean Monahan (link) have been shut down for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.

Belzile’s campaign comes to an end after sustaining a fractured leg in Saturday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The minor-league veteran had played in every game for Montreal since being recalled from the AHL’s Laval Rocket on February 9, a testament to how injuries have ravaged Montreal’s forward depth this year. He finishes the season with career highs in points and games played, recording 14 in 31. The 31-year-old also scored 26 points in 31 games with Laval, where he served as captain. He’s slated for unrestricted free agency in July.

Monahan’s groin surgery shows he sustained a separate injury on top of the foot injury that had kept him out of the lineup since December 5. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reports that Monahan’s groin surgery happened “sometime in the last few days,” and his recovery timeline is six to eight weeks. He’s expected to fully recover in time for training camp next season.

Also set for free agency this offseason, Monahan was productive in the early goings of the season, showing flashes of top-six upside once again. With 17 points in 25 games, he’ll find a home in the NHL again next season, whether with Montreal or somewhere else. Injury concerns remain, though, likely limiting his earning potential on any new contract.

Armia To Return, Harvey-Pinard And Savard Out Saturday

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  • The Canadiens announced that winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard won’t play tonight due to a minor injury. The rookie has impressed since being recalled in January, picking up 14 goals, 55 hits, and 55 blocks in 32 games.  Winger Joel Armia will return after missing more than a month with an upper respiratory infection.  Meanwhile, blueliner David Savard will miss his second straight game due to a lower-body injury.

Harvey-Pinard Changes Agents, Armia Returns To Full Practice

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Canadiens rookie winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard leads all NHL rookies in goals since being recalled a little over two months ago which is something that should definitely help this summer in restricted free agency.  However, it will be a new agency representing him as Quartexx announced (Twitter link) that the 24-year-old is now one of their clients.  He had previously been represented by CEM Hockey.  Harvey-Pinard has 14 goals and five assists in 32 games since being recalled and is already tied for fourth on Montreal in goals.  Even though he’s just finishing his entry-level contract, he will be eligible for salary arbitration this summer.

  • Canadiens winger Joel Armia participated in practice today with a regular jersey, relays TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). The 29-year-old has missed more than a month with an upper respiratory infection.  It has been a tough year for Armia who has been limited to just 37 games this season and has just seven points but it appears he’ll have a chance to at least get into a few more contests before their 2022-23 campaign comes to an end.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Jakub Dobes

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The Montreal Canadiens have announced the signing of NCAA netminder Jakub Dobes to a two-year, $925k AAV entry-level deal, set to begin next season. Dobes has also signed an AHL contract allowing him to be with the AHL’s Laval Rocket for the rest of this season.

By signing with Montreal, the 21-year-old Dobes leaves Ohio State University after just two years there. The 2020 fifth-round pick has seen his stock rise rapidly since being drafted, going from a .908 save percentage in his final season in the USHL to a .934 save percentage in his first season as a Buckeye.

In total, Dobes’ 35-game freshman season was a resounding success. He took home a multitude of conference honors, including winning Big 10 Goalie of the Year, All-Rookie Team, and First All-Star team honors.

His 21-12-2 record, .934 save percentage, and 2.26 goals-against-average were each major improvements from his numbers in the USHL, and provided hope for Canadiens fans that they might have something in Dobes to lead a relatively thin set of goalies in their prospect pool.

This past season, Dobes’ numbers took a step back, but remained strong overall. He posted a 21-16-3 record, a .918 save percentage, and a 2.31 goals-against-average. While it wasn’t quite as good as the elite performance he posted as a freshman, Dobes’ sophomore season reinforced his status as a legitimate NHL prospect.

With the backing of those solid numbers the kind of six-foot-five, 200-pound frame NHL teams covet in their netminders, Dobes earns his entry-level deal and a chance to play professional hockey.

With Jake Allen and Samuel Montembeault entrenched in the Canadiens’ crease in the NHL and Cayden Primeau holding down the fort as Laval’s starting goalie, Dobes will likely either see time with the Canadiens’ ECHL affiliate next season or split time in the AHL in a tandem with Primeau.

After seeing his save percentage decline from .920 last season to .888 this season, veteran minor league netminder Kevin Poulin’s spot behind Primeau is likely there for Dobes to seize, and this entry-level deal puts him in a prime position to do so.

And while Primeau is penciled in as Laval’s number-one for next season, his uneven performances this year (3.13 goals-against-average, .906 save percentage) leave the door open for Dobes to grab a greater role than expected if he can hit the ground running as a professional just like he did to start his collegiate career.

Injury Notes: Savard, Teravainen, Fiala

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The Montreal Canadiens announced David Savard would not play tonight. The veteran defenseman took warmup ahead of the Habs game against the Florida Panthers, but was ruled out after leaving the ice ahead of the rest of his teammates. The team tweeted out that Savard is dealing with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

Savard plays a big role on the Canadiens blue line, as he is second on the team in average ice time. The 32 year old plays a top four role at even strength and is a key contributor to the team’s penalty killing unit as well. The Canadiens have dealt with a plethora of injuries this season, and Savard is just the next victim to the injury bug in Montreal.

  • Carolina Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen will not play tonight, the team announced via Twitter. The 28 year old is not having his typical production, as he has scored 12 goals and 36 points in 63 games. The skilled Finnish forward is often closer to a point-per-game pace and with Max Pacioretty and Andrei Svechnikov out long term, the Hurricanes need a healthy and productive Teravainen as the playoffs approach. Luckily, he is out with an illness which means he should not miss a lot of time.
  • Los Angeles Kings winger Kevin Fiala is also out of the lineup tonight, per a tweet from the team. Fiala has fit in seamlessly in his first season with the Kings, scoring 22 goals and 70 points in 68 games so far this season. He has been listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Unfortunately, he is missing a key game as the Kings take on the Edmonton Oilers tonight and the teams are separated by just one point in the standings.

Injury Notes: Dach, Petry, Senators

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The Montreal Canadiens announced center Kirby Dach will not play in tonight’s game. The Canadiens are taking on the Philadelphia Flyers, in a game that will see prospect Sean Farrell make his NHL debut and goaltender Cayden Primeau will make his first start of the season. However, the team that has dealt with a large number of injuries all season will have yet another impact player out of the lineup. Dach has been ruled out with an upper-body injury.

The 22-year-old center is having a breakout campaign, though he did miss about a month of action with a lower-body injury recently. In his first season with the Canadiens, Dach has scored 14 goals and 38 points in 58 games. He left last night’s game early after being hit from behind while trying to push the puck over the goal line in overtime. He was called off the ice by the concussion spotter at that time and did not return to the game.

  • Jeff Petry is ready to return to his team’s lineup, according to Michelle Crechiolo of Pens Inside Scoop. The veteran defenseman missed the team’s past five games with an upper-body injury. The 35 year old has scored five goals and 26 points in 52 games this season, his first in Pittsburgh. His return will help bolster a depleted blue line that is without Marcus Pettersson and Dmitry Kulikov. The Penguins need the support, as they are in the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference and need to hold off the Florida Panthers if they want to play in the postseason.
  • Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun reports some positive and negative injury news for the Ottawa Senators. Cam Talbot is ready to return to the lineup for the first time since March 4 when he injured his oblique. However, the team’s top defenseman Thomas Chabot’s status is questionable. He left the team’s most recent game after jamming his wrist and though he returned to the bench he was not able to return to the ice. The team won’t give an official update until tomorrow.

Montreal Canadiens Recall Cayden Primeau

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The Montreal Canadiens announced they have called up goaltender Cayden Primeau. The 23 year old was a seventh-round pick of the Canadiens in 2017, and has split time between the NHL and AHL for the past four seasons after a stellar college career at Northeastern.

Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports added Primeau will join the team in Philadelphia tomorrow and should get the start against the Flyers. It will be Primeau’s second NHL game of this season, though he has played 19 games with the Canadiens to this point in his career.

Primeau has played 35 games for the Laval Rocket in the AHL this season, posting a 3.13 GAA and a .906 SV% along with a 14-14-6 record. In his previous NHL stints, Primeau has put up a 3-10-2 record with a GAA of 4.19 and a .873 SV%, mostly behind Canadiens teams that were struggling mightily.

This recall comes at an odd time as the Canadiens are playing tonight with Jake Allen starting and Sam Montembeault backing him up. Both are healthy, which would mean Primeau is not being called up on an emergency basis, but is a standard recall.

The Canadiens must just want to get a look at their prospect late in the season. They are currently 28th overall in the NHL standings with ten games to play. Now is the time to give a few young players a chance to show what they can do at the highest level.

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