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Montreal Canadiens Recall Owen Beck

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Owen Beck’s first full season in the AHL has earned him a relatively quick call-up to the NHL level. The Montreal Canadiens have announced the recall of Beck from their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. He is expected to take Emil Heineman’s spot in the lineup while Heineman recovers from a lower-body injury sustained after being struck by a vehicle.

Beck is only three years removed from being the 33rd overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft. He debuted with the Canadiens only a year later, going scoreless against the Ottawa Senators after only 9:48 of ice time.

Montreal returned Beck to the OHL’s Peterborough Petes for the 2023-24 season and he was eventually traded to the Saginaw Spirit at the OHL trade deadline. In the most impressive run of his major junior career, Beck scored 18 goals and 51 points in 32 games for the Spirit down the stretch. Unfortunately, Beck and the Spirit were eliminated by the London Knights in the 2024 Western Conference Finals. Still, they had a berth in the 2024 Memorial Cup playoffs given their status as the host team.

In part due to a one-goal performance from Beck in the semifinal game against the Moose Jaw Warriors and a two-goal game from Beck in the championship game against the Knights, the Spirit captured their first Memorial Cup championship in organizational history.

Finally turning to professional hockey for the 2024-25 season, Beck has gotten off to an impressive rookie campaign in AHL Laval. He’s scored nine goals and 25 points in 37 games with a +9 rating. Beck is only two points away from tying the team lead in scoring which is an impressive feat considering he’s still only 20 years old.  It remains to be seen if Beck will join Montreal’s lineup this evening when they take on the New York Rangers or give him a few days of practice at the NHL level.

Canadiens’ Emil Heineman Out Three To Four Weeks With Upper-Body Injury

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Canadiens forward Emil Heineman sustained an upper-body injury on Monday when he was struck by a car in Salt Lake City, the team said in a statement. As a result, he’ll be sidelined from game action for three to four weeks.

Montreal provided no other details on the 23-year-old’s condition, but thankfully, the news isn’t any worse than it is. That brief return timeline suggests he may not have needed surgery as a result of his injuries – if he did, it was likely minor.

A 2020 second-rounder by the Panthers, he was traded to the Flames in the 2021 Sam Bennett trade and again to Montreal in 2022 as part of the return for Tyler Toffoli. After a four-game trial with the Habs last season, he’s cracked the roster in earnest in 2024-25 and is tied for eighth on the team in scoring with 17 points (10 G, 7 A) through 41 games.

Heineman managed that production despite averaging 10:06 per game at even strength, which is the least of any Habs regular. He’s received some fringe power-play usage but has been most effective as the left wing on one of the league’s most effective fourth lines this season with Jake Evans and Joel Armia, who control 56.9% of expected goals when used together at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck.

The 6’0″, 202-lb Heineman has also been Montreal’s most physical skater, leading the team with 101 hits. It’s been an abundantly successful rookie campaign for the pending restricted free agent by all accounts, putting himself in line for a decent raise this summer and a guaranteed roster spot moving forward, barring any unexpected regression.

Expect enforcer Michael Pezzetta to see his most regular usage this season in Heineman’s absence. The 26-year-old was a healthy scratch for all of November and December but has played in four games since the New Year, bringing his total on the campaign to seven. He’s still looking for his first point of the campaign and has a minus-two rating while averaging 6:25 per game.

All of us at PHR extend our best wishes to Heineman in his recovery.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Savard Returns After Missing Last Four Games

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  • The Canadiens announced (Twitter link) that defenseman David Savard will return to the lineup tonight against Dallas. The veteran had missed the last four games with an upper-body injury.  A pending unrestricted free agent, Savard has 10 points, 90 blocks, and 31 hits in 35 games this season while logging 18:37 per night of playing time.

Devils Linked To Canadiens’ Jake Evans

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The Devils are among the teams that have called the Canadiens about acquiring pending unrestricted free agent center Jake Evans ahead of the March 7 trade deadline, Pierre LeBrun of TSN said on “Early Trading” on Thursday.

Evans, 28, has drawn trade interest for nearly the entire regular season. Marco D’Amico of RG.org first reported in November that Evans was drawing interest from multiple teams. Evans then told Eric Engels of Sportsnet last month that he’d yet to enter extension negotiations with Montreal.

Much has changed for Evans’ trade value in the past few months. He’d already established himself as a reliable fourth-line piece with a decent amount of upward mobility in the lineup but had never recorded more than 13 goals or 29 points in a season.

Halfway through the year, Evans already has 10 goals and 23 points, operating at a career-best 0.58 points-per-game pace. The Toronto native has also won 50.3% of his draws while averaging 15:36 per game, all the while controlling 47.9% of shot attempts at 5-on-5 despite starting nearly 70% of his shifts in the defensive zone.

Teams will look at Evans’ 28.6% shooting rate as cause for concern – there’s obviously little chance of him maintaining that, considering his 10.2% career average. But he recently passed the 300-game threshold for his career and has now averaged 15:30 per game over the past four years combined, ensuring he’s still a valuable pickup when his shooting rate regresses.

Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald told LeBrun last month that acquiring a fourth-line center and a top-nine piece up front are his top deadline priorities. As things stand, Evans checks off both boxes as an upgrade over Erik Haula on the third line.

Haula, who’s now set to miss a few weeks with a sprained ankle, has struggled offensively this season with 11 points in 42 games and a team-worst minus-six rating. The 33-year-old has still been money on faceoffs, winning over 55% of them, but is tracking to have one of the worst showings of his 12-year career otherwise. He’s been one of the few weak spots on a well-rounded Devils roster that ranks second in the Metropolitan Division, making it easy to see why Fitzgerald’s priorities are what they are.

Evans carries just a $1.7MM cap hit this season, which the Devils could easily fit with $5.68MM in projected deadline space, per PuckPedia. What he’ll cost on an extension coming off a breakout year is a different question entirely.

Al MacNeil Passes Away At Age 89

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A legendary member of the Calgary Flames organization, Al MacNeil, has passed away at the age of 89 as announced by the Flames.

Before starting his coaching and executive career in the National Hockey League, MacNeil spent 11 years as a player. He suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Pittsburgh Penguins from 1955 to 1968 recording 17 goals and 92 points in 524 games with another four assists in 37 postseason contests.

After a brief hiatus in the CHL and AHL, MacNeil was named assistant coach for the Canadiens ahead of the 1970-71 season. After starting the season with an 11-8-4 record through 23 games, then-head coach Claude Ruel resigned leaving the keys to MacNeil for the remainder of the season.

Montreal rebounded immensely under MacNeil’s stewardship, finishing the regular season on a 31-15-9 tear with a +58 goal differential. After knocking off the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, the Canadiens defeated the Minnesota North Stars and Chicago Blackhawks to win the organization’s 15th Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Despite coaching the team to a Stanley Cup championship, Montreal hired fifth-year head coach Scotty Bowman after leading the St. Louis Blues to three out of the last four Stanley Cup Finals. The Canadiens had no intentions of MacNeil leaving the organization, naming him head coach of the AHL’s Nova Scotia Voyageurs. He enjoyed success with the Voyageurs, winning three Calder Cup championships in six seasons behind the bench.

After finishing as Director of Player Personnel for the Canadiens in the 1978-79 season, MacNeil became the head coach of the NHL’s Atlanta Flames for the 1979-80 season. He would spend the next two decades with the Flames organization.

MacNeil became the last head coach for the Atlanta Flames while being the first head coach for the Calgary Flames. He finished with a record of 105-93-44 in 240 games but failed to coach the Flames beyond the Conference Finals.

He was promoted to Calgary’s front office after the 1981-82 campaign and became the team’s assistant general manager in 1985. Despite a brief 11-game return as the Flames’ head coach in 2002-03, MacNeil held the role of the assistant general manager until his retirement after the 2005-06 season. MacNeil won the fourth Stanley Cup ring of his career when Calgary dispatched his former employer, the Canadiens, in the 1989 Stanley Cup Final.

Although many will think of franchise icons such as Jarome Iginla, Theo Fleury, Al MacInnis, or Lanny McDonald when pondering the Flames’ success since moving to Alberta, MacNeil remains one of the most historical figures in franchise history. PHR extends our condolences to Al’s friends, family, and the organizations he’s been a part of for the last 70 years.

Cayden Primeau Clears Waivers, Assigned To AHL

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Dec. 29th: The Canadiens organization announced Primeau has successfully cleared waivers. As expected, Montreal has reassigned Primeau to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

Dec. 27th: While the Canadiens are carrying three goalies following today’s recall of Jakub Dobes, that won’t be the case for long.  Following practice today, head coach Martin St. Louis told reporters including Sportsnet’s Eric Engels (Twitter link) that Montreal will place goaltender Cayden Primeau on waivers on Saturday.  The roster freeze doesn’t end until tomorrow which is why this move isn’t being made today.

Things were looking up for Primeau heading into the season.  After playing in a three-goalie rotation for most of last season, Primeau secured the full-time second spot after Jake Allen was moved to New Jersey at the trade deadline.  He finished up the season strong, putting up a .919 SV% in March and April, providing some optimism that he’d be ready for a full season of being a second-string option.

However, that hasn’t been the case as Primeau has struggled mightily thus far in 2024-25.  The 25-year-old has been limited to 11 appearances (four of which have come in relief) and he has posted a 4.70 GAA with a .836 SV%, ranking him last league-wide in both categories among netminders with more than one appearance this season.  That resulted in the team being hesitant to play him as his last start came back on December 1st.  With Samuel Montembeault only 13 games away from matching his career-high in appearances in a single season, carrying a backup they’re not comfortable using was unsustainable.

While Montreal was hesitant to waive him last season for fear he’d be claimed, it appears they’re more confident he’ll pass through now given his struggles so far.

The timing for those struggles is far from ideal for Primeau.  He’s in the final season of a three-year deal that carries a $890K cap charge while he’s also receiving a $1.1MM one-way salary.  As things stand, it’s hard to see the Canadiens (or another team if he’s claimed) offer him a seven-figure qualifying offer with arbitration rights this summer unless he is able to vastly turn things around in the second half of the season.

With Primeau not officially becoming available until Saturday, teams will have until 1 PM CT on Sunday to submit a claim for his services.

Prospect Mikus Vecvanags Signs In QMJHL

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  • Canadiens prospect Mikus Vecvanags has signed with QMJHL Acadie-Bathurst, per a team announcement (Twitter link). Montreal selected the netminder in the fifth round (134th overall) back in June.  Vecvanags was selected by the Titan in the CHL Import Draft but elected to start the season with BCHL Brooks but playing time was hard to come by as he got into just five games with the Bandits, posting a 3.18 GAA with a .881 SV%.

Canadiens Recall Jakub Dobes For NHL Debut

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The Canadiens have recalled goaltender Jakub Dobes from AHL Laval for his NHL debut, reports Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. There’s no injury to the Habs’ current NHL duo of Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau, but the club has an open roster spot and will use it to carry three goalies for its Florida back-to-back over the weekend.

The 23-year-old Dobes was the No. 136 overall pick in the 2020 draft, heading to Montreal in the fifth round. After impressing in United States Hockey League action in his post-draft season, he went on to have a strong two-year run at Ohio State University, where he posted a .926 SV% in 75 appearances. The transition to pro hockey has gone fairly well for Dobes too, taking over as Laval’s starter last year in his first look in AHL action, logging a 2.93 GAA, .906 SV%, and one shutout in 51 games.

While Dobes has been battling injuries this season, he’s gotten into 14 AHL games, posting a 2.44 GAA and .910 SV% with a 9-3-1 record. He’s split time evenly with veteran offseason addition Connor Hughes thanks to his health, posting slightly better numbers than his 28-year-old Swiss counterpart.

Dobes’ relatively seamless transition from level to level throughout his development bodes well for his performance on his first NHL recall. But while he deserves a look, today’s transaction isn’t all about him. It also has much to do with Primeau’s poor play in a backup role this season. The 25-year-old has established himself as nearly unplayable, logging a .836 SV%, 4.70 GAA, and remarkable -16.0 GSAA in just seven starts and four relief appearances, “good” for a 2-3-1 record. He’s posted a league-average save percentage in just one of those seven starts, a 33-save performance on 36 shots in a shootout loss to the Islanders back on Oct. 19.

It stands to reason that we’ve seen the last of Primeau for a while, although the Habs likely can’t afford to jeopardize Dobes’ development by keeping him up as Montembeault’s backup for the rest of the year. Whether Montreal parts ways with Primeau via trade or waivers, they’ll likely bring in a cheap option to replace him to give Dobes a little more time in Laval. The 6’4″ Czechia native will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer.

No Extension Talks Yet Between Canadiens And David Savard

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With the trade deadline about two and a half months away, some teams have started to assess what it might cost to keep some of their pending free agents around.  The Canadiens don’t appear to be one of them.  Center Jake Evans acknowledged that there have yet to be any discussions about a new deal while Pierre LeBrun recently reported on a TSN Insider Trading segment that the same goes for veteran blueliner David Savard.

The 34-year-old is in his fourth season with Montreal after inking a four-year, $14MM contract with them in the 2021 offseason.  Over his first three years with the team, he continued to be a reliable top-four defensive blueliner, albeit one who dealt with injury issues as he missed at least 20 games in each of those campaigns.  With that and the Canadiens rebuilding, Savard entered the season as a speculative trade candidate.

This season, Savard has seen his ice time dip a bit, checking in at 18:44 per game which would be the lowest he has had since the 2013-14 campaign with Columbus.  That is due to often lining up on the third pairing at even strength.  However, he leads Montreal in shorthanded playing time at 3:38 per night, a mark that ranks second in the NHL to Utah’s Mikhail Sergachev.  Savard has nine points in 32 games thus far while adding a team-high 84 blocked shots.

While Savard entered the year as one of the better right-shot rental options on the back end, the reduced role isn’t going to help his trade value.  Generally speaking, contending teams won’t want to move a high draft pick or strong prospect for a player likely to be their fifth defender.  Instead, they’ll be looking to upgrade those spots with more secondary pieces.

With that in mind, it might make sense for the Canadiens to entertain the idea of keeping Savard around a little longer.  While they got some veteran insurance on the right side of their back end when they acquired Alexandre Carrier just before the roster freeze, there’s certainly room to keep both around past this season.

Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher are Montreal’s top prospects on that side of the defense and while Mailloux might be ready for a full-time role next season, Reinbacher has yet to play in 2024-25 due to a knee injury and probably won’t be ready to play full-time in the NHL next season.  If they don’t keep Savard, it stands to reason that they might look to add a veteran on that side sometime over the offseason.

In the coming weeks, the Canadiens will need to assess whether they want to keep Savard around a little longer at a price tag that would likely check in around his current $3.5MM AAV.  Otherwise, expect to see his name in trade speculation as we get closer to the March 7th trade deadline.

Canadiens, Jake Evans Haven’t Discussed Extension

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The Montreal Canadiens are well-positioned to be deadline sellers for the fourth consecutive season. They also might have one of the most valuable rental candidates on the market.

Middle-six center Jake Evans is in the middle of a career year, only 11 points away from reaching career-highs in scoring despite playing in 39 fewer games. He’s scored seven goals and 19 points in 33 games for the Canadiens this season and sits fourth on the team in scoring. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent next summer when his three-year, $5.1MM contract concludes.

Montreal should theoretically be interested in keeping a player like Evans around but if they do — he doesn’t know it. In an interview with Eric Engels of Sportsnet, Evans replied, “Still crickets” when asked about extension negotiations with the Canadiens.

The Toronto, Ontario native is on pace for 17 goals and 47 points should he continue his current pace for the rest of the regular season. His career 50.8% faceoff rate and 89.2% on-ice save percentage in all situations should give interested teams confidence that Evans can play center toward the bottom of a contending lineup.

Evans’ biggest issue is his inconsistency over the last several years. That’s something he acknowledged in the interview with Engels when he said, “You start to understand your role and where you’re going to fit in and where you’re going to bring value to a team. Sometimes it takes guys half a season, but for me, moving up and down the lineup, you don’t really know what kind of player you’re supposed to be, and now I feel like I’ve finally found it.”

Still, even though he could conceivably double his current salary on the open market, Evans strikes as a player the Canadiens should keep around for the long haul. Cap space won’t be a concern for Montreal anytime soon and Evans has proven his value to the organization this season.

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