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Tag: Montreal Canadiens
Call of the Wilde: Washington takes series lead with 3-1 win over Montreal Canadiens – Montreal
While it was a loss, the feeling was positive after game one for Montreal. The Canadiens were not overwhelmed.
However, the Canadiens felt it was time for real victories instead of moral ones. They showed again that the rebuild is going extremely well, but the series is not.
It was a 3-1 win for the Capitals to take a two-game series lead.
Wilde Horses
After a strong first period without results, Montreal knew the immense value of the first goal. The Canadiens got it early.
The surprise line down the stretch in the regular season was Christian Dvorak with Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson. They all played their best hockey. In fact, Dvorak played the best hockey of his Canadiens career.
It was Dvorak who counted when he took a big hit to make a play. He and Anderson were both in front of the net taking pain to make to create offence.
The Canadiens needed a goal in the third and some positive trends started to develop. Lane Hutson began to slow down the game like he did in the regular season. Kaiden Guhle showed that he has the physical ability to battle well in some quite deep trenches. Ivan Demidov began to look more comfortable after a deer-in-the-headlights start. Juraj Slafkovsky started to look more able to handle the pace.
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Hockey is such a game of chaos. Montreal was handling the situation in Washington so extremely well. They were leading and in control.
But puck luck struck fast and it struck hard.
Connor McMichael didn’t have much going for him on his foray around the net. He was alone with two defenders surrounding him. McMichael simply threw it back to the middle. He didn’t even throw it at the net.
The attempt had zero chance of success on its own. However, you can’t plan for a 90-degree billiards bounce off a shin pad and into the net off David Savard.
Less than a minute later, not much of a powerful shot. It was an easy handle for Samuel Montembeault. However, the rebound went off his pad at the perfect moment that Dylan Strome was doing a fly-by. An easy goal for Strome.
Out of almost nothing, the Capitals turned the game upside down to lead 2-1 from a 1-0 deficit.
Hockey is a game of chaos. It is also fickle. Montreal deserved better, but one seeds somehow figure it out, even when they don’t merit it.
An aspect of the games that has gotten no attention at all, yet seems unusual is the Capitals’ stunning amount of late hits.
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No one is even talking about it on the broadcast or around the league, but the rulebook does say a player is allowed to complete his check only 1.5 to two seconds after the puck is gone.
Many hits from Washington are coming well after two steamboats. There has to be an expectation that there won’t be a hit after the puck is gone three seconds, or it isn’t actually even hockey anymore. It is simply indiscriminate hitting. It’s wrestling with sticks.
If this much hitting is allowed when a player hasn’t even possessed the puck for three seconds, then the Canadiens are too small a hockey team, and they need to fill their roster with much more size.
The league is proud that the regular season and playoffs are different, but intensity can’t be solely defined by this. Better playoff hockey has to include the actual puck.
Is playoff hockey better than the regular season? Or is it simply that more is on the line during the game, so it feels better?
Personally, it doesn’t feel that entertaining to me. Goals go down. Chances go down. Excellence by talented players goes down. Puck skills go down. Late hits go up. Crosschecks go up. Sticks go up. Tackling goes up. None of this is an attractive version of this breathtakingly beautiful sport when it’s working.
Three times, Canadiens players have been clearly cross-checked in the face. None of the the three had a penalty called. Caufield got cross-checked in the face just as he was about to attempt a point-blank shot to tie the game in the final two minutes.
The people who sell the game to all of you will hate these thoughts, but the NHL changes its standards so much from the regular season to the playoffs, it’s laughable. Let’s see what it looks like in the next six weeks, but to me, it looks like they’ll all be grinding it down in quicksand by June.
And that’s the reason the ratings go down as the playoffs continue, and not up like all the other major sports. By the semifinals, the rulebook is one page long and no one in the NHL has a problem with it.
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It’s been a consistent theme at the Call of the Wilde that Montreal is one 200-foot centre shy of being upper echelon. Never was it more apparent than in game one of the series.
There are doubters of the Canadiens top line, but, once again, they proved they compete and excel against anyone. The line was responsible for both goals, but more than that their story was told in scoring chances. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky had 11 chances for to only three chances against in game one.
It’s a shame that there is a narrative brewing that Caufield is too small because he got run over by Alexander Ovechkin in game one. With that 15-stride head of steam Ovechkin had, he would have ‘freight-trained’ anyone standing still, unaware and defenceless. Caufield is fine. He rarely gets hit. The Canadiens’ first line was a top-five line in goals and chances per-60 minutes in the regular season, then they dominated in the playoffs first game too.
The issue is line two and there can absolutely be no doubt about it. It was the second line that was on for the overtime winner for Ovechkin. Capitals Head Coach Spencer Carbery made sure he had Ovechkin out against the Newhook line as often as possible with the last line change.
The scoring chances show utter dominance with a 10-1 advantage for Washington. Even if the second line could get that into only a marginal deficit category, it would alter game outcomes. To be completely dominated is a certain path to playoff failure, and until it is corrected, organizational failure. The second line must be corrected.
The blame tends to fall on the centre’s shoulders in Alex Newhook, but the other two members are also to blame for the difficulties. Newhook is actually skating well and lifting his career ceiling. The only issue is that he is simply not a centre.
Patrik Laine is also a massive issue. He is one of the poorest five-on-five players in the NHL. He processes the game at a stunningly low speed. He also cannot get it in his head that the value of a dump-in is high over a neutral zone turnover when he is constantly stripped of the puck at centre ice.
The Canadiens should be spending time on offence after a simple Laine dump-in; instead, they are scrambling to recover and often short-manned defensively from the needless error.
The third member of the line is forgiven. Ivan Demidov looked tremendous in his first two games in the regular season. Every time he touched the puck, he did something outstanding. However, the intensity of the playoffs ratcheted up so much in game one that he was overwhelmed. Demidov had only a few touches. He did zero offensively and was behind the play defensively.
It will be interesting to see how the coaching staff handles Demidov the rest of the series. If they have their eye on the importance of winning this series, he may be replaced in the lineup. If they take the long view that this is important experience for the future, then he will remain playing.
The view here is every game and every player, who is a part of the brighter future and the bigger picture, must experience these moments. That includes even if these moments are painful.
This point isn’t just for Demidov. It’s for Arber Xhekaj as well. The Stanley Cup isn’t on the line this season. This is all a massive unexpected bonus. It’s preparing Xhekaj for the future that counts. It’s preparing Demidov for the future that is the more important end-game.
Let the youth mature through the experience of playing. Add a strong second centre to the roster next season, hope David Reinbacher is healthy, wait for Jacob Fowler and Michael Hage to arrive, and look out.
The Canadiens will all be ready to ride with the best of the east in the years to come.
Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sports writer, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after each Canadiens game.
Call of the Wilde: Montreal Canadiens’ winning streak ends with 5-2 loss to Ottawa – Montreal
The Montreal Canadiens had two targets to hit at the end of the season, and both of them, no one could have seen coming at the beginning of the season.
The Canadiens were in last place in November, but with a win over Ottawa, not only could the Canadiens have wrapped up a playoff spot, they could have seriously considered unseating the Senators for the first wild card spot.
Montreal seemed to be eyeing the second spot with the effort in Ottawa Friday. But they were always second-best against the Senators — the playoffs will have to wait for another day after a 5-2 loss.
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There’s little to celebrate, but the Nick Suzuki march to 90 points continued with point 87. Juraj Slafkovsky won the puck in the corner, then delivered a strong pass to Suzuki. It’s the 35th point in 23 games for Suzuki since the Four Nations break. Simply outstanding offensive numbers.
Suzuki has the most points for a Canadiens player this century. The captain eclipsed the 84-point mark of Alexei Kovalev from 2008. It’s been some dark times for offence in Montreal for a long time. Suzuki finally put up some better numbers after a 17-year drought for the team.
Suzuki has a point in seven straight games. Not only is he trying to hit 90 points, he is also trying to notch 30 goals. He has 29. The last Canadiens player to get at least 90 points was Pierre Turgeon with 96 in 1996. Vincent Damphousse had 94 that same year.
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The poor starts continued for the Canadiens. Only 28 seconds in, the Senators counted before the Canadiens even touched the puck in the game. Head Coach Martin St. Louis had the right people on. He had his number one centre, accompanied by his usual linemates.
He had his best defending pair on in Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle. However, every single one of them either lost a puck battle or lost their man in allowing Shane Pinto to score from three feet in front of the net. It’s bizarre how bad the Canadiens have been in the first period, yet they entered the night on a six-game winning streak.
Playing a bad opening 20 had to catch up with the club eventually, and this was that ‘eventually’. The Senators rolled all over Montreal. Less than four minutes later, it’s the Suzuki line on again with the Savard-Struble pairing, and another goal was allowed. Dylan Cozens scored on a rebound. It was ugly, and it was ugly fast.
The power play is also struggling. It’s the 23rd in the league since the Four Nations break. That power play could use an injection of a talented playmaker like Ivan Demidov as soon as he gets comfortable. Demidov should replace Juraj Slafkovsky, who is the reason the puck is lost on that power play most of the time. Slafkovsky struggles to handle pursuit-pressure on him. If it comes quickly, it impacts his decision making.
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Demidov, on the power play, will have a footprint that is very much like Suzuki’s. He will have strong vision, good playmaking, strong shot, and an ability to hold on to the puck much better than the man that he should replace. There’s a lot of talent on that power play. It should not be bottom third in the league.
The loss all but rules out the first wild card hope for Montreal as Ottawa is now almost free and home for that honour. However, the Canadiens have to get back to work on Saturday now in Toronto, as they don’t want to leave this too long, creating more drama than is wanted.
After six straight wins, and a lot of emotional energy spent, it was not surprising that they didn’t match the Senators intensity in this one. They have to make sure they get it back one more time, though, before this season concludes.
They can also hope for help. Three clubs still alive can all be eliminated before the Canadiens drop the puck against the Maple Leafs. The Islanders are in Philadelphia. The Blue Jackets are hosting Washington. The Rangers are in Carolina. All three clubs can’t afford a loss Saturday afternoon, or they are out.
The Red Wings won in Tampa Bay in a shootout. They remain alive.
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At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, on an otherwise quiet night in April, the Sick Podcast began livestreaming a shot of double doors at Pearson Airport in Toronto. In the next hour, Ivan Demidov was expected to walk through arrivals.
That’s it. Nothing more. Demidov wasn’t going to start skating, or shoot some pucks on a makeshift net at the airport. All he was going to do was walk through a door and then keep on walking.
As streaming video events go, it’s difficult to imagine anything duller than this. So why did it become a viral event?
There were 480,000 views of that door by the time the night was over. Demidov-mania in Montreal has begun. This is how starved for a superstar Canadiens hockey fans are.
Demidov didn’t speak to the media who staked out the airport along with the fans. Demidov had a long day flying from Istanbul, Turkey. It was straight to the hotel room in Toronto for him with a police escort.
Toronto is where Demidov will join the club Saturday morning and step on the ice as a Canadiens player for the first time. Demidov won’t play on Saturday against the Maple Leafs as he gets acclimated to Canada making an attempt to lose his jet-lag after a thrilling week.
Demidov has chosen jersey number 93. This is appropriate as this is the last year that the Canadiens won the cup. He is the best hope that they have had since then that they can win another cup. It’s been 32 years for Montreal, and, in fact, all of Canada.
No pressure, kid.
However, great players welcome pressure. They know they have the talent to rise to it. Make no mistake, Demidov is that great player. Scouts all over claim that he should be compared to Nikita Kucherov.
Demidov broke the KHL record in 2024-25 for points in a season for a draft-plus-one player. He surpassed Matvei Michkov. An expectation that he will have a rookie season like Michkov in Philadelphia is a fair one. It is expected Demidov will be in the Calder Trophy conversation as best rookie next season.
All is looking extremely positive for the Canadiens who finish year three of the rebuild already expected to be a playoff team in the next four days. Adding Demidov and a second-line centre should only add to the anticipation that franchise greatness is just around the corner.
It is a fun time to be a Canadiens fan. We just didn’t know it was so fun that 500,000 fans would watch a future start walk through a door.
Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sports writer, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after each Canadiens game.
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Call of the Wilde: Montreal Canadiens make huge point against Colorado Avalanche – Montreal
When the Montreal Canadiens started this season so poorly allowing eight goals regularly in the first two months, it looked like another season of rebuilding. However, the Canadiens have the ninth best record in the league since December 1st.
Problem is the Colorado Avalanche have the third best record in that time frame. Two hot teams met on Saturday night in a massively entertaining contest as the Canadiens fought back to take it to overtime before finally falling 5-4 in a shootout.
Wilde Horses
It’s a captivating to watch the evolution of Josh Anderson. He isn’t the shooter that he used to be. If he didn’t evolve his game, it would have been a quick exit from the NHL when his goal totals dropped from 27 to nine.
However, with the aid of Head Coach Martin St. Louis teaching a new way to play, Anderson is a valuable member of the Canadiens. He’s still a power forward, but the power is now in the force he brings to the action, and the fear he instills.
Anderson as the first-forward checking on dump-ins is an absolute menace for the opposition. By the third period, defenders aren’t even sure they want to be a part of it as Anderson is still bringing energy. Against Ottawa recently, Thomas Chabot simply started bailing out.
A complete team has players who bring excellence in different ways. Anderson is excellent on a line with Brendan Gallagher and Christian Dvorak. They are relentless on the forecheck. It’s a line with a work ethic. That’s what a team’s third line does.
In fact, it was that work ethic that produced the tying goal in the third period. Gallagher won the puck battle in the corner and fed to Dvorak who made a great inside-out move then roofed a backhander. Montreal was down 4-1. It was a stunning comeback against an NHL powerhouse.
Juraj Slafkovsky showed exactly what he has to do to find success in this contest. Slafkovsky played to his blueprint on his first period goal: Get in front of the net, use that big body, be unmovable and get your stick in good position for a deflection.
On his third period goal, Slafkovsky showed not more pace on his shot because that pace has long been established. What he did show was a quicker release, and that’s been a long time coming, but is now finally arriving. That’s 16 on the season for Slafkovsky.
Nick Suzuki kept his point-per-game hunt going with an assist on the first Slafkovsky goal. He has 72 points in 69 games.
In the third period, more evidence that Alex Newhook is finding another level this season. Newhook has long had speed, but now he is finally learning how to use it. Instead of slowing down and gliding when he arrives at defenders, he is striding right through them.
Newhook’s ability to cut through defenders led to a shot that Joshua Roy scored on the rebound. Newhook will eventually make GM Kent Hughes look smart with this trade. Newhook’s teammates should start to get into the habit of following him up to the net. What he can’t finish, they should be able to.
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Newhook’s improvement is yet another great development for the Canadiens this season.
Wilde Goats
Samuel Montembeault has been revealing an unusual weakness recently. It’s a weakness that is usually a strength for an NHL goalie. The shot from 40 feet is supposed to be handled fairly easily at this level, but it’s the Achilles heel of Montembeault right now.
The first two goals were shots from the point, and both were not screened. It wasn’t just Montembeault, though, who had difficulty. The third pairing of Arber Xhekaj and David Savard was struggling. They were on for both goals against in the first.
Savard has never been the fleetest of foot, but it’s becoming apparent that he can not close down the opposition, especially a team as fast as the Avalanche. The return of Kaiden Guhle is vital. He practiced with the club for the first time on Saturday.
Guhle’s timeline to return from an operation on his quad is unknown, but if it is on the shorter side, it would make a world of difference to this run for a playoff spot.
Wilde Cards
It feels like the Canadiens fans are not ready to accept that the rebuild is going as well as it actually is. Could it be that the rebuild only in its 38th month is already this good? By looking at the roster construction, the answer is clearly yes.
Good roster construction is every player is in their natural seat. If a player has to play out of their talent-level rising up to face higher competition than they are able, then losses pile up, and the rebuild is not succeeding.
In the NHL, the top line is required to score 100 goals to be considered elite. There are only five 100-goal lines per season usually. Sometimes, that number rises a bit, but generally, the century mark is a remarkable plateau, and few attain it.
If that top line can also summon strong defensive hockey, then the chance of team greatness grows even more. The Suzuki line is that line. Somehow, Suzuki is plus-10 on a team with a negative 17 differential. The line is on pace for 82 goals this season. A goal-per-game is usually top-ten for a first line. The Suzuki line stands 11th.
When Slafkovsky adds a bit to that overall team total as he seems ready to do next season, then the top line has every player in its natural seat comfortable with their responsibility. They have put a half season together with 53 goals. They can do it again for a full year to be elite.
Line two in the NHL is usually responsible for 65 goals and has an ability to shut down or neutralize the top line of other clubs due to not having the last line change on the road. This is where the Canadiens fell apart this year with among the worst lines in the league in this category.
However, the solutions are on the way. The first solution is the best player not in the NHL today Ivan Demidov, and the second is the promise that GM Kent Hughes has made that he will be aggressive to acquire a centre this off season.
One scenario is a restricted free-agent robbery following like the Blues did to the Oilers of Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. The Canadiens may acquire that centre giving up draft pick compensation. Marco Rossi is just one example on cap-anxious Minnesota. There are many possibilities.
The third line next year will look different, but better than this year. It’s likely that Alex Newhook will centre that third line. This is a perfect example of a player with an opportunity to excel in a more appropriate seat.
Newhook facing third line competition next season could be a boon for the club, especially considering that he will have Kirby Dach on his wing on one side and an expectation of Josh Anderson on the other side. That’s a third line with more pedigree than any third line in the league.
The fourth line is Jake Evans, Brendan Gallagher, and Emil Heineman. Just where do players like Owen Beck, Oliver Kapanen, Joshua Roy fit in at the moment? It’s a talent rich club at forward simply waiting for a second-line centre to be among the best, top to bottom, in the league depth-wise.
While the top-six may lack a proven superstar, the overall depth will be a formidable challenge for opposition coaches to handle. Soon, after acclimating to the North American game, they’ll have that superstar in Demidov.
On defence, the excellence for this club continues. With Lane Hutson proving that he can play the right side, that opens up the opportunity for Kaiden Guhle to join him on the top pairing. This will be the best top pair that Montreal has had in a long time.
The second unit is likely to be Mike Matheson and Alexandre Carrier with the third unit Arber Xhekaj and David Reinbacher. The former fifth-pick overall is playing outstanding hockey in Laval, and his progression may not include another season in the minors.
This is more possible if the Rocket have a long playoff run and Reinbacher is a part of it. He won’t need yet another season of development, if he excels in 45 games this year. The prediction here is he will be ready in October for the NHL, especially with light minutes and easier match-ups on the third pair.
Again, the depth is remarkable with Jayden Struble excelling this season, yet, possibly, not able to win a job in October. Adam Engstrom and Logan Mailloux are still waiting for their chance. The Canadiens have, at least, six players with the training required to be NHL regulars, but won’t be able to win a job.
Add more arriving later like Michael Hage, Jacob Fowler, and two first rounders taken this season in the mid-teens to the talent pool and you have quite the opportunity to be strong for a long time. The truth is that the few players soon to be aging out already have their strong replacements in the organizational pipeline.
The rebuild is in full-flight. If the injury bug doesn’t strike next season, the ninth best team since December this season, could be the ninth best team all season in 2025-26.
Fans are excited. They should be.
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Call of the Wilde: Montréal Canadiens lows continue with loss to Tampa Bay Lightning – Montreal
The Four Nations break has arrived for the Montréal Canadiens, and it couldn’t come soon enough. The Canadiens fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 on home ice Sunday.
The Canadiens finished their last nine games with only one win.
Wilde Horses
The best Canadiens forward this weekend was Josh Anderson. He moved on to the second line with Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, and he changed that line from playing primarily in the defensive zone to getting a lot of attack time.
Anderson earned a breakaway in the first period. It was Lane Hutson who made a 150-foot seeing-eye pass to free him. Anderson was hooked from behind, and a penalty shot was awarded. Anderson missed his shot, but it is another good sign for Anderson. He is a perfect forechecker for the Dach line.
The Canadiens were down 2-0 before scoring late in the first period and Newhook was the architect. He uses his speed only a small portion of the amount he should and could. On the power play, Newhook won the blue line, then fed the puck to Brendan Gallagher who snapped it home.
In the second period, the Canadiens counted another. It was a Christian Dvorak shot from the high slot that took a deflection. It came just after an impressive attempt by Juraj Slafkovsky who ripped a shot off the crossbar. The release was fast. The shot was powerful. He has to show that shot more.
Lane Hutson was given reduced ice time in the first period, but he recovered with an excellent second frame. He was the best defender during a stretch where it seemed impossible to take him off the puck when he was dangling.
The Canadiens kept the fight going in the third period. A loose puck came to Gallagher and he scored his second of the afternoon. It was a carbon copy of his first goal – same location of the shot on the left side and high slot, same location on the net finding the far side.
Overall, the lead horse for the rebuild was the development of Owen Beck. It was the first chance in the NHL this season for Beck to play at centre, and did he ever nail it. It’s a small sample size as Beck only had 10 minutes of ice, but he was outstanding.
Beck was moved to centre with Patrik Laine and Joel Armia. Dach with Laine was an absolute nightmare as the two got caved in repeatedly. However, with Beck, the line was outstanding.
Beck’s line managed a 100 Goals Expected share with no shots against or attempted when he was on the ice. Beck’s line also had an 83 Corsi. Beck is such a heady player – he is in the right spot all the time defensively. He has superb vision of the ice and he doesn’t leave the zone too soon.
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With all of that defensive acumen, Beck doesn’t find himself out of energy or resolve offensively either. He is tenacious on the attack, he works hard and smart for every inch. These are terrific moments for Beck. It appears he has the tools for success.
Wilde Goats
Two goals against on two shots and there was nothing that Jakub Dobes could do about either of them. On the first goal against, Slafkovsky had the puck on his stick in his own zone. He couldn’t make his decision fast enough, and ended up turning it over. On the second goal, Hutson tried a pinch that didn’t work, and afterward, it carnage defensively. It was a 2-on-0 when defender Victor Hedman scored. Head Coach Martin St. Louis was so upset that he put the lines in a blender.
Slafkovsky was taken off the first line as Jake Evans moved from centre to wing in an unusual move. Slafkovsky moved on to a line with Christian Dvorak and Gallagher.
On the next shift, Laine was so upset at the bench when it was done that he slammed his stick against the boards. The toll was heavy on everyone with only one win in their last nine games.
In the second period, it fell apart for Dobes, or, at least, it fell apart in the eyes of the head coach. Dobes lost his balance on the third goal, and fell. He was out of position for the Brayden Point shot. That’s just an unlucky moment, but Dobes lost his turn in the game to Samuel Montembeault.
Martin St. Louis is showing a lack of patience with his players in the last two weeks. That might not be a good strategy for a young team who wasn’t expected to be better than this anyway. Historically, when a head coach shows a short leash for his players, he is, ultimately, shortening his own leash.
Wilde Cards
Mercifully, for the Montréal Canadiens, the Four Nations break is two weeks. Only a short time ago, the Canadiens were in the final wild-card spot surging with excitement. However, they hit the wall, and now it’s a completely different script.
In the final 26 games, to get to the 93 points it will likely take to make the playoffs, the Canadiens have to win 19 games and lose only seven. For a club that hovers around .500 for an entire year, that simply is not going to happen.
The slide in 16 short days has changed the trading deadline plan for the club leading up to March 7. The scuttlebutt in NHL circles is the Four Nations break is going to be a busy one for general managers who will use the time to plan for the future.
The Canadiens have three futures, and they are all very distinct from each other at the moment. The immediate future is prepare for full sell action on their unrestricted free agents. Choices have to be made for Dvorak, Armia, Jake Evans and David Savard.
Popular consensus is Dvorak will not be given an offer by the club, Savard is expected to get a one-year offer, Evans will get a serious offer of three years, and Armia will get a serious offer as well. If the players reject their offers to hit the open market, then they will be traded.
There is no logic to keeping these players for culture reasons with only 20 games remaining. The culture won’t be won or lost because the club is woefully weak in the last quarter of the season. Weak is better as they organically try to get a higher draft pick. More prospects will get a taste of the NHL as well.
This Canadiens trading deadline will also be about expediting success for next season. The weaknesses on the roster have to be filled. If General Manager Kent Hughes can acquire a second-line centre and a 3-4 defender, he will make those moves for next year.
The goal with this trade is to not mortgage the future while improving the short-term. Expect a carbon-copy of the Justin Barron for Alexandre Carrier trade. Hughes will give up second- and third-round draft choices to strengthen the roster.
There is even a possibility that trading away Montreal’s first-rounder is attractive. If the player coming back has a long-term future with Montreal, they will make that deal. Rumours of Trevor Zegras last year, and Dylan Cozens this year are all about this long-term goal of trading picks and prospects for a long-term solution up front.
The final goal leading to early March is to make sure that no choices are made that make only 2025-26 attractive while forfeiting success in the ten seasons that follow. Management has their eyes on the prize, and the prize is long-term success. There will be no trades that hurt the long-term growth of the club.
Hughes has been able to trade his free-agents over the years for first-round draft picks. That is not likely to happen this year as none of the four UFAs will fetch first-round picks – they aren’t strong enough players.
Also, GMs are understanding that there is only one parade, and a short-term rental for a first-round pick is not working sufficiently in the playoffs to warrant such long-term destruction to their rosters.
For the Canadiens, they may feel down about the last two weeks, but they got a taste of greatness, and now realize that the club can put success together for extended periods. Last year, they definitely weren’t the best team in the league over a 15-game stretch, but they were this year, so there is cause for belief.
The next goal for 2025-26 is to be the best team in the league for 30 games and not just 15. All that is needed is to fill a couple roster holes, and wait for these prospects to arrive and mature. It’s an exciting time for the Canadiens, even if it doesn’t feel like it today.
Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sports writer, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after each Canadiens game.
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