Montreal Canadiens News and Notes
Catching up with first-round pick Michael Hage. [Montreal Canadians]
Comparing the contracts of Juraj Slafkovsky and Quinton Byfield. [RDS]
The Canadiens plan to move Josh Anderson, along with two more bold off-season forecasts. [The Hockey Writers.]
Is Lane Hutson a future Calder candidate? [ESPN| RDS]
Justin Barron appears to be fighting with Logan Mailloux for a position with the Habs to begin the season. [The Hockey Writers.]
Sam Harris hopes to win another NCAA championship. [Montreal Gazette].
Dominique Ducharme and Joel Bouchard discuss Pascal Vincent during Ducharme’s charity golf tournament. [La Presse].
Daniel Jacob’s return to Laval was motivated by family. [La Presse].
Around the league and abroad.
All eyes will be on John Tavares and Mitch Marner as they choose the top 25 UFAs for 2025. [Sportsnet]
The NHL’s 10 worst contracts for 2024. [The Athletic].
Ranking the misery of all 32 NHL fan bases. [Daily Face Off]
McDavid vs. Crosby: Which generational talent had the more successful career by the age of 27? [Daily Face Off]
The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Mark Leach as Director of Amateur Scouting, after he spent the previous 11 seasons with the Dallas Stars Amateur Scouting Staff. [Toronto Maple Leafs].
Posted in LinksTagged: Juraj Slafkovský, Justin Barron, Lane Hutson, Michael Hage, Montreal Canadiens, Pascal Vincent, Toronto Maple Leafs
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Without Joel Edmundson, Arber Xhekaj would have been an ideal replacement for Arthur Kaliyev.
For some time, there has been speculation that Arthur Kaliyev could be moved to the Habs. He does not appear to be the club’s top priority, but he is the type of player that the Habs want to pursue.
Don’t you think of Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook when you see a young forward in need of a change of scenery?
The question now is: what would a deal involving Kaliyev look like?
In a post for The Hockey News, Austin Stanovich, who has covered hockey in the Los Angeles area for a while, considers the Habs a logical choice. However, there is one section of his text that is somewhat surprising:
This is where Joel Edmundson’s signing begins to hurt. […] The club desired physical players, and Arber Xhekaj would have been an ideal candidate. — Austin Stanovich
We’re still waiting to see what happens with Arthur Kaliyev, and in my latest @TheHockeyNews, I argue why the Kings and Canadiens would be a perfect trade.
Stanovich writes in his text that he knows Tricolore management adores their defenseman and is unsure whether the Habs would have been willing to deal him.
I believe I can answer that question rather easily: the Habs would never have traded Xhekaj for Kaliyev. Given that Kent Hughes dealt Alexander Romanov, no mean comparison to the Sheriff, for the 13th overall pick, I doubt he’d be prepared to sell Xhekaj for Kaliyev, who appears to be on his way to being a third-line player (at most).
However, Stanovich is correct in stating that Xhekaj would have been a stronger alternative than Edmundson on a third pair. But, he continues, Edmundson’s presence puts the final nail in the coffin of that prospect.
Similarly, he believes Adam Engström is no longer a viable target for the Kings. However, he wonders if the Habs would be willing to surrender Emil Heineman or Florian Xhekaj in exchange for Kaliyev.
The goal would be to go with a youngster who appears “safer” playing on a supporting line.
I see why Xhekaj is considered as a potential target for such a deal… However, I have a hunch it would have been negatively welcomed in Montreal.
Without labeling him as untouchable, the Habs can at least expect to get a higher-quality player if they deal Xhekaj, correct?
Overtime: Good words for Jacob Fowler.
