Hockey Free For All
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4 days ago
4 days ago
Hello Hockey Fans, take a listen to Episode 159 of the Hockey Free For all Podcast to get you’re your hockey fix, this week’s topics include-
#1. Florian Xhekaj will be a very important player for the Montreal Canadiens.
#2. The Compensation package for players that could or might be available around the NHL are off the charts ridiculous. Teams are asking for more than what the Edmonton Oilers got for Wayne Gretzky, and no player in the league today even comes remotely close to Wayne Gretzky.
#3. There are multiple reasons beyond just the supposed 2nd center need to swap Filip Mesar with the Carolina Hurricane for Ryan Suzuki.
#4. Anybody else starting to draw comparisons of Johnathan Drouin and Kirby Dach?
#5. A trade of Kirby Dach to the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Jamie Drysdale is a legit scenario only because both of these players are entering the final year of their current contracts, so it’s a one-year test for both the Montreal Canadiens and the Philadelphia Flyers.
#6. Logan Mailloux, David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom should all have first shots at roster position before anyone from the outside does.
#7. Cayden Primeau should be the number 1 goalie in Laval. He turned his season around, He’s carried the team, He had an enormous role in getting the team to where they are at and he’s earned it, as for the summer, its TDB!
#8. The 2024/2025 Stanley Cup Final will be a repeat of the 2023/2024 Stanley Cup Final as both the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers have made it all the way back in a rematch.
#9. The Montreal Canadiens do not need to sign pending free agent Left Winger Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets.
#10. Trade Patrik Laine to either the Pittsburgh Penguins or the Vancouver Canucks for the 11th or 15th overall pick respectively.
#11. I say Mitch Marner ends up in one of 3 teams. Either the Las Vegas Golden knights or the Florida Panthers because of tax and weather reasons, or the Kyle Dubas factor with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Friday May 23, 2025
Friday May 23, 2025
Hello Hockey Fans. Take a listen to Episode 158 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast. This episode discussions include-
#1. The Montreal Canadiens have absolutely no need for Alexis Lafreniere.
#2. The Montreal Canadiens need to keep all their own prospects and draft picks.
#3. In addition to not needing Alexis Lafreniere of the Rangers, Montreal has no need for Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks, Dawson Mercer of the Devils or the often-injured Marco Rossi from the Minnesota Wild. All of these teams are asking for greater compensation than the Edmonton Oilers got for Wayne Gretzky, and not one of them or all of them collectively are near Wayne Gretzky’s talent.
#4. Listen to why the Montreal Canadiens do not need Bo Horvat and Noah Dobson either.
#5. David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux and Adam Engstrom are all already better than Noah Dobson.
#6. The Montreal Canadiens have at least 8 options that they internally platoon in the 2nd center position?
#7. It doesn’t stop. The Montreal Canadiens do not need to acquire Mason McTavish.
#8. Dallas Stars are looking really good.
#9. The Florida Panthers didn’t beet the Toronto Maple Leaf’s, the Florida Panthers smoked the Leaf’s.
#10. The Florida Panthers are destroying the Carolina Hurricanes, its not even a contest
#11. Wild 3rd period between the Dallas stars and the Edmonton Oilers in game 1.
#12. The Montreal Canadiens need to keep all their 2025 draft pick and keep adding talent.
#13. Lots of options at 16 and 17 for Montreal in the first round of the 2025 draft. Brady Martin, Cameron Reid, Cater Bear, Ivan Ryabkin, William Moore, William Horcroff, Lynden Lakovic, Logan Hensler and many more.
#14. Will the New York Islanders select Center James Hagens of Boston College?
#15. Want to bet that Mitch Marner lines up with Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh next season?
#16. Very Likely John Tavares will be back and Mitch Marner will not in Toronto.
#17. Mathew Knies next contract will be very interesting after an outstanding 2nd half of the regular season and the playoffs.
#18. The Boston Bruins sign General Manager Don Sweeney to a new 2 year contract.
#19. The Toronto Maple Leaf’s allow the New York Islanders to speak with Brendan Shanahan.
#20. The Toronto Maple Leaf’s have released and will not be resigning Team President Brendan Shanahan.
#21. The New York Islanders did not select Marc Bergevin as their next General Manager, they chose Mathew Darch as their new and next General Manager.
#22. The Toronto Maple Leaf’s have the most interesting offseason of all Canadiens teams.
#23. The Chicago Blackhawks have hired Jeff Blashill as their new and next head coach.
#24. Here’s 2 actual interesting options for the Montreal Canadiens, Ryan Suzuki and Issac Howard?
Friday May 16, 2025
Friday May 16, 2025
Hello Hockey Fans. Episode 157 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast has arrived for your enjoyment. This week’s discussions include-
#1. Marc Bergevin would be a solid selection as President of Hockey Operations for the New York Islanders.
#2. Mathew Darch would be an excellent choice as the New York Islanders next General Manager.
#3. The New York Islanders have won the NHL draft lottery. Do they select defenseman Matthew Schaefer or Center James Hagens, Hear why.
#4. Jaccob Fowler is having a lights out performance in Laval and making his case to be the number 1 goalie in Montreal next season.
#5. Ivan Ryabkin and William Moore are the pick for Montreal at the 16th and 17th selection spots in the 2025 NHL draft.
#6. Stop the insanity , the Montreal Canadiens do not need Sidney Crosby, Mathew Barzal or Bo Horvat!
#7. Sidney Crosby is 38 and would cost far too many assets and draft capital, and by himself does not make the Montreal Canadiens winners of the Stanley Cup.
#8. Mathew Barzal is a more effective winger than center and is far too inconsistent, for what he is paid.
#9. Bo Horvat has 7-years left on an ungodly expensive contract.
#10. Do not let Cayden Primeau just walk away for nothing, hear why. Florian Xhehaj, Brandan Gallagher, ring a bell?
#11. Here’s a trade that actually make sense for a lot of reasons. Send Right Wing Prospect Filip Mesar to the Carolina Hurricanes straight for prospect center Ryan Suzuki.
#12. Rob Blake outs as L.A. Kings General Manager.
#13. Ken Holland in as the new L.A. Kings General Manager.
#14. Rick Tocchet out as Head Coach of the Vancouver Canucks.
#15. Adam Foote in as the new Head Coach of the Vancouver Canucks.
#16. Rick Tocchet named as the 25th Head Coach of the Philadelphia Flyers.
#17. Looks like the Toronto Maple Leaf’s are about to choke once again, as the Florida Panthers after being down 2 games to none, are about to knock them out of the 2024/2025 playoffs.
#18. The Dallas Stars look like they are wiping the ice with the Winnipeg Jet’s.
#19. The Edmonton Oilers are waiting for their next opponent.
#20. The Carolina Hurricanes looked poised to eliminate the Washington Capitals.
#21. Has anyone else notice the migration of Montreal Canadiens goalie prospect Quinten Miller, from the QMJHL, to Chiliwack of the BCHL and is now heading to the University of Denver next season. Here’s to him finding the home he has been searching for.
#22. Hats off to Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Lane Huston and Juraj Slafkovsky for declining an invitations to play for team Canada, USA and Slovakia. These 4 players clearly understand their health and recovery far exceeds the importance of anything or anyone else.
Wednesday May 14, 2025
Wednesday May 14, 2025
Hello Hockey Fans, welcome to Episode 156 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast
#1. Here’s a trade for all of the relentless blood thirsty people that have just been dying to trade away every player and prospect in the Montreal Organization, Filip Mesar to the Carolina Hurricanes straight up for Center Prospect Ryan Suzuki.
#2. A blatant example of stupidity. Why Montreal Canadiens trade 4 1st round pick and prospect Michael Hage to acquiring Sydney Crosby? Ignorance knows no boundaries.
#3. Why would Montreal destroy team chemistry, the looker room, player roles and start their rebuild all over again?
#4. Sidney Crosby, Conner McDavid, Leon Draisaitl or any other individual player in the entire NHL would not be enough on their own to propel Montreal to a 25th Stanley Cup and Parade. Stop with the insanity.
#5. The Montreal’s roster has no physicality other than Arber Xhekaj, plain and simple.
#6. The Montreal Canadiens do not need to look outside of their own organization to replace David Savard.
#7. Do not let Cayden Primeau walk for nothing. If nothing else get a 4th to 7th round pick for him. Why? Brendan Gallagher, Jake Evan, Sean Ferrall, Tyler Thorp and many others were all mid to late round draft picks.
#8. Oliver Kapanen and Cayden Primeau were sent down to the Laval Rockets for their playoff run. Why wasn’t Iven Demidov?
#9. The New York Rangers hire Mike Sullivan as their next head coach.
#10. Peter Laviolette as Penguins head coach?
#11. Gerard Gallant makes far more since in Pittsburgh.
#12. Here’s to wishing a lot of luck to Kyle Dubas, he’s going to need it. There’s an enormous firestorm heading his way.
#13. Mitch Marner to the Penguins in the offseason?
#14. Apparently, coaches are not the only ones loosing their jobs. L.A. Kings Vp/G.M. Rob Blake have mutually agreed to part ways.
#15. Mathew Darch is the perfect choice for the L.A. Kings next General Manager.
#16. Don’t be surprised at all if Marc Bergevin is named President of Hockey Operations for the N.Y. Islanders.
#17. Is time for the Montreal Canadiens to move on from Christian, Dvorak, Joel Armia or Michael Pezzetta.
#18. At a Minimum, Ivan Demidov, Owen Beck, Jared Davidson, David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux and Adam Engstrom are all ready to claim their roster spots.
#19. In 2025/2026 Arber Xhekaj needs to play in all 82 games plus all playoffs in a regular every game role.
#20. Trade Patrik Laine to the Vancouver Canucks for their first draft in the 2025 NHL entry draft, which is 15th overall, and there at it, include Oliver Kapanen for a 2nd and Gustav Lindstrom for a 3rd.
#21. What a fantastic game 7 between the Winnipeg Jets and the St. Louis blues.
Friday May 02, 2025
Friday May 02, 2025
Hello Hockey fan’s take a listen to episode 155 of the Hockey Free For Podcast to get your hockey fix, this week’s topics include-
#1. Patrik Laine has been a non-factor since arriving and right the playoff series against the Washington Capitals.
#2. An Offseason move for the Montreal Canadiens is to trade Patrik Laine to the Vancouver Canucks for their 1st round pick in the 2025 NHL entry draft, and if Montreal can unload Oliver Kapanen for Vancouvers 2nd round pick, and Gustav Lindstrom for Vancouvers 3 round pick in the 2025 NHL entry draft all the better.
#3. Montreal Goaltender Samual Montembeau, Forwards Laine, Gallagher, Anderson and defensemen David Savard and Alexander Carrier are all injured.
#4. They playoff experience is invaluable for the Montreal Canadiens, but they were clearly out matched and out played.
#5. The Montreal Canadiens clearly showed they have no physical presence on their roster, outside of Arber Xhekaj, and it showed from puck drop of game 1.
#6. The Major offseason move is not to pay a ridiculous excessive price for a 2nd line center or 2nd pairing right-handed defenseman, its to add the next layer of prospects that are ready to supply, and provide Physicality, grit and sandpaper to the line up that desperately need it to take the next step, and Montreal has everyone of those players in their existing prospect pool in Florian Xhekaj, Tyler Thorp, Luke Tuch, Jared Davidson, Owen Protz, Lucas Condotta, and Owen Beck, and additionally Owen Beck plays a gritty 200 foot game with a faceoff win percentage above 70%, which is also a significant need to control games, and keep the puck out of the oppositions offensive hands, all of these players are the physicality, grit, sandpaper and glue, and as equally as important as the top 6 are.
#7. The Montreal Canadiens had no answers for Tom Wilson at 6’ 04 230lbs plus, Protas at 6’ 06 and 247 lbs, Alex Alexeyev at 6’ 04 229 lbs, John Carlson at 6’ 03 223 lbs, Jakob Chychrun at 6’ 02 216 lbs, Brandon Duhaime at 6’ 02 210lbs, Dylan McIirath at 6’ 05 240lbs or Alex Ovechkin at 6’ 03 230lbs.
#8. Even current larger Montreal players such as Patrik Laine, Joel Armia or Kirby Dach have been and remain non-physical factors.
#9. The Montreal Canadiens no doubt have the talent, skills and ability to score and create offense with Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson and Juraj Slafkovsky.
#10. But other than Arber Xhekaj, there is zero physicality, sandpaper or grit in the Montreal lineup, and it glaringly showed and was the difference in the series against the Washington Capitals without question.
#11. The playoff series against the Washington Capitals showed Juraj Slafkovsky exactly what he needs to focus on and accomplish in the offseason and what he needs to be and the game he needs to bring for the Montreal from the second he hits the ice in training camp. Juraj Slafkovsky needs to evolve into a combination of Alexander Ovechkin, Tom Wilson and Jaromir Jagr.
#12. Learning time is over, fun time is over, I’m not sure of my self-time has ended and being surprised, caught off guard time has concluded and the understanding honey moon has come to a conclusion. It’s time for Juraj Slafkovsky to live up to his draft selection.
#13. The starting 6 defensemen for the Montreal Canadiens in the 2025/2026 season must include David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux and Adam Engstrom.
#14. David Reinbacher is a very calm, smooth fluid defenseman.
#15. Logan Mailloux is a gifted offensive, very smooth skating righthanded defenseman with a nasty mean streak.
#16. Adam Engstrom is a consistent 2-way defenseman who plays a safe and nearly flawless game.
Friday Apr 25, 2025
Friday Apr 25, 2025
Hello hockey fans, welcome to Episode 154 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast, anything goes, topics include-
#1. It’s not a big off season, coming for Kent Hughes. Not even remotely close
#2. The Montreal Canadiens have all the talent they need internally for every single position.
#3. There is no void to fill with David Savard’s retirement.
#4. Lane Hutson does not belong paired with Kaiden Guhle even remotely.
#5. Lane Hutson should be paired with David Reinbacher.
#6. Logan Mailloux is the ideal pairing partner for Kaiden Guhle.
#7. Davide Savard and Jayden Struble are not having a good playoffs.
#8. Montreal Needs Arber Xhekaj bad in the playoffs.
#9. Alexander Carrier has vanished.
#10. Montreal Canadiens prospect Sam Harris has not turned his back on the Montreal Canadiens.
#11. Does anyone actually care if Juraj Slafkovsky colors his hair blonde, if the Canadiens made the playoffs.
#12. Jacob Fowler needs to be allowed to develop properly.
#13. Don’t sleep on this Montreal Canadiens prospect, RW Tyler Thorpe.
#14. Let’s give Ivan Demidov a chance to develop first and get paired with the proper linemates.
#15. The Seattle Kraken Promote General Manager Ron Francis to team President.
#16. Jason Botterill promoted to G.M. of the Seattle Kraken.
#17. The Seattle Kraken Fire Head Coach Dan Bylsma.
#18. Lou Lamoriello out as Islanders G.M.
#19. The New York Rangers fire Head Coach Peter Laviolette.
#20. Amazingly, Chris Drury signs a new multi-year contract.
#21. Joel Quenneville option for the New York Rangers as their next Head Coach.
#22. The Vancouver Canucks have a mess on their hands.
#23. After only 1-year of existence, players are already leaving Utah, not good.
#24. Pittsburgh Penguins President and General manager Kyle Dubas sends clear organizational message of expectations.
#25. The Philadelphia Flyers have to find a coach and councilor.
#26. Put in Arber Xhekaj or get ready to lose in the playoffs.
#27. The Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche, Las Vegas Golden Knights, Toronto Maple Leaf’s and Dallas stars look the best so far.
#28. Let’s see an all-Canadian team Final between the Winnipeg Jets and the Toronto Maple Leaf’s.
#29. Trade Patrik Laine to the Vancouver Canucks for the 1st round draft pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
#30. Too bad Joel Armia wasn’t traded for a 2nd round pick.
#31. Oliver Kapanen has clearly looked out of place.
#32. Emil Heineman doesn’t look right.
#33. The Montreal Canadiens 2025/2026 roster clearly needs Arber Xhekaj, Florian Xhekaj, Owen Beck, Logan Mailloux, David Reinbacher, Jared Davison, Lucas Condotta, Sean Farrell, Luke Tuch and Adam Engstrom all as regulars.
#34. A starting 6 defenseman of David Reinbacher/Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux/Kaiden Guhle and Adam Engstrom/Arber Xhekaj is must on day 1 of the 2025/2026 season in Montreal.
#35. Martin St. Louis stay’s, replace the rest with.
Friday Apr 18, 2025
Friday Apr 18, 2025
Hello hockey fans, welcome to Good Friday Episode 153 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast. This week’s Topics Include-
#1. Congratulations to Ivan Demidov for his multi point opening night.
The NHL overreached excessively by fining Ivan Demidov for not wearing a helmet in the pregame, and league officials should be fired for it.
#3. Olivier Kapanen should be sent down to Laval for their playoff run. He’s clearly over his head right now.
#4. How is it Montreal beats teams like the Florida Panthers or The Las Vegas Golden Knights who are elite teams in the NHL but struggles against team like the Chicago Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks?
#5. The Montreal Canadiens do not need Erik Karlsson in any way shape or form.
#6. Congratulations to Lane Hutson on passing Chris Chelios for most points by a Montreal Canadien rookie defenseman.
#7. Here’s a trade that actually would make sense. How about sending right wing prospect Filip Mesar straight up to the Carolina Hurricanes for center prospect Ryan Suzuki?
#8. David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux are you number 1 and 2 right-handed defenseman starting in 2025/2026. Montreal does not need to acquire a right-handed defenseman
#9. Alex Newhook’s game has both improved and changed as the center between Ivan Demidov and Patrik Laine. Alex Newhook can use both his speed and puck distribution skills to both position, and set up, his 2 goal scoring winters, and match them stride for stride, as all 3 of these players are excellent skaters.
#10. Why is the NHL so star struck and dead set on the Atlanta and Pheonix markets for expansion. It’s been tried and it did not work at all. Houston TX, Quebec City Who already has an NHL ready to go rink, Portland O.R., Hamilton Ont., Kansas City Kansas “who already has a ready to go NHL rink or Kitchener Ont are all exponentially better options, and it seems like Kansas City Kansas and Quebec City are the hands down obvious choices, given they already have (NEW) NHL ready rinks built. Hello, anybody home?
#11. Patrik Laine is a toxic player
#12. If Montreal wants to move up in the draft trade Laine straight up or as part of the package.
#13. Jakob lhl-Wozniak is not what Montreal Needs to draft in 2025.
#14. I bet the Montreal Canadiens go off the draft board slightly in the first round and keep both of the first round draft picks and select Ivan Ryabkin-Center and Jack Nesbitt-Center, with their selection positions.
Friday Apr 11, 2025
Friday Apr 11, 2025
Hello Hockey fans out there. Take a listen to Episode 152 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast, the Alex Ovechkin and Ivan Demidov all Russian episode.
#1. Alexander Ovechkin has–
Played 20 years in the NHL
Started his career with winning the rookie of the year with a 52 goal, 54 assist and 106 point rookie season.
Has had a 65-goal season
Has had Nine 50 goal plus season’s
Has Had Five 40 goal plus season’s
Tied Wayne Gretzky’s goal scoring record in the exact same amount of seasons and games.
Won the Calder Memorial Trophy in his rookie season
Has won the Art Ross Trophy once
Has won the Hear Memorial Trophy as the MVP of the NHL (3) Times
Has won the Lester B Person Trophy
Has won the Ted Lindsay Award Twice
Won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Playoffs in the 2017/2018 when the Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup.
And that’s not enough, has won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy 9 times. That’s right 9 times.
#2. Yet. Somehow there are people questioning his amazing career and achievements.
#3. There was a report saying, left wingers are the least import players of all on a team’s roster.
#4. Is there anyone who wouldn’t have wanted Steve Shutt, Luc Robitaile, Maurice Richard, Brett Hull, Henri Richard, Jaromir Jagr, Yvan Cournoyer or Guy Lafleur on their team. If wingers are the least important. Explain this please. Can’t wait to hear that reasoning.
#5. Extremely unlikely, that anyone currently in the NHL catches or Breaks Alexander Ovechkin’s goal total.
#6. Thankfully for Ivan Demidov, he flew into Toronto.
#7. Give Ivan Demidov Space.
#8. Give Ivan Demidov the time to develop.
#9. Give Ivan Demidov the opportunity to get his footing and to adapt to a massive amount of life changes, as he has just left his family, friends and every single thing familiar to him behind, and now finds himself at 19-years of age, in a brand new foreign country, he no one outside of the organization and is looking for a place to live and start his life and career.
#10. At a minimum, until after the completion of the 2024/2025 regular season, after the conclusion of the 2024/2025 playoffs, until after the 2025/2026 rookie camp has completed and after the 2025/2026 training camp and preseason has completed, there is for any expectations on this prospect.
#11. Once Ivan Demidov has regular linemates, knows what line he is playing on, and what the responsibility of his line is, can there even begin to be any kind of expectation.
Friday Apr 04, 2025
Friday Apr 04, 2025
Hello Hockey Fans. Here is Episode 151 of the Hockey Free For All podcast to get your hockey fix, topics of discussion this week include-
#1. So much for Head Coach John Tortorella’s time in Philadelphia.
#2. The Game, the league and its players have changed, can John Tortorella adapt, or is he done.
#3. Can’t wait to see Alexander Ovechkin break Wayne Gretzky’s scored goal record and set a new record, he deserves it, he’s earned it, and I hope Ovechkin hits 900 plus goals this year.
#4. It’s highly unlikely Joshua Roy returns to Montreal in 2025/2026.
#5. Arber Xhekaj is a top 6 defenseman without question.
#6. Without Arber Xhekaj as a core member of the team, the Montreal Canadiens do not win the Stanley Cup.
#7. The Washington Capitals have signed their number 1 prospect winger Ryan Leonard out of Boston College.
#8. Montreal Canadiens Goalie prospect Jacob Fowler should return to Boston College.
#9. Finish center Oliver Kapanen’s season has concluded in Sweden and has been added to the Montreal Canadiens roster.
#10. The Canadiens should create a 2nd line of Oliver Kapanen at center with Patrik Laine and Emil Heineman on the wings for the rest of the 2024/2025 season and see what they have and how they gel. Do they discover their 2nd line without making any lop sided trades?
#11. Can’t wait to see winger Ivan Demidov in uniform, in Montreal in 2025/2026
#12. The New York Rangers sign their top prospect, winger Gabe Perreault.
#13. The Colorado Avalanche have signed Cale Makar’s younger brother Taylor who’s 6’ 04 209 lbs to a 1-year entry level deal of 925.000 thousand dollars
#14. Highly unlikely Montreal Canadiens defensive prospect David Reinbacher makes an appearance in the 2024/2025 season.
#15. Logan Mailloux is exactly what and who Kaiden Guhle needs to be paired up with, starting in 2025/2026
#16. If Kaiden Guhle’s injuries do not come to an end, it’s very easy to see him replaced by Adam Engstrom, who then pairs with Logan Mailloux.
#17. The first pair for the Montreal Canadiens defense looks like David Reinbacher and Lane Hutson.
#18. Speaking of Lane Hutson, is there any question at all, that he wins the Calder Trophy in the 2024/2025 season?
#19. Jayden Struble on the right and Aber Xhekaj on the left are the perfect 3rd pair to offset the top 4, as they bring an entirely different and desperately needed skill set and game style to the defense.
#20. Montreal Canadiens prospect, center Michael Hage has already announced, he is returning to the University of Michigan.
#21. Keep your eyes on Montreal prospect center Florian Xhekaj who will hit, break and surpass the 20-goal mark in his rookie season in Laval this season.
#22. Connor Bedard is not even remotely worth 17 million per season, he’s at best a 3-million-dollar player in his next contract.
Friday Mar 28, 2025
Friday Mar 28, 2025
Hello Hockey Fan’s, out there. Take a listen to Episode 150 of the Hockey free For all Podcast to get your hockey fix. This week’s topics include-
#1. Montreal did not need Dylan Cozens!
#2. Montreal Doesn’t need to acquire Trevor Zegras.
#3. Montreal does not need to acquire Matthew Barzal, unless its straight up for Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach, and at the end of Barzals current contract in the 2026/2027 season, that carries a 9.15 annual cap hit, Montreal trades Barzal for multiple 1st round picks.
#4. Montreal is far better off platooning Owen Beck, Oliver Kapanen and Alex Newhook for the remainder of his current contract, rather than acquiring someone over paid and underperforming from another NHL club.
#5. Ivan Demidov, hasn’t even arrived yet, what is wrong with you people?
#6. Yes, Michael Hage has announced that he will be returning to the University of Michigan for his sophomore season, that doesn’t translate to Montreal taking on a bloated contract of an underperforming player to just say they filled a roster spot.#7. There is no player in the NHL worthy of Montreal Trading Michael Hage, David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux, Adam Engstrom, Owen Beck, Tyler Thorp, Owen Protz, Jacob Fowler, Florian Xhekaj, Jaruj Slafkovsky Jakob Dobes, Cole Caufield, Sean Farrell, Luke Tuch or Jared Davidson for. They are all important pieces to the rebuild, that they will not nearly receive anything remotely in equal value for any of those prospects, from any club in the league, which is why every team would absolutely love to obtain any or all of them.
#8. Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton are doing an exceptional job. Montreal has done exceptional drafting.
#9. Carter Bear and Justin Carbonneau are exactly the types of wingers Montreal to round out their talented prospect pool with.
#10. I hope David Savard retires and takes a defensive coaching or player/prospect developmental position at the NHL/AHL and ECHL levels.
#11. Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia and Michael Pezzetta need to be allowed to walk away the completion of the 2024/2025, or as soon as the season end’s, trade their rights to a team and if that team signs them, Montreal receives agreed to draft compensation.
#12. Patrik Laine, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook and Joshua Roy, all need to be traded. They do not fit into Montreal’s rebuild and are not the right types of players.
#13. Definitely hold onto Left Defensive Prospect Adam Engstrom. If Kaiden Guhle’s history of injuries does not stop with the conclusion of the 2024/2025 season, it’s time to trade Kaiden Guhle and replace him with Adam Engstrom. Nearly identical height and weight. At the moment Guhle is better defensively, Engstrom is better offensively, both are excellent skaters, and excellent in the transition game.
https://Hockeyfreeforall.podbean.com/e/episode-150-of-the-hockey-for-all-podcast-03-28-2025/