Hockey Free For All

Episode 64 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast 08-25-2023

Episode 64 Topics of the Hockey Free For All Podcast topics include-
#1. Who are these people who believe that Kent Hughes in any way owes them a press conference regarding the team’s involvement in the Erik Karlsson trade, or that he has to explain anything about the players acquired or that have departed, or where they fit in any way? Help me understand this need or belief by people who believe that they are owed explanations, no one is owed anything.
#2. What’s with the questioning and doubt regarding the Alex Newhook trade?
#3. Someone, anyone please name a single transaction that Kent Hughes has made that has not resulted in a gain or exceptional addition to the organization?
#4. Who are these people that believe that they either have innately, or have been bestowed with some magical, mystical, special ability or power to grade the off-season of Kent Hughes in any way?
#5. Total class move by Kent Hughes trading Jeff Petry to Detroit.
#6. Yes, Sam Montembeau’s game has shown a positive trajectory, However?
#7, What’s with the ludicrous anointing of Jacob Fowler who was selected in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft with the 69th overall pick as the next great goaltending savior in Montreal? He has not even started his college career at Boston College yet.
#8. Jakub Dobes is far and away the best goaltending prospect in the organization drafted in the 5th round of the 2020 draft, don’t underestimate Yevgeni Volokhin drafted in the 5th round of the 2023 draft, and don’t close the door on Emmett Croteau drafted in the 6th round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft
#9. Who was that goalie that the N.Y. Rangers drafted in the 7th round of the 2000 NHL entry draft? What was his name? Oh ya Henrik Lundqvist. Make no mistake, late round draft picks matter, and can be franchise cornerstone players, which is exactly what Henrik Lundqvist was his entire career.

Episode 63 of the Hockey Free For All Podacst 08-18-2023

Episode 63 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast topics include-
#1. What is with the continued doubt of coach Martin St. Louis, and that he needs a veteran addition on his coaching staff, STOP!
#2. Carey Price would be a fantastic development coach or a tremendous addition to the scouting department of the Montreal Canadiens.
#3. Upon retiring, Paul Byron would be an excellent development coach, amateur scout, pro-scout or possibly an Assistant G.M. addition in Montreal.
#4. What’s with the discussions of how Carey Prices Jersey number must be retired? He’s not even retiring until the end of his current contract that has multiple years still remaining on it.
#5. Montreal unequalled list of great goaltenders, Georges Vezina, the man who the very trophy itself is named after for the best goalie of every NHL season and won it twice, enough said, George Hainsworth who during one season that he played 44 games in had 22 shutouts and a .92 goals against average with a career goals against average of 1.93 and oh, by the way won 6 Vezina Trophies and 2 Stanley Cups, Bill Durnan who one 6 Vezina trophy’s and 2 Stanley Cups, Jacques Plante who won 7 Vezina trophy’s, a heart trophy was the inventor and reason that goalies today have masks oh and won 6 Stanley Cups, and Ken Dryden who won a Conn Smyth Trophy, a Calder Memorial Trophy, 5 Vezina Trophy’s, 6 Stanley Cups in the 8 years he played.
#6. Patrick Roy not included.
#7. A very common believe, if one doesn’t win a Stanely Cup, they are not a hall of fame inductee?
#8. Defenseman Erik Karlsson has been traded in a 3-team trade involving the San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Montreal Canadiens. San Jose gets cap space! Pittsburgh gets Erik Karlsson Does that move the needle for Pittsburgh? And Montreal clears congestion, gain assets and obtains more draft capital.
#9 No way Jeff Petry remains in Montreal.
#10. It will ruin the careers of Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, Jordan Harris, or Jonathan Kovacevic if any of them are sent down to Laval, as they have all earned regular NHL roster spots without question. Mike Matheson is the only veteran needed on the defense.
#11. Wideman, Petry, Savard and Barron should be trade bait.
#12. Out of the 4 goaltenders in Montreal currently Sam Montembeau, Jake Allen, Casey DeSmith, and Cayden Primeau’s it sure looks like 2 out of the 4 will be traded before the start of the 2023/2024 season in a combination of Jake Allen and Casey DeSmith or a combination of Casey DeSmith and Cayden Primeau. If I was betting on it would be the combination of Casey DeSmith and Cayden Primeau getting traded.
#12. Jakub Dobes’s is the number one goaltender prospect in Montreal by far.

Episode 62 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast 8-8-2-23

Episode 62 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast topics include-
#1. The Montreal Canadiens have signed their last unsigned player Jesse Ylonen to a new 1-year contract.
#2. The Washington Capitals have signed Tom Wilson to a new 7 year 45-million-dollar contract.
#3. Tom Wilson’s new contract should be speaking volumes to the Montreal Canadiens management and catching their attention regarding Arber Xhekaj and the rare skill set he brings to the team.
#4. If there is anyone who thinks that Arber Xhekaj is just a goon or an enforcer please stop watching hockey with your eyes closed. Arber Xhekaj is an excellent skater, he’s an agile and fluid skater, he has excellent lateral movement, he has a solid first step that was apparently unknown previously and not expected, he has an excellent first pass, he’s solid in the transition game, he’s got a canon for a shot not only from the point, he can head fake and skate right in on a goalie and score, he is very effective at not only clearing the front of his own net so that the goalie can see, but he also very effective at causing chaos in the oppositions end, he can get back quickly, he’s already very rarely caught out of position, and when he has been it’s because he is trying to bail out someone else who’s out of position.
#5. If you like watching and want to continue to watch Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Sean Ferrall, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Alex Newhook, Owen Beck, Emil Heineman, Riley Kidney, Filip Mesar, Joshua Roy, Adam Engstrom, Jordan Harris, Lane Hutson or Montreal Goaltenders have very long and successful careers in Montreal, you understand that Arber Xhekaj plays a very key role in order for that to happen.
#6. Ask Mat’s Naslund and Saku Koivu if they appreciated Chris Nilan and Larry Robinson.
#7Alexander Ovechkin if he appreciates Tom Wilson.
#8. There is no talent shortage in Montreal on the right side of the defense as they already have David Savard, Jonathan Kovacevic, Justin Barron, and Chris Wideman, not to mention Jordan Harris, Jayden Struble and Mattias Norlinder who can play either side of the defense fluidly. In addition to those players Montreal also has Logan Mailloux, Miguel Tourigny, Danill Sobolev, Dmitri Kostenko and Bogdan Konyushkov who are all natural right defensemen. Adam Engstrom can play both his natural left as well as the right side, where’s the shortage?
#9.  Alex Newhook will be sporting the number 15 on his Montreal Jersey.

Episode 61 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast 8-4-2023

Episode 61 Of the Hockey Free For All Podcast Topics Include-
#1. The Arizona Coyotes are looking to extend the contract of head coach Andre Tourigny.
#2. The arbitration process has now kicked into full gear as Toronto Maple Leaf’s goaltender Ilya Samsonov has been awarded a one-year contract worth $3.55 million, after significantly being apart with the club who was offering 2.4 million and the play side wanting 4.9 million. This at least gives stability to the goal tending position this upcoming season. However, one has to wonder if Samsonov will decide to move on from Toronto after the 2023/2024 season has concluded.
#3. It’s been confirmed that defenseman Erik Karlsson’s agent has had contact with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Seattle Kraken, Carolina Hurricanes and the Toronto Maple Leaf’s. In the case of the Carolina Hurricanes, it just doesn’t seem like a good fit. In the case of the Pittsburgh Penguins, it would seem to an all for one, one for all send off for Crosby, Malkin and Latang to win one more Stanley Cup before ripping the team apart and down to its foundation in an all-out rebuild. which can clearly be seen coming very soon in Pittsburgh. Salery cap issues in Toronto would have to kill that option, so in the end Seattle might be his best option as he could a young teams defense and have a lot more freedom than anywhere else, or he stays put in San Jose and is untradable.
#4. Kyle Dubas must love pressure. Although there was always a lot in Toronto, wait until the Sydney Crosby era officially ends. From that day forward, the weight of the world will be upon his shoulders, as both the Lemieux and Crosby era’s will both be in the rearview mirror, and there is no one in the waiting unless Pittsburgh gets extremely lucky again like they did in in 2005 when they drafted Crosby.
#5. It’s been a very interesting offseason for the Toronto Maple Leaf’s starting with the very emotional end of year conference held by Kyle Dubas and his dispatching, followed by the hiring of Brad Treliving as the new G.M., A New Assistant G.M. in Derek Clancy newly added assistant coaches Guy Boucher and Mike Van Ryn, the addition of Max Domi Coming, Tyler Bertuzzi, John Klingberg, Dylan Gambrell, Ryan Reeves, William Lagesson, Max Lajoie, Marshall Rifai w and Goalie prospect Artur Akhtyamov who has been playing in Russia and was a 4th round pick in the 2020 draft by the Maple Leaf’s all being added to the roster and the contracts of Austin Matthews and William Nylander that still remain.
#6. Jim Nill, general Manager of the Dallas Stars, has signed a 2-year contract extension.

Episode 60 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast 07-24-2023

Episode 60 Of the Hockey Free For All Content Page
#1. David Reinbacher has been diagnosed with Osgood Schlatter Disease which results in cartilage and Bone fragmentation in knees, and in the case of David Reinbacher with both knees.
#2. How will it, or will affect David Reinbachers career?
#3. What’s the effect on the future of the right side of the Canadiens defense?
#4. Suddenly the concern of how will Montreal keep and sign all of their prospects, might be answered from an organizational perspective by these types of career threats.
#5. That old saying of there is strength in numbers may be put to it true test.
#6. Guy Boucher is back to the NHL, as Toronto has added Guy Boucher to their coaching staff for the upcoming season.

Episode 59 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast 07-23-2023

Topics of Episode 59 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast include-
#1. What is star power, What’s the actual definition and who actually falls into this classification? Is it based on the number of Stanley Cups you win? Is it a player who every time steps on the playing surface of their sport and single handedly changes the game and elevates the skill sets of everyone else on their line to levels that others do not possess without that players presentence and abilities and skill set or is it something else.
#2. Are the only true stars of their games Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Tom Brady. Back to hockey, If the number of Championships is the determining factor. If Stanley Cups are the determining Criteria, then regarding Hockey at least, there is no one else other than Henri Richard who won 11, Jean Beliveau and Yvan Cournoyer who won 10, Claude Provost who won 9 and Maurice Richard, Red Kelly, Jacques Lemaire and Serge Savard who all won eight.
#3. Would Jaromir Jagr have put up the numbers that he did because he played with Lemieux, what would have Jagr’s numbers looked like had he not played with Lemieux or if he played on another team? I have no idea, I’m just posing the question.
#4. Let’s talk about prospects, Nick Suzuki has the ability to be a 96 point if not 100-point player moving forward, Cole Caufield is a legit 50/50/100 plus player. Meaning 50 goals, 50 assists and 100 plus point season’s consistently, Kirby Dach is at least a point per game player The newly acquired Alex Newhook could quickly develop into a legit point per game player with the proper linemates. Why aren’t players such as Juraj Slafkovsky, Sean Farrell, Owen Beck or Filip Mesar who have high skill sets and high hockey I’Q’s, who if are not stuck on a line with the wrong linemates with the wrong skill sets being discussed as legit point per game players.
#5. Why aren’t players such as Emil Heineman, once again Owen Beck or Jared Davidson being looked at as future Frank Silk Trophy candidates.
#6. Regarding the defensive side Unless Lane Hutson for some unforeseen reason fall apart at the NHL level, there is no reason not to look at in any other way than a legit Norris Trophy winning defenseman. Where’s the support for Kaiden Guhle, Logan Mailloux or Adam Engstrom as legit trophy level players.
#7. What’s with the ridiculous Alexis Lafreniere offer sheet rumors. The Canadiens already have 16 forwards heading into training camp.
#8. Retiring Carey Prices Jersey number? Guy Carbonneau’s number 21 has not been retired and was a winner of the Stanley cup on multiple teams, multiple frank silk trophies as leagues best defensive forward, an outstanding team captain.

Episode 58 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast 06-14-2023

Episode 58 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast Topics include-
#1. Alex DeBrincat is going to Detroit for what? Left Winger Dominik Kubalik, who was a 7th round pick 191st overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft by the L.A./ Kings, Left-Handed Defenseman Donovan Sebrango who was Detroit’s 3rd round pick 63rd overall in the 2020 NHL Draft and conditional 1st and 4th round picks from Detroit in the 2024 NHL draft. Does anyone else think that Steve Yzerman is a Genius Criminal here and that he just stole Alex Debrincat from the Ottawa Senators?
#2. How does Vladimir Tarasenko signing with the Ottawa Senators make any sense to anyone?
#3. Why is Filip Zadina’s release and subsequent availability major league news?
#4. A wakey, wakey, Light Bulb moment and reality check, regarding the selection of David Reinbacher. No such privileges exist period.
#5. Good for him: Denis Gurianov does not end up in the KHL, surprisingly signs a 1-year contract with the Nashville Predators. Hopefully, Gurianov will find the missing consistency within his game, a chemistry with line mates that he has yet find with any consistency, and his game will be able to flourish in Nashville.
#6. Free agency update: The New York Rangers have signed defenseman K’Andre Miller, the Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Brendan Lemieux, the Philadelphia Flyers have signed right winger Garnet Hathaway, the Montreal Canadiens have signed RFA Alex Newhook, UFA defenseman Nicolas Beaudin and UFA forward Lucas Condotta.
#7. Take a deep breath, training camps are months away.
#8. The Las Vegas Golden Knights have hired former Montreal Canadiens Head Coach Dominic Ducharme to their coaching staff.
#9. After signing him less than 2-weeks ago on July 1st, the Arizona Coyotes have already placed former Canadiens 1st round pick Alex Galchenyuk on unconditional waivers for the purposes of terminating his contract.

Episode 57 of the Hockey Free For Podcast 07-07-2023

Episode 57 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast, the last 9 bazaar days in review. Topics include-
#1. From a very interesting draft that was that was just flat with no excitement, to the opening of free agency period, that was about as exciting as watching fly paper dry.
#2. How about trusting the organization that one is supposedly a fan of, that they knew what they were doing when they selected RH Defensemen David Reinbacker?
#3. It will be extremely interesting to watch the development of Ohio State Big-10 goalie prospect Jakub Dobes, Goal tending prospect Emmett Croteau who has been playing in Waterloo of the USHL and the 3 goalie prospects that the Canadiens drafted in the 2023 draft.
#4. The wait for a trade involving Joel Edmundson is over. The compensation value ended up being far less. Montreal got spanked hard on this player’s trade value.
#5. What are the reasons behind the signings of forward Philippe Maillet and Brady Keeper?
#6. The signing of Lias Andersson has the potential to be a very interesting experiment.
#7. Which players have left Montreal during free agency.
 #8. Speaking of the Pittsburgh Penguins, what was the train of thought signing Tristian Jarry a new 5-year contract with an annual value of 5.375 million per season and a total value of 26.875 Million?
#9. Tristian Jarry’s and Brendan Gallaghers contract will haunt their organizations for years.
#10. Paul Byron’s contract has come off the books freeing up cap room.
#11. Does forward Denis Guianov end up in the KHL?
#12. Great move by the Canadiens getting left winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard signed to a 2-year 2.2 million deal.
#13. What’s going on with the New York Islanders, handing out 7-year contracts to Left Winger Pierre Engvall and defensemen Scott Mayfield?  The 8-year contract to goalie Ilya Sorokin one can justify, but a 4-year contract to Varlamov?
#14. Has anyone from the N.Y. Rangers called the G.M. Pierre Dorion in Ottawa Senators and offered either left winger Alexis Lafrenière or right-handed defensemen K'Andre Miller straight up, one for one for forward Alex DeBrincat?

Episode 56 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast, The post draft episode 06-29-2023

Episode 56 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast, the post draft episode, the topic include-
#1. So much for all of the excitement of massive and continuous trades at the 2023 NHL Draft. Wow, it was truly like crickets, there was nothing going on at all.
#2. The 24 hours prior to the draft were insane.
#3. Montreal’s draft was a complete dud.
#4. So many were looking forward to Montreal making a ton of noise at the draft, starting with a trade with the Washington Capitals for Mitchkov that never happened.
#5. I have nothing against David Reinbacker, I’m sure he is a good player. However, that was not Montreal’s pressing or priority need.
#6. Montreal already has Justin Barron, Jonathan Kovacevic, Kadian Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, Jordan Harris, Mike Matheson, Joel Edmundson, David Savard, Chris Wideman which makes 9 defensemen on the NHL roster right now. That doesn’t include the all world/all class Lane Hutson or Adam Engstrom or William Trudeau or Miguel Tourginy or Petteri Nurmi.
I purposely left the best to talk about for last, and that right defensive prospect is Logan Mailloux, who is a number 1 right pairing defenseman, who is 6’ 03, 215 plus pounds, is a top end NHL level skater right now, has an excellent NHL level transition game right now, who is a power play quarterback with a heavy and extremely accurate NHL caliber rifle shot right now! and plays a physical game with a mean streak. Oh, and I almost forgot can play 28 plus minutes a game, and is on the ice in any and all situations right now. Montreal has not seen a defensive prospect like Logan Mailloux since Larry Robinson, and I am not saying that Logan Mailloux will be Larry Robinson or have a career like his, but I am saying that Montreal has not had or seen of defensive prospect with frame, package, and skill that Logan Mailloux has since Larry Robinson.
#7. Anyone else develop their own mock draft? I have since the 1978 draft. In some draft my predictions, they players selected actually match who I believe Montreal will take. In other years its hit or miss, with mostly hits in round 3 and above. However, in the 2023 NHL draft for the Montreal Canadiens. Wow, I was not even close. I predicted one player they took correctly and one thing that Montreal would do in the 2023 draft. Montreal did in fact draft 3 goaltending prospects like I thought they would, however, the goalie prospects that I wanted Montreal take were already gone, and the one and only player that I had on my mock draft that Montreal did select was Florian Xhekaj in the 4th round with the 101st pick.
#8. The trade for forward Alex Newhook.  Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes have hit home runs with everything that they have touched from the day they took their positions. There has been very times and even fewer things in my entire that I have used the phrase, ones just going to have to trust things. Call me highly skeptical if you want, buts it truly kept me alive and repeated made the not possible, not only possible, but a reality, and that is what I am going to have to do regarding the 2023 draft and the acquisition of forward Alex Newhook.
Kent Hughes likely know this players better than anyone else in hockey having coached him, as well as having been his agent. With that knowledge, perhaps that’s the reason why Kent Hughes did not see the need to draft any of the offensive talent available in the 2023 draft, as he believes he has already obtained an NHL ready now version at 22 years of age in Alex Newhook. I hope that Newhook turns out to be at least as good as the acquisition of Kirby Dach has, if not, it will be the first blemish, and a big one for the organization.
#9. Montreal’s trade with Colorado that sent the 31st and 37th selections in the draft to Colorado changed the 2023 draft for Montreal far more than they thought it would. I had a funny feeling that Montreal Management thought that they were going to be able to get back into the bottom half of the first round and back into the 2nd round, and I think that door got slammed in their face hard, as there was very little activity at all, verses what was expected.

Episode 55 of the Hockey Free For Podcast, The Pre-Draft episode 06-28-2023

Episode 55 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast, the pre-draft episode
This episode is all about the draft, signings, and a wild day of trades.
#1. The 2 trades episode 55 has to kick off with are, the Montreal Canadiens acquired a very highly skilled forward in Alex Newhook with elite skating, elite stick and puck skills and elite Hockey I.Q. from the Colorado Avalanche for the 31st pick in the 1st round of the 2023 draft, the 37th pick in the 2nd round of the 2023 draft and Left Defensive prospect Gianni Fairbrother.
#2. Gianni Fairbrother is the latest prospect in a group that has had brutal health issues that have significantly limited growth and directly affected their careers.
#3. Very, very likely Alex Newhook will be the right winger on the number 1 line with Center Nick Suzuki and left winger Cole Caufield.
#4. Now this brings the discussion to the 2nd most important trade. Thankfully the Pierre Luc Dubois saga has mercifully come to a conclusion, and he is on his way signed sealed and delivered with an 8-year contract in hand at 8.5 million per season to the L.A. Kings. I hope Pierre Luc Dubois has both a great career and an even better lifestyle out there. I am so thankful that Montreal did not acquire him as it would have been nothing short of a circus environment from day one of his arrival and a total disruption and destruction to the team.
#5. Winnipeg fared much better than most though possible by obtaining the 23-year old, 6’ 03, 200lbs plus center Gabriel Vilardy, The highly effective and always engaged forward Alex Iafallo, A very reliable defensive center prospect in Rasmus Kupari, who also has a high offensive upside to his game and a 2024 2nd round pick. Very few gave Winnipeg even a chance of netting that type of return, so Kevin Cheveldayoff deserves a lot of credit and respect for they way he was able to bring closure to the Pierre Luc Dubois saga and drama and make the Winnipeg Organization stronger in the end. One down and many more to go in Winnipeg.
#6. I am still very curious to see if Connor Hellebuyck is traded to Toronto for the 28th pick in the first round of the 2023 draft and if there is a multi-player deal with Nashville in the cards that sends Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Sam Gagner to Nashville for center Cody Glass, Left Winger Zachary L’Heureux, Defenseman Tyson Barrie and Defenseman Mark Borowiecki and all of Winnipeg’s issues are solved, wrapped up and summer break can be in full swing for the entire organization.
#7. If you like to keep up on signings and trades, wait until you hear what’s happened in the last 96 hours.
#8. Even though it will be fantastic to watch Connor Bedard, Adam Fantili Leo Carlsson and Will Smith all get drafted, the biggest question has got to be is Mitchkov there at 5 when Montreal Selects, and if he is does Montreal take him, or does Montreal clean up with potential trades to either the Philadelphia Flyers or the Washington Capitals? One can almost see an insane like the Herschel Walker trade scenario where Montreal acquired an unimaginable amount of draft picks.
#9. The other thought that I can’t get out of my head at the moment is that the trade between Montreal and Colorado yesterday that brought Alex Newhook to Montreal, can’t be Montreal’s only activities in the 2023 draft. It seems highly unlikely to me that Montreal would pick at number 5 overall and just patiently sits there until their next pick at 69 in the 3rd round, and this is why I believe that if Mitchkov is there when Montreal picks at number 5, there will be a trade with Philadelphia who picks at 7th overall and again at this point at 22nd overall in the first round, and trade begins with the inclusion of those 2 first round picks in the 2023 draft and many other picks as well. I guess we will all find out in a few hours.