Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, highlights, and stories you may have missed on Monday.
Montreal Canadiens News
The Montreal Canadiens have 12 draft picks scheduled for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, but as we all know, not all picks were created equal. The odds a player will become a regular NHLer, or even a star player, plummet significantly as the draft unfurls. Take a look at the odds associated with the draft picks the Canadiens currently own. [Montreal Canadiens 2024 Draft Pick Positions And NHLer Odds]
Monday marked the three-year anniversary of one of the best moments in recent Canadiens history, when Artturi Lehkonen scored an overtime goal to propel the Habs into the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. The game also took place in Montreal, on la Saint–Jean–Baptiste day, which led to one of the most entertaining and passionate celebrations I’ve witnessed in my time covering hockey.
Following the win, Habs owner Geoff Molson took to centre ice to ask everyone in attendance to stay in the building, as the crowd outside the arena had already reached a boiling point. Regardless, by the time we were finally let out the celebration was still going strong, despite the Montreal police force attempting to disperse crowds with the use of horses and tear gas. It was a cathartic situation for fans, and not only because of the win. The series came shortly after Covid restrictions had been relaxed a little, presenting the first opportunity for a shared cultural moment since the sports world came to a screeching halt.
ARTURRI LEHKONEN SEND MONTREAL TO THE #STANLEYCUP FINAL! #ItsOn pic.twitter.com/WxIDBQ3toC
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 25, 2021
Considering Brett Kulak brought an important stabilizing presence to an otherwise shaky defensive group, the Oilers must still be happy with the trade they made to acquire the stalwart defender. And, of course, the Habs ended up picking Lane Hutson with the draft pick the Oilers sent their way in the trade, which makes for a rare win-win situation for both teams.
Meet Brett Kulak: the unsung hero of the #LetsGoOilers run to Game 7.
Kulak could’ve been a cap casualty at the deadline. Instead, the local kid has elevated his game – and steadied two struggling partners to solidify #Oilers’ defense pairs.
Story: https://t.co/j60rvyjxiz pic.twitter.com/N08Typ9LVn
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 24, 2024
With the 2024 NHL Entry Draft just around the corner, the mock drafts from various outlets have been published, including NHL.com’s two lists, which feature the Canadiens picking Ivan Demidov and Cayden Lindstrom, respectively.
NHL dot com’s latest mock draft has the Habs picking either Ivan Demidov or Cayden Lindstrom with the 5th pick
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) June 23, 2024
Veteran forward Brendan Gallagher is enjoying the sights in England, including the monument that is most commonly confused for the ‘London Bridge’ in the famous song, the Tower Bridge.
Brendan Gallagher enjoying his summer in London, England pic.twitter.com/EtaiTSx2GD
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) June 24, 2024
National Hockey Now Network
- Linus Ullmark’s run with the Boston Bruins has come to an end. The Bruins traded Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators on Monday night. In exchange, the Bruins received goalie Joonas Korpisalo, centre Mark Kastelic, and the 25th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Safe to say the Bruins did not come out as the winners of this trade, especially when you consider Korpisalo’s expensive (and long term) contract. [Boston Bruins]
- Now that the New Jersey Devils have their goaltender, General Manager Tom Fitzgerald is certainly going to want to address his blue line. There is reason to believe the Devils’ GM could do so by utilizing the 10th overall pick at the 2024 NHL draft via trade. However, the Devils have recently been linked to a Carolina Hurricanes defenceman who is headed to free agency. [New Jersey Devils]
