NHL: Montreal Canadiens at Calgary Flames, nazem kadri mike matheson jakub dobes
Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

MONTREAL — There’s always Montreal Canadiens news to be absorbed on a daily basis, but there are only so many hours in a day. On Sundays, we recap the most exciting and relevant NHL news stories that you may have missed throughout the week so that you can stay in the Canadiens loop.

Monday

The Canadiens returned to their winning ways on Saturday night versus the Vancouver Canucks, in yet another emotionally charged game. Ivan Demidov played the starring role, with the first three-point game of his career, including two assists and the game-winning goal. [Canadiens Highlights: Welcome To The Ivan Demidov Show]

A very frustrated member of the Canucks was overheard screaming a threat towards the Canadiens bench in the third period. It’s hard to tell exactly who was yelling, or which Habs player riled him up, but from the voice, it sounds like it could have been forward Kiefer Sherwood.

Again, this is far from an exact science, but the 30-year-old may have shouted, “Keep running your mouth, and I’ll take you right out of here ****ing limping.” Some believe 21-year-old Juraj Slafkovsky is the target of the tantrum.

Frustrated athletes aside, the most entertaining part of the clip was clearly Demidov’s reaction.

With the three-point game in the bank, Demidov is now on pace for 73 points, which would be the most produced by a rookie in franchise history.

The Montreal Canadiens announced forward Patrik Laine would miss up to four months due to a core injury that necessitated a surgical intervention. The projected recovery time frame places his return sometime between late January and late March. [Impact Of Long Term Injury Of Canadiens Forward Laine]

Here’s the latest impressive Lane Hutson-related statistic.

The Laval Rocket earned a much-needed win on Saturday, beating the Utica Comets thanks to goals from Sean Farrell, Alex Belzile, and Jared Davidson (2). Jacob Fowler saved 29 of the 31 shots sent his way.

ICYMI: Cole Caufield decided to risk a fine following the game versus the Edmonton Oilers, calling out the referees for their lack of consistency. The 24-year-old did not hold back, suggesting the referees won the game for the Oilers. Surprisingly, the NHL did not fine the Habs forward. [Canadiens Caufield Calls Out Referees]

Tuesday

Ivan Demidov has only been on the Montreal Canadiens’ first powerplay unit for a few games, but his impact has been undeniable. Not only are the Habs scoring more often, they’re generating a lot more shots from high-danger chances. Call it the Demidov effect, if you will. [Canadiens Analysis – Demidov’s Powerplay Impact]

The bond between the three members of the first line is growing by leaps and bounds, which is impressive considering Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovky are already a tight-knit trio.

I would have gone with the Three Little Bears analogy, but Slafkovsky and friends have a different way of looking at it.

Canadiens prospect Alexander Zharovsky was named the rookie of the week in the KHL. He scored two goals in three games, pushing his season totals to nine points in 11 games played.

This puts Zharovsky on pace for a very encouraging season, to the tune of 22 goals and 28 assists. That would be one more point than current Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov produced in his rookie season for St. Petersburg.

Jakub Dobes is starting to get a little more attention around the league. The rookie netminder was praised by former NHL goalie Kevin Weekes, though I’m not sure if I agree about the controlled aspect of the comment. Perhaps controlled chaos is a little more accurate. Either way, Dobes deserves the love.

Wednesday

Heading into Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Kraken, Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis opted to start rookie Jakub Dobes rather than veteran Samuel Montembeault. [Canadiens Game Preview: Demidov Momentum, Dobes Starts]

As for the logic behind the decision, St-Louis summed it up with perfect simplicity.

It was yet another exciting game, and though the Habs essentially decided to take the third period off, they were saved by a game-winning goal from Cole Caufield in overtime. It was his 11th career overtime goal, which means he now holds the franchise record. Oh, and Jakub Dobes remains undefeated. [Canadiens Highlights: Caufield Plays The Hero Again]

It’s been a very good month for the Montreal Canadiens, all things considered.

It’s quite interesting to hear Lane Hutson’s thoughts on how his teammates are adapting to Ivan Demidov’s aggressive style of play, which involves quick, crisp passes that will be missed if there’s a lack of anticipation. It’s essentially the same situation Hutson faced when he joined the team last season.

Prospect David Reinbacher was spotted at Laval Rocket practice, though he’s not expected to play in their next game, which is scheduled for Wednesday versus the Utica Comets. There is, however, a chance he’ll play on the weekend, as Laval is set to play back-to-back games against the Rochester Americans.

Thursday

The most recent Montreal Canadiens rumour has the team linked to Calgary Flames forward Nazem Kadri. The Habs are interested in upgrading their situation down the middle of the ice, and Kadri is certainly a talented centre, but is he a fit? The main sticking point, his age, would be hard to ignore. [Evaluating Canadiens Rumour Linking Kadri To Montreal]

It’s well beyond time a little more respect is put on Cole Caufield’s name. A recent projection for Team USA’s 2026 Olympic roster omitted Caufield, despite the fact that he’s one of the most prolific goalscorers in the league, both in overtime and at 5v5. The numbers suggest that Team USA would be wise to consider him a core member of the team if they want to win a medal for the first time since 2010. [Canadiens Forward Caufield Deserves More Respect]

Noted Bruins fan Pete Blackburn had an interesting take on the Caufield situation.

The good news is that the NHL included Nick Suzuki in their Team Canada projected roster. This may seem like a given for those who have been paying attention, but for some odd reason, certain analysts have been slow to update their views on Montreal’s captain, despite an overabundance of evidence pointing to his ascension as one of the best centres in the league.

Without trying to pile onto the young defenceman too much, Logan Mailloux’s early results in the NHL are far from surprising. He was not ready for NHL action prior to the trade, and nothing has changed since. The Blues are not doing him any favours keeping him in the NHL. He needs ice time, in the AHL.

The Laval Rocket blanked the Lehigh Valley 3-0, thanks to goals from Adam Engstrom (2), Owen Beck (2), and Jared Davidson. Top prospect Jacob Fowler made 17 saves to secure the shutout.

Friday

The Montreal Canadiens assigned David Reinbacher to the Laval Rocket, in a bid to have him ready for the team’s back-to-back games against the Rochester Americans on the weekend. As it stands, the Rocket are dealing with a string of unfortunate injuries on defence, making this a perfectly timed return to play. Reinbacher will get plenty of minutes, and head coach Pascal Vincent will have another legitimate prospect to work with. [Canadiens Practice Notes: Reinbacher Update]

Head coach Martin St-Louis announced Samuel Montembeault would serve as Montreal’s starter versus the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, rather than rookie Jakub Dobes, who is currently among the hottest goaltenders in the NHL.

The Canadiens also placed defenceman William Trudeau on waivers, providing more crucial reinforcements for a depleted Rocket blue line. There’s always a lot of concern when a player is placed on waivers, but in this particular case, there’s little chance someone will claim Trudeau, as he’s just recovering from a significant injury (torn pectoral muscle).

Freshly injured Habs forward Patrik Laine was spotted at practice, an encouraging sign given that he’s had to deal with more than his fair share of difficult situations in past years. The Habs will serve as his support system, as was the case when Kirby Dach was dealing with consecutive season-ending injuries.

Saturday

Prospect David Reinbacher took part in his first taste of legitimate hockey action since the 2024-25 Calder Cup playoffs. Reinbacher featured on the Laval Rocket’s first pairing, alongside Adam Engstrom. It’s too early to worry about his results, as he’ll need a little while to get up to speed, but it is still quite encouraging to see him back on the ice.

The Rocket would go on to lose 2-1, with Jared Davidson (6) scoring the lone goal for Laval.

We published our first Montreal Canadiens mailbag of the season, covering topics such as potential trades, the goaltending situation, Vikings, prospects, and much more. [Canadiens Mailbag: Dobson Impact, Trade Options, Upgrades]

Prospect Alexander Zharovsky continues to score an at impressive rate during his rookie season in the KHL. Zharovsky, selected 34th by the Habs in 2025, is up to five goals and nine assists in 15 games, putting him on a 65-point, prorated season pace.

It hasn’t been a dominant start to the season for prospect Vinzenz Rohrer, who currently plays for the ZSC Lions in the NL (Switzerland). However, he did manage to score his first goal of the season on Friday, doing so while in mid-flight.

Prospect Michael Hage earned an assist in Michigan University’s win over Notre-Dame.

I’m not going to lie, I have a hard time recognizing most of the costumes from the Montreal Canadiens Halloween party. Zachary Bolduc is Luigi, that much I know.

habs winxx

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By Marc Dumont
Marc has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for Journal Metro, The Athletic, The ... More about Marc Dumont

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