Marc Dumont
Updated:
Here are the Montreal Canadiens and NHL news items you may have missed on Thursday.
Montreal Canadiens News
- With just one goal in eight playoff games to his credit, Canadiens sniper Cole Caufield is clearly not satisfied with his offensive output. The 26-year-old American expects much more from himself going forward. [Canadiens]
- Game 1 of the second-round series versus the Buffalo Sabres was certainly a let-down in terms of the eventual result, but there were a few positives worth discussing in the loss. For example, Caufield and the first line enjoyed its best underlying numbers at 5v5 of the playoffs. [Top 3 Canadiens Positives From Game One]
- File this under ‘predictable’ if you’d like, but head coach Martin St-Louis is very happy to have Nick Suzuki leading his troops.
Martin St. Louis on Nick Suzuki's leadership style: “I don’t think I need to compare Suzy to any other captains. For me, everybody leads in their own way. I just know Suzy leads our team. I’m not worried about what other captains are doing, I’m really happy with how he’s done it.…
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) May 7, 2026
- ICYMI: Suzuki was named a finalist for the Selke Trophy, awarded annually to the forward judged to make the greatest defensive impact. He’s considered the favourite for the trophy, but more importantly, this is the latest evidence we have to suggest Suzuki has done a great job leading his team by example, both on and off the ice. [Nick Suzuki Selke Bid – Model Of Consistency And Leadership]
- Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff has nothing but respect for Suzuki as well, even if he doesn’t know the Canadiens captain on a personal level.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff on Nick Suzuki: pic.twitter.com/W6lLb3nPQo
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) May 7, 2026
- Another day, another instance of Lane Hutson jumping on the ice first because he’s clearly addicted to all things hockey and probably detests spending any time of his day away from the rink. Classic.
Au lendemain d’un match plus difficile, Lane Hutson est le premier joueur sur la glace à l’entraînement. pic.twitter.com/nEwFnvQs3P
— Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) May 7, 2026
Sportsnaut Network
- There’s no doubt the New Jersey Devils should aggressively pursue a top-six winger by dangling the 12th overall pick at the 2026 NHL Draft. The NHL salary cap is set to shoot up $8.5 million this summer up to $104 million. That’s going to open up plenty of cap space for the 32 NHL GMs to wheel and deal. [New Jersey Devils]
- The Washington Capitals had a busy Thursday morning with a couple acquisitions. The team signed Theodor Niederbach and Petr Sikora to deals. [Washington Capitals]
- The Anaheim Ducks needed a better effort in Game 2 to get back in the Western Conference second round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Mission accomplished. [Anaheim Ducks]
