Leskinen and McNiven are lower because they’ll never be NHLers, and in Leskinen’s case will likely never play another game with the organization.

My own personal choice. If you wanted to number him (like I did on my ballot) I’d put him 42nd, because if there’s anyone in the organization that I’d be fine with losing, it’s him. And I don’t feel fine with ranking his hockey ability given that he’s just a piece of trash human.

Did Bergevin forget about Kotkaniemi & Poehling? It's been almost a month since FA opened....

Don’t think so, I could see how negotiating with Poehling could be difficult but not Kk

Kotkaniemi is likely not done because he’s focusing on his father.

Poehling they could be haggling over the AHL or NHL salary. The habs would probably want a pay cut at the NHL level to give him more assured money with his AHL salary, and Ryan likely wants a good sized AHL salary as well as a higher than league minimum NHL salary.

Jonathan Drouin is officially back in the organization, arriving at Dominique Ducharme's golf tournament with Powerhorse and Laurent 🐬

Inspired by Annakin Slayd’s song Rock the Sweater, I have created my own version of the lyrics with most of last season’s team:

When I'm feeling like I wanna show the world what greatness is, red and blue and white sweater, the C-H it is.
When I hit so hard that it defeans, you see me rock my Romanov two-seven.
When I’m looking for some offense from the D, I fill the net in my twenty-six Petry.
When I need to be solid in support, I’m backing you up in my Allen thirty-four.
When I pick up my game in the post-season, I’m working hard in my six-two Lehkonen.
When I’m in need someone to block a shot, I’m manning the line in my eight Chiarot.
When I wanna add a D to the attack, I’m pinching at the line in my seven-seven Kulak.
When I need to send the puck to my man, I set him up in my nine-two Drouin.
When you see me deke the D to the floor, you know I’m wearing my Perry nine-four.
When I need to zip a puck past the goalie, I’m rocking my seventy-three Toffoli.
When I need a powerhorse to go on a run, I rock my seventeen Anderson.

When I need some defense to shut the door, I take ‘em down with my Danault two-four.
When I feel that we’re in need of a shorty, I’m goin’ all out in my Armia forty.
When I need a presence that is steady, you see me rock my forty-four Eddy.
When I gotta be the one who saves the day, I go and pull out my fifteen K-K.
When I need to muster up a little character, I’m in your face with my one-one Gallagher.
Yeah, When I need to give my squad a boost, I come through with my Caufield twenty-two.
I’ll be M-V-P for life, (for life) when you see me rock my three-one Price.
When I wanna score a goal that’ll stun, I race down the ice in my Byron forty-one.
When I gotta ring it in off the crossbar, I’m firing it past in my ninety Tatar.
When I shoot so hard that it can’t be measured, I’m slapping it home in my number six Weber.
When I need someone to defend, pass, and score, you know that I’ll grab my Suzuki one-four.

(The C-H, Kotkaniemi, Gallagher, Caufield, and Price are from the original song, and not my creations)

Out of the ones that I made, I think Byron and Kulak are my favourites and Edmundson is my least favourite. Tatar sounds good enough, but it doesn’t do as well to encapsulate a prominent aspect of the player as the rest do.

Where Canadiens prospects will be playing in 2021-22 (* = Unconfirmed)

Belpedio, Louis -- Laval Rocket (AHL)
Biondi, Blake -- University of Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA)
Brook, Josh -- Laval Rocket (AHL)
Caufield, Cole -- Montréal Canadiens (NHL)
Dobes, Jakub -- Ohio State University (NCAA)
Fairbrother, Gianni -- Laval Rocket (AHL)*
Farrell, Sean -- Harvard University (NCAA)
Gordin, Alexander -- SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (VHL)
Gorniak, Jack -- University of Wisconsin (NCAA)*
Guhle, Kaiden -- Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
Harris, Jordan -- Northeastern University (H-East)
Harvey-Pinard, Rafaël -- Laval Rocket (AHL)
Henrikson, Arvid -- Lake Superior State University (WCHA)
Hillis, Cameron -- Laval Rocket (AHL)
Kapanen, Oliver -- KalPa (Liiga)
Khisamutdinov, Arsen -- Laval Rocket (AHL)
Kidney, Riley -- Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL)
Kostenko, Dmitri -- Khimik Voskresensk (VHL)
Leskinen, Otto -- Helsingin Jokerit (KHL)
Mailloux, Logan -- London Knights (OHL)
McNiven, Michael -- Laval Rocket (AHL)
Mysak, Jan -- Laval Rocket (AHL)*
Nissen Dichow, Frederik -- Kristianstads IK (HockeyAllsvenska)
Norlinder, Mattias -- Frolunda HC (SHL)/Montréal Canadiens (NHL)*
Olofsson, Jacob -- Timrå IK (SHL)
Pezzetta, Michael -- Laval Rocket (AHL)
Pitlick, Rhett -- University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Poehling, Ryan -- Laval Rocket (AHL)/Montréal Canadiens (NHL)
Primeau, Cayden -- Laval Rocket (AHL)
Roy, Joshua -- Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL)
Schueneman, Corey -- Laval Rocket (AHL)
Simoneau, Xavier -- Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL)
Smith, Jack -- -- University of Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA)
Sobolev, Daniil -- Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Stapley, Brett -- University of Denver (NCAA)
Struble, Jayden -- Northeastern University (H-East)
Teasdale, Joël -- Laval Rocket (AHL)
Trudeau, William -- Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL)
Tuch, Luke -- Boston University (NCAA)
Vejdemo, Lukas -- Laval Rocket (AHL)
Vrbetic, Joe -- North Bay Battalion (OHL)
Ylönen, Jesse -- Laval Rocket (AHL)

Departures

Alain, Alexandre -- Retirement
Fleury, Cale -- Seattle Kraken (NHL)
Ikonen, Joni -- Ilves (Liiga)
Juulsen, Noah -- Florida Panthers (NHL)
LeGuerrier, Jacob -- Florida Panthers Development Camp
Ruscheinski, Kieran -- Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL)
Verbeek, Hayden -- Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL)

I can’t see Fairbrother getting sent to the ECHL, since Laval isn’t that deep on D, so he should definitely be playing for the Rocket next year.

I thought that Myšák couldn’t play for Laval next year because of the NHL-CHL agreement. So he’ll likely be in Hamilton next year. (The Czech Republic is an option he has, but from his interview, it sounds like he definitely doesn’t want to go back there)

We currently have 13 Defenders (not including Weber) under contract and 5 on AHL contracts in the AHL. Fairbrother would have a very hard time cracking the roster and very likely wouldn't get full time playing even in a limited role.

I put an asterisk on Fairbrother if Everett is willing to use one of their overager spots for him, but it's really unlikely.

I remembered reading an article about an exception for Mysak since he's played enough games to be AHL eligible, but I just read that Trevor Timmins confirmed he's reporting to the Hamilton Bulldogs.

So in the NHL:
Petry
Edmundson
Chiarot
Savard
Romanov
Kulak
Wideman

AHL:
Ouellet
Belpedio
Schueneman
Paquette-Bisson
Brook
Fairbrother
Dello

Norlinder and Guhle aren’t playing North American pro hockey for at least the bulk of the season.

Fairbrother is penciled in as Laval’s 6th defenseman, and the only other D on a one-way AHL contract is Tory Dello. Even in the very unlikely event that Dello beats out Fairbrother, he’s still the 7th D, and will stay with the team.

Amorosa, Beaudoin, and Neill are all Trois-Rivières bound.

My guess for how the depth chart is right now:
(I didn’t put much thought into the Lions lines)

Montréal Canadiens:
Toffoli - Suzuki - Caufield
Hoffman - Kotkaniemi - Anderson
Drouin - Evans - Gallagher
Lehkonen - Poehling - Armia
Edmundson - Petry
Romanov - Savard
Chiarot - Wideman
Price
Allen

Scratched:
Paquette
Perreault
Kulak


Laval Rocket:
Harvey-Pinard - Vejdemo - Ylönen
Bourque - Dea - Belzile
Martel - Dauphin - Teasdale
Baddock - Hillis - Beaudin
Schueneman - Ouellet
Paquette-Bisson - Brook
Fairbrother - Belpedio
Primeau
McNiven

Scratches:
Pezzetta
Lucchini
Dello


Trois-Rivières Lions:
Desruisseaux - Gignac - Khisamutdinov
Ducharme - Abbandonato - Ouellette-St. Amant
Fortin - Nantel - D’Aoust
Motminy - Archambault
Amorosa - Neill
G.Beaudoin - C.Beaudoin
Galipeau - Corderre-Gagnon
Bureau-Poulin

Scratches:
Brodeur

Montréal needs to sign KK, and after that there’s room for 4 or 5 more contracts, but in all likelihood they won’t sign anyone, unless someone impresses on a PTO.

Laval is likely done signing contracts (unless there’s someone who plays well out of rookie camp).

Trois-Rivières needs at least one more forward and one more goalie, but likely better off with getting 3 or 4 forwards, maybe another D, and 2 more goalies.

Thank you for this

Some notes on the Lions:

- Justin Ducharme and Cédric Desruisseaux are both 21 years old, so they’re the only traditional prospects on the team.
- There are 3 players who make AHL salaries that I have listed in the ECHL: Arsen Khisamutdinov, Brandon Gignac, and Kevin Bureau-Poulin.
- Bureau-Poulin seems to be signed for AHL money so they have insurance for Laval and a top-notch goalie for the Lions.
- Khisamutdinov had a rough season last year with Laval, and would probably benefit from a top role in the ECHL. Plus I don’t think he’s good enough to make the Rocket anyways.
- Brandon Gignac is a weird one. He’s turning 24 in November, and was a full time AHLer for 3 seasons previous to 2020-21 (he had 36 points in 66 AHL games in 18-19) but for some reason he played nearly the entire year in the ECHL last year. He’s on a one-way AHL contract, so clearly the organization believes in him, but I’m not sure what to expect. He may end up making the Rocket over someone like Lucchini, or they might just have 3 forwards as healthy scratches, since there’s no roster limit in the AHL.

Even though Trois Riviere and Montreal are aligned, judging by their signings, they don't seem to keen on helping Montreal find diamond's in the rough.

Well I’m sure we’ll see a few sign after rookie camp. There’s likely very few young players who would sign an ECHL-only contract, especially before they have an option to earn a bigger contract at the various NHL rookie camps. Most players on ECHL contracts that end up playing in the NHL stay in the ECHL past the point where they would usually be considered prospects (ie. Belzile didn’t become a full-time AHLer until he was 26)

If you wanted to pick someone who is in the right position to be a diamond in the rough signed with Trois-Rivières, Julien Nantel would be the guy. He turns 25 next month, but he’s been playing the majority of his seasons in the AHL since he was 20. He didn’t play at all last year though, likely because of the job shortages, so he could very well become an AHLer, and he’s young enough to be able follow the career path of someone like Alex Belzile (despite how unlikely it is).

So Jesperi Kotkaniemi is going from being a healthy scratch in the last game of the season to being Montréal’s 2nd highest paid forward (and 4th highest paid player) and basically guaranteed to get the 2C spot. I’m happy for my boy, but our cap situation is royally screwed.

So I did a mock of the 2022-23 team. And we have no cap space with 12 forwards, 4 D, and 2 goalies on the roster.

This is so great: 🤬

https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/2749001

Thread was deleted also yep we’re f*cked, either way were screwed, we match, Kk is overpaid and his QA is high, screws our cap, we don’t match we have no center depth and get less value than Kk is worth

tabarnak cette saison morte est complétement hors de ce monde, et ça doit faire 4 fois que je me dis "OK là c'est la fin"

Match then trade KK (and more) to BUF for Eichel?

Well we can’t afford Eichel, we’d have to work the cap even more then, I would think Dvorak would be more realistic

i.e. we match but then trade him to ARI?