Aaron Wrotkowski
Wasted Potential.
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2026-2027 Likely Wrong NHL Predictions
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Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:00:08 +0000
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It’s time for Likely Wrong Predictions! Here’s how I fared last year: 2025-2026 Likely Wrong NHL Predictions I said the Carolina Hurricanes were the least “prone to a downfall” club in the Metro. Not exactly calling them Cup favourites but it was still an endorsement. Western Conference Two seasons ago I picked Vancouver to win […]
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It’s time for Likely Wrong Predictions!
Here’s how I fared last year: 2025-2026 Likely Wrong NHL Predictions
I said the Carolina Hurricanes were the least “prone to a downfall” club in the Metro. Not exactly calling them Cup favourites but it was still an endorsement.
Western Conference
Two seasons ago I picked Vancouver to win the conference. Last season I was not as bad. I had the top two teams in each division correct (Central just flipped) so I will pat myself on the back Barry Horowitz style for that.
Pacific Division
1. Vegas Golden Knights
2. Edmonton Oilers
3. San Jose Sharks
4. Anaheim Ducks
5. Seattle Kraken
6. Calgary Flames
7. Los Angeles Kings
8. Vancouver Canucks
I don’t think much changes with Vegas. They will get a better goaltender and win the division. The Cup finalists will try to get right back to where they were. Edmonton is a tough cookie. I think they improved in goal but not much anywhere else. I also think Mike Babcock will eventually torpedo the teams chances. I think they are a ticking timebomb waiting to happen. The problem is they might not go off immediately like what happened in Columbus. It might take a season.
I really hope the San Jose Sharks take a step forward. I am a big fan of Macklin Celebrini and he’d be my pick for potential Hart trophy winner. The Anaheim Ducks I’d have higher if they didn’t have to rip their team apart after the Leo Carlsson offer sheet. Then again, I still put most of the blame on GM Pat Verbeek for that one.
Seattle and Calgary are my “I dunno” picks. They could do better. They could do worse. I dunno. Franchises lost at sea. Calgary needs more talent before they move up but they got a great young goalie. Seattle needs Matty Beniers to remember he’s supposed to become a top centre in the NHL.
The LA Kings could certainly do better than 7th with the talent they have but with Anze Kopitar retiring and I’m sure Drew Doughty is on his final season or two? The Old Kings are dead. The New Kings really are not going anywhere fast.
Vancouver is still going to be one of the worst teams in the league. Bottom three. Funny enough I think the Top three teams going after the first overall pick will all be Canadian.
Central Division
1. Colorado Avalanche
2. Utah Mammoth
3. Dallas Stars
4. Minnesota Wild
5. Nashville Predators
6. St. Louis Blues
7. Chicago Blackhawks
8. Winnipeg Jets
It’s still Colorado’s division to lose. They will have Nazem Kadri and Nicholas Roy for the whole season this time. My biggest question mark is their goaltending. They honestly should bite the bullet and try to get Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets. The problem is that any team who’d want to trade for him has a goalie with a modified NTC and they certainly have Winnipeg on that list.
I do think the Utah Mammoth take a step forward and become the number two of the division. I think geting Trocheck was a very good move and allows them considerable depth in their top nine. The defence is fine. Vejmelka and Cossa are an interesting duo. Detroit fans hyped up Cossa for years as a franchise goalie in the waiting only to see him go for a pick. Interesting to see if he develops.
Dallas and Minnesota will likely make the playoffs and fight for that third spot. Minnesota… who knows what they end up doing with Quinn Hughes not signed.
Nashville and St. Louis are similar to Seattle and Calgary. I dunno. Both could make the playoffs. Both could miss the playoffs. I dunno.
Chicago will miss the playoffs but not be in the hole. They will be better than they have been in the past. Just not that good either.
The Winnipeg Jets… boy I’ve been looking forward to this fall. I am not a fan of the Jets. Not a fan of Winnipeg. I think people baby the team about how hard it is to build a club there. They have some top level talent. Kyle Connor would be a superstar anywhere else. But I think with the Hellebuyck stuff and likely others departing? They find themselves bottom of the division and bottom of the conference.
Eastern Conference
Having faith that the Toronto Maple Leafs would still be good was my biggest regret for last season. I also had Buffalo still 7th but that was more fatigue than anything.
Metropolitian Division
1. Washington Capitals
2. Carolina Hurricanes
3. New York Islanders
4. New Jersey Devils
5. Philadelphia Flyers
6. Pittsburgh Penguins
7. Columbus Blue Jackets
8. New York Rangers
No team moved harder to get better in the off-season than the Washington Capitals. Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch are big additions. They got a youth movement coming up with the Protas Brothers, Ryan Leonard, Justin Sourdif, Ivan Miroshnichenko, and Lane’s brother Cole Hutson. With it being potentially Alex Ovechkin’s final season I think the Caps secure the top spot in the Metro.
Carolina won the Stanley Cup and will comfortably sit in second. Definitely still the team to beat. Probably the one team that can afford Hellebuyck the easiest. The Devils could if they could find a team for Dougie Hamilton but that means a three team trade. More likely just Carolina.
After that my “I dunno” goes from three to six. I do not know who takes the third spot in the Metro and I do not know who potentially gets a wildcard spot from an Atlantic team. I wanted to say the Devils for the third spot but I don’t trust the goaltending. I have my doubts on the Flyers but I could also see them securing third comfortably. The Pittsburgh Penguins overachieved last year and I don’t think they did enough to get back into the playoffs. The Islanders are basically by default, but it’s also likely a Norris winning season for Matthew Schaefer.
Columbus… man. It’s easy to forget how close they got to the playoffs last season. They are not a bad team. But how long it took to sign Adam Fantilli, the Zach Werenski trade demand then rescinding the trade demand, the Kirill Marchenko drama, I just don’t know how this team puts it together for 84 games.
The New York Rangers stink and need to blow it up. Should they do so the NHL will gift them first overall in the likes of Landon DuPont. Have you ever heard a name that screamed NEW YORK RANGERS STAR like Landon DuPont? I haven’t.
Atlantic Division
1. Florida Panthers
2. Montreal Canadiens
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
4. Buffalo Sabres
5. Ottawa Senators
6. Boston Bruins
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
8. Detroit Red Wings
I don’t want to give the top spot to my Montreal Canadiens. They always have a December struggle that costs them points down the stretch.
So I’m going with the Florida Panthers. Jacob Markstrom replaces Sergei Bobrovsky and I’m not crazy about that move. I don’t know if he’s better. I don’t know if he’s enough. But he should get them somewhere. I think Brady Tkachuk is a really good hockey player but he’s such a bonehead and will be a bit of a problem in that locker room. Those guys gotta be tired of the brothers by now. Whether or not they are? Alex Barkov is healthy and back. Florida will take the top spot.
The Montreal Canadiens. I already did a season preview on them. I like adding Chris Kreider. I like Derek Lalonde as an associate coach. I think they need to figure out new teams for Sam Montembeault and Kirby Dach. David Reinbacher and Florian Xhekaj should make the team. Coming to the end of the year we could see Michael Hage and Alex Zharovsky coming in. Or they make a big trade. Either way? Second place.
Tampa did not do much this season. Honestly, why do I keep them third over other teams? Really it’s because I don’t think Darren Raddysh going to Toronto is enough of a loss. Especially since they replaced him with John Carlson. It’s probably the oldest defence in the league now.
Buffalo lost Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram but I do think they are still a playoff team. Whether it’s third or a wildcard spot I think they get it. Same with the Ottawa Senators. Ottawa I could see out of nowhere moving into the third spot. I like them a lot and think losing Brady Tkachuk will be a positive overall for the team. I like William Eklund a lot too.
Boston and Toronto are my I dunno’s. JJ Peterka didn’t fit in Utah. Will he fit in Boston? Does he learn how to play Bruin hockey? Toronto tried to absolutely change everything around except the core rotting the team. Will it work? I dunno. I like Raddysh. I like Bobrovsky. I like Gavin McKenna, I think he’s going to be an outstanding NHLer. Any NHL team led by Auston Matthews will always have a limit.
And then we got Detroit. I picked them for the bottom last year. They went on a tear in the first half of the year. And then they sunk. This year they got a captain who wants out but can’t get traded even after the C was stripped. They had to watch Patrick Kane leave because their GM stepped down. They added one veteran to the club and that’s it. Oh, and at the time of writing this? Simon Edvinsson is still an RFA. So he’s basically missed all of training camp. I think the Red Wings absolutely sink this year, much like I did last year, only this time I’m more confident.
Way Too Early/Stupid Playoff Predictions
Western Conference
(1) Colorado Avalanche versus (W2) Minnesota Wild
(2) Utah Mammoth versus (3) Dallas Stars
(1) Vegas Golden Knights versus (W1) Anaheim Ducks
(2) Edmonton Oilers versus (3) San Jose Sharks
We get two second round rematches here in the first round. Utah and Dallas both got busted in the first round last year so now they get a chance to make it to the second round. Edmonton got beat by Anaheim so they go up against another California team. How will Connor McDavid feel losing to the guy who will replace him as the best Canadian forward in the league. Notice how I didn’t say best forward period. Kucherov has that crown.
Eastern Conference
(1) Florida Panthers versus (W2) Ottawa Senators
(2) Montreal Canadiens versus (3) Tampa Bay Lightning
(1) Washington Capitals versus (W1) Buffalo Sabres
(2) Carolina Hurricanes versus (3) New York Islanders
I will once again brag about the fact I absolutely called Tampa versus Montreal last season in the 2 versus 3 in the Atlantic Division. I also called Dallas versus Minnesota but wrong spot (they were 2 versus 3 not 1 versus wildcard)
I have set up two “former players team versus new team” matchups because it’s fun to me. Brady Tkachuk will take on the Ottawa Senators with the Florida Panthers. Alex Tuch’s Washington Capitals face the Buffalo Sabres.
I also got Montreal playing Tampa again (I was right last time let’s go two for two) and the Hurricanes probably sweeping the New York Islanders.
As I did last year, I will do a mid-season reflection on my picks and see what’s working and what isn’t, and then of course end of season see how likely wrong I was. Enjoy the ride! NHL hockey is back!
Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Montreal Canadiens 26-27 Season Preview
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Wed, 16 Sep 2026 20:59:09 +0000
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Last year I asked, “How good are the Montreal Canadiens in 25-26?” and did it after my Likely Wrong Regular Season predictions. This time I’ll do it earlier. In that “How Good?” I brought up the fact that the Montreal Canadiens needed a veteran presence. They recently traded Brendan Gallagher to the Vancouver Canucks. Doesn’t […]
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Last year I asked, “How good are the Montreal Canadiens in 25-26?” and did it after my Likely Wrong Regular Season predictions. This time I’ll do it earlier.
In that “How Good?” I brought up the fact that the Montreal Canadiens needed a veteran presence. They recently traded Brendan Gallagher to the Vancouver Canucks. Doesn’t that hurt the veteran presence?
Of course, they would later fill that hole with Chris Kreider.
I questioned if Sam Montembeault was the goalie of the future and compared him to Cristobal Huet when Montreal had Price and Halak in the system. Monty is still here but he’s the clear number three now.
I talked highly of Zachary Bolduc having a big season and it didn’t happen. Instead, he started hot, cooled down, and struggled to figure his place in the lineup. He did however have a decent post-season.
I asked what if Nick Suzuki hits 100 points. He did. I asked what if Cole Caufield scores 40? He scored 50. I asked what if Alex Newhook stops frustrating me and he did! Well aside from the injuries. Not his fault.
I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m not just responding to the article. Let’s preview the Montreal Canadiens.
Sign Everyone
The Montreal Canadiens made it their goal to ensure a lot of their players were locked up this summer. Ivan Demidov signed quite arguably the best contract of the summer, locked up for eight years at $9.15 million per season. Jakub Dobes signed a three year extension that doesn’t kick in until next season at $5.357 million per. It took a while for any new action after that but Bolduc would re-sign at four years, $4.2 million taking him right to UFA status. Chris Kreider I already talked about.
Tuesday we got two more signings. Arber Xhekaj finally re-signed a one year $1.5 million deal to keep him an RFA and ensure everyone on the roster had a contract. Then Alex Newhook signed an extension to kick in next year at $5.5 million for the next five years.
The club is locked up. Four defencemen have long term deals. Seven forwards have long term deals.
Next summer’s UFA’s are mostly veterans. Philip Danault, Josh Anderson, Alex Carrier, Sam Montembeault, and the newly acquired Chris Kreider. The only kinda young player coming up in the summer is Kirby Dach. Their deals expiring make room for Newhook’s raise, Demidov’s new deal, and Dobes new deal. In other words, the Habs are in good cap shape once they get an extra $9 million from the salary cap.
Youth in Perpetuity
Last season, Montreal was the youngest team in the league and made the playoffs. They might not be the youngest team this year, but they will still be one of the youngest. What’s crazy is that they could still take the youngest team in the league title back by next summer.
You see, Alexander Zharovsky and Michael Hage will be likely finishing their Russian and NCAA careers out and coming to the Montreal Canadiens in the spring. They could potentially crack the playoff lineup. That’s two potential top six forwards, both arguably top nine forwards, who slip into the lineup at 20 and 21. There’s also David Reinbacher, who could win a roster spot this fall if he can squeeze out someone like Carrier into a seventh defenceman role.
Remember, the Habs got Caufield, Slafkovsky, Dach, Newhook, Kapanen, Demidov, Hutson, Guhle, Xhekaj, Struble, Dobes, and Fowler all under the age of 26. And they could be bringing in three more!
That is, if they don’t trade them away.
It seems like the Montreal Canadiens almost made a huge deadline deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs for Matthew Knies that would have included Zharovsky, prospect defenceman Adam Engstrom, plus first round picks. Because that never happened the Canadiens selected Gleb Pugachyov in the first round. It also means they still have so many assets and only so many spots.
There’s been a lot of rumours on Kirill Marchenko of the Columbus Blue Jackets. While I understand why the Canadiens want him, I’m not sure if I want to spend Zharovsky to get him. Or Hage. I mean look at Zharovsky here. He looks very close to a complete project in the KHL already. He’s getting his points. I don’t want to look him only to see him playing at a 50+ point level in his rookie or sophomore year for a guy who maybe does 20 points better now but will cost a heck of a lot more.
It’s a 3-point night for Alexander Zharovsky 🚨🍏🍏 pic.twitter.com/XQym5mUyrB
— KHL (@khl_eng) December 25, 2025
Sometimes there’s a “shit or get off the pot” on building a team where you have to shift your youth for players that will help you win now. I get that. But I’m fine doing that after we get Hage and Zharovsky going. I’d also like to keep Pugachyov just because he seems like a wrecking ball. The only other player I’m protective of not on the team yet is Bryce Pickford because he either picked on a bunch of young kids in the WHL or he’s a legit 30 goal defencemen scoring threat. I don’t want to lose him until we’ve seen him in the AHL.
Crowded Room
So we got all this talk of young players getting added. We got everyone re-signed. We got Chris Kreider coming in.
Is there spots for everyone?
No.
At centre you got Nick Suzuki and Philip Danault. 1C and 4C. Then you got 2C and 3C. Last year that was often Oliver Kapanen and Jake Evans. But it could also be Kirby Dach or Alex Newhook.
Top six wingers are set with Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov, and Juraj Slafkovsky. That fourth spot… Newhook? Kreider? Kapanen? Dach? Bolduc?
Bottom six wingers you got Josh Anderson and essentially… anyone else. Heck, they might even try Arber Xhekaj as a bottom six winger. Oh, and Alex Texier. He can go literally anywhere.
Can any of the kids make the lineup? Owen Beck? Florian Xhekaj? Jared Davidson? Maybe one of the new kids like Brett Berard, Sasha Pastujov, or Samuel Poulin?
Over on defence you got Noah Dobson and Mike Matheson pretty set in their spots. Lane Hutson is the best defenceman on the team but will he be on his natural left side or the right side?
Alex Carrier likely to play third pairing but is he set in the spot? Can Kaiden Guhle stay healthy? What happens with Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj? Can Adam Engstrom or David Reinbacher crack the lineup this season?
Even at goal it’s more conflicting than it should be. Jakub Dobes is the starter. Jacob Fowler should be the backup. But will they try to get Sam Montembeault going? Or will they send him off on waivers? Habs management did say they plan to go into the regular season with only two goaltenders.
No matter how you try to build the lineup you’re leaving someone off you might not want to. The Habs might end up with one of the stronger press boxes in the league. Do you scratch Kirby Dach? Oliver Kapanen? Alex Texier? Jayden Struble? Arber Xhekaj? Alex Carrier? What if Florian Xhekaj has a great camp and deserves a roster spot?
It’s pretty clear that the club needs to try and package multiple players for one guy who can make a bigger difference.
Also, with the looming entries of Alexander Zharovsky and Michael Hage, the guys who don’t have a set spot like Kirby Dach and Oliver Kapanen have to really make a good argument for themselves.
Focus on Five
I’m going to put a little focus on five players and their situations with the team.
Zachary Bolduc: I was very high on the Canadiens acquiring Bolduc from the St. Louis Blues for Logan Mailloux. He had 19 goals in his rookie year with the Blues. He was only able to score 12 with the Canadiens. He also went from a +20 to a -6. There are some reasons for this. Bolduc was used heavily on the Blues powerplay at the second half of the season. 11 of his 19 goals came in March and April. He was also a +8 in that time. Four of his 12 goals for the Habs came in October. He cooled off after that with a lot of talk being he worked hard in practice but struggled to learn Martin St. Louis’ system.
His play in the playoffs was much better, especially when MSL had him on a line with Kirby Dach and Alex Texier. He has good chemistry with Dach. He had three points in 7 games against Tampa and three against Buffalo. He was a +6 on May 10. His next nine games? A -9.
I think Bolduc now understands what Montreal wants out of him. He needs to be a middle six agitator with a deadly shot. I’d love to see him get more play with Ivan Demidov, but that depends on where Kreider plays.
Oliver Kapanen: Oliver was a season surprise. He wasn’t really expected to crack the lineup in camp and he earned the 2C spot next to Ivan Demidov. Kapanen would score 22 goals and 37 points in his first rookie campaign. His first half was very strong, especially the times Juraj Slafkovsky carried the line. Then came the playoffs. Kapanen lost his roster spot for over half the games and played 7 games with 0 points. He played less than 11 minutes in those games.
It should be said he was scoreless in his last 10 regular season games. It’s like his first rookie season he just ran out of battery juice. So what is Oliver Kapanen in 26-27? He’s the prime candidate to lose his spot to a rookie next year (Hage/Zharovsky) and there’s a lot who think he shouldn’t be tried again on the top line.
I was doubtful on him last season making the team but I also don’t like rooting against a kid after an up and down rookie year. Like Bolduc, I think there’s more there. I honestly wonder about putting Bolduc and Kapanen together as a line and letting them prove people wrong together. I hope he bounces back and proves he can be a different on this squad. Otherwise? He’s going to be another Emil Heineman. Thanks for surprising folks. Off to a new team.
Jacob Fowler: This is the best way to present my opinion on the “goalie debate” on either putting Fowler in the AHL or not:
I’m at the point where I ask the question : “are we a serious team?” And if Monty is starting games over Jacob Fowler, the answer is probably no
— bren (@brenmidov) September 14, 2026
I’m sorry folks. It’s an 84 game NHL season. The backup is going to play 30+ games. 30+ NHL games is BETTER DEVELOPMENT TO BECOME AN NHL STARTER THAN 60+ AHL GAMES!
Not only that but Jacob Fowler coming in last season helped turn the teams fortunes from out of a playoff spot into a top three team in the Atlantic Division. He deserves his spot on the roster. That’s why he was Dobes backup in the playoffs and not Montembeault.
Monty shouldn’t even be here. This is Fowler’s time. And if he’s every bit as good as I think he is? He outplays Dobes at times this year. Let’s run with both. Options in net is a good thing.
Arber Xhekaj: Listen. I like Arber a lot. I also think his ability to intimidate and be an enforcer is essential. We’re a better team when he can come out and scare the rats. But he also must earn his minutes. He struggles to clear creases without taking penalties. If he could clear creases as well as Kaiden Guhle he would be our permanent #5 defenceman. He doesn’t handle man to man as well as other options. He has a great slap shot and doesn’t use it enough.
This is all on Arber. Stop blaming the coach for not playing him enough. He isn’t giving him enough reason to trust him. Now he’s run out of time. He hasn’t created enough of a gap between him and Struble. Reinbacher and Engstrom could be coming up soon. Guhle is hurt until likely November but once he’s back? It could be hard to get minutes. Arber has to figure this out himself. Make the Habs pay for only giving him a one year deal. Earn a spot on this roster as a serious top six option. Otherwise he might be better off finding a new team.
Should this happen? Habs will definitely need to replace the enforcer qualities he brings. Might cost the team a lot to bring a guy from elsewhere. But you can only wait so long for Arber. I for one hope he finds his game this season. I want the Sheriff here for a long time.
Ivan Demidov: How good will Demidov be this season? Maybe this isn’t as much fun to write about as other players, but it certainly is for me. I thought Ivan really developed as a two way player in the playoffs this year. This was a great rookie campaign for him. He was 2nd for Calder voting with his 62 points. All throughout the year there was a feeling he could be shooting the puck more. I think we see that this year.
I’m expecting a huge year from Ivan. 80 is my base. I think he could do even better with the right linemates. If him and Slafkovsky are back together and they have chemistry with a guy in the middle? He’s going to be a 90+ guy. He will be hitting 100+ in no time. Best Hab forward since Guy Lafleur. That’s his future.
How far can the Habs go?
Last season, Montreal finished third in their division. They beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in a tough seven game series. They then beat the Buffalo Sabres in an equally tough seven game series. After surprising the Carolina Hurricanes in game one, they had no energy remaining and got squashed by the Canes in five.
The loss resembled their first round series with the Washington Capitals in 24-25. This team has a tendency to run out of gas. They spend too much time chasing pucks, blocking shots, and letting teams get set up. Mike Matheson put it best. The Habs struggled against Carolina because they didn’t finish Tampa and Buffalo off earlier.
I of course had to roll my eyes at people saying Montreal was outmuscled by Carolina, just as I did when it was said about the Capitals series. It has nothing to do with size or muscle. It has everything to do with being outcoached and exhausted.
The Canes series featured one of the few times I was absolutely befuddled by Martin St. Louis’ insistence to not touch his lines in four straight losses. That can’t ever happen again. Not even trying the Bolduc – Dach – Texier line from the Tampa series was peculiar.
So how can the Habs change things this time? So far I’ve talked a lot about playoff performance. That’s because I think Montreal is a lock for a top three spot. Even with how hard the Atlantic is? I think Montreal finishes 1, 2, or 3. I don’t think they fall to a wildcard spot. They might win the division.
However, they need to tighten up their man to man defensive strategies. They need to finish teams off faster. Less blocking shots and more stealing pucks to tilt the ice. Less cardiac kid third period miracles. Less overtime wins. Montreal was actually a leader in least giveaways but their takeaways was only 22nd. Who led the league? The Carolina Hurricanes. Montreal led the league in blocked shots. Who was 32nd? The Carolina Hurricanes. Should tell you right there something to fix. Also, total shot attempts? Montreal was 23rd. Number one? Come on, don’t make me type it out.
I do hope Derek Lalonde makes a big difference in the defensive department. St. Louis does need help there. I hope he begins on telling Marty he can’t be playing Lane Hutson as a right defenceman any longer. Left side only.
So far can the Habs go this year? With the addition of Chris Kreider and everyone a year older? Lalonde to hopefully help the defence and penalty kill? Top three division finish and a great chance making the Eastern Conference final again. With some injury luck and maybe a smart addition at the trade deadline (I’m hoping Ryan O’Reilly) I think they can absolutely beat whoever they could play in the ECF and make the Stanley Cup final.
They could also take a small step back and only make it to the first or second round. Atlantic is still a very tough division. Some bad injuries could pull their potential back. Maybe having so many guys unable to figure their place is an issue. While that’s not ideal it isn’t back breaking.
The Canadiens essentially have four to five kicks at the can here before they might start losing core players. You of course want to win, keep winning, and never lose, but those kicks are going to be what develops them into a Cup winner. Hopefully.
Montreal Canadiens fans keep bragging to the league about their great contracts. It doesn’t mean a thing unless they win it all before the 2030s. 26-27, 27-28, 28-29, and 29-30. This is when the window opens. While things don’t shut in 2030, that is likely when the NHL expands to Houston and they will lose a player for that. That’s when Nick Suzuki needs to be extended. That’s when a lot of their original core guys deals come up. It’ll make it much more difficult to keep everyone together at that point.
But we’re just worrying right now about the 26-27 season. Montreal is in a very good position. Games are played on ice not on paper. Puck drop on the regular season begins September 29.
Game on.
“Montreal Canadiens Wedding Cupcakes” by clevercupcakes is licensed under CC BY 2.0 .
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Chris Kreider is a Hab
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Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:00:18 +0000
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On September 9, the Anaheim Ducks put Chris Kreider on waivers for the purpose of a mutual termination. I had a feeling. Last year, we had a mutual termination with Alexandre Texier and the St. Louis Blues. St. Louis couldn’t find a taker for Texier’s $2.10 million per season and he seemed against playing in […]
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On September 9, the Anaheim Ducks put Chris Kreider on waivers for the purpose of a mutual termination.
I had a feeling.
Last year, we had a mutual termination with Alexandre Texier and the St. Louis Blues. St. Louis couldn’t find a taker for Texier’s $2.10 million per season and he seemed against playing in the American Hockey League. The two sides instead agreed to a mutual termination. Texier would sign a one year $1 million deal with the Montreal Canadiens the same day of his contract termination. It took less than two months for him to impress the Habs enough to re-sign him for two more years at $2.5 million per year, an upgrade from his previous deal that somehow couldn’t be traded or picked up on waivers.
Chris Kreider is a bit of a different situation. Kreider wasn’t being sent onto waivers because the Ducks didn’t want him on the main roster. The Anaheim Ducks were in a cap crunch after the offer sheet by Daniel Briere of the Philadelphia Flyers on Leo Carlsson which Anaheim matched and then the signing of Pavel Mintyukov. I talked about it in 2026 Off Season.
Anaheim did a lot to try and get out of their cap issues. They traded both Mason McTavish and Olen Zellweger. They did sign A.J. Greer which certainly didn’t help the cap issues. They also signed one Cruz Lucius. Who is Cruz Lucious? No clue but I love his name. All these trades and signings meant Anaheim couldn’t afford to re-sign Cutter Gauthier who was looking to get $15 million per year. I’m sure that’ll come soon. I’m not sure if Lukas Dostal is in or out at start of the season to give them extra room to add a few more forwards. If not? Anaheim still has to make another move.
But this is all why Kreider had to go. Apparently, Anaheim couldn’t make a trade because everyone knew they were in a cap crunch and didn’t want to help them. It was going to cost a lot to trade Kreider’s deal, and that’s if it was a team Chris wanted to play for. Kreider was on the last year of a seven year contract for $6.5 million with a 15 team no trade clause.
Kreider would agree to a mutual termination and his agents Matt & Ryan Keator told teams if he didn’t want to play for them he wouldn’t accept being picked up on waivers. Kreider’s contract was officially waived and terminated on the 10th of September.
The Feeling
The rumour was that Chris Kreider wanted to go back to the Eastern Conference and he was thinking about three to four teams. I didn’t know the teams but my guess is that the Boston Bruins were involved as he’s a Massachusetts boy. But I had a feeling.
The first contract Chris Kreider ever signed was with Glen Sather back in 2014 for the New York Rangers. His second contract? Jeff Gorton, the current President of the Montreal Canadiens. The seven year deal just terminated? Also signed by Gorton. Kreider also used to play with Martin St. Louis who is now the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens.
There’s also a personal connection with the Canadiens current trainer Jim Ramsay.
Quick story that may help explain why Chris Kreider is now in Montreal:
— Feb. 15, 2024. Jim Ramsay returns to MSG as the MTL trainer after 30 years with the #NYR and a dismissal the previous summer that left several Rangers very, very unhappy.
There was no acknowledgment in…
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNHL) September 12, 2026
Chris Kreider was also considered a big snub by Team USA for the 2026 Winter Olympics, even though they did win the Gold. Who else was snubbed from that team? Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield on the Habs.
To me this was a perfect fit. Well, would be perfect. There’s just one tiny problem.
Some Montreal Canadiens fans just can’t get over shit.
Dropkicking Carey Price to death
As I’m sure you’ve seen a thousand times now, Chris Kreider once ran skates first into Carey Price back in 2014 and injured him out of the playoffs when he was the Montreal Canadiens best player. Did Kreider mean to injure Price? No. Did he run a lot of goalies back then? You bet!
He basically ran every starting goalie in every series. Including the Cup final. We will get to that.
Was Carey Price playing lights out when he got hurt? No, actually he was terrible that game. Did he leave the game immediately? No, he actually stayed in for two more goals. Did Montreal get swept after? No, because Dustin Tokarski, a third string goalie, ended up playing well enough for the Habs to get to game six. Was Price not the same after the injury? Well, funny enough, he won the Hart and Vezina trophies the next year.
But for a lot of Habs fans this was a perfect storm year where they could have won the Stanley Cup. It’s nice to think of, but the Los Angeles Kings were likely whipping Montreal even if Carey Price was healthy. Because Montreal was a fake contender. Those mid 2010s teams were propped up by four stars and then a bunch of junk. They also had terrible coaching and a bad GM. We know this. Sometimes the miracle of a few stars and a couple junk veterans can get you places. Montreal also knows this, thanks to 2021.
But Kreider didn’t stop the Habs from winning the Cup. He also didn’t win the Cup, even after Chris ran into Jonathan Quick in the Cup final. Why? The Kings were better.
But there are Habs fans screaming bloody murder at Chris Kreider being signed because he clearly murdered Carey Price in 2014 and should be hated forever for it. Even when Carey Price himself last year did an interview saying he doesn’t hold a grudge against Chris Kreider.
Chris Kreider plays the game on the edge. We know that from when he hit Leon Draisaitl in the playoffs in the spring. You know what’s pretty good to have? Players who play on the edge and don’t get called for it. You know what isn’t good to have? Those players playing against you when they could have played for you.
Chris Kreider knows the heat he had with Habs fans. And yet, as an unrestricted free agent for the very first time in his 958 regular season games and 135 playoff games, he decided to come to Montreal. On a bonus heavy contract that gave Montreal the room to lock up Zachary Bolduc and hopefully Arber Xhekaj soon after. He chose Montreal.
He chose the Montreal Canadiens because he wants a Stanley Cup.
The Fit
So where does Kreider fit? In a couple places actually.
Fit 1: Top Line
Chris Kreider played last season next to Leo Carlsson all year. So why not do that with Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki? That allows Juraj Slafkovsky to play again with Ivan Demidov (and whomever they put at centre. Oliver Kapanen, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Jake Evans, take your pick until Michael Hage comes in) and spread the offence.
Kreider is an elite garbage goal scorer. It’ll be a lot like when Erik Cole came to the Canadiens to play next to Max Pacioretty. Caufield can still get in his office and snipe. Suzuki can distribute the puck. Kreider can get the rebounds and pressure the goalie.
The only problem with this is that Kreider’s stats definitely took a dive in the second half of the year. He is 35 afterall. It might not be best for his legs to always be playing 18 minutes a game.
Fit 2: Demidov
If we keep Slafkovsky on the top line that allows Chris Kreider to play with Demidov. Demidov can distribute the puck and that allows Kreider to get his heavy wristers in. He likely plays the PP2 and helps bring size to the line.
This still creates a similar issue to the first fit. He’s going to play a lot of minutes. However, this allows him to really mentor whoever is on the line with him.
Fit 3: Middle Six Wrecker
Let’s imagine the Habs do this:
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Zachary Bolduc
Juraj Slafkovsky – Alex Newhook – Ivan Demidov
Alex Texier – Philip Danault – Jake Evans/Oliver Kapanen
Who does that leave? That leaves Kirby Dach at centre, Chris Kreider, and Josh Anderson.
That’s a 678lb third line.
This keeps Kreider from playing way too much on even strength and can still work the PP2. Fourth line will likely be Danault and Evans being defensively aware with a skill guy (Kapanen or Texier) while Newhook centres Slafkovsky and Demidov. Bolduc will get his shot again on the first line to prove he can be a banger/crasher and contribute some goals.
This also ensures snarl in the top nine, and a big body third line to give Montreal a dynamic they really haven’t had in a long time. It would also be Kirby Dach’s last shot to show he can be a top nine centre on this team before Hage and Alex Zharovsky arrive.
I’m sure the team will think of other fits. It’s hard to say until we know who ends up the 2C. Will Montreal try Oliver Kapanen again, or will there be a trade? I really feel like there will be a trade. Kapanen and Dach really feel like the odd men out on this club once Hage and Zharovsky arrive. Might as well make some room now.
Anyway. It doesn’t matter. We are way too ahead of things. This is just about Chris Kreider and not a Habs season preview. That’s later. Whenever Arber Xhekaj re-signs.
Shaking Hands with The Enemy
So is this shaking hands with THE ENEMY?
No.
Kreider wasn’t angry at Max Pacioretty for showing him up and throwing him into a stanchion.
He isn’t Michel Therrien. He isn’t Marc Bergevin.
There’s people who were in the organization who did far more damage than Chris Kreider.
Chris Kreider isn’t the enemy. Chris Kreider should have been drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 2009 instead of Louis Leblanc. This is fixing a 17 year mistake. He wouldn’t have become “The Enemy” had we drafted him.
It’s time for Montreal Canadiens fans to get over themselves. Price is over it. Kreider clearly fine. The Habs organization is accepting him. Nick Suzuki, the captain, clearly fine with him coming into that locker room.
Habs fans who can’t get over this don’t deserve to be at the parade.
— Aaron Wrotkowski (@AaronWrotkowski) September 13, 2026
Do you want to win a Stanley Cup in 26-27 or live in the past?
It’s clear Montreal wants to win a Cup. Chris Kreider wants to win a Cup in Montreal. What’s your problem?
Yes, the Montreal Canadiens are a team that remembers their history. The greatest organization in hockey history. But with no Cups since 1993, you’re not imprisoned to its decades of failure. Stop holding them up as something to be revered. It’s time to let go of the failed eras and celebrate this era. Hopefully they win a ring to make it worth it.
And even if they don’t? It doesn’t change this being a great signing.
Welcome to the Habs Chris.
Photo of Chris Kreider from Wikipedia by Jenn G
4.0 Creative Commons Licence
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September Sweatdown 2K26
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Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:15 +0000
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September Sweatdown 2K26 is here on YouTube! You can find all other playlists on The Sweatdown The Sweatdown has existed since April of 2018 as a monthly collection of music I’ve been listening to. Sometimes it’s old tracks but it’s usually new music. Everything from indie to synthwave to rock to alternative […]
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September Sweatdown 2K26 is here on YouTube! You can find all other playlists on The Sweatdown
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The Sweatdown has existed since April of 2018 as a monthly collection of music I’ve been listening to. Sometimes it’s old tracks but it’s usually new music. Everything from indie to synthwave to rock to alternative and more. Every December is a culmination of the music I’ve listened to. Originally posted to Spotify, these playlists can now all be found on YouTube where they will be updated monthly for YouTube Music.
Some of what’s here for September
I went to the 89x Birthday Bash here in Windsor, Ontario, Canada at Caesars Windsor on September 4th. The headliner was Default with locals The Blue Stones and Sweatdown favourite Fionn also playing. Fionn opened the show and honestly sounded the best of the three bands. This is at least my third time seeing The Blue Stones (I’m sure I saw them like 20 years ago when they were still bar band sized and also later when they were launching Pretty Monster) and then first time seeing Default. I like a couple Default songs. Always loved Deny. I didn’t see them play Deny. They held that off for the encore and… eh, I took the encore intermission as a good time to slink out.
So I had to put Fionn and Blue Stones at the top of the Sweatdown this month.
Right after I released the August Sweatdown 2K26 that’s when Royal Blood released their new track Ten Over Ten. Great track, reminds me of their first two albums.
Blister Sunrise by M83 might be an odd fit for a Sweatdown but I had to get it on. The song just brings me so much happiness. M83 just have a key to the heart of certain elder millennial’s like myself.
Be sure to listen to the new album by almost monday that came out last week!
Check the video out for REVOLUTION.EXE since the visuals by Yudho I’ve been checking out on Twitter for years now. Definite FAITH: THE UNHOLY TRINITY vibes.
I’m just as surprised as anyone that Dogstar is on here. I should have seen them when they were in Windsor. The song is good!
September Sweatdown 2K26 features:
Fionn – I Put My Makeup On
The Blue Stones – Happy Cry
Royal Blood – Ten Over Ten
M83 – Blister Sunrise
babushka – I don’t play nice
almost monday – french kids
Bleeker – Feel It Again
W O L F C L U B – Casting Silhouettes
Gunship, Tyler Bates, Dave Lombardo – REVOLUTION.EXE
The Ninth Wave – Bitumen
Marshmellow x Portugal. The Man – Phoenix
Dogstar – All In Now
Icona Pop – Mad Love
AmiiFy – Poison Crown
Chain Gang of 1974 – Crying
The Amazons – Living a Lie
See you in spooky October!
Photo by me of Fionn performing at the 89X Birthday Bash on September 4, 2026.
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NHL 2026 Off Season
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Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:31:04 +0000