Montreal Canadiens Training Camp | Habs Players & Prospects Under Pressure in 2025

Montreal Canadiens Training Camp | Habs Players & Prospects Under Pressure in 2025

Yeah, welcome to mid August. Welcome to the Montreal Canadians and welcome to training camp. And we’re still a ways away, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start setting the table for the Montreal Canadians. Building a window of winning and seizing that moment, which takes us into training camp. And training camp is the fall. And as we get closer to winter, that means you might want to start shopping for your pets outdoor lifestyle. Now, Marco Demo has got a couple of kitties at home. I don’t uh I’m going to assume that Marco doesn’t take his cats out for walks, so he doesn’t really have to worry about making sure they have a nice winter coat. I, on the other hand, have a short-haired dog at home. And my boy Hank the Tank, I’m going to be honest. I’ll throw Hank under the bus right here. Hank’s quite soft. Hank doesn’t like the cold. Hank is a little bit of a wimp. And that’s why I like to take my business to Little Bear online, uh, where they’ve got a delivery, they have a subscription model, and they have great deals on paw protectors. You see these ones right here, these mutlux, these fleece line boots. Hank wears those in the winter. Now, this Canada Pooch four-legged snowsuit, that’s a little bit embarrassing. I would not put my dog into something like that, but I’m not here to tell you uh that you should do what I do. But I will encourage you to shop for your pets needs. Uh they have unbeatable deals all August long. You can save up on jackets and boots and sweaters. 20% off instock items. You need food toppers. You need dry food. Little Bear Online can put you on a subscription model where you can save even more. Or you can shop online, get 10% off. Use the code order one with little bearonline.com. You can find them on St. Catherine in West Mount. Marco, let’s talk about the pressure of training camp. Is there anybody on this current team that is like, “Oh man, I better have pretty good camp. I need to I need to get the attention of the coaching staff in the front office in a positive way.” Who is that player today? Well, I think number one is Kirby Doc. I think I think that’s a shocker, right? Let’s get that out of the way for reasons that everybody knows already. You know, Kirby Dock is gonna be, if healthy, gonna be given the opportunity to run that second line, probably the one that starts with with Ivan Deidovv. We’ll see how that goes. Yeah. But it’s basically a make or break year for him. Contract year as well. And I think the Canadians have decisions to make if he’s not up to task. I think the player after him is a little bit more interesting to be honest with you. Yeah. because I wanted to touch I wanted to talk about like Joe Valeno and and Sammy Ble like the arrival of these players like in my mind I look at uh Joe Valeno and Sammy Blle with no disrespect obviously it’s like this is the new Alex Barry Boule Brendan Ginyak these are veteran professional hockey players that maybe can add experience at the AHL level with the Laval Rocket I mean are Are those guys Valeno and Sammy Blle legitimate threats to, you know, fourthline guys and Owen Beck with Ken Hughes saying that he doesn’t want to show Laval and the players that populate that roster. He doesn’t want to block their path. Is Joe Valeno and Sammy Blle are these potential blockers? Yeah. He also said he didn’t want to block their path on the long term. And I think that’s the key. You only sign those guys if you feel like the players under them are not necessarily ready for it full time. Yeah. And to a degree like and I don’t want to be sound disrespectful, but I feel like a guy like Owen Beck perhaps could use a full season in the top six in Laval Rocket to really kind of become an offensive like a consistent offensive force in the in the uh American Hockey League before he gets a full-time call up with the Canadians. Right. Yeah. That’s exactly what Jake Evans did. Jake Evans was, you know, an actual point per game player. Sorry guys, uh, in the AHL and, you know, ultimately now is is, you know, a high-end fourthline center for the Montreal Canadians. So, I that’s the way I see it. So, I’m not necessarily worried. I wouldn’t necessarily be worried that this could be like a like a cork situation for them where they would be like stopped from earning spots that they necessarily should have at camp. But at the same time, you also want to bring in a little bit of competition, which I I I I really like. Yeah. Um the thing with Kirby Doc is he doesn’t really have a lot of competition for that role. And I think that’s the most problematic part about the whole thing is that ever since he was traded for, he was basically anointed that role. And the Canadians absolutely need him to seize that situation. And I’m not saying this from a negative perspective. I’m sure the I’m sure the young man knows it himself, right? He’s sure it he’s living it, bro. He’s fighting himself, Marco. Let’s be honest. He’s fighting He’s fighting with himself to like be healthy and and try to win that battle. I would think that’s a tough, you know, fighting your own mind. Like, can I do this? Can I stay healthy? Can I be a full-time player? That’s it. And so, I think that’s the that’s the situation without being, you know, disrespectful to the player in any way, shape, or form is you obviously have to, you know, you have to hit at this point. I saw he absolutely needs to come into camp and just play like his career depends on it because it is a contract year and you know if it doesn’t work out at Montreal I very much I don’t see how this relationship continues you know if this season is another wash or if he disappoints again. So this is a guy who was coming into camp with all kinds of pressure on him with all kinds of fire around him that we’ll need to produce. And so it’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s the situation in pro sports. But the Canadians absolutely need to figure their 2C situation. If they want to spend the first half of next season to see if Kirby Doc can be that solution, sure, that’s okay. They’ve afforded themselves that time that that that leeway uh in their rebuild with the uh you know, earlier success than expected last season. So, let’s see what happens. But to me, he’s the player with the most amount of pressure. And you know, like I wouldn’t say like this player would be on the hot seat, but maybe he might because like you’re looking for identity. Like who are you? What is your future role role going to be long-term with the Montreal Canadians? Let me throw out Alex New Hook’s name for a second. Like Mr. Patchwork, uh, this doesn’t work. Let’s slot him. He’s versatile. Could play the wing, could play could play down the middle. We’ve seen that obviously, right? But Yep. Is there pressure on Alex New Hook to solidify his role on this club? Like sitting here talking to you, Mano and Mano, I don’t know what Alex New Hook’s role is on the Montreal Canadians today. In all honesty, I’m not so sure like what he brings to the table on an everyday basis that rounds this team out in a better way. I think there’s pressure. I think the value that Alex Newuk has is his ability to carry the puck with speed up the ice and he has a strong shooting ability. I think he was probably one of the most unlucky players in the NHL last year uh in terms of the amount of posts and missed shots that he had in key scoring situations. If he can convert even 50% of those, he would have been a 25 goal scorer at least. So to me, I think that the potential is certainly there. He’s just got to he’s got to figure it out. But the c a c certain point in time you reach like 23 24 25 if you haven’t really figured it out by then the chances of you really getting there. So to me I think that ultimately he’ll you know he’s got to get out of that 30 point pace area. He’s got to be in the 50 points you know even late 40 points to start being worth the um the fundamental price the Canadians pay for him which is a first and an early second. And to me, I don’t, you know, they saw him as a potential center. I I think he could be a good stop gap center. Like, if there are injuries, you can slot him there and it wouldn’t be a problem. But ultimately, I think he’s a speedy winger that can attack up the ice uh along the boards. It’s just that he’s got to start converting on those shots. And I think that’s the biggest thing is, you know, he has the shooting mechanics, he has the speed, he has the IQ. It’s about putting it all together. I think Artario Lechin kind of went through similar bits in his career with Montreal. Absolutely. And I just feel like, you know, at some point it clicks. I feel like that’s what you need to see from Alex New York is you need to see it click and that falls in exactly. I think that’s ex very well put because Artur Lean in his rookie season. Remember, he had that quick release uh piled up the goals. You’re like, “Oh, who is this young man going to become?” But then you find, like you said, you find your comfort zone. You find your role within the machine of your hockey club. And I think once you find that that comfort, peace of mind, I think you can be a freer version of yourself and the best hockey can come out. Which I think takes me down the path of if we’re going to talk about training camp or we’re going to talk about who’s under who’s under the gun to perform, to show something. And you bring in the the age into this conversation, right? The true battle of what’s going to happen is Arbor Jakkey is 24. Jaden Strubal, you know, they agreed to terms late in the summer. He’s 23. Uh Mike Mat is 31 years of age. To me, that’s where the fight is. Like, who is going to emerge? Is Strugal going to take the next step and grab that sixth or seventh spot by the neck and say, “I’ve won this battle.” Or is Arbor Jack guy going to do that? Do you see it that way? that that’s truly where the hot seat pressure cooker kind of rests with the Montreal Canadians is rounding out the defensive side between the aging veteran who wears an A on his sweater and the guys on the come up and Jack eye and Jaden Strubal like we’re close to decision time, right? Yeah, you have to because they’re all waiver eligible now as well, right? So you have to you have to make a choice. And you know, you have a guy like David Ryan backer and Adam Angstrom knocking on the door and if they come in and have a really good rookie camp and they take that momentum into training camp, they got to be you got to be careful, right? Because you know at that point you start losing leverage and you start losing your position within the organizational depth chart. And I’m not saying this is going to happen, right? Obviously Arbjaka has qualities that the players that I just named do not. And so you also have to factor that in when you’re building out a roster. Um, so I don’t I don’t think they have as big as a fire under them as those before, uh, you know, in UK and Doc, but definitely players that are going to have to watch out from what’s coming up behind him because they haven’t really had to do that in their career so far. They were the young ones vying for spots. And so when you’re when you’re Jackkeye, I think Strugel is the one that would probably need to elevate a little bit more just because Jackie brings an element that that Strug doesn’t. To me, Stru is the kind of player that I would like to see used a little bit more fluidly in the lineup. I thought, you know, when he was paired with Lane Hudson, he was excellent. Um, where other players were not when they were paired with Hudson. Um, so I like him. I I I I think that they could work. I think what what could help them is the fact that the Canadians feel like Adam Angstrom still needs another season in the in the A to really kind of take it up a notch. And obviously David Rybacker’s injury last year, you know, he missed a lot of hockey. They may want him to get a little bit more experience as well. So you factor all that in, I don’t necessarily think they have a massive fire under them, but the Canadians are basically going to be coming in and being like, “Okay, you guys need to take a next step here.” Do you think there’s a chance like we talk about, you know, guys like I’ll just name two players, Jacob Fowler, David Rybacker, two Canadian properties that play two different positions. Is there a chance that when main camp opens that these guys can light it up, be electric, be productive that it it forces the hand or no matter what really in the case of both of these guys, they’re more or less destined to start in Laval and then let’s reassess after a sample size grows pretty deep because I wonder about if we’re talking about pressure, can David Ryanacker come here and already force management to decide between Jack Eye Stubel and Rybacker has a great camp. I mean, it’s going to be tough to ignore. Yes and no. Um, so when it comes to Jacob Fowler, I think at that, you know, I don’t think it’s Jacob Fowler you necessarily have to worry about. It’s Jakob Doves and Kapakan and that’s going to be the real battle. I think Jacob Fowler is earmarked for Laval. Um, obviously there’s no rush with goalenders. you’ve seen goalenders across the NHL get rushed to the league and get burned for it. So I don’t think the Canadians are going to try to do that same mistake twice. Um so I don’t necessarily think that’s an issue. Uh I like the David Rybacker discussion. I really do just because Canadians were very impressed with how he played in the AHL playoffs. He really continued to just improve game after game. Uh obviously a right shot defenseman. So they would rather I think in an ideal world you’d have three left shots, three right shots and a seventh defenseman. But the idea is if he makes the team, in what situation is he going to make it and what is the outcome? Because then you’re going to have to wave one of Strubal or Jackie, right? Correct. And then that that creates kind of a problem in and of itself because well you you trade jackeye, right? I mean there there there would be a team line there would be teams. I mean, I’m I’m not saying you’re getting A1. You’re get you’re not getting A5 Wagu for Arbor Jackey, but like you’re you’re not Wait, you’re not there’s no world that exists that you lose Jack eye for nothing. That’s not happening. No, that’s not happening. And I think I just don’t think that the Canadians are going to be in a situation where they’re going to trade Jackie. I think that’s the even Rybacker makes the team. If Rybacker makes the team because they his play said so, you know. Yeah. But again, do you really want him to play 10 minutes a game in in the NHL, 15 minutes a game in the NHL? I don’t. I don’t. I don’t. Or do you want him to play the 2025 because now they traded Logan Mayu. Yeah. He is going to be the top pair right shot D. Correct. Yeah. getting those reps in my honest opinion is probably more valuable to the team than making him play a agreed maybe third pair because at the end of the day if the Canadians are really rolling on all cylinders Alex Kerier is the one playing third pair right shot D for sure and one of the left D’s is being is being used but look but look just to just to argue with you like you’re they drafted your eye first overall boom this guy’s in the NHL um you know, Lane Hudson gets two games against Detroit and then starts the season and and you know, breaks records and wins the Cder. Like, they’ve done they’ve shown that they’ve done this at least twice. So, that’s all I’m saying. Like, I I agree with you. Listen, in my mind, I want David Rybacker playing 23 minutes, maybe more a night in Laval, top pair, top against top opposition, and let him grow into that. But I can’t ignore the fact that Slowsky and Hudson hit the ice flying Brian and haven’t looked back. I think the difference is, you know, Slipovsky was a first overall pick. There was all the pressure in the world to keep him around there. They didn’t want to send him back to to Finland. They didn’t want to send him to Laval necessarily. They thought that the, you know, the best way to bring him along was to keep him in the NHL. That that’s fine. When you look at Lane Hudson, Lane Hudson didn’t miss a second of development time in the two years that he was in the NCAA, right? He was playing upwards of 60 games a year when you factor in like the the the playoffs as well, World Junior Showcases, World Junior Championships, World Championships, you name it, right? So, he already looked the part as is and came in as a 20-year-old and then his rookie season as a 21-year-old like on paper. To me, I think that it made sense to at least start him in the NHL. Then, obviously, he took off the way that he did. With Rybacker, it’s two seasons in a row with a knee injury. Yeah. Obviously, the time that he spent in Clottton the year after he got drafted, not ideal. Um, and then came to Laval and played a couple of games as well before they the the season ended. And then last year obviously missed most of the season was touch and go in the spring until the playoffs, right? And then played the full playoffs. That’s just not enough hockey for me to warrant you coming in even if you look good at camp. Even if you look good at camp, it’s not enough. You haven’t gone through enough reps on North American ice in my honest opinion to be able to sustain that level of play over 82 games plus the playoffs. And I think that’s the thing that every I and we talked about this. It’s the Victor Mete just very cocky syndrome where they look good in camp because you absolutely need them to fill those roles and then by game 15 they look lost and I think that’s what you want to avoid especially with a fifth overall pick like David Rybacker at a pos a premium position as a right shot defenseman. It would just be unnecessary pressure. Like bring them along. Sure. Call up a couple of times a year if if there is injuries. No problem. Yeah. But just to to just to have him make the team because he looks like one of the eight best defenseman in the Canadians organization. I think that again that’s a short-term payout for a team, but I don’t think it’s a long-term payoff for the player. That’s Marco. Follow him at Emmanico. Read all his latest at RG Media. Great being back, brother. I know we’re still, you know, not reacting to um any earthshattering trades as some suggested we might. Uh but buckle up because I don’t think it’s going to be a smooth ride. I think we’re going to get some fun in a fun in a fun way. Get some turbulence here that we’re going to be able to react to. It’s just just a matter of time in my opinion. Uh Marco, great stuff as always, brother. Nice to see you back. I’m glad you enjoyed a nice holiday with your wife. take a little bit of a break, a step back, but we’re getting closer to diving head first right back into the thick thick of things. Yeah, it’ll be fun. I think it’ll be a very interesting uh start to the fall and uh yeah, look forward to share it with everybody. All right, brother. Thanks, man. We’ll see you. Uh check us out and make sure you like and subscribe with fresh content on the daily. Thank you, Marco.

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Montreal Canadiens training camp is getting closer — and the pressure is on. We break down which Habs players and prospects have the most to prove before the puck drops on the 2025 NHL season.

In this video, Shaun Starr and Marco D’Amico discuss:
– Canadiens training camp storylines to watch
– Habs players fighting for roster spots
– Prospects looking to impress the coaching staff
– Who’s under the most pressure heading into the 2025 season

🔥 WATCH NEXT:
-https://youtu.be/3dzLgIs-3_g?si=2OM6hTfocIzPCXvm
-https://youtu.be/NWy4Q3XWF2U?si=TEqn_3W3dAqPJjq3
-https://youtu.be/2FLdxfWwTdA?si=Bgq7IB5XoyKF_8-i

#MontrealCanadiens #Habs #CanadiensTrainingCamp #NHL #HabsProspects #NHL2025