What Surprises Have We Uncovered About the Canadiens After TWO Preseason Games?

What Surprises Have We Uncovered About the Canadiens After TWO Preseason Games?

What have we learned after two exhibition games this preseason? We learned that the Canadians have some studs, a few duds, and a lot of work still to be done. Is anybody really surprised? Let’s talk some puck. [Music] Hey gang, Costa here from Puck Talk Montreal. Welcoming you new to another episode of Puck Talk Montreal. And as I do that, I remind you to please make sure you give these videos a thumbs up, subscribe if you like to, and of course, hit the notification bell for all the latest and greatest as we post. Now, there’s one thing we want to talk about. It’s this, right? Beautiful hat. Who does it come from? Our sponsor, Insta Customs. It’s your number one destination for a power printing. They’re the highest rated print shop in Canada with over 3,000 Google reviews, a 4.9 star rating, and they were nominated for a 2024 Canadian Business Choice Award. They print on all your favorite clothing, t-shirts, polos, hoodies, and hats, beanies, tote bags, even coffee and travel mugs. And yes, they even offer embroidery. Most orders are printed and shipped the very same day, and large orders in less than 3 days with free shipping. Open seven days a week. They’re located downtown on Stanley Street. easy to remember because they tie in with the HAB’s ultimate goal, the Stanley Cup. So whether it’s for yourself, a loved one, or your business, trust Insta Customs. Visit us in person or order online at instacustoms.com. And yeah, I’ve ordered more. I’m just a glutton that way. Speaking of gluttony, let’s take a look at a plethora of studs on the Montreal Canadians this preseason. I mean, we look and we evaluate every single player, the good, the bad, the ugly. You know how it works. But there are a few players that I’ve picked out in my opinion that I think really stood out above everybody else. One of them we know is Owen Beck. Spoke about him the other night, so I’m really not going to bring him up in this studs list. But taking a look at studs, one very obvious one is Jacob Fowler. Fowler is about as poised a goalender as you can get. No wasted movement, no lost tracking of the puck, always in good position, always square to the shot, and when needed, he can make a spectacular save as we saw the other night. So definitely one of the studs on the list is Jacob Fowler. And there, here’s the thing. Mark Duo went out and put out an article about how Sam Mount doesn’t get respect. I mentioned it the other night and it goes in depth on how you know Jacob Fowler is expected to be the next one and blah blah blah and you know uh Jakob Doves people are talking about him possibly taking the number one job. If there’s one thing we know about media is that they try to build controversy out of nothing. Here’s the thing and I’m sure Monty’s been spoken to because if there’s one thing the Canadians do very very well is they communicate with their players. Monty knows his contract’s up in two years. Monty also knows that Jacob Fowler is going to the AHL to play all season this year and possibly part of next year. It’s not like he’s going to jump to the NHL right away. And the buffer between the two, Jakob do. So where exactly is the controversy? Unless Sam Montto screws the pooch and really can’t stop a puck this season, he’s going to be the number one goalender in Montreal. Where’s the lack of respect? Sure, there are a lot of people that question his technique. There are a lot of people who question his way of doing things and the fact that he’s below 900 for a career save percentage, but overall he’s gotten better year after year. It remains to be seen whether or not he progresses this season, but I mean it is what it is. So, we got to throw flowers to Fowler because obviously he played extremely well in the one exhibition game we’ve seen him thus far and hopefully we see him in a little bit more. Next on our list is somebody that we thought was obviously going to be there and that is Zack Balzuk. Baluk playing alongside Joshua and Alex New Hook was a catalyst. Made things happen. Tried to get plays to the net. Was good on the power play. Let his shot go. Played in the bumper. Everything that he promised including the physicality it was all there. So nothing to be worried about as far as Zach Bzuk is concerned. Would I have liked to see a little bit more production? It’s one exhibition game. We’ll see how it goes. He’s liable to play tomorrow night against the Leafs or tonight against the Leafs, I should say. But we’ll see. Who knows? But at the end of the day, Bzuk, as long as he does what he’s expected to do, and that is be physical, use his shot, get at the prime scoring position, what more can we ask for, right? Next, here’s one that you wouldn’t expect. Ulkovski. Now, Slavkovski has been under the microscope of late. Everybody, and I mean everybody, is saying how, oh, Slaf, you know, he shouldn’t be on the first line, Slaf. Uh, I’m sorry. Uh, you know, you’re a number one overall pick. It was a mistake by the Canadians. Now, hold on a second. Not every number one pick turns out to be a stud. We know that all too well. Take a look at Neil Yakob as an example. all the talent in the world, 10-centent brain. The third pick that year, Alice Galchenyak, same thing. So, it’s hit or miss. And one thing that we know the Montreal Canadians do better than any other team is judge character. So, when they went out and they got Slaf and they saw what he could do on the ice, they obviously saw something that they wanted to cultivate fresh at the NHL level and they’ve done that so far. It’s, you know, he got injured his first season, but then none too shabby, 50 and 51 points, right? It’s a decent output for a guy his size, but this year we’re expecting a little bit more. One thing you’re expecting is Nick Suzuki to get 100 points. You’re expecting Cole Coughfield to get 40 to 45 goals, and you’re expecting Slowski to get 60 to 70 points. And that’s a normal progression for a guy who’s going to be in his third full year. So, let’s see what happens. And take a look at what he did yesterday. Takes a skate to the face from his former teammate Christian D’vorak. Comes back first shift gets an assist on the next Suzuki goal. That’s character. He didn’t shy away from it. He didn’t come back one of those stupid full face guards either. That’s saying something, right? Goes to show you how tough he is. But at the end of the day, last night Sausski did everything he could to help the Canadians and he played well in his own zone. He was a catalyst in the offensive zone. Defending, he was great. So, we’re getting what Marty St. Louisie expected this year from Slovkoski. It’s one game. We’ll see if he continues. Next up on our list, oopsie, Joe Valeno. Now, Joe Valeno had little time on the ice, but in the time that he had, he was noticeable. He threw hits. He was good in his own zone. Got a couple of scoring chances. So, I mean, there’s not much to say. I mean, you’re not disappointed. He He didn’t get to take very many faceoffs, won what he did, but at the end of the day, Joe Valeno is going to be one of those fringe players, the guy that is probably going to end up staying on this roster, but he’s going to be your 13th forward or 14th forward, whatever it is for the Canadians. And that’s where it stands, right? That’s all we can think about right now. And we’ll talk about that a little bit more because I know there’s a name on your minds that you think should be the 13th forward, but we’ll get to that in a minute. Then finally is the guy that everybody’s talking about, the stud of all studs from last night’s game. Who’s that? Well, Vincen’s Roarer. Now, you wouldn’t expect it, you know, for him to be on the top of my list because he is. He didn’t get on the score sheet for any particular reason, but he was a catalyst, a thorn in everybody’s side. Hit when he needed to hit. Of course, the aforementioned Christian D’vorak falling on his kester there. And he was fast. He was good on the forche, separating man from Buck. Buck creating scoring chances, everything you want to see from a prospect. So Roarer mo more than likely is going to end up going back to Switzerland, but I think right now he earned himself another exhibition game after the performance he had last night because he looked really good and he got everybody’s attention. Now then, let’s talk a little bit about some duds. Guys that really didn’t fit the mold. And before we talk about the duds, let’s talk about our other sponsor, cheapest t-shirts.ca. Proudly Canadian and trusted by thousands of customers, cheapest t-shirts.ca, it delivers unbeatable value. You’ll always get the lowest price, plus same day shipping and even next day delivery, so your orders arrive fast. With over a thousand products and more than 30 36 trusted brands like Gilden jerseys and American Apparel, the selection is unmatched. Whether you’re shopping everyday clothing, tote bags, aprons, and so much more, you’ll find it all in one place. Cheapiters.ca CA is the go-to source for businesses, events, apparel, printing companies, and resellers, or people just wanting the best deals on everyday clothing. Plus, enjoy free shipping on large orders and a simple, easy to use website that makes online ordering a breeze. Get the cheapest deals in Canada today at cheapest t-shirts.ca. Now, talking about cheapest t-shirts, let’s get to the duds because there are three of them in particular that I expected more from and didn’t really see. Starting with Oliver Kain. Now Kaepern was out on the ice alongside L and Demidov and if anything he slowed the line down. He wasn’t very fast on his feet. He didn’t create offensively. Sure, he was fine in the faceoff dot, but really I wanted him to create a little bit. I wanted to see a little bit of offensive thrust and I didn’t see it. and he’s a natural center. So, he’d be the obvious choice to replace Kirby Doc if something were to happen to Gdok’s knee. But no, when you’re at that level and you’re on the cusp of making it to the NHL, you expect a player to want to take the bull by the horns. That is not what Oliver Kain did the other night. Sure, he scored a beauty of a goal in a shootout, but beyond that, for 65 minutes, he was less than invisible. Really didn’t get a lot of scoring opportunities. You really didn’t notice him out there. So, I mean, he’s going to get another game. Hopefully, it’s a lot better than what we saw the other night. Maybe the pressure of playing with Demi Dov and LA hurt him a little bit more than anybody expected. It’s a possibility, but we got to see more from Ken. If he wants to be on the NHL roster come the beginning of the season, he needs to show us more. That’s a given. Next up on our list, the obvious choice for an absolute dud, and that is Kappo Kacin. I know the Canadians got him as a depth goalender for a cheap price at $1.1 million, but holy hell did he look like he was lost in net. He allowed one goal on the very first shot he faced. Granted, it was on a breakaway to Anthony Rashard, but at the end of the day, you look at him and his movements in the crease, and he was flailing all over the place. his foot were shoddy. He didn’t know where he was in his net. That’s what led to the second goal. Beat him on the short side. He wasn’t square to the shooter at all. So, if Takenin is going to be the second guy in Montreal, which I really doubt because Dovich looked good, I mean, he needs to step up his game. But obviously, I think that Kappo Kakanin is going to be the backup to Jacob Fowler. It may not make him very happy, but that’s the pecking order, right? He they got him as a call it a stop gap in case something happens, right? But at the end of the day, you because you don’t want to bring Jacob Fowler up if there’s an injury to either one of the goalenders at the NHL level, right? You want to bring somebody with a little bit of experience and you want to make sure Fowler continues to play and doesn’t serve just as a backup. So that’s why you get Kakinan. That’s why you dress seven goalenders in your preseason camp so that you have options. Some of the goalenders may go down to the ECHL. We don’t know what the Canadians are going to decide, but at the end of the day, I didn’t see very much to give Kakinan any type of credit for last night. Then finally, the dud of all duds, a disappointment to say the least. And this isn’t because of anything else, but the fact that he had the opportunity. He was put on the ice with the right people and he did nothing with it. Joshua. And yeah, I know you’re going to say, “Ah, you’re picking on the French kid.” No, man. I’m not. Joshua had one shot on goal, one hit, and one giveaway in 12:47 of ice time yesterday. All right. He didn’t create anything offensively. In fact, if you were watching carefully, it looked like he was waiting for New Hook and Bzuk to create opportunities for him to look good. It’s the third camp for Joshua. In his first camp, he came into camp think out of shape, thinking that junior shape was good enough for the NHL. No, he ended up going back to junior last year with back to the American Hockey League. came up for a stint, looked good to begin with, and then just disappeared. You need more if you want to be at the National Hockey League, National Hockey League level, Josh. It’s not going to be given to you just because your name is Joshua. You need to work. And yes, there going to be a lot of people out there that are going to say, “Oh, you know what? He’s coming into camp in the best shape of of his life because he worked with John Chamber in the offseason.” A lot of players do. And let me tell you from experience, there’s a lot of things that John does that I don’t agree with. But he’s a good trainer, but there are things that are lacking. And so when you look at Joshua, yes, he put on some weight. Yes, he got stronger. But the one place that Joshua has an issue is not physically. It’s not with his skill set. It’s up here. When you’re so used to being the guy all the way up through the ranks and then you get to a level where you’re not the guy anymore, it messes with you. That’s what I think is going on with Joshua Ra right now. He’s got to realize that there’s a pecking order and he’s not at the top of it. Once he gets that and he realizes he’s got to work for what he thinks he deserves, he’s got to be a better hockey player for it. But then the question has to be asked, is Joshua WAB done at the Canad with the Canadians? Is it time to trade him away? It may very well be, you know, it may very well be good for him to get a change of scenery. I don’t know. But he’s got to show more, man. He can’t go out there just going through the motions. You’re out there with Alex New Hook and Zack Bulick, two guys that can produce and put pucks in the net and and create offense and you did nothing. One of the things that you look at with players, right, whether it’s Kaan or whether it’s Raw, they have to create. You can’t be a selfish player waiting for your teammates to create for you. And so that’s what happened with both more LA than Kappa. So we’ll see. He’s gonna get another shot at it, guys. It’s not like the Canadians are gonna give up on him. They know he can score. They know he can work. He goes down to the American Hockey League. He’s one of the best players on the team. His mind clear as day. He’s not worried about anything. He knows he’s going to be able to play. He knows he’s going to be able to produce. Come the NHL, he thinks it’s the same level. He thinks it’s the same amount of work. It’s not. You got to do more. And so that’s all you got to say about it, right? Studs and duds. Tell me what you think about the list. Do you think I missed anybody? I know I didn’t put Beck’s picture up. I’m sorry. I didn’t find a good one. Okay. But at the end of the day, that’s what six guys that I gave flowers to and three that I didn’t. And normally, I’m a lot more critical. So, there’s a lot of positivity coming out of camp. Speaking of positivity, let’s take a look at these guys, the Jackeye Boys, Arbor and Florian. Florian of course getting on the scoreboard yesterday scoring the Canadians first goal and then of course getting into a scrap with Nick Deloreier. So he looked really good but there are things in that game that did not go well for Florian Jackie. Everybody’s singing his praises because both brothers played on the same ice. They scored in the same game. That’s great. Defensively though both brothers did not do well. Florian was out there on the ice with Luke Tuck and uh Tyler Thorp and when they were in their own zone defensively, they had a hard time getting the puck out of their own zone, getting bottled in more often than not. And that’s not a good sign. You know that Montreal Canadians want to have 200 foot players. Doesn’t matter what line you’re on, but especially on their third and fourth line. And there needs to be an extra added incentive on def defensively when it comes to the third and fourth lines, right? because normally they end up out there against some of the better lines in the National Hockey League, but that’s not what happened. They got bottled in a few times and they really didn’t look good in their own zone. So, it’s something that Florian has to work on whether or not it’s because of who he played with. Perhaps if he plays with a couple of guys that are a little bit more seasoned, it’ll look different. But even when Florian got the puck, sometimes he didn’t know what to do with it. And that’s a scary proposition at the National Hockey League level. And then there’s Arbor. I love Arbor Jackai. Don’t get me wrong, guys. I’m not picking on him here. But if there’s one thing that Marty Salem wanted to see from him is maturity, right? He said it himself in the in in the press conferences, right? And it seems like Arbor is much more mature. Worked hard, you know, losing a little bit of weight, being much leaner coming into camp, showing that he could skate, showing that his mobility is better, all the right things. But you get into your first exhibition game and what do you do? One, you chase somebody to get into a scrap with him because he tripped you. And that’s the thing that gets Florian and Jackie into trouble, his anger. Do the veteran thing. It’s your third season in the league or third partial season in the league. When you get tripped up by somebody like Abbles, don’t go out there trying to look for a scrap because he tripped you. If he hits you over the head with a stick, okay, go beat the guy up. But because you got tripped, get up, let let him take the penalty, be aware of what’s going on around you. All Aber Jackai had to do was look at the official. He had his arm up and you skate the other way and you leave it alone. After all, that’s what Abbles was trying to do. Draw another penalty. And lo and behold, he did. Not only that, but he got a power play out of it. And those are things that Arborjack I just can’t do. That’s what gets him into the doghouse. His play was fine. I didn’t see anything wrong with this game. But again, the game of hockey is 90% mental and 10% physical. You need to be able to control your emotions. And if you don’t, you get yourself and your team into unnecessary trouble. Now, the last thing I wanted to talk about in this show was the first cut of the Canadians preseason, and that is Owen Proz. And I’m not surprised and I don’t think anybody else is either. Proz at the rookie showcase threw the body and showed that he has what it takes physically, but he’s a smaller player. He still needs to grow a little bit, right? But, you know, the fact that he’s tough, the fact that he throws body checks, the fact that his timing is impeccable speaks volumes for a guy who just two years ago or three years ago was playing junior hockey as an underager. He’s 19 years old. So, yeah, he’s going to go back to junior. He’s, in fact, he’s going back to Brford, but Pros has come a long way from his days with the Wolves to now with the Bulldogs. He’s going to be counted on as the Bulldogs number one defenseman. So, what happens to him this season is going to speak volumes towards how the Canadians view him moving forward. Can he be a reliable leader on the back end? Can he control his physicality? Can he produce? In my mind, I think the answer is yes. Because if there’s one thing that Owen Proz could do even at junior A was produce points. He was an offensive catalyst. So, he’s got that in his game. In fact, put that in with the physicality that he’s showing now. Bridge the two and you’re going to have one hell of a defenseman in a couple of years, let me tell you. But tell me overall what you think so far of the preseason. Are you disappointed? I know the Canadians have won two games. The first one they started a little bit slow. The second one, they came out a lot faster, obviously scoring inside of the first minute, but it’s a tale of jackal and hide between the two squads. Is there going to be a middle ground when they merge together? Can the pace be kept? There’s all questions right now. We don’t yet know which group is going to face the Leafs tomorrow. I presume it’s going to be group A, but we’ll see tomorrow morning. And what’s going to happen? Who knows if group A goes out there. We’ll see whether or not they can actually turn it up a little bit and come out stronger than they did in game one. Or is group B going to come out there because it’s a home game. Are we going to see anybody else get cut before the next exhibition game? Who knows? But at the end of the day, so far so good for the exhibition she season. Not too many surprises as far as what has happened to the Canadians. And hopefully tomorrow night against the Leafs, we get another W before we go. By the way, uh whatever happened to Joseph Wall, whatever reason there is for him to leave the Toronto Maple Leafs indefinitely. No player does that without just cause. It’s not because he’s gone into the player assistant program. It’s not because of drugs or mental health. This is a personal thing. And so despite the fact that we hate the Toronto Maple Leafs, they’re players, they’re human beings. So, let’s hope the best for Joseph Wall, a speedy return, and hopefully everything with his family turns out

The Montreal Canadiens are only two games into the NHL preseason, but there are already plenty of surprises, storylines, and key takeaways for Habs fans to dive into. In this edition of PTM, Coach examines what we’ve learned so far about the Canadiens’ roster battles, player performances, and preseason standouts. From young prospects fighting for roster spots to veterans shaking off the rust, these first two games are giving us a glimpse into what Martin St-Louis and his coaching staff might be planning for the 2025-26 NHL season.

We’ll cover which Canadiens players are impressing, who still has work to do, and what these early performances might mean once the regular season begins. Are any Habs’ rookies ready to make the jump to the NHL? How are the special teams looking after an offseason of changes? And what early chemistry is developing among the forward lines and defensive pairings?

If you’re a Montreal Canadiens fan, NHL fan, or hockey fan in general, this is the perfect place to stay updated on the latest Habs preseason news, analysis, and reactions.

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more Montreal Canadiens preseason coverage, NHL breakdowns, and hockey talk all season long!

0:00 Show Start
1:27 Who Were The Canadiens’ Biggest Studs In The First 2 Pre-Season Games
9:27 Who Were The Worst Duds For The Habs?
16:13 The Xhekaj Boys Still Have Some Work To Do

#Habs #GoHabsGo #MontrealCanadiens #NHLPreseason

In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Owen Beck, Sean Farrell, Filip Mesar, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Adam Engstrom, David Reinbacher, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis.

Dans chaque épisode, Kosta Papoulias analyse en profondeur les dernières nouvelles des Canadiens de Montréal concernant Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Owen Beck, Sean Farrell, Filip Mesar, les défenseurs des Canadiens, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Adam Engstrom, David Reinbacher, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes et Martin St Louis.

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