Noah Dobson, the rebuild and the 'Jesperi Kotkaniemi mistake' finally corrected

What do I want to talk to you about today in my weekly column? Hmmm…

Let’s see..

The status of the team’s various prospects? Well, no, I talked about that just last week!

Demidov or Schaefer for the Calder? Well, others have already done so..

But even though I think it’s still too early to debate the matter with sufficient arguments, I’m going to add my premonitory grain of salt: for the second year in a row, Schaefer will skate too fast, won’t be able to see what’s going on around him and will hurt himself, either by crashing into something or someone. A similar accident happened to another race car driver, Connor McDavid, in his first season..

So, that’s it, Demidov’s going to win the Calder!

Next!

What’s next?

Suzuki and Caufield performing beyond the highest expectations we once had for them? Hmmm, not bad… We could have some fun and go back into our archives in this text, or this one, when the two succeeded each other at the top of our summer prospect list in 2020 and 2021..

But if there’s one current topic in the wonderful world of the Canadiens that just about everyone continues to overlook, it’s the acquisition and impact of Noah Dobson.

And it’s Dobson I want to talk about today; a fitting way to mark his 400th NHL game tonight against the Senators!

Kotkaniemi’s mistake finally corrected!

Those of you who have been reading me for a while – I’ve been writing for DLC and my friend Max since 2011! – surely remember my stance in favor of Quinn Hughes several weeks before the 2018 draft.

While theidea of picking a center was understandable in the context of the time, little Hughes was just too good!

And it’s not as if the Habs, who 1) had already traded Sergachev, 2) had just completed a first season without Andrei Markov, 3) were relying on an aging Shea Weber and 4) had decided to bank on the Schlemko, Mete, Morrow, Davidson and other Mike Rielly’s of this world, didn’t need a new elite talent on defense!

At worst, there was always Brady Tkachuk to turn to if they wanted to draft a forward who could play center. At least, that’s what we told ourselves for several years..

So, the KK gamble fell through (and still does in Carolina) and Bergevin had to give up first- and second-round picks to replace him more or less adequately with a Christian Dvorak then in his mid-20s.

Then, after four seasons pocketing $4.45 million in Montreal, the good D-Vo left and was able to secure a nice little one-year, $5.4 million contract in Philadelphia.

It should not be overlooked that this economy and refusal to extend Dvrorak’s adventure helped greatly when the time came to acquire Noah Dobson and give him $9.5 million for 8 years!

Dobson, 25, 6’4, 200 lbs, averaging 52 points over the past four seasons, has clearly become a star defenseman, bordering on superstar, in the NHL. He still had a 70-point season (+12) two years ago and would be the #1 defenseman for half the clubs in the NHL.

Some even think he looks a little like a right-handed Markov…