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Since Emil Heineman got injured, the Canadiens are searching a bit.
When he was there, the club’s bottom-6 was much more stable, and the last two lines had an identity on the ice. But without him, things are shaking up much more than before.
When a team is one Emil Heineman away from being affected, it means they are lacking good elements to make the playoffs. And I say this with all respect for Heineman, who was having a great season before being hit by a car.
To replace Heineman, the Canadiens have conducted several tests. And too often, it was the Michael Pezzetta test that was conducted.
Yesterday, Owen Beck was tested. He was brought in a bit by necessity (the Canadiens’ call-up plan revolves around guys already in California for the AHL All-Star Game)… but at the same time, no one forced Martin St-Louis to play him.
And let’s say that in his fourth game in the NHL and his third this year, Beck looked better than in the others. He played excellent hockey in the role he was asked to fill.
Beck was involved (one wonders if Patrik Laine took notes), and for a fourth-line guy, that was the right thing to do.
Owen Beck was told by a lot of teams at the NHL draft that they thought he should be more physical.
He listened.
Here he is on the forecheck, creating a scoring chance with two heavy hits. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/74julZ3aPb
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) February 5, 2025
I expect to see Beck play tonight since I can’t see any logical reason for him not to play. If the team were in Montreal and the Rocket were in action, there would be a debate… but not here.
If he continues to play well, he will earn an audition in Montreal. And that’s all he can control.
After all, even if he should earn games up top by playing the right way, that doesn’t mean that in the short term, he will get a ton. Why? Because the Four Nations Tournament is approaching and because he benefits from playing big minutes with the Rocket.
And when Heineman returns, it will cut an opportunity.
That’s why, if he plays tonight, Beck needs to leave a calling card. We don’t know what the future holds for him in the short term, but he will undoubtedly want to be THE guy the Canadiens think of if they need to call someone up. Even if it’s just to play 10 minutes per game… on the wing.
And to be that guy, there are no 36 solutions: Beck needs to perform when he gets the chance. Being confident from the All-Star Game (three goals) has helped him, and he must build on that.
#Habs Owen Beck said his confidence from last night’s #AHL All-Star Game carried over into his play tonight.
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) February 5, 2025
But still. Owen Beck is not the only player deserving of attention this morning. After all, even if it’s against the worst team in the league, the Canadiens found a way to win their game yesterday against the Sharks by a score of 4-3.
What do I take away from it?
1. Even though it wasn’t a perfect game, the Canadiens found a way to win. The execution wasn’t really perfect at the start of the game, but the team rallied.
In a results-oriented league, that’s what matters.
2. After nearly three years in charge, Martin St-Louis just got his 100th win as the Canadiens’ head coach. He became the 14th coach in the franchise’s history to reach such a milestone.
How many do you think he will get to?
Félicitations à Marty pour sa 100e victoire dans la LNH en tant qu’entraîneur-chef!
Congrats Marty on 100 wins as an @NHL head coach!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/Xtg2oXGhUb
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 5, 2025
3. If it weren’t for Samuel Montembeault, who had the mission to help his team win, the Canadiens might not have come away with the victory. He wasn’t perfect, but he did his job.
Against Macklin Celebrini (who is quite a player), he was notably impressive.
Samuel Montembeault robs Macklin Celebrini. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/i53RKZ0loh
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) February 5, 2025
4. Patrik Laine had 13:45 on the ice yesterday. He wasn’t perfect, but he looked better than in previous games. Playing on a lesser line – and against a lesser opposition – probably helped him.
We’ll see how he responds tonight. After all, we want consistency in his game.
5. It was a special teams game yesterday. Both teams scored twice on the power play (Macklin Celebrini, Tyler Toffoli, Cole Caufield, and Brendan Gallagher) out of four opportunities.
And that doesn’t account for Joel Armia’s goal on a pass from Jake Evans while short-handed.
meilleur duo d’infériorité numérique, c’est ça qui est ça
best PK duo in the league, don’t @ us#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/Wc4RnDxjc4
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 5, 2025
6. Lane Hutson got an assist on Cole Caufield’s goal. He became the second fastest rookie defender in Canadiens history to record 40 points in a season.
That’s notable.
#FunFact: with an assist on Cole Caufield’s PPG, #Habs Lane Hutson became the 2nd fastest rookie defenseman in #GoHabsGo history to record 40 points in a season!
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) February 5, 2025
7. Ahh, a good old 10:30 PM game to watch two bad teams hit the post (where’s Dr. Shot?) and see endless reviews in front of a wild crowd. I stayed awake for this?
The best part? We’re doing it again tonight. Hooray. I’m so happy. I love going to bed so late. I want fewer matchups against Boston and Toronto to have more boring games in the West.
overtime
The Canadiens will not practice this morning. The only thing on the agenda today is the last game of the trip in California, which will be in Los Angeles. The game will take place at 10:30 PM.
The team’s goal? Stay #InTheMix by winning.
Updated wildcard race: pic.twitter.com/sBMJmZbvaZ
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) February 5, 2025
We can assume that Michael Pezzetta will not play, that the lines will remain unchanged, and that Jakub Dobes will be in net. But will Logan Mailloux be used? I’m not sure.
If so, will he take Jayden Struble’s spot… or David Savard’s?
More must-reads:
- Mike Grier’s drafting propelling Sharks to certain future
- Giants' Jaxson Dart discusses how he has already improved during training camp
- The 'MLB mascot names' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Mike Grier’s drafting propelling Sharks to certain future
The San Jose Sharks have ranked last in the NHL for two straight seasons. They’ve allowed the most goals-against (1,495) and scored the second-fewest goals-for (1,051) of the 2020s. And yet, it’s hard to imagine the Sharks’ headed towards anything other than an exciting, and profitable, future. With the help of the draft lottery, San Jose has built out a prospect pool that not only sits atop the league, but truly stands apart as well-crafted, high-performing, and set for cohesion at the NHL level. That’s a fairly easy feat to pull off for a team that’s landed talent as prolific as William Eklund, Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. The trio have already emerged as prolific NHL scorers. Eklund reached the dazzling 40-assist mark as a 21-year-old this season. He was helped mightily along by Celebrini, who led the team in scoring with 25 goals and 63 points despite missing 12 games. That mark stands as the second-most from a Sharks rookie this century, behind Logan Couture’s 65-point rookie year. Smith ranks third on that list with 18 goals and 45 points this season. Those three will serve as the cornerstones of San Jose’s offense moving forward. Given how great the Sharks' starts have been, it’s hard to imagine the talent set to join them. San Jose landed OHL exception-status star Michael Misa with the No. 2 pick this season, following a season where he led the OHL in scoring with 62 goals and 134 points in 65 games. It was a finish in the realm of former OHL greats like Patrick Kane, John Tavares and Steven Stamkos. Misa has long been considered a superstar in his age group, and seems to have well outgrown the junior flight with his performance this season. With a hefty frame, pro-level skating and a clear scoring knack — it seems well possible that he could push into the NHL as soon as next season. San Jose had plenty of time to watch Misa as he faced off against a string of their top prospects this season. Winger Kasper Halttunen shined through as a strong, persistent sniper sat on top of the London Knights offense. He finished the regular season with 21 goals and 41 points in 38 games, then ramped to 15 goals and 21 points in 17 playoff games en route to an OHL and Memorial Cup championship. He was physically imposing, with the boost of tons of finesse on the puck and a killer wrist-shot. Those same descriptors could apply to Quentin Musty, who scored 30 goals and 59 points in 33 games with the Sudbury Wolves across the league. San Jose also laid claim to another bruting OHL winger in Igor Chernyshov, who racked up an incredible 19 goals and 55 points in just 23 games playing opposite of Misa. All three wingers seem to offer the hefty physicality and hard shot to compliment the nimble skill of players like Celebrini and Smith. If they can’t, San Jose has plenty more productive scorers rounding out its forward pool — players like Cameron Lund, Collin Graf and Joey Muldowney. While that list, and many more, fall into place on offense — the defense already seems to sit in the hands of Sam Dickinson. He won the OHL’s Max Kaminsky ’Defense of the Year’ Trophy with a lofty 29 goals and 91 points in just 55 games this season. He was electric in all aspects, showing the physical fundamentals to dominate the defensive zone and the all-out confidence to dominate on offense. Dickinson will also have a clear path to make the NHL roster out of training camp, helped along by the recent trade of Henry Thrun. Dickinson’s presence could go long in paving the path for Shakir Mukhamadullin and Luca Cagnoni. The pair have each flirted with routine NHL ice time, though Cagnoni has earned the step headed into next season with an impressive 16 goals and 52 points in 64 AHL games this season. With none of the three firmly rooted in the NHL just yet, San Jose has brought in a trio of veterans — Dmitry Orlov, John Klingberg and Nick Leddy – to help man the ship in the short-term. The trio of defense prospects compliment each other nicely — with a mix of beefy, all-three-zones finesse in Dickinson, nimble skill in Cagnoni, and poised defense in Mukhamadullin. But they’re joined outside of the pro ranks by fellow physical, offensive-defenseman Eric Pohlkamp. Pohlkamp scored 35 points in 44 games with the University of Denver last season — and now seems well positioned to become the Pioneers’ No. 1-defender after Zeev Buium signed his entry-level deal. But the Sharks are well positioned to ramp up their blue-line over the next few years. The 2026 draft class is rife with blue-chip defensemen — including Keaton Verhoeff, Chase Reid, Daxon Rudolph and Ryan Lin. A top pick next year would likely mean another top defense prospect. Even if it doesn’t, San Jose could get another shot in 2027, with superstar defense prospect Landon DuPont already pushing himself above the rest of the pack. The group is backed by perhaps the top goalie prospect in the world in trade-acquired Yaroslav Askarov, who posted a .923 save percentage in 22 AHL games this season and seems well set on earning San Jose’s starting role soon. General manager Mike Grier has only promoted a few draft prospects to the NHL in his three years at San Jose’s helm. But many, many more have gone on to find starring roles on their teams and top scoring leaderboards. Grier has found that array of success all throughout the draft — from Celebrini at No. 1 overall, to Cagnoni and Pohlkamp in the fourth and fifth rounds. Even more exciting, he seems well set to continue landing draft steals through two exciting classes in 2026 and 2027. Plenty still hinges on the question of how all the pieces come together at the NHL level. There’s no guarantee that everything will click for 82 games of an NHL season, or how soon it will be until San Jose can pull their best prospects together. But it's on the ramp to success, with plenty of strong performances already behind it, and even more set to come as soon as next season. For all of the claims of how to rebuild, it’s the Sharks who seem to be truly defining how to grow through strong draft picks.
Stephanie White Puts Indiana Fever Players on Notice Despite Win Against Aces
The Indiana Fever’s starters turned in a strong all-around effort in Thursday’s 80-70 win over the Las Vegas Aces. The starting unit scored at least 13 points each, save for Aari McDonald, who registered nine points in 22 minutes of action. Indiana’s starters combined for 76 out of the team’s 80 points on the evening, which only means that the four other players who came off the bench accounted for just four points in the game. All that came from Sydney Colson, who went 2-of-5 in 18 minutes of playing time. Lexie Hull, Makayla Timpson and Damiris Dantas all failed to score in the win. Stephanie White Calls Out Fever's Bench Be that as it may, offense wasn’t even the biggest concern for head coach Stephanie White. In her postgame press conference, the veteran shot-caller called out Indiana’s bench for their lack of intensity on the defensive end, particularly in the first half. “Our bench has to be ready,” she said. “I felt like our bench in the second half was really good defensively. In the first half, I didn't feel that way. You got to be ready to come in and you got to be ready to guard your matchup and execute the game plan. "We have depth for a reason. We've got quality depth and we've got to be able to use it. So if fatigue is a factor in execution, then they just need to ask for a sub and I'll get them out and get them back in." It has been a bit of a busy stretch for the Fever at the midway point of the season. Thursday’s matchup against the Aces was their second game in three nights, and they will be back in action again on Sunday in a rivalry showdown against the Chicago Sky. White, however, isn’t accepting fatigue as an excuse. This is regardless of the fact that Caitlin Clark remains out with a re-aggravated groin injury. White is adamant that this roster has been built for adversity, and she didn’t hesitate to put her bench on notice after Thursday’s showing.
New report suggests Christian Wilkins release related to 'incident' with teammate
There may be more to Christian Wilkins’ recent surprise release from the Las Vegas Raiders. NFL reporter Josina Anderson reported Saturday that "some sources believe an incident involving a teammate may have factored in-part into the Raiders' fatigue and release" of Wilkins. The nature of the incident is not clear. However, many believe the Raiders had a very good reason to move on from Wilkins considering the money they had invested in him. It also suggests the Raiders saw no alternative if they went straight to a release. Wilkins was dumped by the Raiders just one year into a four-year, $110 million deal. The Raiders suggested Wilkins failed to take rehab seriously as he tries to work his way back from a foot injury. Other teams do not appear to have the same concerns about Wilkins as the Raiders did, and he should find a new landing spot fairly easily. That is one of the reasons some suspect there is more to the Raiders’ decision than they are publicly saying.
Top three notable names to leave the NBA for Europe this summer
There are only 450 spots in the NBA, 540 if you count two-way contracts. Each year, there's a group of players who hit the free-agency market and quietly fade into the obscurity of professional basketball outside of the NBA's bubble. Most of those players head overseas, either to Europe, Australia or China. In recent years, the jump from the NBA to Europe has grown in popularity. The talent level across the top European leagues has dramatically increased, with some teams now closing in on NBA levels of skill and athleticism. And with that talent increase, the pay has started to rise, too. It makes sense, then, that some notable names for NBA fans have made the jump across the Atlantic this summer. Here are the top three players to head to Europe since the start of the offseason. Lonnie Walker IV This time last summer, there was significant chatter about whether Lonnie Walker IV would earn the 15th and final spot on the Boston Celtics roster. The same roster that had won the NBA championship just months earlier. After seeing his Exhibit 10 deal with Boston expire, Walker ended up heading to Lithuania to play for Zalgiris Kaunas before the Philadelphia 76ers brought him back for the second half of the season. Now, after failing to secure a new contract with the Sixers, Walker is heading to Israel, where he's signed a three-year, $10 million deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv. Walker will now be one of the highest earners within all of European basketball. Oshae Brissett Walker will join Oshae Brissett over in Tel Aviv, as the former NBA champion has also signed with the franchise this summer. Brissett is just 18 months removed from playing a role on the Celtics roster that won the 2024 championship. Brissett doesn't have the athleticism and scoring skill that Walker brings to the table. As such, he won't be bringing home the same level of pay packet. However, he will undoubtedly be one of the better players, both in the Israeli league and in Europe. Brissett leaves the NBA having played in 233 games, averaging 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds on 41.9 percent shooting from two-point range and 33.7 percent from deep. Shake Milton Nobody can deny that Shake Milton has outperformed expectations after entering the NBA as the 54th pick in the 2018 draft. He leaves the NBA having suited up for 359 regular-season games and 40 postseason outings. Milton has spent time with the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers. Impressively, he's consistently earned playing time, regardless of what roster he's been on. Nevertheless, it would appear that Milton has sought out an opportunity where he can be a core member of a rotation. According to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews, Milton has signed a two-year deal to play in Serbia for Partizan Belgrade. If he can adjust to the physicality of the Serbian league and the slightly different rules set, Milton could become a high-level player in the domestic league and perhaps even in Europe.
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