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Nearly everything went better than planned for the Montreal Canadiens in the 2024-25 NHL season, as they returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since making the final in 2020-21.
Yet, they now find themselves amid an offseason, where they will look to elevate the talented young players on their roster and build towards becoming a true contender once again.
After falling out of the first round of the playoffs against the Washington Capitals, how could general manager Kent Hughes and the Canadiens approach free agency, the NHL Draft and the rest of the offseason?
On Thursday’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Tyler Yaremchuk and Frank Serevalli broke down what the Habs’ offseason could look like.
Yaremchuk: The Montreal Canadiens are up on our list, and obviously, they had a wildly successful season. They were back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and it was so good to see the Bell Centre rocking again.
[Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations] Jeff Gorton and [GM] Kent Hughes have been very process-oriented, but did the success this season change up an internal timeline?
Seravalli: I don’t think so. I think they’ve been meticulous in terms of how they’ve put all this together, and I think the biggest challenge that the Montreal Canadiens’ front office is going to be facing this summer is not that different from what the Utah Mammoth went through last summer.
The lesson and game plan of the summer is, don’t do anything stupid. That’s really it. Do not get entangled in eight-year deals that you’re going to hate by the fifth year. Do not make a trade that you’re going to regret to win now.
I think you continue with this build. They’ve got defensemen on the way, which is going to significantly improve their back end. They’ve got an enviable young power play that could honestly be the best in the league, and Martin St. Louis, their coach, has grown a ton. They’ve checked so many important boxes, and by getting Ivan Demidov in and getting a taste of the electricity that he brings to that market, Montreal has an incredibly bright future.
With the playoff appearance that they made, and we know it’s not a guarantee and development in the NHL is not linear, I think they’ve put everyone else on notice…now it’s time to take another step forward, but it needs to be organic.
You can catch the full Canadiens discussion and the rest of the episode here…
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TODAY'S BEST
Did the Dallas Stars just get handed a surprise top-six option on waivers?
The NHL waiver wire is heating up as training camps approach, and the Dallas Stars could be positioned to make a sneaky claim that solves one of their biggest depth concerns. Every year, playoff-caliber teams see useful players slip onto waivers simply because of cap space or roster crunches. Waivers often surface players who can slot higher in the lineup than expected. Last year's examples included Eeli Tolvanen, who went from waiver claim to impact forward in Seattle. That kind of opportunity might now exist again, and the Stars have an opening in their top nine that could benefit from an under-the-radar pickup. In the case, the player in question is Jansen Harkins, who surprisingly hit waivers this week. Known for his speed and ability to drive play when given the right linemates, Harkins is the type of versatile forward who could slide up and down a lineup. He showed flashes of offensive skill in Winnipeg and Pittsburgh, and now at 28 years old, he might be hitting the stage of his career where opportunity and experience finally align. Why the waiver wire could be Dallas's hidden weapon As NHL.com pointed out, training camp always produces bubble players squeezed out of deep rosters. This year, names like former first-round picks and skilled but inconsistent wingers could be exposed. If Dallas wanted to roll the dice, they could target a cost-controlled forward who brings both energy and finishing ability. Adding a cap-friendly waiver piece could also free GM Jim Nill from needing to burn trade capital later in the season. "The waiver wire can be a goldmine if you're patient and know what you need. One man's cut is another team's solution," one NHL scout recently told Sportsnet. The Stars' depth chart shows room for such a gamble. With veterans like Evgenii Dadonov and Mikael Granlund gone, the bottom six has new minutes up for grabs. A waiver claim could be the simplest way to plug that gap without sacrificing draft picks. I think Dallas would be wise to keep an eye on the wire, because sometimes the quietest moves are the ones that swing playoff races.
Shane Steichen dropped a big hint about the Colts’ QB battle
The Indianapolis Colts have yet to name their starting quarterback for the 2025 season, but coach Shane Steichen may have dropped a big hint about who the choice may be. Steichen said Saturday that he was close to making a decision between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson in the ongoing camp battle. He may have tipped his hand, however, when answering a question about what traits he was looking for in his starter. “I think it’s the most consistent guy,” Steichen said, via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. “I really do, because at the end of the day, you’ve got to be able to move the football consistently up and down the field, and making good decisions. You know what I mean? I mean, at the end of the day, you can have splash plays, but if you’re doing that sparingly and up and down. … I think it’s got to be on a consistent basis, to get to where we want to go.” The knock on Richardson all along has been his inconsistency, and it is a bad sign for his prospects that Steichen put such an emphasis on that as part of his answer. Richardson’s physical talents are undeniable, but his decision-making has left something to be desired, and the offense has at times stalled out with him at the helm of it. Jones does not bring Richardson’s big-play potential, but would likely leave the Colts with a better idea of what they will get every Sunday. Richardson has put in extra work to try to win the job, but has been sidelined for a large part of the offseason with a shoulder injury, coupled with a dislocated pinky suffered during the preseason opener. It has also been suggested that Jones entered camp as the favorite, so Richardson had to play well enough to supplant him. Jones started Saturday’s preseason game and went 7-of-11 for 101 yards. Richardson went 6-of-11 for 73 yards, but he had one big play negated due to a penalty. The Colts ultimately lost 23-19 to the Green Bay Packers.
After Watching the Film, Critical Assessments Arise Regarding the Raiders
HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders began the preseason with a record of 0-1-1 after losing to their former Bay Area rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, last night. I had the opportunity to review the film today, as did Pete Carroll. After discussing it with him, several observations emerged that can only be made with the clarity of hindsight. In our latest episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast, we take you to today’s joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers to highlight specific players who had standout performances, those who faced challenges, and those who may have secured a spot on the roster. You can watch the entire podcast below: Pete Carroll’s leadership has been phenomenal for a franchise desperate for a winner. He has been the exact prescription the Raider Nation needed After watching the film of the loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Carroll addressed several questions, and below is a partial transcript of his responses. Head Coach Pete Carroll Q: I was curious on what your thoughts are on the play of your linebackers and your quarterbacks last night? Head Coach Pete Carroll: "Thought the linebackers were really downhill, really aggressive, flashy. I really liked the way those guys played. I thought we took a step forward in the run game and just attacking line of scrimmage like we want to. We played to the nature of our players, I thought, which is really good because we're aggressive in the tackling, and that showed up. Geno [Smith] was on the money. He was right on everything. Tempo was good. I thought Aidan [O'Connell] continued to little bit -- we're not quite as fast when he's playing. We don't play as quick from huddle to the snap, still trying to work that out. And he made a poor choice on the throw for the pick, unfortunately. It was a crucial time, that was tough. Just the guy was covered, and if he had to it throw away or take off, we would have preferred that." Q: I wanted to ask you about Geno Smith. Back when the two of you were in Seattle when he was playing backup to Russell Wilson, was there ever a time or a moment in practice or in the meeting room where you kind of had this idea that, if given the opportunity like he has the last few years he was in Seattle, now in Las Vegas, that he can be this quality star? Was there ever a moment when he was a backup under Russell that kind of gave you that idea that Geno had that potential? Coach Carroll: "Yeah, I think it was probably in the middle of those first couple of years, and you'd just see him maintain the competitive edge because it's kind of hard to believe that a guy could compete like he's going to play. What I keep telling you is the very next play, he knew he could be in. He seemed like he held onto that long enough, I sensed that and respected that. And his arm talent was always there, the ability to throw and rip the ball, so I was cheerleading for him. And that's kind of when he finally got his chance, I might have been his biggest cheerleader because he had waited and deserved it, and he came in and played really well and almost won a game that way, and then played well the next couple weeks. That was, at the time, when he finally got his chance, and he got out there, he demonstrated it, but you could sense it earlier than that just because he was so dedicated and he looked so good in practice all the time." Q: Obviously your offensive line has been performing well, but there's a clear drop off between the first and second team. How concerned are you about that second string offensive line? Coach Carroll: "Well, we're just so young on the second group. It's just going to take time. We feel like we move well. We have good movement by the young guys. They get out of their stance, and they get on people well. We're just not as accurate with our calls. We're not as clear with our technique stuff, but that takes time. And so I'm not worried about that. Athletically, we're okay, and we just need to find our consistency, and that's just going to take time. They won't play all at the same time very often. They'll spot in, and they'll have the benefit of experienced guys making calls around them and helping them play better. And so I think that the individual development is pretty good. As a group, they're still learning. That's going to take a bit." We'd appreciate it if you would follow us on X @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr , and let’s talk about the Silver and Black’s training camp and Pete Carroll’s comments.
Why the Blue Jays need to give up on Alek Manoah
There was a time when Alek Manoah appeared destined to be a top-of-the-rotation starter for the Toronto Blue Jays. Manoah had an impressive 2022 season, posting a 2.24 ERA and a 0.992 WHiP over his 196.2 innings, striking out 180 batters with 51 walks. He was named to the All-Star Game and finished third in the American League Cy Young award vote. That season proved to be the high point of Manoah's career. He arrived at spring training in 2023 out of shape, setting off a firestorm when an MLB Network analyst said Manoah needed to spend more time in the gym. He struggled all season, posting a 5.87 ERA and a 1.740 WHiP over his 87.1 innings, striking out 79 batters but issuing 59 walks. Manoah spent a month in the Florida Complex League to work on mechanical issues and was later banished to Triple-A for the rest of the season. Since then, Manoah has battled injuries and continued command issues, making just five appearances for the Blue Jays in 2024. His most recent rehab start following Tommy John surgery was a disaster as he allowed three runs on three hits and two walks while recording five outs. Manoah has posted an 11.57 ERA and a 2.714 WHiP over seven innings covering four starts, striking out six batters while issuing eight walks and hitting three batters. The Blue Jays have held out hope that Manoah could rediscover his 2022 form. However, each mediocre outing and injury puts that season further in the rearview mirror. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are in the midst of a playoff push while eyeing the AL East title. They need players who can help down the stretch. Manoah has not displayed any signs that he can be part of the solution this year or in the future. The Blue Jays continue to stand by Manoah in hopes that he can rediscover his form. At this point, it may be best for both sides if the Blue Jays cut the former All-Star loose.
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