Welcome to Episode 202 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast. This episode about goaltending part of the puzzle.

#1. This was saved as the last of the 3 puzzle pieces of the rebuild, because it is the most interesting and bizarre all at the same time.

#2. The state of Montreal’s goaltending right now.

#3. What has made absolutely no since at all regarding Montreal’s goaltending.

#4. Partial or across the board changes in Montreal’s goaltending after the 2025/2026 season.

#5. Does any current goaltender in Montreal on the roster in 2026/2027?

#6. Montreal has tremendous prospects and depth at the goaltending position, just like they do with defensive prospects and offensive prospects.

#7. Look at the prospects the Montreal Canadiens have collected regarding goaltending. They are having excellent seasons at every level. Jacob Fowler in Laval (AHL) who had a lights out career at Boston College and has continued it into the AHL flawlessly. Yevgeni Volokhin playing in the (KHL) and having another consecutive lights out season. Alexis Cournoyer, playing at Cornell University in the (ECAC) and is having a lights out year.

Additionally, on top of those prospects the Montreal Canadiens also have in there exist talent pool at the position of goaltending Quentin Miller who has found his home, playing at the University of Denver, one of the top programs, that’s been very successful for the last 10 years plus and is having a fantastic season.

They have Emmett Croteau who is a nearly identical carbon copy of Quentin Miller, as Emmett Croteau has found his home playing at Dartmouth College and is having a head turning season as well. That’s 5 options right there and there other just getting their feet wet and under them as well.

#8. There is absolutely no reason to look outside of the organization, someone explain what’s been the completely unfounded and pointless panic at this position, that I was going to say has been relentless in the 2025/2026 season, but’s its really been sadly going on since Carey Prices injury and with no valid reason.

Episode 201of the Hockey Free For All Podcast. This episode is all about the offense this week.

#1. What is the state of Montreal’s offense currently.

#2. The evolution of Montreal’s offense and where it goes after the 2025/2026 season.

#3. Who’s no longer there.

#4. Who makes it.

#5. How each player and the line play on actually compliments the other linemates, and the how’s and why it actually maximizes the effectiveness of each player on the line.

#7. What does Montreal’s offense likely end up looking like at the completion and why.

#6. Who gets traded or walks away in free Agency.

#8. How this will continue to not only shape the current roster on the ice, but how it will create continuous fantastic drafts that will keep the Montreal Canadiens flush with talent, even beyond the foreseeable future.

Hello Hockey Fan’s, Episode 200 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast has arrived for you. This week’s episode is all about the defense part of the puzzle.

#1. What is the state of Montreal’s defense currently.

#2. The evolution of Montreal’s defense.

#3. Who’s no longer there.

#4. Who makes it.

#5. How each player and who they are paired with truly compliments, and the how’s and why it actually maximizes the effectiveness of each pairing.

#7. What does Montreal’s defense likely end up looking like at the completion and why.

#6. Who gets traded.

#8. How this will continue to not only shape the current roster on the ice, but will create continuous fantastic drafts that will keep the Montreal Canadiens flush with talent, even beyond the foreseeable future.

Hello hockey fans Episode 199 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast topics has arrived and the topics include-

#1. Ivan Demidov loves playing with Juraj Slafkovsky.

#2. Why Move Juraj Slafkovsky back to Nick Suzuki’s line?

#3. Why not Leave Kirby Dach on the left wing on Suzuki’s line?

#4. If Slafkovsky is moved to Suzuki’s line, then replace Juraj Slafkovsky with Alex Newhook on Demidov’s line.

#5. If Montreal trades Arber Xhekaj, Montreal better be prepared to include Florian Xhekaj as part of that trade.

#6. Montreal has no other physical presence other than Arber Xhekaj.

#7. There is no other player in the NHL like Arber Xhekaj.

#8. The players that Montreal needs to move on from and trade are obvious.

#9. What does Sergei Bobrovsky, Jordan Binnington or Jasper Wallstedt bring or have that Jacob Fowler, Yevgeni Volokhin or Alexis Cournoyer do not?

#10. What would Jordan Kyrou actually bring to the Montreal Canadiens that Alexander Zharnovsky won’t bring to Montreal Next season for a lot less money?

#11. What would Robert Thomas actually bring to the Montreal Canadiens that Michael Hage won’t bring to Montreal Next season and for far less money and prospects that Robert Thomas will cost the Montreal Canadiens?

#12. Jordan Kyrou 8 million plus per season for 5 more years.

#13. Robert Thomas 8 million plus per season for 5 more years.

#14. Nazem Kadri 7 million per season for 3 more years

#15. Nazem Kadri is 35 years and on the back nine!

#16. Ryan O’Reilly has the 2025/2026 and the 2026/2027 season remaining on his contract at 4.5 million per season, though a manageable number, is 34 years old?

#17. The Montreal Canadiens have more than enough veteran leadership and do not need any more.

#18. Wow, really Vinsent Trocheck and his remaining 40 million dollars of contract is a need in Montreal?

#19. Jake DeBrusk is a need in Montreal, “are you kidding”?

#20. Left wing Mason Marchment fits in Montreal because?

#21. St. Louis is asking for Michael Hage, Kaiden Guhle and 4 first round picks. Connor McDavid isn’t worth that compensation.

#22. The asking price by all NHL clubs at the 2026 trade deadline is off the chart ridiculous and insanely unrealistic.

#21. Montreal doesn’t have enough roster room for all of its own players.

#22. Montreal has the least cap space of any team in the NHL.

#23. Adam Engstrom can step in and replace Kaiden Guhle Tomorrow.

#24. Bryce Pickford is the right-handed defensive pairing for Lane Hutson.

#25. Over the summer, Montreal needs to move Kaiden Guhle, Samuel Montembeau, Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, Jake Evans, Alexander Carrier, Jayden Struble, Samuel Blais and Joe Veleno and promote internal talent that’s waiting and ready.

#26. Michael Hage and Alexander Zharnovsky are top 6 players that need roster spots next season.

Episode 198 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast Topics

#1. If Montreal wants to win the Stanley Cup again in the foreseeable future, they better not even consider trading Arber Xhekaj.

#2. There absolutely no physicality on the Montreal Canadiens roster other than Arber Xhekaj.

#3. The only other 2 physical prospects that the Montreal Canadiens have within their entire organization at any level are Florian Xhekaj and Owen Protz.

#4. The Montreal Canadiens show consider this very carefully if they even consider trading Arber Xhekaj. Not only who is going to protect the Lane Hutson’s, Cole Caufield’s, Nick Suzuki’s, Alexander Texier’s, Ivan Demindov’s, Alexander Zharovsky’s and Alex Newhook’s.

#5. Montreal trades Arber Xhekaj, both the organizations management, its fan base, NHL league personnel and others around the league and the sport better get ready to see Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Alexander Texier, Ivan Demindov, Alexander Zharovsky and Alex Newhook spending a lot of time on the long term injury list like Carey Price and everyone knows what happened to his career and how it came to an end.

#6. Arber Xhekaj is the sole reason other teams do take runs at afore mentioned players.

#7. Noah Dobson doesn’t, Mike Matheson doesn’t, Kaiden Guhle, Alexander Carrier and Jayden Struble do not have Arber Xhekaj’s physical element in their games.

#8. Kaiden Guhle and David Reinbacher have not been able to stay consistently healthy to date.

#9. Adam Engstrom, Bryce Pickford or Bogdan Konyushkov are not going to bring that physical element either.

#10. Only defensive prospect Owen Protz at 6’ 02 210 lbs and Forward prospect Florian Xhekaj at 6’ 04 and 205lbs bring the level of physicality to and with their games that Arber Xhekaj does. That 2 prospects in the entire organization, that’s not a lot.

#11. Samuel Montembeau has looked lost since day one of the 2025/2026 training camp.

#12. Fortunately, Jakub Dobes’s game has returned to October 2025 form at the same time that Montembeau’s game has vaporized.

#13. Do you call up Jacob Fowler, or do you let him get a massive amount of starts and minutes in Laval?

#14. Is Kaapo Kahkonen the answer to the backup goalie sport to spell Jakub Dobes when he needs a game off?

#15. If Montreal decides to acquire a backup goalie, they should engage in no trade that costs them more than prospect Riley Kidney, Sammy Blais or Josiah Didier. Nothing more. It’s a band aid trade for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season and nothing more.

Hello Hockey Fans, Episode 197 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast has arrived, this weeks topics include-

#1. It’s bizarre that so many are off guard, not just by Juraj Slafkovsky’s development and emergence as a player, but his performance in the 2026 Olympics.

#2. Montreal Canadiens Management, Scouting Department and Player Development Departments did their job, and are exceptional at what they do.

#3. Juraj Slafkovsky has 4 years of tremendous development under his belt and is still only 21 years of age. He was both given the proper amount of time to hone his skills, grow into his frame and was paired with linemates that would bring out and enhance his game and skill set.

#4. Juraj Slafkovsky is a cornerstone of the Montreal Canadiens just like Nick Susuki, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidon, Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky are.

#5. It has to sting a lot for all of the those who has ever given up on Juraj Slafkovsky, or wanted to include him in some zero common sense trade, that would have netted a substandard lower-level talent.

#6. The Montreal Canadiens do need Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues.

#7. Jordan Kyrou carries with him a very bloated contract that surely the St. Louis Blues would love to get out from under.

#8. Jordan Kyrou has underperformed and has not lived up to the value of his contract.

#9. The Montreal Canadiens have the least amount of cap space of any club in the NHL!

#10. What would Montreal trade Kirby Dach, Jayden Struble and throw in a valuable first round pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft for an underperforming, overpaid player?

#11, When health, Kirby Dach is far more valuable to the Montreal Canadiens than Jordan Kyrou.

#12. Kirby Dach has chemistry with Suzuki and Caufield and completes that line, the exact same way Slafkovsky completed the Demidov and Kapanen line.

#13. The players that should be on the trade list at the 2025/2026 trade deadline are Patrik Laine, Samuel Montembeau, Josh Anderson, Zach Bolduc, Joe Veleno, Jayden Struble, Alexander Carrier, Phillip Danault ”though they won’t” and Brendan Gallagher “although no one will want that contract.

#14. Where does Alex Newhook fit in when he returns. He’s made a case to be the 3rd line defacto center. He was playing extremely well, when he got injured.

#15. Montreal likely won’t trade Phillip Danault and probably are not yet willing to or considering trading Zach Bolduc.

#16. If Alex Newhook is not the 3rd line center does he play left wing on a line with Phillip Danaut at center and Zach Bolduc on the right wing?

Hello Hockey Fans. Episode 196 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast arrived for you to catch up on what’s happening in the hockey world. Episode 196 is going to be a rapid fire episode.

#1. How refreshing to see at least a few other people talk about how destructive it would be to the Montreal Canadiens to speed up the window and trade aways a significant amount of what they have built in players, prospects and future draft capital to acquire other players from other clubs, that are not better than what they already have, who are underperforming and would carry bloated contract with them.

#2. Does the combinations of Brendan Gallagher, Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson the create the perfect 3rd line as it’s being referred to as?

#3. Nice to see Oliver Kapanen is finally getting his game, production, presence and consistent play, as well as the impact that he has given too the team every single game in the 2025/2026 season recognized!

#4. Oliver Kapanen has more than adequately filled this season as the number 2 center and has been better than anything the Montreal Canadiens could have traded for and brought in.

#5. Keep your attention focused on Michael Hage at the University of Michigan.

#6. Don’t lose track of Alaxander Zharonovsky, just because he’s playing in the KHL. He is every bit the real deal.

#7. What’s with the continued trade insanity. Kirby Dach is back, Patrik Laine still hasn’t returned, and Alex Newhook still hasn’t returned and there is not room for all 3 of them, let alone other acquired players.

#8. Trade Laine and Dach and load up future draft capital, not other clubs players

#9. Lots of teams expressing interest in Laine?

#10. The 2025/2026 season is truly a defining season for both Kaiden Guhle and David Reinbacher for the now and the future.

Hello Hockey Fans. Episode 195 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast has arrived, this week’s topics include

#1. How does a trade for Jesper Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild even make remote sense for the Montreal Canadiens, when they already have Jacob Fowler who other than playing in a few more NHL games are nearly identical.

#2. Trading for something you already have makes no since in any way one looks at it.

#3. For the first time since the Sam Pollock administration the Montreal Canadiens have reestablished and understand the importance of and implementation of prospect/player development and scouting accuracy.

#4. Jakub Dobes has clearly established himself as the number one goaltender in Montreal.

#5. It’s not surprising at all that Kaapo Kahkonen is looking at international opportunities past the 2025/2026 as the Montreal Canadiens have a plethora of goaltending prospects beyond Jacob Fowler and Jakub Dobes.

#6. Montreal Canadiens do need to acquire St. Louis Blues Forwards Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. It’s highly unlikely the St. Louis Blues will want Patrik Laine, Bredan Gallagher or Josh Anderson.

#9. The Montreal Canadiens have the least amount of cap space in the entire NHL.

#10. The Montreal Canadiens have run out of roster spots.

#11. The Montreal Canadiens already have to many players for the number of roster spots that are available on an NHL roster.

#12. So, to all of those that seem to want to acquire every player possible, where do Michael Hage, Alexander Zharanovsky, Adam Engstrom or Jacob Fowler, just to name a few, fit in?

#13. There is no player in the entire NHL that Montreal Acquire that would be more valuable to Montreal Canadiens than their own prospects that they are draft and developing will be.

#14. Of course, everyone wants to make trades with or are calling the Montreal Canadiens, because they know how good Montreal’s prospects are and they want them.

#15. Whose development are you going to sacrifice and destroy? Michael Hage, Alexander Zharanovsky, Adam Engstrom, Bryce Pickford, L.J. Mooney, Owen Protz, David Reinbacher or one of the many others, that are ready to slot in?

#16. The top 3 centers for the Montreal Canadiens are set number one, Nick Suzuki, Number 2 Micheal Hage/Oliver Kapanen and number 3 Oliver Kapanen/Michael Hage. Those are in place and decided.

#17. Oliver Kapanen is leading all rookies in goals scored.

#18. Ivan Demidov is leading all rookies in assists and total points

#19. It’s time to trade Patrik Laine, no more chances.

#20. Josh Anderson, Brendan Gallagher, Jake Evans, Alexander Carrier, Jayden Struble, Samual Montembeau, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno and Patrik Laine all need to be moved before or at the trade deadline. It won’t happen, one can only hope that any many that can will be.