As the puck gets set to drop between the Habs and Capitals, here’s a rapid-fire rundown of key topics that deserve discussion—even if they don’t all warrant a full article.
Some fans on social media are still grumbling about the Olé-Olé-Olé chants at the Bell Centre. They think it’s premature celebration. They’re wrong. The “Na-na-na, hey-hey, Goodbye” chant is the victory song. Olé comes from European soccer—it’s a rallying cry, a burst of joy to energize the team and crowd. It’s not about final scores. It’s about spirit. Chant away.
Lane Hutson just wrapped up a monster rookie season. He led all rookies with 66 points, edging out Macklin Celebrini and Matvei Michkov (63 each), and finished 7th in scoring among all NHL defensemen. His -2 rating dwarfs Celebrini’s -31 and Michkov’s -18. He also tied the NHL rookie record with 60 assists and broke Chris Chelios’ Habs record. If this guy doesn’t win the Calder, something’s broken.
Ivan Demidov is the real deal. Slick, shifty, exciting. He’s set to make his playoff debut against Russian legend Alex Ovechkin—extra motivation if he needed any. But being on a line with Patrik Laine and Alex Newhook could limit him. Against Carolina, he played just 10:29, largely because St-Louis is sheltering Laine. If the Habs want offense, Demidov needs more minutes.
Arber Xhekaj’s future in Montreal feels uncertain. And it’s not just me saying that—several NHL analysts are raising eyebrows. Why is his leash so short compared to others? What did he do to land in the doghouse for so long? If Kent Hughes makes him available, 31 teams will call. A tough, capable d-man who can log 12–15 minutes a night is a rare commodity. Trade him, and regret will follow.
At the Draft, the Habs have two first-rounders—their own and Calgary’s (projected 16th overall). If eliminated early, Montreal picks 17th. Options? Package them to move up, trade for a second-line center, or hold one and flip the other. Michael Hage is still a couple of years away—they need help now to support Suzuki.
The Calgary #Flames have 98.9% odds of getting the 16th overall pick (1.1% 6th). If they stay at #16, the #Habs will get that pick for the Monahan trade. The last time the #GoHabsGo selected 16th overall was in 2020 and they picked Kaiden Guhle.
— JD Lagrange (@jdlagrange.bsky.social) 2025-04-16T15:05:43.304Z
Montreal’s Draft war chest is deep: nine picks in the first four rounds. Beyond their 1st-rounders, they’ve got Pittsburgh’s 2nd (40th overall), New Jersey and Vancouver’s 3rds, and Boston’s 4th. With the pipeline nearing saturation, expect some picks to be used in trades or deferred to future drafts. Don’t bet on nine selections in the first four rounds.
The Canadiens are set to free up some substantial cap space this summer. Christian Dvorak ($4.45M), David Savard ($3.5M) and Joel Armia ($3.4M) are all scheduled to become UFAs. Those three players alone combine to a total of $11.35M in cap space.
Savard, 34, announced yesterday that he will retire following the NHL Playoffs, concluding a career that spanned 870 regular-season games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Tampa Bay Lightning, and his childhood team, the Montreal Canadiens. His leadership during the Canadiens’ rebuilding phase proved instrumental, playing a pivotal role in nurturing the development of the team’s emerging core of young defensemen.
It’s important to note that the Canadiens have a few contracts starting next season as well. Juraj Slafkovsky’s $7.6M and Kaiden Guhle’s $5.55M contracts kick in next season and will take care of the departing UFAs salaries (and more), and Jake Evans’ salary bumps up from $1.7M to $2.85M..
Some relief is on the way. The Petry and Allen retained salaries (almost $4.3M) come off the cap this summer, freeing all three salary retention slots for Montreal. And looking ahead, 2025–26 will be the final year of Carey Price’s $10.5M cap hit. That’s major long-term flexibility.
Jakub Dobeš is also RFA-bound. His early flashes of promise may attract an offer sheet, especially with so many teams desperate for goaltending. It’s not something to take lightly.
Jakub Dobeš has a future in the #NHL. Whether it's with the #Habs or somewhere else remains to be determined.Here are Sam Montembeault's stats at 23 years old, compared to a 23 year-old Dobeš. #GoHabsGo #Habs #TimeToHunt
— JD Lagrange (@jdlagrange.bsky.social) 2025-04-17T15:33:28.177Z
Speaking of the playoffs—this will be the first time since 2017 that Montreal plays a home playoff game in front of a sold-out Bell Centre crowd. Only Brendan Gallagher remains from that era. Martin St-Louis has felt the electricity as a visiting player, but never as a coach. This will be a revelation for the kids.
To hang with Washington, Montreal needs to be locked in. Discipline is key—Ovechkin on the power play is lethal. Goaltending must be airtight. Weak goals = early exits. As Scotty Bowman noted on The Sick Podcast – The Eye Test, the Habs have to clear their zone quickly, forecheck with purpose, and use their size on the back end. The Caps are a heavy team.
Game 1 goes Monday night in Washington. Game 2 on Wednesday. Then it’s back to Montreal—Friday night at the Bell Centre, and Game 4 follows Sunday.
