After having attempted a first test in the last few weeks, we are trying the good old exercise again mailbag.
We have published images on our social networks in the last few days to collect your questions. And now it’s time to respond within the framework of a text with several speakers.
Whether it’s hockey or the media, we’re getting started.
What were your reactions when you heard Max Truman say on Stanley25 that he’s taking bids for the site? – Charles-Olivier Landry
Response from Charles-Alexis Brisebois: Hearing Max bring this up didn’t necessarily surprise me because any good entrepreneur is always listening. I’m not afraid for my job security, if that’s the sub-question.
Afterwards, if I have colleagues who want to scrape together an offer to Max, they should take the chance…
Will Martin St-Louis be fired? – Kahlann Bergeron
Response from Maxime Truman: Since I have not yet sold my shares in DLC Média Inc – I do not wish to liquidate my shares, but I am ready to sell them for $1 million by the way (and if someone offers me that amount, I think I would be stupid to say no) – so I will hurry to answer this question while I still have the legitimacy to do so. #LOL
Jokes aside, I am convinced that Martin St-Louis will not be fired this season. St-Louis is under contract for two more full seasons and his club is still rebuilding. Even though there is some heat on his shoulders for the first time in a few weeks, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton do not will thank not in my opinion.
Should they do it? Maybe, but I don’t think so. Except that wasn’t the question.
St-Louis, however, needs help and experience on its side. The management of the CH must know this and I imagine that in the short or medium term, we will resolve this problem. We should have fixed it last summer, but hey, we chose to hire Roger Grillo…
If St. Louis doesn’t finish the season, it will be because he decides to quit his job, not because he gets thanked.
However, he will have to find a way to make this club win because otherwise, the 2025-26 season could be decisive for its future. Except we’re not there…yet!
What are your team choices to go to the Stanley Cup? –Benoit Dionne
Response from Marc-Olivier Cook: I like that question.
We agree on one thing: there is still a lot, a lot of hockey to play before we can even think about the playoffs.
But quickly like that, I have a particular club that comes to mind: the Dallas Stars. This team is far too talented not to make a good run in the playoffs and I love the mix of veterans and young people there.
For the East… I want to go there with the Devils, even if they had a disappointing season last year.
Stars vs Devils in the Stanley Cup final, that would make for a good show!
In what position will the CH finish in the general classification? –Marc Larocque
Response from Félix Forget: I think that at the moment, when we look at the club, we can say to ourselves that being #DanceLeMix this season will be, at best, quite laborious. There is the extreme example of the Oilers last year, but generally speaking it is very rare to see a team bounce back after such a difficult start to the season.
Finishing in the top-20 therefore seems a little unrealistic to me, and I don’t necessarily have confidence that we will see the club get close to it either. That said, I want to believe that the club will progress between now and the end of the year, particularly through the improvement of the young defensive brigade between now and the end of the campaign.
And if Kirby Dach (who should improve as the season goes on) and Patrik Laine help the club finish the year strong, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
I want to say that at the end of the season, we will see the CH somewhere between 26th and 28th place. And in what, in my eyes, is the last year of real misery that was truly predictable for the club, it’s not necessarily a bad thing to go for another (and, hopefully, a final) high draft pick.
Is the KHL’s treatment of good young Russian players starting to backfire? Instead of encouraging them to sign in the KHL, do good players instead go to Canadian or American juniors? – Pascal Paquet
Response from Charles-Alexis Brisebois: A young man like Ivan Demidov, who could almost be described as a young person who is “burning the KHL” because of his age and his playing time, is indeed a victim of this phenomenon.
After all, a young person who plays in the KHL and who aspires to play in the NHL will very often be punished by seeing his playing time melt away like snow in the sun. That’s how it’s worked for a long time over there.
What you need to know is that young Russians all end up landing in the NHL. But in the meantime, many still prefer to play (and be paid) in the KHL than to land in junior in North America.
I don’t see any change at this level: it remains case by case. But the thought is interesting.
Why do you think the Montreal Canadiens refuse the idea of dressing Xhekaj on the 4? – Mister Carlos
Response from Marc-Olivier Cook: The answer to this question is rather simple in my eyes. the Canadian still believes in the potential of Arber Xhekaj as a defender.
Putting him on an attacking trio would be to distort the player who is recognized for his physical qualities. He could perhaps highlight them even while playing as a forward, but I have the impression that the CH still believes that he can become a good top-6 defender in the National League.
But at a certain point, if it continues to be difficult defensively as we have seen for two years, I would not be against the idea either. As long as you don’t play him… You might as well take advantage of the fact that he’s not afraid of anyone and that he’s ready to fight anyone to defend his teammates if necessary.
