Hello Hockey Fans, out there. Episode 184 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast has arrived. This week’s topics include-

#1. If you really want to know where you stand, this is an opportunity for Montreal learn from.

#2. This is an opportunity for Montreal to grow from.

#3. This is an opportunity for Montreal as an organization and roster to truly understand its internal depth, talent and readiness of its prospects.

#4. This is not the time to panic or to make a knee jerk for the Montreal Canadiens.

#5. Jordan Kyrou is not what the Montreal Canadiens need. He doesn't fit in. He will destroy the development of and take earned roster spots away from internal prospects and talents.

#6. Call up Adam Angstrom and pair him with Lane Hutson for the 2025/2026 season.

#7. Bring up Jared Davidson as a permanently replacing jake Evans.

#8. Bring up the entire line of right winger Tyler Thorpe, center Florian Xhekaj and left wing Luke Tuch and make them the teams 3rd line moving forward, so that Montreal finally has physicality, grit and sandpaper players in their lineup that additionally have tremendous size, attitude and a wolf pack mentality

#9. Kaiden Guhle, Patrik Laine and Alex Newhook are all out for 4 months.

#10. Kirby Dach is supposedly out 4 to 6 weeks. I’ll be shocked if Kirby Dach returns to the lineup before Presidents Day in January of 2026.

#11. Alex Newhook is the only actual loss of the 4 players currently out. No one else was producing or contributing.

#12. Call up Kaapo Kahkonen and name him the team’s number 1 starting goaltender.

#13. Samual Montembeau and Jakub Dobes can rotate and play back up to Kaapo Kahkonen until their games return. Whichever one is not the games back up, they can sit in the press box.

#14. What has happened to Zack Bolducs games?

#15. Every team has injuries, but a total team collapse is not acceptable. Suck it up, buttercup.

#16. There is a need for a total roster reset in Montreal with a starting with the pairing of

First defensive pairing R.D. Noah Dobson/L.D. Mike Matheson

Second defensive pairing R.D. Adam Engstrom/L.D. Lane Hutson

Third defensive pairing R.D Alexander Carrier or Jayden Struble/ L.D. Arber Xhekaj.

Offensive Line #1 is RW-Ivan Demidon, C-Nick Suzuki and LW-Cole Caufield

Offensive Line #2 is RW-Zack Bolduc, C-Oliver Kapanen and LW Juraj Slafvlkovsky.

Offensive Line #3 RW-Tyler Thorpe, C- Florian Xhekaj and LW Luke Tuch

Offensive Line #4. RW-Brendan Gallagher RW, C- Jared Davidson and LW Josh Andersson

Starting goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen and rotate the back up.

#17. Other than Alex Newhook, as the injured players return, start trading them, along with David Reibacher, Owen beck, Filip Mesar, Joshua Roy, Vinzenz Rohrer and Riley Kidney for continued draft capital to obtain A-level plus talent.

Welcome to Episode 183 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast Hockey fans. This week’s episode topics include-

#1. Might be time to move on from Kaiden Guhle, maybe Anaheim, San Jose or Vancouver?

#2. The games of Kaiden Guhle and Jayden Struble are not the same, there is an enormous difference.

#3. Kaiden Guhle is a 1st or 2nd pair, 82 game, 23 plus minute player if and when healthy.

#4. Jayden Struble is a 3rd pairing 12 to 14 minute per night player.

#5. Montreal has 4 starting centers who are equal to what any other NHL club has and can ice. With that said, I would replace 2 of them, but with internal talent, that’s better than anything around the league.

#6. There isn’t another player in the entire league than Nick Suzuki.

#7. The number 2 center is Oliver Kapanen who has done everything asked of him and more.

#8. Kirkby Dach sits at the number 3 center position. Replace him with Florian Xhekaj or Jared Davidson

#9. Brendan Gallagher and Zack Bolduc are propping up Kirby Dach.

#10. Florian Xhekaj will protect Brendan Gallagher look no one ever has in his entire career

#11. Florian Xhekaj will provide Zack Bolduc space.

#12. Or Drop Jared Davidson between Brendan Gallgher and Zack Bolduc.

#13. Jake Evans is not having a good 2025/2026 season in many ways.

#14. If it’s decided Florian Xhekaj needs more time in Laval, which he does not, then Jared Davidson is the answer between Bredan Gallagher and Zack Bolduc, then the simple move is to replace Jake Evans with Owen Beck.

#15. Joe Veleno certainly is not the answer.

#16. If you want to add an entire new line, then call up Tyler Thorpe at right wing, Florian Xhekaj at center and Luke Tuch at left wing.

#17. That doesn’t even include Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky. Much will change in 2026/2027 anyway.

#18. The top 6 of the offensive for a decade will be Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield Ivan Demidov, Alexander Zharovsky, Michael Hage and Juraj Slafkovsky.

#19. The long-term top 6 defensively will be Noah Dobson, Bryce Pickford, Adam Engstrom, Lane Hutson, Arber Xhekaj and Owen Protz.

#20. Here is the actual concerns Kaiden Guhle 4 months, Patrick Laine 4 months or more, Kirby Dach not the same player he was when acquired, now Alex Newhook is out 4 months.

#21. This is why you do not trade draft capital, assets or existing prospects.

#22. What Montreal Canadien prospects likely won’t make it.

#23. What Montreal Canadien prospects will make it.

#24. Montreal Canadiens prospects to keep an eye on and not lose track of.

Episode 182 of the Hockey free For All Podcast. Let’s call this episode the Center and ripple effect episode as that will be the primary discussion. But before I start, a slight detour first.

#1. Why is anyone surprised by the Montreal Canadiens hot start and how they are playing?

#2. The Montreal Canadiens have extremely solid, if not the best management in the entire NHL and the perfect head coach.

#3. The Montreal Canadiens have drafted better than anyone else has for years now.

#4. The Montreal Canadiens have the top prospect pool.

#5. The Montreal Canadiens have the top player development department and staff.

#6. Seriously, why does anyone think that the Montreal Canadiens need Steven Stamkos? 35 years old and 8 million per season and is not even remote producing to or at that level.

#7. I wouldn’t trade Patrik Laine, straight up for Steven Stamkos. Patrik Laines 8.7 million contract and annual cap hit expires at the completion of the 2025/2026 season. Steven Stamkos’s contract still has 3 more years at 8-million per season. Montreal gains nothing with this player.

#8. Really, Nazem Kadri from the Calgary Flame. He’s 34 years old and carries with him 5 more years at 7 million per season. Montreal gets nothing in this acquisition that they do not already have.

#9. Ryan O’Reily from Nashville. Someone explain how this makes any sense or any kind. He brings absolutely nothing that Jake Evans does not already bring to the organization.

#9. Bo Horvat, again why? He brings 6 years remaining of an 8 year contract that has an annual cap hit of 8.5 million dollars per season that runs through the 20230/2031 season. How many have failed finance 101

#10. The only one that might make some kind of sense. Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues. He’s 27. But it not only stunt the development of prospect Michael Hage, it would destroy his career and no one is even remotely worth that.

#11. The Montreal Canadiens have their 4 long term center within the Organization. Number one, their captain Nick Suzuki, Number 2. With many, many skills that cannot be taught that a player either possesses or does not possess Michael Hage at the University of Michigan. At number 3. Oliver Kapanen, and number 4 Jerad Davidson.

#12.Because of Jeff Gorton, Kent Huges and an absolutely amazing scouting department headed by Martin LaPointe and Nik Bobrov that brings in tremendous talent consistently for Adam Nicholas and Scott Pellerin the Director and Assistant Director of Hockey Development, the Montreal Canadiens are set up for long term success.