Hello hockey fans out there, episode 168 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast has arrived to address your hockey fix during the summer. This episodes topics include-

#1. David Reinbacher better be amazing soon.

#2. Tristan Jarry is not the solution or answer or solution to the Edmonton Oilers goaltending issues.

#3. What qualifications does David Pastrnak have to call out Juraj Slafkovsky regarding he lacks humility.

#4. David Pastrnak should focus on himself, his own game and most importantly come down from the mountain top he apparently thinks he’s on top of.

#5. The Montreal Canadiens need to trade Patrik Laine first and foremost.

#6. The Montreal Canadiens do not need to acquire Nick and Jason Robertson as depth or defensive players to replace Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia. The Montreal Canadiens have plenty of internal organizational depth.

#7. Why can’t a line of Brendan Gallagher, Jake Evans and Josh Anderson replace Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia?

#8. The Montreal Canadiens have 10 NHL ready defensemen, what is with the senseless panic over David Savard?

#8. Of course, Michael Hage has been very impressive at the Canada Cup this summer, how can anyone actually be surprised is my question?

#9. The Montreal Canadiens knew Michael Hage was the steel of the 2024 NHL entry, does anyone actually wonder why the Montreal Canadiens moved up from 24th to 21st to draft him.

#10. Michael Hage should not even be traded or included as part of a trade package for Connor McDavid, Sidny Crosby or Cal Makar.

#11. Ivan Demidov should hands down win it in 2025/2026, unless he gets injured, providing the Montreal Canadiens with back-to-back rookie of the year players.

#12. Ok, Nathan Beaulieu retired, players retire all the time. Why is this viewed as anything outside the norm? He has decided to move on, that’s it.

#13. It will indeed be a critical coming year for Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Patrik Laine and Joe Veleno.

#14. The Montreal Canadiens need to let Arber Xhekaj play to his strengths, style and game, rather than trying to change him. The Montreal Canadiens have not had a player like Arber Xhekaj since Chris Nilan. Arber Xhekaj is an extremely rare combination of size physicality with a blend of skating and offensive skills that’s more unusual that the generational talents are.

Hello Hockey Fan’s out there. As we move through the offseason and very hot summer months, take a listen to episode 167 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast, to get your hockey fix. This episodes topics include-

#1. Carey Price actually has to be officially retired as a player and off of the team roster payroll for 3-years, before he can even be considered for the hockey hall of fame!

#2. The NCAA has once again raided the superior Canadien Hockey League in an effort to be considered talented.

#3. The decentralized draft format was not only a complete disappointment but is also a slap in the faces of and an insult to the fans of the sport.

#4. Pro sports leagues have clearly forgotten that their drafts are all about and are for their fans. The drafts of each sport is the premier event to give backs to the fans of each sport.

#4. Pro sports continually screws over the fans and bleeds them dry of money in any and every way possible, the drafts are the premier fan event.

#5. Drafts are a moment within a season that leagues cater to the fan’s by showing up in its entirety, along with the prospects at no cost to the fans, so the fan continue following and retain their passion for the game.

#6. It’s irrelevant that drafts are inconvenient or expense to a league. Without fan the entity goes away!

#7. Montreal’s starting 4 centers will come out of these 5 players. #1 Nick Suzuki, #2 Kirby Dach if he is and can stay healthy. If not, the #2 center will be Alex Newhook. If Dach remains healthy, than Alex Newhook will be the #3 center.

If Dach doesn’t remain healthy and Newhook moves up to the #2 center, then the #3 center is the recently acquired Joe Veleno and the #4 center is Jake Evans.

#8. Unless Jacob Fowler comes into training camp and gives a lights out Ken Dryden type performance, Samual Montembeau and Jakub Dobes will be the goaltending tandem for the 2025/2026 season.

#9. The defense is the part of the Montreal Canadiens roster that is truly the most intriguing as the team prepares for the 2025/2026season.

Hello to all the hockey fans, episode 166 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast has arrived with a litany of topics to keep you up to date with during these long hot summer months.

#1. The Montreal Canadiens do not need Joey Kyrou.

#2. Yes, trade Patrik Laine now

#3. Montreal signs former first round draft choice, center Joe Veleno, a perfect replacement for Christian Dvorak.

#4. No thanks on acquiring Sydney Crosby after the 2026 Olympics, unless Montreal can get him for Kirby Dach and Oliver Kapanen straight up?

#5. In what way is Nazem Kadri even remotely the answer to the Number 2 center role in Montreal? He’s in his mid-thirties, he’s slower and he’s on the back nine of his career.

#6. Nazem Kadri bring an extremely bloated contract with, which has 4-years remaining on it.

#7. Montreal has a plethora of internal options at a far cheaper price for any and all positions.

#8. Of course, the Calgary Flames would not only love to unload Nazem Kadri, but even more, the Calgary Flames would love to get their hands on as many of Montreal’s outstanding prospects as possible.

#9. Nope Montreal Doesn’t need center Anthony Cirelli of the Tampa Bay Lightning and take on that bloated contract either. Nor does Montreal need to make the Tampa Bay lightning a better team by sending them A-prospect talent, that’s used against the Montreal Canadiens for years to come that haunts them relentlessly.

#10. Montreal is not facing tremendous trouble in replacing David Savard. His game was clearly in a steep decline since January 1st, 2024.

#11. Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia were role players that Montreal has a plethora options to replace them with at a lower cost.

#12. Let Jayden Struble go to arbitration and is he’s rewarded an excessive amount, trade him and keep the assets pouring into Montreal

#13. It will be extremely interesting to see if the excitement around prospect center Oliver Kapanen translates to the NHL Level.

#14. It’s challenging seeing Oliver Kapanen as a 2nd line center in the NHL.

#15. I’m far more excited about what Aatos Koivu can do than Oliver Kapanen.

#16. Hage is the undisputed 2nd line center for the Montreal Canadiens. Michael Hage

#17. Owen Beck is a solid 3rd two-way center to me, that can play it any way you want to. But I think that Florian Xhekaj is the Dark horse in the role of 3rd line center, and it remains to be seen if Vinzenz Rohrer’s style can translate to the NHL’s game?

#18. I won’t even be remotely surprised at all if Adam Engstrom makes the Canadiens roster after the completion of training camp.