But then I said to him, but why don't you at least keep them together while it is sustainable? Like, while it's working, why don't you keep them together? And then if something's not working, then you can change if you want to.

Let me put it this way to you, okay? If Jake Evans slots in with Kreider and Anderson, the dynamic of that line doesn't change all that much.

And Nua can go play with Demidov and Kaepernick.

But if it's reversed and it starts off with Evans, Kapanen, and Demidov together, I don't think it's going to make some sort of dramatic difference.

And like you just said, you're not undoing something that you know is already successful.

So one way or the other, Jake Evans would tell you he's not the ideal long-term fit to play with Ivan Demidov.

He knows that.

That makes sense.

Are you concerned about that stat?

No.

Not even a little.

I'll tell you why.

If you go back two years ago when the Canadians like unexpectedly made the playoffs based on much, like, really great goaltending from Sam Montembeault and some good puck luck, uh, they ranked 27th in shot attempt percentage and 29th in expected goals.

Uh, last year, on their way to 106-point season, got unbelievable production from their top line.

Unbelievable power play.

Good for him.

Do you view it as more, once again, struggles on the defensive side of the puck with their system, or did you view Saturday night's loss more as individual errors?

I saw it more as being irresponsible with the puck and feeding Pittsburgh's offense.

I don't think defensively they were particularly fallible, although the penalty kill obviously wasn't as good as it was in Toronto.

Neither was Dobesh.

You know, like [laughs] let's face it, he did not play his best game.

He was over-aggressive, and some of the stuff that lent to him playing so well in Toronto, the battle level, uh, got himself in a bit more trouble than he'd like to, and I'm sure he would be the first to admit that.

Um, defensively, I'm not seeing like, "Oh, they're lost in their zone and they have no idea what they're doing." I, I don't think they're giving up...

And let's see if they're able to bring it tomorrow night versus Carolina, because if they're not gonna play a detailed and a connected game versus Carolina, that's a team that takes advantage of opposition that doesn't play detailed and/or connected.

Shooting with the opposite hand [laughs]

...

the whole team, Canadiens practice starts at 10:30.

The whole team is on the ice at 10 o'clock, and they are off the ice when it ends at 11:30.

They're off the ice at 12.

Uh, it's not two guys.

It's not your general, "Okay, let's take some one-timers." Like, these guys are, they believe they are doing this together, and Marty's at the helm of that and, you know, you said it's a two-part question.

Try him later.

Yes.

They're well, they're well-established, and he hasn't come out with several new ones of late.

Um, so when, when you're in a position like I was afforded to be able to sit down with Marty for, you know, s- some, some good time that the Canadiens provided, um, the dangerous game to play is to, like, write down a list of questions and start firing away.

Um, you know, getting to know Martin St. Louis, he's a really insightful, thoughtful guy, and the best thing you could do is just listen to him and start a conversation and see where that conversation goes and not be pinned down to the different themes you wanna hit.

You know, I, I put a tweet out that had nothing to do with the story about Arber Xhekaj because that was content that wasn't gonna filter into the story I ended up telling about Marty, but I felt that that should be something that the fans see.

You know, it's, uh, basically where I ask him, like, "What do you think when you hear, 'That guy's not a Marty St. Louis player?'" And he's like, "What does that even mean? Like, of course, he's a Marty St.

He's been here for five years, and no player would be here if they wasn't a Marty s- if they weren't a Marty St. Louis player." Anyways, you guys could see that tweet on Xhekaj.

I'm curious to see when Nick Suzuki demands more from his teammates if the locker room will stay as tight as it always has been, which is one of the strengths of this team.

Mm-hmm.

And giving up the type of assets that were required to get a guy who just came off 103-point season like Scheifele did, in a marketplace where if he were to ever become available, there would be plenty of good packages on the table for him, despite the fact that he's gonna be 34 and has five years left on his deal, I don't see that jiving with everything this management team has done.

And I think the last thing they wanna do is put themselves in a spot where they make a mistake at the most critical juncture Of their build, um, that would, that would, uh, deny them the opportunity to have a contending team year over year.

'Cause no matter how good Mark Scheifele was over the last year, and no matter how well he might play this year, the best of Mark Scheifele is behind him.

It's not ahead of him.

Uh, that's just a function of his age and where he's at in his career.

So some teams might be very compelled by that.

You come out of there injury free and you're ready to go.

Like, to start the year, if they don't go out and get a top six forward, do you think that's something that they might tinker with again? Or do you think, like, that line is so good together, let's keep it and then see what other guys can do rotating into that second line?

I think the beauty for them is they know what they have with Suzuki, Slafkovsky, and Caufield, so it enables them to make that move, and I think they will do that off the hop.

If nobody else comes in between now and the first game against Toronto, and that's a big if in my mind, 'cause I still think it's a really strong possibility that somebody else will come into that top six, um, I could see Kreider starting with Caufield and Suzuki, and Slafkovsky being on a line with Demidov for sure, and one of Kapanen or Newhook.

So, [lips smack] and I gotta tell you, and I, I said this on Spitting Chiclets, uh, which came out today, and I, I've said it in other places, when I watch Slafkovsky play, he's a center to me.

He, he plays like a centerman.

I think we're obsessed with positions in hockey, and it's become a much more position-less sport with the way it's played in terms of the systems that teams run, especially the one the Canadiens run, uh, especially in the defensive zone.

Uh, it, you know, hopefully he's been working on his face-offs if he's called on to take on more of those responsibilities.

How do you envision the workload? If both goalies are healthy, how do you envision the workload this season?

They got their forward group solidified, and there's not much movement, so it's really a, a, a group that's familiar with one another, and now they got their coach who they believe in back.

Yeah, I mean, I, I can't say it much better.

You know, Marty St. Louis, the most compelling story in the whole rebuild, right? Comes here with only bantam level experience as a coach, immediately makes the type of impact.

And you know when you're at the beginning of a rebuild, everybody from the general manager to the players is saying it's not gonna be a linear process.

You're not gonna put one foot in front of the other.

The Canadiens have done nothing but put one foot in front of the other each year.

They've gotten better each year, and Marty is obviously at the foundation of that.

Stanley Cup contending team.

And you talked about when that four checker comes in, there's another player right behind them that if he causes the turnover, it's right on his stick and boom, and then you pay and boom, then you pay the price.

Like that's, that's hockey in general and that's the way it's, it's won, but it, it's just the, just how focused all the guys are off the puck in terms of getting to the right place without it, how active the defense is when the puck is so far away from them, just to make sure they're closing the gaps properly that they know will be created if the puck gets squeaked through the f- the first wave of the four check or even the second wave of it.

That is what screwed the Canadians in that series.

That's why they couldn't get more than nine, 10 shots in a game.

And it's not because they, the Canadians didn't do the same exact thing that they struggled.

It's 'cause they weren't able to reach that level of connectedness themselves.

They weren't able to apply, like Vegas did it a couple games to Carolina where they, you could see they could match that level and, and even exceed it to a certain degree, but not over a seven-game series because Carolina was so rested and so already a well-oiled machine through the, the playoffs at that point.

Yeah

But even so, what do you think would be the first thing on their wish, wish list right now?

Player to play with Ivan Demidov, right? You know, they had Slafkovsky do it for about thirty games last year, and he was able to bring up the level for both Demidov and Kaapo, who were playing as rookies.

But if you can get a legitimate player next to Demidov to complement a line of Caufield, Suzuki, and Slafkovsky, which is obviously one of the best ones in the NHL, well, now you're cooking with gas.

So [laughs] I think that's been the goal since the off-season started, and it remains the goal.

And the reason it does is because these guys, and when I say these guys, I mean Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, they're not just shooting for, "Well, let's just get somebody who's talented who fits the bill." It's they wanna get someone who's gonna grow with their core and be, and be someone that they feel is gonna help them win year over year, at least contend to win year over year.

And that's why a name like Kirill Marchenko has been, you know, involved with the Canadiens for a long time.

Not just a skilled guy, but the right age, uh, to grow with this core.

[laughs] Yeah.

Eric, the Habs are in a great place and seem to be more solid by the minute, but even so, what do you think would be the first thing on their wish- wish list right now?

Player to play with Ivan Demidov, right? You know, they had Slafkovsky do it for about thirty games last year, and he was able to bring up the level for both Demidov and Kapanen, who were playing as rookies.

But if you can get a legitimate player next to Demidov to complement a line of Caufield, Suzuki, and Slafkovsky, which is obviously one of the best ones in the NHL, well, now you're cooking with gas.

So [laughs] I think that's been the goal since the off-season started, and it remains the goal, and the reason it does is because these guys, and when I say these guys, I mean Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, they're not just shooting for, "Well, let's just get somebody who's talented who fits the bill." It's they wanna get someone who's gonna grow with their core and be, and be someone that they feel is gonna help them win year over year, at least contend to win year over year.

And that's why a name like Kirill Marchenko has been, you know, involved with the Canadiens for a long time.

Not just a skilled guy, but the right age, uh, to grow with this core.

And players like him are, you know, there's not a lot of them that are potentially available.

Right.

But at 24 and a half years of age, do you think this 6'3", uh, 205 pound left-handed defenseman is ready to really make his mark in the National Hockey League?

I mean, I love everything about the profile of the player, and I like the player, I like the personality.

You know, before he came to Montreal, he was being compared in the Western Hockey League to a young Shea Weber, which is a very difficult thing to live up to.

Um, but it spoke to the character and the respect that he commanded, even as a young player.

Um, he's a leader.

He doesn't hide from adversity.

He rallies the troops.

Mm-hmm.

Or it could actually involve a player who's a prospect in the organization, and it would be one less player that could eventually supplant them.

Sure.

So, y- you know, if it's all those things, it's understandable.

The calculation for me if I'm, if I'm him is h- just how long am I willing to wait? Is it the next two weeks between now and training camp starting? Because I think even if his value would increase a little bit to the Canadiens if space was made for him, or even if his value would increase a little bit to a team that would be acquiring him in a trade, is it a, is it, is it augmenting enough for him to take on the cost of missing parts of training camp, if not the whole thing? That's a, that's a very difficult calculation.

And you know what? Maybe it hasn't been made yet 'cause we're not there.

We're two weeks away from camp starting, so there's a, there's one deadline that's kinda right there.

Even the golf tournament you could view as a bit of a deadline.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

And I would suspect their interest would remain as high as it was if the player did become available.

I think this is the type of player that they would give up a substantial package to get, and they've talked about this themselves.

You know, Ken Hughes has talked about it.

Jeff Gorton has talked about it.

Their willingness for an age appropriate player that fits with their core, that has that level of talent, that is a bonafide top six player, that can grow with their core for years to come and help them, you know, potentially compete for several championships.

Let's start with one.

It's gotta be the right one

I asked some of my collaborators if they thought that Kirby Dach, um, is a better centerman or a winger, and I'd like to have your take on that.

I don't know, man.

I just wanna see him be a good NHL player, like, consistently.

I, I thought he was doing a lot of the right things to be a good 200-foot kind of soldier last year and, and he broke his, uh, bone in his ankle doing exactly that, blocking a shot.

And then, you know, came back and...

You know, I, I'll tell you this, I don't know if he's better at center or wing.

I'm sure that the, the evidence is much more tilted towards wing.

Yes, there's been some huge misfortune due to injuries, but when you're not on all the time, Eric, at one point you look back on your career and say, "I wish I would've been, because I would've had a better career."

... or for a few minutes he shows it, but he doesn't start his games with that kind of mindset I find.

Yeah.

The, the problem is, like, every question you just asked is a question.

Like, there's no...

It's up to Kirby to answer and, like, the only way he's going to is what's, with what's in front of him.

It's not what's behind him.

We, we know the injury history.

You know?

Mm-hmm

... putting them up against a backdrop, and it feels like a firing squad because the team is losing.

Uh, you know, these aren't good vibes to have around a team, and I, I...

Winning solves everything.

You know, you know that, I know that.

But at the root of winning is changing the vibe.

And I, I tell you, you know, like, before Marty St. Louis came into Montreal and they had their downward turn, like, it was really dark around here too.

Mm-hmm.

Um, we'll still be in Montreal for a little while because he and his wife are expecting their second, but I think everyone got what they wanted here, so it's, it's pretty cool.

Yeah, and I, I-- you know, if you go back a few mon- obviously, a bittersweet day for me, right? Like, uh, it's always a good thing when you're able to break some news in our business, but it's pretty bittersweet that it's Brendan Gallagher leaving Montreal.

I, I think if it were up to him, he'd be here for the rest of his career.

Um, that won't be the case.

He's got a fresh lease on life.

He's got an opportunity in Vancouver that I think is an excellent one.

I've said it before, I'll say it again, I believe he'll take advantage of it.

At that point, I was like, "Oh my God, Veleno too? Wow." I was a little bit surprised, and then today we find out he was not qualified.

Second time's a charm.

Yeah, exceptional class last year, right? And I think I know of a lot of people that were shocked that Carey Price wasn't on the first ballot and getting in.

Um, you know, you see some of the guys that got in, whether it was Joe Thornton or Duncan Keith and the accomplishments of some of the other players, and okay, you can swallow it a little bit.

Like, I remember in preparation last year of him getting in on the first ballot, I was calling around for voices to be a part of the piece that I was writing, and one of them that got back to me a little later than he normally does is Brendan Gallagher, and he was, uh, shocked in the end that Carey Price was not voted into the Hall of Fame on the first attempt.

Uh, to the point where he, like, made this whole case to me on the phone.

I was like, "Hey, like, you're preaching to the choir here." Uh, but he just felt, you know, this guy is the best goaltender of his generation, was the best player in the league for at least one year, and the individual hardware and the hockey accomplishments beyond the NHL were there, uh, that he should've gotten in on the first ballot.

Well- I think we all anticipated that if he wasn't getting in last year, it, it was all but locked that he would get in this year.

Yeah.

Where do you wanna start?

Yeah, well, I think if you wanna look at those six players in particular, uh, let's look at the restricted free agents that are pending right now.

All of them, I believe, will get qualifying offers.

Um, you know, Dach's is on the higher end at $4 million.

It'll still be extended to him.

They're not gonna let him walk for free.

Um, Slafkovsky, Bolduc, looking at qualifying offers.

Yeah.

But I think what, um, made headlines the most today was, and had a l- the most people talking was, a very emotional Brendan Gallagher.

[smacks lips] No doubt.

Um, and I gotta tell you s- s- being in that room and while that was going on, having covered Gally his entire career, it was, um, it was, it was very difficult to keep it together, you know? Like, I, I understand we're reporters and, you know, we're not, we're not pulling for the team or against them, uh, or any team for that matter.

But we do, as I've told you how many times, cheer for people, and Brendan Gallagher was one of the easiest people to cheer for in Montreal over the last 14 years, right? A guy who's defied odds-You know, throughout his entire existence, essentially, just being an undersized guy, a guy who was drafted in the fifth round, a guy who made it to the NHL at 20, a guy who everyone said would never be a 20-goal scorer and was, a guy who everybody said would never be a 30-goal scorer and was.

Uh, he did that twice after those back-to-back hand injuries, which was even more shocking.

And, you know, he's come back from so much, and last year everybody thought he was done, and he scored 21 goals.

Um, and I think this is another one of those situations where at 34 and the depth that the Canadiens had, he got, you know, displaced in terms of the lineup, and the general consensus would be that this'll be his last year coming up and that he can't really do it at the same level anymore, and I, I think he still has a lot to prove.

It's a new Workday.

Mm-hmm.

Um, he was a, the, if he wasn't the fiercest competitor I ever saw, and I watched pretty much, um, the majority of his career, uh, he was top three in that category.

Uh, would do anything to win, sometimes cross the line significantly to do that.

As a person, and then anybody who knew him really well would tell you, he was a great guy.

And he was just a, a charismatic, very smart guy.

And, um, it's just shocking.

I mean, it's just, uh...

How much of what we're seeing here is about Montreal simply running out of gas after two tough seven-game series versus a mismatch in terms of talent and style between the two teams?

What has the tone of the conversation been around the Montreal Canadiens' home record in these playoffs?

Well, it's obviously a 2-4, not what people in Montreal want or expect with what they're paying for the kids to be in the building.

But like I said, if you go back through the Tampa series, Game 4, they had a 2-1 lead and ended up losing 3-2.

They had a great chance to win that game.

Game 6 against Tampa, a 1-0 overtime win for Tampa, probably...

If it wasn't the best game of the entire playoffs, I'm not sure what was.

And it was definitely Montreal's best game up until that 6-2 win over Carolina in the first game of this series and end up losing that one.

And I think that's a reason a lot of our listeners are really hoping that Montreal beats Carolina so that we don't have to watch Carolina in the Stanley Cup final.

Credit as well to the players for executing that plan that was brought by the excellent coaching staff.

Yeah, you know what? You definitely see, we've been talking a lot about how this is the youngest team in the playoffs and, you know, the youngest team in the league for a long time.

I know Phil Danault came in halfway through, up the age limit a little bit, but the entire core is between 20 and 26 years old, and it's almost full, right? Um, the other thing we've been talking about is how mature they are and how they kinda defy their age, and that was a sign of it.

Y- you know, they, they had between Monday night and Thursday night to prepare for this series.

Not the coaches.

Not Alex Burrows, not Adam Nicholas, and, and Roger Gristello, Da- a lot of the priest guy.

I know Marty mentioned, uh, Burrows specifically, but those guys were also involved.

No.

He was just kind of snakebitten, but now he scored, and you can kinda see like, "Okay, this train's starting to roll here."

I, I, I think it's good for him.

I think it's good for them.

I think there's things for both Demidov and the team to take from it, which is that in this series they've had a lot more space to operate.

And with the skill that they have, they know they can manufacture goals.

And I think the double-edged sword is that sometimes you go for too much.

They got up 3-1 in the last game, and they got overaggressive.

Louis learn from that game seven that he can take into this one?