Hockey Free For All

Hello Hockey Fan’s! Episode 229 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast has arrived for your listening enjoyment and to catch up on what’s happening over the long and uncomfortable hot summer. This episode’s topics include- #1. This has too rate as the most senseless trade proposal to date that the Montreal Canadiens need to make or consider, without a doubt. #2. Alex Killorn is 36 years old, Hello! Doesn’t that raise a red flag to anyone? #3. Where does Alex Killorn fit in? #4. Let me understand this, there are people that want the Montreal Canadiens to trade for and thereby acquire the player that ended Carey Prices career? #5. No one actually thinks that there might be a safety issue for Chris Kreider once he is acquired, are you serious? #6. Anaheim would be appropriately offended by a net return of Xavier Simoneau and Tobie Bisson for Alex Killorn and no more than Josiah Didier and Vincent Arseneau for Chris Kreider, However? #7. How can that even remotely be a fair return for Alex Killorn and Chris Kreider? They are 36 and 35 years of age respectfully. They both are in the final year of their contracts that pay 6.25 million dollars and are thereby 1-year rentals and Anaheim needs to dump salary to be able to sign other RFA’s and players in their organization. #8. There is no player in the NHL worth Adam Engstrom, Alexandre Zharovsky, Jacob Fowler or David Reinbacker straight up, that enhances Montreal roster more than these prospects would and why. #9. Adam Engstrom replaces Kaiden Guhle #10. David Reinbacher replaces Noah Dobson #11. Bryce Pickford replaces Alexander Carrier #12. Bogdan Konyushkov replaces all of the rotating 3rd pairing right-handed defenseman. #13. Owen Protz replaces Arber Xhekaj #14. On the left is: Lane Hutson, Adam Enstrom and Owen Protz paired with Bryce Pickford, David Reinbacher and Bogdan Konyushkov on the right. Problems solved, and defense is set for the next decade. #15. Why are there so many just flat out incompetent that want to trade elite top level prospects like Michael Hage, Alexander Zharovsky, Adam Engstrom or David Reinbacher, and equally, why are there so many just flat out incompetent that want to acquire players such as center Dylan Larkin, RHD Zach Whitecloud, RW Kirill Marchenko or LW Fillip Forsberg? #16. Has anyone even stopped for a second to consider that 2026 1st round pick Gleb Pugachyov may be as good as Kirill Marchenko right now and may even be better? #17. Let’s entertain 2 trade options for pure fun. Kirill Marchenko and a 2nd round pick to Montreal and Columbus acquires Kirby Dach, Zach Bolduc, Alexander Carrier, Jayden Stuble and maybe Vinzenz Rohrer? Trade 2 Montreal acquires Fillip Forberg and a 2nd round pick from Nashville. Nashville receives Arber Xhekaj, Florian Xhekaj, Fillip Mesar and Oliver Kapanen?

Hello Hockey Fans. Episode 227 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast has arrived for you to take a listen to, this week’s topics include- #1. Offensive talent that shouldn’t even be considered, let alone be in any kind of trade discussions. #2. #1. Defensive talent that shouldn’t even be considered, let alone be in any kind of trade discussions. #3. #1. Goaltending talent that shouldn’t even be considered, let alone be in any kind of trade discussions. #4. In addition to the obvious, this additional talent shouldn’t even be considered, let alone be in any kind of trade discussions. #5. How has this in any way been a quiet summer in Montreal. The organization has very effectively and professionally taken care of business. They moved Bredan Gallagher, Hired a new head coach in Laval, Hired a new assistant coach in Montreal. Signed Ivan Demidov and Jakub Dobes to very smart contracts and avoided arbitration with Kirby Dach and put him on notice. How is that even remotely a quiet summer? #6. Don’t trade Arber Xhekaj if you have any intention of actually winning the Stanley Cup. #7. Don’t trade Adam Engstrom unless Kaiden Guhle proves for several seasons in a row that he can actually stay healthy. Adam Engstrom is his replacement. #8. Of course, every other club wants to make trades with Montreal. They want to get their hands on the prospects they completely missed. #9. The only players that should be available in Montreal are Samuel Montembeau, Jayden Struble, Alexander Carrier, Kirby Dach, Josh Anderson, Philip Danault, Kaiden Guhle, Zachary Bolduc, Jake Evans, Alexandre Texier, Mike Matheson. #10.the Vancouver Canucks are having a very productive organizational off-season. In addition to new general manager Ryan Johnson, Ryan Stewart has been hired as director of hockey strategy and player evaluation and Adam Sergerie as a pro scout.

Hello Hockey Fans, Episode 225 of the Hockey Free All Podcast has arrived for you. This weeks topics include- #1. Thankfully, Gary Bettman nixed this trade in 2009 between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning. #2. Vincent Lacavalier was good. Was he that good? #3. Carey Price gave everything he had and could, including his own health and longevity to the team. #4. Jaroslav Halak would have called players out. #5. Carey Price would have been far better off in San Jose or Dallas. #6. The best 2 defensemen that Carey Price had in front of him during his entire career were Andre Markov and Shea Weber much later on. #7. Andre Markov was not Chris Pronger, Rod Langway Brian Engblom or Scott Stevens. #8. Shea Weber was the modern definition of the James Norris. #9. Kirill Marchenko does not present a massive opportunity for the Montreal Canadiens. #10. Montreal’s top 6 spots are spoken for already. #11. What the Columbus Blue Jacket would want back from Montreal for Kirill Marchenko. NOT A CHANCE! #12. Now if Columbus wants to discuss some combinations of? Ok then. There’s room for dialog! #13. Here’s a one for one option. Montreal sends Kaiden Guhle to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Kirill Marchenko, no, no. Not in a straight one for deal. But for Kirill Marchenko and draft picks coming back to Montreal, as Kaiden Guhle is the better player and the likely captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the next 10 plus season, like Rod Langway was in Washington in the trade that made the Washington Capital a legit NHL club. Anyone recall that trade and impact on both clubs, for the next 10 plus years? #14. Should the Montreal Canadiens be entertaining the idea of and the reported interest from the Philadelphia Flyers suggested desire to acquire Arber Xhekaj from the Montreal Canadiens, not if the Montreal Canadiens actually have any desire to win the Stanley Cup. #15. Montreal’s depth on the Left-side boast’s: Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, Mike Mathenson, Jayden Struble, Adam Engstrom, Owen Protz and Rasmus Bergvist. That’s not even all of the left side depth, but that’s 8 on the left side. #16. Montreal’s depth on the right-side boast’s: Noah Dobson, David Reinbacher, Bryce Pickford, Bogden Konyushkov. That’s 4. Hold on there’s more, Dmitri Kostenko, Daniil Sobolev, Luke Mittlestadt, the recently drafted Cooper Cleaves who is a 20-year-old, over age 6’ 03 over 200lb right-handed defenseman out of Dartmouth the Canadiens have tracked and liked for over 2 years drafted in 2026 and the 2026 2nd round selection of Tim Runtso. That’s 9 on the supposed weak right side and makes for 17 all together on both sides. #17. Those who believe Montreal missed the mark in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft are really clueless.

Hello hockey fan’s, episode 223 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast has arrived, the topics of this week’s episode, include- #1. Comparing Gleb Pugachyov to Bob Gainey. #2. Gleb Pugachyov has more offensive upside than Bob Gainey. #3. Bob Gainey is the definition of ultimate team and complete player. #4. Gleb Pugachyov is exactly what the Canadiens need. Arber Xhekaj, Gleb Pugachyov, Florian Xhekaj and Bogdan Konyushkov all bring exactly what the Montreal Canadiens need. #5. No signing any free agents is the best news for the Montreal Canadiens. #6. Montreal’s prospect pool is packed and overflowing with Talent. #7. Patience has been a key to Montreal’s rebuild. #8. Time is ticking down for David Reinbacher. #9. David Reinerbacher has serious competition now. #10. The show between David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom. #11. Montreal’s contracts with Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slavkonsky, Kaiden Guhle, Lane Hutson, Jakub Dobes and Ivan Demidov are rational contracts, given growth, production, projection and length. #12. The Contracts of Leo Carlsson and Connor Bedard, make absolutely no sense. #13. Put it another way. Montreal has locked up 4-core players for 33 million dollars total, of annual cap hits. The Minnesota Wild will spend more than that just on Kirill Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes. #14. G.M.’s around the NHL better get a grasp. #15. Sorry, Zach Bolduc, is not a 4-or-5-million-dollar player. He’s shown no more than Kirby Dach has. #16. The Buffalo Sabres sign Peyton Krebs to a 4-year contract with an annual cap hit of 4.5 million dollars. #17. No, Montreal doesn’t need Mavrik Bourque either. #18. Nope, Montreal doesn’t need Anthoney Mantha. Not a good fit in Montreal. Very erratic in his career. #19. Yea, Anthoney Mantha signs a 2-year deal with the New Jersey Devils for 4.5 million dollars per season. #20. It was Saku Koivu’s and his agent’s decision to move on from Montreal. Montreal made an offer, Saku Koivu and agent took a different path. #21. The Flyers sign Trevor Zegras to a 4-year, 36-million contract with an annual cap hit of $9.125,00 per season. #22. Reality check in Columbus. #23. The Philadelphia Flyers have signed defenseman Jamie Drydale to a new 4-year 26-millon dollar contract with an annual cap hit of 6.5 million dollars per season. #24. Winnipeg Jets sign’s winger Cole Perfetti for 5-years at 30-million dollars 6-million dollar per season hit. #25. The Utah Mammoth have signed defenseman John Marino to a new 8-year 54-million dollar contract with an average cap hit of 6.75 million dollars per season. #26. The Montreal Canadiens have signed Kirby Dach to a 1-year 3.6-million-dollar contract to avoid arbitration. #27. The Chicago Blackhawks have signed winger Connor Bedard to a 5-year, 75-million dollar contract with an annual cap hit of 15-million dollars. #28. Pittsburgh may be the perfect place for Shane Wright.