Trying something new for the first time, I’ve asked readers to submit their questions, and today, it’s time for me to answer them. We’ll cover a variety of topics, but it’s essential to remember that the season is still very young and the sample size may not be large enough to form informed opinions just yet. Without further ado, here we go. Canadiens: What About Alexander Zharovsky? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-what-about-alexander-zharovsky] 3 Canadiens Looking To Break The Ice [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/3-canadiens-looking-to-break-the-ice] Canadiens: Bolduc On His Way To Make History? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-bolduc-on-his-way-to-make-history] Ed Hilinski asks: Good or bad, which Canadiens player has surprised you the most so far? Better yet, why? This one is the easiest for me to answer: Zack Bolduc. I knew he had some offensive potential, but I couldn’t say I had seen him play much last season, which is often the case with players in the Western Conference. He had only played the Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] twice in his career, which was clearly enough to catch Kent Hughes’ eye. More than the three goals, though, what I find particularly impressive is how complete a player he is at such a young age. He doesn’t feel his job is done after a good offensive sequence; he forechecks, he backchecks, he plays a physical game. In Martin St-Louis’ terms, he’s a hockey player, not just someone who plays hockey. When Kent Hughes was hired, he spoke about the fact that ideally, a team has an identity that matches its coach, and ever since then, that’s what he’s been building, picking up players who have the talent to play the Martin St-Louis way. Bolduc matches that description. As for a bad surprise, I think it’s too early to answer that after three games, I’ll revisit that one later this season. Spencer M. Ross asks: Given HuGo's shrewd accrual of cap space with the open 23rd roster spot, do you think he'd be aggressive in targeting an asset in December as teams start to aim for McKenna, but with less cap accrued? Or targeting closer to February/March as the trade deadline approaches, but with more cap accrued? This is a good question, and one that warrants mentioning for those who didn’t realize it: it’s why the Canadiens didn’t keep Samuel Blais rather than put him on waivers. After getting rid of Carey Price’s contract this summer, for the first time, Hughes has got some flexibility when it comes to cap space, and he will do his best to have as much of it as possible, taking the risk of losing Blais was acceptable in that optic. The short answer to this question won’t be very satisfying, but it’s the only one I have for now: it will depend. If the team continues to have success, as they are enjoying early this season, and even played well in their sole defeat, there won’t be any hurry for Hughes to go and get some help. If things turn sour, though, as they did last year, he will roll up his sleeves to avoid too much of a skid. Nobody on this team wants to have to play their playoff life on the last game of the season. Outside factors will also be at play; if a team is keen to unload an impact player who has caught their eye, the GM will certainly spring into action. As Jeff Gorton said in an interview this offseason, when someone becomes available, it’s the front office's job to investigate and conduct its due diligence. In an ideal world, the team Hughes has assembled will be good enough to fend for itself and get to the playoffs, which would allow the GM to stay put and wait to have the means needed to go big game hunting, if that’s what caught his eye. On The Hockey News’ Canadiens community site, Yoda Old Boy has asked a few questions, and I tackle two of them since I wrote about Mike Matheson yesterday [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-on-matheson-s-big-start]. His first question was: there is one year remaining after the current season to Montembault's contract. With Dobes playing well and Fowler waiting in the wings, what do you feel will happen with the Habs' goalies in the next year or two? And bonus: What do you feel Montembault's chances are of having playing time in the Olympics? The soon-to-be 29-year-old goaltender is living the dream right now. From the desolation of being put on waivers by the team that drafted him to being picked up by the Canadiens, who desperately needed a goaltender because of Carey Price’s injury status, and making Team Canada for the 4 Nations Face-Off, it’s a fairytale-worthy story. I don’t see the Canadiens moving on from Montembeault too quickly. It takes time to develop quality goaltenders, and the Habs will not be rushing Jacob Fowler. As for Jakub Dobes, he’s been impressive at times, but he did go through a bit of a dry spell last season as well. I don’t see Hughes giving a long-term contract to Montembeault, but I do see him extending him short-term. I can see that happening. As for making the Olympics, Montembeault’s timing is excellent. He’s in his prime at a time when the country doesn’t have a star goaltender. The two goalies who made Team Canada for the 4 Nations, Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill, have a goals-against average of 5.00 and 3.24, respectively, with save percentages of .762 and .854. Montembeault’s 2.54 GAA and .894 SV are great in comparison; in other words, I believe he has a good chance of making the roster. However, he must continue to perform well until December 31, which is the deadline for roster submission. Yoda Old Boy’s second question was: Considering Kapanen's impact in the (short) sample since the beginning of the season, do you think Hughes feels like he has a lot more bargaining power to get a second line center (or maybe third, if Kapanen keeps up his current play, of maybe 2A-2B)? Who do you think could be a target? It doesn't feel like there is much available (that is interesting for the team, anyway). While Oliver Kapanen’s performance so far has been both impressive and reassuring, I don’t believe he can be the answer long-term. On a contender, he’s not a second-line center. What I do think his play means, though, is that the Canadiens won’t necessarily have to play Kirby Dach as a center, as the results in the faceoff department have never been good (32% success rate this season). It might make it easier for him if he didn’t have to worry about a center’s responsibility. While he’s no long-term answer, Kapanen does give Hughes time to work with and removes the urgency to find another center. Who could be an interesting target? That’s the million-dollar question. A considerable portion of the fan base was campaigning for Mason McTavish this offseason. Still, he’s now signed to a six-year deal with a $7 M AAV, which will make him a UFA at age 28. Until then, I see no reason for the Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks] to move him, not unless the Canadiens offer something huge, and I don’t see that happening. Hughes has a way of working behind the scenes to acquire players under the radar. Nine times out of ten, nobody sees his acquisition coming. If he does find a second-line center, that’s likely to be a surprise. Like I wrote in the past, I don’t see Sidney Crosby leaving the Pittsburgh Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins], and I don’t believe there’s a chance of seeing that happen. I will say that Martin Necas could be an interesting option as a free agent this summer; however, with six points in three games so far, he won’t come cheap. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Want to ask Karine a question? Drop it in this community post [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/community/mailbag-time] and it may feature in the next mailbag article! Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] on The Hockey News.
