2019-2020 Season - Grant's Slant

Yloadin’ Up In Laval

Marc’s Bergeplan?

“Does he have a plan”? A common question posed by Habs fans post trade deadline after GM Marc Bergevin decided not to “sell the farm”. He auctioned off the chickens and cleaned up the stable, but the farm is still in place, albeit on a crumbly foundation. One can only guess what Bergevin’s modus operandi […]

Rocket to the Top Prospects

Don’t look now, but the Laval Rocket are on a winning streak. Three straight wins, and seven out of a possible eight points in the last four. It is also three-straight wins with just one goal against in each victory for Cayden Primeau since being handed the full-time reins for Laval. He has saved 77 […]

Time to Tourigny the Page

The past couple of years when the development of young players has taken a back seat to “winning” in Montreal, with poor results, I have wondered if Marc Bergevin has as much respect for Ottawa 67’s coach Andre Tourigny as I do. A win-at-all-costs philosophy is reluctantly tolerable when a team is winning. With Montreal […]

No Laffing Matter

It wasn’t long ago that there were strong whispers that it was a two-man race between Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield for the top spot in the NHL Draft. A world junior tournment and Top Prospects Game later, there are no such whispers…not even a peep. Lafreniere is the top prospect in this draft. On […]

Habs Top Ten Prospects

1/ Alex Romanov (4)* 2/ Cole Caufield (1) 3/ Cayden Primeau (3) 4/ Ryan Poehling (5) 5/ Jesse Ylonen (6) 6/ Jordan Harris (9) 7/ Jayden Struble (12) 8/ Josh Brook (7) 9/ Mattias Norlinder (10) 10/ Noah Juulsen (11) *Previous rankings The graduation of Nick Suzuki and Cale Fleury from prospects to full-fledged NHLers […]

Romanov: The Tsar of the WJC

The Montreal Canadiens will be missing the playoffs for the fourth time in the past five years. Normally this would trigger panic, indignation and outrage in Habs nation as it did two winters ago. Alas; times have changed thanks to the kids. Yes…the kids are alright. Suzuki, Kotkaniemi, Primeau, Poehling and Fleury have all shown […]

The New Kovy Arrives

Montreal GM Marc Bergevin made moves to shore up two areas of need this week, and, as per usual, did so without selling the farm. Heck, he didn’t even have to peddle the chicken coop. For a much-needed veteran left defenceman in Marco Scandella and a shooter on the power play in 436-goal NHL scorer […]