Unfortunately I was busy today so I could not watch the game, so thanks for this résumé.

What do you mean by Paquette was as expected?

I mean no surprises. Just a physical depth C. Whereas Perreault was a little disappointing. I just mentioned Paquette because he and Perreault are both new guys who are playing on the same line.

So Roy, Vrbetic, and Simoneau have been sent back to Junior.

Weird that they didn’t send back Sobolev. Maybe that means there’s a chance he plays for Trois-Rivières this year. And he’s probably able to do that because he’s from Russia, so he doesn’t need to go back to the CHL.

Also Myšák and Guhle haven’t been returned to junior, for obvious reasons.

Kaiden Guhle et David Savard formeront une paire ce soir. Belle occasion d'insérer un jeune dans un match de la LNH avec un vétéran de qualité.

— Anthony Marcotte (@anthonymarcotte) September 27, 2021

Guhle paired with Savard. Can't think of a better veteran in the organization to ease Guhle among the professionals.

Expected Canadiens lineup tonight off morning skate (official lineup not yet announced).Drouin-Dvorak-AndersonHarvey-Pinard-Evans-ArmiaPezzetta-Mysak-BourqueMartel-Dea-YlönenGuhle-SavardNorlinder-ChiarotSchueneman-WidemanAllenPoulin

— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) September 27, 2021

Sami Niku: pic.twitter.com/yVZvd31rJ8

— Mike Veenie (@fnveenie) September 27, 2021

I missed the game, but I watched just watched the highlights. Anything notable that I missed?

For what I saw, that Dvorak goal was beautiful. A more confident Drouin on the right side of the PP is looking really good. (Although he’ll likely get moved elsewhere once Hoffman gets back, since he and Suzuki will have those spots locked down pretty tight.)

Also I love Michael Pezzetta. As a hockey player, I’m essentially the same player, just without the occasional fighting (obviously a worse version). We both rarely score, and hang out in front of the net. Plus I happen to have the exact same hairstyle as him. It was so great to see his reaction to his first goal tonight.

I watched only parts, but Jake Allen looked stellar. On the other hand, Kevin Poulin and Mattias Norlinder made a minor-league mistake that led to the Maple Leafs 1st goal. Poulin looked okay after that.

Dvorak-Anderson-Drouin look like they already have unreal chemistry.

David Savard was underwhelming, not bad, but doesn't seem like any improvement over Chiarot or whatever we already had. Kaiden Guhle is still raw but didn't have a bad game at all.

turns out me predicting that Drouin-Dvorak and Anderson should play together was a great idea, Pezzetta seems to have played good too

I'm a bit bored right now, so I'd try to make a list of the best Canadiens player to wear each sweater number since 2000.

#1 - Not worn (Retired - Jacques Plante)
#2 - Not worn (Retired - Doug Harvey)
#3 - Ryan O'Byrne (Now retired - Émile Bouchard)
#4 - Not worn (Retired - Jean Béliveau)
#5 - Stéphane Quintal (Now retired - Bernard Geoffrion & Guy Lapointe)
#6 - Shea Weber
#7 - Not worn (Retired - Howie Morenz)
#8 - Ben Chiarot
#9 - Not worn (Retired - Maurice Richard)
#10 - Not worn (Retired - Guy Lafleur)
#11 - Saku Koivu
#12 - Not worn (Retired - Dickie Moore & Yvan Cournoyer)
#13 - Michael Cammalleri
#14 - Tomas Plekanec
#15 - Jesperi Kotkaniemi
#16 - Not worn (Retired - Henri Richard)
#17 - René Bourque
#18 - Not worn (Retired - Serge Savard)
#19 - Not worn (Retired - Larry Robinson)
#20 - Richard Zednik
#21 - Brian Gionta
#22 - Cole Caufield
#23 - Not worn (Retired - Bob Gainey)
#24 - Phillip Danault
#25 - Mathieu Dandenault
#26 - Jeff Petry
#27 - Alexei Kovalev
#28 - Kyle Chipchura
#29 - Not worn (Retired - Ken Dryden)
#30 - Peter Budaj
#31 - Carey Price
#32 - Travis Moen
#33 - Not worn (Retired - Patrick Roy)
#34 - Jake Allen
#35 - Tomas Plekanec
#36 - Marcel Hossa
#37 - Niklas Sundström
#38 - Jan Bulis
#39 - Cristobal Huet
#40 - Joel Armia
#41 - Paul Byron
#42 - Dominic Moore
#43 - Patrice Brisebois
#44 - Sheldon Souray
#45 - Mark Barberio
#46 - Andrei Kostitsyn
#47 - Alexander Radulov
#48 - Daniel Brière
#49 - Brian Savage
#50 - Not Worn
#51 - David Desharnais
#52 - Craig Rivet
#53 - Victor Mete
#54 - Charles Hudon
#55 - Francis Bouillon
#56 - Stéphane Robidas
#57 - Benoit Pouliot
#58 - David Desharnais
#59 - Mikhail Grabovski
#60 - José Théodore
#61 - Raphael Diaz
#62 - Artturi Lehkonen
#63 - Craig Darby
#64 - Greg Pateryn
#65 - Andrew Shaw
#66 - Not worn
#67 - Max Pacioretty
#68 - Yannick Weber
#69 - Not worn
#70 - Gregory Stewart
#71 - Mike Ribeiro
#72 - Erik Cole
#73 - Michael Ryder
#74 - Alexei Emelin
#75 - Hal Gill
#76 - P.K. Subban
#77 - Brett Kulak
#78 - Éric Landry
#79 - Andrei Markov
#80 - Ben Maxwell
#81 - Lars Eller
#82 - Donald Audette
#83 - Ales Hemsky
#84 - Guillaume Latendresse
#85 - Morgan Ellis
#86 - Jonathan Ferland
#87 - Not worn
#88 - Christopher Higgins
#89 - Nikita Nesterov
#90 - Tomas Tatar
#91 - Scott Gomez
#92 - Jonathan Drouin
#93 - Doug Gilmour
#94 - Yanic Perreault
#95 - Sergei Berezin
#96 - Not worn
#96 - Not worn
#97 - Not worn
#98 - Not worn
#99 - Not worn (Retired league-wide)

The only four I would slightly disagree on are numbers 11 between Koivu and Gallagher, 13 with Domi and Cammalleri, 17 with Bourque and Anderson, and 20 with Zednik and Vanek. Apart from that great list!

I went with longevity rather than actual talent. Vanek was there for a quarter season while Zednik was one of the best on the team in the early 2000s. Anderson has a chance to catch Bourque eventually. Cammalleri's run is much more memorable than Domi's IMO. And Koivu is the second longest-tenured captain in the team's history.

I agree for Cammaleri, Zednik and Koivu, i'd say Anderson is already better than Bourque though

Niku arrived in Montréal and was practicing with Chiarot today. We’ll get our first look at him on Friday or Saturday.

Looks like Norlinder is going to get cut

No, looks like he’s injured.

Dominique Ducharme indique que Mattias Norlinder a subi une blessure mineure lors du match de lundi et ne patinera pas pour quelques jours.Dominique Ducharme said that Mattias Norlinder suffered a minor injury during Monday's game that will keep him off the ice for a few days. pic.twitter.com/7SMt8bL7AU

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) September 29, 2021

Spin-o-rarmia 🌀#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/9UPKkJvyS7

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) September 29, 2021

making Bourque look silly 🤮

So Paquette is injured now. The players are dropping like flies.

Although fortunately it seems to be a minor injury.

Also, Joël Teasdale is able to ride an exercise bike, so that’s a good sign for his recovery from his knee injury.

Regardez qui est au camp des Canadiens! Teaser s’entraîne à Brossard avec le personnel des Canadiens!Look who we found at Canadiens camp! Teaser is working out in Brossard with Canadiens staff!#GoRocket #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/12dOE2TxSB

— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) September 28, 2021

Looks like Laval’s training camp is starting soon.

Xavier Ouellet et Louie Belpedio ont été soumis au ballottage aujourd'hui afin d'être assignés au Rocket de Laval.Xavier Ouellet and Louie Belpedio were placed on waivers today in order to be assigned to the Laval Rocket.

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) September 30, 2021

My guess is that we should be down to 25 or fewer healthy players by Monday.

So the habs have sent a bunch of players to Laval’s training camp.

The only players without NHL contracts still with the habs on the NHL group are:
Danick Martel (AHL contract)
Alexandre Fortin (AHL contract)
Gabriel Bourque (AHL contract)
Jean-Christophe Beaudin (AHL contract)
Tobie Paquette-Bisson (AHL contract)
Kevin Bureau-Poulin (AHL contract)
Arber Xhekaj (PTO)

The players on NHL contracts with the AHL group are:
Cameron Hillis
Arsen Khisamutdinov
Xavier Ouellet
Louis Belpedio

Also, I’m guessing that Ouellet being sent down now is less of saying that he’s 13th on the organization defensive depth chart (which he definitely is not) and more of the habs waiving him at a time that would make it least likely he gets claimed off waivers.

Arber Xhekaj has a decent shot at an NHL contract. Due to Xhekaj playing well, and the amount of D Laval and Trois-Rivières have under contract, I doubt Cody Goloubef gets a contract with Laval.

Right now the depth chart looks something like this:
Toffoli - Suzuki - Gallagher
Drouin - Dvorak - Anderson
Harvey-Pinard - Evans - Armia
Vejdemo - Poehling - Belzile
Perreault - Dauphin - Lehkonen
Martel - Dea - Ylönen
Baddock - Beaudin - Bourque
Pezzetta - Myšák - Fortin
Romanov - Petry
Guhle - Savard
Chiarot - Wideman
Niku - Fairbrother
Kulak - Schueneman
Paquette-Bisson - Xhekaj
Allen
Primeau
McNiven
Bureau-Poulin

Also Brook and Teasdale got sent down, but they’re both injured anyways.

Juulsen is on waivers again, do we give him another shot in Montreal?