We can’t wait to see the chemistry between Lane Hutson and Macklin Celebrini.

I don’t know about you, but I thought the Habs would be a little better. I didn’t see a playoff club (we know the P-word is cursed this year), but I didn’t see a club that could draft seventh overall either.

Because right now, the Habs are seventh. And the club still hasn’t played without Sean Monahan…

All this to say that even if the club gets a better pick than expected, it’s not at the stage where it can (realistically) hope to draft a guy like Macklin Celebrini, the next top draft pick – barring a catastrophe.

It’s not impossible, but we wouldn’t bet $2 on it.

It’s a shame for the Habs because he’s a good player who would fit the team’s needs… but it’s also a shame because the connection he has with Lane Hutson at university is truly impressive.

Every time there’s a great game at Boston University, it seems to involve Celebrini and Hutson, who are respectively the club’s best forward and best defender.

In a match against Boston College (Jacob Fowler’s club), the two young men joined forces on one of Celebrini’s two goals. Hutson picked up his only assist of the game on a great play between the two guys.

Celebrini’s two goals were the difference in a 4-3 win over Boston College. And he did it in an important game, because these days, in Boston, it’s the Beanpot.

The Beanpot is a clash between Boston’s four hockey universities. In yesterday’s other duel, Northeastern won 3-2 in overtime against Harvard.

The clashes take place at the Bruins’ home, and the two winners of yesterday’s games (Boston University and Northeastern) will face off next Monday, again at the Garden, for the title of best university in Boston.

It’s a pretty big deal there, and to see that Celebrini stood up at his very first Beanpot game means a lot to the people there.

Breaking news

– Russell Martin in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

– Where will Adam Henrique go?

– It takes a clear direction when you rebuild.

– When will there be grumbling about the Canadiens? [La Presse]

– Sacré Torts.

Torts reaction to his players potentially talking about hockey outside of the rink

via @NHLFlyers pic.twitter.com/fbNrfWmMhs

– BarDown (@BarDown) February 6, 2024