Hockey

Has Mathew Barzal learned French to play with the Canadiens?
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Has Mathew Barzal learned French to play with the Canadiens?
Credit: Getty Images

The salary cap is going up this summer in the NHL. The Habs have some salary cap room and some youngsters/choices to move. The Montreal club needs a second center to surround Ivan Demidov.

That's all well and good. And on paper, it's true.

But if Kent Hughes wants to make a move to improve his team, he's going to need a realistic target in a team that might be willing to trade a quality center.

Since we know that Lou Lamoriello is no longer in charge of the Islanders' field hockey operations, let's just say that there's a good chance that some guys will be traded in the next few months.

After all, we suspected that the old Lou wouldn't launch a rebuilding process. But maybe the new GM, be it Patrick Roy or someone else, could.

And that's when you wonder if the Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat and Noah Dobson of this world could go elsewhere.

Dobson's case is different, since the defenseman is a year away from independence. But in the case of the two center players, who are under contract until 2013 (at $9.15 M and $8.5 M per year respectively for Barzal and Horvat), it's different.

Trading them wouldn't be cheap, but I'm sure the change in management will mean that the next field hockey operations boss, whether he's GM or president, will be getting calls for his top players.

It's only natural.

Which brings us back to Kent Hughes. The Habs GM doesn't have much choice but to call Long Island to see if one of the big players could be traded this summer.

On that subject, there's this old tweet from Pierre LeBrun that's resurfacing. It's about the fact that Barzal, a BC native, speaks French.

He thinks his parents sent him to French immersion school when he was young because his father secretly hoped he'd play for the Habs one day. – Pierre LeBrun on Mathew Barzal

Of course, we know that Barzal, who can say no to 22 teams via his partial no-trade clause, will control his destiny. And if he feels going to Montreal isn't right for him right now, he won't go just because his father made a decision 20 years ago.

He'll make the decision for the Mathew of 2025 – if there is one, of course.

But since the CH is on the right track, we figure this is something that can tip the scales (a little) in the CH's favor. In any case, it can't hurt, we agree.

Remember that Barzal has been injured this season, but that otherwise, he's relatively often healthy.

(Credit: Hockey DB)


in a row

– Read more.

– Pascal Vincent: his time in Columbus made him a better coach. [98.5 Sports]

– Lane Hutson: still room for improvement. [TSN 690]

– He's been historically bad.

– Things are bad in Toronto.

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