The Americans are stupid, the extra goalie and Reinbacher as backup?

Maxime Truman
The Americans are stupid, the extra goalie and Reinbacher as backup?
Credit: Lane Hutson - @bauerhockey on Instagram

This is the first time I've opened my computer for the year 2026. First of all, let me wish you all a wonderful year. Health, both physical and mental, luck, happiness, and energy; the rest will follow.

Reminder: Americans are stupid (when it comes to hockey)
We now know quite a bit about the players who will represent each of the great hockey nations—notwithstanding Russia, whose absence is beginning to be felt on the international scene—at the Olympic Games in February.

Team Canada's directors have been criticized for choosing too many old players, preferring Anthony Cirelli, Drew Doughty, Colton Parayko, Bo Horvat, Mark Stone, and others to Connor Bedard, Matthew Schaefer, Mark Scheifele, Wyatt Johnston, Sam Bennett, Morgan Geekie, Mike Matheson, and Noah Dobson, among others.

But Doug Armstrong and his men aren't the only ones to have made questionable selections for the Olympics. No!

Bill “I gave Kirill Kaprizov $136 million” Guerin failed to select:

1. The best American scorer since the start of the NHL season in Jason Robertson (48 points in 41 games);

2. The top scorer among all American defensemen in 2025-26, Noah Hanifin Lane Hutson (40 points in 40 games). Lane Hutson probably wouldn't even be considered if there were one or two injured defensemen between now and the start of the Games;

To think that Lane Hutson was struggling at the start of the season, before signing his contract extension. Maybe American scouts only watched those two or three games? #LOL

3. Alex DeBrincat, who has no less than 65 points since the 4 Nations Tournament;

4. Cole Caufield – whose birthday is today, by the way – who has that little something that can't be taught and can make all the difference in a tournament like the Olympics. Caufield has 61 points since the 4 Nations and has become a complete player;

In the end, even Cutter Gauthier could have replaced JT Miller, Brock Nelson, or Vincent Trocheck (whose coach with the Rangers is, however, the coach of Team USA).

But hey… I won't cry for the Americans 'till morning. I'd rather prepare my tweet that they should have selected Hutson, Robertson and Caufield for the day they're eliminated by one goal in the tournament! At least Caufield and Hutson will be rested for the final NHL stretch.

A Phil Kessel tweet in 2016, like…

Yes, Donald Trump is touting our “Canadian” hockey talent, but he should mostly be questioning the selections of American executives…

Until when, the ménage à trois?
The Canadiens have played three games since the start of their holiday trip, and they've used three different goaltenders.

Against the Lightning, Jacob Fowler allowed four goals on 21 shots (.810), then two more in the shootout. As a result, he suffered defeat in overtime.

In Sunrise, Samuel Montembeault got his first NHL start in four weeks. He was solid, blocking 28 of 30 shots (.933), giving him his first win since November 28. We could see how working one-on-one with Marco Marciano (Laval Rocket) could do him good.

Yesterday, Jakub Dobes had his share of difficulties despite the win; he allowed five goals on just 25 shots (.800) and looked lost in his crease.

Over the past few days, we've been hearing that when the Habs return from their holiday trip, they're likely to go back to a two-goal rotation. Who will be too many?

If Montembeault, who has been the most solid of the three this week, has another big game this weekend, he'll stay with the big club…. And in my opinion, unless things turn around, Jacob Fowler will return to Laval. Except that the option of sending Dobes with Marciano to the North Shore wouldn't be a bad one either.

But sooner or later, we'll have to stop sending goalies who are looking for themselves to Laval to work with Marciano; instead, we'll have to send Marciano to Montreal to work with Habs goalies, that's it. I think Eric Raymond has really had his day with the Habs.

An encore tonight?
With Mike Matheson out of the lineup at the last minute yesterday—suspected concussion symptoms usually translate into at least a week's absence—and Josh Anderson unable to finish the game against the Hurricanes (hip?), the Canadiens may have no choice but to issue a recall today.

Typically, such a recall is made after 5:00 p.m., in order to save a day's salary and cap hit.

If a defenseman is needed, Marc Del Gaizo and David Reinbacher are the two options. Will Reinbacher be rewarded with $5,000 a day instead of $500? Or will we say to ourselves that we'd rather do without Del Gaizo for the two weekend games in Laval, especially if it's only to go eat popcorn on the gallery in St. Louis and Dallas? We'll see.

At forward, Owen Beck could enter the line-up without having to recall anyone, but we might also want to have one too many players just in case. If so, the options are Joshua Roy, Lucas Condotta, Alex Belzile, Jared Davidson, and Florian Xhekaj.

That's a lot thinner on the forwards than on defense, let's say.

Unfortunately, the most likely recall is to the blue line, according to Jakub Dobes.

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