Bowen Byram’s absence from the Chicago Blackhawks lineup is being framed a little differently now, thanks to a clarification from his agent.
Elliotte Friedman said Darren Ferris reached out to explain why Byram, who has been out since October 13th, still hasn’t returned. According to Friedman, Ferris said the holdup is Byram’s desire to see a certain specialist. Ferris did not say what the injury is or what exactly the specialist is meant to evaluate, only that Byram needs to see that doctor before anything else moves forward.
That explanation helps clear up the confusion that had built around Byram’s status, even if it doesn’t answer every question about his recovery.
Elsewhere, the Montreal Canadiens are dealing with plenty of outside noise around two of their top forward prospects, Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky. Friedman said Montreal is operating under the belief that both players will be available to them at the end of the season. At the same time, both prospects are drawing interest from around the league.
That makes for an interesting backdrop for a Canadiens team that, as Friedman put it, has been “kind of in the middle of like every rumor that’s been out there.” The organization’s view, though, is that Hage and Zharovsky are still players for them once their seasons end this year.
Then there’s Jordan Binnington, a name that’s beginning to surface more often.
Friedman said he “forgot one” before circling back to the St. Louis Blues goaltender, and the conversation quickly turned to whether Edmonton should be involved. Luke Gazdic made his case plainly, saying, “That, baby.”
Johnson was even more direct, saying, “I think he still has some gas left in the tank. If I’m Edmonton, I’m doing absolutely everything I can to get this guy, or even a (Juuse) Saros out of Nashville. What are they missing when you look at their team?”
Gazdic’s answer was simple: “That. The net.”
Friedman added that Binnington is a free agent with a 10-team no-trade list, and that there is “starting to hear some noise around him.” He also pointed to Binnington’s play internationally over the last two years, saying, “and the way he’s played internationally the last two years, he can play for me in a big game anytime.”
In Other News...
Canadiens Sent A Clear Message As Tension Rose Behind Closed Doors
A closed-door meeting after the loss to Winnipeg set the tone for what followed at Canadiens practice, where the focus shifted quickly from frustration to accountability. The next session had the feel of a team trying to reset in a hurry, with Cole Caufield among the players putting in extra work in a rebound-control drill as Montreal looked to clean up the details that had been costing it.
The response showed up in the standings, too, as Montreal came back to beat Toronto in its next game and give its season a better feel in the crowded NHL picture. For a group that had just been dealing with tension behind closed doors, the sequence was a reminder that sometimes the message lands best when it is followed by a sharper practice and a win that lets everyone breathe a little easier. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Have A Goalie Decision They Cant Ignore
The Canadiens have quietly reached a point where their goaltending picture can no longer be treated like a background issue. Rookie Jacob Fowler has handled road starts with poise, and Jakub Dobes has also been in the mix away from home, giving Montreal a pair of young options to weigh as the schedule keeps moving. For a team trying to sort out its long-term crease while staying competitive now, the next few games could matter more than usual.
Martin St-Louis may soon have to decide how to distribute the starts among Fowler, Dobes and Samuel Montembeault, whose status adds another layer to the discussion. Montreal does not need to settle the entire future of its netminding situation this week, but it does need a plan, and the way it handles this stretch could say plenty about which goalie is earning more trust as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Arber Xhekaj Just Added Real Edge To Canadiens-Leafs Again
Arber Xhekaj did what he has a habit of doing against the Maple Leafs: he turned a routine game into something with a little more bite. The Canadiens defenseman was left frustrated by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in Montreals latest meeting with Toronto, and he made it clear afterward that he believed officials may have gotten the call wrong. Martin St-Louis also took issue with the ruling, adding another layer to a sequence that already had the feel of a familiar Canadiens-Leafs flashpoint.
What bothered Xhekaj even more was what happened to Kirby Dach during the same sequence, when the play escalated into a two-on-one situation. For Montreal, it was another reminder of how quickly these games can tilt from competitive to combustible, especially when Xhekaj is involved and the Canadiens feel they have a reason to push back. The result is an unresolved little subplot that could easily carry into the next time these teams see each other. [Read more 🡒]