Two more names have landed on NHL waivers, and one of them has the kind of profile that can at least make a team like the Canadiens take notice.
According to Elliotte Friedman, Daemon Hunt of the Wild and Jack St. Ivany of the Jets were placed on waivers, while Garrett Wilson and Zach Dean cleared.
Neither Hunt nor St. Ivany is expected to be claimed, but the pair is still worth a look, particularly with Montreal’s injury list piling up.
The Canadiens have taken a hit up front, yet the new waiver options are both defensemen, which makes St. Ivany the more relevant fit if Montreal is hunting for help on the back end.
Hunt, 24, is a left-shot defenseman listed at 6-foot-1 and 193 pounds. Minnesota picked him in the third round, 65th overall, in 2020.
Through 56 NHL games, he has seven points. This season, he has gone scoreless in 11 appearances and is sitting at a minus-4 rating.
St. Ivany brings a different look.
The 27-year-old shoots right, checks in at 6-foot-4 and 197 pounds, and was a fourth-round pick by Philadelphia in 2018. He has nine points in 57 NHL games.
He also flashed a bit more production last season with Pittsburgh, putting up seven points in 20 games while finishing at plus-4. This year in Winnipeg, he has no points in four contests.
The right-shot angle is what makes St. Ivany interesting for Montreal.
The Canadiens do not have much depth on that side of the defense, but he also doesn’t project as a player who would reshape the group. At this stage, he looks more like a depth add than a must-have target.
Still, with the Canadiens dealing with injuries, St. Ivany is at least a name to keep on the radar.
In Other News...
Canadiens Fans Suddenly Have One More Reason To Watch Winnipeg
Trade chatter around Connor Hellebuyck has picked up enough that a Winnipeg watch feels a little different now, even for fans far removed from the negotiations. The Canadiens are not part of the discussions, but their upcoming meeting with the Jets suddenly carries an extra layer of intrigue because it could come against a goalie whose future is being weighed in real time.
The names being floated around the talks show how far this situation could reach, with Carolina, Buffalo and Utah mentioned as possible landing spots. No deal has been confirmed and the picture is still shifting, but Montreal supporters now have one more reason to keep an eye on Winnipeg before that matchup arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Feel Connected To A Defense Market Worth Watching
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One detail that only added to the buzz was Red Wings assistant general manager Kris Draper being spotted at the Bell Centre on Tuesday. The visit was reportedly tied to scouting the San Jose Sharks, which only feeds the sense that several clubs are already positioning themselves for a larger trade market to open up. No move has been confirmed, but with teams like San Jose and Boston mentioned in the mix, this is the kind of situation that can shift quickly and leave plenty of contenders waiting to see who blinks first. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Test They Havent Seen In 546 Games
Nick Suzukis absence changes the feel of the Canadiens night in a way they simply have not had to deal with in a long time. Montreal heads into its matchup with the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center at 8:00 PM without the captain, who has been ruled out for the next stretch, and the club also will have to manage without Ivan Demidov. For a team used to building around Suzukis presence, this is the kind of lineup adjustment that tests depth as much as structure.
The timing makes it even more notable, because this will be the first time Montreal takes the ice without Suzuki in 546 games. The Canadiens have not yet confirmed their starting goaltender, and the broadcast will be carried on TSN2 and RDS, but the bigger storyline is how the group responds when a familiar constant is suddenly missing. Demidovs absence only adds to the uncertainty, leaving Montreal with a very different look than usual as it tries to get through a rare night without its top center. [Read more 🡒]