Ivan Demidov’s summer work at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard came with a pretty eye-catching skate on Tuesday morning.
The Canadiens prospect wasn’t alone on the ice. Utah Mammoth centerman Logan Cooley showed up at the Montreal training facility, and according to the reporting, he was invited by Demidov himself.
It’s the kind of sight that can make fans do a double take, but it doesn’t point to anything bigger on the transaction front. NHL players have long used the Habs’ summer training base, and Cooley is simply the latest name to pass through. Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang worked there last season, Vegas Golden Knights forward Raphael Lavoie was there last week, and former Canadiens Brendan Gallagher and Joe Veleno still train at the complex regularly.
Cooley’s visit to Brossard was tied to his schedule in town for the Omnium Banque Nationale on Tuesday night. Patrick Guillet said he will also take part in a photo shoot for an advertising campaign before heading home. There’s also a Canadiens connection here beyond Demidov: Cooley is Habs prospect LJ Mooney’s cousin, and the two train together during the summer.
For Canadiens fans, though, the name itself carries plenty of intrigue. Cooley was taken third overall in the 2022 draft, just after Montreal selected Juraj Slafkovsky first overall. Since then, he’s put together a strong early NHL resume: 44 points in 82 games as a rookie, 65 points in his second season, and 43 points in 54 games last season, which works out to a 65-point pace over a full 82-game schedule.
He looks like the kind of player Montreal would love to pair with Demidov someday, but that isn’t on the table. Bill Armstrong signed Cooley to an eight-year deal with a $10 million cap hit last October.
In Other News...
Canadiens Fans Are Revisiting A Draft Choice That Still Hurts
The 2013 NHL Draft remains one of those nights Canadiens fans still revisit when the conversation turns to what might have been. Montral went with Michael McCarron at No. 25, looking to add size and a heavier edge to the roster, and he did eventually get into the lineup at times. But much of his development came in the AHL, and his time with the organization ended when he was traded to the Nashville Predators.
Right after that pick, Anaheim took Shea Theodore at No. 26, and his career path has been the sort that keeps hindsight buzzing around Montral. Theodore grew into a regular NHL defenseman, won a Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights and even represented Canada at the Olympics, which only sharpens the contrast for Canadiens supporters still thinking about how different the blue line might have looked. It is the kind of draft slide that never fully goes away because the alternate timeline is easy to picture, even if it will never be answered. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Suzuki Keeps Raising The Canadiens Ceiling Again
Nick Suzukis rise has become one of the clearest reasons the Canadiens can talk about a higher ceiling with a straight face. After a career-best season that saw him finish with 101 points and capture the Frank J. Selke Trophy, the Montreal captain has moved beyond promising centerpiece and into the category of player who can tilt the direction of a franchise. The steady climb in his game has been the kind of progression teams spend years hoping to find, and it has given Montreal a true driver in the middle of its lineup.
What makes Suzukis outlook so intriguing now is that last season may not have been the peak, only the latest step. There is a growing sense around the Canadiens that he can challenge the 100-point mark again if the rest of the roster gives him enough support, and that possibility carries real weight as the team looks ahead. The shape of Montreals forward group and any changes around him will matter, but Suzuki has already shown he can keep raising the standard even as the expectations around him keep climbing. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Quiet Roster Squeeze That Could Reshape Next Season
The Canadiens have spent much of the summer locking in pieces of their core, but the quieter challenge now is figuring out what the next version of the roster is supposed to look like. Eight players are set to hit free agency after the season, and while Montreal has some obvious names it would like to keep around, the picture is already getting complicated enough that the front office has to balance continuity, cost and timing all at once.
Oliver Kapanen, Alex Newhook and Jayden Struble look positioned to be part of the conversation going forward, but the list of possible departures is where the real pressure starts to build. Samuel Montembeault, Kirby Dach, Josh Anderson, Phillip Danault and Alexandre Carrier could all be moving into what amounts to a final year in Montreal, and with contract decisions and trade possibilities both hanging over the group, the Canadiens may end up reshaping more than just the bottom of the roster before next season arrives. [Read more 🡒]