The Senators are still dealing with the fallout from Brady Tkachuk’s departure, and the tension hasn’t faded inside the room. Thomas Chabot said he wasn’t happy when Tkachuk left Ottawa to join his brother in Florida, a comment that lands even harder after Tkachuk spent last season insisting he was “fully committed” to the team and city.
Drake Batherson echoed the same basic sentiment, though in softer terms, making it clear this wasn’t a one-man fix for the locker room. Ottawa is now looking at a leadership battle that could include Chabot, Batherson, Tim Stützle and Jake Sanderson.
That loss cuts two ways for the Senators. They’re not just missing the edge and physical bite Tkachuk brought on the ice.
They’re also moving into a version of the team without the daily drama that came with him. The first real measuring-stick moment comes October 21st, when Tkachuk plays in Ottawa for the first time since the move.
The reaction is already written in ink: fans have said they plan to boo, and some have gone even further, calling him a “traitor.”
In Montreal, the Arber Xhekaj situation remains unresolved, and the uncertainty is only growing. The Canadiens still haven’t signed him, and there’s even talk that he could be shifted from defense to forward because he doesn’t have a firm hold on a blue-line job.
Not everyone around the team sees that as a simple solution. Tony Marinaro believes management may be more willing than the coaching staff to use Xhekaj in a fourth-line energy role.
Jimmy Murphy went a step further, saying Xhekaj’s future in Montreal is genuinely up in the air and that, if a deal gets done, it likely won’t be anything longer than a two-year “show me” contract.
Murphy also said roster movement could start as soon as this week, with teams preparing for a busy stretch of trades. That puts Xhekaj in the mix, even if no one is sure where he fits. Both Murphy and Marinaro think Montreal’s bigger need might actually be on the wing.
And in Toronto, one prospect is starting to separate himself from the pack. Miroslav Holinka, a fifth-round pick in 2024, has become a name worth tracking in the Maple Leafs system.
The Czech forward barely played in junior before nearly scoring at a point-per-game pace in his first WHL season, then took another jump with 80 points in year two and 11 more in the playoffs. He also got a brief look with the Marlies, recording an assist in his first pro game before Toronto sent him home to rest rather than push him through a Calder Cup run.
Holinka is heading into his first full pro season with a lot going for him. He’s 6-foot-2, nearly 200 pounds, and can play both center and wing.
With the Maple Leafs thin on forward depth in the system, he’s the kind of player who could climb quickly if the offense keeps coming. If injuries hit, he may be the surprise call-up waiting in the wings.
In Other News...
Canadiens Face A Pricey Adam Fantilli Decision They Can't Ignore
Montreals center picture already looks crowded enough for next season, with Nick Suzuki, Oliver Kapanen, Jake Evans and Phillip Danault expected to hold down the middle and Kirby Dach still in the mix as another option. Even so, the Canadiens are keeping an eye on a bigger swing if the opportunity ever opens up, and that means watching the situation in Columbus closely as Adam Fantilli works through his contract talks with the Blue Jackets.
For Montreal, the appeal is obvious: Fantilli is the kind of young center who can change a lineups ceiling. The problem is just as obvious, too. Any serious run at him would come with a steep price, and the kind of move that could pry him loose would not be a simple cap maneuver or a minor trade adjustment. It would be the sort of commitment that forces a team to decide how badly it wants to chase a franchise piece. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Have A Bruins Trade Chance Fans Will Debate
Bostons decision to lock up Fraser Minten on a seven-year extension has added a new wrinkle to a situation Montreal will be watching closely. With that piece of business done, the Bruins may be more open to listening on Pavel Zacha, and the Canadiens have reportedly shown interest as they look to address a roster need. Any conversation between division rivals would be unusual enough on its own, but it also comes with the kind of negotiation baggage that tends to make these ideas easier to discuss than to complete.
For Montreal, the appeal is obvious: Zacha would bring a useful middle-six presence and give the club another option in a spot it wants to strengthen. For Boston, moving a veteran forward in the right deal could make sense if the roster reshuffle continues to tilt in Mintens direction. The real question is whether two teams that rarely deal with one another can find a framework that both sides can live with, because the history between them suggests this would take more than a passing phone call. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Hutson Just Added To A Canadiens Debate Fans Love
Corey Pronmans latest 2022 NHL Draft re-ranking gave Canadiens fans plenty to chew on, especially because it centered on the same class that already shapes so much of the teams future conversation. Juraj Slafkovsky stayed at No. 1 in Pronmans view, and the exercise was built around long-term upside rather than a simple do-over of draft night, which is why these lists tend to ignite the kind of debates that linger well beyond the original selection.
The most intriguing part for Montreal is Lane Hutsons rise from a second-round pick to a level usually reserved for the drafts elite, joining Cutter Gauthier in the upper tier of the re-rank. Logan Cooley landed ahead of him, which only adds another layer to the discussion about how teams should value skill, projection and development, and why the Canadiens draft haul remains such a favorite topic whenever these rankings surface. [Read more 🡒]