Montreal Canadiens fans got an unexpected sight in Brossard this week: Raphaël Lavoie, a forward in the Vegas Golden Knights organization, out on the ice in a Canadiens jersey.
It’s the kind of scene that stops people for a second. A player tied to another NHL club, dressed in Habs colors, skating at a place where plenty of Canadiens players already spend their summer time. Lavoie, a Quebec native from Chambly, made it even more eye-catching.
The explanation isn’t complicated. Brossard facilities are a common summer training spot for NHL players, including several Quebecers, no matter which team they play for. That’s why the area has already had its share of familiar faces, with multiple Canadiens regulars back there as well.
Still, players usually show up in their own team colors, even when they’re training in Brossard. Brendan Gallagher, for example, is wearing Vancouver Canucks colors, while Joe Veleno is wearing New York Rangers colors. That’s what made Lavoie’s choice stand out.
The 25-year-old was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 2019 and is now in the Vegas organization. He hasn’t found a foothold in the NHL yet, with no points in 17 games, but he was a force in the AHL last season, piling up 30 goals and 26 assists for 56 points in 45 games with Vegas’ affiliate.
At 6-foot-4 and 217 pounds, Lavoie has the frame and the numbers that keep him on the radar. And with training camp less than a month away, the image of him in Canadiens colors is one Montreal fans won’t forget anytime soon.
In Other News...
Patrik Laines Next Move Is Raising A Tough Canadiens Question
Patrik Laines future is still hanging in the balance, and for Canadiens fans, that alone keeps the conversation alive. Even with interest said to be out there from teams such as the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs, the former Montreal winger remains without an NHL contract as the market has yet to turn into anything concrete.
Now the next step is starting to look broader than North America. A move back to Europe is being discussed as a real possibility, which would echo Jeff Skinners recent one-year deal with EHC Biel-Bienne in Switzerland, and it adds a layer of uncertainty for anyone wondering whether Laines path still leads back to the NHL. No final decision has been made, but the longer this drags on, the tougher the question becomes for a Canadiens side that knows exactly what kind of player he can be when he is in the league. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Fans Are Split On How Much Connor McDavid Is Worth
The idea of Connor McDavid in Montreal is the kind of summer conversation that can take over a fan base in a hurry, even when it starts as nothing more than a mock trade proposal. Top Tier Hockey floated a hypothetical deal, and it was enough to spark a fresh round of debate among Canadiens supporters about whether chasing the sports most electric talent would be worth the cost. With McDavid carrying two years left on his contract and a $12.5 million annual cap hit, the fantasy quickly turns from dream scenario to roster math.
What makes the discussion especially interesting is how divided the reaction has been, not just in Montreal but among Oilers fans too. For Canadiens followers, the question is less about whether McDavid would transform the franchise and more about how much of the present and future theyd be willing to part with for a shot at him. It is the kind of conversation that reveals just how high the ceiling would be, and how steep the price might have to be if the unthinkable ever became real. [Read more 🡒]
Suzuki And Caufield Are Giving Montreal A Real Shot At History
Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have spent the better part of the last few seasons giving Montreal a legitimate top-line identity, and the numbers have started to match the eye test. Since both settled in as full-time Canadiens in 2021-22, they have been paired often and produced at a level the franchise has not seen in a long time, with Caufield breaking through for his first 50-goal season last year and Suzuki piling up 72 assists while nudging close to some long-standing team marks.
The bigger picture is what makes their partnership so intriguing for Canadiens fans: if both keep trending the way they have, Montreal could be looking at a run at history in 2026-27. The clubs single-season goals and assists records have been in place for years, but this duo has put itself in position to challenge them, which says plenty about how far the Canadiens core has come and how much more dangerous it could become if the pair keeps driving the offense together. [Read more 🡒]