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Wednesday Habs Headlines: The Canadiens were working on a deal to land Ryan O’Reilly at the draft

In today’s links, another draft deal that never came to pass, the plan now that the draft went as it did, and looking ahead to the next draft-eligilbe Finns.

By Justin Blades

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NHL: Buffalo Sabres at Montreal Canadiens Dominick Gravel-USA TODAY Sports

Montreal Canadiens news and notes

  • The Canadiens may have been close to landing Ryan O’Reilly at the NHL Entry Draft. [Sportsnet]
  • Never in the running for John Tavares, the Canadiens appear to be setting their sights on Paul Stastny. [TSN]
  • The decision to select Jesperi Kotkaniemi over a player like Filip Zadina signifies a longer-term approach to building the Canadiens roster. Free agency will let everyone know if that is indeed the approach. [La Presse | Google Translate]
  • With Kotkaniemi being just one of the Finns the Habs have selected over the last few years, it may be a good idea to get to know the top Finnish prospects for the 2019 draft. [FinnProspects]
  • Cole Fonstad was getting nervous as the draft went on without his name being called, but that turned to excitement when he learned he had been picked by the Canadiens. [paNOW]
  • The Canadiens have difficulty scoring goals, and therefore the decision to part with Daniel Carr makes little sense. [The Athletic]
  • Nikita Scherbak and Youppi! are back in the Taxi Tricolore. [YouTube]

Around the league and elsewhere

  • The NHL knows hits to the head should be eliminated, but appears to be hesitant about making a rule change that may have immediate results on the physical nature of the game. [New York Post]
  • Ken Dryden spoke on the subject of concussions in a radio interview yesterday. [Sportsnet]
  • Willie O’Ree is finally going to be inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame. [Sportsnet]
  • He will be joined by Martin Brodeur, Martin St. Louis, Alexander Yakushev, Jayna Hefford, and Gary Bettman. [TSN]
  • The Winnipeg Jets have re-signed Joe Morrow to a one-year deal. [Arctic Ice Hockey]
  • Adding a player of Ilya Kovalchuk’s calibre is great for the Los Angeles Kings, but there will be some concerns about the 35-year-old winger. [Jewels From The Crown]
  • Jett Woo, drafted by the Vancouver Canucks, could be the first representative of what China hopes will become a strong future in the NHL. [CBC]

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