Surging Canadiens put win streak on line vs. Flyers
Nick Suzuki has dented the scoresheet in each contest since being held without a point in the Montreal Canadiens' season-opening game.
The Canadiens' captain will carry a career-high 11-game points streak into Tuesday's contest against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers.
Entering play on Monday with an NHL-best 16 assists, Suzuki set up a pair of goals in Montreal's 4-3 overtime victory over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
Suzuki's stretch pass found Cole Caufield to open the scoring on Saturday, allowing the latter to boost his team-leading goal total to 10 with his fifth in his last four games. The duo became the first set of Canadiens teammates since 1995-96 to both reach the 15-point mark within their first 12 games since Pierre Turgeon and Mark Recchi in 1995-96.
Juraj Slafkovsky, who is the third member of the top line, scored a power-play goal for the third straight game on Saturday.
Alex Newhook scored on a breakaway in the extra session, sending the Canadiens to their third win in a row overall. They also became the first team in NHL history to record five overtime wins through a club's first 12 games of a season.
"It's crazy how we just keep doing this and our star players step up for us every time," Montreal defenseman Jayden Struble said, per the Montreal Gazette. "When we're down it doesn't feel like we're down. It's like: All right, someone's going to score and send it to OT and then someone's going to win it. It's a crazy thing to be a part of right now.
"It's very fun and I love the way that we're playing."
While struggling Sam Montembeault made 14 saves on Saturday, fellow goaltender Jakub Dobes likely will put his perfect record on the line against Philadelphia. Dobes is 6-0-0 with a 1.97 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage this season.
Dobes, however, was gashed for six goals on 30 shots in his lone career encounter with the Flyers in a 6-4 setback on March 27.
Philadelphia captain Sean Couturier and Matvei Michkov each collected two goals and an assist in that game.
The Flyers' Tyson Foerster also tallied in that contest however he blocked a shot with his skate in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs and sat out Sunday's 2-1 setback to the Calgary Flames. He is expected to "miss a few games," per head coach Rick Tocchet.
The fiery Tocchet also was none-too-pleased with Philadelphia's two losses over the weekend, especially on the heels of a promising 5-1-0 stretch.
"You've got to keep pounding it, and we've got to find people who want to continue to do it," Tocchet said. "We'll find them. But it's my job to get these guys to do it.
Saints' Chris Olave Projected Trade Return Should Put Rumors To Bed
The New Orleans Saints will likely be in sell mode at Tuesday's NFL trade deadline. They have a few big pieces they could move at the deadline, including wide receiver Chris Olave.
Olave is the most intriguing trade chip on the roster because he's the most valuable. He has a lot of talent and an additional year left on his contract. The Saints might not be eager to trade him as they reportedly work on a contract extension, but if the right offers comes to the table, it would be hard to say no.
FanSided's Wynston Wilcox recently projected that Olave would net the Saints a third-round pick in a deal this season, but that's a big step down from their reported asking price.
Saints projected to land third-round pick in Chris Olave trade
"The New Orleans Saints have to realize that holding onto Chris Olave does no good for them right now," Wilcox wrote. "Sure, they have a receiver they can build around, but there’s no telling how long this rebuild in the Big Easy is going to take, so parting ways with Olave now will yield the best return. That doesn’t mean, however, the Saints should oversell.
"Depending on how you evaluate Olave, in 2025, the best the Saints will get for him is maybe a second round pick, which the Steelers gave up for Metcalf. Deebo Samuel yielded a fifth-round pick, and if we go back even further, it cost the Arizona Cardinals a first round pick for Hollywood Brown and then the Philadelphia Eagles a first-round pick for A.J. Brown. The Hollywood Brown trade is the Saints’ best comparison for asking a high price, but Brown’s underwhelming stint out West also shows why no wide receiver has fetched a first-round pick since 2022."
The Saints are unlikely to trade Olave as they work on a contract extension, but there's almost no chance they consider trading him for a third-round pick.
Olave is worth a second-round pick at the very least, considering his contract has an additional year and he's eager to sign his big extension.
The trade rumors should be put to bed ahead of the trade deadline, especially if this projection is his market value around the league.
