Habs Daily: Kucherov Trade Rumours, Hage Dominance, Demidov Injury, Lambert Waivers, Mittelstadt Excellence

Here are the Montreal Canadiens and NHL news items you may have missed on Tuesday.

There was some very encouraging news in the prospect department, as rookie defenceman Luke Mittelstadt, who leads the entire AHL in scoring with 16 points in 11 games, was named the Rookie of the Month.

In addition, prospect Michael Hage, who leads the entire NCAA in scoring with 19 points in 9 games, was named the Big 10’s Player of the Week.

Injured forward Ivan Demidov was spotted wearing a walking boot on Tuesday, but he was also captured skating without gear, in a video that was later deleted, but not before a few people saved it.

The goal is not to blame Tuesday night’s frustrating loss on the referees, but it should be noted they ignored a clear-cut slewfoot on Florian Xhekaj, which resulted in a powerplay for the Jets, and the start of the comeback. The Xhekaj brothers are no saints, but a slewfoot is one of the dirtiest plays in the NHL, and must be penalized accordingly.

Speaking of the Xhekajs, they assisted on Owen Beck’s goals, joining an impressive list of siblings who have played together in the NHL.

The Jets made a surprising decision on Tuesday, placing 2022 first-round pick Brad Lambert on waivers. He’s a centre with decent size, which will certainly attract some suitors, especially since he can be acquired for free. It’s doubtful he makes it to the Canadiens before another team makes a claim, and while it may seem like a lost opportunity, it’s fair to say he’s struggled to dominate at the AHL level, and has not been able to make an impact while playing in the NHL.

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