標籤: minor

The Montreal Canadiens have made a rare deal after the deadline, acquiring a pair of prospects from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Riley Kidney.

In return, goaltender Hunter Shepard and forward Jake Chiasson will make their way to the Canadiens organization, and while it may not seem like a blockbuster deal on the surface, it has implications beyond the Trois-Rivières Lions (ECHL) and Laval Rocket (AHL).

The 22-year-old Kidney was potentially lost in the shuffle, a holdover from the previous regime that never found its rhythm in the AHL. As a result, Kidney spent most of the season in the ECHL, where he scored 11 goals and 22 assists in 46 games for the Lions. In the grand scheme of things, this is not a significant disadvantage by any means.

However, the comeback is very interesting. Beyond Chiasson, who will serve as a depth option for the Rockets or Lions, the acquisition of a minor-league goaltender in Sheppard suggests the Canadiens are in no rush to return rookie netminder Jacob Fowler to the AHL.

With that in mind, it’s also quite clear that veteran netminder Samuel Montembeault has fallen out of favor with the team, and Kent Hughes and company prefer to keep Fowler as an option in the final stages of the season and into the playoffs.

Fowler was voted as the No. 2 prospect in our annual fan-driven Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings due to his excellent positioning and poise, making it very difficult to avoid direct comparisons with former Habs netminder Carey Price.

And now, the Canadiens have given him one final vote of confidence, as they did with Price in 2010 and Patrick Roy in the 1986 playoffs.

By adding another goaltender to the Rockets roster, the organization has not only ensured that their farm team will be in good shape during Fowler’s absence, as Shepard has already captured the Calder Cup twice in his career, but it has also allowed him to focus solely on the job at hand – which, in turn, should improve his preparation for the challenge ahead.

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

The Dallas Mavericks have been playing without their standout rookie star Cooper Flagg for the past seven games. Flagg had earlier suffered a left foot sprain during a match against the Phoenix Suns on February 10.

However, he is now expected to get a chance to play against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday after being listed as ‘doubtful’ on the official injury report. According to a post on X by Mark Stein, the flag’s status has been upgraded to ‘Out’.

The Mavericks have officially listed Cooper Flagg (left midfoot sprain) as questionable for Tuesday’s game against fellow Rookie of the Year top contender Kon Nueppel in Charlotte.

Doubtful has been at least one step above the flag’s outright OUT classification for the last seven games. https://t.co/0cHy8vHhWb

– Mark Stein (@TheSteinLine) 2 March 2026

“The Mavericks have officially listed Cooper Flagg (left midfoot sprain) as questionable for Tuesday’s game against fellow Rookie of the Year top contender Kon Nueppel in Charlotte.
Suspect is at least one step above the outright OUT classification of flag for the last seven games,” he wrote.

In his absence, the Hornets’ Kon Knuppel has undoubtedly stepped up to the plate with his best run of the year. Before his injury, Flagg was averaging 20.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 48.2% from the field and 30.2% from beyond the arc over the course of 49 games.

He has emerged as one of the few bright spots for Dallas in a season that looks unlikely to reach the playoffs. The Mavericks currently sit in 12th place in the jam-packed Western Conference with a 21-39 record, a far cry from their 50-32 season during the 2023-24 campaign.

They have also suffered other major injuries, with Kyrie Irving and Derek Lively II out for the season while PJ Washington recovers from an ankle problem.
“Mavericks coach Jason Kidd has already announced that Flagg ‘probably won’t’ play in another Rookie of the Year contest against the Hornets’ Kon Nueppel on Tuesday in Charlotte… but stay tuned,” Stein previously reported.

The Mavericks have gone 2-5 without the flag and will face the Orlando Magic after their performance against the Hornets, which may be a more plausible point for their comeback.