SHIFTING POWER in the Atlantic: Will the Montreal Canadiens or Tampa Bay Lightning CONTROL the division? Special Crossover Episode!

Montreal Canadiens enter the new season with high expectations as Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield anchor a youthful, dynamic core. Can Montreal claim the top spot in the Atlantic Division, or will the aging Tampa Bay Lightning—bolstered by veteran additions like John Carlson—maintain their edge?

Questions loom about whether the Canadiens’ quieter offseason and the departure of locker room leader Brendan Gallagher leave enough leadership to fuel another deep playoff push, while Tampa navigates risky roster changes and the challenge of balancing experience with an aging blue line.
Laura Saba and Greg Stephen review the Canadiens’ goalie tandem involving Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler, assess Kirby Dach’s new deal, and debate the long-term outlook for both teams. Key topics include Montreal’s evolving defensive strategy, Tampa Bay’s search for stability, and sleeper threats in the Atlantic like Buffalo, Ottawa, and the ever-formidable Florida Panthers. Who emerges as the East’s true contender?

00:00 Delayed episode release explanation
06:10 Offseason grades and Brendan Gallagher trade
07:05 Leadership Changes and Goalie Situation
11:06 Evaluating goalie prospects' potential
16:32 Predicting Tampa Bay's Playoff Chances
19:31 Assessing Ivan Demidov's future potential
22:48 Team's future competitiveness analysis
26:08 Defensive lineup and player roles
27:30 Potential future Canadiens roster changes
32:11 Discussing Tkachuk's Ottawa departure impact
36:35 Buffalo Sabres' playoff outlook
37:25 Larkin and team locker room issues
40:49 Predicting the Atlantic Division playoffs
44:23 Thanking listeners and social media plugs

Photo credit: Morgan Tencza - Imagn Images

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOCanadiens?sid=YouTube

Locked On NHL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Prospects & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNHL

Find Locked On Canadiens anywhere:
https://lintr.ee/LockedOnCanadiens

Also make sure to follow Locked on Canadiens and their hosts on Bluesky!

Locked on Canadiens: https://bsky.app/profile/lockedoncanadiens.bsky.social
Find Ian on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/maybeitsian.bsky.social
Find Laura on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theactivestick.bsky.social

#NHLHockey #MontrealCanadiens #Habs #nhl #nationalhockeyleague #canadiensmtl #canadiens

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

Odoo
Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon.

Indeed
Now, you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 Sponsored Job Credit. Just go to https://indeed.com/podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply.

FanDuel
Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM to play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.