The Montreal Canadiens made waves earlier this season when the most storied franchise in NHL history replaced a head coach that had just guided them to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in nearly 30 years with someone who had no professional coaching experience to speak of. However, under Laval native Martin St. Louis, the Canadiens, despite being battered and bruised, looked rejuvenated and carried much more of the same energy that had taken them through four rounds in 2021.
Now, it appears that St. Louis has done enough to impress the team’s front office and guide them through what’s likely to be a tumultuous next few seasons in terms of roster construction. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that he expects the Canadiens to announce an extension for St. Louis “in the near future”, although there’s no timeline given for this. The Canadiens finished the season 14-19-4 under St. Louis, a marked improvement over the team’s abysmal 8-30-7 record under Ducharme.
- After being swept out of the Second Round by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Claude Giroux expressed interest today in returning to the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Florida Panthers. How the team manages to make that work under the salary cap, though, is a gigantic mystery. While the Panthers don’t have any significant pieces to re-sign aside from Giroux and Mason Marchment, the team is greatly restricted in salary space next year by the combined $6.575MM cap hit from the Keith Yandle and Scott Darling buyouts. With that, the team will have just $4MM in cap space this offseason with depth roster spots to fill. Giroux would need to take a steeply discounted deal, which could be unlikely given the much more rich offers he’ll receive elsewhere. Giroux had 23 points in 18 games down the stretch for the Panthers in the regular season and eight points in 10 playoff games.
- The Ottawa Senators appear to be ready to take aggressive steps in exiting their rebuild, with general manager Pierre Dorion saying that the team’s seventh overall pick at the 2022 NHL Draft is on the table for trade. Dorion also said that he’s focused on acquiring a top-four defenseman or a high-end forward, if possible. While the Senators do have a strong pool to deal from, they’re also a core that has proven very little with the team staying stagnant in the standings this season. With the team sitting on over $20MM worth of cap space again this offseason, though, they have the roster flexibility to make moves.
So Montreal hires St.Louis as head coach with ZERO experience and he guides the club to a blistering 14 and 23 record to limp across the finish line. Yes! That screams extension! Lol.
What is it you’d like him to have done, Wilf? You don’t think that’s impressive with the roster he took over and the mess the team was in? I’m not sure Scotty Bowman could’ve coached 8 wins out of that group. You must be a real master of your craft to dish out a comment like that
Interesting seeing that Giroux wants to re-up with FLA, when most of the talking heads have him heading to OTT.
What’s Giroux going to say on clean out day, I don’t want to come back? All free agents say the same thing. It’s about the money and Florida does t have the cap space.
Giroux could sign for $4M……But I think Fla trades Horny for cap to sign G and Marchment
G may sign with the Avs when Kadri bolts, Dallas could be a likely spot also.
@mario crosby – Remember, they may not have the cap space *now*, but they could make room during the off-season, if they see fit. The pundits have been pushing for this Ottawa thing, as though they all have some insider knowledge that the rest of us aren’t privy to (excluding the proximity to where he grew up).
Yeah, and Giroux COULD sign for the league minimum as well. Why should he?
St. Louis was playing with house money. What did he have to lose? Montreal’s obsession with French employees is officially tired. Distinct – got it. Secondly, Giroux, play hockey in Miami on a top-tier team or play in a buttoned-down, frigid city in Canada? Tough call.
US money talks louder than Canada money
the lack of state or local income tax will help in that decision if they have space.
if he took a 3.5M deal, he’d bring in an extra $500,000 at the end of the year after taxes
They all get paid in USD
Flyers should trade Provorov to Ottawa, pick up that pick and a prospect. The Flyers were awful with Provorov and despite words from Fletcher, the Flyers are not in position to turn it around because of salary cap mismanagement.
Provorov has been mediocre the last two years and so Ottawa will jump at taking him for a top first round pick and a prospect? You are as clueless as the Flyers management.
I don’t see where he said a 1st round pick……A pick and a prospect would be about right for Provorov, depending on the prospect.
How bout Branstrom and Bolts 2nd???
Yzerman would offer Walman, Caps 2nd, Avs 4th
He said “that pick” which would imply the 7th overall mentioned in the article.
Just wondering – With Dorion having a track record of so-so talent evaluation and a pretty bad trade record, does anyone else expect him to get fleeced this off season?
Definitely possible