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Canadiens Rumors

Free Agent Focus: Montreal Canadiens

June 4, 2023 at 2:30 pm CDT | by Ethan Hetu Leave a Comment

Free agency is now a little less than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Montreal Canadiens.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Cole Caufield – While the Canadiens have the fifth-overall selection and there have long been rumors aplenty of Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois’ desire to play in Montreal, this Canadiens offseason is all about Caufield. The 22-year-old sniper has emerged as a star since he arrived on the scene late in the 2020-21 season and was scoring at a 46-goal pace before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis seemed to revive Caufield after a miserable start to his rookie season and since the Canadiens’ new bench boss took over Caufield has been the centerpiece of Montreal’s offensive attack.

He won’t turn 23 until January, and his chemistry with team captain and franchise face Nick Suzuki is something Montreal can build around as they continue a rebuild. It’s overwhelmingly likely that the Canadiens would prefer a long-term extension for Caufield, similar to the eight-year deal former GM Marc Bergevin inked with Suzuki in 2021.

But the main question is whether the two sides can reach an agreement on a long-term deal both sides are satisfied with, as there are some questions that will need to be answered. While they remain likely to prefer a long-term deal, could the Canadiens be more hesitant to pay top dollar for a Caufield extension given Caufield’s shoulder injury?

On the flip side, could Caufield prefer a shorter bridge contract in order to sign his long-term deal a little further down the line when he won’t have his injury hanging over his head, and when the salary cap will be quite a bit higher? Those are difficult questions to answer, but thankfully for Canadiens fans the bottom line is there does appear to be a shared desire to find a long-term solution that keeps Caufield with the 24-time Stanley Cup champions.

F Denis Gurianov – Acquired in a straight swap for veteran scorer Evgenii Dadonov, Gurianov flashed some serious promise in Montreal but also remained mired in similar inconsistencies to the ones that doomed his tenure with the Dallas Stars. The 2015 12th overall pick turns 26 this summer and is eligible to receive a qualifying offer at the $2.9MM he made last season. After he scored five goals and eight points in 23 games in Montreal, the Canadiens will need to decide if they have a place for Gurianov next season, and if so whether they’re willing to keep him at his qualifying offer price tag.

As the success of offseason trade acquisition Kirby Dach illustrated, the Canadiens believe they have an exceptional player development infrastructure and the type of environment in place to allow underperforming players to take new steps forward in their careers. It’s possible that they’ll want to see what their staff can do with Gurianov given more time, though it does seem more likely that they’d prefer to retain him at a cap charge a few notches below his qualifying offer.

F Rafael Harvey-Pinard – Harvey-Pinard burst onto the scene after Caufield’s injury and ended up finishing the season tied for fourth on the Canadiens in goal scoring, proving to be a major success story for the Canadiens’ development pipeline. He scored 14 goals in just 34 games and showcased the kind of work ethic and hockey sense that reminded some fans of players such as Brendan Gallagher and Artturi Lehkonen.

A 2019 seventh-round pick, Harvey-Pinard has scored exceptionally well at the AHL level (56 points in 69 games in 2021-22, 16 goals, and 31 points in 40 games this past year) and seems to be a potential long-term NHL player for the Canadiens. It’s probably a bit too early for the team to consider an extension with significant term attached for Harvey-Pinard as he still has just 38 NHL games on his resume, but a short-term one-way deal that gives Harvey-Pinard the platform to shine on the Canadiens’ roster on a more extended basis could be the right move for both parties.

Other RFAs: F Jesse Ylonen, F Lucas Condotta, F Mitchell Stephens, F Joel Teasdale, D Nicolas Beaudin

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Sean Monahan – While the main reason the Canadiens acquired Monahan last summer was to acquire the first-round pick the Calgary Flames sent with him, early this season it seemed Montreal had unlocked something in Monahan as well. The 28-year-old averaged nearly 28 goals per season from 2013-2020 but had recently seen injuries decimate his on-ice effectiveness and availability. That paved the way for the Flames to pay the Canadiens to acquire him and for Monahan to get a clean slate to attempt to revive his career.

After 25 games, it seemed that he’d done exactly that as he’d scored 17 points, good for a 56-point 82-game pace. But once again major injuries prematurely ended Monahan’s season, and placed the future of his career into serious question. If he can remain healthy, he’s the type of player nearly every NHL team could find a place for. But he’s unfortunately been unable to find the ice consistently in recent years, and any interested teams will have to factor that into whether they offer him a contract.

The CBA has provisions placing Monahan in a unique position, where he will be eligible to earn performance bonuses on his next contract as a player who has played over 400 NHL games and spent over 100 days on injured reserve. Could an incentives-laden one-year deal returning Monahan to Montreal make sense for both sides?

F Jonathan Drouin – While it’s to a lesser extent than Monahan, injuries have also laid waste to the recent seasons of Drouin’s career. Significant wrist troubles have sapped much of the luster from a shot that scored 21 goals earlier in his career, and Drouin scored only two goals in 58 games this past season. Now 28 years old, it’s clear the 2013 third-overall pick isn’t going to be the star offensive generator he was once promised to become.

But what’s also clear is that Drouin still has something to offer an NHL club. Despite lacking the ability to threaten defenders and netminders with his shot, Drouin still managed to tally 27 assists and finished with 29 points in 58 games, a 41-point full-season pace. He remains a skilled offensive player capable of contributing on a scoring line, and given his recent struggles he could likely be signed this summer to a relatively cheap contract.

With the ability to sign anywhere, Drouin will likely be more of a priority for clubs hard-pressed by the salary cap looking to add some skill on the cheap to their roster. As a result, it looks increasingly likely that his formal exit from Montreal will come soon.

F Alex Belzile – A well-traveled minor-league veteran, Belzile set a career-high in NHL games played with 31 this season, and scored decently well with 14 points in largely a fourth-line role. Belzile is a versatile depth forward with some physicality to offer and has been a difference-making AHLer for many years now. It’s likely in the Canadiens’ best interest to retain him on a reasonable contract extension to bolster the lower end of their NHL lineup, though one can’t rule out that Belzile’s recent performances might have generated leaguewide interest in his services.

Other UFAs: F Anthony Richard, F Chris Tierney, F Paul Byron, D Frederic Allard, D Madison Bowey, D Corey Schueneman

Projected Cap Space

With Carey Price’s $10.5MM AAV contract now almost certainly a permanent LTIR fixture, the Canadiens have more breathing room under the cap than they might have had in recent years. The expiry of Monahan and Drouin’s two contracts, which together cost over $10MM against the cap, provides additional room for the team to maneuver. While a solid chunk of the Canadiens’ projected $19MM in cap space will be earmarked for a Caufield extension, there remains ample room for the team to operate and potentially make some meaningful additions.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Free Agent Focus 2023| Montreal Canadiens| Pro Hockey Rumors Originals

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Montreal Canadiens Sign Michael Pezzetta To Two-Year Contract Extension

June 2, 2023 at 9:11 am CDT | by Ethan Hetu Leave a Comment

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that forward Michael Pezzetta has been signed to a two-year, one-way $812.5k contract extension.

With this extension, Pezzetta will avoid having to become a restricted free agent at the start of the new league year next month, and now has a contract that will walk him to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2025.

While not the heftiest contract extension in terms of finances (it’s just a shade above the $775k new league minimum) this deal is a solid reward for a player who has quickly endeared himself to Canadiens fans over the course of the last two seasons. The 25-year-old is a 2016 sixth-round pick who spent three seasons developing with the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, before making his NHL debut in 2021-22.

Despite compiling just 19 points in 107 games at the AHL level, Pezzetta managed to play 51 games with the Canadiens in the 2021-22 season, and this past year had his first campaign spent entirely at the NHL level.

While the former Sudbury Wolves captain has scored at a similarly low rate in the NHL (26 points in 114 games) and has averaged under nine minutes of nightly ice time across that span of games, he’s nonetheless managed to skate in head coach Martin St. Louis’ nightly lineup more often than not.

He’s earned his current role on the Canadiens on the back of his work ethic and energetic physical play. At this sort of price tag, it’s easy to see why Montreal would want to keep Pezzetta around to maintain the depth on their NHL roster.

Michael Pezzetta| Montreal Canadiens Michael Pezzetta

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More On Toronto’s GM Search

May 26, 2023 at 12:09 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 19 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a critical offseason ahead of them, with decisions on the future of several core players, potential extension talks with Auston Matthews, and a roster with ten pending unrestricted free agents. All of this to do, and no general manager to do it.

Toronto continues to search for a new front office leader after firing Kyle Dubas following another disappointing playoff exit. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports four names—Brad Treliving, Jason Botterill, Peter Chiarelli, and Marc Bergevin—that he expects to have interviews with the Maple Leafs.

Treliving, in particular, seems to have plenty of momentum as a top candidate after exiting the Calgary Flames earlier this spring. The veteran executive had been GM of the Flames since 2014, previously serving as an assistant with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Chiarelli, Bergevin, and Botterill should all be very familiar to Maple Leafs fans, given their respective terms as general managers of the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, and Buffalo Sabres. They are also likely not very exciting choices, at least from the fans’ perspective, given their questionable roster management in the past.

Still, it seems likely that Toronto will go with an experienced NHL name this time around as they try to figure out what’s holding them back from playoff success. Since Matthews and the rest of the young core debuted in 2016, the team has had just one playoff victory past the first round.

Brad Treliving| Marc Bergevin| Toronto Maple Leafs Peter Chiarelli

19 comments

List Of NHL Prospects Attending 2023 Memorial Cup

May 22, 2023 at 9:45 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 3 Comments

After the OHL’s Peterborough Petes and the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts took home their respective league championships yesterday, the field for the 2023 Memorial Cup is set. They’ll be joined by two WHL teams – the league champion Seattle Thunderbirds and the host team Kamloops Blazers – on their quest to capture the pinnacle of North American junior hockey.

Pitting best against best at the U21 level from across the continent, the tournament also gives NHL-drafted prospects an early taste of high-pressure hockey on a larger stage than regular junior play. If you’re looking to see your favorite team’s prospects have big performances at this tournament, which runs from May 26 to June 4, we’re providing a comprehensive list of NHL-affiliated prospects attending the tournament.

There will be a new champion this year after last year’s winner, the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, lost to the Gatineau Olympiques in five games in their first-round series in the QMJHL playoffs. Chicago and Dallas lead the way with three representatives at the tournament, while nine teams (Boston, Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, San Jose, and Tampa Bay) don’t have any prospects playing this year.

Anaheim Ducks

C Nathan Gaucher (Québec, 2022 22nd overall)
LD Olen Zellweger (Kamloops, 2021 34th overall)

Arizona Coyotes

RW Dylan Guenther (Seattle, 2021 9th overall)
LD Jérémy Langlois (Québec, 2022 94th overall)

Boston Bruins

none

Buffalo Sabres

RD Vsevolod Komarov (Québec, 2022 134th overall)

Calgary Flames

LW Lucas Ciona (Seattle, 2021 173rd overall)

Carolina Hurricanes

C Justin Robidas (Québec, 2021 147th overall)

Chicago Blackhawks

LD Kevin Korchinski (Seattle, 2022 7th overall)
LD Nolan Allan (Seattle, 2021 32nd overall)
C Colton Dach (Seattle, 2021 62nd overall)

Colorado Avalanche

none

Columbus Blue Jackets

LW James Malatesta (Québec, 2021 133rd overall)

Dallas Stars

C Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, 2021 47th overall)
RD Gavin White (Peterborough, 2022 115th overall)
RW Matthew Seminoff (Kamloops, 2022 179th overall)

Detroit Red Wings

none

Edmonton Oilers

none

Florida Panthers

LD Evan Nause (Québec, 2021 56th overall)

Los Angeles Kings

none

Minnesota Wild

C Caedan Bankier (Kamloops, 2021 86th overall)
RD Kyle Masters (Kamloops, 2021 118th overall)

Montreal Canadiens

C Owen Beck (Peterborough, 2022 33rd overall)
C Jared Davidson (Seattle, 2022 130th overall)

Nashville Predators

LW Reid Schaefer (Seattle, 2022 32nd overall)
RD Luke Prokop (Seattle, 2020 73rd overall)

New Jersey Devils

RW Chase Stillman (Peterborough, 2021 29th overall)

New York Islanders

LW Daylan Kuefler (Kamloops, 2022 174th overall)

New York Rangers

LW Brennan Othmann (Peterborough, 2021 16th overall)

Ottawa Senators

none

Philadelphia Flyers

LD Brian Zanetti (Peterborough, 2021 110th overall)
C Jon-Randall Avon (Peterborough, undrafted)

Pittsburgh Penguins

none

San Jose Sharks

none

Seattle Kraken

C Tucker Robertson (Peterborough, 2022 123rd overall)

St. Louis Blues

C Zachary Bolduc (Québec, 2021 17th overall)

Tampa Bay Lightning

none

Toronto Maple Leafs

C Fraser Minten (Kamloops, 2022 38th overall)

Vancouver Canucks

C Connor Lockhart (Peterborough, 2021 178th overall)

Vegas Golden Knights

C Jordan Gustafson (Seattle, 2022 79th overall)
RW Jakub Demek (Kamloops, 2021 128th overall)

Washington Capitals

C Ryan Hofer (Kamloops, 2022 181st overall)

Winnipeg Jets

C Brad Lambert (Seattle, 2022 30th overall)

Anaheim Ducks| Arizona Coyotes| Boston Bruins| Buffalo Sabres| Calgary Flames| Carolina Hurricanes| Chicago Blackhawks| Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Dallas Stars| Detroit Red Wings| Edmonton Oilers| Florida Panthers| Los Angeles Kings| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| Nashville Predators| New Jersey Devils| New York Islanders| New York Rangers| OHL| Ottawa Senators| Philadelphia Flyers| Pittsburgh Penguins| Prospects| QMJHL| San Jose Sharks| Seattle Kraken| St. Louis Blues| Tampa Bay Lightning| Toronto Maple Leafs| Vancouver Canucks| Vegas Golden Knights| Washington Capitals| WHL| Winnipeg Jets Brad Lambert| Brennan Othmann| Caedan Bankier| Daylan Kuefler| Dylan Guenther| Gavin White| James Malatesta| Kevin Korchinski| Kyle Masters| Logan Stankoven| Lucas Ciona| Matthew Seminoff| Memorial Cup| Nolan Allan| Olen Zellweger| Owen Beck| Reid Schaefer| Ryan Hofer| Vegas Golden Knights| Zachary Bolduc

3 comments

Might Cole Caufield Prefer A Bridge Deal This Summer?

May 20, 2023 at 11:47 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 4 Comments

  • A pair of former NHLers have gotten in on the bidding for the Senators. In an interview with Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, former Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey indicated that he along with Anson Carter and Grant Fuhr are all part of the bid led by Neko Sparks.  A total of four groups put forth a bid for the franchise with Garrioch suggesting that bids led by Canadiens minority owner Michael Andlauer and the Kimels, who once were partners in the Penguins, might be the ones that the NHL has at the top of their preferred list.
  • Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette wonders if Canadiens winger Cole Caufield might prefer to sign a bridge deal this summer and then try to cash in on a richer long-term agreement a couple of years down the road. The 22-year-old tied for the Montreal lead in goals this season with 26 despite missing 36 games due to shoulder surgery.  Caufield will be a restricted free agent this summer but only has 123 career regular season appearances under his belt so if he thinks he can get a 40-goal campaign under his belt in the next couple of years, taking a bridge agreement might be better off financially for him in the long run.

Montreal Canadiens| Ottawa Senators| Toronto Maple Leafs Cole Caufield| William Nylander

4 comments

Latest On Flames GM Search

May 19, 2023 at 6:30 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 3 Comments

As the Toronto Maple Leafs have thoroughly stolen the headlines today, another Canadian team is looking to make some front-office news. Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff reports that the Calgary Flames are close to hiring a new General Manager.

Yesterday evening, it was reported that Craig Conroy was considered to be a strong internal candidate to replace Brad Treliving as General Manager in Calgary, and Seravalli points out that he may be the odds-on favorite. Conroy has been a longtime favorite for the Flames, playing nine seasons for the team, and becoming the team captain shortly before Jarome Iginla took the mantle in 2003.

Since retiring in 2011, Conroy was immediately hired on as a Special Assistant to the General Manager and quickly became Assistant General Manager before the 2014-15 season. For seemingly being a part of the Flames organization all of his adult life, there is no question as to why Conroy is the favorite to become the new General Manager in Calgary.

Aside from Conroy, Seravalli also mentioned a list of external candidates that have had in-person interviews in the past week, including David Nonis, Stan Bowman, and Marc Bergevin. All three external candidates have considerable experience at the helm of the front office in the NHL.

Another interesting note Seravalli shared is that the Flames have changed their approach in regard to Treliving’s future. In previous reports, the Pittsburgh Penguins had previously been denied access to interview Treliving, per the terms of his past extension.

Now, Seravalli reports that Calgary will no longer prohibit Treliving from interviewing with interested parties. In light of the news coming from the Maple Leafs today, Treliving immediately comes to mind as a potential solution to the new vacuum created in Toronto.

Brad Treliving| Calgary Flames| Marc Bergevin| Stan Bowman

3 comments

Latest On Pittsburgh Penguins Front Office Search

May 16, 2023 at 5:21 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 12 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in for a busy offseason, replacing key front-office fixtures after missing the playoffs for the first time in almost two decades. In addition to yesterday’s reporting on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ intention to hire two separate people for the roles of general manager and president of hockey operations, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun expanded in detail today on the current status of Pittsburgh’s search to fill their vacant roles.

LeBrun relayed previously corroborated reports from league sources that the Penguins have conducted initial Zoom interviews with potential candidates for the general manager role, with this number set at around a dozen. From this group, Pittsburgh has begun the process of narrowing down individuals for in-person second-round interviews for the job.

LeBrun has now confirmed seven individuals who were part of that complement of about 12. Among them is Los Angeles Kings senior advisor Marc Bergevin, Carolina Hurricanes assistant general manager Eric Tulsky, St. Louis Blues VP of hockey operations Peter Chiarelli, Buffalo Sabres associate general manager Jason Karmanos, and three members of the New Jersey Devils organization: senior vice president and assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon, assistant general manager Kate Madigan, and director of player development Meghan Duggan. There are two other likely candidates that LeBrun could not confirm, Tampa Bay Lightning assistant general manager Mathieu Darche and Seattle Kraken assistant general manager Jason Botterill, who previously held the same role with Pittsburgh.

Some candidates from the first round of interviews were informed today that they are no longer being considered for the positions, LeBrun said.

Also in line with previous reporting, LeBrun mentioned the Penguins expressed interest in including Brad Treliving, the former general manager of the Calgary Flames, in their first round of interviews. However, the Flames denied permission, given Treliving’s expiring contract with the team legally expires on June 30.

As for a president of hockey operations, LeBrun also linked the Penguins to former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka. Chayka held his post with the Coyotes from May 2016 to July 2020, when he abruptly resigned before the start of the delayed Stanley Cup Playoffs. The NHL later suspended Chayka from working in the league for the entire 2021 calendar year after he pursued other league opportunities while still under contract with Arizona. It also later came to light that, under Chayka, the Coyotes had held an illegal private scouting combine for eligible draft prospects in direct violation of league rules, resulting in multiple pick forfeitures for Arizona.

Surprisingly, the reason for the uncertainty about Chayka’s potential involvement with the Penguins isn’t due to his concerning NHL history – rather, LeBrun reports Chayka could have additional NHL opportunities available to him outside of Pittsburgh.

Arizona Coyotes| Brad Treliving| Buffalo Sabres| Calgary Flames| Carolina Hurricanes| Los Angeles Kings| Marc Bergevin| New Jersey Devils| Pittsburgh Penguins| Seattle Kraken| St. Louis Blues| Tampa Bay Lightning Meghan Duggan| Peter Chiarelli

12 comments

Snapshots: Bergevin, Romanov, Teravainen

May 15, 2023 at 11:30 am CDT | by Ethan Hetu 3 Comments

The Calgary Flames’ GM search seems to be kicking into a higher gear, as some of the names the team could be interviewing to fill their vacant position continue to be reported. A new name that has emerged in the process is that of current Los Angeles Kings executive and former Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin. On the 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said that he’s “heard Marc Bergevin’s name” connected to the search as the team has narrowed down its list of candidates.

Bergevin, 57, served as general manager of the Canadiens from 2012 to 2022.  During his tenure, Bergevin became a bit of a divisive figure in both Montreal market and across the NHL, with nearly every observer seeming to have a strong opinion on his work with the Canadiens. This could be due to the fact that Bergevin made quite a few bold, blockbuster trades, with some that paid off for his franchise (such as the controversial P.K. Subban for Shea Weber swap) and others that cost the team dearly. (Mikhail Sergachev for Jonathan Drouin) Now, a relatively short period removed from his departure from Montreal, it seems Bergevin could be in contention to earn another shot at being an NHL GM. Also worth noting is this news, combined with earlier reports that the Flames are looking to interview Maple Leafs executive Brandon Pridham, reveals that the organization is taking a wide-ranging approach to fielding candidates for their GM opening, as they are reportedly considering both candidates with extensive experience in the role and candidates without any experience as an NHL GM.

More notes from across the NHL:

  • New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov underwent a minor surgical procedure on his shoulder, reports The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz. The procedure went well, and according to Kurz the procedure is not expected to interrupt Romanov’s readiness for training camp in any way. The 23-year-old defenseman averaged 19:27 time on ice per game in his first season on Long Island and pitched in 22 points. The Islanders traded their 2022 first-round pick to acquire him from Montreal, and have hopes that Romanov can become a long-term staple in their top-four.
  • Carolina Hurricanes team reporter Walt Ruff relays word from today’s practice that forward Teuvo Teravainen has shed his yellow non-contact jersey. This is a positive step forward for Teravainen, who has missed most of the Hurricanes’ run to the Eastern Conference Final due to a broken hand. The Hurricanes originally issued a four-to-eight-week timeline for Teravainen’s return, and if today’s news is any indication his return to the ice could be just around the corner, possibly giving coach Rod Brind’Amour’s lineup a major boost.

Calgary Flames| Carolina Hurricanes| Los Angeles Kings| Marc Bergevin| New York Islanders Alexander Romanov| Teuvo Teravainen

3 comments

Otto Leskinen Signs Two-Year Contract In Finland

May 10, 2023 at 9:26 am CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Otto Leskinen is once again returning to his roots, signing a two-year contract with Tappara in the Finnish Liiga, as announced by the team during a YouTube live stream.

Leskinen, 26, had returned to the Canadiens in 2022-23 after one season spent in Finland but has now opted to return back to his home country. Born in Pieksämäki, Finland, Leskinen was an undrafted free agent signed by the Canadiens in the summer of 2019.

After starting his professional career with the Liiga’s KalPa back in the 2015-16 season, Leskinen would develop into an adept puck-moving defender over the next few years before signing with Montreal. Leskinen would spend most of his time in the Canadiens organization with the AHL’s Laval Rocket but did appear in six NHL games in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

His attempt to get some more NHL games under his belt wasn’t successful. Leskinen suited up in just 24 games for the Rocket in 2022-23 before undergoing season-ending hip surgery, recording a goal and seven assists. He now returns to Tappara, where he recorded a combined 18 points in 25 games across the regular season and playoffs in 2021-22 en route to a Liiga championship.

With Leskinen back in the fold, Tappara will now look to challenge for a third straight championship in 2024. They’re on one of the most impressive contention runs of any professional team in hockey, having made it to at least the bronze medal game in the Liiga in every season since 2012-13, including nine championship appearances (five wins, four losses).

Liiga| Montreal Canadiens

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Canadiens UFA Frederic Allard Signs In Sweden

May 9, 2023 at 6:27 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Rather than see what might come up in free agency this summer, Canadiens pending UFA defenseman Frederic Allard has found his next team as Lulea of the SHL announced that they’ve signed the rearguard to a two-year contract.

The 25-year-old played in three games with Montreal this season after being acquired from Los Angeles at the trade deadline in exchange for AHL forward Nate Schnarr.  However, Allard only has one other NHL appearance under his belt, that coming back in 2021 with Nashville, the team that drafted him in the third round back in 2016.

For the majority of his pro career, Allard has played at the AHL level, getting into 297 games over six seasons with affiliates of the Predators, Kings, and Canadiens.  Over that stretch, he has 23 goals and 91 assists along with 114 penalty minutes while chipping in with three goals and three helpers in 11 playoff contests.

While Allard certainly would have had NHL offers this summer, they almost certainly would have been of the two-way variety with an eye on him continuing to play in the minors.  Instead, he’s decided that it’s time for a change and will try his hand overseas.  As he has not played in enough AHL contests to qualify for full veteran status, there should be interest in Allard down the road if he decides to give it another go at some point in North America.

Free Agency| Montreal Canadiens| SHL| Transactions Frederic Allard

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