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Montreal Has Tough Decision To Make At Upcoming Draft

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It’s well known that the Montreal Canadiens are looking for a franchise changing center. Usually when you have a top-three pick in a draft, a team can fill their biggest hole right there. However, that isn’t the case in the 2018 NHL Draft as the top of the draft is loaded with wingers and defenseman. Most of the centers are expected to go after the top-10. The Canadiens need help there as they have attempted to convert several players to the center position, including Jonathan Drouin and Alex Galchenyuk, but neither has made a successful conversion. If the team could add a couple of legitimate centers, it could hasten their turnaround.

Recent reports suggest the Canadiens have found themselves getting attached to Finnish center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who most mock drafts have going after the 10th pick. Admittedly, he has risen up draft boards over the past year after a season in Finland’s top league, SM-liiga and put up 10 goals and 29 points as a 17-year-old among men (ironically he played the wing position there). In fact, at the combine this week, Kotkaniemi said that Canadiens were one of three teams to take him out to a steak dinner this past week. Assuming the Canadiens’ interest in him is genuine, the Canadiens have some critical decisions to make in the next few weeks. Kotkaniemi, who has two years remaining on his contract in Finland, has said there is an out-clause and he could come to North America, depending on the team that drafts him. Regardless, whatever Montreal does with the No. 3 pick will alter the rest of the draft, according to the Montreal Gazette’s Pat Hickey.

One option is to take Kotkaniemi with the third overall pick regardless of the prospect rankings. Afterall, the Columbus Blue Jackets did the same thing in 2016 when they surprised many by taking Pierre-Luc Dubois with the No. 3 pick then. That worked out pretty well. The downside is the team would likely pass on some top talent in either winger Andrei Svechnikov or Filip Zadina (whoever Carolina doesn’t take at No. 2) as well as a number of stud defensemen like Adam Boqvist, Noah Dobson or Quinn Hughes. Montreal needs help at both positions as well.

The second option is for Montreal to trade back and pick up Kotkaniemi at a more reasonable spot and pick up more assets. Unfortunately, several other teams like Kotkaniemi as well, including the Detroit Red Wings (No. 6) and the Chicago Blackhawks (No. 8). By the way, both teams were the only other teams to take Kotkaniemi out to a steak dinner this week. However, earlier in the week, general manager Marc Bergevin said he was reluctant to trade back in the draft. Director of player personnel Trevor Timmons countered that Saturday, suggesting the team could go up or down with all their extra picks in this draft.

Assuming the Canadiens do want to add a center in the draft, then the team will have a big decision to make in the coming weeks about which route they intend to take.

Montreal Canadiens In Preliminary Extension Discussions With Max Pacioretty

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Though trade rumors have swirled around Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty for the better part of a year, there may be more evidence to support an upcoming contract extension. Darren Dreger of TSN reported on Insider Trading that GM Marc Bergevin and agent Pat Brisson of CAA have had “preliminary discussions” about a potential extension for Pacioretty. While Dreger can’t handicap the chances of it happening, the idea of Pacioretty being moved this summer may not be as likely as some had believed. The two sides could sign a contract extension as early as July 1st, though terms can be agreed upon at any time.

Entering the final season of his six-year $27MM contract, the 29-year old Pacioretty is coming off arguably the worst offensive season of his career. After scoring at least 30 goals in each of the four seasons between 2013 and 2017, he registered just 17 goals this year and his lowest assist total since becoming a full-time NHLer. Those low totals were partly caused by injury, but also by the ineffectiveness of many of the other Canadiens forwards this season. Though he’s been waiting for a true first line center for much of his career in Montreal, Pacioretty failed to drive even-strength play at his usual high level this year, and couldn’t rely on his linemates to pick him up. Should Montreal go out and acquire such a center, or see substantial improvement from Jonathan Drouin in the role next season, there is plenty of reason to believe that Pacioretty’s numbers will rebound in 2018-19.

If that’s the case, signing him now to an extension could be the most prudent option for Montreal. If Pacioretty is willing to negotiate, he won’t be able to demand quite as much as he could have following one of his 35-goal campaigns and could be locked up for a reasonable cap hit. His $4.5MM deal has been one of the better bargains in the league for several years, and if Montreal could avoid a huge raise a long-term extension certainly makes sense. Acting as captain, Pacioretty has always spoken highly of Montreal and only really mentioned playing somewhere else when trade rumors peaked this last season, knowing he could potentially move at the trade deadline. The fact that he’s considering signing an extension at all after the season he had proves that he’s willing to stay and help the Canadiens win, as it’s likely not in his best financial interest.

Though the 2019 class of free agents is currently projected to be one of the best groups of all-time, Pacioretty would certainly have suitors all around the league. As we recently saw with Evander Kane and will likely see with James van Riemsdyk, James Neal and others this summer, goal scoring is well paid on the free agent market. Pacioretty is scheduled to hit that market at the age of 30, meaning he’ll have to prove he’s not in a rapid decline this season if he wants a long-term deal.

On the other hand, the Canadiens could feel as though a change is needed for the big winger. With the third-overall selection in the upcoming draft, and good young players like Drouin and Victor Mete to build around, the team may decide to move Pacioretty for some younger assets and try to build a core with a longer window of contention. Even with Carey Price and Shea Weber heading into the back half of their careers, the team doesn’t necessarily have to rush to contention in the next few seasons.

Eastern Notes: Callahan, Burke, Mascherin

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After undergoing two hip surgeries a year ago, veteran forward Ryan Callahan has been a key player for the Tampa Bay Lightning this season. While his defensive skills and penalty killing have been critical for the Lightning, he also contributed a goal and an assist Saturday in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. What’s amazing, writes The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required), is that Callahan admits that he thought he would need season-ending surgery back in December when he suffered a serious shoulder injury.

The 33-year-old collided with Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson in a Dec. 14 against the Arizona Coyotes in which the two players got tangled and Callahan’s shoulder vaulted into the boards. He lost three weeks of his season, rehabbing the injury, but returned in early January. Despite re-injuring the shoulder in March, he has not let up and continues to throw his body around for the Lightning in the playoffs.

“There’s no question the last three years have been tough for me,” Callahan said. “I think, for me, I appreciate this even more, especially being in the league for 12 years now too. You realize you don’t get this chance and this opportunity very often. I appreciate it and I realize how hard it is to win. And I’m trying to take advantage of it.”

  • Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette writes that Montreal Canadiens scout Sean Burke, who served as co-general manager with Martin Brodeur, for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships this week, has no idea what his next step will be. Burke, who has served as a scout for Canadiens’ head coach Marc Bergevin, said he might like to return as a scout, but will wait to see if he gets a better offer. “(Marc) Bergevin has been great with me in allowing me to do both roles and gain experience here as well. So we’ll see what’s down the road, but like everybody in this business you’re looking to get better and I’ve been fortunate to work with great people,” Burke said.
  • In his most recent podcast, TSN’s Bob McKenzie talks about Florida Panthers prospect Adam Mascherin, who says he will not sign with the team and has indicated he wants to re-enter the 2018 draft. The Panthers’ 2016 second-round pick claims to have been treated poorly by the Panthers and claims to not have been offered an entry-level deal. McKenzie says the Panthers have offered him an entry-level deal, a lucrative one that compares to that of the one that the Chicago Blackhawks’ Alex DeBrincat signed. He chose not to sign, because he “wasn’t feeling the love.” McKenzie adds that Mascherin is playing a dangerous game if he re-enters the draft as most players who re-enter get drafted lower and get lesser contracts.

Montreal Canadiens Fire AHL Coach Sylvain Lefebvre

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The Montreal Canadiens have announced that Sylvain Lefebvre, head coach of their AHL affiliate the Laval Rocket, has been relieved of his duties. GM Marc Bergevin released a statement along with the announcement:

I would like to sincerely thank Sylvain for his loyalty, his hard work and his contribution to the Montreal Canadiens’ organization over the past six seasons with Hamilton, St. John’s and Laval. Challenges are extremely demanding as a Head Coach in the AHL, and Sylvain and his group had to overcome several difficult situations over the years. The decision to remove Sylvain from his coaching duties was a difficult one because I have a lot of respect for him and I consider him to be an excellent coach. I took the time to discuss the situation with Larry Carrière, and concluded that our development team needed a new direction in the head coaching position.

There was little reason to expect Lefebvre to be back, after the Rocket finished dead last in the AHL. The team won just 24 games and allowed a league-high 281 goals. That record came after a twelve game losing streak to finish the season, where the team had obviously lost any spark they once had.

Though the Rocket did supply their parent club with some talented youngsters, there wasn’t a consistent pipeline of support for the team when the struggled with injury. With Montreal still considering themselves playoff contenders, the minor league system has to be better at providing NHL-ready talent when called upon. Much of that falls on the front office, but some part at least sits with Lefebvre and his staff. Laval should get some added depth next season after another year of draft picks graduate to professional hockey, but a new coaching staff will be the ones who develop them into NHL players.

Atlantic Notes: Bergevin & Canadiens, Boucher, Okposo

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While the Montreal Canadiens season didn’t go as planned, the team must now figure out what went wrong as general manager Marc Bergevin attempts to right the ship after a disappointing season. To that point, Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette hands out grades for the Montreal Canadiens disappointing season. As can be expected there were more D’s and F’s than top marks, starting with the performance of Bergevin, who received an F for multiple questionable moves, including his “first come, first served” contract offers to winger Alexander Radulov and long-time Canadien Andrei Markov, in which both opted to leave and the team failed to find replacements for either.

The scribe was quick to throw a D towards most of the team’s star players, including goaltender Carey Price, whose eight-year, $84MM extension begins next season. While the team’s defense wasn’t there to support him, he’s supposed to be the team’s best player and he wasn’t even close after putting up a 3.11 GAA and a .900 save percentage in 49 games. Bad grades followed to Alex Galchenyuk, Jonathan Drouin, Jordie Benn, Max Pacioretty and the scouting department for thinking that Karl Alzner was worth a five year, 23MM contract in the offseason.

  • Ottawa Senators’ Guy Boucher’s status as coach has not been decided yet as general manager Pierre Dorion is focused on scouting before evaluating the coaching staff. However, if the head coach loses his job, much of that might have to do with the team’s practice schedule or lack thereof, according to Chris Stevenson of The Athletic (subscription required). After Dorion was critical of Boucher’s option to often rest his players, rather than practice, the scribe looked into some of the reasons why the coach opted to rest his players, pointing to special events like the trip to Sweden, the outdoor game and multiple team functions as well as the Senators were tied for the most back-to-back games this year with 19. Add in a 17-day span in which they did not play at home in December and the team had a exhausting schedule. However, the lack of practices didn’t help a squad who truly struggled this year under the head coach.
  • Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News writes that despite Buffalo Sabres’ Kyle Okposo’s poor season, the one positive is that a year ago, he had just been released from the neuro-intensive care unit and wasn’t even sure if he would play hockey again. With little time to train last summer, Okposo put up just 15 goals this season, his lowest since the strike shortened 2012-13 season. With five years remaining on his seven-year, $42MM deal he signed two years ago, the 29-year-0ld believes that he will get himself into elite shape this summer as he is finally healthy and ready to show the Sabres that the deal wasn’t a mistake.

GM Notes: Holland, Dorion, Bergevin

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The Detroit Red Wings were officially eliminated from postseason contention recently, but the majority of their fans had already given up on this season some time ago. Even before it started, the Red Wings looked to be in a tough spot as they transition from the old guard to the first steps of a rebuild. They’ve done well to add draft picks over the last two years, but one question still remained. Who would be leading them down these uncharted waters, and towards the next successful Red Wings team?

Many fans have expressed a desire for change at the top, and GM Ken Holland’s contract is up at the end of the season. Whether that means there will be a new voice steering the ship is still unclear, but Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) provides a wealth of insight into how the organization and other executives around the league see the situation. Answers range from an expected extension to a trip to Seattle for the long-time Detroit GM, but it seems we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out where he’ll be next year.

  • Pierre Dorion, another GM on the edge of a potential rebuild and a fan mutiny, provided some answers on his plans for the Ottawa Senators offseason to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. Dorion confirmed that on July 1st they will indeed offer an extension to Erik Karlsson, though he didn’t give any indication what that offer may look like. He also admitted that the front office will evaluate the coaching staff, including Guy Boucher, after the season and decide what the future will look like behind the bench. The Senators had an extremely disappointing season after coming just a goal shy of the Stanley Cup finals in 2017, and have faced several media firestorms over comments by everyone from Kyle Turris to owner Eugene Melnyk.
  • In his latest 31 Thoughts column, Elliotte Friedman mentions that Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin received a vote of confidence from ownership for the second time this season. If that means Bergevin is sticking around to fix what went wrong this season, the response in Montreal will likely be very divided. There are many fans who believe the organization should go in a different direction with their front office, but if Bergevin does indeed remain this summer could be quite interesting. Never one to shy away from a big trade, the Canadiens have to do something to take advantage of the best years of Carey Price and Shea Weber, and are still starved for the first-line center they’ve been looking for for years. Friedman mentions that Martin Lapointe, currently the Director of Player Development, could assume a larger role going forward.

Snapshots: General Manager Hot Seat, Cholowski, Cullen

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With many teams starting to see the writing on the wall that their season is coming to a close sooner than they had intended, the next question that comes about is whether the team has any intentions of making changes to their staff. After a look at possible changes to the coaching ranks, the next question would likely turn to which general managers are on the hot seat. The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) takes a look at 10 candidates who could find themselves without a job this offseason.

Mirtle quickly addresses the obvious ones, including Detroit’s Ken Holland and Toronto’s Lou Lamoriello, both who have been rumored to either be on their way out or moved to a different role within the organization. However, Mirtle also admits that both could easily stay in their present roles too.

The next stage of general managers that are most likely on the hot seat include Peter Chiarelli of Edmonton, the New York Islanders Garth Snow and Montreal’s Marc Bergevin, while other general managers might be given more time to prove to the organization that their plan works. Colorado’s Joe Sakic, Arizona’s John Chayka, Minnesota’s Chuck Fletcher and Columbus’ Jarmo Kekalainen are all likely to be on short leashes due to their inability of taking their teams to a new level.

  • Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press writes that while 2017 first-round pick Michael Rasmussen might make the Detroit Red Wings team next season, the real prospect to keep an eye on will be 2016 first-round pick Dennis Cholowski, whose having a stellar year with both the Prince George Cougars and the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. The 20-year-old blueliner is in his final year of junior and has 14 goals and 50 assists this year. St. James writes that while Rasmussen must make the Red Wings roster out of training camp to stick, Cholowski could play with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL and get a midseason callup if he can’t break into the Red Wings lineup.
  • StarTribune’s Sarah McLellan writes that the NHL Players Association released a players poll this week and for the question of which player would make great coach after they retire. Minnesota’s Matt Cullen won the poll. He received 4.5 percent of the votes, yet Cullen hasn’t decided if that’s the avenue he plans to go down. “I’ve never really put a lot of thought into it, to be honest,” Cullen said. “I guess I’ve had a lot of experience, and I’ve been through a lot through a long career, I guess. Truthfully, I’ve never thought a lot about it. I don’t know. I’m not sure what I’ll do when I’m done playing.”

Snapshots: Pacioretty, McDonagh, Hynes

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In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column on Sportsnet, the insider details all the rumors and whispers he heard on trade deadline day. Among them was a long piece on Max Pacioretty, and how the Montreal Canadiens never found a deal on him because of the high value Marc Bergevin put on his captain.

Among the contenders for Pacioretty’s services were Los Angeles, who were asked for Tyler Toffoli and Gabe Vilardi as part of a package, Minnesota, who Friedman believes were asked for Charlie Coyle, and Florida who had to decline when the Canadiens asked for Vincent Trocheck. It’s clear that Montreal is not interested in just futures, but players who can jump right into their lineup in 2018-19 to help turn the ship around.

  • Interestingly, Friedman also notes a possible discussion between Florida, Minnesota and New York that would have ended with Ryan McDonagh in Sunrise. While they weren’t involved in any of the day’s really big moves, you can be sure that the Panthers and Wild had their phones ringing on Monday.
  • Though it was originally believed that John Hynes’ contract was set to run out at the end of the season, Friedman reports that the New Jersey Devils actually have another option year with their head coach that he believes they will pick up. Hynes has helped turn the Devils into a legitimate playoff contender in the Metropolitan Division, less than a year after winning the draft lottery and selecting Nico Hischier first-overall.

Trade Deadline Notes: Flames, Plekanec, Neal

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“Will GM Brad Treliving and the Calgary Flames ’pull a Hextall’?”, wonders the Calgary Sun’s Eric Francis with mere days left before the NHL Trade Deadline. Francis is referring to Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall, who recently acted quickly to acquire goaltender Petr Mrazek from the Detroit Red Wings when his top two goalies went down with long-term injuries. Treliving and the Flames are now in a similar position, with their one experienced keeper, Mike Smith, out with a groin injury and a return not imminent. Calgary is currently working with two rookie goalies, David Rittich and Jon Gillies, as they try to keep up in the Western Conference playoff race. If Treliving, like Hextall, feels that he owes his team a true starting-caliber goalie, he could hit the rental market for some help down the stretch. Options could include Buffalo’s Robin Lehner, an impending RFA and likely the top available target, Arizona’s Antti Raanta, if the Coyotes are willing to move him, a reunion with Chad Johnson, or even a lesser option albeit with more experience such as Michael Hutchinson or Andrew Hammond. However, as Francis points out after his conversation with Treliving, if the team continues to put forward lackluster performances in front of their young goalie tandem, perhaps paying the steep price to bring in an upgrade won’t be worth it. The situation is one worth monitoring as the deadline fast approaches.

  • One player expected to move before the deadline is career Canadien Tomas Plekanec. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that calls have been flooding in to Montreal GM Marc Bergevin, especially following the Derick Brassard news, inquiring into the cost of trading for the veteran center. Plekanec, 35, has seen his offense fall off dramatically over the past two seasons, but still plays a reliable two-way game and can still be an experienced asset for many teams. With the Canadiens far outside the playoff picture and Plekanec on an expiring contract, possibly headed for retirement, a deal will almost certainly be struck with an interested team. It seems the days are numbered on a relationship that began in 2003-04.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights placed James Neal on injured reserve today, per beat writer Steve Carp. While Neal is simply suffering from an illness right now, an undisclosed illness has also kept teammate Shea Theodore out of the lineup for more than a week. With forwards Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and William Carrier also on IR and an unclear picture of when Neal will return to action, one has to wonder if the Knights will take a longer look at the forward market before the deadline passes them by.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Plekanec, Talbot

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Evgeni Malkin took home the top honors among the NHL’s Three Stars of the Week, after scoring six goals and eight points in just three games. Malkin is turning it on at the right time for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who now find themselves in a Metropolitan playoff spot for the time being.

Amazingly, goaltender Harri Sateri garnered the second star of the week after stopping 88 of 93 shots in his three starts. For the Florida Panthers, who’ve dealt with injuries to Roberto Luongo and James Reimer all season, Sateri’s emergence has been a welcome sight. Not so is the third star, Reilly Smith, who the Panthers sent to the Vegas Golden Knights in the offseason only to see him come into his own offensively. Smith had five points in four games last week and needs just ten more to match his career-high of 51. The 26-year old is a whopping +25 on the season, trailing only teammate William Karlsson (+28) and Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara (+27) for the league lead.

  • In Montreal, Tomas Plekanec remains one of the interesting players to watch for the Canadiens as he heads towards unrestricted free agency at the end of the year. In a frustrated column for Sportsnet, Eric Engels writes that Canadiens’ GM Marc Bergevin should be shown the door if he doesn’t trade Plekanec for something at the upcoming deadline. Engels doesn’t totally disagree with the idea of bringing Plekanec back next season, but posits that the team absolutely has to get an asset out of his expiring deal this year. Vegas, Tampa Bay, Columbus, and San Jose are all examined as potential landing spots for the 35-year old center, who has seen his offensive production fall off a cliff in recent years. Plekanec has also been linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins as an ideal fit for their third line.
  • One veteran center with a more certain future than Plekanec is 11-year NHL veteran Max Talbot, who is now playing overseas with the KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Talbot isn’t making an NHL comeback, but he isn’t retiring either. Talbot has earned a one-year extension from Lokomotiv, the KHL announced today. Talbot has served as an alternate captain for Yaroslavl for two years now and had the best offensive season of his career – NHL or otherwise – last season and has shown no sign of slowing down. While the reliable two-way forward won’t be suiting up for Team Canada at the Olympics, he remains one of the best North American skaters not playing in the NHL and Lokomotiv was wise to retain the services of their experienced import.

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