Montreal Canadiens’ Jonathan Drouin Returns To Lineup
He hasn’t skated in a game since Nov. 15, but now that it’s been almost three months, the Montreal Canadiens are getting forward Jonathan Drouin back tonight. The 24-year-old underwent wrist surgery on Nov. 19 and was originally expected to miss eight weeks, but needed closer to 11. The winger was a game-time decision and went through warm-ups and now is expected to play. CapFriendly reports that the team has activated him as well.
It’s a key return for Drouin, who has had an up-and-down career so far in three years with Montreal. Drouin established himself as a top young winger after scoring 21 goals and 53 points in his third year with the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, Tampa Bay opted to send him to Montreal in a package for Mikhail Sergachev, where he immediately struggled in his first year, scoring just 13 goals. He was able to rectify that last year, scoring 18 goals and 53 points. This year, it looked early on like he was going to break out, scoring seven goals and 15 points in 17 games, close to a point-a-game player. However, the injury put an end to a potential big season.
Drouin’s return (and hopefully fully healthy) is critical to the success of the Canadiens. Montreal brought him in to be a key piece to their top line. The team has been quite successful with Drouin in the lineup. The team is 11-5-3 record with him in the lineup, while the team is just 15-18-4 without him. Drouin will slide onto the third line alongside Max Domi and Artturi Lehkonen.
Trade Deadline Primer: Montreal Canadiens
With the trade deadline now less than a month away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up is a look at the Montreal Canadiens.
The Montreal Canadiens looked to be a team on the rise with many thinking that they might challenge for a playoff spot this year after finishing two points out of a playoff spot last year. Instead, the team has had an inconsistent that has shown some glimpses of the future, but has also saw the team struggled on numerous occasions. There is still time for the Canadiens to make up some ground, but down six points in a deep Eastern Conference could alter the way that general manager Marc Bergevin looks at the upcoming trade deadline.
Record
26-23-7, fifth in the Atlantic Division
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$17.45MM in a full-season cap hit (using LTIR), 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 49/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2020: MON 1st, MON 2nd, CHI 2nd, MON 3rd, MON 4th, ANA 4th, WIN 4th, MON 5th, FLR 5th, MON 6th, CHI 7th
2021: MON 1st, MON 2nd, MON 3rd, CHI 3rd, MON 4th, MON 5th, OTT 5th, MON 6th
Trade Chips
The most publicized trade chip that the Candiens have is forward Ilya Kovalchuk. The team signed the 36-year-old to a minimum-salary deal on Jan. 3rd after Kovalchuk was released from his contract with the Los Angeles Kings after one and a half disappointing seasons. Montreal took a chance, hoping that his skills hadn’t depleted as much as many had thought. Kovalchuk, however, has had a resurgence, posting five goals and 11 points in 14 games and is a top candidate to be dealt. With a salary of just $700K, plenty of teams with salary cap troubles wouldn’t complain to add someone of Kovalchuk’s talent and leadership abilities in the locker room. The Canadiens were rumored to be interested in a second-round pick for the veteran, but rumors have surfaced that no team is willing to give more than a middle-round pick. That could change as we get closer to the deadline, however.
While Tomas Tatar has been putting up nice numbers in Montreal, the forward might also be a valuable trade chip. The 25-year-old is on the way towards a career-year in goals as he has already hit the 20-goal in just 56 games. However, teams might pay a premium if Bergevin is ready to move on from him. He has just one year remaining on his deal after this one at just $4.8MM, but would be a valued addition if the team was ready to acquire him.
Another interesting option is also a possibility. Although there is no guarantee that the team might move him, there have been rumblings that Bergevin might consider trading defenseman Jeff Petry, who could be a valuable commodity for any team. The 32-year-old has one more year after this one on his contract at a reasonable $5.5MM. On top of that, Petry is playing some of his best hockey. He is playing 23:25 ATOI and has shown a flare for offense the past few years.
The Canadiens also have several players who will be unrestricted free agents next summer, including solid depth option in veteran Nate Thompson. The team also wouldn’t mind it if they could find a taker for Marco Scandella, who the team acquired recently from Buffalo.
Five Players To Watch For: F Ilya Kovalchuk, D Jeff Petry, D Marco Scandella, F Tomas Tatar, F Nate Thompson
Team Needs
1) Young NHL-Ready Players: Montreal can see the light at the end of the tunnel and could get to the playoffs this year with a little success in the final third of the season, but one thing it needs more of are young players, who can step in quickly and contribute immediately. They have quite a youth movement going on, but the team is just about ready to re-establish themselves as a playoff team within the next year or two, but the more talent that can come their way would be invaluable.
2) Draft Picks: If you look at the team’s draft picks above, it’s obvious that Bergevin has been stockpiling picks and is still interested in adding more of them. Not only does the team want young players to step right in, but he is looking to create a pipeline that will have the team be competitive for a long time.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor Transactions: 02/08/20
There are a dozen games on the docket today, with start times spanning over eight hours. The action begins with a pair of matinees featuring Western Conference teams in desperate need of points to stay relevant, the Winnipeg Jets and Arizona Coyotes. The night will be capped off with the Carolina Hurricanes facing the Vegas Golden Knights. If the playoffs started today, Vegas would not only be in but would avoid a wild card berth despite having the 16th-best record in the NHL, while Carolina would be on the outside looking in with the 12th-best record. Every game counts at this time of year, especially as time ticks down on the trade deadline with a number of teams trying to decide if they will be buyers or sellers. Every roster move matters as well, and there should be a number of them given the heavy slate of action this weekend. Keep up with all those transactions right here:
- The Washington Capitals have recalled rookie defenseman Martin Fehervary from the AHL, the team announced. Fehervary is expected to draw into the lineup immediately tonight in place of Nick Jensen. Fehervary, 20, has only played in four games with the Washington Capitals this year but has played meaningful minutes in each appearance. In 45 games with the Hershey Bears this season, Fehervary has 14 points, among the leaders in first-year defensemen in the AHL.
- Following back-to-back games over the past two nights, the Buffalo Sabres are one of just seven teams with Saturday night off. They have used the occasion to reassign youngsters Rasmus Asplund and Lawrence Pilut to the AHL’s Rochester Americans, the team announced. Pilut has been held scoreless through ten games with Buffalo this season but has 22 points in 30 games with Rochester. Asplund has featured more prominently with the Sabres, albeit recording only three points in 29 games, but has eight points in 18 AHL games as well.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced that they have assigned Ryan Poehling to Laval of the AHL. After recording a hat-trick in his NHL debut last season, he has struggled offensively this season, recording just one goal and one assist in 27 games. Montreal has had several players dealing with the flu in recent days – including Poehling himself – so this move is a sign that some players are starting to get healthier.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have assigned Cody Glass to AHL Chicago per a team release. The rookie last played on January 4th and has been out with a lower-body injury since then. It’s not a conditioning stint but he’ll get a chance to log some big minutes with the Wolves and play in more offensive-oriented situations than he has in Vegas. Through 37 NHL games this season, the 20-year-old has five goals and seven assists.
- The Detroit Red Wings announced they have assigned defenseman Dennis Cholowski back to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. The team’s 2016 first-rounder has split his sophomore season between the Red Wings and the Griffins. He has two goals and eight points in 33 games with Detroit, while scoring two goals and seven points in 19 games with the Griffins.
Ilya Kovalchuk Drawing Trade Interest
Since Ilya Kovalchuk went to the Montreal Canadiens and started producing at a high level again, rumors have swirled about his fate at the 2020 trade deadline. The veteran forward agreed to a league minimum $700K contract making him an inexpensive option for teams at the deadline, but just two days ago Frank Seravalli of TSN wrote that the Canadiens would only be able to get a mid-round pick for him–and his availability wasn’t even a guarantee.
Today in a column examining all of the Canadiens’ trade candidates, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames all have some interest in the former superstar.
You can bet Kovalchuk understands the possibility of a trade. Earlier this week he told reporters that he didn’t want to talk about a future in Montreal just yet, indicating they needed to focus on the next few weeks to try and claw back into the playoffs. With his help and some stellar goaltending from Carey Price, the team has at least raised the question of postseason contention. Montreal is 8-3 in the 11 games since the long losing streak that started in late December, moving them back within five points of the final Atlantic Division playoff spot (with three more games played than the Florida Panthers).
Still, Kovalchuk remains one of the more interesting names to watch over the next several weeks. His minuscule cap hit will be very interesting for teams pushed up against the ceiling, and Montreal may well try to get a bidding war started over a player that was available to the whole league earlier this season.
Extension Notes: Kreider, Miller, Willman
New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider is considered the top rental player on the market and has been for some time. Yet, through it all the Rangers have maintained that they would like to re-sign their All-Star winger. It seems GM Jeff Gorton has finally decided that it’s time to talk details if the two sides are going to work out a deal ahead of the February 24th NHL Trade Deadline. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Gorton and Kreider’s agent, Matt Keator, will sit down within the next few days to discuss a contract extension. While LeBrun thinks that it could be a tough extension to work out given Kreider’s status as arguably the second-best potential free agent this summer behind only Arizona’s Taylor Hall. In a weak market, Kreider could capitalize more on a bidding war than he likely would be able to re-signing with New York before testing the waters. However, the career Ranger may also see that he is on an up-and-coming team and wish to stay at the right price. Gorton and Keator will discuss what that number might be in the coming days and a decision on Kreider’s future, one way or another, will be made within the coming weeks.
- He may be 39 and noticeably declining with each season, but the Anaheim Ducks remain interested in bringing back veteran goaltender Ryan Miller for another year. That is, if he wants to play another year. The Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford writes that Miller has earned the ability to decide how his career will end. Despite his struggles this season, Miller would have value on the trade market if the Ducks were to make him available, but Teaford believes that he will have the final say on a potential move. Miller could decline the opportunity to play for a playoff team down the stretch, as he did last season. He could also accept the trade with the knowledge that he would be welcomed back to Anaheim as a free agent this summer. Miller may also land with a legitimate Cup contender and decide to call it a career after a long playoff run. Or, and the only future the player himself is considering at this time, Miller may just stay in Anaheim and revisit his options in the off-season. While a decision on where Miller will play for the rest of the season must be made within the next few weeks ahead of the trade deadline, there is still time to consider his future beyond this season. However, the cushy role of backup to workhorse John Gibson in sunny Southern California is not a bad way for Miler to continue his career into his 40’s.
- A notable AHL rookie signed an extension on Tuesday. Former Brown and Boston University forward Max Willman signed on for another year with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the team announced. Willman, 24, played five seasons of college hockey, a tenure extended by a senior season at Brown lost to injury. While Willman struggled to get back to full strength with BU last season, he still managed to make enough of an impression on the Philadelphia Flyers to earn a deal with their affiliate. Willman looked like his old self to begin the year, scoring at a point-per-game pace with the ECHL’s Reading Royals. Since being called up to Lehigh, he has three goals and five points in 15 games. The Cape Cod native works hard and plays a smart game and if he can stay healthy and continue to improve, it is not out of the realm of possibility that he could one day be signing an NHL contract.
Shea Weber Placed On Injured Reserve
In what has been a terribly frustrating season for the Montreal Canadiens, this may be the breaking point. Shea Weber has been moved to injured reserve with a lower-body injury, according to several reports including Eric Engels of Sportsnet. The star defenseman will be out at least a week, but the Canadiens have not determined the exact extent of the injury. With several other injuries piling up—including Jordan Weal, Tomas Tatar, Ryan Poehling and Jonathan Drouin who may all miss tonight’s game—the team has recalled Xavier Ouellet and Jake Evans from the minor leagues.
Weber has been a shining light in an otherwise dreary season for the Canadiens, who currently have a 25-23-7 record despite going 7-3 in their last ten. The 34-year old defenseman has turned back the clock and has 13 goals and 34 points through 55 games, undoubtedly serving as the team’s leader both on and off the ice.
It’s not like Weber hasn’t been great for Montreal in the past, but injuries have stolen the last two seasons and now threaten this year as well. Since coming to the Canadiens in 2016-17, Weber has played just 217 of a possible 301 games.
Even with their recent encouraging play, it seems as though this is a cursed season. You can bet Weber’s absence will only amplify the rumors already swirling around players like Tatar and Jeff Petry as the trade deadline approaches.
Latest On Ilya Kovalchuk
It wasn’t much of a gamble when the Montreal Canadiens signed Ilya Kovalchuk after his contract termination with the Los Angeles Kings. After all, they only handed him a one-year, two-way $700K contract—the absolute minimum he could accept. That gamble has paid off quite a bit though as the veteran sniper immediately gave the Canadiens another weapon up front, to the point where some are now wondering whether they could flip him at the deadline for something of real value.
While value is relative, Kovalchuk may still not be able to land the Canadiens a premium asset. Frank Seravalli of TSN spoke to several executives around the NHL who believe the team will be able to get a third- or fourth-round pick, but not a second. Even a fourth would make the signing worth it, but you have to wonder how high that return could climb if Kovalchuk continues to produce at his current level.
In 13 games with the Canadiens, the 36-year old forward has five goals and ten points while logging more than 19 minutes a night. His possession statistics have been excellent and he is even a +5, the first positive rating he would have in the NHL since his return.
If Kovalchuk seriously wants a shot at the Stanley Cup he may prefer going somewhere at the deadline, but his performance in Montreal also opens up some interesting questions about next season. After flaming out in Los Angeles it was hard to see him having much of a future in the NHL at all, but after proving he can still play a role—even a sheltered one—there will be plenty of Kovalchuk talk to come.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Edmonton Oilers Have “Looked Into” Tomas Tatar
If there’s one line repeated ad nauseam this trade deadline, it will be that the Edmonton Oilers need help on the wing. Now that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been split up for the most part and are driving two different lines, the prevailing thought is that they will add a body or two to give them a little more depth. You wouldn’t blame GM Ken Holland for looking around for a familiar face then. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes in his latest 31 Thoughts column that the Oilers have “looked into” Montreal Canadiens forward Tomas Tatar, who of course has a long history with Holland from their time in Detroit.
Tatar, who is also drawing interest from the Pittsburgh Penguins according to Friedman, has resurrected his career in Montreal after an ill-fated stopover with the Vegas Golden Knights. After setting career-highs with 25 goals and 58 points last season, Tatar is ready to blow past those numbers in 2019-20. He currently sits with 20 goals and 50 points in 55 games, leading the Canadiens in both categories by a fairly wide margin.
Why would Montreal want to trade Tatar then? Well, this season hasn’t gone according to plan for the Canadiens who even with their recent strong play still sit seven points out of an Atlantic Division playoff spot. The final wild card position is actually even further away, and Montreal would have to jump over several teams to land either one.
There’s also the fact that Tatar is only signed for one more year and just turned 29. While he has obviously been a great fit for the team, trading him now could provide a pretty significant return given he would represent two playoff runs for any acquiring team.
In 2018 when the Golden Knights acquired Tatar from the Red Wings, he had three additional seasons on his deal at a $5.3MM cap hit. He also only had 16 goals and 28 points through 62 games, but Vegas still decided to give up a first, a second and a third-round pick for him. After the Golden Knights retained salary in the subsequent move, he now costs just $4.8MM against the cap and is having and much more successful season. That’s why Friedman writes that any team would have to “move the needle” to really interest Montreal GM Marc Bergevin, but also why he could be one of the biggest names on the market if made available.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Montreal Canadiens Recall Cayden Primeau
The Montreal Canadiens are on their way to New Jersey to take on P.K. Subban and the Devils, but they’ll be without Carey Price. The star goaltender did not travel with the club due to an illness, making it necessary for Montreal to recall Cayden Primeau from the minor leagues under emergency circumstances.
Primeau, 20, made his NHL debut and played two games with the Canadiens earlier this season, registering a .931 save percentage. That performance is extremely encouraging after Primeau’s excellent collegiate career, though it has been a little tougher in the minor leagues.
The seventh-round pick remains a top goaltending prospect and a potential backup for Price in the coming years, but obviously needs some more time to develop. Still, his .899 save percentage for the Laval Rocket actually leads the club, beating out both Charlie Lindgren and Keith Kinkaid during their time in the AHL.
Minor Transactions: 02/03/20
A new week of NHL action and wild speculation starts with three games this evening, including the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs battling for position in the Atlantic Division. The two clubs are trying desperately to capture a divisional playoff spot and avoid the wild card race entirely, with Toronto currently leading by two points. As they and the rest of the league prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- The Montreal Canadiens have recalled Christian Folin from the minor leagues, after sending two of their youngsters down in recent days. Folin played five games for the Canadiens earlier this season and has one point.
- Joey Anderson is on his way to the New Jersey Devils, recalled after scoring 34 points in 44 games for the Binghamton Devils this season. Anderson made his NHL debut in 2018-19 and ended up playing in 34 contests for New Jersey, but has been limited to AHL action this year.
- Carl Grundstrom has been recalled by the Los Angeles Kings, with Matt Luff heading down in his place. The 22-year old forward has played in nine games with the Kings this year, but once again has spent most of his season in the minors. Acquired as part of the Jake Muzzin deal last season, Grundstrom has yet to really establish himself at the NHL level.
- After bringing up Maxim Letunov yesterday, the San Jose Sharks recalled another pair from the minor leagues. Andrew Shortridge and Danil Yurtaykin both joined the NHL roster, after the team placed Logan Couture and Joel Kellman on injured reserve. At least part of this move was to get as close to the salary cap ceiling as possible before placing Tomas Hertl on long-term injured reserve. Once that move was made earlier today, Shortridge and Yurtaykin were returned to the Barracuda and forward Alex True was recalled.
- Nicolas Roy and Zach Whitecloud are back, after being in a paper transaction yesterday for the Vegas Golden Knights. Roy has to be used to this by now, after spending nearly the whole season bouncing up and down between the two levels.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have reassigned defenseman Dennis Gilbert to the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. Gilbert has split his season almost evenly between the two teams, with 20 games for Chicago and 15 gmes for Rockford. He’s still looking to find consistent production in either place.
- Daniel Sprong is back up with the Anaheim Ducks. The Dutch winger has been recalled from the AHL and hopes to stick longer than he has in numerous short trips this season. It will help if he can improve on just two points in eight games thus far with Anaheim.