Montreal Canadiens Re-Sign Mike Reilly
The Montreal Canadiens issued a qualifying offer to defenseman Mike Reilly yesterday, but he won’t need it. The two sides have agreed to terms on a two-year contract that will carry a $1.5MM average annual value. Reilly will be an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the deal.
If you were to start a conversation about last season’s Montreal blue line names like Shea Weber, Jeff Petry and Victor Mete would obviously come up first. Perhaps a mention of Jordie Benn‘s career year, or Karl Alzner‘s rapid decline. Eventually though you might get to Reilly, who quietly established himself as a full-time NHL option by playing in 57 games and more than holding his own. The 25-year old defenseman had just 11 points, but averaged nearly 19 minutes a night—easily the highest number of his career.
This contract is a reward for that performance, but also one that gives Reilly an even bigger opportunity. He will have the chance to set himself up for a much more lucrative deal in free agency two years from now if he can continue to grow and develop his game at both ends of the rink. A quiet contributor is exactly what many teams are looking for to lengthen out their defense corps, a purpose Reilly will serve once again this season behind the more well known names listed above.
Arriving in Montreal in exchange for a fifth-round pick, the young defenseman has been one of the many shrewd moves Montreal GM Marc Bergevin has made over the last several seasons to add some depth to his club. The Canadiens now have six defensemen signed to one-way contracts for 2019-20, plus Mete and Noah Juulsen still on their entry-level deals.
Wayne Simmonds Drawing Interest As Free Agency Nears
Things didn’t work out for Wayne Simmonds last season. After recording just 27 points through his first 62 games for the Philadelphia Flyers, he was flipped to the Nashville Predators at the deadline and absolutely fell off a cliff. In 17 games for the Predators, Simmonds recorded just three points and was demoted to the fourth line. He suited up for only two of the team’s playoff games, meaning it came as little surprise when GM David Poile announced they would not be bringing him back. That doesn’t mean there won’t be interest in him as a free agent though, as Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) reports in his newest column.
LeBrun suggests that the Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota Wild are both among “about a dozen” teams that have reached out to Simmonds and agent Eustace King, who are expected to conduct negotiations over the phone instead of visiting with teams. The 30-year old forward is coming off a six-year deal signed back in 2012 with the Philadelphia Flyers that carried an average annual value of $3.975MM and was once considered one of the biggest bargains in the league.
He could be that once again if his market is drastically reduced by his down year. Simmonds recorded between 24 and 32 goals in the six full seasons between 2011-2018, plus added 15 in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 year. That kind of consistency is exactly what every team is looking for out of a physical, net-front presence and if he can reclaim any of that ability he would be an asset to anyone. Unfortunately injuries have taken their toll on him throughout the years and it is unclear if he can ever get back to that point.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
2019 NHL Entry Draft Results
The day has arrived. Friday night kicks off the 2019 NHL Entry Draft with the first round, as the first 31 prospects will hear their names called. Saturday afternoon will bring the remaining six rounds and another 186 NHL hopefuls. This is considered an above average draft class, with strong prospects available well into day two. Below are the picks for the ongoing or completed rounds, with updated selections:
Round One
- New Jersey Devils – F Jack Hughes, USNTDP (USHL)
- New York Rangers – F Kaapo Kakko, TPS (Liiga)
- Chicago Blackhawks – F Kirby Dach, Saskatoon (WHL)
- Colorado Avalanche (from OTT) – D Bowen Byram, Vancouver (WHL)
- Los Angeles Kings – F Alex Turcotte, USNTDP (USHL)
- Detroit Red Wings – D Moritz Seider, Mannheim (DEL)
- Buffalo Sabres – F Dylan Cozens, Lethbridge (WHL)
- Edmonton Oilers – D Philip Broberg, AIK (Allsvenskan)
- Anaheim Ducks – F Trevor Zegras, USNTDP (USHL)
- Vancouver Canucks – F Vasily Podkolzin, St. Petersburg (KHL)
- Arizona Coyotes (from PHI) – D Victor Soderstrom, Brynas (SHL)
- Minnesota Wild – F Matthew Boldy, USNTDP (USHL)
- Florida Panthers – G Spencer Knight, USNTDP (USHL)
- Philadelphia Flyers (from ARI) – D Cam York, USNTDP (USHL)
- Montreal Canadiens – F Cole Caufield, USNTDP (USHL)
- Colorado Avalanche – F Alex Newhook, Victoria (BCHL)
- Vegas Golden Knights – F Peyton Krebs, Winnipeg (WHL)
- Dallas Stars – D Thomas Harley, Mississauga (OHL)
- Ottawa Senators (from CLB) – D Lassi Thomson, Kelowna (WHL)
- Winnipeg Jets – D Ville Heinola, Lukko (Liiga)
- Pittsburgh Penguins – F Samuel Poulin, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
- Los Angeles Kings (from TOR) – D Tobias Bjornfot, Djurgardens (SHL)
- New York Islanders – F Simon Holmstrom, HV71 (SuperElit)
- Nashville Predators – F Philip Tomasino, Niagara (OHL)
- Washington Capitals – F Connor McMichael, London (OHL)
- Calgary Flames – F Jakob Pelletier, Moncton (QMJHL)
- Tampa Bay Lightning – F Nolan Foote, Kelowna (WHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes – F Ryan Suzuki, Barrie (OHL)
- Anaheim Ducks (from SJS via BUF) – F Brayden Tracey, Moose Jaw (WHL)
- Boston Bruins – F John Beecher, USNTDP (USHL)
- Buffalo Sabres (from STL) – D Ryan Johnson, Sioux Falls (USHL)
Round 2
32. Ottawa Senators – F Shane Pinto, Tri-City (USHL)
33. Los Angeles Kings – F Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton (OHL)
34. Philadelphia Flyers (from NJD via NSH) – F Bobby Brink, Sioux City (USHL)
*PHI acquires pick from NSH for Nos. 45 and 65
35. Detroit Red Wings – D Antti Tuomisto, Assat (Jr. Liiga)
36. Carolina Hurricanes (from BUF) – G Pyotr Kochetkov, St. Petersburg (VHL)
37. Ottawa Senators (from NYR via CAR) – G Mads Sogaard, Medicine Hat (WHL)
*OTT acquires pick from CAR for Nos. 44 and 83
38. Edmonton Oilers – F Raphael Lavoie, Halifax (QMJHL)
39. Anaheim Ducks – D Jackson LaCombe, Shattuck St. Mary’s (MN HS)
40. Vancouver Canucks – F Nils Hoglander, Rogle (SHL)
41. Vegas Golden Knights (from PHI via SJS) – D Kaedan Korczak, Kelowna (WHL)
*VGK acquires pick from SJS for Nos. 48 and 82
42. Minnesota Wild – F Vladislav Firstov, Waterloo (USHL)
43. Chicago Blackhawks – D Alex Vlasic, USNTDP (USHL)
44. Carolina Hurricanes (from FLA via SJS and OTT) – F Jamieson Rees, Sarnia (OHL)
45. Nashville Predators (from ARI via PHI) – F Egor Afanasyev, Muskegon (USHL)
46. Montreal Canadiens – D Jayden Struble, St. Sebastian’s (MA HS)
47. Colorado Avalanche – D Drew Helleson, USNTDP (USHL)
48. San Jose Sharks (via VGK) – F Artemi Knyazev, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
49. New York Rangers (from DAL) – D Matthew Robertson, Edmonton (WHL)
50. Los Angeles Kings (from CLB via VGK and MTL) – F Samuel Fagemo, Frolunda (SHL)
*LAK acquires pick from MTL for Nos. 64 and 126
51. Winnipeg Jets – D Simon Lundmark, Linkoping (SHL)
52. Florida Panthers (from PIT) – D Vladislav Kolyachonok, Flint (OHL)
53. Toronto Maple Leafs – F Nicholas Robertson, Peterborough (OHL)
54. Detroit Red Wings (from NYI via VGK) – F Robert Mastrosimone, Chicago (USHL)
55. San Jose Sharks (from NSH via NJD) – F Dillon Hamaliuk, Kelowna (WHL)
*SJS acquire pick from NJD for Nos. 82 and 91
56. Washington Capitals – F Brett Leason, Prince Albert (WHL)
57. New York Islanders (from CGY) – D Samuel Bolduc, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
58. New York Rangers (from TBL) – F Karl Henriksson, Frolunda (SHL)
59. Minnesota Wild (from CAR) – G Hunter Jones, Peterborough (OHL)
*MIN acquire pick from CAR for Nos. 73 and 91
60. Detroit Red Wings (from SJS) – D Albert Johansson, Farjestad (SuperElit)
61. New Jersey Devils (from BOS) – D Nikita Okhotyuk, Ottawa (OHL)
62. St. Louis Blues – F Nikita Alexandrov, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
Round Three
63. Colorado Avalanche (from OTT) – F Matthew Steinburg, St. Andrew’s (CAN HS)
64. Montreal Canadiens (from LAK) – D Mattias Norlinder, MODO (Allsvenskan)
65. Nashville Predators (from NJD via EDM and PHI) – F Alexander Campbell, Victoria (BCHL)
66. Detroit Red Wings – F Albin Grewe, Djurgardens (SHL)
67. Buffalo Sabres – G Erik Portillo, Frolunda (SuperElit)
68. New York Rangers – D Zachary Jones, Tri-City (USHL)
69. Florida Panthers – D John Ludvig, Portland (WHL)
70. New Jersey Devils (from ANA) – D Daniil Misyul, Yaroslavl (MHL)
71. Tampa Bay Lightning (from VAN) – G Hugo Alnefelt, HV71 (SuperElit)
72. Philadelphia Flyers – D Ronnie Attard, Tri-City (USHL)
73. Carolina Hurricanes (from MIN) – F Patrik Puistola, Tappara (Liiga)
74. Pittsburgh Penguins (from CHI via ARI) – F Nathan Legare, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)
*PIT acquire pick from ARI for Nos. 98, 151, and 207
75. Minnesota Wild (from FLA via NSH) – F Adam Beckman, Spokane (WHL)
*MIN acquire pick from NSH for 2020 third-round pick
76. Arizona Coyotes – F John Farinacci, Dexter (MA HS)
77. Montreal Canadiens – D Gianni Fairbrother, Everett (WHL)
78. Colorado Avalanche – F Alex Beaucage, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
79. Vegas Golden Knights – F Pavel Dorofeyev, Magnitogorsk (MHL)
80. New Jersey Devils (from DAL) – F Graeme Clarke, Ottawa (OHL)
81. Florida Panthers (from CLB) – F Cole Schwindt, Mississauga (OHL)
*FLA acquire pick from CLB for Nos. 104 and 114
82. New Jersey Devils (from WPG via VGK and SJS) – D Michael Vukojevic, Kitchener (OHL)
83. Carolina Hurricanes (from PIT via VGK and OTT) – D Anttoni Honka, JYP (Liiga)
84. Toronto Maple Leafs – D Mikko Kokkonen, Jukurit (Liiga)
85. Edmonton Oilers (from NYI) – G Ilya Konovalov, Yaroslavl (KHL)
86. Vegas Golden Knights (from NSH) – D Layton Ahac, Prince George (BCHL)
87. Los Angeles Kings (from WAS) – G Lukas Parik, Liberec (Czech Jr.)
88. Calgary Flames – F Ilya Nikolayev, Yaroslavl (MHL)
89. Tampa Bay Lightning – F Maxim Cajkovic, Saint John (QMHJL)
90. Carolina Hurricanes – D Domenick Fensore, USNTDP (USHL)
91. Washington Capitals (from SJS via NJD) – F Alexei Protas, Prince Albert (WHL)
*WAS acquire pick from NJD for Nos. 118 and 129
92. Boston Bruins – F Quinn Olson, Okotoks (AJHL)
93. St. Louis Blues – G Colten Ellis, Rimouski (QMJHL)
Round Four
94. Ottawa Senators – D Viktor Lodin, Orebro (SHL)
95. Los Angeles Kings – D Jordan Spence, Moncton (QMJHL)
96. New Jersey Devils – F Tyce Thompson, Dubuque (USHL)
97. Detroit Red Wings – F Ethan Phillips, Sioux Falls (USHL)
98. Arizona Coyotes (from BUF via PIT) – F Matias Maccelli, Dubuque (USHL)
99. Carolina Hurricanes (from NYR via BOS and MIN) – D Cade Webber, Rivers (MA HS)
100. Edmonton Oilers – F Matej Blumel, Waterloo (USHL)
101. Anaheim Ducks – D Henry Thrun, USNTDP (USHL)
102. Buffalo Sabres (from VAN) – F Aaron Huglen, Roseau (MN HS)
*BUF acquire pick from VAN for Nos. 122 and 175
103. Philadelphia Flyers – D Mason Millman, Saginaw (OHL)
104. Florida Panthers (from MIN via ARI and PIT) – D Eric Hjorth, Linkoping (Allsvenskan)
105. Chicago Blackhawks – F Michal Teply, Liberec (Czech)
106. Florida Panthers – D Carter Berger, Victoria (BCHL)
107. Arizona Coyotes – F Alexander Darin, Yaroslavl (MHL)
108. San Jose Sharks – F Yegor Spiridonov, Magnitogorsk (MHL)
109. Nashville Predators (from COL) – D Marc Del Gaizo, UMass (NCAA)
110. Vegas Golden Knights – F Ryder Donovan, Duluth East (MN HS)
111. Dallas Stars – D Samuel Sjolund, AIK (Allsvenskan)
112. New York Rangers (from CBJ) – D Hunter Skinner, Lincoln (USHL)
113. Winnipeg Jets – F Henri Nikkanen, Jukurit (Liiga)
114. Columbus Blue Jackets (from PIT via FLA) – F Dmitri Voronkov, Kazan (MHL)
115. Toronto Maple Leafs – F Mikhail Abramov, Victoriaville (QMJHL)
116. Calgary Flames (from NYI) – Lucas Feuk, Sodertalje (SuperElit)
117. Nashville Predators – D Semyon Chistyakov, Ufa (MHL)
118. New Jersey Devils (from WAS) – D Case McCarthy, USNTDP (USHL)
119. Los Angeles Kings (from CGY via MTL) – D Kim Nousiainen, KalPa (Jr. Liiga)
120. Tampa Bay Lightning – D Max Crozier, Sioux Falls (USHL)
121. Carolina Hurricanes – F Tuukka Tieksola, Karpat (Jr. Liiga)
122. Vancouver Canucks (from SJS via BUF) – F Ethan Keppen, Flint (OHL)
123. Chicago Blackhawks (from BOS) – F Antti Saarela, Lukko (Jr. Liiga)
124. Toronto Maple Leafs (from STL) – F Nick Abruzzese, Chicago (USHL)
Round Five
125. Ottawa Senators – F Mark Kastelic, Calgary (WHL)
126. Montreal Canadiens (from LAK) – D Jacob LeGuerrier, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
127. New Jersey Devils – G Cole Brady, Janesville (NAHL)
128. Detroit Red Wings – D Cooper Moore, Brunswick (CT HS)
129. New Jersey Devils (from BUF via DET and WAS) – F Arseni Gritsyuk, Yastreby (MHL)
130. New York Rangers – F Leevi Aaltonen, KalPa (Jr. Liiga)
131. Montreal Canadiens (from EDM) – F Rhett Pitlick, Chaska (MN HS)
132. Anaheim Ducks – F Trevor Janicke, Central Illinois (USHL)
133. Vancouver Canucks – F Carson Focht, Calgary (WHL)
134. Winnipeg Jets (from PHI) – F Harrison Blaisdell, Chilliwack (BCHL)
135. Vegas Golden Knights (from MIN) – G Isaiah Saville, Tri-City (USHL)
136. Florida Panthers (from CHI via MTL) – F Henry Rybinski, Seattle (WHL)
137. Florida Panthers – F Owen Lindmark, USNTDP (USHL)
138. Montreal Canadiens (from ARI via CHI and LAK) – G Frederik Dichow, Vojens (Denmark)
139. Vegas Golden Knights (from MTL) – F Marcus Kallionkieli, Sioux City (USHL)
140. Colorado Avalanche – F Sasha Mutala, Tri-City (WHL)
141. Vegas Golden Knights – F Mason Primeau, Guelph (OHL)
142. Dallas Stars – F Nicholas Porco, Saginaw (OHL)
143. Buffalo Sabres (from CLB via DET) – F Filip Cederqvist, Vaxjo (SHL)
*BUF acquire pick from DET for Nos. 177 and 191
144. Winnipeg Jets – G Logan Neaton, Prince George (BCHL)
145. Pittsburgh Penguins – F Judd Caulfield, USNTDP (USHL)
146. Toronto Maple Leafs – D Mike Koster, Chaska (MN HS)
147. New York Islanders – F Reece Newkirk, Portland (WHL)
148. Nashville Predators – G Ethan Haider, Minnesota (NAHL)
149. Minnesota Wild (from WAS via MTL) – F Matvei Guskov, London (OHL)
150. Calgary Flames – F Josh Nodler, Fargo (USHL)
151. Arizona Coyotes (from TBL via CHI and PIT) – F Aku Raty, Karpat (Jr. Liiga)
152. Carolina Hurricanes – F Kirill Slepets, Yaroslavl (MHL)
153. San Jose Sharks – D Martin Hugo Has, Tappara (Jr. Liiga)
154. Boston Bruins – D Roman Bychkov, Yaroslavl (MHL)
155. St. Louis Blues – F Keean Washkurak, Mississauga (OHL)
Round Six
156. Vancouver Canucks (from OTT) – G Arturs Silovs, Riga (MHL)
157. Los Angeles Kings – D Braden Doyle, Lawrence Academy (MA HS)
158. New Jersey Devils – F Patrick Moynihan, USNTDP (USHL)
159. Detroit Red Wings – F Elmer Soderblom, Frolunda (SuperElit)
160. Buffalo Sabres – F Lukas Rousek, Praha (Czech)
161. New York Rangers – F Adam Edstrom, Mora (SuperElit)
162. Edmonton Oilers – F Tomas Mazura, Kimball Union (MA HS)
163. Anaheim Ducks – D William Francis, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
164. San Jose Sharks (from VAN) – F Timur Ibragimov, St. Petersburg (MHL)
165. Philadelphia Flyers – F Yegor Serdyuk, Victoriaville (QMJHL)
166. Minnesota Wild – D Marshall Warren, USNTDP (USHL)
167. Chicago Blackhawks – G Dominic Basse, Selects (USPHL)
168. Florida Panthers – F Greg Meireles, Kitchener (OHL)
169. Philadelphia Flyers (from ARI) – D Roddy Ross, Seattle (WHL)
170. Montreal Canadiens – F Arsen Khisamutdinov, Nizhnekamsk (MHL)
171. Colorado Avalanche – F Luka Burzan, Brandon (WHL)
172. Minnesota Wild (from VGK) – F Nikita Nesterenko, Lawrenceville (NJ HS)
173. Dallas Stars – D Ben Brinkman, Minnesota (NCAA)
174. Arizona Coyotes (from CLB) – F Danil Savunov, Penza (VHL)
175. Vancouver Canucks (from WPG via BUF) – F Karel Plasek, Brno (Czech)
176. Arizona Coyotes (from PIT) – F Anthony Romano, Sioux Falls (USHL)
177. Detroit Red Wings (from TOR via BUF) – D Gustav Berglund, Frolunda (Allsvenskan)
178. New York Islanders – F Felix Bibeau, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
179. Nashville Predators – F Isak Walther, Sodertalje (Allsvenskan)
180. Vancouver Canucks (from WAS) – F John Malone, Youngstown (USHL)
181. Carolina Hurricanes (from CGY) – F Kevin Wall, Chilliwack (BCHL)
182. Tampa Bay Lightning – D Quinn Schmiemann, Kamloops (WHL)
183. Carolina Hurricanes – F Blake Murray, Sudbury (OHL)
184. San Jose Sharks – D Santeri Hatakka, Jokerit (Jr. Liiga)
185. Boston Bruins – F Matias Mantykivi, SaiPa (Jr. Liiga)
186. Anaheim Ducks (from STL) – D Matthew Hill, Barrie (OHL)
Round Seven
187. Ottawa Senators – D Maxence Guenette, Val-d’Or (QMJHL)
188. Los Angeles Kings – F Andre Lee, Sioux Falls (USHL)
189. New Jersey Devils – F Nikola Pasic, Linkoping (SuperElit)
190. Detroit Red Wings – F Kirill Tyutyayev, Yekatirinburg (MHL)
191. Detroit Red Wings (from BUF) – G Carter Gylander, Sherwood Park (AJHL)
192. Boston Bruins (from NYR) – F Jake Schmaltz, Chicago (USHL)
193. Edmonton Oilers – F Maxim Denezhkin, Yaroslavl (MHL)
194. Chicago Blackhawks (from ANA) – D Cole Moberg, Prince George (WHL)
195. Vancouver Canucks – F Aidan McDonough, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
196. Philadelphia Flyers – F Bryce Brodzinski, Blaine (MN HS)
197. Minnesota Wild – G Filip Lindberg, UMass (NCAA)
198. Tampa Bay Lightning (from CHI) – F Mikhail Shalagin, Moscow (MHL)
199. Florida Panthers – F Matthew Wedman, Seattle (WHL)
200. Arizona Coyotes – D Axel Bergqvist, Leksands (Allsvenskan)
201. Montreal Canadiens (from PHI via MTL) – F Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
*MTL acquires pick from PHI for 2020 seventh-round pick
202. Colorado Avalanche – G Trent Miner, Vancouver (WHL)
203. Pittsburgh Penguins (from VGK) – F Valtteri Puustinen, HPK (Liiga)
204. Toronto Maple Leafs (from DAL) – D Kalle Loponen, Hermes (Mestis)
205. New York Rangers (from CLB) – F Eric Ciccolini, Toronto (OJHL)
206. Montreal Canadiens (from WPG) – D Kieran Ruscheinski, Calgary (AMHL)
207. Arizona Coyotes (from PIT) – F Valentin Nussbaumer, Shawnigan (QMJHL)
208. Toronto Maple Leafs – G Vadim Zherenko, Moscow (MHL)
209. New York Islanders – F Cole Coskey, Saginaw (OHL)
210. Nashville Predators – F Juuso Parssinen, TPS (Jr. Liiga)
211. Pittsburgh Penguins (from WAS via SJS) – D Santeri Airola, SaiPa (Jr. Liiga)
* PIT acquire pick from SJS for 2020 seventh-round pick
212. Columbus Blue Jackets (from CGY via OTT) – F Tyler Angle, Windsor (OHL)
213. Tampa Bay Lightning – F McKade Webster, Green Bay (USHL)
214. Calgary Flames (from CAR) – G Dustin Wolf, Everett (WHL)
215. Vancouver Canucks (from SJS) – F Arvid Costmar, Linkoping (SuperElit)
216. Carolina Hurricanes (from BOS via NYR) – F Massimo Rizzo, Penticton (BCHL)
217. St. Louis Blues – F Jeremy Michel, Val-d’Or (QMJHL)
Jordie Benn To Test Free Agency
Jordie Benn set career highs in nearly every category this season, but it won’t be enough to earn him another contract with the Montreal Canadiens. The veteran defenseman will test unrestricted free agency, Canadiens’ GM Marc Bergevin told reporters including Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Bergevin also confirmed to Eric Engels of Sportsnet that Michael McCarron was qualified, and that he hasn’t made a final decision on whether he’ll use a buyout.
Benn, 31, played in 81 games for the first time in his career and recorded five goals and 22 points for the Canadiens. The versatile defender led the team in blocked shots and logged the most short-handed time—Shea Weber averaged just two seconds more per game on the penalty kill, but suited up just 58 times. In 473 career games, Benn now has 110 points could actually be considered one of the more attractive options on the open market this season. Since Erik Karlsson, Alexander Edler and others have re-signed, the blue line free agent depth is looking extremely thin. Benn’s 22 points puts him behind only Tyler Myers, Jake Gardiner, Niklas Kronwall and Ron Hainsey among UFA defensemen.
The left-handed defenseman is coming off a three-year deal signed in 2016 that paid him just $1.1MM per season, something he will likely be able to significantly eclipse on the open market this summer. Probably his best chance for a real career-defining contract, it will be interesting to see who goes after Benn and whether or not the Dallas Stars show any desire to reunite him with his brother Jamie Benn.
New York Rangers Involved In Multiple Trade Discussions
“This may mean we lose some familiar faces, guys we all care about and respect.”
That’s what the New York Rangers front office stated in a letter dated February 8, 2018 as they began their deconstruction of a roster that had brought such immense regular season success. That day they waived Brendan Smith less than a year after signing him to a four-year extension, and two weeks later started the process of selling off all the aging or expiring assets. First out the door was Nick Holden, then Michael Grabner and Rick Nash. That could have been a shocking trade deadline it its own right, but GM Jeff Gorton had an even bigger deal up his sleeve, sending captain Ryan McDonagh and power forward J.T. Miller to the Tampa Bay Lightning. A year later Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes were shipped off as well.
Now, even after starting to turn the corner from tear down to rebuild with acquisitions like Adam Fox and Jacob Trouba, the Rangers still might have a few items for sale. Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that the Rangers are “involved in multiple discussions to improve their club” at the moment, and lists Chris Kreider, Jimmy Vesey, Vladislav Namestnikov, Kevin Shattenkirk and Pavel Buchnevich as potential trade options. Indeed Vesey even rose to the eighth spot on his Trade Bait board, noting that the Rangers have “a lot on the go.”
That TSN report comes at nearly the same time as Larry Brooks’ latest column for the New York Post, which suggests that this is likely the end for Kreider in New York. Brooks reports that the Rangers and Kreider’s agent Matt Keator of Olympic Sports Management haven’t yet held a “substantive conversation” about what a contract extension would look like. The 28-year old forward has just one year remaining on his current deal, and would likely fetch the biggest return out of the group listed above.
The questions will now become what the Rangers are after. Do they move Kreider for more draft picks and continue to collect young talent, or do they try and bring in more established players like Trouba to start the turnaround right away. With just two players on the entire roster signed for more than two years—Mika Zibanejad and Brady Skjei—the team has more flexibility than almost any in the league. Free agency will be a tempting pool to jump into this season, especially with the expected interest of Artemi Panarin and others in playing for a New York-area team.
First though the team must navigate the next few days and decide whether or not they will be losing some more familiar faces—even ones that they care about and respect.
Montreal Canadiens To Host 2020 NHL Entry Draft
The NHL Entry Draft is staying in Canada, as the league announced today that the 2020 draft will be held in Montreal on June 26-27. It was last held there in 2009, but Montreal has a long history with the draft including hosting the first 22 iterations from 1963 to 1984.
Not only will it be a great chance for the Canadiens to host the NHL, but potential first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere should feel right at home. The talented forward is from close by St-Eustache. Lafreniere recorded 128 points in 74 games this season for the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL, despite being just 17 years old. He’ll hope to follow in the footsteps of the last man picked first in Montreal—John Tavares.
Montreal Not Expected To Qualify Shinkaruk, Audette
The Montreal Canadiens are starting to make decisions on their group of restricted free agents. Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports is reporting that the team will not issue qualifying offers to both Hunter Shinkaruk and Daniel Audette, making both of them unrestricted free agents this summer. Meanwhile the team has offered Charles Hudon a qualifying offer, according to several reports including Chantal Machabee of RDS. Hudon is said to have turned down the offer, meaning he can either file for salary arbitration or continue to negotiate a new contract with the Canadiens.
Shinkaruk, 24, ended up in the Montreal organization after a trade last summer with the Calgary Flames. It was the second time in his young career he’d been flipped, thanks to a relatively uninspiring performance so far at the professional level. Originally selected by the Vancouver Canucks 24th overall in 2013, Shinkaruk has played just 15 games at the NHL level and has just four points to show for it. Even with the Laval Rocket in the AHL last season he was disappointing, recording ten points in 54 games. He’ll likely get a chance for a fresh start somewhere else, hopefully resulting in his full offensive potential coming out.
Audette, 23, is a different story entirely. Selected in the fifth round five years ago, the undersized forward has actually been relatively effective at the AHL level. He finished third on the Rocket in scoring last season with 39 points, but apparently hasn’t done enough to warrant an NHL contract. The Canadiens already have 40 on the books for next season, meaning they have to be very careful with who they issue qualifying offers to this summer. It will be interesting to see if Montreal circles back and tries to get Audette to stay on an AHL deal.
Meanwhile, Hudon has been a frustratingly inconsistent player at the NHL level. The 24-year old forward was dynamite at the AHL level for several years, and even recorded 30 points in his first full season in Montreal. That was followed by an extremely disappointing five points in 2018-19, and though that came in just 32 games played it is not clear if he can be a long-term contributor.
Minor Notes: O’Brien, Sholl, Lacouvee
Minor league forward Jim O’Brien will be taking his talents overseas, as the 30-year old has signed with the Nuremberg Ice Tigers of Germany’s DEL. It’s been a tough road back for the veteran forward, after severing a tendon in his right leg during a game in late September last year. O’Brien finished with just three points in 11 games for the Belleville Senators and will see his contract with Ottawa expire in a few weeks.
Originally selected in the first round by the Senators back in 2007, it never has quite worked out at the NHL level for O’Brien. The two-way center was a star in the WHL but got off to a rocky start in his professional career, and rarely got an opportunity at the highest level. In 77 NHL games he has just 13 points, a number he’ll obviously try to eclipse this season with Nuremberg.
- The Texas Stars have signed Tomas Sholl to an AHL contract for 2019-20, keeping the former Bowling Green State goaltender in the organization for another year. Sholl has played the majority of the last two seasons in the ECHL where he has been one of the league’s best goaltenders, posting a .928 save percentage in 2018-19. He very well could return to that league this season, unless the Stars believe he’s ready for more advanced competition in the AHL.
- Speaking of minor league goaltenders, the Laval Rocket have re-signed Connor Lacouvee for another season. The 25-year old will be on an AHL contract and hope to get a bigger opportunity this season. Bouncing around between the ECHL and AHL, Lacouvee ended up playing 37 games in total but was a surprisingly effective option for the Rocket. With the Montreal Canadiens likely graduating Charlie Lindgren to the NHL they have just two other goaltenders in the organization. Lacouvee, while technically not under contract with Montreal, will be able to help out their minor league system while trying to show he’s ready for even more responsibility.
Free Agent Focus: New York Rangers
Free agency is now less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. The Rangers have a lot of options when it comes to the upcoming free agency period, but don’t have as much to concern themselves with when it comes to their own free agents. New York does have a few restricted free agents they must worry about, but few players to concern themselves among unrestricted free agents.
Key Restricted Free Agents: F Pavel Buchnevich — The Rangers must be thrilled with the continued improvements of their 24-year-old forward, who has continually taken his game up a notch in all three years, scoring eight goals as a rookie, 14 goals last season and moving into a permanent top-six role in 2018-19 with a 21-goal campaign. That number was more impressive considering he only played 64 games due to a broken thumb and some issues with head coach David Quinn, although he eventually developed a solid relationship with the coach. His 15:10 ATOI was lower than a number of lesser forwards as he ranked ninth in that area among forwards, but should increase significantly next season. Now that his entry-level deal is up, New York must pay him significantly more than the $925K he was previously making. However, with his development, it’s more likely the team will seek a bridge deal in hopes that his progress continues to improve.
F Brendan Lemieux — The Rangers didn’t get a lot of time to evaluate Lemieux, who the team acquired at the trade deadline as part of the Kevin Hayes trade. While not a key piece to the deal, New York hoped that the 23-year-old would give them a key bottom-six winger for a number of years as he had proved to be an agitator in his 53 games played in Winnipeg. Lemieux started his tenure in New York off well as he provided that grit the team needed, but after averaging 7:25 of ATOI with the Jets, his minutes jumped to 12:50 with the Rangers, and he quickly wore down, suggesting he lacked conditioning. In 19 games, he accumulated six points, 64 penalty minutes and two misconducts, which is a lot of penalties. Regardless, it’s likely the Rangers will seek a short-term deal so that Lemieux can prove himself.
D Neal Pionk — After showing off impressive skills in a trial during the 2017-18 season, the 23-year-old blueliner didn’t fare as well in his first full season with the Rangers. Pionk finished the season with six goals and 26 points but also saw his plus/minus drop to minus-16, but found himself in Quinn’s doghouse quite often in the second half of the season and was often a healthy scratch as he tallied just one point and seven points in his final 37 games. With a number of young defenseman close to ready for a regular NHL role, general manager Jeff Gorton will have to decide whether Pionk should stay with the defense or whether the team should move on from him. Expect him to get a short-term or even more likely a one-year deal on a “prove it” contract.
Other RFAs: D Julius Bergman, D Chris Bigras, D Fredrik Claesson, D Anthony DeAngelo, G Brandon Halverson, F Vinni Lettieri, G Chris Nell
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: D John Gilmour — Yes, Gilmour, who played a total of five games for the Rangers this past year, is the team’s top unrestricted free agent. The Group 6 free agent played 28 games during the 2017-18 season, but found himself playing a full season for the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL where he dominated, scoring 20 goals and 54 points and was named to the AHL All-Star team. However, he has been passed over on the prospect chart by Ryan Lindgren and Libor Hajek and doesn’t seem to be a major part of the team’s long-range plans although he could be a cheap 6/7th defensive option for the Rangers if they want a low-cost option.
Other UFAs: F Connor Brickley, D Rob O’Gara, G Dustin Tokarski
Projected Cap Space: With a little less than $64MM in commitments for next season (per CapFriendly), the team has room to make changes, but it’s unlikely the team will make any long-term commitments in house this offseason. The team is far more likely to go with multiple short-term deals and focus on fast-tracking their rebuilding efforts as they will likely attempt to bring in a top free agent to supplement its young players.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Montreal Canadiens Agree To Terms With Gustav Olofsson
The Montreal Canadiens have agreed to terms with pending restricted free agent Gustav Olofsson on a one-year two-way deal. The contract will pay Olofsson $700K in the NHL level, and guarantee him at least $300K. The 24-year old defenseman will be a Group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the deal if he fails to play in 24 NHL games this season.
Olofsson was acquired by the Canadiens last October, but ended up playing in just two AHL games all season thanks to a shoulder injury. That meant he wasn’t able to help Montreal as they dealt with injuries on the NHL club, and sent him into this offseason in uncertain territory. Apparently he did enough to impress the front office and will try to show he can be an asset to the organization in 2019-20.
Montreal now has just three more defensemen to make a decision on, as Jordie Benn (UFA), Mike Reilly (RFA) and Brett Lernout (RFA) are the only free agents remaining. Even before any big moves this summer the team has a good amount of depth on the blue line, though it could probably use an upgrade at the NHL level if the Canadiens want to return to the playoffs. Olofsson isn’t that just yet, but don’t be surprised if he gets an opportunity to show he belongs at the highest level.