Nicolas Deslauriers Out Indefinitely With Facial Fracture
The bad news continues to come for the Montreal Canadiens, who today announced that physical forward Nicolas Deslauriers needed surgery to repair a facial fracture and is out indefinitely. The injury was the result of a fight with New Jersey Devils forward Brandon Braddock during a preseason game on Monday night.
Despite his offensive shortcomings, Deslauriers was a well-liked and effective forward for the Canadiens last season. Using his size and skating ability, the 27-year old pounded opposing defensemen to the tune of 238 hits in just 58 games, and even contributed 10 goals and 14 points. While he shouldn’t be expected to tally double digit goal totals every season, there is a real use for him in the bottom-six for Montreal this season given their questionable depth up front and likely reliance on young players.
Unfortunately, Deslauriers will now join the lengthy list of walking wounded for the Canadiens as the season approaches. It’s not clear if this injury will keep him from playing in any regular season games, though he may have to tone down the physical part of his game for at least a little while. The team is already without other physical players like Shea Weber and Andrew Shaw for the beginning of the season, but could get speedy forward Paul Byron back in time for the first game after a quick recovery this summer.
Atlantic Notes: Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Senators
If you were heading into the season believing that Jonathan Drouin will be the first-line center for the Montreal Canadiens, you may have to rethink that position. GM Marc Bergevin was on TSN radio today and told Tony Marinaro that he currently projects Max Domi, Phillip Danault, Tomas Plekanec and Matthew Peca as the four centers for the Canadiens to start the year. Drouin obviously still could end up at the position at some point given Domi’s lack of experience there, but it sounds like he’ll be starting on the wing.
The Canadiens have been searching for center help for quite some time, and though there is help on the way with prospects Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Ryan Poehling and Nick Suzuki—though the latter has played quite a bit of wing as well during his junior career—2018-19 doesn’t look like it will necessarily be any different. For Drouin at least the move might be beneficial, given that he struggled to score last season down the middle with just 13 goals in 77 games.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs meanwhile aren’t handing out roster spots at all to their young players, instead expecting them to earn a role in training camp. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet writes that Mike Babcock expects both Travis Dermott and Andreas Johnsson, who are expected to play big roles on the Maple Leafs going forward, to prove that they deserve spots instead of just acting like they’ve “arrived now.” Many Toronto fans are hoping that Dermott will be part of the solution to their perceived defensive woes this season, but he’ll have to convince his head coach that he’s ready before being handed a full-time job.
- Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion was on CBC radio with Robyn Bresnahan today, speaking about the dilemma he faced with the recent Erik Karlsson situation. Dorion admitted that he knew he couldn’t “get nothing” for Karlsson by watching him walk away in free agency next offseason. Contract negotiations quickly broke down between the two sides this offseason, meaning Dorion felt he “owed it to our fans to tell them what the plan was and before the season started.” The team is quite openly in rebuild mode, and are expected to give plenty of opportunities to young players this season.
Canadiens Sign Kirk Muller To A Two-Year Extension
With the start of their preseason on the horizon, the Canadiens have ensured that they’ll have some continuity behind the bench for a couple more years, announcing that they’ve given associate coach Kirk Muller a two-year contract extension. He had one year remaining on his contract prior to this deal.
This is his second stint as a coach with Montreal. He had first served as an assistant from 2006 to 2011 before looking to run his own bench. That led Muller to Nashville’s farm team in Milwaukee but he didn’t last long there as just 17 games into 2011-12, he was hired as Carolina’s head coach where he spent parts of three seasons. After being let go following the 2013-14 campaign, he went to St. Louis for two years before returning to the Canadiens in the 2016 offseason in his current role.
Montreal will be taking a slightly different approach with their coaching staff for 2018-19. Instead of having the usual two assistants on the bench alongside head coach Claude Julien (who is signed through 2021-22 at $5MM per season), they plan to have three. Muller will be joined by offseason additions Luke Richardson and Dominique Ducharme on their new-look staff after letting go of Dan Lacroix and J.J. Daigneault at the end of last season.
Metropolitan Notes: Hayes, Zibanejad, Ho-Sang, Carlsson, Speers
Many people took notice of the one-year deal that center Kevin Hayes signed this offseason as neither he nor the New York Rangers were able to agree upon a long-term contract. The 26-year-old scored a career-high 25 goals last season after posting 17 goals twice previously. With unrestricted free agency in front of him next offseason, many people wondered whether the rebuilding Rangers might opt to trade the center rather than risk losing him next season.
Hayes told MSG reporter John Giannone that he spoke to management and doesn’t feel worried about a trade.
“I had a great conversation with Dru (Chris Drury) and Gorts (GM Jeff Gorton) as soon as I signed my contract. I believe there’s no inclination of me being trade bait or me thinking that I’m going to be out of here. I did not sign a one-year deal to go to free agency. I love this organization, I love the city, what the city demands, the determination and hard work. This is where I want to be for my whole entire career. Obviously a long-term deal didn’t get done but I’m hopeful that come the right time, I think it’ll get done.”
- The New York Rangers might have to worry about another center as Mika Zibanejad left practice early Sunday, according to The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello, after taking a hit to the head in a one-on-one drill from rookie defenseman Joey Keane. The bigger concern is Zibanejad’s history of concussions, including one last season. According to the New York Post’s Bree Cyrgalis, head coach David Quinn said Zibanejad is “fine,” and he just had the wind knocked out of him and might be eligible to play Monday night in Newark.
- New York Islander fans were surprised when prospect Joshua Ho-Sang, who has said he’s turning the page on his past mistakes, missed training camp Saturday with what coach Barry Trotz said was a “personal day.” The Athletic’s Arthur Staple writes (subscription required) that neither Trotz or Ho-Sang elaborated on why he missed a key day of camp, Trotz’s first significant teaching day. “I don’t have any level of concern,” said Trotz.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have five defenseman guaranteed to be making their roster, but with the losses of Ian Cole and Jack Johnson this offseason, the team needs to find their sixth defenseman. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) suggests that player might be Gabriel Carlsson, who has been highly touted since being taken in the first-round in 2015. However, back issues hampered him throughout his first full season in North America. Now after an offseason of conditioning on his back, the 6-foot-5 Carlsson may be ready to make the leap to Columbus.
- The Athletic’s Corey Masisak reports that New Jersey Devils forward Blake Speers broke his nose yesterday when he took an elbow to the face yesterday. He is back at it again today, however, with a face shield. The 21-year-old scored 12 goals with the AHL’s Binghamton Devils and is looking to crack New Jersey’s lineup this year.
Snapshots: Byron, Lindback, Bettman
With the departures of Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk this summer, Paul Byron has seen his stock rise in Montreal. After breaking out with a 43-point campaign in 2016-17, Byron was again a top forward for the Canadiens last season with 35 points and a second consecutive 20-goal season. While the team’s trades have brought in the likes of Max Domi and Tomas Tatar, Byron is now one of the elder statesmen in the Habs forward corps and will be looked upon to take another step forward this year. Byron underwent off-season shoulder surgery and is focused on working his way back to full strength in training camp, with the Canadiens certainly hoping that he will be fully prepared for the regular season. One way or another, Byron’s production in 2018-19 will play a major role in Montreal’s season. Some fans see the 28-year-old impending free agent going the way of Pacioretty and being shipped out of town before he can walk next off-season. Others see him as part of the team new core moving forward. The latter philosophy gained some credence today when Sportsnet’s Eric Engels spoke with Byron. Byron stated that his agent and GM Marc Bergevin have had preliminary extension talks, although he admitted that all parties are interested in how his shoulder recovery and resulting scoring ability pan out. Byron added “I want to stay, I think they want to keep me. Hopefully we’ll get something done soon.” It seems that perhaps the Habs are moving on from trading away core pieces and could look to keep a healthy Byron around beyond this season.
- While yesterday’s signing of Anders Lindback by HC Davos of the Swiss NLA is newsworthy enough – the veteran goaltender spent last year in the AHL and has 130 NHL games to his credit – the team’s reason for signing him will also have reverberations in the NHL. Davos was a playoff team in the NLA last season behind their young tandem of Gilles Senn, 22, and Joren van Pottelberghe, 21, and with both keepers still under contract, there was some question as to why the team felt the need to bring in a third goalie of Lindback’s pedigree. Swiss news source Tages Anzeiger reports that the age and performance of those goalies is the exact reason the team decided to move forward with a new starter. Both Senn and van Pottelberghe are NHL draft picks; Senn was selected as an overage player by the New Jersey Devils in the fifth round of 2017, while van Pottelberghe was taken by the Detroit Red Wings in the fourth round when first eligible in 2015. Given their success, Davos was unable to convince either to abandon their plan of making the jump to North America next season, after their current contracts end, to begin the next stage of their careers. Rather than be left without any experienced goalies heading into next season, Davos decided to sign Lindback to a one-year deal to see if he could instead be their long-term solution. If Lindback meets expectations this year, expect an extension sometime over the course of the season.
- Elsewhere on the international stage, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is very happy about the league’s growing relationship with China. The Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames are currently overseas in the second O.R.G. NHL China Games, after the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks squared off last fall. Per NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, Bettman sees this as just the beginning and has big plans for China. In fact, Bettman stated at a press conference on Friday that he envisions regular season games in China in the future, similar to the games planned in Sweden and Finland this season. With the Chinese government and several large companies committed to building rinks and arenas across the country, it’s fair to say that hockey has already made an impact and will only continue to grow in popularity in the world’s most populous country. Bettman acknowledges that no formal talks have been had about regular season games yet, but more preseason games are being scheduled and the league only stands to benefit from a continued presence in China.
Joel Ward To Attend Montreal Canadiens Training Camp
The Montreal Canadiens have invited veteran forward Joel Ward to training camp on a professional tryout, giving him another chance in the NHL after becoming an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
It’s easy to forget that Ward is just a few years removed from being a 20-goal, 40-point player for the Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks, given his low-key personality and workman-like play style. The veteran of 726 regular season games scored just 12 points in 52 games for the Sharks last season but has been a solid offensive contributor throughout his career and could basically play anywhere in a lineup. There was an obvious decline in play and opportunity in 2017-18, but even at 37 there may be enough left in the tank for another season in the NHL.
That opportunity may come in Montreal, where the Canadiens suddenly find themselves with a very uncertain forward group heading into the season. With Max Pacioretty the latest to be traded away, and several players still sidelined with injury—though Paul Byron appears to be ahead of schedule and could be ready for the start of the year—the team might be forced to play several young players in important positions. A player like Ward could mitigate that need somewhat, and at least provide another veteran option for the team if they’d rather their prospects get more seasoning at the minor league or junior level. There are few players as well respected and liked as Ward around the league, and at the very least that can rub off on the Canadiens during a period in which they’re looking for new leadership among the players.
Minor Transactions: 9/13/18
The notable transactions around the NHL today have been anything but “minor”, as the start of training camp has led to some major moves of late. However, many decisions of a much smaller magnitude continue to be made by teams preparing for the preseason, as well as players still looking for a contract this season:
- Much has been made of the Calgary Flames’ training camp roster, as the team has employed a number of high-profile tryout players as they send a portion of their squad to China to face off with the Boston Bruins. However, upon releasing their camp roster today, the Flames also revealed that two veteran defensemen have been signed to AHL contracts with their affiliate, the Stockton Heat. Although not previously announced, the Heat have inked Andrew O’Brien and Michael Paliotta to contracts. O’Brien, 25, is signing his first AHL contract, as the big stay-at-home defender has been under contract with an NHL in each of his five pro seasons. Following a three-year entry-level deal with the Anaheim Ducks, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2013, O’Brien has bounced around from Anaheim, to the Nashville Predators, to the Dallas Stars over the past two seasons. In all three stops, O’Brien was not given a shot to play at the NHL level, making a minor league contract an unsurprising development. Paliotta, 25, was a teammate of O’Brien’s with the AHL’s Texas Stars last year, as the former third-round pick was unable to find a two-way contract last year after two pro seasons under contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and New York Rangers. Unlike O’Brien, Paliotta does have a pair of NHL appearances to his credit. The roster also served as notice that defenseman Adam Ollas Mattsson has re-signed with the Heat. The former Flames draft pick was limited by injuries to just fourteen games in his first pro season and there was some question as to what was in store for his playing future. It seems that Ollas Mattson is content to stay in Stockton and prove he can play at the AHL level.
- After being invited to Vancouver Canucks training camp, former Edmonton Oilers prospect Ben Betker has nevertheless signed with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings. The team announced today that Betker and forward Wade Murphy has signed one-year contracts. It seems that Betker’s invite was likely a preemptive move to the defenseman signing with their “AA” affiliate. Fresh off his entry-level contract, the big rearguard still has plenty of work to do on his game before he can think about the NHL level. However, a strong camp experience in Vancouver could be a good start.
- Several teams have already sent some of their rookie camp participants back to their junior clubs. The Montreal Canadiens have seen enough of many of their 2018 draft picks, as the team announced that they have returned forwards Cam Hillis, Allan McShane, Cole Fonstad, and Samuel Houde to their respective CHL teams. The Buffalo Sabres did the same with 2017 third-round defenseman Oskari Laaksonen, although he is set to return to his pro team, Ilves, of the Liiga in his native Finland. As did the Minnesota Wild with recent sixth-rounder Shawn Boudrias, who heads back to the QMJHL. These are just the beginning of the camp cuts which will dominate the news cycle of the next few weeks.
Training Camp Notes: Kings, Gionta, Tryouts
When the Los Angeles Kings begin training camp tomorrow, they will be without three notable players. The team announced today that starting defenseman Derek Forbort, top prospect Gabriel Vilardi, and first-year pro Austin Strand will not be full participants when camp opens. Forbort, who is entering his fourth season as a Kings regular, is the least concern. A back injury will keep Forbort from taking part in team drills, but he is well enough to skate and is considered day-to-day. Regardless, Forbort has his top-six role locked in to begin this year and will likely resume playing with Dion Phaneuf after the two found chemistry late last year. The same can’t be said for Vilardi and Strand, who are fighting for roster spots in camp but at this point are considered week-to-week. Vilardi, the eleventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, is also suffering from a back injury and is completely sidelined for now. The young center could play a major role for L.A. this year, but has to first get on the ice this month and prove he is ready for the NHL. Strand, an undrafted free agent inked by the Kings last season, is hoping to get a shot on the blue line at some point this season. However, the standout from the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds must first get over the concussion symptoms that are currently keeping him from practice and game action. In the meantime, the Kings revealed their camp roster with some extra bodies invited to perhaps make up for these injuries. Junior players Nathan Dunkley, Mark Rassel, and Michal Ivan – one from each of the three CHL leagues – are set to join the team on tryouts.
- The New York Islanders weren’t willing to give Stephen Gionta a contract extension last summer, but the team ended up re-signing the veteran forward in December. This time around they are still unwilling to give Gionta a guaranteed contract, but they are willing to give him a shot at earning a spot in camp. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reports that Gionta will join the team on a PTO in camp as he works to play a 13th pro season. Gionta, the younger brother of Brian Gionta, played for the New Jersey Devils organization for parts of eleven seasons, but has suited up for the Islanders and their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, for the past two years.
- Gionta and the Kings’ junior tryouts are far from the only camp invitees across the league. As teams have announced their camp rosters, many previously unannounced PTO’s have been revealed. The defending champion Washington Capitals have invited Canadian collegiate forward Mark Simpson and WHL goalie Logan Thompson to camp. Their Stanley Cup competitors, the Vegas Golden Knights, will have junior forwards Raphael Harvey-Pinard and Ryan Chyzowski among their participants. The Anaheim Ducks will take a look at QMJHLers Justin Ducharme and Simon Benoit. The Edmonton Oilers add yet another PTO in former Detroit Red Wings prospect forward Luke Esposito. The Nashville Predators have just one additional skater in camp in WHL center Alex Overhardt. The Montreal Canadiens bring in some nearby QMJHL talent with keeper Samuel Harvey and forward Joel Teasdale. The New Jersey Devils will give ECHL goaltender Colton Phinney a shot, as well as junior blue liner Jeremy Groleau. The Detroit Red Wings host six junior players, as well as two of their ECHL affiliate’s players: defensemen Mackenze Stewart and Brenden Kotyk. The Minnesota Wild will also have a large group of tryouts, including twin forwards Drake and Darian Pilon. Finally, the Calgary Flames have invited surprise undrafted OHL defenseman Merrick Rippon to camp, while the Chicago Blackhawks will evaluate his Ottawa 67’s team mate, forward Shaw Boomhower.
Logan Shaw To Attend Calgary Flames Training Camp
The Calgary Flames have signed another veteran forward to a professional tryout, this time bringing in Logan Shaw according to Kristen Anderson of Postmedia. Shaw finished the season with the Montreal Canadiens, but was not issued a qualifying offer and became an unrestricted free agent.
Shaw, 25, was selected in the third round by the Florida Panthers in 2011 and slowly worked his way through their minor league system including a stint in the ECHL. In 2015 he made his NHL debut and played 53 games for the Panthers, lining up mostly on the wing. That was the last chance he’d get in Florida though, as he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks during the 2016-17 season to the Anaheim Ducks and became a part-time NHL player for them. In 97 games for the Ducks over two seasons, Shaw recorded 18 points and showed that he could play center in a pinch.
When his role with the Ducks diminished and he was put on waivers this past season, the Canadiens claimed him and used his versatility to fill out the bottom of their roster. Scoring six points in 30 games with Montreal, Shaw actually saw the most ice time of his career. That didn’t earn him a contract though, and he’ll be hard pressed to fight his way onto the Calgary roster. Already the Flames had several players battling for fourth line spots this season given their additions further up the lineup, and it’s hard to see any inside track Shaw might have. Still, he’ll be able to showcase his skills and prove that he still belongs at the NHL level somewhere around the league.
Max Pacioretty Signs Four-Year Extension With Vegas Golden Knights
As expected, the Vegas Golden Knights have announced a long-term extension for new winger Max Pacioretty. After acquiring him last night from the Montreal Canadiens, the Golden Knights have signed Pacioretty to a four-year, $28MM extension that will run through the 2022-23 season. The deal includes a 10-team no-trade clause, and though Pacioretty does have one season left on his current contract, his next deal will be considerably front loaded to give him a good chunk of the salary up front:
- 2019-20: $10.5MM
- 2020-21: $7.0MM
- 2021-22: $5.25MM
- 2022-23: $5.25MM
Montreal GM Marc Bergevin stated that an extension was part of the agreement to send Pacioretty to Vegas, though the official announcement has come some hours later. The Golden Knights sent Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki and a second-round pick to Montreal in the middle of the night and had already been given a window to negotiate with Pacioretty. Vegas GM George McPhee admitted in his press conference today that they had been talking to the Canadiens since just after the draft, and things picked up over the last few days.
Pacioretty, 29, becomes one of just three forwards on the Golden Knights who are under contract for the 2021-22 season, joining Jon Marchessault and Reilly Smith who were key members of the offensive attack in a Cinderella first season. The former Montreal captain will try to join in on that production, and return to the goal scoring ways that made him a star for the Canadiens. In four consecutive seasons between 2013-2017, Pacioretty recorded at least 30 goals and 60 points and was one of the most consistent two-way threats in the Eastern Conference. It likely would have been six consecutive seasons if the 2012-13 campaign wasn’t shortened because of a work stoppage—Pacioretty had 33 goals in 2011-12 and 15 in the shortened year.
That kind of goal scoring is extremely difficult to acquire, and there is no guarantee that the Golden Knights have done so with this transaction. Pacioretty only scored 17 goals last season in 64 games, though was still one of the Canadiens most dangerous players when healthy. If he can stay on the ice in Vegas and perhaps find some early chemistry with fellow newcomer Paul Stastny, there’s a good chance he could revert to the 30-goal scorer he showed for so many years. Those questions are far from answered though, and the Golden Knights are paying him as though he will bounce back immediately. In doing so they are taking on some definite risk, though after proving they’re already in a Stanley Cup window taking a chance to acquire talent like this is usually necessary.
It is interesting that the team was able to keep the term down to just four years, given the reports that the Los Angeles Kings had offered Pacioretty a six-year, $36MM extension in a trade that fell apart earlier this offseason. Even if he can’t get back to the level he showed in previous years, Pacioretty will only be 34 when the deal expires and will likely still be at least a usable NHL player.