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Montreal Canadiens News & Rumors

Torrey Mitchell Traded To Los Angeles

By | at November 23, 2017 5:51 pm

The Los Angeles Kings have acquired forward Torrey Mitchell from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a conditional 2018 fifth-round draft pick. Should the Kings make the playoffs this season—they currently lead the Pacific Division—the draft pick would turn into the fourth-round selection that Montreal traded them last year in the Dwight King deadline deal.

"<strongMitchell, 32, didn’t have much of a role on the Canadiens this season and had been held scoreless through 11 games. While this isn’t the shake-up some believe Montreal needs, it clears room in the team’s bottom-six for a younger player to try and give the team some spark. Mitchell did have 17 points last season and has been excellent in the faceoff dot since coming to Montreal, but hadn’t been effective in limited minutes this year.

The Kings have had some depth issues down the middle since Jeff Carter‘s long-term injury, and Mitchell will give them another option for the fourth line and penalty kill. The veteran of 617 games is familiar with the west coast from his early days in San Jose, where he broke into the league as a defensive-minded forward. Perhaps the Pacific breeze and a more secure role can give him a bit of a youthful burst for the second part of the season.

Mitchell is in the last season of a three-year, $3.6MM deal and will push the Kings a little closer to the cap ceiling. As for Montreal, who already had quite a bit of cap room even with six players on injured reserve (and thus 29 players counting towards the cap), they now have even more room to complete a splashy deal if they want to try and turn around their season right away. The Canadiens were active in the offseason, bringing in Jonathan Drouin and Karl Alzner among others, but were left with several million dollars of cap space after both Alexander Radulov and Andrei Markov left for greener (Dallas pun intended) pastures.

It also returns a draft pick to a team that is looking further from contention than anyone expected. Even with the addition of Drouin, Montreal can’t seem to generate much offense on a nightly basis and is currently led by Brendan Gallagher in goals and points. Drouin, Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk have combined for just 14 goals and 33 points, a disappointing total from a trio who have all shown elite offensive ability at times in the past. If the Canadiens aren’t able to turn things around from their 8-12-3 start, hoarding draft picks for a deep 2018 class is the likely course of action.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

7 comments Los Angeles Kings Montreal Canadiens Transactions

Canadiens Not Planning To Trade Draft Picks

By | at November 22, 2017 6:23 pm

  • Although the Canadiens find themselves close to the basement in the East, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports (subscription required) that they don’t plan to move any draft picks at this time in an effort to add some help. Particularly noteworthy is that they have two second-round picks already with a good chance at a third (which they will get back if Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev plays 40 NHL games this season) which will give them some ammunition to work with at the draft in June or if GM Marc Bergevin has a change of heart and decides to put some picks in play.
7 comments Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Montreal Canadiens

Minor Transactions: 11/22/17

By | at November 22, 2017 9:33 am

With everyone but St. Louis in action tonight before the day off tomorrow, it could be a busy day for promotions and demotions across the NHL. Keep up with all the action right here:

  • The Montreal Canadiens have recalled blue liner Jakub Jerabek from the AHL, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. Jerabek is in his first season in North America after signing with the Habs this summer. However, the Czech native has yet to make his NHL debut, as Montreal has plenty of veteran albeit under-performing defensive depth. However, with the Laval Rocket, Jerabek has 11 points in 17 games and is a +10; impressive totals worthy of a recall. Jerabek also had the option of returning to Europe if he had not been recalled by mid-December, so there is strategy to the Canadiens’ move as well.
  • Another young import, Finnish forward Henrik Haapala, could also make his NHL debut tonight. Per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, the Florida Panthers have called up the small scoring winger. Haapala is in his first season in North America after scoring 60 points in 51 games in the Finnish Liiga last year. Thus far in 2017-18, Haapala has seven points in 11 games for the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. The Panthers have been liberal with number of call-ups and variety of players called up so far this season, as Haapala is just the latest to join the list.
  • Philadelphia is bringing in reinforcements. The team announced the return of young defenseman Samuel Morin and the first recall for forward Danick Martel. Morin is a name most fans recognize as a former first-round pick of the Flyers, however it is Martel who may be more intriguing. In his fourth pro season, Martel has exploded this year, leading the AHL with 14 goals. Martel scored just 20 goals last season and already has half as many points in 17 games as he did all of last year in 68 games. The Flyers surely hope that his hot hand continues at the next level.
  • In a corresponding move, Philly also sent defenseman Mark Alt and veteran forward Matt Read to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It was only a matter of time (and health) before Morin replaced Alt on the NHL roster, but the demotion of Read is certainly a big deal. The long-time Flyer cleared waivers last week and will now head to the minors, his 400+ games of NHL experience not enough to keep him around.
  • Colorado has recalled goalie Andrew Hammond and the former Senators keeper could make his Avalanche debut sooner than expected. Hammond was acquired as more or less a salary dump by Ottawa in the recent Matt Duchene–Kyle Turris blockbuster. With Semyon Varlamov and Jonathan Bernier in the net, no one thought Hammond would be anything more than a depth asset for the Avs. However, with Varlamov too sick to even suit up, “The Hamburglar” will get his chance. After a remarkable run for the Sens in 2015-16, Hammond struggled greatly in both the NHL and AHL last season and could use a fresh start.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have made a flurry of moves already today, first terminating the contract of Ziyat Paigin, who predictably cleared unconditional waivers yesterday. Paigin came over from the KHL last season, but it was never a good fit between the two sides. Paigin failed to record a point in the only 12 AHL games he played. With no chance of a bump up to the NHL, Paigin wished to return to Russia and the Oilers were more than willing to oblige him. Edmonton then recalled defenseman Ryan Stanton from the Bakersfield Condors. A free agent acquisition this off-season, the journeyman rearguard could help out the struggling Oilers with his sound defensive game. In a corresponding move, veteran forward Brad Malone was reassigned to the AHL.
  • Julius Honka is headed back to the minors, as the talented, young blue liner was demoted by the Dallas Stars today in exchange for forward Curtis McKenzie, per a team announcement.  The Stars have been underwhelming in 2017-18, but their biggest issues continues to be goal prevention. As promising an offensive defenseman as Honka may be, he’s not what Dallas needs right now. Perhaps two-way forward McKenzie, who is also scoring at a point-per-game pace in the AHL, can help the cause.
0 comments AHL Colorado Avalanche Dallas Stars Edmonton Oilers Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators Philadelphia Flyers Players Transactions Waivers

Trade Rumors: Coyotes, Canadiens, Jets, Islanders

By | at November 21, 2017 7:33 pm

In all likelihood, the recent three-way trade that sent Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators and Kyle Turris to the Nashville Predators will be the biggest deal made this season. Yet, that hasn’t stopped the whispers of an bustling trade market, especially this early in the season. At the quarter pole of the 2017-18 campaign, it’s been an unpredictable season, prompting an unexpectedly active market. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch has had his ear to the ground and has plenty of input on who the buyers and sellers are right now:

  • To no one’s surprise, Garrioch states that the floundering Arizona Coyotes are “willing to talk about pretty much every player on their roster”. That of course doesn’t include Calder-hopeful Clayton Keller or many of their other 21-and-under starters, but the rest of the roster may as well be up for grabs. The big off-season acquisitions of Derek Stepan, Antti Raanta, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Jason Demers have done nothing to change this team’s ability to win hockey games. At some point, GM John Chayka is going to go from “up-and-coming” to “up-and-went” and that pressure could force him to make some major moves as he rethinks his rebuild. While impending UFA’s like Raanta, Brad Richardson, and Luke Schenn would be the easiest pieces to move, the stakes are high for a Coyotes team whose core has done next to nothing for years and key pieces like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, and Tobias Rieder could soon be on their way out.
  • Perhaps the only team more disappointing than Arizona in 2017-18 is the farthest team from them across North America: the Montreal Canadiens. Under new head coach Claude Julien, the Habs have fallen apart. However, the newly-signed coach isn’t going anywhere, putting GM Marc Bergevin, who Garrioch calls ” the NHL’s most active GM”, on the hot seat. Bergevin may be willing to make a big move to save his job, and of course the first name that comes to mind is young forward Alex Galchenyuk, who has predictably struggled under the defense-first Julien. Galchenyuk seems lost in Montreal, without an identifiable position, role, or spot in the lineup, and could use a change of scenery. However, he is not wholly to blame for the Canadiens’ struggles. Tomas Plekanec has long been on the block and if the team truly commits to a rebuild, big names like Max Pacioretty, Shea Weber, and (if anyone is willing to take on his monstrous new contract) even Carey Price could soon join the list.
  • Garrioch mentions both the Winnipeg Jets and New York Islanders as possible sellers, but given the surprising success of both clubs thus far, neither is likely rushing to trade pieces away unless they can make their teams better this season. Impending Jets UFA’s Shawn Matthias and Matt Hendricks may draw interest, but if Winnipeg is in playoff position come deadline time, they would want veteran depth for themselves. It seems more likely that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could use his overflow of young forwards like Marko Dano, Joel Armia, Andrew Copp, Adam Lowry, or Brandon Tanev as trade bait to bring in another top-six forward for a team that doesn’t shoot the puck nearly enough. As for the Islanders, Garrioch singles out first-time UFA Calvin de Haan as the player to watch. Yet, de Haan is one of, if not the best shot-blocker in the NHL, can play major minutes, and is reliable in both ends. If the Isles can resign him, wouldn’t they? Obviously, John Tavares is the main focus and the team thinks highly of younger options like Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, but the loss of a player like de Haan, especially with Travis Hamonic now in Calgary, could cripple a playoff-bound Islanders squad. Odds are de Haan sticks around, at least as long as New York remains playoff-bound.
  • So who’s looking? Garrioch mentions the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins as suitors for forward help, with the Dallas Stars potentially looking to make another big blue line trade to turn their season around. With that many buyers and several disappointed sellers, the trade NHL trade market may not wait until 2018 to heat up.
3 comments Calgary Flames Claude Julien Columbus Blue Jackets Dallas Stars Florida Panthers Kevin Cheveldayoff Marc Bergevin Montreal Canadiens NHL Nashville Predators New York Islanders Ottawa Senators Pittsburgh Penguins RIP Utah Mammoth Winnipeg Jets

Morning Notes: McDonagh, Ekman-Larsson, Kane

By | at November 21, 2017 9:16 am

The New York Rangers haven’t encountered this type of season often before, if ever. The team seems to be a bubble team with no true chance of making a deep playoff run or even winning a Stanley Cup. Yet, the team also finds itself with a handful of expiring contracts who could be utilized as key trade chips to refuel their retooling process.

New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes the Rangers need to think about dealing players like Rick Nash, Michael Grabner and Nick Holden and get what they can for them. The scribe believes that general manager Jeff Gorton will have one of the biggest challenges in front of him in a long time as he will have to make a decision on which direction the team should go. Could Nash bring back a first-rounder in next year’s draft and if they can, would it be worth his value anyway? What can they get for Grabner? Should the team go full in and start shopping captain Ryan McDonagh now?

The latter claim, Brooks writes, might make the most sense. The Rangers should be able to bring in a huge haul for McDonagh, who is still in his prime, is locked up until 2019 and is one of the top defensemen in the league. As there are quite a few playoff teams in need of defense, like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Rangers could truly change the way the franchise is heading at the trade deadline.

New York wouldn’t be better off without McDonagh, but with long-term deals already having been handed out to Kevin Shattenkirk, Marc Staal and Brendan Smith and the young talent the team has on defense in Brady Skjei, Neal Pionk and Anthony DeAngelo, the team should be able to survive without him if they can get a talented scorer in his place.

  • Hidden among yesterday’s stories was TSN’s Bob McKenzie refuting rumors that the Arizona Coyotes are thinking about dealing defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to the Toronto Maple Leafs for William Nylander. McKenzie writes that as of Sunday, there had not been one conversation between the two teams about Ekman-Larsson. He also points out that since most teams do not view Nylander as a center, he wouldn’t bring enough of a return for Ekman-Larsson as just a sniper. However, from what McKenzie can see, the Coyotes are not willing to discuss moving Ekman-Larsson as of now. The Atheltic’s Sean Tierney tweeted today that with general manager John Chayka in charge, it’s hard to see the team trading Ekman-Larsson at all.
  • John Vogl of The Buffalo News writes that frustration is hitting in Buffalo as the 5-12-1 Sabres continue to struggle, yet one player is thriving in Evander Kane. Dating back to last year, the 26-year-old wing has scored 40 goals in his last 79 games. He also has 11 points in the last 11 games. Kane added his 12th goal of the season Monday in the team’s 3-2 loss to Columbus. The secret to his success? Shooting the puck. He leads the team with 96 shots on goal this year.
0 comments Buffalo Sabres Edmonton Oilers Jeff Gorton New York Rangers Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs Utah Mammoth

Canadiens Notes: Potential Rebuild, Bergevin, Price

By | at November 20, 2017 9:41 am

The Montreal Canadiens find themselves at a crossroads. Expecting to compete for a playoff spot this year and beyond after what fans considered a solid offseason in which they traded for sniper Jonathan Drouin , signed veteraen defenseman Karl Alzner away from the Washington Capitals and locked up their star goaltender Carey Price for another eight years, the team has struggled all season, including a recent three-game losing streak to Columbus, Arizona and Saturday’s 6-0 loss to the rival Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canadiens suddenly find themselves 8-11-2 with little optimism that things might get better.

In fact, NBC Sports Joey Alfieri writes that it might be time to break up this team now and begin a proper rebuild. Up until now, general manager Marc Bergevin has been unwilling to trade the team’s veteran players such as center Max Pacioretty, but that could change soon as it doesn’t look as the team is a quick-fix away from repairing its on-ice problems. Saturday night on “Headlines,” Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos said that ownership and management would soon have a discussion about the direction of the team. Pacioretty would be a prime trade candidate, who has one more year on his contract at $4.5MM.

The scribe looks at their offseason moves and wonders if the team’s big trade to acquire Drouin might be looked as a major blunder as the team did trade away star defensive prospect Mikhail Sergachev, who is thriving for the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning. He is also quick to point out that it was a major mistake to let go of Alexander Radulov and veteran defenseman Andrei Markov for nothing when the team quite obviously needed them.

  • Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette writes that this latest 6-0 defeat to the Maple Leafs could spell the end for not just the current roster, but also for Bergevin, who has been responsible for constructing this roster and look to be going no where. The GM has been running the team for six years now and has little to show for it, but a team heading towards a lottery selection in June next year. The general belief is that if you aren’t competing for a playoff spot by the American Thanksgiving, then you have little shot of reaching the playoffs and the Canadiens aren’t close to competing. The scribe writes that while many feel that the team’s trade of P.K. Subban was the start of the downfall of the team, Todd suggests that Shea Weber is not to blame, but things may not look so bad had the team kept both Markov and Sergachev to form a Big Three. Instead, the team only has Weber to show for it, which falls under Bergevin’s domain.
  • Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette writes that the team has always had an identity, starting with their goaltender and then with a solid defense in front of him. Boring, but respectable. Instead, the scribe writes, the team is starting to look like the 2015-16 team that had lost Price for most of the season and finished in 13th place in the Eastern Conference. Now the team has gutted their defense and have removed their identity, which the franchise so often has depended on.
  • After a column in which he questioned the health of Price, Stu Cowan tweets that Price was the first out to practice Monday morning.
4 comments Marc Bergevin Montreal Canadiens Tampa Bay Lightning

Snapshots: Price, Girard, Kane, Devils

By | at November 19, 2017 5:58 pm

Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price has been out with a “minor” lower-body injury since Montreal’s Nov. 2 game against the Minnesota Wild. Two weeks later, Price hasn’t returned to the lineup. Last Tuesday, it was announced that he would sit out two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) as his injury wasn’t healing as suspected. Then he proceeded to sit out of practice Thursday, Friday and Saturday and the team didn’t practice Sunday. That led Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan to suggest that things don’t seem to be adding up in Montreal.

The scribe writes that this no longer seems like a “minor” injury at all and questions whether it ever was. When Cowan asked Canadiens’ coach Claude Julien about whether there was an update on Price’s condition, his response was, “No.”

No one has said what the specific injury is that Price has sustained and the goalie insists that it has nothing to do with the right knee injury in November two years ago that was also held secret for a large chunk of the season. Cowan suggests the lack of information the team has given out can only lead to speculation, suggesting that maybe the team might be looking to trade Price before his eight year, $84MM extension kicks in next year.

  • Mike Chambers of the Denver Post tweets that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard is in the lineup against the Detroit Red Wings, meaning that he officially has entered into Year 1 of his entry-level deal. He played five games for the Nashville Predators, and after being dealt to Colorado in the Matt Duchene trade, has played five games for the Avalanche. He would have had to be returned to his junior team before he played in his 10th game had the team wanted to avoid burning the first year of his entry-level deal.
  • The Athletic’s Craig Custance (subscription required) did a Q&A on Buffalo Sabres winger Evander Kane and the forward was quick to say that he is well aware of the trade speculation that surrounds him and rather than block it out, he just chooses to focus on his on-ice play. “It’s not going to do you any good or help your case or your team. For me, I just embrace it. I enjoy it. It’s something that you have to be aware of,” Kane said.
  • Andrew Gross of The Record writes that the New Jersey Devils have shaken up their lines in practice today, which are expected to go into effect in their game Monday against Minnesota Wild. There will be several changes, but Pavel Zacha, who was a healthy scratch for four of the last five games, is expected to move into the top six, while Adam Henrique is expected to move down to the fourth line.

 

1 comment Buffalo Sabres Claude Julien Colorado Avalanche Injury Montreal Canadiens Nashville Predators New Jersey Devils Snapshots

Jakub Jerabek “100% Committed” To Montreal Canadiens

By | at November 16, 2017 5:08 pm

In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet the venerable hockey insider reported that Jakub Jerabek had a clause in his contract similar to Nikita Soshnikov, in that he could demand to be loaned back to the KHL should he not be in the NHL by a certain time. For Soshnikov that time was November 14th, which prompted the Toronto Maple Leafs to recall him this week. For Jerabek it wasn’t clear when the deadline was.

Now, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that December 15th is the date which Jerabek could ask to be reassigned, but it might not matter. Eric Engels of Sportsnet quickly chimed in by relaying a message from Jerabek’s agent Allan Walsh, who says that his client is “100% committed” to the Montreal organization and doesn’t intend on leaving.

From all accounts Jerabek has been the model employee for the Canadiens, understanding his role on the team and putting in the work to adapt his game to the North American style. Jerabek was a first-team All-Star last season (his first) in the KHL, scoring 34 points in 59 games. The 26-year old Czech-born defenseman signed a one-year entry-level contract this summer (as was mandated by the CBA) and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. Should he show the ability to jump to the NHL level before the end of the year you can bet Montreal will be fighting off other suitors for his services. With 11 points in 14 AHL games, he looks too good for the minor leagues already.

1 comment AHL KHL Montreal Canadiens

Minor Transactions: 11/16/17

By | at November 16, 2017 8:30 am

Last night was an entertaining one in the hockey world, with the Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames taking us back to a different era of hockey. The two teams got into a line brawl that will likely result in several suspensions. While we wait on word from the Department of Player Safety, keep your eyes right here for all the minor moves around the league.

0 comments AHL Buffalo Sabres Montreal Canadiens Transactions

Poll: Which Team Needs Help At Forward The Most?

By | at November 15, 2017 4:04 pm

In last night’s Insider Trading on TSN, the panel—comprised of Pierre LeBrun, Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger—spoke about the increased demand for top forwards around the league. According to them, the supply isn’t quite there for all these teams to go out and acquire someone impactful, so it’ll have to come down to the highest bidders.

The list of ten teams that McKenzie gave that are in the market for a forward include some surprises like Tampa Bay—who LeBrun clarified are currently looking for a winger to play with Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn—and obvious choices like Anaheim and Montreal.

Columbus put together a trade offer for Matt Duchene, and as LeBrun stated on TSN radio yesterday they’re still in the hunt for an upgrade down the middle. There’s no clear option at center as impressive as Duchene (or Kyle Turris, who was included in the same trade), but players are sure to shake loose as the season progresses.

So, who on this list needs the forward help the most this year? While deciding your vote, make sure to not just take in the offensive struggles but the proximity to Stanley Cup contention for each club. Which team will be the most willing to spend at the deadline, and go after the big fish to put them over the edge?

We’ve included all the teams on McKenzie’s list, but if you feel strongly that another should join the pursuit of another forward make sure to leave your comments below.

Which team needs forward help the most?

  • Montreal Canadiens 25% (185)
  • Boston Bruins 19% (146)
  • Anaheim Ducks 16% (122)
  • New York Rangers 12% (87)
  • St. Louis Blues 9% (69)
  • Edmonton Oilers 7% (51)
  • Columbus Blue Jackets 6% (42)
  • Florida Panthers 3% (21)
  • Tampa Bay Lightning 3% (21)
  • Ottawa Senators 1% (8)

Total votes: 752

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

3 comments Anaheim Ducks Boston Bruins Columbus Blue Jackets Edmonton Oilers Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens New York Rangers Ottawa Senators Polls St. Louis Blues Tampa Bay Lightning
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