Eastern Notes: Bergevin, Skinner, Sproul, Harpur
At 1-6-1, the Montreal Canadiens are off to their worst eight-game start since the 1941-42 season. Sounds shocking. Doesn’t it? Much of the problem is the team’s inability to put the puck in the net as the team is currently ranked last (31st) in the NHL in goals scored at 1.5 per game (just 12 goals scored all year). However, despite that fact, Elliotte Friedman said Saturday on the Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada (via Emily Sadler of Sportsnet) that the team isn’t going into panic mode just yet.
“It’s the biggest story in the league and probably for no good reasons,” Friedman said Saturday. “I think the sense you get just from looking around is the Canadiens are determined not to make any panic moves.”
Sadler writes that the team’s start looks even worse compared to last year’s phenomenal start to the season when they were 7-0-1 after the first eight games. To make matters worse, the team is also among the worst in goals allowed as they are ranked 29th after averaging 4.13 goals in these first eight games. That’s with the NHL’s top goalie in Carey Price.
Friedman also said that it’s unlikely the team would make a general manger change and get rid of Marc Bergevin, even though Friedman said that four of the last five GM changes the Canadiens have made were in-season changes.
“I don’t get the sense … that there’s any desire to remove Bergevin right now. He’s under contract until 2022,” Friedman said.
- Michael Smith of NHL.com writes that Carolina Hurricanes winger Jeff Skinner, who added his fourth and fifth goals of the season in Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Dallas Stars is continuing where he left off. Skinner attempted to fuel a comeback with his team down by four goals, but the team fell short. Already a three-time 30-goal scorer, the 25-year-old has been the main offensive firepower for the Hurricanes this season. Smith writes that if you go back to March of last year, Skinner has scored 22 goals in his last 25 games.
- Peter Wallner of MLive.com writes that the Detroit Red Wings traded defenseman Ryan Sproul Saturday to the New York Rangers to alleviate a logjam of defensemen. Sproul was not likely to ever crack Detroit’s defensive rotation. Talking to Detroit general manager Ken Holland, the scribe writes that the Red Wings made the move to open up playing time in Grand Rapids, where the team hopes to give more minutes to prospects Filip Hronek and Vili Saarijarvi. Hronek, the team’s second-round pick in the 2016 draft, has only played in two games for the Griffins this year, while Saarijarvi, a 2015 third-round pick, had an assist in three games for Toledo of the ECHL, but is expected to get promoted to Grand Rapids shortly.
- The Ottawa Senators announced that they have reassigned defenseman Ben Harpur to Belleville of the AHL. The 22-year-old was called up early in the season to help with the team’s defensive depth only to get injured in his first game with Ottawa. He was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, and now that he is healthy again, will return to his AHL team.
Atlantic Notes: Athanasiou, Canadiens, Kronwall, Marner
Often when you have lengthy holdouts, fans have to wonder whether one of the big obstacles (besides money) is that the player doesn’t really want to play for the team he’s on, only creating a longer bridge towards finding a happy stalemate. Even after the holdout ends, often the player finds himself resenting the organization, which only creates more problems. Not so, however, with the Detroit Red Wings and recently signed forward Andreas Athanasiou, according to Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required).
The scribe writes that a conference call held earlier this week between Athanasiou, his agent Darren Ferris and Red Wings brass changed everything and was not just the critical step that helped end the stalemate, but helped show the 23-year-old center that the team really wanted him to return to the team, while the Red Wings understood Athanasiou’s reasons for asking for a trade.
“The philosophical stuff that was causing the desire to be traded was addressed,” Athanasiou’s agent Darren Ferris said. “I really think that call turned the bus around.”
After that phone call, the wheels of progress began to churn and a deal began to be chiseled out. Custance writes that Ferris said while only a one-year deal was struck, Athanasiou plans to prove himself to the Red Wings in hopes of getting a long-term deal with them for next year — in Detroit. Ferris says he wants to stay there.
- Mitch Melnick of The Athletic writes his Good, Bad and Ugly column about the Montreal Canadiens 6-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks last night, pointing fingers to Paul Byron and Victor Mete as the team’s top players lately. While that was the good, Melnick points out how bad that is too if those two are your best players. The 19-year-old Mete, who no one expected to make the Canadiens’ roster this year, has thrived on the team’s defense in his rookie campaign, while Byron is a 28-year old, whose best season saw him score 22 goals last year. Neither was expected to make a major impact. Catch all of Melnick’s commentary as it’s a good read.
- Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press writes that veteran defenseman Niklas Kronwall tried stem-cell treatment for his bad knee. The 36-year-old blueliner revealed the information today after having played in his 800th career NHL game yesterday. He has been playing on a permanently damaged knee for the past two years and has been told that surgery would not help him. St. James writes that Kronwall wouldn’t go into specifics about what procedure he had undergone. “It’s a long process,” he said. “It is for another time to discuss.”
- Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, recently downgraded to the team’s fourth line, was quite positive about his demotion and has learned a lot from veteran Matt Martin, tweets Kristen Shilton of TSN. “You just want to go out there and help the team win,” Marner said. “If you don’t, then just be the guy on the bench that’s staying positive and helping the guys out. That’s what I’ve learned from Marty.”
- CapFriendly tweets that the site has confirmed that Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid has gone on LITR. The move gives the Bruins a $2.75MM salary relief pool. Boston can now exceed the cap by $2,654,209.
Sabres Place Gorges On IR, Recall Redmond
The struggling Sabres continue to take hits. At 1-5-2, Buffalo is no longer win-less like the Arizona Coyotes, neither are they the worst team even in the Atlantic, having passed up the Montreal Canadiens. However, four points in eight games is nothing to write home about and now the injuries are starting to pile up. Zach Bogosian doesn’t appear to be close to a comeback, and the team recently recalled Taylor Fedun with Jacob Josefson also sidelined. The latest addition: veteran defenseman Josh Gorges, who the team placed on injured reserve this morning.
While the team did not specifically address what is ailing Gorges in the press release, a recent article by Buffalo News’ John Vogl updated the injury statuses of several players, including Bogosian, Josefson, another downed defender Justin Falk, and yet another concern, banged up forward Zemgus Girgensons. In the piece, Vogl asks coach Phil Housley about Gorges’ condition, which the bench boss describes as a “lower-body injury”. While this is not much to go off of, more details can be expected the longer that Gorges’ absence lasts.
In the meantime, Buffalo has recalled defenseman Zach Redmond from Rochester of the AHL. Redmond was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens earlier this month for Nicolas Deslauriers and will make his Sabres debut should he get into one of their upcoming games, perhaps even tonight against the Boston Bruins. While by any metric Redmond is a replacement-level player, his 16 games with the Canadiens last season was a bit of an outlier compared to his recent experience. Redmond played a semi-regular role for the Colorado Avalanche in 2014-15 and 2015-16, skating in 59 and 37 games respectively and posting a total of 26 points and a 115 blocked shots. Redmond is capable of stepping up and being a reliable man on the back end for Buffalo – and they need it. The Sabres currently rank 29th in points percentage and goal differential and are on a course for another disappointing season. Gorges has undeniably lost a step in recent years; perhaps Redmond can be the surprise catalyst in his place that gets the Buffalo blue line back in shape.
Canadiens Not Likely To Consider Dealing Pacioretty
With the Canadiens struggling considerably out of the gate, some are wondering if a big change is going to be made in the near future. In his latest column, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that it’s unlikely that ownership would consider changing general managers during the season. It’s worth noting that GM Marc Bergevin is believed to be signed for four more years after this one so making that change would be an expensive one if it were to happen.
Dreger also notes that the team isn’t willing to consider dealing captain Max Pacioretty just yet although if they were to put him on the block, there would be no shortage of suitors around the league. Pacioretty has led the Canadiens in scoring for six straight seasons but hasn’t been productive so far in 2017-18 with just one goal through seven games. The 28-year-old is signed through 2018-19 with a cap hit of $4.5MM which is good value for a player who has hit 30 goals in each of the last four years.
Pittsburgh Penguins Center Search Continues
It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Penguins have been looking for a third-line center to augment their forward group for some time. GM Jim Rutherford has been clear that there were options for him stretching back into the summer, but that he wasn’t ready to make the deal until the right “impact” player surfaced. The Penguins are righting the ship after a rough start to the season, but have been relying heavily on their top-six to provide much of the offense.
Now, in the latest version of “Insider Trading” on TSN, Darren Dreger connects the Penguins with much-maligned forward Alex Galchenyuk of the Montreal Canadiens. Dreger says that Galchenyuk’s name has “surfaced” though there is no clear report of any talks between the two clubs.
While the Montreal Canadiens continue to slump their way to a 1-5-1 record, bereft of any offensive threat, trading a talented forward like Galchenyuk may seem misguided. The problem is that though many have seen his offense in the past, none of it has appeared this season. Galchenyuk has just one goal—on the powerplay at that—and no assists this season through seven games, and has seen his ice time reduced to the lowest it has been in several years. At one point he was on the fourth line in Montreal, and he is clearly no longer a center in the eyes of head coach Claude Julien.
So the question is whether the Penguins believe that Galchenyuk could recover some of that lost offensive magic he showed in the 2015-16 season, when at the age of 21 he scored 30 goals and 56 points. Whether the team believes he is a true center is another story, as is his fit into their salary structure. This summer, Galchenyuk signed a three-year deal worth $4.9MM per season. The Penguins meanwhile have just under $2.2MM in cap space, though the longer they wait the less Galchenyuk would actually cost. Now that the season has started, every day that passes drops the prorated salary down another peg.
If a deal was to be made soon though, there would need to be salary going the other way. It would be interesting to see what Montreal would be after, as they would be able to find room for a defenseman or forward. In the meantime, Galchenyuk will have to try and get his game going on his own, and hopefully entice a buyer of some sort to come knocking at Montreal’s door.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
David Schlemko Out Three To Four Weeks Following Surgery
David Schlemko‘s career with the Montreal Canadiens is off to an inauspicious start to say the least. After suffering a hand injury in training camp, Schlemko worked his way back and played in a conditioning game with the Laval Rocket before immediately being recalled to the NHL team. That game, or something afterwards, must have re-aggravated the injury, as the team today announced that the defenseman had undergone surgery to remove a bone fragment and would be out three to four weeks.
The Canadiens have already released Mark Streit after he couldn’t find a way into the lineup, meaning Victor Mete seems here to stay for good. The 19-year old defensman has performed admirably in his short stint, and will burn a year of his entry-level contract after he plays in another four games. With Schlemko unavailable for another few weeks, Mete will be needed more than ever.
Defensive Notes: Karlsson, Nemeth, Schlemko
The Ottawa Senators will welcome back their captain and best player tomorrow night against the Vancouver Canucks, according to head coach Guy Boucher (via Ian Mendes of TSN). That’s a huge step for the Senators, though they haven’t seemed to need it yet. Ottawa is still undefeated in regulation, and have won their last two games with a combined score of 12-1.
Still, Karlsson is among the top handful of players in the league and will really stabilize a defense corps that has had some moving parts throughout the first few games. Nine different defensemen have already suited up for at least one game, with a ton of responsibility being heaped on the trio of Dion Phaneuf, Cody Ceci and Fredrik Claesson. Each of them are averaging at least 21 minutes a night, something that will likely change with as Karlsson gets his legs under him. Last year the captain averaged almost 27 minutes while finishing second in Norris voting.
- Patrik Nemeth has left the Colorado Avalanche on their road trip and flown back to Denver for more tests according to Adrian Dater of BSN Denver. Nemeth suffered a shoulder injury while fighting former teammate Tyler Seguin in a game on Saturday night. Nemeth, who was claimed off waivers just before the season started, has been one of the Avalanche’s best defensemen in the early going.
- David Schlemko was expected back in the Montreal lineup this week, but is not with the team in San Jose according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. The Canadiens take on the Sharks tomorrow night and then will head to Anaheim and Los Angeles before returning home. The 30-year old played one game on a conditioning stint in Laval and was immediately recalled to the team, but still hasn’t suited up for the Canadiens this season.
Mark Streit Placed On Unconditional Waivers To Mutually Terminate Contract
Monday: The Canadiens have announced the release of Streit.
Sunday: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mark Streit has been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of mutually terminating his contract, according to Elliotte Friedman. CapFriendly reports the mutual breakup will save Montreal $654,839 against their salary cap.
Montreal had been trying to find a trading partner who would be willing to take Streit, but couldn’t find anyone. He had become the odd man out after the team got David Schlemko back on their defense and the and the emergence of rookie Victor Mete made Streit expendable.
Streit was put on waivers on Oct. 12 and cleared one day later, but there were no plans to send him to the Laval Rocket of the AHL. Instead, it is believed that Streit will look to go overseas and possibly try to play for the Swiss Olympic team.
Streit will receive $45,161 for his 12 days of service while on the Canadiens active roster, according to CapFriendly.
Metropolitan Notes: Tavares, Voracek, Bowey
If the New York Islanders’ waiting game with John Tavares didn’t have any more drama, the New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that the critical deadline in the team’s quest to get state approval for a state-of-the-art arena at Belmont Park is a more than four months away, which will likely come near the NHL trade deadline. Tavares, who has made it clear that he wants to wait for certainty of a long-term home in New York, might not have an answer when he must make a decision.
In fact, Brooks writes that no one he has talked to has any idea if an answer will come before the deadline, let alone before free agency begins on July 1. The approval process has multiple bidders and may need more time than normal estimates. Regardless, owners and even Tavares would probably be more than willing to wait until July 1 to wait for the state’s decision. However, Brooks writes that it’s the trade deadline that will cause the real problem. With likely no idea of whether they will get the state’s approval before the trade deadline, it’s quite possible the Islanders will have to make a decision whether to hope for the best and wait it out with Tavares (with the possibility of losing him for nothing) or trade him before the trade deadline, which could present quite a haul if Tavares plays well this year.
Brooks writes the team might be able to get quality assets from teams that Tavares might be willing to sign with, such as the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs or the Tampa Bay Lightning.
- Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that Philadelphia Flyers wing Jakub Voracek is starting to take his game to a new level this year. After what many referred to as a poor preseason, the 28-year-old veteran has played great and while he hasn’t scored a goal, he has put up nine assists in five games so far and is emphasizing unselfish play. Voracek, always a solid playmaker, had 20 goals and 41 assists last year.
- Troy Machir of NBC Sports writes that Madison Bowey NHL debut isn’t going to be a memorable one for the rookie defenseman after the team lost to the Philadelphia Flyers 8-2. Called up to replaced the injured Matt Niskanen who is likely to be out until early November with an upper body injury, Bowey struggled, making several miscues in his 14:55 of ice time. He finished with a plus/minus of -3 and, according to Machir, didn’t look ready for the big-league club.
Galchenyuk Expected To Play, Plekanec A Game-Time Decision
- Despite missing Friday’s practice with the flu, Canadiens winger Alex Galchenyuk told reporters, including TSN’s John Lu (Twitter link) that he will tonight against Toronto. Meanwhile, the team noted via Twitter that center Tomas Plekanec will be a game-time decision as he is also battling the flu.