Montreal Canadiens Acquire Jonathan Drouin
The Montreal Canadiens have pulled off the first big trade of the offseason, acquiring Jonathan Drouin and a conditional 2018 sixth-round pick for Mikhail Sergachev and a conditional 2018 second rounder. The picks are conditional on Sergachev not playing in at least 40 games (regular season and playoffs combined) for the Lightning next season, meaning if he spends more than half the season with Tampa Bay it is a one-for-one swap. 
The third-overall pick from 2013, Drouin was a restricted free agent this summer after a breakout campaign in Tampa Bay. After a dispute over playing time limited him to just 21 games in 2015-16, the extremely talented young forward scored 53 points in 73 games for the Lightning this season, showing off some of the potential that had led to his high draft selection. The 22-year old will be looking for a big contract coming off his entry-level deal, something that the Lightning were going to have trouble affording this summer.
Tampa Bay also has Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat hitting restricted free agency this summer, and with recent extensions to Victor Hedman, Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn, were going to be very tight to the cap. Not only will this open up some of that room, but it also helps fix some of their expansion draft worries.
Partly because of Ryan Callahan‘s no-movement clause and partly because of their impressive depth up front, the Lightning were set to lose a talented forward in the draft with many speculating it could be Vladislav Namestnikov. By moving Drouin for an expansion-exempt Sergachev, they’ve given themselves an extra slot to play with and with it the power to protect almost everyone important.
Sergachev himself is an outstanding prospect, who was selected ninth-overall last summer but likely should have gone even higher. Coming off Rookie of the Year and Defenseman of the Year honors in the OHL in 2015-16, he spent a few games at the beginning of the season with Montreal before heading back to the Windsor Spitfires to help them to a Memorial Cup victory on home ice. His play at both ends of the rink is that of a future top-pairing defenseman, though he may still be several years from filling that role for Tampa Bay.
For Montreal, this brings home a native son to try and build as the next Canadiens’ superstar. Drouin grew up a Montreal fan within driving distance of the city, and told agent Allan Walsh (who relayed the information on TSN 690):
“This is my dream come true. This is my childhood dream.”
Though Drouin doesn’t necessarily solve the problem at center, though he has played the position sparingly in the past. More than likely it gives them a potential elite scoring threat on the wing for many years, as he is still five seasons away from becoming a free agent and is already in talks on a long-term deal with the club. If he can’t switch to the middle or move to right wing, it does crowd things for the Canadiens who also currently have Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk on the left side. That would seem to point to a possible trade of Galchenyuk in the near future, something that has been rumored for a while.
In terms of the expansion draft, Montreal had room to add Drouin without losing something of real value. Their final forward protection slot looked like it would go to Charles Hudon, but even with his exemplary play at the AHL level has yet to make an impact at the top level.
No, this the negative effects of this trade will be felt more on the blue line for the future as Montreal has an aging group that was set to get a jolt of youth next season with Sergachev. They still do have Nathan Beaulieu ready to make a bigger impact, and Noah Juulsen coming quickly from the junior ranks. That said, losing Sergachev does darken the horizon on defense for the time being.
Pierre LeBrun of TSN provided details on the draft pick conditions.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Talks Progressing Between Alexander Radulov, Montreal Canadiens
According to Eric Engels of Sportsnet, the negotiations between Alexander Radulov and Montreal Canadiens are currently ongoing with positivity from both sides. Engels speculates a contract of four to five years in length, and worth between $6-6.5MM per season. Radulov is coming off a one-year deal worth $5.75MM and would enter the market as one of the top available free agents should he reach July 1st. An extension, even if agreed upon, would not be announced until after the expansion draft as the team currently does not need to protect the Russian forward.
Radulov’s “show me” season went off without much of a hitch this season, returning from the KHL to post 54 points in 76 games. Generally considered one of the Canadiens’ top-two offensive threats, finding a way to get him under a long-term extension is an important part of their offseason plan. Signing any 30-year old to a five-year extension is a risky proposition, and this is no different. If his production falters as he enters the latter part of his career, a $6MM cap-hit could potentially strangle the Canadiens’ salary structure in the future. That said, the team only currently has two forwards signed past 2018-19, giving them a lot of flexibility moving forward.
With extensions for Carey Price and Max Pacioretty due the next two offseasons, Montreal is a sort of interesting crossroads in their development. All three players, including Radulov will be over 30 when signing their next deals, and will join Shea Weber in taking up huge chunks of cap space. Though they are excellent players and can clearly be the core to a playoff contender, they could find themselves in trouble down the road with several players in their mid-30s earning substantial paychecks. Even though they seem to be in a good situation cap-wise currently, that could quickly change with a few contracts or steep declines in performance.
Nikita Nesterov Remains Committed To NHL Future
Despite rumors that he had signed in the KHL because of his appearance on the Traktor Chelyabinsk roster page, Nikita Nesterov still wants to play in the NHL next season. Dan Milstein, Nesterov’s agent with Gold Star, confirmed as much on Twitter today claiming that the rumors were “absolutely false.” Nesterov remains an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent with the Montreal Canadiens.
Nesterov was acquired by the Canadiens in January for Jonathan Racine and a sixth-round pick, but played just 13 games down the stretch and two in the playoffs. The 24-year old has now played 132 games in his short career, and has generally performed well. While he hasn’t become the top-4 defenseman that Tampa Bay hoped at one point, his play does deserve an NHL contract in the future.
A qualifying offer for the defenseman would cost the Canadiens just over $761K, which would also allow them to retain his rights even if he does head to Russia for next season. He is also eligible for selection in the expansion draft, and doesn’t project to be protected by the Canadiens. He’s at little risk of being selected, as there are other defensemen on the team who would be more appetizing for the expansion team. We’ll see if he reaches an agreement with the Canadiens, as they look to reshape their defense with players like Jakub Jerabek.
Offseason Keys: Montreal Canadiens
While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Montreal Canadiens.
After a tough season that saw them out of the playoffs, Montreal made several changes last season, most notably being the Shea Weber – P.K. Subban swap. The team got off to a franchise-best start and rode that to a division title but it wasn’t enough to get them far in the playoffs as they were eliminated in the first round by the Rangers. Now, GM Marc Bergevin is faced with retooling the roster once again, though likely not with as significant of moves compared to last summer. Here are some of the key things on his to-do list.
Extension For Price
While John Tavares has garnered the most headlines among those that are a year away from being eligible for unrestricted free agency, goaltender Carey Price is also in that situation. Like Tavares, Price is Montreal’s franchise player and they can ill-afford to let him leave for nothing in return. Bergevin indicated in his end-of-season press conference that trading him is not an option that’s on the table either.
That just leaves one option and that’s to find common ground on an extension. Price’s case is a particularly interesting one as his new deal will likely be a precedent setter around the league. Currently Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers has the highest cap hit among goaltenders league-wide at $8.5MM and Price is expected to come in above that.
As is the case with all top players, the argument of taking a little less to ensure there’s enough money left to spend on other needs will undoubtedly come up. But if Price and agent Gerry Johannson aren’t amenable to that, Bergevin doesn’t really have much of a leg to stand on given Price’s importance to the team. It’s expected that both sides will look to get an extension done as close to July 1st as possible so the question here will be how much more than his current $6.5MM cap hit will Price receive on this next contract.
Make A Decision On Galchenyuk
Five years ago, Montreal drafted Alex Galchenyuk as the third overall pick, touting him as their center of the future. Fast forward to today and his long-term position is still up in the air. While they have tried him down the middle at times, he has been moved back to the left wing every time before too long. Both Claude Julien and former coach Michel Therrien have expressed some concern about his two-way game which has in part overshadowed his offensive production.
Galchenyuk now finds himself as a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility, something that agent Pat Brisson has suggested as a route they may be interested in taking. The 23 year old dealt with a knee issue this past season and ended his year on a sour note as he was held without a goal in the playoffs while spending some time on the fourth line. From their perspective, a one year ‘prove it’ deal may be better for Galchenyuk than signing a long-term deal now.
From Montreal’s standpoint, they need to make a decision as to whether or not he’s still viewed as a top line center of the future or if he is a winger moving forward. There’s also some question as to whether he is still part of their future plans or if the time may be right to trade him. Before they even approach contract discussions (short-term or long-term), those are a couple of key questions that need to be answered making his situation one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
Address Their Center Concerns
Montreal’s depth down the middle has quickly become an area of concern especially since Galchenyuk hasn’t slid into the center ice position like they were hoping for. While Phillip Danault had a breakout season, that was offset by long-term veteran Tomas Plekanec having a tough year. Those two are better served as third liners yet as things stand, they represent their top two.
Unfortunately for Bergevin, the free agent market isn’t exactly full of top six options down the middle let alone top liners. Accordingly, he may be forced to turn to the trade route but again, available top six centers aren’t readily available and those that are will likely have a premium attached to them. However, if they aren’t sold on Galchenyuk moving to center, they may very well have to bite the bullet if they intend to take that next step forward.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Stefan Leblanc To AHL Deal
The Montreal Canadiens have added some AHL depth on defense, signing Stefan Leblanc to a one-year AHL contract. The 21-year old defenseman was an undrafted free agent who competed this season for the Mississauga Steelheads as an over-aged OHL player.
Leblanc was ranked 131st by Central Scouting among North American skaters in 2014, but wasn’t drafted in any of his eligible years. Instead, he has slowly developed his game in Mississauga as a solid defender with a mean streak and a bit of offensive upside. With 37 points in 66 games he trailed only 2017 draft-eligible Nicolas Hague among Steelhead defensemen, but will have a tough time emulating that production at the next level.
Instead, he’ll use his solid positional play in his own end and fitness to try and turn himself into a defensive presence on the new Laval Rocket squad. With the move from St. John’s, the Rocket will be the new destination for Montreal minor-leaguers, and Leblanc will attempt to play well enough to deserve an NHL contract next season. He’ll have some interesting company, as top prospect Noah Juulsen is likely ticketed for the AHL to being next season as well after suiting up for the Ice Caps in this year’s playoffs.
Evening Notes: Chayka, Boogaard, Oilers
Coyotes GM John Chayka spoke with Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports and provided decent insight into the team’s strategy headed into the summer. Chayka is the youngest general manager in the league and has become infamous for his cap management strategies. Chayka seems highly interested in acquiring a player from a team worried about losing an asset for nothing. Although many other GMs will be seeking to accomplish similar deals, Chayka looks to be relatively aggressive on this front. He tempered Mike Smith trade speculation, saying “there’s a value to our team that Mike has, being an All-Star and our rock; his value is extremely high but if someone wants to pay an even higher value for him, that’s the industry.” There is also no news as to Shane Doan‘s retirement decision. Chayka emphasized the increasing urgency among all GMs as the expansion draft seems to have every organization slightly on edge.
- The case for wrongful death filed against the NHL on behalf of the late Derek Boogaard has been tossed out, according to the Star-Tribune. Boogaard died at the age of 28, after a long enforcer career with the Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers. He received multiple brain injuries and relied on opioid pain killers as treatment, which led to an addiction that eventually resulted in his demise. Fighting has declined substantially over recent years in the NHL, as both the NHL and NHLPA are looking to reduce incidents of traumatic brain injury. The debate over the role of violence in the sport remains a hot-button issue, but players still generally vote in favor of fisticuffs when surveyed. That the Boogaard case has been dismissed on technicalities is a setback for safety advocates, as there is a looming lawsuit in U.S. courts which seeks to prove that the league has been reckless in its regard for player safety in relation to concussions. Whether these off-ice lawsuits will impact the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, or the way penalties are called, remains to be seen.
- The NHL released the results of a fan vote for the greatest team of all time in honor of the 100 year anniversary – with the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers taking top honors. The 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins came in at number two, followed by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens.
What Market Will Markov Attract?
The market for Andrei Markov could be lukewarm or quite heated, and no one really seems to know which. Canadiens’ GM Marc Bergevin has been tight-lipped about his impending free agents, but it’s fair to assume he’ll have some interest in re-signing the Russian defender. That said, the cap situation for Montreal is not simple, and re-signing the dynamic unrestricted free-agent Alexander Radulov will likely take priority. The Habs also need to negotiate a contract with RFA Alex Galchenyuk, attempt to dump Tomas Plekanec’s salary, survive the expansion draft, and round out their forward corps. With Jordie Benn and Jeff Petry already looking to assume larger roles next season, Markov could easily slip through the cracks.
The 38 year-old earned a hefty $5.75 MM last season, but had reasonable production with 6 goals and 30 assists. His advanced possession numbers tell a tale, however, as he took a massive leap forward from the previous season, hitting a solid 54.0% Corsi For. His ice-time saw a slight drop (2:00 less per game), but he’s still seeing top-four minutes. Markov moves the puck well and is a power-play guru with a hard, accurate shot. He’s been the assistant captain on the Canadiens for many years and has never played in a different NHL city, but he could command a sizable final contract in this year’s complete drought of top-end players. If there ever were a time to cash in, this off-season could be it.
On the free-agent market, only Kevin Shattenkirk clearly outclasses Markov in terms of raw offensive ability from the blueline. A team might want to take a risk on a struggling but younger Michael Del Zotto or Dimitry Kulikov, but ultimately, Markov is the proven commodity. Considering that Markov has never won a championship, one would assume that if he were to leave the province of Quebec, it would be for a contender. There is no shortage of teams that could show interest. He could go to a perennial competitor on the cheap, such as the Blackhawks, or could opt for a squad like the Blue Jackets who are on the cusp of true contention. Where he lands is anyone’s guess at the moment, but it’s fair to expect he will make a positive impact wherever he does.
Montreal Canadiens Re-Sign Andreas Martinsen
As contract extensions start to pour in over the next few weeks, the Montreal Canadiens have jumped into the fray. Today, the team announced a one-year contract extension for Andreas Martinsen, one of the trade deadline acquisitions this season. The one-way deal is worth $675K, a slight raise over his $640K salary last season.
The Norwegian winger came over from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Sven Andrighetto as the Canadiens tried to get bigger and tougher at the deadline. Suiting up for just nine games down the stretch and two in the playoffs, Martinsen was held scoreless for the Canadiens but did record 36 hits without drawing a single penalty.The 6’4″ forward will likely hold a place on Montreal’s fourth line next season.
As he came over from Europe in just 2015-16, Martinsen will be ineligible for the upcoming expansion draft. He’ll provide a solid physical presence for relatively low cost, and actually has some offensive upside. Though he hasn’t shown much in the NHL, he did score 41 points in 50 games in his last season in the DEL and could likely hit 10 goals if given a bit more upside. His shooting percentage so far in the NHL is extremely low, and while it will likely never reach very lofty heights should improve a bit in the future.
Montreal has four remaining unrestricted free agents to decide on up front, with Alexander Radulov, Brian Flynn, Bobby Farnham and Dwight King all hitting the open market July 1st. While Radulov has had conversations with Montreal on a long-term deal, it is unclear where the two sides stand regarding the other three players. King, who was also acquired at the deadline, is coming off a three-year contract that saw him earn just under $2MM per season.
Pierre LeBrun was first to report the financial details of the deal.
Canadiens And Galchenyuk Face Difficult Negotiations
There is a great deal of uncertainty in Montreal after a disappointing first round exit, where they struggled to score goals with consistency. The issues at center ice continue to haunt the organization. Thomas Plekanec has slowed down with age and could easily find himself exposed in the expansion draft, if not traded away later in the season. They need Alex Galchenyuk to become a bonafide top-six (if not #1) center. And yet, this past season, he struggled mightily down the stretch. His 2-year bridge deal is now expired and the RFA will need to come to terms with the Montreal franchise which has expressed quite a bit of frustration with his play.
Arbitration is certainly an option for Galchenyuk. The player’s agent, Pat Brisson is certainly willing to negotiate a one-year deal, but will the Canadiens want to risk Alex having a career year and skyrocketing his cost? That decision could be unwise tactically on the part of management. Ryan Spzorger of The Hockey Writers believes that the Canadiens would be foolish to pass up the opportunity to sign the potential number-one center long term. Especially after a relatively “down” season, Galchenyuk could be signed to a relative bargain, keeping the Canadiens’ cap structure reasonable for years to come.
There are two major issues which could cause negotiations to stall. First, there is a definite gap in perceived value between the player and the organization. The Canadiens have repeatedly dropped Galchenyuk down the lineup, with the player seeing the third line these playoffs alongside the likes of Andrew Shaw and Artturi Lehkonen. Fellow 23 year-old Phillip Danault usurped his spot on the top line, and the mediocre Tomas Plekanec leapfrogged him as well. His defensive play has been the subject of constant criticism, both under current coach Claude Julien as well as former coach Michel Therrien. Second, he has continually been shuffled from wing to center and back again. Players who have played the majority of their career up the middle don’t often appreciate the shift, nor react well to it. Although Galchenyuk has obviously been frustrated with the situation, he has tried his best to adapt to a foreign position on the left side, to little success.
Galchenyuk’s value as a trade piece shouldn’t be understated if the gap between the negotiating parties is too great. GM Marc Bergevin could be tempted to move him for a more “established” center if the offers from other teams increase in frequency. In the end, it seems likely that the parties will compromise on a short-term contract somewhere in the range of $5-6 MM. This would provide Galchenyuk further incentive to perform and gives Montreal an “out” if he continues to regress. A year removed from a 30 goal, 56 point season, it would be a mistake to not include Galchenyuk as part of the Canadiens’ future plans.
Expansion Primer: Montreal Canadiens
Over the next few weeks we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.
After a down season in 2015-16 where they missed the postseason, the Canadiens rebounded a year later, earning the top spot in the Atlantic Division. However, the challenges they had scoring in the second half of the season carried over into the playoffs and as a result, they were eliminated by the Rangers in the first round.
After the big trade that saw P.K. Subban shipped to Nashville for Shea Weber last summer, more changes are expected this offseason although not quite to that extent. One of those changes will come through the expansion draft where as things stand, they could potentially lose a long-time veteran or an intriguing youngster to the Golden Knights. Here’s a closer look at their situation.
Eligible Players (Non-UFA)
Forwards:
Paul Byron, Daniel Carr, Connor Crisp, Phillip Danault, Jacob de la Rose, Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher, Charles Hudon, Stefan Matteau, Torrey Mitchell, Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanec, Andrew Shaw, Chris Terry
Defense:
Nathan Beaulieu, Jordie Benn, Brandon Davidson, Alexei Emelin, Keegan Lowe, Nikita Nesterov, Jeff Petry (NMC), Zach Redmond, Dalton Thrower, Shea Weber
Goalies:
Al Montoya, Carey Price (NMC)
Notable Exemptions
F Artturi Lehkonen, G Charlie Lindgren, F Michael McCarron, D Jakub Jerabek, F Nikita Scherbak, D Mikhail Sergachev
Key Decisions
In the time leading up to the trade deadline, it felt as if GM Marc Bergevin may have been hedging against losing a defenseman to Vegas. He made three separate deals to add defensive depth with the acquisitions of Nesterov, Davidson, and Benn. The first two look like locks to be left unprotected while Benn certainly presents an interesting case.
Between Petry’s NMC and Weber’s status as their top blueliner, those two are locks to be protected while it’s unlikely that they’ll opt to not go with the standard 7-3-1 format. That leaves just one spot up for grabs between Benn, Beaulieu, and Emelin. Emelin’s contract ($4.1MM for one more year) makes him a likely candidate to be left unprotected but the same can’t be said for the other two.
Upon being acquired, Benn solidified Montreal’s third pairing and became a go-to player on the penalty kill. He has two years left on his deal at a cap hit of $1.1MM which is pretty good value for a regular blueliner. Benn can also play as left and a right defender and that type of versatility isn’t the easiest to find.
As for Beaulieu, the former first rounder has shown flashes of legitimate top four potential but has also made some tough mistakes in his own end to the point where he was a healthy scratch in the postseason finale. He took a big step forward offensively this season and at the age of 24, there’s a case to be made that there’s still some upside. It would be tough for Montreal to risk losing a player like that for nothing. The last defensive protection spot will come down to these two assuming no trades are made between now and the submission deadline and it won’t be an easy decision either way.
Up front, there are a few choices that Bergevin will have to make. Alexander Radulov is set to become an unrestricted free agent and will be one of the top players available on the open market. There’s mutual interest in a return but there’s no doubt that the Golden Knights have the financial wherewithal to make him a sizable offer during their negotiation period in the days leading up to the draft. If a deal isn’t done between now and then, there’s a case to be made that he could still be worth protecting, just to make sure Vegas can’t up the ante on the bidding early on.
The Canadiens have a pair of young forwards who have had some NHL success but have also struggled at times in Carr and de la Rose. Carr showed a bit of a scoring touch back in 2015-16 but took a step back this season in both the NHL and AHL. He still has one year left on his deal with a $725K cap hit. As for de la Rose, his best impression came as a 19 year old where he played nearly half a season and looked like a core checker of the future. His offensive game hasn’t exactly developed though and while he’s a center with some size in an organization lacking both those elements, his upside is starting to look a bit limited although he would still fit in nicely as a fourth liner with several years of team control. He will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Montreal’s center depth isn’t particularly strong so at the outset, it would only make sense that the team would want to protect what they have. That may not be the case when it comes to Plekanec. The veteran of parts of 13 NHL seasons (all with the Canadiens) had a down year in 2016-17, posting 28 points, the lowest he has put up in any full season. He still brings defensive value to the table but with another year left on his deal with a $6MM cap hit, he may be a safe option to expose. If Vegas opted to take him, that would open up a lot more financial flexibility for Montreal this summer.
Then there’s Hudon. He has been one of the top goal scorers at the AHL the last two years but hasn’t really had much of a look with the big club, getting into just six career NHL games (where he collected four assists). There are questions about his skating but his scoring touch in the minors will make him an intriguing option for Vegas GM George McPhee if Montreal decides to leave him unprotected. Given their own scoring woes, Hudon is someone that the Canadiens may decide is too important to leave exposed despite his lack of NHL experience.
Beyond Radulov, the only other prominent unrestricted free agent the Canadiens have is Markov. The 38 year old has solely been with Montreal since they drafted him in 1998 and he has already expressed an interest in returning as well. Given his age, Markov isn’t the type of player Vegas is likely to target nor would it be likely that Markov would entertain the idea of going to an expansion team at this stage of his career.
Projected Protection List
F Paul Byron
F Phillip Danault
F Alex Galchenyuk
F Brendan Gallagher
F Charles Hudon
F Max Pacioretty
F Andrew Shaw
D Nathan Beaulieu
D Jeff Petry (NMC)
D Shea Weber
Out of the unprotected players, Benn highlights several blueliners that could step in and help right away while Plekanec would be one of the better centers available. Although he’d be pricey, he’s also the type of player they could flip for younger assets at the trade deadline. If Radulov is still unsigned, a significant offer could be made to lure in a legitimate top line winger which would be quite the coup. Or he could go with a youngster up front (whoever isn’t protected between Hudon and de la Rose most likely) and get someone that will be cost controlled for a few years still through the RFA system while being able to contribute right away. McPhee should have a few interesting players to choose from the Canadiens assuming no side deal is made between now and the draft.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.