Canadiens COO Leaves Organization
The Montreal Canadiens Executive VP and COO Kevin Gilmore has left the organization to pursue other opportunities. Kevin was with the organization for five years, and was instrumental in landing lucrative longterm broadcasting contracts with RDS and Sportsnet. The departure was amicable, and the Canadiens say that it was understood from the beginning of Gilmore’s tenure that he would eventually leave.
Minor NHL Transactions: 6/13/16
Some free agent signings to report around the NHL:
- The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed defenseman Mark Barberio to a 2-year deal worth $1.5MM. The 26-year-old spent last season with the Canadiens before a concussion ended his season in March. Barberio had two goals and ten points in 30 games last season.
- The Nashville Predators inked G Marek Mazanec to a one-year, $575,000 deal according to a team report. The 24-year-old netminder was signed to a two-way contract and spent the 2015-2016 season playing for the Milwaukee Admirals, Nashville’s AHL affiliate.
- The Carolina Hurricanes agreed to a 3-year deal with 18-year-old forward Sebastian Aho. The cap hit is $925,000. Aho was a second round pick for the Hurricanes in the 2015 draft and spent last season in the Finnish league Liiga where he registered 45 points in as many games. Aho will also play for Team Finland in the World Cup of Hockey. They also inked 19-year-old forward Aleksi Saarela to a two year, entry level deal. Saarela was acquired as part of the Eric Staal deal prior to the trade deadline.
- The Calgary Flames signed G David Rittich to a one-year, $925,000 deal. A team report stated that the 23-year-old Czech netminder agreed to a two-way contract. Rittich spent last season with BK Mlada Boleslav of the Czech Extraliga.
Habs Notes: Andrighetto, Muller, Draft Pick
After news broke that Montreal Canadiens inked Sven Andrighetto to a one-year, $650,000 dollar deal yesterday, details of the contract came fast and furious. It’s a one-way deal that will see the forward reach arbitration next summer if he plays in at least 10 games this season. For the Canadiens, he represents the first of eight upcoming restricted free agents who played for their team this year. With Andrighetto’s 17 points in 44 games, he was arguably the most important RFA they had; the trio of Darren Dietz, Joel Hanley and Mark Barberio on the back end look like the next priority.
More from the Habs:
- After bringing Kirk Muller back as an associate coach earlier this month, the former Montreal great will again face criticism about his inability to speak French. When asked if he thought a Montreal coach needed to be able to speak the language, legendary Hab Guy Lafleur responded: “To me it’s not the question of French, English, Russian or whatever. If you’re behind the bench, you have to do the job and you have to do it right, and make sure the players are playing at their potential and at their best.“
- On the matter of P.K. Subban and his reported poor dressing room presence, Lafleur related a story: “I was right beside the dressing room one night with Yvan Cournoyer and P.K. was outside screaming and dangling, and Yvan looks at me and says: ‘It wouldn’t have worked out in our days. Somebody would have smacked him with a stick.'” Though Subban continues to be brought up in trade scenarios, TSN’s Darren Dreger recently squashed some rumors, reporting one GM was told “flat out” that he would not be traded.
- As noted this morning, Elliotte Friedman recently reported that the Canadiens are trying to move up from their slot at ninth overall in this year’s Entry Draft. Moving up to get a player like Pierre-Luc Dubois would surely ignite a fan base that had to suffer through a disappointing season after the injury to Carey Price. Dubois could go as early as fourth in the draft, meaning that the Canadiens would have part with some big pieces to secure the Quebec native.