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Latest On Flames GM Search

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As the Toronto Maple Leafs have thoroughly stolen the headlines today, another Canadian team is looking to make some front-office news. Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff reports that the Calgary Flames are close to hiring a new General Manager.

Yesterday evening, it was reported that Craig Conroy was considered to be a strong internal candidate to replace Brad Treliving as General Manager in Calgary, and Seravalli points out that he may be the odds-on favorite. Conroy has been a longtime favorite for the Flames, playing nine seasons for the team, and becoming the team captain shortly before Jarome Iginla took the mantle in 2003.

Since retiring in 2011, Conroy was immediately hired on as a Special Assistant to the General Manager and quickly became Assistant General Manager before the 2014-15 season. For seemingly being a part of the Flames organization all of his adult life, there is no question as to why Conroy is the favorite to become the new General Manager in Calgary.

Aside from Conroy, Seravalli also mentioned a list of external candidates that have had in-person interviews in the past week, including David Nonis, Stan Bowman, and Marc Bergevin. All three external candidates have considerable experience at the helm of the front office in the NHL.

Another interesting note Seravalli shared is that the Flames have changed their approach in regard to Treliving’s future. In previous reports, the Pittsburgh Penguins had previously been denied access to interview Treliving, per the terms of his past extension.

Now, Seravalli reports that Calgary will no longer prohibit Treliving from interviewing with interested parties. In light of the news coming from the Maple Leafs today, Treliving immediately comes to mind as a potential solution to the new vacuum created in Toronto.

Latest On Pittsburgh Penguins Front Office Search

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are in for a busy offseason, replacing key front-office fixtures after missing the playoffs for the first time in almost two decades. In addition to yesterday’s reporting on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ intention to hire two separate people for the roles of general manager and president of hockey operations, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun expanded in detail today on the current status of Pittsburgh’s search to fill their vacant roles.

LeBrun relayed previously corroborated reports from league sources that the Penguins have conducted initial Zoom interviews with potential candidates for the general manager role, with this number set at around a dozen. From this group, Pittsburgh has begun the process of narrowing down individuals for in-person second-round interviews for the job.

LeBrun has now confirmed seven individuals who were part of that complement of about 12. Among them is Los Angeles Kings senior advisor Marc Bergevin, Carolina Hurricanes assistant general manager Eric Tulsky, St. Louis Blues VP of hockey operations Peter Chiarelli, Buffalo Sabres associate general manager Jason Karmanos, and three members of the New Jersey Devils organization: senior vice president and assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon, assistant general manager Kate Madigan, and director of player development Meghan Duggan. There are two other likely candidates that LeBrun could not confirm, Tampa Bay Lightning assistant general manager Mathieu Darche and Seattle Kraken assistant general manager Jason Botterill, who previously held the same role with Pittsburgh.

Some candidates from the first round of interviews were informed today that they are no longer being considered for the positions, LeBrun said.

Also in line with previous reporting, LeBrun mentioned the Penguins expressed interest in including Brad Treliving, the former general manager of the Calgary Flames, in their first round of interviews. However, the Flames denied permission, given Treliving’s expiring contract with the team legally expires on June 30.

As for a president of hockey operations, LeBrun also linked the Penguins to former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka. Chayka held his post with the Coyotes from May 2016 to July 2020, when he abruptly resigned before the start of the delayed Stanley Cup Playoffs. The NHL later suspended Chayka from working in the league for the entire 2021 calendar year after he pursued other league opportunities while still under contract with Arizona. It also later came to light that, under Chayka, the Coyotes had held an illegal private scouting combine for eligible draft prospects in direct violation of league rules, resulting in multiple pick forfeitures for Arizona.

Surprisingly, the reason for the uncertainty about Chayka’s potential involvement with the Penguins isn’t due to his concerning NHL history – rather, LeBrun reports Chayka could have additional NHL opportunities available to him outside of Pittsburgh.

Snapshots: Bergevin, Romanov, Teravainen

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The Calgary Flames’ GM search seems to be kicking into a higher gear, as some of the names the team could be interviewing to fill their vacant position continue to be reported. A new name that has emerged in the process is that of current Los Angeles Kings executive and former Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin. On the 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said that he’s “heard Marc Bergevin’s name” connected to the search as the team has narrowed down its list of candidates.

Bergevin, 57, served as general manager of the Canadiens from 2012 to 2022.  During his tenure, Bergevin became a bit of a divisive figure in both Montreal market and across the NHL, with nearly every observer seeming to have a strong opinion on his work with the Canadiens. This could be due to the fact that Bergevin made quite a few bold, blockbuster trades, with some that paid off for his franchise (such as the controversial P.K. Subban for Shea Weber swap) and others that cost the team dearly. (Mikhail Sergachev for Jonathan Drouin) Now, a relatively short period removed from his departure from Montreal, it seems Bergevin could be in contention to earn another shot at being an NHL GM. Also worth noting is this news, combined with earlier reports that the Flames are looking to interview Maple Leafs executive Brandon Pridham, reveals that the organization is taking a wide-ranging approach to fielding candidates for their GM opening, as they are reportedly considering both candidates with extensive experience in the role and candidates without any experience as an NHL GM.

More notes from across the NHL:

  • New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov underwent a minor surgical procedure on his shoulder, reports The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz. The procedure went well, and according to Kurz the procedure is not expected to interrupt Romanov’s readiness for training camp in any way. The 23-year-old defenseman averaged 19:27 time on ice per game in his first season on Long Island and pitched in 22 points. The Islanders traded their 2022 first-round pick to acquire him from Montreal, and have hopes that Romanov can become a long-term staple in their top-four.
  • Carolina Hurricanes team reporter Walt Ruff relays word from today’s practice that forward Teuvo Teravainen has shed his yellow non-contact jersey. This is a positive step forward for Teravainen, who has missed most of the Hurricanes’ run to the Eastern Conference Final due to a broken hand. The Hurricanes originally issued a four-to-eight-week timeline for Teravainen’s return, and if today’s news is any indication his return to the ice could be just around the corner, possibly giving coach Rod Brind’Amour’s lineup a major boost.

Otto Leskinen Signs Two-Year Contract In Finland

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Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Otto Leskinen is once again returning to his roots, signing a two-year contract with Tappara in the Finnish Liiga, as announced by the team during a YouTube live stream.

Leskinen, 26, had returned to the Canadiens in 2022-23 after one season spent in Finland but has now opted to return back to his home country. Born in Pieksämäki, Finland, Leskinen was an undrafted free agent signed by the Canadiens in the summer of 2019.

After starting his professional career with the Liiga’s KalPa back in the 2015-16 season, Leskinen would develop into an adept puck-moving defender over the next few years before signing with Montreal. Leskinen would spend most of his time in the Canadiens organization with the AHL’s Laval Rocket but did appear in six NHL games in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

His attempt to get some more NHL games under his belt wasn’t successful. Leskinen suited up in just 24 games for the Rocket in 2022-23 before undergoing season-ending hip surgery, recording a goal and seven assists. He now returns to Tappara, where he recorded a combined 18 points in 25 games across the regular season and playoffs in 2021-22 en route to a Liiga championship.

With Leskinen back in the fold, Tappara will now look to challenge for a third straight championship in 2024. They’re on one of the most impressive contention runs of any professional team in hockey, having made it to at least the bronze medal game in the Liiga in every season since 2012-13, including nine championship appearances (five wins, four losses).

Canadiens UFA Frederic Allard Signs In Sweden

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Rather than see what might come up in free agency this summer, Canadiens pending UFA defenseman Frederic Allard has found his next team as Lulea of the SHL announced that they’ve signed the rearguard to a two-year contract.

The 25-year-old played in three games with Montreal this season after being acquired from Los Angeles at the trade deadline in exchange for AHL forward Nate Schnarr.  However, Allard only has one other NHL appearance under his belt, that coming back in 2021 with Nashville, the team that drafted him in the third round back in 2016.

For the majority of his pro career, Allard has played at the AHL level, getting into 297 games over six seasons with affiliates of the Predators, Kings, and Canadiens.  Over that stretch, he has 23 goals and 91 assists along with 114 penalty minutes while chipping in with three goals and three helpers in 11 playoff contests.

While Allard certainly would have had NHL offers this summer, they almost certainly would have been of the two-way variety with an eye on him continuing to play in the minors.  Instead, he’s decided that it’s time for a change and will try his hand overseas.  As he has not played in enough AHL contests to qualify for full veteran status, there should be interest in Allard down the road if he decides to give it another go at some point in North America.

Chicago Blackhawks Win 2023 NHL Draft Lottery

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One of the most highly anticipated nights on the NHL calendar has finally arrived as the annual NHL Draft Lottery was held to determine which team would have the honor of selecting first and second overall at the 2023 NHL Draft. The 16 teams that failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs all had a chance to win the lottery, though teams can only move up a maximum of ten slots, so the bottom 11 teams in the NHL standings all had a chance of landing the top draft pick.

The results are now in and the Chicago Blackhawks have won the first overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft. They had the third best odds entering the night, but jumped ahead of the Anaheim Ducks and the Columbus Blue Jackets to win the top pick. The Ducks won the second overall pick and will now step to the podium second at the draft after entering the lottery with the best odds at winning the first overall pick. The Blue Jackets had the second best odds of winning the lottery, but have dropped to third overall.

The now official order of the first 16 picks in the 2023 NHL Draft will go as follows:

  1. Chicago Blackhawks
  2. Anaheim Ducks
  3. Columbus Blue Jackets
  4. San Jose Sharks
  5. Montreal Canadiens
  6. Arizona Coyotes
  7. Philadelphia Flyers
  8. Washington Capitals
  9. Detroit Red Wings
  10. St. Louis Blues
  11. Vancouver Canucks
  12. Arizona Coyotes (via Ottawa Senators)
  13. Buffalo Sabres
  14. Pittsburgh Penguins
  15. Nashville Predators
  16. Calgary Flames

The prize for winning the first overall pick is a big one this season. Connor Bedard is slated to go with the top selection at the 2023 NHL Draft and he promises to be an exceptional NHL player.

Bedard will not turn 18 years old until July, but he did lead the WHL in goals, assists and points this past season. He scored 71 goals, 72 assists and 143 points in just 57 games. He was away from the team for a few weeks around Christmas to suit up at the World Juniors where he brought his world-class skills to the biggest stage yet. He was named MVP of the tournament after scoring nine goals and 23 points in just seven games, helping Canada claim a gold medal.

Adam Fantilli is likely to be the second player off the board at the draft, but he is an exceptional consolation prize. He won the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in college hockey during his freshman season. Fantilli scored 30 goals and 65 points in just 36 NCAA contests, showing he is ready to take the next step to the NHL immediately after being drafted.

The 2023 NHL Draft will be held in Nashville, Tennessee on June 28.

Offseason Checklist: Montreal Canadiens

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The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs plus those that were eliminated early.  It’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months.  Next up is a look at Montreal.

After finishing last in the league a year ago, expectations were rather low for the Canadiens heading into the season.  While they played better in the second half of 2021-22 under Martin St. Louis, how would the team fare in his first full campaign?  The end result was not much better although Montreal had significant injuries throughout the year once again.  They’re not at a point where they’re likely to push for a playoff spot but they will still have a few things to get through this offseason.

Decision On Gurianov

When the Canadiens opted to pick up winger Denis Gurianov at the trade deadline instead of a draft pick for Evgenii Dadonov, it looked like Montreal was hoping that they could get him going and that he’d be a multi-season asset for the team.  Of course, with a $2.9MM qualifying offer due in June, they’d need to see some steady play to deem him worthy of that offer.

What they wound up getting, however, was a mixed bag.  The 25-year-old had five goals and three assists in 23 games with his new team, a better performance than how he started the year in Dallas.  Extrapolated over a full season, Gurianov’s numbers with the Canadiens would have been 18 goals and 11 assists; a player that gets close to 20 goals is probably worth that qualifying offer.

However, his game-to-game performance varied significantly to the point where it might be risky to tender him at that rate.  If they feel that way, chances are that other teams will too which probably takes a trade off the table.  At that point, the options are to try to negotiate a cheaper one-year agreement or just outright non-tender him.

Gurianov’s track record suggests there should be some interest in him if he makes it to free agency, just at a price tag below $2.9MM.  He had three straight double-digit goal seasons before this one plus a strong playoff performance in the bubble in 2020.  With that in mind, if the Canadiens go to him with an offer below his qualifier, would he be better off testing the open market anyway?  They have just under a couple of months to figure out what will happen with Gurianov.

Re-Sign Caufield

Cole Caufield had a long-term stay on Montreal’s injured list this season as he missed nearly the final three months of the campaign after undergoing shoulder surgery.  Despite that, he still finished tied for the team lead in goals with 26 in just 46 games.  Even missing basically half the season, he still had a strong platform year heading into restricted free agency for the first time in his career.

Despite needing a new deal, Caufield doesn’t exactly have a lot of NHL experience under his belt, just 123 regular season contests, basically the equivalent of a year and a half worth of games.  That makes it a little harder to find a range of comparables on a long-term contract although the seven-year, $49MM deal that Minnesota gave Matt Boldy earlier this season should provide a general floor of what such a move might cost.  Having said that, it stands to reason that if that deal or something close to it was an option for Montreal, an agreement would be in place already.  It also remains to be seen if they will want to use Nick Suzuki’s $7.85MM AAV as an internal cap in discussions.

At a time when many teams are considerably more aggressive than they used to be in terms of bypassing bridge contracts in favor of long-term pacts, it’s possible that the pendulum swings back the other way this summer.  With the expectation that the increases to the salary cap should be more significant starting in 2024-25, Caufield might prefer to take a bridge deal and try to work out a long-term agreement in a couple of years when the cap will be higher.

One thing to note here is that Caufield still has five years of RFA eligibility remaining instead of four as he didn’t accrue a season towards free agency when he came out of college and finished up the 2020-21 campaign.  That sets up a scenario where a bridge agreement could be as long as four years.  In that situation, his camp might push for the type of deal that Dallas winger Jason Robertson received, a four-year contract with a $7.75MM AAV.  Something that is also worth noting is that the two players share the same agent, Pat Brisson.  Without salary arbitration rights, this negotiation could take a while.

Utilize Cap Space

The Canadiens have been capped out the last couple of years but have some pricey contracts coming off the books in Jonathan Drouin ($5.5MM) and Sean Monahan ($6.375MM) while Paul Byron and his $3.4MM will also be cleared after the winger was on LTIR all season long.  While Caufield will take up a big chunk of those savings, he’s the only RFA of note that Montreal has.

That at least gives them the option to look to add a player or two in a trade or on the open market; it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to bring Monahan back on a one-year deal as he had fit in rather well before injuries ended his year prematurely.  Alternatively, they’re in a position to potentially look to do what they did with Monahan and take on a contract while being compensated with a draft pick or prospect for doing so.  Assuming they’re willing to go deep into LTIR again with Carey Price’s $10.5MM deal, they might have a couple of opportunities to do so.

Clear Some Clutter

One thing that rebuilding teams typically like to do is create some opportunities for younger players but the Canadiens have quite a few veterans that it could be suggested are taking up some spots.  Wingers Mike Hoffman (one year, $4.5MM) and Joel Armia (two years, $3.4MM) have underachieved while veteran blueliner Joel Edmundson (one year, $3.5MM) is coming off a down year and plays on the left side of the back end, a side that Montreal has a lot of depth at already.

Moving one or two of these players out would open up some roster spots, either for a prospect like Rafael Harvey-Pinard to push for a full-time spot or, if they do take on an unwanted contract, a spot will be needed for that player.  There’s definitely some risk in moving out some depth on a team that has dealt with plenty of injuries the last two seasons but it’s still an avenue they’d be wise to look into.

Back at the trade deadline, GM Kent Hughes acknowledged that he purposely opted to keep one salary retention slot open to give them some more trade options at the draft.  (Salary retention slots used on players on expiring contracts don’t clear until July 1st.)  It stands to reason that this retention slot could be used to try to move out one of these veterans before free agency opens up in July.  Accordingly, the Canadiens could be a team to keep an eye on when it comes to the trade market in the coming weeks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Cole Caufield

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  • Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield updated the media, including Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, on the state of his injury recovery today. Caufield said that he’s cleared to play golf as of June 1st, and that he’d “definitely” be back to shooting pucks before then. Caufield’s rehab from the shoulder injury that ended his season is an important storyline for Canadiens fans to monitor, seeing as he’s one of the team’s brightest young talents and has an important summer of contract negotiations set to begin.

Montreal Canadiens Reassign Lucas Condotta, Two Others

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  • The Montreal Canadiens have reassigned forwards Lucas Condotta and Joel Teasdale, along with defenseman Frederic Allard, to the Laval Rocket. Condotta memorably got his first NHL goal on his first NHL shift last night, and Teasdale got an assist on the play as well, which was his first NHL point. Allard, on the other hand, is still waiting for his first NHL point with four career games played. All three players will join the Rocket in their final regular-season game tonight, a crucial matchup against the Syracuse Crunch that Laval will hope to win to distance themselves from the Cleveland Monsters for the Northeast Division’s final playoff spot.
  • The Boston Bruins reassigned goaltender Brandon Bussi to the Providence Bruins. Bussi, who was recently named to the AHL’s all-rookie team, backed up Jeremy Swayman yesterday during the team’s win over the Montreal Canadiens. The 24-year-old posted a 21-5-4 record and .925 save percentage this season for Providence, who still have a chance to take the number-one seed in the Atlantic Division.

Montreal Canadiens Recall Lucas Condotta On Emergency Basis

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The Montreal Canadiens are rewarding a hard-working AHLer during the final game of their season. 25-year-old undrafted forward Lucas Condotta has been recalled on an emergency basis, allowing him to make his NHL debut tonight against the Boston Bruins.

Condotta signed with the Canadiens last March, inking a one-year entry-level deal. He earned the contract after a strong final season at UMass-Lowell, a year where he captained the team and scored 10 goals and 23 points in 33 games. Condotta had scored 10 points in his previous two seasons of college hockey and just nine points his freshman year, meaning his senior campaign represented a significant increase in both responsibility and production.

He made his pro debut last season with the Laval Rocket and skated in seven regular-season contests and 10 playoff games. While he struggled early and failed to leave a mark in the regular season, Condotta’s three points in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Springfield Thunderbirds nearly helped lift the Rocket to their first-ever Calder Cup Final.

This year was Condotta’s first full year as a professional, and he’s carried the momentum he built against Springfield to the Rocket’s regular season. He’s scored 16 goals and 30 points in 71 games, tied for fourth on the team in goal scoring with surprise standout Rafael Harvey-Pinard. Condotta stands six-foot-one, 223-pounds and brings the type of energy and physicality to the ice that quickly endears him to coaches.

While Condotta’s stay in the NHL might be brief, this recall serves as a concrete recognition of how well his debut pro season has gone. Should the Rocket make the playoffs this season, it’s likely that Condotta will be a forward to watch.

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