What Your Team Is Thankful For: Montreal Canadiens
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Montreal Canadiens.
Who are the Canadiens thankful for?
Mike Matheson has had a tale of two careers.
He was good in his first few seasons in the NHL with the Florida Panthers, showcasing his terrific skating and his ability to carry the puck out of the defensive zone. But shortly after signing an eight-year extension the warts in his game began to show and he became a lightning rod for criticism in the Sunshine State.
It wasn’t long after that Matheson was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins along with Colton Sceviour for Patric Hornqvist. Matheson was able to rehabilitate his game and looked like a good fit with the Penguins long-term. However, Penguins general manager Ron Hextall inexplicably wanted to change up the Penguins’ defense and in one day bulldozed his defense core by trading John Marino to New Jersey and Matheson to the Canadiens. Both trades have been a disaster for the Penguins, but the Matheson one stings for several reasons.
Since coming over to Montreal, the 29-year-old Matheson has dressed in 79 games, during that time he has 13 goals and 42 assists and has averaged almost 25 minutes a night in ice-time. He has been a catalyst for the Canadiens offense, and a mentor to many of Montreal’s young defensemen.
Although he has dealt with some injury issues, Matheson has been a driving force for the Canadiens and one that should continue to be an important piece for them in the coming seasons.
What are the Canadiens thankful for?
The Jeff Petry trades.
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens made a trade back in July 2022 that sent defenseman Matheson to Pittsburgh in exchange for veteran defenseman Petry and Ryan Poehling. It was a questionable trade at the time for the Penguins as they were giving up a much younger defenseman for a 36-year-old defender with an inflated cap hit. A year after the deal, it’s safe to say that the trade was an absolute heist by the Canadiens. Jeff Petry has been traded twice since the original trade and Poehling was non-tendered and signed with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Petry was traded by the Penguins to the Canadiens this past August in a move that Pittsburgh had to make to facilitate the Erik Karlsson trade. The Penguins traded Petry, goalie Casey DeSmith, forward Nathan Legare and a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick. Hoffman was then moved to the Sharks and Pitlick has toiled in the AHL.
The trade was a great move for Montreal to acquire two futures while unloading two bad contracts. But they weren’t done yet. The Canadiens then traded Petry to the Detroit Red Wings for little-used defenseman Gustav Lindstrom and a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2025. Finally, Montreal was able to complete the trade tree by shipping DeSmith to the Vancouver Canucks for Tanner Pearson and a 2025 third-round pick.
When all was said and done, the Canadiens were able to turn Pitlick, Hoffman, and a retained salary on Petry into Legare, Pearson, Lindstrom, and three 2025 draft picks. It was a creative move by Montreal, that will help them continue to build up their farm system or allow them to acquire additional players should they be more of a contending team in 2025.
What would the Canadiens be even more thankful for?
A Josh Anderson resurgence.
Many critics panned the Canadiens’ trade for Anderson back in October 2020 and for good reason, the trade was followed by the announcement of a seven-year $38.5MM extension that seemed like a massive overpay. In hindsight, it probably was, given that Anderson is carrying a $5.5MM cap hit and hasn’t come close to the 47 points he put up during the 2018-19 season. Since joining Montreal, Anderson has topped out at 32 points (twice), but he did have 40 goals over the two seasons before the start of the 2023-24 season.
This year has seen Anderson struggle more than he has in previous seasons. Through 31 games, the 29-year-old has just four goals and five assists and has been a drag on almost everyone he has played with this season. It’s been a frustrating season for the Burlington, Ontario native, one that he has acknowledged publicly. Just two nights ago, Anderson had an incredible game against the New York Islanders in which he scored two goals and was named the first star of the game. Afterwards, during a post-game interview, Anderson was serenaded by the Canadiens faithful and seemed genuinely humbled by the applause. With any luck, Anderson can use the game to catapult himself back to the heights he experienced when he put up 27 goals with the Columbus Blue Jackets five years ago.
If he can get back to his game, it could go a long way to the Canadiens making an unlikely push for a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive Eastern Conference.
What should be on the Canadiens holiday wish list?
A goal-scoring forward.
The Canadiens forwards need to score more as they rank near the bottom of the NHL in goals and are currently on pace to not have a single 25-goal scorer. Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki both registered 26 goals last year but have just eight each thus far through 31 games, while Sean Monahan and Brendan Gallagher are far removed from the back-to-back 30-goal seasons, they each enjoyed from 2017-2019.
The Canadiens need a game-breaker, which is much easier said than done. Most teams are looking for this type of scorer and they are almost impossible to acquire in today’s NHL. The Canadiens do have a surplus of young defensemen they could choose to trade from, but they would need to find a trading partner that is interested in trading away one of the most coveted pieces in today’s NHL.
The Canadiens have been patient with their rebuild and have made some savvy moves to acquire good young prospects and defensive depth. At some point in the near future, they are going to have to take a risk on an offensively gifted forward. Whether that happens via trade or free agency remains to be seen but they will need to acquire a forward that can put the puck in the net.
Evening Notes: Blackwell, Kurashev, Broberg
The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that they’ve activated forward Colin Blackwell from non-roster status, and he will make his season debut this evening against the Colorado Avalanche. Blackwell has been sidelined since February 27th as he has been dealing with a sports hernia. Blackwell suffered multiple setbacks through the summer, his rehab process, as well as during training camp and talked at length about his frustration, but it appears that he has overcome the struggles and is set to get back on the ice.
The 30-year-old posted two goals and eight assists last season with Chicago as he dressed in 53 games in his first year with the club. Blackwell has played with five different teams during his five-year NHL career and should have plenty of incentive as he gets back into the lineup. He is set to hit unrestricted free agency next July when his two-year $2.4MM contract will be set to expire.
In other evening notes:
- Scott Powers of The Athletic is reporting that Chicago Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev will miss tonight’s game due to an illness. Kurashev is hardly the only player suffering from sickness this time of year as a lot of players have missed games due to illness recently. The 24-year-old is on pace to shatter his career high in points as he has six goals and 11 assists in 24 games this season. The native of Munsingen, Switzerland has never topped 25 points in any NHL season but should do so this year barring any unforeseen slump or injury. No word yet on a timeline for return, but the Blackhawks play twice more before the holiday break.
- TSN Insider Darren Dreger is reporting that Philip Broberg is still expected to be a trade candidate for the Edmonton Oilers, but perhaps not in the way many expected him to be. Dreger believes that Broberg could still be a central piece for the Oilers to add an impact player, but he also thinks that Broberg could become the sweetener in a deal to offload the contract of struggling goaltender Jack Campbell. Broberg has been relegated to AHL duties with the Bakersfield Condors but has been averaging over 25 minutes a night of ice time for the Oilers affiliate. Edmonton would do well to move on from Campbell, and it may cost them Broberg if they wish to do so.
Evening Notes: Devils, Svechnikov, Hill
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun recently shared that New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton could be out through the end of the regular season, after undergoing surgery to repair a pectoral injury. The Devils would gain $9MM in cap space if they moved Hamilton to long-term injured reserve, money that LeBrun says would put the Devils in a position to be aggressive at the Trade Deadline.
The Devils have come back into their own, winning seven of their last 10 games after a more-than-slow start to the year. LeBrun added that the Devils would be in the market for roster pieces, including looking for a new goaltender. New Jersey was rumored to be closely attached to former Vezina Trophy-winner Connor Hellebuyck this off-season but weren’t able to get a deal done before the netminder signed a seven-year extension with the Winnipeg Jets. Hellebuyck’s new deal carries a cap hit of $8.5MM – just under the Devils’ available cap. The deal also carries a no-movement clause for its first three seasons and a modified no-trade clause for the last four.
There’s no doubting the Devils’ need for a goaltender. The team has scored the eighth-most goals in the league through the first half of the year but they’ve allowed the tenth-most goals-against, with both Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid boasting save percentages below .900.
More notes from around the league:
- Andrei Svechnikov is set to return to the lineup on Tuesday night, after missing the Carolina Hurricanes’ last six games with an upper-body injury. Svechnikov has only appeared in 16 games this season, scoring one goal and 11 points, after battling to return from surgery on his ACL in March.
- The Vegas Golden Knights aren’t expecting starting goaltender Adin Hill to join them on their upcoming four-game road trip, including the team’s Tuesday night matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. Head coach Bruce Cassidy shared that the netminder is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Hill has played in 15 games this season, setting a 10-2-2 record. He leads the NHL in goals-against-average (1.93) and save percentage (.933).
Mats Zuccarello Out Week-To-Week With Upper-Body Injury
The Minnesota Wild have announced that Mats Zuccarello will miss the team’s Tuesday night game, designating him as week-to-week with an upper-body injury. The veteran forward has been a focal piece of Minnesota’s offense through the early season, currently leading the team in scoring with 28 points in 28 games.
Zuccarello is in his fifth season with Minnesota, after spending nine seasons with the New York Rangers. His 14-year NHL career comes despite the 5’8″ winger originally going undrafted. Zucarello originally signed with the Rangers following the end of the 2009-10 SHL (then the SEL) season. Zuccarello led MODO Hockey in scoring that season,
Zuccarello began his North American career at the end of the SHL’s 2009-10 season, signing as an undrafted free agent with the Rangers after leading MODO Hockey in scoring. He split the 2010-11 season between the AHL and NHL, recording 23 points in the 42 games he managed with the Rangers lineup. He again split time between the two leagues for 2011-12 and traveled to the KHL for ice time during the lockout 2012-13 season. As a result, it wasn’t until 2013-14 that Zuccarello received his first full NHL season and he made the most of it – leading the Rangers in scoring with 19 goals and 59 points in 77 games. His strong offense helped propel New York to the Stanley Cup Finals that season, with Zuccarello adding 13 points in 25 playoff games.
Extra forward Vinni Lettieri will likely slot into the lineup in the wake of Zuccarello’s injury. Lettieri has already appeared in 14 games with the Wild this season, scoring three goals and four points. Minnesota could also turn towards an AHL call-up, with minor-leaguers Nic Petan, Jujhar Khaira, and Samuel Walker all slotting into the NHL lineup at some point this season.
Philadelphia Recalls Rhett Gardner and Cal Petersen, Send Olle Lycksell Down
4:00 PM: Carter Hart is slated to miss Tuesday night’s game with illness, despite optimism around his return. Samuel Ersson will start for the Flyers, with Cal Petersen backing him up.
3:00 PM: The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forward Rhett Gardner and goaltender Calvin Petersen, sending rookie Olle Lycksell down to the minors. These moves come in the wake of Carter Hart‘s expected return to the lineup, with the goaltender coming back from a string of illnesses that held him out of the team’s Thursday night matchup and two games last month.
Petersen is joining a crowded goalie room that’s already home to Hart and Samuel Ersson. This is likely in preparation for the NHL Holiday Roster Freeze, which goes into effect at 11:59 P.M. local time on December 19th. The Flyers play three games before rosters unfreeze on December 28th. Teams are able to exceed the 23-man roster limit during this freeze, so long as they have the cap space to do so. Philadelphia is cutting it close, with just $730K left in cap space after these recalls – thanks to Petersen’s hefty $5MM cap hit.
Petersen has served as the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms starting goaltender for much of the season, recording a 4-6-1 record and .898 save percentage in 11 appearances with the team. He’s also appeared in two NHL games this year, splitting the matchups and setting a .896 save percentage. The Flyers acquired Petersen as part of a six-player trade in June, acquiring Sean Walker, Helge Grans, and three draft picks in addition to the 29-year-old goaltender.
Lycksell is being sent to the minors after making one appearance with the Flyers this season. He failed to record a point in the matchup but did receive one penalty. Lycksell has already appeared in 21 AHL games this season, scoring 12 goals and 19 points. The Flyers are swapping him with Rhett Gardner, who has yet to make his debut with the Flyers after spending the last five seasons in the Dallas Stars organization. Gardner has appeared in 21 AHL games this season, scoring four points and receiving 39 penalty minutes. The 27-year-old centerman has totaled 40 career NHL games and scored a pair of points.
Snapshots: Sabres, Kulich, Hagg
Still without forwards Jeff Skinner, Zemgus Girgensons, and Jordan Greenway, the Buffalo Sabres have dealt with numerous injuries to their forward core this season, but should be welcoming an up-and-coming player back to the lineup tonight. In an article from Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News, there is every expectation that Jack Quinn will draw back into the active roster, and make his season debut against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Dealing with an Achilles injury suffered in late June, Quinn has been prohibited from building upon his rookie season last year, in which he scored 14 goals and 37 points in 75 games, finishing 12th in Calder Trophy voting. Seeing their offensive output drop from third in the league last year, to only 26th in the league this season, the Sabres will only benefit from reintroducing Quinn back into the lineup.
After just failing to reach the playoffs last season, Buffalo currently holds a 13-6-3 record through 32 games this year, sitting 5th in the Atlantic Division and five points behind the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. With Quinn undoubtedly needing a few games to get back to full speed, the Sabres are hoping increased health in the organization will help change the trajectory of their season.
Other snapshots:
- Staying in Buffalo, Lysowski mentions in the same article that the team has loaned top prospect, Jiri Kulich, to Team Czechia for the 2023 World Junior Championships. Kulich was originally drafted 28th overall by the Sabres in the 2022 NHL Draft and has transitioned rather well to North American hockey. Playing for the Rochester Americans this season, Kulich has 16 goals and 22 points in 22 games, leading the team in scoring.
- According to Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune, the Anaheim Ducks have sent defenseman Robert Hagg down to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. Originally recalled on December 10th, Hagg served as a healthy scratch for all five of the team’s games in the meantime, failing to suit up once for Anaheim this season.
Central Notes: Makar, Cogliano, Jones, Vlasic, Kupari
As the Colorado Avalanche are set to take on the Chicago Blackhawks tonight, the team will still be without defenseman Cale Makar and forward Andrew Cogliano, according to Conor McGahey of Altitude Sports. On Makar specifically, with a relatively easy schedule to finish out the calendar year, the Avalanche may keep Makar out for several games for him to comfortably recover from his ongoing lower-body injury.
Nevertheless, without Makar in the lineup since the team’s victory against the Buffalo Sabres on December 13th, Colorado struggled defensively in their game against the Winnipeg Jets only three nights later. Making his case for the best player in the organization, Makar has eight goals and 37 points in 27 games played up to this point, carrying an equally impressive 90.5% on-ice save percentage in all situations.
Cogliano, on the other hand, will be kept out of the lineup tonight after receiving a big hit in the team’s most recent game against the San Jose Sharks. Like Makar, Cogliano has also played in 27 games on the season, scoring three goals and nine points as a part of the forward core’s bottom six.
Other notes:
- Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago reported that while already on the team’s injured reserve, it is unlikely that defenseman Seth Jones will suit up for the Chicago Blackhawks before the Christmas break. With his injured reserve placement coming just three days ago, Jones would be eligible to return from his shoulder injury on December 23rd. Conversely, in the same report, Roumeliotis mentions that Alex Vlasic is much closer to a return, skating on his own this morning.
- In some positive news for the Winnipeg Jets, Rasmus Kupari was back at practice this morning in a non-contact jersey (X Link). Acquired in the same deal that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings over the summer, Kupari has been dealing with a shoulder injury, recording only one assist in 15 games for the Jets.
Detroit Red Wings Sign Michael Hutchinson
Already playing in the organization on an AHL contract for the 2023-24 season, the Detroit Red Wings announced the signing of goaltender Michael Hutchinson to a one-year, two-way contract for the rest of the season. In 13 games played for the team’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, Hutchinson holds a 5-7-1 record, coupled with a .895 SV% and a 2.98 GAA.
The news comes after a tough couple of days for Detroit goaltending, as Alex Lyon left the team’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers after falling to the ice awkwardly following a save, and Ville Husso would leave the team’s game last night against the Anaheim Ducks with an apparent knee injury.
With head coach Derek Lalonde indicating that Husso would be out week-to-week, and Lyon expected to be out until after the Christmas holiday, James Reimer is seemingly the only healthy option left available to Detroit, meaning Hutchinson could see a call-up to the NHL organization shortly. In what has become a bit of a talking point surrounding the Red Wings season up to this point, the regular goaltending trio holds a 15-12-4 record in 31 games, only sporting a combined save percentage of 90.4% and a GAA of 3.01.
However, even with a fresh face between the pipes for a short while, there shouldn’t be any expectation that Hutchinson will provide any sort of improvement to Detroit’s goaltending issues. Having only played in 54 games since the beginning of the 2017-18 NHL season, Hutchinson holds a 16-23-7 record in those six years, while maintaining a .889 SV% and a 3.52 GAA.
If Hutchinson fails to deliver on whatever expectations the Red Wings may have for him, they do have one final option in the crease they could use, but are seemingly hesitant to do so. After a difficult transition to professional hockey last season, Sebastian Cossa, the 15th overall selection of the 2021 NHL Draft, sports a 4-5-2 record for the Griffins this season, with a much improved .904 SV% and 2.93 GAA.
Metropolitan Notes: Meier, Pacioretty, Severson, Wheeler
Currently riding a 7-3-0 record in their last 10 games, the New Jersey Devils continue their climb up the Metropolitan Division standings, after the top of their roster was decimated by injury early in the season, prohibiting the team from gaining any sort of consistency. Now with a relatively healthy roster, the resurgence in play has been led by star players Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, with one notable forward still failing to gain any sort of offensive traction.
With only five goals and 11 points in 22 games, and a team-worst -17 rating on the year, Timo Meier has simply failed to deliver on his lofty expectations since coming over to New Jersey at last year’s trade deadline. Even dating back to last year, in 43 regular season games for the Devils, Meier has scored 14 goals and 25 points, not yet a year removed from averaging nearly a point per game with the San Jose Sharks.
Speaking with head coach Lindy Ruff this morning, Devils’ reporter Amanda Stein mentioned that Meier still has some lingering issues relating to an undisclosed injury suffered in November, which Ruff claims is impacting his play. Whatever the case may be, although the team is currently playing well, as the highest-paid forward on the roster, it is imperative that Meier can find a return to form to put the Devils over the top in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
Other notes:
- In some positive news coming out of the Washington Capitals organization, even though it is unlikely forwards T.J. Oshie and Sonny Milano will be back before the Christmas break, the Capitals will likely see the season debut of Max Pacioretty shortly thereafter (X Link). In what will serve as a feel-good story for much of the league around the holiday season, Pacioretty has infamously suffered two Achilles tears over the last two calendar years, only playing in five games since the start of the 2022-23 season.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that defenseman Damon Severson has returned to practice this morning. Severson has been out exactly a month today with an oblique injury, having not played since the team’s November 19th game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Still on schedule with a six-week recovery timeline, Severson has been quite a boon for Columbus’ blue line this season, scoring three goals and eight points in 19 games averaging just under 21 minutes a night.
- Signing a performance-laden contract with the New York Rangers after being bought out by the Winnipeg Jets this past offseason, Blake Wheeler is set to earn a $100K bonus after 10, 20, and 30 games played, respectively. Tonight, the Rangers are set to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs, meaning Wheeler will play in his 30th game of the season, earning him his final performance bonus (X Link).
Florida Panthers Reassign Justin Sourdif
Dec. 19: It was a quick stay for Sourdif on the NHL roster, as David Dwork of The Hockey News reports he’s been returned to Charlotte this morning. Sourdif was a healthy scratch in last night’s 3-1 loss to the Flames.
Dec. 18: The Florida Panthers recalled forward prospect Justin Sourdif from their AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers today.
Although the Panthers are set to take on the Calgary Flames tonight, Sourdif is not slated to take a spot in the team’s forward lineup. Instead, this recall appears to have been made in order to provide the Panthers with additional cover at the forward position, something made necessary due to the fact that Anton Lundell and Jonah Gadjovich are currently sick and therefore out of the lineup.
Sourdif is a 21-year-old Canadian winger who has developed nicely since Florida selected him 87th overall at the 2020 NHL draft. The former WHL champion made his professional debut last season, skating in a total of 48 games for the Checkers. The speedy, tenacious forward scored 24 points in his rookie AHL campaign.
So far this season, Sourdif has taken real steps forward in terms of his development. He’s already scored 12 points in just 18 games, and is now playing an important top-six role next to Mackie Samoskevich in Charlotte.
His speed and competitiveness make him an ideal candidate for a call-up in a bottom-six role, and his offensive development suggests there could be more than just a future in an NHL bottom-six in store for Sourdif.
Right now, though, he’s likely to be on the Panthers roster in just a reserve capacity. If he does end up skating in a few more NHL games (he has already played in three this season) those contests should be seen as an opportunity for Sourdif to get more familiar with the expectations of playing in the NHL with an eye towards making a push for a more lasting spot on the Panthers in 2024-25.