Central Notes: Jets, Zhigalov, Bichsel
The futures of Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele with the Jets has been a source of speculation all summer with no extensions in place as they enter the final year of their contracts. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff told Pierre LeBrun and Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription link) that he plans to meet with both players once training camp gets underway to continue talks on a new deal. After trading Pierre-Luc Dubois and buying out Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg’s roster looks a bit weaker on paper heading into the season but having Hellebuyck and Scheifele around would certainly help their chances of making the playoffs. At this point, they’re expected to be on the roster when the regular season starts whether or not an extension is in place.
Elsewhere in the Central:
- Avalanche prospect Ivan Zhigalov was supposed to play in Belarus this season but the deal ultimately fell through. However, it appears as if he has found a new place to play as McKeen’s Brock Otten reports (Twitter link) that the netminder will suit up for USHL Tri-City in 2023-24. The 20-year-old was the final pick of the 2022 draft (225th overall) and spent last season with OHL Kingston where he posted a 3.59 GAA with a .889 SV% in 45 games. The Avs have until June 1st to sign Zhigalov to an entry-level deal.
- Stars prospect Lian Bichsel underwent ankle surgery back in the spring but he has been cleared to return as the team posted on Twitter that the blueliner skated in Dallas for the first time on Friday. The 19-year-old was the 18th pick last year and spent last season in Leksands’ system, playing in 42 games at the SHL level. There was a report back in August that suggested Bichsel won’t go back there for the upcoming season if he doesn’t land a roster spot with Dallas but instead, he’ll go to Rogle, another SHL squad.
Atlantic Notes: Kasper, Edvinsson, Canadiens
Red Wings prospect Marco Kasper spent most of last season playing with Rogle in Sweden before making the trek to North America once his campaign over there came to an end. That won’t be the case this season, however, as the forward told Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News (Twitter link) that he will report to AHL Grand Rapids if he doesn’t earn a spot with Detroit this fall. Kasper was the eighth overall pick last year and had eight goals and 15 assists in 52 games in the SHL before making his NHL debut with Detroit in early April. The Red Wings have brought in several forwards this summer to reshape their group so it’s quite possible that Kasper will have to bide his time in the minors this season.
More from the Atlantic:
- Still with the Red Wings, defenseman Simon Edvinsson will not be ready to participate in training camp as he continues to work his way back from shoulder surgery, relays Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now. However, he should be cleared by the time the regular season starts. The 20-year-old spent most of last season in Grand Rapids, notching five goals and 22 assists in 52 games. The 2021 sixth-overall pick also got into nine games with Detroit where he tallied his first two NHL goals. With Edvinsson not being available for camp, it seems likely that he’ll be ticketed for the Griffins at least to start the season.
- The bulk of the moves that the Canadiens have made in the last couple of years have been moving out veterans and in doing so, cleaning up their cap situation. Despite that, GM Kent Hughes told Pierre LeBrun and Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription link) that the impetus for the moves isn’t to try to become a player in free agency soon. Instead, the focus is on creating openings for their young players to get a chance to develop. Last season, Montreal had five rookies play at least 39 games on the back end and with the trades of Rem Pitlick and Mike Hoffman, there are now a couple more openings for their younger forwards to try to fill.
Summer Synopsis: Nashville Predators
For the last quarter century, the Nashville Predators had been carefully constructed by General Manager David Poile, who has just recently passed the reins to former head coach of the Predators, Barry Trotz. In a new transitionary period for the organization, Trotz will look to build the club from the ground up, trying to reach the elusive Stanley Cup, an award that Poile was never able to earn during his tenure in Nashville.
At last year’s trade deadline, the Predators were able to move out some prominent players such as Mattias Ekholm and Mikael Granlund. In the offseason, Nashville once again made some moves to rid themselves of a couple of higher-priced contracts but also made some interesting moves in what seems like an attempt to remain competitive in a free-for-all Western Conference playoff picture.
Draft
1-15: F Matthew Wood, Connecticut (NCAA)
1-24: D Tanner Molendyk, Saskatoon (WHL)
2-43: F Felix Nilsson, Rögle (J20 Nationell)
2-46: F Kalan Lind, Red Deer (WHL)
3-68: F Jesse Kiiskinen, Pelicans (U20 SM-Sarja)
3-83: D Dylan MacKinnon, Halifax (QMJHL)
4-111: F Joey Willis, Saginaw (OHL)
4-121: G Juha Jatkola, KalPa (Liiga)
5-143: F Sutter Muzzatti, RPI (NCAA)
6-175: F Austin Roest, Everett (WHL)
7-218: F Aiden Fink, Brooks (AJHL)
In the 2023 NHL Draft, the Predators had a plethora of selections, deepening their prospect pool for the foreseeable future. Not only was Nashville able to make 11 selections in this draft, but already has another 11 picks for the 2024 NHL Draft if they choose to hold on to them all.
To describe their first overall pick this year in one word: goals. During the 2022-23 season, the Predators finished 28th in goal-scoring across the league, with their team-leading total only being 22 goals on the year. In his freshman season at the University of Connecticut, Wood was able to score 11 goals and 23 assists in 35 games. He has the ability to shoot in motion, off both feet, and has some considerable quickness giving him the ability to create more scoring opportunities for himself. It’s going to be highly unlikely to see Wood in the NHL this year, but he should be a surefire bet to make Nashville’s roster for the 2024-25 season.
An under-the-radar selection they likely went overlooked due to the sheer number of selections made by the Predators at the draft would be Willis out of the Saginaw Spirit organization in the OHL. He does need a bit of work with his confidence with the puck, as well as finishing off scoring opportunities, but his major asset, his hockey intelligence, should make him a great foundation to build on for Nashville.
Key UFA Signings
F Anthony Angello (two years, $1.55MM)*
G Troy Grosenick (one year, $775K)*
F Denis Gurianov (one year, $850K)
F Gustav Nyquist (two years, $6.37MM)
F Ryan O’Reilly (four years, $18MM)
D Luke Schenn (three years, $8.25MM)
F Jasper Weatherby (one year, $775K)*
To be honest, it is incredibly difficult to decipher exactly what Nashville was trying to accomplish with their free agent class this offseason. Given the team’s movement in the months prior, all signs pointed to this team going the route of the rebuild, or at the very least a lengthy retool. However, handing out multi-year deals to three players over the age of 31 indicates that they are attempting to make the playoffs as soon as next season. 
This is not to say that the Predators couldn’t make the playoffs as currently constructed, but they do not have enough high-level forwards to give this team the ability to really make some noise. Being a team with money to spend this summer, Nashville certainly could have done worse than this group, but it will likely take some time to determine exactly what direction the Predators believe they are headed.
Key Departures
F Ryan Johansen (traded to Colorado)
F Matt Duchene (Dallas, one year, $3MM)
F Zach Sanford (Arizona, one year, $800K)
F Rasmus Asplund (Florida, one year, $775K)
F John Leonard (Arizona, one year, $775K)
G Devin Cooley (Buffalo, one year, $775K)
A few weeks prior to the beginning of the offseason on July 1st, it wasn’t expected that Nashville would move two of its best forwards. Not only did both players have forgettable seasons last year, but both players were making $8MM a year, and their contracts seemed confidently immovable.
Nevertheless, in two separate staunch transactions, Trotz was able to move Johansen (after retaining 50% of his contract), and then proceeded to buy out the remaining three years on Duchene’s contract. Both players will join division rivals for the Predators; Johansen to Colorado and Duchene to Dallas, but Nashville was able to remove a bulk of their cap hits from their roster which will give them a lot of flexibility moving forward.
With O’Reilly now in the mix, and forward Cody Glass making a real name for himself last year, the Predators have an adequate duo down the middle to lead their offensive group. One of the main problems with their departures, if Johansen and Duchene are able to rebound nicely with their new organizations, it may be a tough pill to swallow for Nashville, knowing they likely could have gotten more for the two forwards.
Salary Cap Outlook
Thanks to the departures of Johansen and Duchene, as well as some other trades throughout the last year-and-a-half, the Predators will have just under $8MM in cap space heading into the 2023-24 NHL season. There will come a time in the next couple of years when young players such as Philip Tomasino, Luke Evangelista, and Juuso Parssinen will need new deals, and there is the looming end of Juuse Saros‘ very team-friendly deal in two seasons.
As far as long-term contracts go, the team only has seven players signed until the 2025-26 season, and only three of those players are signed until 2026-27. As Nashville continues to allocate talent and continues to improve its cap flexibility after each year, Trotz should have no financial issues in building the team that he wants to see in Nashville.
Key Questions
Are They Done Trading? As mentioned above, the Predators were aggressive in ridding themselves of higher-salaried players and even made the decision to part with Tanner Jeannot in their pursuit of acquiring all 224 selections in the 2023 NHL Draft. All jokes aside, there are some legitimate questions as to whether or not Nashville is done in that aspect. It would be hard to envision the team parting with players such as Roman Josi or Filip Forsberg, but with players such as Ryan McDonagh, Colton Sissons, as well as Saros, being some of the highest-paid players in the league, they could find themselves on the outside looking in for the future of this franchise.
What Is The Direction They Are Going To Take? Although it would have taken an improbable losing effort, given their team needs and the direction they appeared to be headed in at the trade deadline last year, the 2022-23 NHL season would have been a perfect year for the Predators to tear it all down. There’s no surefire way they would have landed Connor Bedard at the top of the draft, but they certainly would have increased their chances of getting Leo Carlsson or Adam Fantilli. The player they did select at 15th overall, Matthew Wood, is going to be a solid NHL contributor, but does not forecast as the face of the franchise player. Although having a generational talent in Josi, this team has all the makings of an organization that could use a young-talented center with the capabilities of being a superstar in the league. As their roster is currently constructed, they are far too good to find themselves at the bottom of the standings, and not quite good enough to be a legitimate playoff contender.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Colorado Avalanche Sign Saku Mäenalanen To PTO
The Colorado Avalanche have signed veteran forward Saku Mäenalanen to a PTO, according to CapFriendly.
The 29-year-old forward will join the Avalanche for their preseason and training camp, adding to a crop of veterans on PTOs including Joel Kiviranta and Peter Holland.
Mäenalanen returned to the NHL last season with the Jets, skating in 69 combined regular season and playoff games with the club. He scored a combined 11 points in that span, averaging 10:19 TOI including 1:23 TOI per game on the penalty kill.
Standing six-foot-four, 207 pounds, Mäenalanen found his way into Jets head coach Rick Bowness’ nightly lineup on a consistent basis on the back of his ability to perform on a checking line.
In the NHL, he’s not the type of scoring-line productive forward he is in Europe, and the 41 points he scored in 2021-22 over in Liiga with Kärpät won’t be repeated in the NHL.
But in a depth capacity, Mäenalanen can hold his own on NHL ice and even contribute on a penalty kill, as he did last year on a top-10 shorthanded unit with the Jets.
In Colorado, Mäenalanen will compete for a bottom-six or spare forward role against his fellow PTO players and players on NHL deals with the Avalanche.
Ben Meyers, Fredrik Olofsson, and Riley Tufte are the main players Mäenalanen will likely be up against for one of the available jobs in the Avalanche preseason, and their battle for available depth roles will be one of the main storylines to watch of the preseason in Colorado.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Transactions: 09/08/23
The professional hockey season has begun in earnest this month, with clubs across Europe beginning their seasons. Five Champions Hockey League contests were played today, with games taking place between clubs from seven different countries. Highlights include third-period heroics from American blueliner Les Lancaster to lift Finland’s Ilves Tampere over Czechia’s HC Oceláři Třinec and a 27-save shutout victory for 23-year-old Jasper Patrikainen lifting his hometown Lahti Pelicans over HC Vítkovice.
Over in the KHL, six league games were played and 2015 first-round pick Evgeny Svechnikov potted his first career KHL goal with a wrap-around tie-breaking marker for Ak Bars Kazan against the Kunlun Red Star. Even as the seasons of many clubs across the hockey world have begun, there’s still quite a bit of player movement happening in foreign and minor pro leagues. As always, we’ll keep track of those transactions here:
- Former Detroit Red Wings forward Chase Pearson has made the choice to play overseas for the first time in his hockey career. He’s signed a contract with HC HK Dukla Michalovce, a club in the top league of Slovak professional hockey. The six-foot-three center was a 2015 fourth-round pick of the Red Wings out of the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms. Pearson played three seasons of college hockey at the University of Maine (and was named Hockey East’s best defensive forward in 2018-19) before beginning his pro career with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins full-time in 2019-20. He has totaled nearly 200 career AHL games and has scored 78 career points. He has three NHL games on his resume and now heads to Slovakia where he could end up playing a big all-around role.
- Minor league netminder Jake Theut has called it a career at the age of 29, announcing his retirement on social media. Theut worked his way up from playing as a college hockey depth netminder through the lower minor leagues all the way to the ECHL and then AHL, the latter league he finally got into last season. Theut was the SPHL’s goaltender of the year in 2020-21, an honor that helped him earn a full-time ECHL job for the following two seasons. Theut played in over 60 games across two seasons for Wichita and Adirondack, and even earned an AHL call-up last March allowing him to make two starts for the Utica Comets.
- The ECHL’s Rapid City Rush have acquired the playing rights to defenseman Will Riedell from the Savannah Ghost Pirates, sending a player to be named later in return. Although Riedell will look to claim an AHL job this fall, Rapid City is where he’ll now land should he end up playing in the ECHL. The 26-year-old North Carolina native skated in 32 games for the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda last season and only 15 for the Ghost Pirates. It was an encouraging first season as a full-time pro hockey player for the former Ohio State Buckeye, and although he’ll hope to remain in the AHL for the coming season in the case he ends up needing to play in the ECHL he’ll now have to do so in Rapid City.
- The ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers have made an intriguing signing, inking netminder Julian Junca to a one-year contract. The 25-year-old French netminder has spent the past two seasons as the number-one goalie for Rapaces de Gap in Ligue Magnus, the top tier of pro hockey in France. He posted a .921 save percentage in 39 games last season, taking home Ligue Magnus’ Jean Ferrand Trophy for top netminder. He also served as France’s number-two goalie at this year’s IIHF Men’s World Championships, getting into two games for his country. Now he’ll head to Tulsa, where he’ll compete for starts against 27-year-old Rylan Toth, a former top goalie in the Canadian University circuit who played in the Erste Liga (Hungary and Romania) last season.
This page may be updated throughout the day.
Prospect Notes: Wright, Korchinski, Canadiens Rookie Camp
2022 fourth-overall pick Shane Wright played for three club teams last season, skating in eight NHL games, eight regular-season AHL contests, and 24 games in the OHL. The CHL-NHL transfer agreement stipulated that he could only play in the AHL under very specific circumstances. Wright was allowed to play in 24 games on the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ run to the Calder Cup Final, and now it appears he could get a more extensive regular-season look in the AHL next season.
On the 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said that he’s “under the impression” that Wright’s eligibility for the AHL next season “has been sorted out,” and that the CHL has agreed to allow Wright to play for Coachella Valley assuming he is unable to crack Seattle’s opening-night roster. Wright technically falls one OHL game played short of the CHL’s cut-off point for eligibility, as well as just a few days short based on his birthday. But with Wright so close to automatic eligibility for the AHL and clearly overqualified for another OHL campaign, it seems the CHL has elected to put Wright’s development first and allow him to begin his full-time pro career.
Some other notes from across the NHL:
- The Chicago Blackhawks are hoping Kevin Korchinski will join Connor Bedard as a foundational piece of their next competitive era, and it appears that the 2022 seventh-overall pick could be primed to break into the NHL as soon as opening night. Korchinski, 19, spent last season patrolling the blueline of the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, and he scored 73 points in 54 regular-season games. According to The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus, “it would take a pretty jarring faceplant at camp” for Korchinski to not make the Blackhawks’ opening-night roster. (subscription link) Korchinski is considered by many to be Chicago’s best prospect behind Bedard, so assuming he avoids that “jarring faceplant” he should make the team’s opening night all the more exciting for Blackhawks fans.
- The Montreal Canadiens have announced their roster for their upcoming rookie camp, a group of names that features three invite players: QMJHL winger Isaac Dufort, 2018 Vegas Golden Knights fourth-rounder Slava Demin, and WHL goalie Jan Spunar. Another notable aspect of this announcement regards prospect Ty Smilanic, the 74th overall pick of the 2020 draft who the Canadiens acquired from the Florida Panthers in the Ben Chiarot trade. The 21-year-old was listed on the rookie camp roster, something Radio-Canada’s Marc Antoine Godin noted is a curious development seeing as Smilanic is a college prospect and NCAA players are typically excluded from rookie camp. There’s no official word yet on Smilanic’s plans for next season, but given Smilanic’s participation in rookie camp the possibility may exist that he won’t be returning to the University of Wisconsin to play a second season there.
Snapshots: Nylander, Flames, Senators
In a recent interview with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, new Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving spoke about contract talks with William Nylander. He made it clear that Toronto wants to re-sign the top-six winger, adding, “[Nylander] is a very good player and you always want to keep the good players… he’s told me he wants to be in Toronto. If there’s a desire on both sides, then you should be able to come to an agreement.”
Leafs fans certainly hope that optimism means good things for future negotiations. Nylander scored 40 goals and 87 points in 82 games last season, his second year in a row setting career highs in both of those stats. He’s a consistent goal-scoring threat, entering the final year of a contract with a cap hit just below $7MM. A new deal will likely come with a raise, although Toronto currently has 12 other skaters slated to hit free agency next summer, in addition to Nylander. That could make it hard for the team to afford his services for much longer, although an early extension may help them prepare a bit more.
More from around the league:
- The Calgary Flames have officially hired a slew of new staff. This includes bringing on Kerry Huffman and Brad Richardson as Pro Scouts. Richardson appeared in 27 games with Calgary during his playing career, while Huffman played a bulk of his career with the Ottawa Senators and Quebec Nordiques next door.
- The sale of the Ottawa Senators could close as soon as next week. The selling of the franchise has been major news for much of the summer, with Michael Andlauer emerging as the eventual buyer. Andlauer owned a 10 percent stake in the Montreal Canadiens before bidding on the Senators. His bid also features Anna and Olivia Melnyk, Jeff York, and the Ottawa-based real estate Malhorta family.
Summer Synopsis: Montreal Canadiens
Montreal finished the 2022-23 season fifth-to-last in the league and if you asked them, they might say it was all according to plan. Kent Hughes and his team have used the 2023 summer to its fullest, clearing out numerous veteran names to make space for U24 talent gathered through trades, RFA signings, and savvy UFA pickups. The Montreal rebuild is fully underway and the team seems poised for a very exciting 2023-24 campaign, even if it may not directly mean success on the scoresheet. The road ahead seems like it stretches for a few more seasons but with a wave of health and emerging new faces, Montreal will undoubtedly be worth following.
Draft
1-5: D David Reinbacher, Kloten (Swiss NL)
3-69: G Jacob Fowler, Youngstown (USHL)
4-101: F Florian Xhekaj, Brantford (OHL)
4-110: D Bogdan Konyushkov, Torpedo (KHL)
4-128: G Quentin Miller, Quebec (QMJHL)
5-133: F Sam Harris, Sioux Falls (USHL)
5-144: G Yevgeni Volokhin, Mamonty (MHL)
6-165: F Filip Eriksson, Vaxjo (Sweden U20)
7-197: D Luke Mittelstadt, Lincoln (USHL)
Montreal became the talk of the draft very quickly, with the controversial selection of David Reinbacher over more publicly-lauded players like Matvei Michkov or Ryan Leonard. But with the selection, Montreal gets a top-end right-hand defender to match with the talent they’re building on the left-side, through the likes of Adam Engstrom, Lane Hutson, and William Trudeau. And the team is clearly confident in the defender, already signing him to his entry-level contract (three years, $6.4MM) only a couple of weeks after the draft.
After their stunner, Montreal receded to a very calm draft focused primarily on finding their next netminder. The Habs took reigning Clark Cup MVP Jacob Fowler; local talent Quentin Miller; and Russia’s Yevgeni Volokhin, who was popular among goalie scouts for much of the year. The trio joins a goalie room already comprised of Jakub Dobes and Cayden Primeau, creating a clear focus for the Montreal development staff. They complemented their goalie haul with a string of savvy picks, including the undersized but dynamic Sammy Harris, hefty two-way defender Luke Mittelstadt, and Florian Xhekaj, younger brother of current Habs defender Arber Xhekaj. It was an admirable draft class for a team in the midst of a classic rebuild.
Trade Acquisitions
F Alex Newhook (Colorado)
G Casey DeSmith (Pittsburgh)
D Gustav Lindstrom (Detroit)
Montreal jumped on the Alex Newhook rumors, dealing Gianni Fairbrother and a first and second round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft to Colorado for the centerman. Newhook, 22, has not kicked off his NHL career in the way many expected. But he hasn’t been entirely unproductive either. Playing primarily down the middle – although it’s been more a 60/40 split than a defined center role – Newhook has recorded 27 goals and 66 points through 159 career games. Those aren’t terrible numbers for a young player that still looks like they’re adjusting a bit. There’s reason to be optimistic about the stylistic match between Newhook and Habs head coach Martin St. Louis, but if that will result in a rebound for him is yet to be seen.
Casey DeSmith also joins Montreal via trade, presenting as the team’s reward for middle-manning Pittsburgh’s acquisition of Erik Karlsson. DeSmith will enters the season at 32, only one year younger than Montreal’s Jake Allen. And maybe because of his older age, Montreal is now looking to flip DeSmith. There will likely be no shortage of suiters, looking to acquire DeSmith’s career .912 save percentage and team-friendly cap-hit of $1.8MM. If they do flip DeSmith, Montreal will enter the 2023-24 season with a duo of Allen and Sam Montembeault once again, unless one of their younger names can make a case at training camp.
The Habs also acquired Gustav Lindstrom when they flipped Jeff Petry from Pittsburgh to his hometown Detroit Red Wings. Lindstrom has struggled to stay fully healthy in recent years but offers good, rangy play when he is on the ice. The Canadiens defense was one of their glaring holes last season, and at only 24, Lindstrom helps them patch that hole while still staying young.
UFA Signings
D Brady Keeper (one year, $775K)*
F Phillipe Maillet (one year, $775K)*
F Lias Andersson (one year, $775K)*
*-denotes two-way contract
For a team in Montreal’s position, a quiet UFA signing season isn’t much of a surprise. Montreal isn’t fighting to rank among the league’s best next season – they’re focused on building out a young core that cna compete for years to come. However, they did reel in the 2017 NHL Draft’s seventh-overall selection, Lias Andersson, who has struggled to find his footing in any seemingly any North American league. But with 31 goals and 59 points in 67 AHL games last season, Andersson is finally showing a flash of both high scoring and consistency that’s been missed from his game in recent years. Andersson has 110 NHL games under his belt and only 17 points to show for it, so fans shouldn’t expect the world from him in Montreal. But at 24 years old, and on a league-minimum deal, there’s very little risk involved. And while we haven’t seen it yet, there will always be glimmers of upside in former top-10 picks. If all goes right, there’s a chance that Kent Hughes found his sleeper talent in Andersson.
RFA Re-Signings
F Michael Pezzetta (two years, $1.6MM)
F Cole Caufield (eights years, $62.8MM)
F Sean Monahan (one year, $2MM)
F Rafael Harvey-Pinard (two years, $2.2MM)
F Mitchell Stephens (one year, $775K)*
F Alex Newhook (four years, $11.6MM)
F Lucas Condotta (two years, $1.6MM)*
D Nicolas Beaudin (one year, $775K)*
F Jesse Ylonen (one year, $775K)*
*-denotes two-way contract
Montreal saved their big splash for the RFA group – effectively building out their forward group through RFA-signings. This includes giving Cole Caufield his first major contract extension. The deal will take Caufield to his age-29 season and carries an annual cap hit of $7.85MM, a figure that could look like an absolute steal for the winger when he enters his prime. Caufield has been lights-out under St. Louis’ leadership, recording 48 goals and 71 points in 83 games under the new head coach. This includes 26 goals and 36 points in the 46 games he appeared in 
last season, before a shoulder injury ended his campaign.
The Canadiens also rounded out their bottom-six, signing Monahan, Pezzetta, Harvey-Pinard, and Newhook to one-way deals that should mean a roster spot for the coming season. Harvey-Pinard’s deal is especially interesting – with a cap hit over $1MM-per-season, after the winger torched the league with 14 goals and 20 points in only 34 games last season. His 24.1 percent shooting percentage is very likely unsustainable but Montreal is letting Harvey-Pinard prove his worth with the new deal. The same can be said about Sean Monahan, who is fighting to find his footing after a shaky last few years with the Calgary Flames. Monahan recorded 17 points in 25 games with Montreal last season.
Fans can gather a strong, general look at who the Habs think will be fighting for a roster spot at training camp through their RFA signings. But, outside of Caufield, there’s not too much certainty in how the list will perform once they’re on the ice. How Montreal can build out their core group through RFA signings will be an interesting storyline as the new season begins.
Departures
F Denis Gurianov (Nashville, one year, $850K)
F Joel Teasdale (unsigned UFA)
F Alex Belzile (New York Rangers, two years, $1.55MM)
F Chris Tierney (New Jersey, one year, $775K)*
F Jonathan Drouin (Colorado, one year, $825K)
D Madison Bowey (Dinamo, KHL)
F Paul Byron (Retired)
D Joel Edmundson (trade with Washington)
F Mike Hoffman (trade with San Jose)
F Rem Pitlick (trade with Pittsburgh)
*-denotes two-way contract
The Habs survived the off-season without any unexpected losses. Joel Edmundson was popular in trade rumors for much of the year and finally got his swap, getting sent to the Capitals for draft picks. Jonathon Drouin also found his long-anticipated departure form the Canadiens, entering free agency before getting picked up by the Colorado Avalanche on a cheap deal.
Denis Gurianov is perhaps the most notable loss. Montreal acquired Gurianov partway through the 2022-23 campaign, sending Evgenii Dadonov to the Dallas Stars in return. Gurianov appeared in 23 games with Montreal, recording a meager eight points. That must’ve been enough viewing for Montreal, who failed to qualify the winger, sending him to free agency.
Also noteworthy is the one-way deal the New York Rangers provided to Alex Belzile. Belzile is a 32-year-old minor-leaguer that played his unofficial rookie season last year, playing in 31 NHL games and recording 14 points. But he appeared in just as many AHL games, signaling where his value may be the strongest. That’s a claim the Rangers will put to the test, though, providing him a contract that should warrant at least some level of NHL consideration. If Belzile is set on an NHL role, or if this deal is just a friendly nod to a 300-game AHL veteran will be a small-but-interesting story to follow.
But like many of their departures, the loss of Gurianov and Belzile doesn’t leave much wake. The Canadiens retooled nicely this summer, clearing out plenty of space on the NHL roster for their RFA signings and young prospects.
Salary Cap Outlook
The Canadiens are up against the cap as of early-September. But they’ll gain roughly $5.77MM in cap space when they’re able to put Carey Price back on LTIR, per CapFriendly. The team doesn’t have any unsigned free agents, so that money could be used creatively to bolster their top-end. Or maybe the Habs will hang on to their ample cap space. There’s no denying the value of flexibility in the modern NHL and teams like Arizona have found ways to turn open cap space into high-end draft picks and prospects.
Key Questions
What Can Juraj Slafkovsky Become? The Canadiens shocked the world by taking Juraj Slafkovsky ahead of Shane Wright, Logan
Cooley, and Simon Nemec in the 2022 NHL Draft. And while he still hadn’t fully adjusted, Slafkovsky was made the pick look honorable by appearing in 39 NHL games last season. But he suffered a lower-body injury in January of 2023, effectively holding him out for the rest of the season. With nearly-40 NHL games under his belt, Slafkovsky should have a better sense of what to prepare for in the upcoming campaign. But Montreal will need the most out of their first-overall selection if they want to really speed up their rebuild.
Can Alex Newhook Breakout? Alex Newhook did not look particularly great during his time in Colorado. But his woes can be chalked up, in part, to a mismatch with the Avalanche’s dump-and-chase system. The Canadiens must think so – paying handsomely for him in both trade and contract negotiations. Newhook plays a possession-based, speedy style that could make Martin St. Louis a bit nostalgic. To say that St. Louis has had a special impact on some of Montreal’s brightest stars would be an understatement. Cole Caufield has become a near point-per-game player under St. Louis’ encouragement. It would be unfair to expect a similar breakout from Newhook but he’s only 22 years old, meaning there’s plenty of time for him to find his way on a new roster. If Montreal can get the most out of Newhook, they could add a really effective layer to an already-exciting top-nine.
Which Bottom-Six Studs Will Stick? Rafael Harvey-Pinard headlines what was a really exciting stretch from Montreal’s bottom-six. Along with Harvey-Pinard, Jesse Ylonen and Michael Pezzetta proved their case for roster spots. Montreal rewarded the trio with new contracts this off-season, giving them all good opportunity to really lock in their spot on the Habs lineup. But if they’ll actually earn their spot is yet to be seen. Maybe more important will be the answer to what Montreal will do if any of the three can’t stick. They should have exciting players like Filip Mesar, Sean Farrell, and Emil Heineman available for call-ups if they need to fill a roster spot. Seeing which of their young prospects are up next, or if the aforementioned trio can stick, should help answer how Montreal will be approaching the next few years.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Senators, Canucks Could Be Teams To Watch On Trade Market
Speaking on today’s edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes trade talks are beginning to heat up across the league once again, mainly incited by teams looking to clear players off their roster pre-season to alleviate roster or salary cap crunches. To that end, he identified the Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks as significant players to watch over the coming days as training camps approach.
In Ottawa’s case, this is, of course, influenced by their lack of flexibility to re-sign RFA center Shane Pinto. The 22-year-old remains without a contract for this season after potting 20 goals in 2022-23, and he commands more than the paltry $895K in salary cap space Ottawa has remaining, per CapFriendly’s projection. It’s drawn out long enough that trade speculation is beginning to arise about Pinto’s signing rights, but Senators general manager Pierre Dorion would obviously rather retain their 2019 32nd overall pick.
As Friedman notes, Pinto has very little leverage in negotiations, as he carries a 10.2(c) designation and is ineligible to sign an offer sheet. That means Ottawa likely won’t need to clear massive amounts of cap space to sign Pinto to a bridge deal, but a move still needs to be made – that $895K projection already figures a bare-minimum roster of 18 skaters and two goaltenders. Evolving Hockey’s contract projection model predicts a two-year, $1.88MM AAV deal for Pinto, assuming it’s signed between August 1st and the start of the regular season. If Pinto holds out into the season, that projection drops slightly to a $1.805MM AAV on a two-year deal.
Vancouver’s potential activity spurs from the health of Tanner Pearson, who fortunately projects to be healthy for the 2023-24 campaign after a persistent (and controversially handled) hand injury nearly cost him his career last season. His availability creates both a roster and cap crunch for Vancouver, as his $3.25MM cap hit would suddenly factor into their day-to-day picture and not sit on LTIR as previously expected.
He would also likely factor into a third-line role, potentially alongside Conor Garland and Pius Suter. Pearson’s trade value will likely be minimal with other teams wary of his health, so shopping a depth player like Garland (and his $4.95MM cap hit) would likely return better value for general manager Patrik Allvin. While some have criticized Garland’s tenure in Vancouver, he’s a winger who consistently puts up between 40 and 60 points, can play a top-six role, and is cost-controlled through 2026 without trade protection. He’s the type of player a few teams looking to fill gaps in their forward group would be interested in.
Garland also seems like the most likely candidate because the Canucks’ realistic trade options are limited beyond him. They just signed Teddy Blueger in free agency, players like Dakota Joshua have shown to be reliable bottom-six presences and are on cost-effective deals, and they’d be selling low on younger prospects like Nils Höglander or Vasily Podkolzin.
At first glance, however, it seems like a tough time in the offseason to perform cap-clearing maneuvers. Most teams already have their rosters relatively set, and some teams close to contention with obvious holes don’t have the space to make maneuvers. Of teams with cap space to spare, the Chicago Blackhawks jump out as a lone destination where acquiring a veteran wouldn’t cost a spot for a younger player needing significant NHL ice time – they still could use a few more bodies to fill out their opening-night roster.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Chicago Blackhawks To Retire Chris Chelios’ Number
#7 will be the seventh number retired in Chicago Blackhawks history. The team announced late last night that they’re retiring the number of longtime defender Chris Chelios on February 25, 2024, against Chelios’ other longtime home, the Detroit Red Wings.
Chelios joins Glenn Hall‘s #1, Keith Magnuson‘s and Pierre Pilote‘s #3, Bobby Hull‘s #9, Denis Savard‘s #18, Stan Mikita‘s #21, and Tony Esposito‘s #35.
Since Chicago traded Chelios to Detroit in 1999, two players have donned the number. Lyle Odelein wore it for a brief stint in the early 2000s, but three-time Stanley Cup champion Brent Seabrook also wore it for his 15-year career with the club.
“We are entering a new era of Blackhawks hockey on the ice, but the importance of honoring past members of this organization is, and always will be a priority,” Blackhawks chairman Danny Wirtz said in a statement. “Chris Chelios represents not only the Blackhawks but, given his roots here, the city of Chicago.”
Wirtz is referencing the fact that Chelios was born and raised in Chicago before heading to Saskatchewan to play junior hockey in the late 1970s. He would return to the Midwest US for a two-year stint at the University of Wisconsin before turning pro with Montreal in 1983.
Chelios has one of the more storied careers in the league, spanning an incredible 26 seasons. He played until he was 48 years old, finally retiring after an eight-game stint with the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2009-10 campaign. A three-time Stanley Cup champion and a three-time Norris Trophy winner, Chelios played in parts of nine seasons for the Blackhawks throughout the 1990s and arguably had the peak of his career there, eclipsing the 70-point mark twice and winning two of his three Norris Trophies. His 395 assists and 487 points as a Blackhawk rank fourth in franchise history for a defenseman, and his 92 goals and 664 games rank fifth. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013, his first year of eligibility.