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Andrei Markov

Andrei Markov Wants To Play For Montreal In 2017-18

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38-year old Andrei Markov spoke to reporters today as the Montreal Canadiens cleared out their lockers. He was clear in his future commitment to the squad as Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports, saying that he wants to play next year and finish his career with the Canadiens. The longtime NHL defender is an unrestricted free agent this summer, coming off the final season of a three-year, $17.5MM deal he signed in 2014.

Despite Markov’s advanced age, he remains an excellent puck moving defenseman that can contribute both at even-strength and on the powerplay. His 18 even-strength assists easily paced the Canadiens’ defense despite playing in only 62 games and recording the lowest average ice-time since 2011-12 when he was dealing with a devastating knee injury that stole over a year from his career. While he can’t be relied upon to log 25+ minutes anymore, he is still an effective option on the left side for a team that has had trouble creating offense quickly.

Markov actually only earned $4.25MM in salary this year as his contract was front-loaded, and that is much closer to the number he’ll have to accept to remain a Canadien. The team also can’t afford to commit to him for very long, as Alexander Radulov will likely require a long-term deal and Carey Price is a free agent after next season. With Shea Weber earning almost $8MM for the next nine years (assuming he doesn’t retire), the Canadiens can’t be throwing $5MM at Markov to keep him around.

Afternoon Notes: Canadiens, Alzner, Stalberg

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The Globe and Mail and TSN both contemplate what the future might hold for the vanquished Montreal Canadiens, following a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of the New York Rangers Saturday night. Marc Bergevin could conceivably be on the hot seat in spite of his team’s Atlantic division title, but the firing of former coach Michel Therrien likely extended his tenure. The P.K. Subban trade is quite the easy target for criticism, although the squad’s defensive stats took a large leap upward since Shea Weber’s acquisition. Even Carey Price appears not to be immune from fan criticism, though it hardly seems Price could have done much more to assist his floundering offense. Max Pacioretty is sure to draw ire as well, as his 0 goals and 1 assist through 6 games was incredibly underwhelming. The team has an awful lot of contracts coming off the books, and the organizational vision will now be more important then ever. Impending UFAs include Alexander Radulov, Dwight King, Brian Flynn, Steve Ott, and Andrei Markov. Assuming Radulov re-signs, there is still a glaring need for another potent offensive weapon to assist Pacioretty. With Tomas Plekanec having only one year remaining on his deal, and Alex Galchenyuk constantly receiving demotion, strength down the middle is an issue. A top-flight center has to be at the top of the wish list for a squad that struggled so mightily to find consistent offense. Whether they can actually acquire one via trade (or some other means) remains to be seen.

  • Washington defenseman Karl Alzner will miss his fourth straight game as his team faces off against Toronto in Game 6, although he did skate with the team. Alzner sustained an upper body injury prior to Game 3, and further details are unknown. Replacement Nate Schmidt has performed admirably in his absence, although Alzner’s defensive presence and ability to eat minutes is difficult to replace. Alzner is not particularly physically dominant, but he is adept at keeping scoring chances limited and to the outside. Holtby will need to be sharp in his absence with a desperate, offensively talented Toronto team looking to fire away this evening.
  • Ottawa defenseman Chris Wideman will be replaced tonight by Fredrik Claesson. Wideman has been barely noticeable in this series, but had tallid a goal and an assist from the backend. During the season, Claesson’s Corsi numbers were slightly better than Wideman’s, while Wideman had been a little more involved offensively. Ottawa’s injured left winger Viktor Stalberg may be able to return tonight, as he is a game-time decision. The big bodied winger is known for his blazing speed and penalty killing prowess. As a veteran with 48 playoff games under his belt, Stalberg would be a welcome return to bolster Ottawa’s already formidable forward depth. It is undetermined who would sit out in his place.

Alexander Radulov Seeking Long-Term Deal

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On Hockey Night In Canada between the second and third periods in the Ottawa-Toronto game, Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet reported that Montreal Canadiens forward Alexander Radulov is seeking a long-term deal that could be up to as many as six years. The Canadiens don’t necessarily want to go that long, but may do it if the AAV drops a bit. Alexander Radulov

Kypreos mentioned the possibility of a short-term deal with a much higher salary, even as much as $7MM on a three-year deal. We listed Radulov at #2 on our ranking of the Top Midseason Free Agents, and it’s clear that he would have multiple suitors should he hit the open market again this summer.

For what it’s worth Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz, who maintains a friendship with Radulov from his days in Nashville, recently said that he would be “shocked” if Montreal and the Russian forward didn’t come to some sort of an agreement. Trotz said that Radulov loves it in Montreal, and if he is looking for a long-term deal he may be there for a while yet.

Montreal has a few contracts coming off the books next year, including David Desharnais and Andrei Markov but also will need to re-sign Alex Galchenyuk this summer. While he’s had a very up and down season, hit by injuries and inconsistency, Galchenyuk should get a very substantial upgrade to his current $2.8MM hit, especially if he gives up several free agent years.

Assigning upwards of $6MM per season to a soon-to-be 31-year old for more than five years would be a risky proposition regardless of his excellent production this year. The Canadiens already have Shea Weber on the wrong side of 30 earning a ton of money for a long time (nine more years in fact) and Jeff Petry signed until he’s 34.

It does seem like there is a deal to be worked out between the two sides, after Montreal convinced Radulov to come back from the KHL, but how long and for how many millions is still very much up in the air.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Canadiens Notes: Nesterov, Pateryn, Desharnais, Markov

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Just before the All-Star break, the Montreal Canadiens pulled off a trade to add needed defensive depth, acquiring Nikita Nesterov for a prospect and late draft choice in 2017. It won’t take long for the team to see what they have in the 23-year-old blue liner as it appears as if he is set to make his Habs debut tomorrow night, tweets Amanda Stein of TSN 690. His new teammate, Andrei Markov, offered a brief scouting report (H/T to the Candiens Twitter account) on Nesterov, saying the latter will be a good fit for the Canadiens and calling him a good skater with a good first pass.

Nesterov contributed 12 points in 35 games for Tampa and recorded solid possession numbers, with the Lighting controlling better than 54% of the shot attempts while he was on the ice. Given his usage – he averaged just 16:35 a night mostly as a third-pair defender – those numbers look even better. If Markov is right, the Canadiens may have added a solid depth piece on the cheap.

In other Canadiens-related news:

  • TSN’s John Lu, via Twitter, updates the injury situations of David Desharnais and Markov. Habs bench boss Michel Therrien indicated both players will be evaluated Tuesday but “both look good” as it pertains to returning to the lineup. Stein adds in another tweet that Therrien wants to sit down with each before making a decision on their availability.
  • Therrien also says Greg Pateryn, who has been out since early December with a fractured ankle, needs more time according to yet an another tweet from Stein. Pateryn’s pending return, with the assumption that Markov will be back this week, creates a bit of a log jam on the blue line and that may well have played a role in the team placing Zach Redmond on waivers earlier today. Even without Redmond the Habs will have eight healthy defensemen for six regular spots.

2017 Midseason UFA Power Rankings: 1-10

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With many teams having hit the halfway point of the season and the trade deadline fast approaching, it’s time to take a preliminary look at the UFA Class of 2017.  Here is the second half of our top-20 rankings, based on votes from our writers.

For rankings 11-20, click here.

  1. Kevin Shattenkirk, D, St. Louis – Shattenkirk has been no stranger to speculation about where he will wind up next year. He was part of trade discussions dating back to the draft and isn’t expected to be back with the Blues next season; some have wondered if they’d even consider trading him by the trade deadline to avoid losing him for free in July. He’s a premier offensive blueliner who should have numerous suitors if he makes it to the open market and was the only player to be ranked first or second by every writer.
  2. Alexander Radulov, RW, Montreal – One of the more controversial signings last summer, Radulov has had a very strong return to the NHL this season. Not only are the questions about his attitude going away, he has been a legitimate front line player for the Canadiens. He was forced to take a one year, ‘show me’ contract last July – he certainly has been showing teams that he can be a core player and should have more luck landing a long-term contract this summer.
  3. Joe Thornton, C, San Jose – Although he’s not playing at a point-per-game pace like he did last year, Thornton has been a high end playmaker once again this season. It’s believed that he’s seeking another three year contract despite the fact he’ll turn 38 in July. One thing to keep an eye on in the second half will be his goal scoring or lack thereof.  He has struggled considerably in that regard so far (both of his goals have been empty netters) and a repeat of that in the second half and the postseason will likely have him dropping in the rankings come the summer.
  4. T.J. Oshie, RW, Washington – Oshie continues to be a model of consistency when it comes to his production. He has picked up at least 50 points in four of the last five seasons and he’s on track for yet another 20+ goal campaign for the Capitals again this year. He will be one of the younger high-end wingers to hit the market and could be in line for one of the longer contracts to be handed out this summer.
  5. Ben Bishop, G, Tampa Bay – Although Bishop’s numbers are down this year, we saw how important he is to the Lightning when he missed nine games and the team fell out of a playoff spot. Bishop has been one of the top netminders in the league since joining Tampa Bay and given their salary cap situation, he’s all but guaranteed to be going elsewhere for next season. One thing that could hurt Bishop is the number of goalies that are slated to hit the market – although he is the best one, there will be more cap-friendly options for teams to choose from.
  6. Karl Alzner, D, Washington – The open market hasn’t been too kind to stay-at-home defensemen in recent years but Alzner is likely to buck that trend. He’s a key part of the Caps’ back end and there’s a chance he’ll be back with them next year. If he does get to the open market, Alzner is the type of player that a shutdown pairing can be built around.  Considering how many teams are looking for blueline help, he should be in line for a strong payday.
  7. Sam Gagner, RW, Columbus – When he signed with the Blue Jackets, some speculated the deal could prove to be one of the better bargains of the past offseason but no one expected the breakout year he’s currently having. Gagner is being used in an offensive exploitation role and is making the most of it as he is on pace for a career year. Some teams may be wary that his resurgence is a one-time thing but he still should have more suitors if he makes it to the open market in July.
  8. Thomas Vanek, RW, Detroit – There have been quite a few underachievers in Detroit this season but Vanek isn’t one of them. He sits second on the team in scoring despite missing 11 games due to injury. While his days of being a high end front line player have come and gone after struggling in that role with Montreal and Minnesota (who bought him out in June), he’s still set to be one of the better pure goal scorers on the market this summer.
  9. Martin Hanzal, C, Arizona – Hanzal’s name has been involved in trade rumors all season long and that’s likely to continue through to the trade deadline. Moving past that into free agency, he projects to be one of the top centers available and at 6’6, his size will certainly be appealing to many teams. He’s not a top line player but would slot in as a strong middle six forward pretty much anywhere.  He’ll be 30 in July and should be able to secure another long-term contract.
  10. Andrei Markov, D, Montreal – Despite being 38, Markov is still going strong for the Canadiens. He’s still an above average point producer that can help run a power play and while he is slowing down, he is still capable of playing 20 minutes a night in a second pairing role. Markov has eschewed free agency to re-sign with Montreal twice before so if there’s mutual interest in him sticking around past this season, history could wind up repeating itself here.

Galchenyuk, Markov Nearing Return For Habs

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The Canadiens got some good news today with word that center Alex Galchenyuk and defenseman Andrei Markov are rejoining the club tonight and will practice with the team tomorrow. Montreal reported the news this afternoon via their official Twitter account.

Galchenyuk was in the midst of a breakout campaign as Montreal’s #1 center with 23 points in 25 appearances before suffering a knee injury which caused the talented 22-year-old pivot to miss the last month. To be fair, Galchenyuk had a pretty good 2015-16, netting 30 goals and tying Max Pacioretty for the team lead. While the Canadiens managed to post a 7 – 3 – 4 record in his absence, they undoubtedly are better with Galchenyuk on the ice.

Meanwhile, Markov also appears poised to rejoin the team after an eight-game absence due to a lower-body injury. The 38-year-old Russian may no longer be an elite top-pair blue liner but he is still a productive player who posted 21 points in 31 games to start this season. Last year, Markov registered 44 points in 82 games while averaging nearly 24 minutes a game.

Injury Updates: Hertl, Zibanejad, Senators, Canadiens, Green

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San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl is making progress in his rehab from knee surgery back in mid-November but there remains no timetable for him to even return to practice, reports CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz.  Kurz speculates that sometime after the All-Star Break (January 27-29) could be the target for him to get back into the lineup.

Last month, GM Doug Wilson told reporters that Hertl was likely to miss weeks rather than months but considering it has been over a month since the surgery was performed back on November 18th, that doesn’t appear to be the case.

Hertl was off to a strong start to the season before undergoing the operation with nine points (4-5-9) in 17 games while averaging a career high 16:28 per game.  That came off the heels of a career 2015-16 campaign that saw him pick up 46 points (21-25-46) in 81 games while chipping in with 11 points (6-5-11) in 20 postseason contests.

While his slower recovery isn’t ideal, it should be worth it for San Jose if the procedure stabilizes the knee so that minor collisions no longer cause issues as they have in the past, including an injury in the Stanley Cup Final back in June.

More injury updates:

  • New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad is around the midway point of his recovery from a broken fibula, writes Matt Calamia on their official team site. He is no longer in a walking boot or on crutches and was on the ice shooting pucks today (although he didn’t have skates on).  Zibanejad, who last played November 20th, has 15 points in 19 games for New York so far this season.
  • Ottawa Senators goaltender Andrew Hammond is listed as week-to-week with an ankle injury, the team announced via Twitter. He has seen action in just three NHL games so far this season because of injuries and the fact he cleared waivers last month.  Prospect Matt O’Connor will serve as the backup in his absence or until Craig Anderson returns from his leave of absence.  Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun suggests that Hammond could be out for months with the issue being a high ankle sprain which are notoriously slow to recover from.
  • Still from Garrioch, Senators winger Clarke MacArthur has backed off his targeted return date of January 7th. Fortunately for the team, this isn’t due to a setback but simply due to the fact that he won’t be able to get the final test needed for clearance until after the holiday break instead of before as was originally anticipated.  He has yet to play this season due to a concussion sustained in training camp.
  • Montreal Canadiens right winger Sven Andrighetto has recovered from his upper body injury that caused him to miss the last two games and has been assigned to their AHL affiliate in St. John’s, per a team announcement on Twitter. After being a regular in the second half of last season, the Swiss forward hasn’t made much of an impact with Montreal this year with just two assists in eight games and cleared waivers back in October.
  • The Canadiens also officially placed injured defenseman Andrei Markov on injured reserve, reports Renaud Lavoie of TVASports. Markov was injured in Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals, and the coaching staff expressed that the injury—described as a lower body injury—was nothing major. Markov is having a stellar year so far, posting 2G and 19A in 31 games for the surging Canadiens.
  • Detroit Red Wings blueliner Mike Green will not be available for tomorrow’s game against Florida, head coach Jeff Blashill told reports, including Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News (Twitter link). This will be the second straight game that he will miss.  Green is Detroit’s leading point getter on the blueline this year with seven goals and 11 assists in 32 games and ranks second to only Henrik Zetterberg in team scoring.

Flyers Recall Leier; Simmonds Avoids Hearing

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Update (3:25pm): Panaccio, via Twitter, confirms that the team has placed Raffl on IR creating the need for the recall of Leier.

The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled LW Taylor Leier according to a tweet from Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The reason for the recall is currently unclear though it appears it won’t be to take the place of Wayne Simmonds, who seems to have avoided a hearing with the Department of Player Safety after cross-checking Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov into the boards during last night’s game. Simmonds defended the hit, arguing he “barely touched” Markov, suggesting the Habs blue liner was trying to sell the penalty call, as Tim Panaccio of CSN Philly adds.

The Flyers currently have the maximum 23 players on their roster and will have to make a corresponding move to make room for Leier. Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post suggests that move may be placing Michael Raffl on IR retroactive to last Wednesday. Raffl was injured in last Tuesday’s game against Chicago.

Leier appeared in six games for the Flyers last season, failing to register a point while averaging just 7:43 of ice time. He was originally selected by the Flyers in the fourth round of the 2012 entry draft. Leier tallied 20 goals and 49 points last season for Lehigh Valley and has netted 81 points overall in 147 AHL games.

More to follow.

Atlantic Division Notes: Sergachev, Redmond, McKenna, Condra

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With Shea Weber, Alexei Emelin and Andrei Markov all absent due to their participation in the World Cup, the Montreal Canadiens have had a chance to get long looks at other blue liners during training camp. As the Montreal Gazette’s Pat Hickey writes, several players have taken full advantage of the opportunity and impressed the team’s coaching staff.

Hickey specifically identified Nathan Beaulieu and Greg Pateryn as having “stood out” so far, while 2016 first-round pick Mikhail Sergachev and free agent signing Zach Redmond were both impressive in the team’s recent game against Ottawa.

Redmond has scored a goal in each of his preseason appearances and has shown a physical element. He was added in the offseason to provide depth and a solid camp might earn him a spot on the regular season roster.

Sergachev would have to really impress in order to stick. Montreal likely wishes to see the young Russian defender, who just turned 18 in June, get lots of quality ice time and the best chance for that would be if he was returned to junior.

Beaulieu and Pateryn are both already penciled into the club’s top-six and Montreal has to be pleased at their play so far. The Habs were recently said to be taking calls on the 23-year-old Beaulieu but if he’s been as impressive in camp as Hickey suggests it seems unlikely Montreal would be too keen on moving him. With a healthy Carey Price set to return from injury and an improved defense, it wouldn’t be hard to project a return to the playoffs for Montreal.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • When Florida went out and acquired Reto Berra and James Reimer – via trade and free agency respectively – this summer, Mike McKenna’s prospects of winning the Panthers backup goalie job dried up. But as George Richards of the Miami Herald writes, McKenna has been down this road before and knows all it takes is an injury to give the 33-year-old another opportunity between the pipes in South Florida. McKenna: “No matter what the situation looks like with contracts, you always want to put your best foot forward. You never know what will happen through the course of a season. I’m just trying to go in the right direction.” Last season, McKenna was called up from the AHL when Al Montoya went down with an injury, though he didn’t see any NHL action. As it stands, Roberto Luongo will be the starter with Reimer serving as his understudy. That would seem to put Berra in position to be the starter for the Panther’s AHL affiliate in Springfield but the 29-year-old veteran would have to clear waivers before being sent down and could conceivably be claimed by a team in need of an experienced backup. That would again elevate McKenna to third overall on the organization’s goaltending depth chart and would put him in line for promotion should Luongo or Reimer suffer an injury.
  • Tampa Bay is looking for depth scoring and one player who could help address that need is Erik Condra, as Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Condra had a disappointing first season with the Lightning, scoring just six goals and 11 points in 54 games after signing a three-year, $3.75MM deal with Tampa. Condra twice hit the 20-point plateau as a member of the Senators and the Lightning would likely be content with that level of production. Smith also lists Cedric Paquette and Cory Conacher as two more players who could also offer some scoring punch in the bottom-six. Conacher had by far his best NHL season during the 2012-13 campaign which he began with the Lightning. That season, Conacher tallied 29 points in 47 games – 24 in 35 with the Lightning. Conacher was dealt in-season to Ottawa in a deal that brought Ben Bishop to Tampa Bay in what has turned out to be quite the steal for the Bolts. Paquette saw his goal output decrease from 12 in 2014-15 to just six last season. Tampa would surely benefit from a return to double-figures in goals scored from the grinding Paquette.

Snapshots: Lucic, Possible Retirees, Gretzky

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Milan Lucic may have only been a member of the Los Angeles Kings for one season, but at least one teammate is sad to see him go. Right-winger Tyler Toffoli lamented the loss of “a great player, a great guy to have in the room”. Toffoli scored a career-best 58 points last season on a line with Lucic and center Jeff Carter, who posted 62 points to tie his third best career output, and best since 2011.

Lucic, of course, signed a seven-year contract worth $42MM with the Edmonton Oilers on July 1, citing a team on the rise and some rookie named Connor McDavid as his main reasons for heading north. OilersNation’s Jonathan Willis broke down how Oilers fans can expect Lucic to age over the course of his contract, and ultimately concluded Lucic will be very effective in his first three seasons, has a two-thirds chance at being effective in the next two seasons, and has a 50-70 per cent chance at posting below 30 points in his final two seasons. However, Lucic told Steve Ewen of The Province that he plans “on playing them out to the best of my ability and, hopefully, I can add another year or two once this contract is done”.

Here are some other news and notes from around the NHL:

  • Speaking of players who could retire, Jared Clinton of The Hockey News explored a few big names who could be entering their final season in the NHL. We could be seeing the last of several former superstars, including Jarome Iginla, Shane Doan, Andrei Markov, and Mark Streit. Iginla has seen his point totals fall by 13 over the last three seasons. Doan has an understanding with GM John Chayka which allows him to take his time on deciding about returning or retiring, and its clear he has no interest in chasing Stanley as a rental. The KHL is a possibility for Markov, who will no longer have the speedy P.K. Subban to cover for his aging speed. Similarly, Streit has previously played in his native Switzerland, and could return next summer. Clinton also mentions the legendary Jaromir Jagr, but seeing as Jagr insists on playing until he’s 60, it’s hard to think he’ll willingly retire unless his production drops off or he suffers a serious injury.
  • Finally, today marks 28 years since “The Trade”. On August 9, 1988, the Edmonton Oilers traded Wayne Gretzky, Mike Krushelnyski, and Marty McSorley to Los Angeles for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, three first round picks over six years, and most notable (or infamously) $15 million cash. Edmonton fans reacted as expected, burning the team’s owner in effigy and threatening to cancel season tickets; a Member of Parliament even suggested the federal government block the trade. The blockbuster popularized and legitimized hockey in non-traditional markets and lead to a popular comment around the trade deadline “well, if Wayne Gretzky can be traded…”

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