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Montreal Canadiens Place Mike Hoffman On Injured Reserve, Recall Rem Pitlick

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The Montreal Canadiens announced today that forward Mike Hoffman has been placed on injured reserve. In a corresponding move, the team has recalled forward Rem Pitlick from the Laval Rocket, Montreal’s AHL affiliate.

Additionally, the team announced that forward Brendan Gallagher is currently being evaluated for a lower-body injury and won’t play in the Canadiens’ game against the Calgary Flames tonight.

Hoffman, 33, has been out with a lower-body injury for more than a week now. The veteran sniper has gotten off to a so-so start for the Canadiens this season, scoring eight points in 16 games. In Hoffman’s absence, the Canadiens will hope that Evgenii Dadonov can heat up after a slow start and fill in for some of the goal-scoring they’d have expected a healthy Hoffman to provide.

With Gallagher out, the Canadiens needed to create space on their roster to recall a forward to replace him, which led to Hoffman’s placement on injured reserve. The forward they called up is Pitlick, who has had a rough start to the 2022-23 campaign, having gone scoreless in seven NHL games this year.

Pitlick looked like a savvy waiver claim last year as he scored 37 points in 66 games last season, a 46-point pace. But so far this year Pitlick has been squeezed by the Canadiens’ glut of middle-six forward options and has spent time in the AHL as a result.

Now back on Montreal’s roster with a chance to get some game action, Pitlick will hope to re-capture some of the luck and quality play that defined his performance last year.

Montreal Canadiens Name Nick Suzuki Captain

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With Shea Weber’s career now over, and his contract traded away, the Montreal Canadiens were left without a captain. The team has remedied that situation today, by officially introducing Nick Suzuki as the 31st captain in franchise history. He will be joined by Brendan Gallagher and Joel Edmundson, who will serve as alternates this season.

Suzuki, 23, was actually acquired by the Canadiens in a deal that saw a former captain traded away. In 2018, Suzuki was part of the return for Max Pacioretty, after being selected by the Vegas Golden Knights 13th overall in 2017. He made his NHL debut in the 2019-20 season and quickly became one of the most important players in the Montreal lineup. Through 209 regular season games, Suzuki has 49 goals and 143 points, including career-highs of 21 and 61 in the 2021-22 campaign.

It was his performance in the 2021 playoffs that was so encouraging though. With the games as tight as ever, Suzuki still managed to lead the Canadiens in scoring, racking up seven goals and 16 points in 22 games as the Canadiens went on a miraculous run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Now, after a down year when the Canadiens failed to make the playoffs and a clear rebuild underway, Suzuki will be the rallying point that general manager Kent Hughes and head coach Martin St. Louis build around. Last October, he signed an eight-year, $63MM contract extension that will carry an average annual value of $7.875MM, meaning there is no risk of him jumping ship anytime soon. Instead, Suzuki will be the face of the Canadiens for years to come, and have a “C” sewn into his sweater when the game start in a few weeks.

Snapshots: Dach, Sharks Rookie Tournament, Stadium Series

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After being originally reported by Sportsnet’s Eric Engels last week, his colleague Elliotte Friedman confirmed the original report today on the 32 Thoughts podcast. Echoing the fact that the Canadiens and Dach are close to signing Dach to a four-year contract, he added that the team is likely working on other moves before making the deal official.

Cap implications aside, the team will likely need to trade a forward (or two) just to have space for Dach in the lineup. With the addition of Sean Monahan into the fold for next season, Dach will likely shift to wing. He has the most experience there out of Montreal’s five natural centers in their top 12 forwards. With Cole Caufield, Mike Hoffman, Josh Anderson, Jonathan Drouin, Evgenii Dadonov, and Brendan Gallagher all in the fold, there’s just not enough room in Montreal’s NHL lineup to have Dach play an appropriate role to continue developing. Cap implications are certainly a part of that, though, as a $3.5MM cap hit as surmised by Friedman and Engels would still put Montreal dangerously close to the salary cap even with Carey Price’s $10MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve.

  • The San Jose Sharks are hosting this year’s 2022 Rookie Faceoff, a voluntary tournament for teams’ rookie camp rosters to get some game experience against each other. The Anaheim Ducks announced their participation today, noting that the Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, and Vegas Golden Knights will also participate. The tournament will feature nine games in total across four days from September 16 through September 19. Anaheim has not lost a rookie tournament game in regulation since 2016, going 11-0-2 in the process.
  • The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro reports that American coverage of the 2023 Stadium Series game will be on ESPN after TNT/Turner Sports hosted coverage last season. ESPN will broadcast the Carolina Hurricanes’ first-ever outdoor game as they host the Washington Capitals at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on February 18, 2023. Shapiro also adds that the full slate of American national TV games is expected to come out later this week as the regular season approaches.

Atlantic Notes: Murray, Worlds, Petry, Gallagher, Senyshyn

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Senators goaltender Matt Murray was hoping to return down the stretch to give him an opportunity to play for Canada at the upcoming World Championships but had to shut it down last week due to post-concussion symptoms, relays Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link).  It was a tough season for the 27-year-old as he was limited to just 20 games where he had a GAA of 3.05 and a SV% of .906, numbers that aren’t worth his $6.25MM AAV.  That resulted in Murray clearing waivers back in November.  With Anton Forsberg signing an extension back at the trade deadline and prospect Filip Gustavsson being waiver-eligible in 2022-23, Murray’s spot on Ottawa’s roster to start next season is far from a guarantee.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Still with Ottawa, Ian Mendes of The Athletic mentions (Twitter links) that winger Drake Batherson and forward Tim Stutzle will represent Canada and Germany respectively at next month’s World Championships. However, forward Brady Tkachuk is unlikely to play for the United States in the tournament due to some nagging injuries.
  • Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry told reporters, including TSN’s John Lu (Twitter link), that he hasn’t closed the door on staying in Montreal. The veteran blueliner requested a trade midseason but played much better in the second half under interim head coach Martin St. Louis, finishing up with 21 points in his final 28 games this season after having just six points through his first 40 contests.  Petry has three years left on his contract with a $6.25MM AAV.
  • Still with Montreal, Lu notes in a separate tweet that winger Brendan Gallagher declined an invite to play at the Worlds due to lingering injury issues while noting his hip issue from the playoffs last year was still acting up this season. Gallagher had the toughest offensive campaign of his 10-year career, notching just seven goals and 17 assists in 56 games.
  • With the regular season now done (at least for 30 of 32 teams), several trades that have conditions in them have now been finalized. One of those was the move that sent Zach Senyshyn to Ottawa in exchange for a conditional draft pick.  Had the winger played in five games with the Senators, the Bruins would have received Ottawa’s 2022 sixth-round pick.  He only played in two so Boston will instead get their 2022 seventh-rounder.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Price, O’Ree

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The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, led once again by Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oiles. McDavid added five goals and eight points to his totals, and cracked a few important thresholds. For the third time in his career, he has broken the 40-goal mark, while he once again has more than 100 points, the fifth time in seven seasons. McDavid leads the league in scoring with 105 points so far.

Second and third went to Aleksander Barkov and Semyon Varlamov respectively, after their own outstanding weeks. The Florida Panthers captain scored five goals in four games and is closing in on his previous career-high. Barkov needs just three more goals to crack that mark of 35. Varlamov meanwhile just continues to get it done, posting a 3-0 record and .952 save percentage last week. The 33-year-old netminder doesn’t have a good record, but still carries a .919 on the season.

  • The Montreal Canadiens don’t have a ton left to play for in terms of the standings but there may be a nice surprise for fans in the coming days. Carey Price was a full participant at practice and Eric Engels of Sportsnet suggests that the star goaltender could potentially make his debut in the next few games. Next Monday at home against the Winnipeg Jets seems a likely possibility for Price to make his season debut after a very tumultuous year, though there is no indication yet from the team when he’ll be back in the crease. Brendan Gallagher was also in a regular jersey at practice, and while he admitted he needs to speak to the medical staff for clearance, expects to play tomorrow.
  • The three finalists for the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award have been named today, as one of Noel Acton, Ryan Francis, and Meridith Lang will take home the trophy this season. The award is given to the individual who, through the sport of hockey, has positively impacted his or her community, culture, or society. Even though just one will win, all three should be celebrated for their impact and community work. You can read more about the finalists here.

Morning Notes: Monahan, Maple Leafs, Gallagher

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Sean Monahan appears to be headed for the press box. The Calgary Flames center was skating as an extra at yesterday’s practice according to Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet and might end up a healthy scratch for tonight’s matchup against the Arizona Coyotes. Monahan, 27, had played in all 63 games this season but has seen his ice time continually drop, to the point where he was used for fewer than ten minutes earlier this week.

Under contract through the 2022-23 season and carrying a cap hit of $6.375MM, Monahan has basically seen his role with the Flames completely disappear. Whether an offseason trade (or buyout) takes him out of Calgary still remains to be seen, but unless something drastic changes down the stretch, it appears as though he is on the outside looking in following the additions of Tyler Toffoli, Calle Jarnkrok, and Ryan Carpenter.

  • Jake Muzzin was at Toronto Maple Leafs practice in a red no-contact jersey, but Ondrej Kase was nowhere to be found, after the forward suffered another head injury a few days ago. As Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star writes, Muzzin–who is also working his way back from a concussion–may end up out until Jack Campbell, dealing with a rib injury, is ready to return. That’s because of a tricky cap situation in Toronto, though the team has found creative ways around their obstacles in the past. With Rasmus Sandin now out and Travis Dermott traded to Vancouver, the Maple Leafs could certainly use Muzzin’s help, even after acquiring Mark Giordano at the deadline.
  • More bad news for the Montreal Canadiens, as Brendan Gallagher is out for a week with a lower-body injury. Like most Montreal players, this season has been a dreadful one for the 29-year-old Gallagher, who has just five goals and 14 points in 43 games. Those are both easily career-lows, and numbers that certainly aren’t good enough for a player carrying a $6.5MM cap hit. Gallagher is signed through 2026-27 and will hopefully bounce back in 2022-23.

Atlantic Notes: Rask, Norris, Canadiens

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While Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask was scratched from his scheduled start on Friday in Arizona, it’s not expected to be a long-term injury for the netminder, notes Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald.  Rask is dealing with a lower-body injury and it’s unknown if it’s related to his surgically-repaired hip.  However, the team hasn’t ruled him out for Sunday’s game against Dallas.  Jeremy Swayman was scratched from his AHL start on Friday and is expected to join the team by Sunday which would allow Troy Grosenick to return to the taxi squad after serving as the backup last night.

More from the Atlantic:

  • Senators center Josh Norris won’t be able to return to Ottawa’s lineup until after the All-Star break, relays Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). Instead, he’s set to undergo further examination on his injured shoulder.  Norris has been a bright spot for the Sens this season, notching 18 goals in 36 games while sitting third on the team in points with 26.
  • Canadiens goaltender Carey Price skated for the first time today since being shut down in his injury rehab last month, reports TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). Price continues to work his way back from offseason knee surgery but has had multiple setbacks along the way which have prevented him from playing at all so far this season.
  • Still with Montreal, the team announced (Twitter link) that wingers Paul Byron and Brendan Gallagher could return to the lineup tomorrow against Columbus. Byron has missed the entire season after undergoing offseason hip surgery while Gallagher has been out for nearly a month with a lower-body injury.  The Canadiens will need to activate Byron off LTIR but with Price and Shea Weber both still on there, they have enough LTIR space to still be cap-compliant with his activation.

Brendan Gallagher, Sami Niku Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Montreal Canadiens have lost a pair of players, this time to the league’s COVID protocol. Brendan Gallagher and Sami Niku have both been placed in it and will be unavailable to the team in the immediate future.

The Canadiens have not confirmed whether or not either one has actually tested positive, but if they did and are experiencing any symptoms, they’ll be held out for a minimum of ten days. This comes just as the team is trying to reset the narrative of their season under a new boss, following the firing of Marc Bergevin and hiring of Jeff Gorton as the new front office chief. Instead of a change, the team lost to the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night, keeping them at just six wins for the season.

This evening, Montreal is set to take on the Colorado Avalanche, a team that will be fuming after giving up eight goals to the Toronto Maple Leafs. It looks like the Canadiens will be without Gallagher and Niku, not the ideal situation for the rest of the group.

Poll: How Should The Montreal Canadiens Handle This Season?

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The Montreal Canadiens are one of just three teams that have already hit the 20-game benchmark this season. Their campaign is already a quarter complete – and they have 12 points to show for it. The reigning Stanley Cup finalists are tied for 31st in the NHL with a .300 record in what can only be described as a nightmare start to the year. The team is spending beyond the salary cap on a roster chock full of long-term contracts for players in the primes of their careers. They certainly did not expect to be in this spot, especially after last season’s playoff success. So where do the Canadiens go from here?

There are essentially three schools of thought when a team reaches a crossroads during the season, and that point in time does not need to be the trade deadline. They can buy, they can sell, or they can stand pat. All three strategies have merit, but the Habs would be wise to pick one and stick to it this season.

The team could certainly try to fight their way out of this funk. It would not be the first time in Montreal history that an underperforming team found a way to turn it around and make the playoffs only to hit their stride in the postseason. The Canadiens just made a surprise run last season and, at least on paper, have the pieces to do it again. As bad as the team has been so far this season, there has to be regression to the mean coming for their numerous talented scorer and stout defenders, right? There is also the potential for a Carey Price return and improved health across the roster to bring a boost to the team. However, if the plan is to compete then Montreal cannot just wait around for a spark. They need to shake up the roster and make a notable addition or two in the near future. It’s certainly a risk, but the reward for the team and its fans alike is the end to their current misery.

On the other hand, the team could look upward at the steep hill they have to climb and go in the opposite direction. The Atlantic Division is arguably the strongest in the NHL and it isn’t getting any easier any time soon. If the Habs’ current roster can perform this poorly, then they likely won’t be competitive in the Atlantic moving forward, never mind this season. A name like Brendan Gallagher or Tyler Toffoli or even Jeff Petry (though his appeal has taken a major hit) could draw a significant trade return to help the Canadiens re-tool and look toward the future. It would be a disappointing turn following last season’s success, but could be the right call given their struggles. The bright silver lining to tanking of course is remaining in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick and consensus top prospect Shane Wright. Wright could be a top line center and perhaps even a franchise player for the Canadiens and removing as much talent from their roster as is reasonably possible will help them stay at the bottom of the league standings and boost their odds in the draft lottery.

The final option is to do nothing. It actually has the potential benefits of either loading up or blowing it up, but requires no action at all. It could be the perfect plan for the Canadiens, given GM Marc Bergevin is expected by many to depart after this season, if not sooner. Rather than let Bergevin make moves in a futile attempt to save his job or impress future employers, Montreal could choose to just ride the season out. There is enough talent on the roster that they could turn the season around without making any moves. They also might never break out of their slump and remain in contention for the top draft spot. The latter could be helped along by making some easy deals like trading the expiring contracts of Ben Chiarot, Brett Kulak, Artturi Lehkonen, Cedric Paquette, or Mathieu Perreault without doing anything earth-shattering. Of course, doing nothing runs the risk of achieving neither goal. The Canadiens are better than their current .300 record, but they likely aren’t good enough to crack the Eastern Conference playoff picture either, especially with this deficit. They could end up outside the postseason and with poor lottery odds. Standing pat also leaves fans with little guidance as to the teams direction in the short-term or the long-term. However, sometimes the right move in a disappointing season is just to call it and try again next year rather than do more damage by overreacting.

What do you think? Are the Habs good enough to get back to relevance this year if they can shake up the roster? Are they as bad as they have looked and need to start the rebuild now? Or is this just a fluke of a season that deserves to be  forgotten with an eye on a fresh start next year?

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Brendan Gallagher, Mikael Backlund Issued Fines

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Both Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher and Calgary Flames forward Mikael Backlund have avoided suspension, incurring fines for their respective incidents instead.

Gallagher has been given a $2,500 fine for his punch on New York Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow at the end of another frustrating loss for the Canadiens. He was given a two-minute minor for roughing and a ten-minute misconduct. Notably, the fine is not actually the maximum allowable in this circumstance.

Backlund meanwhile faces a $5,000 fine for his cross-check on Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny. The check sent Konecny dangerously into the boards, and resulted in a two-minute minor penalty. In this case, it is the maximum allowable under the CBA.

Both players will have these fines considered when determining any future supplementary discipline.

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