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Latest On Alexander Radulov’s Free Agency

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While the hockey world focuses on the expansion draft and upcoming entry draft, many fans in Montreal are turning their attention to next season and the possibility of an Alexander Radulov return to the Canadiens. The pending unrestricted free agent has been expected to re-sign with the Habs for some time, though things have gone silent in recent weeks as the team focused on other things. Today when speaking to TSN 690, Bob McKenzie explained that the two sides could still be pretty far away from each other in regards to contract length.

I’m sure that initially [Radulov] was looking for a home run; six, seven, eight years. Take your pick from one of those numbers, and I’m sure the Montreal Canadiens are saying ’not a chance in the world we’re going any longer–we’d like two but we know that’s not possible.’

Because Vegas is in a unique position, they’ve already got [Vadim] Shipachyov the 30-year old Russian center that they signed. They don’t have cap issues, they don’t have to worry as much about the dollars and cents…they’re in a unique position to maybe give Radulov more years and more money than the Montreal Canadiens could.

Signing Radulov would mean that Vegas forfeits their selection from the Montreal Canadiens, but after dealing away Nathan Beaulieu and protecting most of their core players, it could be an easy choice for the Golden Knights. McKenzie also points out that Montreal signing Radulov even for three years would hinge quite a bit on a potential Carey Price extension. Price hits the open market next summer, and could be looking at the biggest contract of all-time among goaltenders. After adding Jonathan Drouin on a six-year deal, money could get very tight for Montreal in a hurry.

It also will hinge on what happens with Alex Galchenyuk, who is up for a new contract but may have played his final game in Montreal. There has been much speculation about a possible trade for the young forward, especially after Drouin was acquired. Paying Galchenyuk a similar $5-6MM long-term deal would essentially eat up a third of the cap space Montreal has remaining, and they still need to make at least one addition to their defense corps. Radulov may fit for next season in that scenario, but going forward would be even tighter.

Thursday Trade Talk: Dumba, Brodin, Galchenyuk, Hjalmarsson

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The Minnesota Wild find themselves the center of trade speculation, with Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin headlining the rumors according to the Star Tribune’s Michael Russo. Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher has received “quality trade offers” revolving around Dumba and Brodin. It’s no secret that the Wild have difficult decisions to make before they make their final choices for the expansion list. According to Russo, it’s prudent to deal either Dumba or Brodin since Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter will take up two of the three slots for protected defenseman. Instead of losing one for nothing, Fletcher is listening in on trade offers, and one such team Russo sees as being targeted is Montreal. The player they’re most likely targeting? Alex Galchenyuk.

  • TSN’s Ken Campbell writes that with the Canadiens acquiring Jonathan Drouin today, it likely means that Galchenyuk “won’t be back” in Montreal next season. Campbell adds that Galchenyuk is actively being shopped and Campbell figures that the target will be a young defenseman. With Carey Price in need of an extension, and the Montreal brass wanting to avoid “drama” in getting that extension, Galchenyuk would fetch the young d-man that would entice Price to stay and also fill a need for the Canadiens.
  • The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Hine goes through a number of players who have been the subject of trade rumors. On the issue of Marcus Kruger, Hine writes that the veteran center is “all but gone” and that defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk is all but certain to join him with Vegas being the likely destination. Kruger would be dealt while van Riemsdyk would be selected in the draft. Regarding a core player who could be traded, Hine opines that Niklas Hjalmarsson could be the choice to move. However, Hine points out that Hjalmarsson has a partial no-trade clause and would only accept a trade to 10 teams. Hine writes that a source within the organization indicated that the Hawks have not asked Hjalmarsson to do this.

Deadline Approaches To Ask Players To Waive No-Movement Clauses

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On the heels of yesterday’s report that both Keith Yandle and Dion Phaneuf had been asked to waive their no-movement clauses in order to be exposed for the upcoming expansion draft, speculation is running rampant around the league on who else will be asked. Below is the full list of players who currently require protection due to their clauses. The deadline to submit a request to a player is 4pm CDT today, while the player must inform the team of his decision by the same time on Friday June 16th. Because the Stanley Cup Finals ended last night, Nashville and Pittsburgh will not receive an extension and will need to submit their requests at the same time as every other team.

Elliotte Friedman was on Sportsnet radio today and mentioned that the Anaheim Ducks have spoken with Kevin Bieksa about possibly waiving his clause, something examined at length in our recent Ducks Expansion Primer.

Anaheim (4)
Kevin Bieksa — Expected to be asked.
Ryan Getzlaf
Ryan Kesler
Corey Perry

Arizona (1)
Alex Goligoski

Boston (4)
David Backes
Patrice Bergeron
Zdeno Chara
David Krejci

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Offseason Keys: Montreal Canadiens

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Montreal Canadiens.

After a tough season that saw them out of the playoffs, Montreal made several changes last season, most notably being the Shea Weber – P.K. Subban swap.  The team got off to a franchise-best start and rode that to a division title but it wasn’t enough to get them far in the playoffs as they were eliminated in the first round by the Rangers.  Now, GM Marc Bergevin is faced with retooling the roster once again, though likely not with as significant of moves compared to last summer.  Here are some of the key things on his to-do list.

Extension For Price

While John Tavares has garnered the most headlines among those that are a year away from being eligible for unrestricted free agency, goaltender Carey Price is also in that situation.  Like Tavares, Price is Montreal’s franchise player and they can ill-afford to let him leave for nothing in return.  Bergevin indicated in his end-of-season press conference that trading him is not an option that’s on the table either.

Apr 1, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) looks on against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsThat just leaves one option and that’s to find common ground on an extension.  Price’s case is a particularly interesting one as his new deal will likely be a precedent setter around the league.  Currently Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers has the highest cap hit among goaltenders league-wide at $8.5MM and Price is expected to come in above that.

As is the case with all top players, the argument of taking a little less to ensure there’s enough money left to spend on other needs will undoubtedly come up.  But if Price and agent Gerry Johannson aren’t amenable to that, Bergevin doesn’t really have much of a leg to stand on given Price’s importance to the team.  It’s expected that both sides will look to get an extension done as close to July 1st as possible so the question here will be how much more than his current $6.5MM cap hit will Price receive on this next contract.

Make A Decision On Galchenyuk

Five years ago, Montreal drafted Alex Galchenyuk as the third overall pick, touting him as their center of the future.  Fast forward to today and his long-term position is still up in the air.  While they have tried him down the middle at times, he has been moved back to the left wing every time before too long.  Both Claude Julien and former coach Michel Therrien have expressed some concern about his two-way game which has in part overshadowed his offensive production.

Galchenyuk now finds himself as a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility, something that agent Pat Brisson has suggested as a route they may be interested in taking.  The 23 year old dealt with a knee issue this past season and ended his year on a sour note as he was held without a goal in the playoffs while spending some time on the fourth line.  From their perspective, a one year ‘prove it’ deal may be better for Galchenyuk than signing a long-term deal now.

From Montreal’s standpoint, they need to make a decision as to whether or not he’s still viewed as a top line center of the future or if he is a winger moving forward.  There’s also some question as to whether he is still part of their future plans or if the time may be right to trade him.  Before they even approach contract discussions (short-term or long-term), those are a couple of key questions that need to be answered making his situation one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Address Their Center Concerns

Montreal’s depth down the middle has quickly become an area of concern especially since Galchenyuk hasn’t slid into the center ice position like they were hoping for.  While Phillip Danault had a breakout season, that was offset by long-term veteran Tomas Plekanec having a tough year.  Those two are better served as third liners yet as things stand, they represent their top two.

Unfortunately for Bergevin, the free agent market isn’t exactly full of top six options down the middle let alone top liners.  Accordingly, he may be forced to turn to the trade route but again, available top six centers aren’t readily available and those that are will likely have a premium attached to them.  However, if they aren’t sold on Galchenyuk moving to center, they may very well have to bite the bullet if they intend to take that next step forward.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Price, Johansen, Cincinnati

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Beginning on July 1, several notable players will be eligible to sign contract extensions ahead of the final year of their contracts. Connor McDavid is the biggest name, but Carey Price is in a similar stratosphere.

The superstar goaltender is entering the final year of his six-year, $39MM contract ($6.5MM AAV), signed back in 2012. Price has a no-move clause (NMC) which allows him to submit a list of 15-team trade list.

According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin and Price’s agent Gerry Johansson will meet next week to begin discussions. The two have had some preliminary discussions at the World Championships earlier this month, but have not had any “real negotiations” yet. The two sides are reportedly aiming to have something ready for Price to sign on July 1.

The Price contract will have a big impact on the Canadiens’ plans going forward. While he could command in the neighborhood of $10MM, that would negatively impact Bergevin’s ability to bring in offensive help, something the Canadiens desperately need.

  • Nashville center Ryan Johansen appeared on TSN 1040 in Vancouver, and opened up about his season-ending injury and comments about Ducks shut-down center Ryan Kesler. Johansen took a hit from Josh Manson, and was going to pull himself out of the game when the game ended in overtime. By the time Johansen hit the showers, he was unable to walk and had emergency surgery just hours later. He’s expected to make a full recovery, which is good news considering the serious risks related to acute compartment syndrome. Regarding Kesler, Johansen said his only regret was not being able to shake the Ducks’ hands at the end of the series.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have found a new AA affiliate, signing an agreement with the Cincinnati Cyclones. The Sabres’ previous ECHL affiliate, the Elmira Jackals, folded earlier this year. The Cyclones were previously affiliated with the Nashville Predators organization. This isn’t the first time there has been an agreement between Buffalo and Cincinnati; back in the 1970s, the Sabres had the Cincinnati Swords as their AHL affiliate. With the AHL above them, the ECHL is generally low on NHL prospects; just four Sabres prospects played in Elmira last season.

Snapshots: Holtby, Ritchie, Vrana

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Washington’s Braden Holtby will get the start for Game 3 in Pittsburgh. He was yanked after surrendering 3 goals on just 14 shots through 2 periods. Philipp Grubauer didn’t fare much better, however, as he let in 2 of 9 himself in the final period. The decision to pull the reigning Vezina trophy winner was maligned following the game by commentators, such as the Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg who believed the move was “a sign of panic”. Holtby has struggled this post-season, not looking particularly strong in the first series against Toronto. His .911 save percentage these playoffs is certainly respectable but also easily his career low. It’s difficult to believe that his massive workload over the course of the season isn’t playing a factor in his drop-off in play. The netminder played an absurd 63 games this past season, which is difficult to defend from a coaching standpoint. His backup in Grubauer performed well above expectations, helping the duo capture the Jennings trophy. Additionally, the Capitals looked to be a lock for the post-season well before April, so why Holtby was subjected to yet another season of heavy lifting seems confusing. At least he didn’t play 73 games, like he did two seasons ago. One has to wonder if Carey Price, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Braden Holtby have all succumbed to fatigue to varying degrees, considering their individual struggles come playoffs. Regardless, Holtby will need to improve if Washington hopes to claw their way back into the series on the road.

  • Anaheim forward Nick Ritchie and defenseman Sami Vatanen are both potential options for tonight’s game against Edmonton. Ritchie is out with the flu, and Vatanen has been out with an upper body injury since Game 1 versus Calgary in the last round. Both took the ice for the optional skate this morning, but no further information was provided. Vatanen had been replaced by Korbinian Holzer, who struggled in the season with a very poor 40.4 Corsi For percentage, taking a huge step backwards from the previous season in terms of driving possession. Ritchie had been replaced by Jared Boll, the heavy right-winger who accumulated an abysmal 39.3 CF% on the season – one of the league’s worst – to go along with his 0 goals through 51 games. The re-addition of Ritchie would be huge for a team that has had difficulty penetrating the wall that has been Cam Talbot.
  • Washington prospect Jakub Vrana was scratched last night for the Hershey Bears. The 21 year-old left-winger is crafty with the puck and was projected to be an effective offensive force. The Czech has had trouble adjusting his style to the North American game, however. He was drafted 13th overall in 2014 and had a decent sophomore season when he played, earning 21 games up with the Capitals, notching 3 goals and 3 assists in that span. He was held pointless through 3 games in the Bears’ series against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Head coach Troy Mann was displeased with his unwillingness to engage physically and defend on the backcheck. His effort level is remarkably low for a prospect which was considered top-tier. Getting scratched at the AHL level of play doesn’t bode well for his future in the NHL, although stranger things have happened.

Marc Bergevin Hopes To Extend Carey Price July 1st

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With Carey Price entering the final year of his contract this summer, the Montreal Canadiens can officially sign him to an extension as of July 1st. That’s what GM Marc Bergevin intends to do, leaving little time for speculation on the all-world goaltender’s future. Price himself said today to John Lu of TSN tin that he wants to stay in Montreal, and is motivated to re-sign under new coach Claude Julien. Bergevin also said that he would not trade Price for anyone. Carey Price

In 2017-18 Price will be in the last season of a six-year $39MM extension he signed as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2012, and an extension may result in the highest cap-hit among goaltenders in the league. That record is currently held by the goaltender that just eliminated Price and the Habs, with Henrik Lundqvist holding an $8.5MM cap hit this season. Lundqvist was 32 when his current seven-year extension came into effect, while Price will be just 31. With both goaltenders never winning a Stanley Cup but leading their respective countries to Olympic gold, they are an apt comparison as the Canadiens enter negotiations.

Price and Lundqvist both hold a career .920 save percentage in the regular season and have each won a single Vezina trophy. While it may be argued that Lundqvist has shown more consistency throughout his career, Price broke in at a much younger age and is still in prime goaltending years. Lundqvist on the other hand may be showing signs of decline—though not in these playoffs—as he enters his mid-thirties. Price’s extension will assume the same risk, as he’ll undoubtedly be locked up for at least seven years.

After this morning hearing that both Alexander Radulov and Andrei Markov would like to return to the Canadiens, it would seem as though this summer is as much about locking up the current team as adding new parts for Bergevin. He needs to address the center position among other things, but will first look to maintain the status quo with some of this year’s best performers. It will be interesting to see just how much money he hands to the trio (if all three re-sign), and how much he looks towards the future after a disappointing first round exit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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.

Atlantic Notes: Price, Carlo, Krug, Acciari

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While Islanders center John Tavares is garnering the most attention publicly among the potential high-end unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2018, Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is set to head into the final year of his contract next season as well.  On a radio appearance with Sportsnet 590 in Toronto (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was asked about the possibility of Price hitting the open market (transcription via Fan Rag’s Chris Nichols):

“When I talked to him (GM Marc Bergevin) last year, he basically said he was going to do whatever he could to keep Price. I see no reason why that would have changed. The only reason that you could see them saying, ‘We’re not going to do it,’ is if they decide, ‘You know what? The money is going to be so much that we have to spread ourselves somewhere else. We have to decide to do different things.’

“But I know that every decision he was kind of making was with the idea that he knew he was going to have to pay Carey Price a lot of money, and he was prepared to do it.”

Price will earn $7MM in salary with a cap hit of $6.5MM next season.  It’s expected that a new deal for him will likely come in above the $8.5MM cap hit that Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is currently receiving to set the new benchmark for goaltenders around the league.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Boston defenseman Brandon Carlo is making good progress as he continues to recover from an upper body issue that is believed to be a concussion, reports CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty. Head coach Bruce Cassidy noted that the Bruins are hoping to have him back in the lineup “sooner than later”.  He was injured in the final game of the season against Washington after being the only defender to suit up in all 82 regular season contests.  There remains no firm timetable for his return to the lineup.
  • Also from Haggerty, things don’t appear to be as promising for bellow injured blueliner Torey Krug. Cassidy wouldn’t go as far as calling him anything more than day-to-day at this point (a common refrain at this time of year) but stated that he didn’t want to speculate on his situation.  Krug was seen with a brace on his right knee after being injured in the penultimate game of the season against Ottawa.  With Colin Miller (lower body) also out and Adam McQuaid (upper body) being banged up today, the blueline depth for the Bruins is really getting tested.  As for injured winger Noel Acciari, the team is hopeful that he will be able to dress for Game Three of the series on Monday night.  Acciari has skated with the team a couple of times this week but was still in a non-contract jersey on Friday.

Minor Moves: Fucale, Renouf, Pedrie

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The Montreal Canadiens won the most important game of the season on Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators, putting them up by three points in the Atlantic Division. That had them flying high until this morning when the team announced that Al Montoya has suffered a lower-body injury and will be unavailable for the game tonight against the Dallas Stars. Instead, the Canadiens have recalled Zach Fucale from the ECHL Brampton Beast to back up Carey Price tonight.

Fucale was drafted in the second round in 2013, and Montreal still has high hopes for the 21-year old. The young netminder has struggled since his draft year at different levels, but still has the raw talent to put it all together as his body matures. Goaltenders often put it together much later than skaters, meaning Fucale could still improve drastically. For now, he’ll get a taste of the NHL from the bench.

  • The Detroit Red Wings have re-assigned Dan Renouf to the AHL after making his NHL debut just last night. He was called up on an emergency basis, and will now return to Grand Rapids for the time being. The 22-year old was an NCAA free agent last spring, and has had a solid professional debut this season. With 15 points in 58 games, he has provided a little offense for the Griffins in addition to his normal physical brand of defense. Renouf’s departure likely means the return of Niklas Kronwall to the Detroit lineup for the game against Carolina tonight.
  • As expected, the Rangers have signed Vince Pedrie to an entry-level contract. The Penn State defenseman broke the news himself last night on Instagram, before deleting it and waiting for the team’s announcement. 23-years old and just finished his sophomore year, Pedrie will instead turn to the professional ranks for the next chapter in his hockey career. The puck-moving defenseman is a nice addition to a Rangers prospect system that has been stripped bare in recent years.

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