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Evgeni Dadonov

Vegas Golden Knights Acquire Shea Weber

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On the day that the Vegas Golden Knights introduced their new head coach to their fans, they also completed a major trade. The Montreal Canadiens and Golden Knights have each announced a deal: Shea Weber for Evgenii Dadonov. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun confirmed that neither player is being traded with salary retained.

While this trade is a one-for-one deal, it’s anything but simple. Weber, the Canadiens’ captain, is effectively retired due to his injuries and is not expected to ever suit up for another NHL game. One might wonder, then, why the Golden Knights would be interested in acquiring him. But the motivation for the Golden Knights is simple: because Weber is expected to stay on long-term injured reserve for the remainder of the four years left on his contract, his $7.8MM cap hit for each of those years effectively does not count against Vegas’ cap. LTIR is quite a bit more complicated than that in reality, but in easily explainable terms that’s basically what will happen.

So, the Golden Knights rid themselves of Dadonov’s $5MM cap hit, a deal they already attempted to trade at the deadline, in exchange for Weber’s contract that must be placed on LTIR. Teams using LTIR cannot accumulate cap space over the course of a season, meaning the Golden Knights will be harder-pressed to go on a trade deadline spending spree like the New York Rangers were able to do this year thanks to their stockpile of accumulated cap space. But given Vegas’ aggressive use of LTIR in the past it’s likely the team is making this deal assuming they would be using LTIR already, regardless of Weber’s presence.

With all that explained, this trade helps Vegas alleviate the cap crunch that had the potential to wreck their offseason. We previously covered how the Golden Knights were actually above the salary cap, and urgently needed to find a way to clear space. With this trade, the Golden Knights commit themselves to being an “LTIR team” for the remainder of Weber’s contract in order to rid themselves of Dadonov’s cap hit without needing to trade any picks or prospects.

For the Canadiens, GM Kent Hughes had already expressed an interest in moving Weber’s deal, indicating that they were close to a deal with the Arizona Coyotes at the deadline. The Coyotes ended up acquiring Bryan Little’s contract instead, nixing the possibility of that trade. Now, Hughes has found another avenue to trade Weber’s contract, and instead of needing to trade prospects or draft picks like the Jets needed to trade Little to Arizona, the Canadiens simply needed to take on Dadonov’s unwanted cap hit to facilitate the deal.

In Dadonov, the Canadiens acquire a player with one year left on his contract at a $5MM cap hit. Dadonov was one of Vegas’ better players last year, riding a scorching final two months of the season to a 20-goal, 43-point campaign. The Canadiens could definitely opt to play Dadonov next year to help their scoring, but it’s also possible that their front office chooses to dangle Dadonov to other teams looking for a scorer. Of course, if Dadonov could be easily dealt for a quality return, the Golden Knights would likely have done that themselves. But the Canadiens do have the option to retain 50% of Dadonov’s deal to make him a more attractive asset, something the Golden Knights would likely not have been able to do.

In a world where many look to find a “winner” and a “loser” of every trade, this deal looks like one that should reasonably benefit both sides. The Golden Knights get something they desperately desire: cap relief, and at a cost that does not siphon even more assets from their depleted stock of draft picks and prospects. The Canadiens, depending on the health of Carey Price, of course, make it so they no longer need to utilize LTIR to remain cap compliant, and they add a player who can help their forward corps for the one year remaining on his deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Evgenii Dadonov Trade Officially Canceled

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The NHL has officially invalidated the Evgenii Dadonov trade between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Anaheim Ducks from Monday. In a statement, the league explained:

The trade could not be concluded because Dadonov’s contract includes a limited no-trade clause, which has not been complied with.

Dadonov now remains on the Golden Knights’ roster, while John Moore and Ryan Kesler are still part of the Ducks.

The invalidated trade, which would have seen the Golden Knights clear enough cap space to activate at least Alec Martinez from long-term injured reserve when he is ready to return, now raises plenty of questions about what comes next for Vegas. To clarify, the team is still able to trade Dadonov to another team not on his no-trade list, but he would then be ineligible to play again for the rest of the season and playoffs unless the NHL made an exemption in this case. The Arizona Coyotes were discussed as a potential landing spot on today’s 32 Thoughts podcast between Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman, though it is unclear at this point whether the two sides would be able to reach a deal.

Even if they do, Dadonov, through no fault of his own, is now in a very tricky situation. The Golden Knights were obviously ready to move on from him–the trade was originally confirmed by the league, making him a Duck for a short time–but if he now goes somewhere else he’ll miss a chance to play for the rest of this year. He would still collect his owed salary, and be able to play next season on his current contract which extends through 2022-23.

It also is a tough blow for Anaheim, who had not only grabbed a useful forward but cleared two contracts that weren’t helping them and added a conditional second-round draft pick. It looked like a big win for the Ducks, who have made out with a huge haul of future assets at the deadline by trading off several expiring contracts of their own.

The biggest question among the entire situation is how the NHL Central Registry approved the trade in the first place. Friedman tweeted yesterday that the league and Golden Knights were “led to believe” that Dadonov’s no-trade list had expired in some fashion, though there then turned up proof that he had submitted it on time.

For the Golden Knights, CapFriendly breaks down the situation. With Dadonov back on the roster, they would now need to clear $4.84MM in order to activate Martinez, and a total of $9.1MM to activate captain Mark Stone. Again, any player traded after the deadline is ineligible for not just the playoffs, but the rest of the regular season as well.

Evgenii Dadonov Trade Under Review

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March 22: After news broke last night that there was an issue with this trade, Darren Dreger of TSN tweets that it is still being reviewed by the NHL Central Registry and the NHLPA. The issue stems from a no-trade clause that was not disclosed by the Ottawa Senators when Dadonov was originally traded to Vegas, despite it being public knowledge at the time.

March 21:  After much speculation throughout the day, the Evgenii Dadonov trade has finally gone through this evening reports TSN’s Chris Johnston. In addition to Dadonov, also heading to the Anaheim Ducks is a conditional second-round draft choice, which will be determined by the conditions of a draft pick previously traded to the Buffalo Sabres. In exchange, the Vegas Gold Knights acquire defenseman John Moore and the contract of forward Ryan Kesler.

This deal had been reported and all but confirmed earlier today before the NHL’s 3:00 pm EST trading deadline, however it had not been processed through NHL Central Registry and was not official until this evening. As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman explains, the trade would have been accepted had it been submitted to Central Registry before the deadline, however that would have made Dadonov and Moore ineligible to play for the rest of the season. However, it appears the trade was submitted in time.

This trade was, for the most part, a salary cap deal. By sending Dadonov to Anaheim, Vegas clears his $5MM salary cap hit for this year and next year. However, by acquiring Moore, they absorb his $2.75MM cap hit, but that will lower to $1.625MM if they bury Moore in the AHL. In acquiring Kesler’s contract, Vegas can put him straight onto LTIR and have no net impact on their salary cap. All told, Vegas, will save $3.375MM in cap space, in exchange for a second-round draft pick and any production they will miss from Dadonov.

For Anaheim, the team has allowed Vegas to navigate a tricky cap situation, and was compensated for doing so with a second-round draft choice. The condition on the draft pick, as mentioned, concerns the Jack Eichel trade with Buffalo. If Vegas’ first-round draft choice in 2022 is in the top ten, then Vegas will send their 2024 second-round pick to Buffalo instead of the 2023 second-round draft pick originally reported in the Eichel deal. In other words, if Vegas’ first-round pick in 2022 is in the top 10, Anaheim receives their 2023 second-round draft choice; otherwise, they will receive Vegas’ 2024 second-round draft choice. Regardless, this move represents further precedent of the cost of shedding salary cap for a team that desperately needs to do so.

Not to be forgotten, the Ducks also acquire Dadonov, who has played in 62 games for Vegas this year, amassing 15 goals and 12 assists in the process, which replaces a good deal of the production Anaheim lost by trading Rickard Rakell away to the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier today. Dadonov also has an additional year under contract at $5MM for next year.

Ottawa Senators Sign Evgenii Dadonov

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The Ottawa Senators have made a splash on the free agent market, signing Evgenii Dadonov to a three-year, $15MM contract. Dadonov was one of the highest-ranked free agents remaining on our Top 50 UFA list. Senators GM Pierre Dorion released a statement:

We’re thrilled to have come to an agreement with Evgenii. He’s an elite offensive talent and a very consistent scorer as demonstrated by his point totals over the last three seasons. This is a key signing for us as it adds a player who will help us produce offensively and one with a proven track record on the power-play.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the deal also includes a 10-team no-trade clause. Dadonov will earn $3.5MM in 2020-21, $5.0MM in 2021-22 and $6.5MM in 2022-23.

The Senators are having quite the offseason, starting with the 2020 Entry Draft where they selected twice in the first five picks and six times in the first two rounds. The team then solidified the goaltending position by acquiring and extending Matt Murray, while also bringing in some physicality with the trade additions of Josh Brown, Erik Gudbranson, and Austin Watson.

While those additions may have seemed like a way to protect the young core, this move signifies that the front office believes they may be ready to compete sooner than expected. Dadonov, 31, is one of the better offensive players in the league and has recorded at least 25 goals in each of the three seasons since returning from the KHL. He’ll immediately become one of the team’s most dangerous options on the powerplay and can help lengthen out a lineup that was previously led by a bunch of very young players.

As with any signing the Senators make though, it is important to note how back-loaded the deal is. They have a history of moving players out before they get too expensive and with nearly half of the deal’s salary due in the final season that could still be the case here. Still, the team has obviously decided that their competitive window is opening quickly and needed some more scoring punch.

With Dadonov off the board, former teammate (and former Senator) Mike Hoffman is now alone as the top available option. While mid-level players like Mikael Granlund and Erik Haula are also still unsigned, Hoffman is the only real “splash” player still looking for a home.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Free Agent Notes: Top-10, Pietrangelo, Crawford

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After the morning news was dominated by the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins completing a trade, you might be wondering what is next for clubs looking to improve their lot. While the trade market is apparently open, free agency—set to start in October—is where a number of exceptional names will be available for nothing more than money. Frank Seravalli of TSN breaks down the ten names he believes are at the top of the list, including three different Florida Panther forwards.

Mike Hoffman, Evgeni Dadonov and Erik Haula are all set to hit the open market and it is not clear if the Panthers will try to retain any of them. In fact, it’s not very clear what the Panthers want to do with any members of their team given the uncertainty in the front office. Florida is still on the search for a new general manager, who will have to quickly make some tough decisions (or engage in brief negotiations) with his trio of pending free agent forwards.

  • The very top name on Seravalli’s list however is Alex Pietrangelo, the St. Louis Blues captain and one of the best defensemen in the entire league. Pietrangelo actually spoke with reporters including Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic today and explained how much the Blues franchise means to him after a decade manning the blueline in St. Louis. Pietrangelo has always indicated a desire to remain in St. Louis, but in a flat-cap world it’s not going to be easy for the Blues to pull off. The team currently has nearly $79.5MM in salary committed to next season already including expensive extensions that kick in for Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk. That doesn’t leave room for Pietrangelo, meaning they’d have to clear the deck if they want to bring the 30-year old back.
  • Speaking of players who want to stay put, Corey Crawford was clear in his intentions when speaking with reporters today. As Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports, Crawford explained that he’s “definitely leaning towards staying in Chicago” but that he does want to be a starter still. Crawford admitted that a short-term deal might work for both him and the Blackhawks—which makes sense given the salary cap situation and the fact that Crawford will turn 36 in December.

Florida Panthers Part Ways With GM Dale Tallon

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Aug 10: The Panthers have officially parted ways with Tallon, announcing that a search for their next GM has begun. In a short statement, owner Vinnie Viola explained what Tallon has meant for the club and why they were now moving on:

For the last decade, Dale raised the team’s profile, attracted key players to South Florida and brought character and class to our franchise. When we purchased the Panthers in 2013, we did so with a singular goal–to win a Stanley Cup. We have not seen our efforts come to fruition. We will now begin an organizational search for the next general manager.

Aug 7: The Florida Panthers were very unlikely to have made the playoffs this season under the standard format and few gave them a chance of an upset over the stout defense of the New York Islanders in the qualifying round. Yet, the organization is still not taking their elimination earlier today lightly. Fox Sports’ Andy Strickland reports that the hammer is set to drop on long-time executive Dale Tallon. The team is expected to move on from their GM shortly.

Tallon, hired as GM in Florida in 2010, had previously served in the same role with the Chicago Blackhawks and had a hand in the team’s Stanley Cup win the season prior to his departure. Tallon served as GM for the Panthers until 2016, when he was elevated to President of Hockey Operations. He then resumed GM duties as well in 2018. Having been around for a decade, Tallon’s influence can be found in every corner of the roster, even in long-time homegrown stars Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Aaron Ekblad, who were all drafted by Tallon.

However, Tallon’s mistakes have also made a lasting impression on the roster. This past off-season in particular, Tallon gambled with the Panthers’ salary cap space, spending big on goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, forward Brett Connolly, and defenseman Anton Stralman. It is hard to argue that any of the three have lived up to expectations in yet another disappointing season for the franchise, which has not won a playoff series since 1996. Yet, they are all multi-year deals and will continue to impact the team for seasons still to come. With little cap space heading into this off-season, top scorers like Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov could prove difficult to re-sign and the club could take another step backward next season. Other lasting mistakes have included a botched Expansion Draft strategy that saw the team give away Reilly Smith in order to ensure Jonathan Marchessault was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights, only to see both become reliable top-six forwards, not getting enough for forward Vincent Trocheck from the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline this year, and simply flip-flopping on their organizational strategy too frequently.

In finding Tallon’s replacement, the Panthers need to find someone with a long-term outlook on the position and a concrete plan on how they will rebuild the club. Having made just three playoff appearances in the past ten years, Florida fans will likely be happy to miss the postseason for another year or two if it means sustained success down the road. That could start with some lottery luck in the form of the No. 1 overall pick and Alexis Lafreniere. Maximizing their four picks in the first three rounds one way or another will also be imperative for the new GM in his first draft. Finding a way to shed some dead weight salary and to add much-needed depth at all positions will also be key.

Not all of Tallon’s tenure in Florida has been bad – including the aforementioned homegrown standouts and a pair of division titles – but at the end of the day the Panthers have had no postseason success and they have their work cut out for them to change that any time soon. Tallon’s replacement will have plenty of work to do to undo some of the GM’s mistakes and to reverse the curse on the Florida franchise.

Atlantic Notes: Kapanen, Hoffman, Nordstrom

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With the offense running on high already this season and possibly even looking more dangerous than it was last season, the team does have some problems ahead. What is the team going to do when Zach Hyman returns to the lineup? It’s a good problem to have, but with the lines already clicking, it could spell bad news for winger Kasperi Kapanen.

James Mirtle of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that Hyman is very likely to move back to the John Tavares line when he returns from injured reserve, as Kapanen hasn’t been a good fit there. However, while it would then just make sense to move Kapanen back to the third line, that may not happen after an impressive start by Ilya Mikheyev–Alexander Kerfoot–Trevor Moore line, which seems to be improving their chemistry and has proven to be a hard-working line.

The scribe writes that could mean that Kapanen could find himself on the fourth line soon.

  • The Athletic’s George Richards (subscription required) writes that the Florida Panthers will likely have to choose between two of their own during the offseason when forwards Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Hoffman both become unrestricted free agents. So far, Hoffman may be earning himself an even bigger paycheck next season, as his hat trick on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning now give him four goals on the season. Dadanov has no points in two games. The 29-year-old Hoffman wouldn’t mind staying with the Panthers next season. “It has been great ever since I got here. I have loved every second of it,” Hoffman said Saturday. “The guys here are great, ownership is great. It is definitely a fun place to play and we were able to pick up some key acquisitions over the summer. That’s a positive thing and I’m looking forward to the future. I am going to do the best I can for this hockey club this year and I will let everything else kind of sort itself out.”
  • The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa (subscription required) writes that forward Joakim Nordstrom is expected to play sometime before their road trip ends. The team still has two games on their road trip, including games Tuesday at Vegas and Thursday at Colorado. Nordstrom, out with an undisclosed injury, is traveling with the team, but head coach Bruce Cassidy feels that the 27-year-old is close to returning to the lineup.

Panthers Place Mackenzie Weegar On IR, Activate Jayce Hawryluk

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Rookie forward Jayce Hawryluk has returned from a stint on the injured reserve at the earliest possible date, after being sidelined early last week. Unfortunately, in announcing his activation, the Florida Panthers also noted that defenseman Mackenzie Weegar is headed for his own stretch on the IR.

Weegar, 25, has missed the Panthers’ past two games with an undisclosed upper-body injury. The team’s penalty minutes leader, Weegar plays a physical style on Florida’s bottom pairing and has been known to run into injuries from time to time. He missed time last season due to a lower-body injury, lost three games to a shoulder injury in October, and most recently was out four games earlier this month with a concussion. The concussion could very well be the current cause of Weegar’s absence, but the team has not confirmed that is the case. In his absence, the Panthers will lean on their top two pairs for more ice time, while Ian McCoshen should draw back into the lineup. As for Weegar, the impending RFA is on pace to record career highs across the board and will look to get back on the ice as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the Cats will welcome Hawryluk back to the roster. The 23-year-old forward has played in 19 games for Florida, recording five points, and additionally has been a point-per-game scorer for the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds this season. A 2014 second-round pick, Hawryluk has tapped into his offensive instincts this season and finally looks like the player he was in juniors. With Evgenii Dadonov and Colton Sceviour currently sidelined, the Panthers needed Hawryluk’s offense back in the lineup.

Trade Rumors: Duchene, Lightning, Bargains

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Seemingly every year, there is speculation that a prominent impending free agent could be the one to finally bring the “sign and trade” back to the NHL. The sign and trade is relatively self explanatory; a player re-signs with his current team to a contract negotiated with a second team that he is subsequently traded to. In the current structure of the NHL, the sign and trade could hypothetically be used to add an eighth year to a contact, as free agents are limited to a cap of seven years when negotiating with a team other than their current club. This season, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun has reopened the sign and trade discussions, this time in regards to Ottawa Senators forward Matt Duchene. LeBrun speculates that Duchene has approximately two weeks to work out an extension with the Senators before the team will be forced to shop him. Ottawa has reportedly already made an initial offer of eight years and $64MM, but Duchene is likely to be eyeing an AAV closer to $9MM per year instead of $8MM. If that counter is too rich for Senators owner Eugene Melnyk and company, the team could not afford to miss out on a the potential return for Duchene at the trade deadline.

When it comes to a sign-and-trade, things get tricky for the player, which could explain why it remains such an infrequently used device in the NHL. While the eighth year is enticing for Duchene, especially at his desired salary, signing that long-term deal means a) getting another team to first agree to that contract and b) trusting the future plans for that franchise. The last time Duchene was traded, from the Colorado Avalanche to the Senators early last season, it didn’t work out so well. Duchene may be hesitant to sign with a team for eight years simply because they can afford to acquire him this season. A sign and trade also eliminates Duchene’s opportunity to test the free agent market and potentially maximize his market value. Duchene will undoubtedly be the top center on the UFA market this summer and may wish to weigh his options rather as a first-time free agent rather than commit to another team so soon before seeing what else is out there. A sign and trade works out nicely for the Senators, as they would surely receive a better return, but finding a trade partner could be difficult and getting Duchene to go along with the plan may not happen. For these reasons, a sign and trade remains an unlikely result to the ongoing Duchene saga.

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have all the makings of a true trade deadline buyer this season: they are the first-place team in the league by a considerable margin, will have upwards of $8MM in cap space by the deadline, and are facing an impending cap crunch that could begin to dismantle their roster as early as this off-season. The Lightning are in win-now mode and, with excellent odds of winning the Stanley Cup, will look to add the best reinforcements they can ahead of the deadline. However, the Lightning may struggle to make the trades typically seen by a true buyer. Tampa Bay currently has 49 players signed to professional contracts against a cap of 50, per CapFriendly. The team probably doesn’t want to hit that 50-contract mark either, as it would take them out of the college and junior free agent market this spring. This means that the Bolts cannot simply trade picks and prospects for rental players. Instead, GM Julien BriseBois will have to get creative with sending under-contract players the other way. Only two of Tampa’s 49 “pro” players are in juniors, meaning that any trades will likely send current AHL contributors to sellers and the team will effort to do so without hurting their postseason depth. At the end of the day, Tampa Bay’s trades at the deadline may end up looking more like hockey trades – player-for-player talent swaps – than you would typically see from a deadline buyer.
  • Sportsnet’s Andrew Berkshire believes that there is great long-term value to be found in the current buyer’s market. Berkshire writes that the Los Angeles Kings’ Tyler Toffoli, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Brandon Saad, and the Florida Panthers’ Evgeni Dadonov are among the best bargains potentially available on the market due to their recent struggles and/or under-the-radar trade status. Berkshire states that Toffoli’s value is at a career-low given his current 33-point pace for the down-and-out Kings. However, Toffoli notched 47 points just last year and has 20+ goals in three of the past four seasons. The two-way forward also has a palatable $4.6MM cap hit and could be a buy-low candidate that blows up with a change of scenery. Similarly, Berkshire believes that Saad’s value is still low after bottoming out last season. He has rebounded this season, but is still on pace to fall short of the 50+ points that used to come consistently for him. At $6MM AAV for two more years, Saad’s contract isn’t egregious but is a strain for the cap-strapped Blackhawks. They could be enticed to sell low on the power forward and could very well end up on the wrong side of a Saad trade for the third time. Conversely, Berkshire believes that the Panthers are happy with Dadonov and would be reluctant to move him, but may feel pressured to sell at the deadline despite few obvious rental pieces. The play-making winger is quietly on his way to another 65-point season or better and with one year left on his contract at just $4MM, is already a bargain and could be even better elsewhere. Florida won’t give him up easily, but considering the upside that Dadonov has shown, he could still prove to be a steal even with ample trade capital going the other way.

Atlantic Notes: Bruins, Barkov, Canadiens

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While the Boston Bruins added a couple of small, but important pieces to their team this offseason in goaltender Jaroslav Halak and defenseman John Moore, their two biggest Atlantic Division rivals seem to be working at a much bigger scale. The Toronto Maple Leafs have already successfully signed superstar center John Tavares to a long-term deal, while the Tampa Bay Lightning are trying hard to acquire superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson.

Those two moves (although nothing is definite about Karlsson going to Tampa) suggest that maybe Boston isn’t doing enough to improve their own team. The team looks like they lost veteran Rick Nash who is still trying to decide if he intends to return to the NHL and hasn’t added much to their forward core this season. No doubt Boston general manager Don Sweeney is trying to work the trade market in hopes of picking up a Jeff Skinner or Artemi Panarin. However, NBC Sports Joe Haggerty writes that there is nothing wrong if the team can acquire such a player, but the team needs to stay the course and not overreact to the whatever the Maple Leafs or Lightning do.

Haggerty writes the team had a plan at the end of the season and they need to stick to it, which means the team must hold onto their talented young players and not consider moving them for big-name players. The team already had a plan in place in hopes to upgrade its team, using prospects and pieces such as Torey Krug and Anders Bjork. However, the team also needs to keep their elite young players like Charlie McAvoy and Jake Debrusk, because they will need them to stay with the organization for the next decade. The team shouldn’t panic and attempt to grab a big-name player if it will cost them their long-term future.

  • The Florida Panthers could be making major shakeups in their lineups next season, according to Matthew DeFranks of the SunSentinel. With the addition of more talent this season, including Mike Hoffman and a host of young talent, coach Bob Boughner has a lot of option for loading up his top line which features star Aleksander Barkov. The talented center has spent much of the last three years playing alongside Jonathan Huberdeau and Evgeni Dadonov, who arrived last season. However, with Hoffman and how well forward Nick Bjugstad played on the top line at times last season, it’s likely Barkov could get all new linemates next season, giving the team more depth on both their second and third lines.
  • Brendan Kelly of the Montreal Gazette writes that the Montreal Canadiens have done nothing to get better this offseason. The scribe writes that when you finished the season as the 28th worst team in the league, you need to make big changes. Instead, the team’s biggest trade of Alex Galchenyuk for Max Domi didn’t make the team better, especially since most experts believe that Arizona won the deal, but at best it’s a wash. Then the team’s biggest free agent signing was bringing back Tomas Plekanec, who isn’t the same player he once was and since he spent the majority of the season with Montreal last season, also can’t be anything more than a wash as well. The scribe also points out that if the team was rebuilding then they wouldn’t have tried so hard to go after Tavares or Paul Stastny this offseason. It just looks like another down year in Montreal.

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