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Jonathan Drouin

Galchenyuk Negotiations Intensify

July 3, 2017 at 6:08 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 2 Comments

Alex Galchenyuk has suddenly gone from pariah to absolute necessity. In the wake of losing top scoring threat Alexander Radulov via free agency to the Dallas Stars, Galchenyuk, a restricted free agent, has seen his internal value skyrocket. Radulov, of course, signed with the Stars earlier today for 5 seasons, and the Montreal offense was already severely lacking. Galchenyuk had a respectable 44 points in only 61 games last season, but that was a marginal drop from his 30-goal, 56-point campaign the year prior.

One of the largest issues for Galchenyuk this last season was consistency in his production, and many link that to his constant switching between the center and left wing roles. Galchenyuk is a more natural center, and has stated as such on numerous occasions. His defensive play has left many fans wanting, however. Two separate coaching staffs placed him on the wing at different points, and the organization has stated pretty clearly that he isn’t ready for top-line center duties. The problem for Montreal of course, is that they don’t have anyone else nearly as capable to fill that role. Tomas Plekanec is another year older and Galchenyuk is already arguably the better player. With Radulov (a right-wing) out of the picture, it might be wise to keep Galchenyuk content and comfortable.

According to Darren Dreger, Galchenyuk’s agent Pat Brisson has been in contact with GM Marc Bergevin, who will now turn his attention primarily to this contract. If they can’t come to an agreement, arbitration is always an option that can be utilized. That said, arbitration would probably only serve to fan the flames that have surrounded this player since he was supposedly placed on the block a year ago. Those flames are still not going out until that contract has been signed, and there will always be a market for young, talented centers.

When Jonathan Drouin was acquired for the left side, it seemed as though the writing was on the wall. But now, with Radulov out of the picture, losing Galchenyuk’s top-six offensive abilities would be a massive blow to the team. Montreal finished 13th in Goals For, but only two players hit the 20 goal mark – Max Pacioretty (35) and Paul Byron (22). Losing their top assist man and second-leading point getter in Radulov, it would be entirely devastating to draw the Galchenyuk negotiations out into the season, or worse, to trade him following a down year. Galchenyuk and his agent know they have the leverage in negotiations, and there’s a strong possibility they’ll use every ounce of it to get a better deal for the 23-year-old talent. Considering his production and league wide comparisons, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to see him make well above $5 MM.

Arbitration| Calgary Flames| Dallas Stars| Free Agency| Marc Bergevin| Players Alex Galchenyuk| Alexander Radulov| Jonathan Drouin| Max Pacioretty| Paul Byron

2 comments

2017 NHL Free Agency Tracker

July 1, 2017 at 11:50 am CDT | by natebrown Leave a Comment

Stay with PHR for all of the free agency signings this off-season. As of noon ET on July 1st, unrestricted free agency is open, but not before many extensions earlier in June. This page serves to organize everything in one spot, and are linked to the PHR story that corresponds with the signing. All July signings will be separated by date while June signings are organized alphabetically by team. It will be updated as soon as stories post.

Please note that signings on this list start on June 12.

July 1st:

  • Anaheim re-signs Cam Fowler (8 years/$52MM)
  • Anaheim signs Ryan Miller (2 years/$4MM)
  • Arizona signs Adam Clendening (1 year/$650K)
  • Boston signs Paul Postma (1 year/$725K)
  • Buffalo signs Benoit Pouliot (1 year/$1.15MM)
  • Buffalo signs Chad Johnson (1 year/$2.5MM)
  • Carolina signs Justin Williams (2 years/$9MM)
  • Chicago signs Patrick Sharp (1 year/$1MM)
  • Chicago signs J-F Berube (2 years/$3MM)
  • Chicago signs Jordan Oesterle (2 years/$1.3MM)
  • Colorado signs Jonathan Bernier (1 year/$2.75MM)
  • Dallas signs Martin Hanzal (3 years/$14.25MM)
  • Dallas signs Tyler Pitlick (3 years/$3MM)
  • Detroit signs Trevor Daley (3 years/$9.534MM)
  • Florida signs Radim Vrbata (1 year/$2.5MM)
  • Los Angeles signs Mike Cammalleri (1 year)
  • Los Angeles signs Cal Petersen ( 2 year ELC)
  • Los Angeles signs Christian Folin (1 year/$850K)
  • Minnesota signs Ryan Murphy (1 year/$700k)
  • Minnesota signs Landon Ferraro (2 years/$1.4MM)
  • Minnesota signs Kyle Quincey (1 year/$1.25MM)
  • Minnesota signs Cal O’Reilly (2 years/$1.4MM)
  • Montreal signs Kyle Alzner (5 years/$22.5MM)
  • Montreal signs Byron Froese
  • Montreal signs Peter Holland
  • Nashville signs Nick Bonino (4 years)
  • Nashville signs Scott Hartnell (1 year/$1MM)
  • Nashville signs Anders Lindback (1 year/$650K)
  • Nashville signs Matt O’Connor (1 year/$650K)
  • New Jersey signs Brian Boyle (2 years/$5.1MM)
  • NY Rangers sign Ondrej Pavelec (1 year/$1.3MM)
  • NY Rangers sign Kevin Shattenkirk (4 year/$26.6MM)
  • Ottawa signs Nate Thompson (2 years/$3.3MM)
  • Philadelphia re-signs Mike Vecchione (2 years/$1.88MM)
  • Pittsburgh signs Antti Niemi (1 year/$700K)
  • Pittsburgh signs Matt Hunwick (3 years/$6.75MM
  • San Jose re-signs Martin Jones (6 years/$34.5MM)
  • San Jose re-signs Marc-Edouard Vlasic (8 years/$56MM)
  • San Jose re-signs Joe Thornton
  • St. Louis signs Beau Bennett (1 year/$650K)
  • St. Louis signs Chris Thorburn (2 years/$1.88MM)
  • St. Louis re-signs Oskar Sundqvist (1 year/$650K)
  • Tampa Bay signs Dan Girardi (2 years/$6MM)
  • Toronto signs Ron Hainsey (2 years/$3.25MM)
  • Toronto signs Curtis McElhinney (1 year/$850K)
  • Toronto signs Dominic Moore (1 year/$1MM)
  • Toronto signs Garret Sparks
  • Winnipeg signs Dmitri Kulikov (3 years/$13MM)
  • Winnipeg signs Steve Mason (2 years/$8.2MM)
  • Vancouver signs Sam Gagner (3 years/$9.45MM)
  • Vancouver signs Michael Del Zotto (2 years/$6MM)
  • Vancouver signs Anders Nilsson (2 years/$5MM)

Read more

June:

  • Anaheim re-signs Kevin Boyle
  • Anaheim re-signs Korbinian Holzer
  • Anaheim re-signs Nic Kerdiles
  • Anaheim re-signs Patrick Eaves
  • Boston re-signs Noel Acciari
  • Boston re-signs Tommy Cross
  • Buffalo re-signs Linus Ullmark
  • Buffalo re-signs Taylor Fedun
  • Calgary re-signs Kris Versteeg
  • Calgary re-signs Michael Stone
  • Carolina re-signs Andrew Miller
  • Carolina re-signs Brock McGinn and Philip Samuelsson
  • Carolina re-signs Derek Ryan
  • Carolina re-signs Patrick Brown and Jake Chelios
  • Carolina re-signs Teuvo Teravainen
  • Carolina re-signs Trevor Carrick
  • Chicago re-signs Anton Forsberg
  • Chicago re-signs Tomas Jurco
  • Chicago re-signs Ville Pokka
  • Colorado re-signs Sven Andrighetto
  • Columbus re-signs Alex Broadhurst
  • Columbus signs Jordan Schroeder
  • Dallas re-signs Esa Lindrell
  • Dallas re-signs Ludvig Bystrom
  • Dallas re-signs Mark McNeill
  • Detroit re-signs Ben Street
  • Detroit re-signs Brian Lashoff and Dylan McIlrath
  • Edmonton re-signs Eric Gryba
  • Edmonton re-signs Jujhar Khaira
  • Edmonton re-signs Kris Russell
  • Edmonton re-signs Zach Kassian
  • Los Angeles re-signs Andy Andreoff
  • Minnesota re-signs Gustav Olofsson
  • Montreal re-signs Charles Hudon
  • Montreal re-signs Jacob De La Rose
  • Montreal signs Jonathan Drouin
  • Nashville re-signs Yannick Weber
  • Nashville signs Joonas Lyytinen (ELC)
  • New Jersey re-signs Keith Kinkaid
  • New York Rangers re-sign Brendan Smith
  • New York Rangers re-sign Matt Puempel
  • Ottawa re-signs Max McCormick
  • Ottawa re-signs Mike Condon
  • Ottawa re-signs Tom Pyatt
  • Philadelphia re-signs Jordan Weal
  • Philadelphia re-signs Mark Alt
  • Pittsburgh re-signs Chad Ruhwedel
  • Pittsburgh signs Filip Gustavsson (ELC)
  • Pittsburgh signs Frederik Tiffels (ELC)
  • St. Louis re-signs Chris Butler
  • St. Louis re-signs Magnus Paajarvi
  • Tampa Bay re-signs Yanni Gourde
  • Tampa Bay re-signs Andrej Sustr
  • Tampa Bay re-signs Cory Conacher and Gabriel Dumont
  • Tampa Bay re-signs Peter Budaj
  • Tampa Bay signs Alex Volkov; Toronto signs Adam Brooks (ELC)
  • Vancouver re-signs Erik Gudbranson
  • Vegas signs Erik Haula
  • Washington re-signs Brett Connolly
  • Washington re-signs Chandler Stephenson
  • Washington re-signs Christian Djoos
  • Washington re-signs Dmitry Orlov
  • Washington re-signs Pheonix Copley
  • Washington re-signs T.J. Oshie
  • Winnipeg re-signs Ben Chiarot
  • Winnipeg re-signs Marko Dano

 

Anaheim Ducks| Boston Bruins| Buffalo Sabres| Calgary Flames| Carolina Hurricanes| Chicago Blackhawks| Columbus Blue Jackets| Dallas Stars| Detroit Red Wings| Edmonton Oilers| Florida Panthers| Free Agency| Los Angeles Kings| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| NHL| Nashville Predators| New Jersey Devils| New York Rangers| Newsstand| Ottawa Senators| Philadelphia Flyers| Pittsburgh Penguins| St. Louis Blues| Tampa Bay Lightning| Toronto Maple Leafs| Vancouver Canucks Andrej Sustr| Andrew Miller| Andy Andreoff| Anton Forsberg| Ben Street| Brendan Smith| Brett Connolly| Brian Lashoff| Brock McGinn| Chad Ruhwedel| Chandler Stephenson| Chris Butler| Cory Conacher| Derek Ryan| Dmitry Orlov| Drew Miller| Dylan McIlrath| Eric Gryba| Erik Haula| Gabriel Dumont| Gustav Olofsson| Jacob de la Rose| Jonathan Drouin| Jordan Schroeder| Jordan Weal| Korbinian Holzer| Kris Russell| Kris Versteeg| Las Vegas| Linus Ullmark| Mark Alt| Mark McNeill| Marko Dano| Matt Puempel| Michael Stone| Mike Condon| Noel Acciari| Patrick Eaves| Peter Budaj| Pheonix Copley| Philip Samuelsson| Sven Andrighetto| T.J. Oshie| Taylor Fedun| Teuvo Teravainen| Tom Pyatt| Tomas Jurco| Tommy Cross| Ville Pokka| Yanni Gourde

0 comments

Atlantic Division Offers Scoring, Depth Players

June 18, 2017 at 3:08 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 5 Comments

The Atlantic Division was arguably the weakest in the league, but Vegas should be happy to know that they can claim two previous 30-goal scorers from the group. Some teams offer very little, such as Buffalo, because of their lack of depth, and Toronto, because of good planning. But others, such as Montreal and Detroit, will provide interesting options at multiple positions.

The Boston Bruins have one of the weakest lists of the lot, but there are still a few names which could help the Golden Knights organization. Vegas could opt for the overpaid but serviceable Matt Beleskey in hopes of his return to form as a solid 3rd-line piece. They might instead select a defenseman, either the puck possession defender in Colin Miller or physical presence in Adam McQuaid – but there may be better defenseman available elsewhere. A very probable scenario is that they opt for a project player in defenseman Joe Morrow or goalie Malcolm Subban. The Toronto Maple Leafs probably released one of the best lists today. Veteran Brooks Laich is an option, but McPhee may opt for 25 year-old Martin Marincin in hopes that he can build upon his last two seasons. Neither loss would impact the team’s ascendance in the slightest. Something to keep an eye out for is the perennially injured Joffrey Lupul – it’s certainly possible GM Lou Lamoriello will use Vegas to take his contract off the books. It wouldn’t take much of a sweetener.

The Montreal Canadiens left veteran defenseman Alexei Emelin exposed, which some predicted – but it could still set their defense back in the short-term. GM Marc Bergevin did well to utilize that final forward protection spot, trading for Jonathan Drouin and locking him up long-term. A potential player to watch is Alexander Radulov and whether Vegas will pursue the unrestricted free agent in the next few days. They do have a head-start, and he would be a potent addition. The Detroit Red Wings made what I consider to be a very surprising move in exposing goalie Petr Mrazek over Jimmy Howard. It could pay dividends if Vegas opts to go in a different goaltending direction, but it seems quite likely they will go the best player available route. Xavier Ouellet is also left exposed, which could decimate their defensive hopes. Unfortunately for Wings fans, Ken Holland very well will pay extortion-level prices for not being more aggressive in the trade market when he had the opportunity.

The Ottawa Senators will contribute one of the top three players to Vegas, regardless of his very hefty $7 MM contract. Bobby Ryan is bound for Nevada unless something unforeseen happens – he’s a former 30 goal scorer, is coming off a hot playoff, and an overpaid contract won’t break this team off the start. They could opt to speak with Mike Condon or go the less expensive route and take the veteran Marc Methot, but neither seems likely. Losing Ryan might hurt the Senators’ depth in the short term but is a solid cap-centric decision. The Buffalo Sabres will not lose much at all. Vegas could take a chance on the surprisingly available young forward William Carrier, or claim an average defenseman in Josh Gorges or Zach Bogosian. Vegas fans who were banking on a Tyler Ennis jersey will have to re-think their potential first purchase.

The Florida teams took completely different approaches to their expansion lists, and its clear that Tampa took the wiser route. Although they lost Jonathan Drouin, they re-couped a solid defenseman and made certain they didn’t lose an asset for nothing. Instead of losing Vladislav Namestnikov, they will instead look to probably surrender one of Cedric Paquette or J.T. Brown. There are a lot of mid-tier options available for Vegas, and I wouldn’t count out Cory Conacher as a darkhorse UFA signing considering his dominant performance in the Calder Cup playoffs. The Florida Panthers produced an inexcusably bad list. They will almost certainly lose their top scorer by not protecting the undersized Jonathan Marchessault. He had a breakout season with 30 goals in 75 games and his loss up front could really sting next season. Also of note is the decision to leave Roberto Luongo unprotected, although nothing likely will come of it.

Ultimately, the Atlantic division has a few players that will provide offensive punch to the Golden Knights, and a couple interesting decisions. McPhee could opt for safer veteran options, or take some gambles – only time will tell.

 

The original article had mistakenly replaced Collin Miller’s name on the protection list with Kevan Miller.

Boston Bruins| Buffalo Sabres| Detroit Red Wings| Expansion| Florida Panthers| Lou Lamoriello| Marc Bergevin| Montreal Canadiens| Ottawa Senators| Players| Toronto Maple Leafs| Vegas Golden Knights Adam McQuaid| Alexander Radulov| Alexei Emelin| Bobby Ryan| Brooks Laich| Cedric Paquette| Cory Conacher| J.T. Brown| Jimmy Howard| Joe Morrow| Jonathan Drouin| Jonathan Marchessault| Josh Gorges| Marc Methot| Martin Marincin| Matt Beleskey| Mike Condon| Petr Mrazek

5 comments

Expansion Primer: Tampa Bay Lightning

June 16, 2017 at 8:47 pm CDT | by natebrown 3 Comments

We’re continuing to break down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, coming up next week: which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

Steve Yzerman fired the first shot in the pre-expansion draft trade market by acquiring  Mikhail Sergachev from Montreal for Jonathan Drouin, a move that gave the Lightning flexibility both with the cap and their expansion protection list. It also filled a need with the Bolts on defense. With that in mind, it makes Yzerman and the Lightning’s decisions slightly easier as to who to protect and who to expose. But there are still some tough choices to make.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards: Steven Stamkos (NMC), Ryan Callahan (NMC), Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn, Vladislav Namestnikov, J.T. Brown, Erik Condra, Cedric Paquette, Ondrej Palat (RFA), Tyler Johnson 

Defensemen: Victor Hedman (NMC), Jason Garrison, Anton Stralman, Braydon Coburn, Andrej Sustr (RFA), Slater Koekkoek, Jake Dotchin

Goaltender: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Kristers Gudlevskis (RFA)

Notable Exemptions

Mikhail Sergachev, Brett Howden

Key Decisions

Unloading Drouin certainly helped from a financial and expansion list aspect.  This makes it somewhat easier for forwards to put on the protected list.

Ondrej Palat and Alex Killorn are both choices that benefitted from Drouin being moved. Killorn netted 19 goals while Palat will continue to get better. Stamkos and Callahan both have NMCs. Despite fighting injury and not matching his production from 2014-15, Johnson is too good of a talent to leave exposed.

It’s on defense where tougher decisions need to be made, and it will come down to three players. Hedman and Stralman will both be protected, Hedman because he has a no-movement clause and Stralman is key to the Lightning blueline. Jason Garrison and Braydon Coburn are both carrying heavier hits for the cap and will most likely be left alone when they’re exposed. Garrison could hypothetically be taken with his deal ending at the conclusion of the 2017-18 season, but the $4.6MM hit would probably scare Vegas away.

May 24, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center <a rel=That leaves three choices to protect: Andrej Sustr, Jake Dotchin, and Slater Koekkoek. Sustr is a restricted free agent and won’t be able to command much in the way of money after having a down year. That doesn’t make him exempt from being exposed. If anything, seeing his numbers drop with a number of other options pounding on the door for the big club could make him the odd man out. However, he’s still an economical option and any leverage he had took a hit with the acquisition of Sergachev, who if scouting is correct, should find time on the Tampa blueline next season. But the problem with protecting Sustr is that Tampa would risk losing two young, and talented defensemen for nothing. In the same breath, would the Bolts want to possibly lose a steady defenseman who is only 26?

That leads to Dotchin and Koekkoek. Dotchin just turned 23, and registered 11 points in 35 games this season. The problem is, as Lightning blog Raw Charge pointed out, his sample size was limited compared to Koekkoek while being paired with Hedman. The 23-year-old Koekkoek logged 41 games over the past two seasons,  but played strong for AHL affiliate Syracuse during the Calder Cup playoffs. Picking between them is essentially splitting hairs. Koekkoek  appears to have the higher ceiling, and plays a cleaner game than Dotchin. Though they play different games, Yzerman might prefer a more disciplined, puck moving defenseman when choosing who to protect. At the same time, Dotchin plays a physical game, and can move the puck as well. He’s not afraid to muck it up, and provides a presence that protects his teammates on the ice–while still contributing on the score sheet. As Tampa Bay Times beat writer Joe Smith wrote, Dotchin has stood out to management, especially in the NHL and AHL during Syracuse’s Calder Cup Final run.

With two younger defensive prospects and after having a less than stellar season, predict Sustr to be exposed and Koekkoek protected. Don’t be surprised, as many others have written, if Yzerman pulls something off to keep all of his young defensemen so Dotchin remains in the fold.

Projected Protection List

F – Steven Stamkos (NMC)
F – Ryan Callahan (NMC)
F – Tyler Johnson (RFA)
F – Nikita Kucherov
F – Vladislav Namestnikov
F – Alex Killorn
F – Ondrej Palat (RFA)

D – Victor Hedman (NMC)
D – Anton Stralman
D –Slater Koekkoek (RFA)

G – Andrei Vasilevskiy

Vasilevskiy is truly the only option to protect as 24-year-old netminder Kristers Gudlevskis is unlikely to be taken with other options presumably available from other teams. Of the decisions, it seems to be the least of Tampa’s worries.

The Lightning, despite missing the playoffs and sustaining injuries to one key player after another, still have a strong lineup that will absolutely compete next season. Peddling Drouin off certainly helped matters, but the third player to protect defensively is a tough decision to make. At the end of the day, though, Yzerman has shown skills deft enough to take a challenging situation and somehow make it work out. Don’t be surprised if he finds a way to do it again.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Detroit Red Wings| Expansion| Florida Panthers| Injury| NHL| Players| RFA| Steve Yzerman| Tampa Bay Lightning Alex Killorn| Andrei Vasilevskiy| Anton Stralman| Braydon Coburn| Cedric Paquette| Erik Condra| Expansion Primer| J.T. Brown| Jason Garrison| Jimmy Howard| Jonathan Drouin| Kristers Gudlevskis| Mikhail Sergachev| Nikita Kucherov| Ondrej Palat| Petr Mrazek

3 comments

Snapshots: Despres, Shero, Hextall, Flames

June 16, 2017 at 7:12 pm CDT | by natebrown 3 Comments

Anaheim general manager Bob Murray released a statement regarding the buyout of defenseman Simon Despres. The 25-year-old was placed on waivers earlier in the day with the intention of being bought out. Murray said the following from Anaheim’s twitter account:

“Simon Despres is a good hockey player and a good person. But, at this point, we feel it is the best interests of both Simon and the organization to part ways. We wish him the very best in the future.”

Despres responded as well on Twitter, writing:

“I’d like to thank the @AnaheimDucks for a wonderful 2 and a half years. I wish my teammates all the best moving forward.”

  • Ray Shero still has the #1 pick with a week to go before the draft writes the AP’s Tom Canavan. Shero isn’t denying that he could still trade the pick away, but for all intents and purposes, he told his staff to prepare for taking someone with the first overall choice. The next question: who would they take? Shero told Canavan that the draft reminds him of 2013, where there were four very good players in Nathan MacKinnon, Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Drouin, and Seth Jones. Canavan writes that the Devils need a goal scorer, which would definitely be found in either Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier, both believed to be the top two prospects in the draft.
  • Flyers general manager Ron Hextall might still make a move writes Philadelphia Inquirer’s  Sam Carchidi. Saying there was a 25-75% chance he makes a move, Hextall is going with the 7-3-1 format and has to decide between Michal Neuvirth and Anthony Stolarz when choosing the one goaltender to protect. Hextall calls it a more “philosophical” decision than a “difficult” one since it essentially comes down to picking a veteran or a rookie. Carchidi also writes that Hextall may still re-sign Steve Mason while saying that he will not be buying out any contracts. Sitting behind New Jersey with the second pick, Hextall also professes to having “no idea” what the Devils will do with the first overall pick.
  • Postmedia’s Kristen Odland reports that the process of an expansion draft is especially taxing to players who have no idea what to expect. She quotes assistant general manager Craig Conroy, who survived an expansion draft with the St.Louis Blues in both 1998 and 2000. Conroy likened it to the trade deadline, saying there’s nothing players can do about it and that they “signed up for this.” Odland lists netminder Brian Elliott as a question mark, wondering if he’ll be protected as free agency looms. With a goalie market that isn’t exactly full of options, she believes that he could be protected, but his struggles during the playoffs may be a reason he’s left off the list.

Anaheim Ducks| Calgary Flames| New Jersey Devils| Players| Prospects| Snapshots| Waivers Aleksander Barkov| Jonathan Drouin| Nathan MacKinnon| Nico Hischier| Nolan Patrick

3 comments

Expansion Notes: Phaneuf, McPhee, Final Decisions

June 16, 2017 at 6:03 pm CDT | by natebrown 1 Comment

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweets that nothing changed on Ottawa defenseman Dion Phaneuf’s decision to waive his no-movement clause prior to the 5pm deadline today. This doesn’t mean, however, that he won’t be traded. Phaneuf is definitely in the mix to be dealt as Ottawa agonizes over who to protect and who to leave exposed as lists are due tomorrow at 5pm. Phaneuf has been the subject of trade rumors, and it was confirmed by general manager Pierre Dorion that he’s received calls about the 32-year-old defenseman. Some pundits thought Phaneuf might waive his NMC before the 5pm deadline, but with that now passed, it will be interesting to see if he’s one of many players shuttled to another team to ease the restrictions on the list.

  • The USA Today’s Kevin Allen writes that Vegas general manager George McPhee has encouraged his staff to catch up on their sleep prior to the weekend as all NHL teams will have their protected lists submitted tomorrow. Noting that he only has 72 hours to put a team together, McPhee told Allen that teams have been straightforward with McPhee as to what they’re thinking and that it’s been in line with what McPhee and his staff expected. Allen reports that McPhee plans on informing each team who they plan on taking, so they can circle back to see if another deal can be worked out. Further, McPhee indicates that they are trying to build a balanced squad that can compete right away. He adds that they also want to acquire as many draft picks as possible to “expedite their building process.” McPhee also told Allen that even though he’s in his office at 6am Vegas time, his phone has been ringing non-stop with colleagues looking to make deals.
  • On the other side of McPhee’s phone line are 30 general managers wrangling with what they’re going to do in anticipation of the draft. The AP’s Stephen Whyno spoke with general managers who are also losing sleep over the draft, albeit for different reasons. Minnesota’s Chuck Fletcher told Whyno that he often reminds himself at 3am that he can “only lose one player–go back to sleep.” Florida’s Dale Tallon remarked that “everyone’s a little nervous, a little reluctant” in anticipation of what will happen. Tampa general manager Steve Yzerman already responded by trading Jonathan Drouin to Montreal while New York and Colorado bought out the contracts of Dan Girardi and Francois Beauchemin respectively. Meanwhile, LeBrun tweets that deals could go down to the wire after speaking with Fletcher while  Tampa Bay Times beat writer Joe Smith tweets that he sees Tampa Bay in potential talks with Fletcher since the Wild have a logjam at defense.

Dale Tallon| Expansion| George McPhee| NHL| Pierre Dorion| Players| Steve Yzerman| Uncategorized Dan Girardi| Dion Phaneuf| Jonathan Drouin

1 comment

Thursday Trade Talk: Dumba, Brodin, Galchenyuk, Hjalmarsson

June 15, 2017 at 7:36 pm CDT | by natebrown 3 Comments

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.

Expansion| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| Players Alex Galchenyuk| Carey Price| Jared Spurgeon| Jonas Brodin| Jonathan Drouin| Marcus Kruger| Niklas Hjalmarsson

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Analysts Weigh In On Sergachev-Drouin Deal

June 15, 2017 at 6:20 pm CDT | by natebrown Leave a Comment

The trade between Montreal and Tampa Bay that sent Jonathan Drouin and a 2018 conditional sixth round pick to the Habs for Mikhail Sergachev and a 2018 conditional second round pick was intriguing on a number of levels. It resulted in the Canadiens immediately inking Drouin to a six-year, $33MM deal, and flipped a defenseman to the Lightning, bolstering the blue line. It’s a deal that could not only begin the onslaught of trades that many have expected in the hockey world, but could have what Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun called a “major ripple effect” for Montreal. Here are some thoughts and musings from many in the hockey world.

  • Sportsnet’s Craig Hagerman details the expansion implications that the deal has. Getting rid of Drouin, Hagerman writes, offers Vegas a significantly less talented forward to choose from when they peruse Tampa’s choices.  Additionally, Sergachev is exempt from the expansion draft.  Montreal, on the other hand, still has a number of forwards they will have to expose. Hagerman adds that Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman acted when the Lightning were looking at some tough choices on who to protect and expose.Oct 4, 2016; Quebec City, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (22) checks Boston Bruins forward David Krejci (46) during the third period of a preseason hockey game at Centre Videotron. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
  • TSN’s Frank Seravalli adds that the Bolts snagged a defenseman they desperately needed while the Canadiens grab the French-Canadian impact player they’ve been dreaming of since Stephane Richer, Pierre Turgeon, and Vincent Damphousse. Seravalli knows the trade was influenced by Tampa’s cap issues and its expansion draft decision. It gives them a chance to grow a potential top four d-man, while surrounding him with significant talent and other Russian influences on the team. Montreal adds a much needed goal scoring presence who has yet to even hit the prime of his career. The best part? He comes at a bargain.
  • The USA Today’s Kevin Allen sees this as a “do-over” for Yzerman in acquiring a top pairing defenseman. Allen writes that Yzerman chose Drouin over Seth Jones in the 2013 draft, and now has the chance to make up for that decision in acquiring Sergachev. He believes it’s a win for both sides, with the Habs acquiring a young scoring forward who is French-Canadian. The Canadiens, Allen writes, lost nothing on their current roster to add a dynamic scoring presence. For the Bolts, they gain an exceptional skater and a young defenseman who could possibly be on the roster next season.
  • But it’s not sunshine and rainbows for every writer. The Tampa Bay Times’ Martin Fennelly warns that it could be a deal Yzerman regrets. While he outlines the chance that Drouin doesn’t live up to what Montreal expects, he points out that the deal could “haunt” them as they’ll see Montreal often within the Atlantic Division scheduling, while adding that Drouin is an already established talent who will most likely delight in beating his former team. While Fennelly admits Sergachev to be a great prospect and saying that Yzerman hasn’t made many “bad” deals,  he believes this one has the potential to blow up in his face.

All photographs courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Expansion| Montreal Canadiens| Steve Yzerman| Tampa Bay Lightning Jonathan Drouin| Mikhail Sergachev| Seth Jones

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Jonathan Drouin Signs Six-Year Extension

June 15, 2017 at 4:49 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

Less than three hours after being traded to the Montreal Canadiens, Jonathan Drouin has signed a six-year contract with the club. The deal will pay him $33MM, averaging $5.5MM per season through 2022-23. Drouin will be an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the deal. It contains a limited no-trade clause in the final two seasons, both bought out from what would have been his free agent years. Drouin had said earlier it was a dream come true for him to join his favorite childhood team, and now had this to say about the deal:

It’s quite an honor to be a member of the Canadiens. I’ve had a smile on my face for three hours straight!

Drouin was acquired for Mikhail Sergachev and a conditional second-round pick, and will now try to live up to his tremendous potential in his native Quebec. The forward is coming off a year in which he scored 53 points in 73 games and many believe he is capable of much more. He’ll be expected to be a huge part of the offense at $5.5MM, but it is reasonable enough to think that it won’t be a burden on Montreal down the line.

The Tampa Bay Lightning, who traded Drouin earlier today had expansion problems with their forwards and wanted a defenseman, but likely couldn’t go as high as $5.5MM in contract talks either. With Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat to sign this summer, they are cash-strapped in the short term as they try to stay under the cap but stay competitive.

Drouin’s deal makes him the second-highest paid forward on the Canadiens, amazingly ahead of captain Max Pacioretty. “Patches” is under one of the most team-friendly deals in the entire league, paying him only $4.5MM per season. The cap certainty that Montreal has gained with a long-term deal for Drouin will come in handy when trying to extend Carey Price, who is up for an extension on July 1st and will probably command the largest contract ever given to a goaltender.

The interesting things to watch in Montreal now are twofold. One, is Alex Galchenyuk destined for another team now that more depth on the left side has been acquired, and two, will it be possible to bring Alex Radulov back under the current salary structure. Those two things almost seem mutually exclusive, as Galchenyuk is also looking for a new contract as a restricted free agent and the Canadiens still need to address their defensive group and re-sign Nathan Beaulieu. If Radulov is looking for upwards of $6MM, he may prove too expensive unless another forward is moved out of town.

Montreal Canadiens| Newsstand| Transactions Jonathan Drouin

1 comment

Montreal Signs Charles Hudon To Two-Year Deal

June 15, 2017 at 3:21 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Interestingly, after trading for Jonathan Drouin the Montreal Canadiens have extended AHL forward Charles Hudon for two seasons, inking him to a two-year contract. The deal is two-way for the first season, and switches to a one-way contract in 2018-19. The deal will pay him the minimum of $650K per season while in the NHL. Hudon could technically be a Group VI free agent after the contract expires should he continue to be relegated to AHL duty as he has so far in his young career.

About to turn 23, Hudon has played just six NHL games in his career so far, registering four points. The elite AHL scorer has yet to make an impact, but was still expected to be protected in the expansion draft until Drouin was acquired. In our Montreal Expansion Primer, our own Brian La Rose wrote this:

There are questions about his skating but his scoring touch in the minors will make him an intriguing option for Vegas GM George McPhee if Montreal decides to leave him unprotected.  Given their own scoring woes, Hudon is someone that the Canadiens may decide is too important to leave exposed despite his lack of NHL experience.

It would seem that the Canadiens don’t have room to protect him any longer, unless a subsequent deal is made to move another forward (see: Alex Galchenyuk) out of town. The fact that Hudon got a one-way deal (at least in the second season) is also interesting, meaning he’ll be making an NHL salary even if he still hasn’t made the team. This might point to the idea that Montreal has bigger plans for him down the road, as they continue to try and increase the scoring level among their forward group.

Pierre LeBrun of TSN provided the financial details. 

AHL| Montreal Canadiens Jonathan Drouin

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