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Max Pacioretty

Montreal Canadiens “Very Active” As Deadline Approaches

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The Montreal Canadiens, losers of four of their last five games including three at the hands of the Boston Bruins, are now 19-22-6 on the season and well out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. In his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman reports that GM Marc Bergevin is more active than normal trying to “get something going.”

Friedman lists only Carey Price, Shea Weber, Victor Mete and Jonathan Drouin as unlikely to be traded, making the rest of the roster ripe for speculation. Max Pacioretty has obviously been in the news quite a bit recently, something Alex Galchenyuk has dealt with for years. There are also lesser-known names like Paul Byron, Andrew Shaw and Brendan Gallagher who would all draw interest as well as expiring contracts for Tomas Plekanec, Jakub Jerabek and Antti Niemi.

Montreal has had a season to forget, but Friedman points out that everyone in the league can see what Colorado is doing this year. After putting up historically bad numbers in 2016-17, the Avalanche are now on a ten game winning streak and find themselves right in the thick of the Western Conference playoff run. Montreal knows first hand what that bounce-back can be, after struggling without an injured price in 2015-16 only to return to the playoffs a year later.

If anything, the Canadiens are more likely to reload than rebuild, as Price’s huge extension kicks in next season and there is plenty of other money tied up in Weber, Drouin, Jeff Petry and Karl Alzner. Even if they do move out some significant pieces, you can bet Montreal won’t be tearing down the whole thing.

Blues Notes: Allen, Kostin, Prospects

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While many in St. Louis look at the St. Louis goaltending situation and immediately wonder why backup Carter Hutton isn’t getting even more time in the net while starter Jake Allen is struggling, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes that there is no reason to consider moving Allen or even suggesting that Hutton is the answer in net for St. Louis.

In a mailbag, Rutherford covers multiple topics, but is quick to point out that the team could consider moving Allen for a valuable winger to add to the team’s offense, but that would only create other problems next season. While there might be some merit to adding a top-six winger such as Ottawa’s Mike Hoffman for Allen, Hutton has not proven he can be a starting goaltender, nor has he proven he should be a tandem goaltender just yet. Sure, the 32-year-old Hutton is having a great season as he has a 1.84 GAA and an impressive .940 save percentage in 16 appearances, but can he continue to play at that level with an increased role? On top of that, Hutton will be an unrestricted free agent next season, meaning the Blues would either have to lock Hutton up the moment they trade Allen or they could spend less than half a season to observe Hutton, but take a chance they might get outbid for his services. And what if Hutton’s not the guy? The team would be out a netminder next season.

Rutherford also argues that the 27-year-old Allen has been quite successful in his career for St. Louis. While he currently has weak numbers this year with a 2.75 GAA and a .908 save percentage, he still boasts a career 108-60-14 career record. While his save percentage numbers have historically dropped as the season wears on, Allen has always been solid in the playoffs, boasting a .922 career save percentage and even had a .935 save percentage in the playoffs last year. Giving up on him is probably not the way to go.

  • Among many topics he weighs in on, Rutherford also notes that it is highly unlikely that general manager Doug Armstrong promised prospect Klim Kostin an opportunity to get called up if he performed well at the World Junior Championships, like Kostin claims. He doubts Armstrong would make a promise like that to anyone and considering that Kostin has no points in his last three games since returning from the WJC and he has two points in his last 12 games with the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL, it would seem even more unlikely that Kostin will get recalled soon. Kostin has even found himself on the Rampage’s fourth line lately, suggesting he’s still struggling to adjust to the North American game.
  • While Rutherford admits that the team is looking for wing help, he writes that it’s unlikely the team would move one of their four top prospects, Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, Tage Thompson or Kostin to make that happen. One reason would be that if the team wanted to make a pitch for Hoffman or Montreal’s Max Pacioretty, they would also have to unload salary to make the deal work. Moving a top prospect and salaried players such as defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, plus another player would be too much. However, the scribe notes that if the right deal came along, the team could move one of them as they’d still have three top prospects remaining in their system.

Canadiens Actively Shopping Max Pacioretty

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The Canadiens are actively shopping winger Max Pacioretty, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports (video link).  He notes that while Montreal may eventually look for a return involving draft picks or prospects, GM Marc Bergevin’s priority at this time is to receive a high-end goal scorer in return and adds that this is something that they don’t necessarily have to get done before the trade deadline.

Pacioretty has been one of the most consistent goal scorers in the NHL in recent years but is in the midst of the worst slump of his career offensively with just one goal in his last 21 games.  On the season, he has eight goals and 12 assists through 39 games.  Prior to 2017-18, Pacioretty had reached the 30-goal mark in five of the last six seasons with the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign being the one he failed to do so (although he scored at that pace).

Nov 4, 2017; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Montreal Canadiens left wing Max Pacioretty (67) warms up during the pre-game before a game against the Winnipeg Jets at Bell MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY SportsThe 29-year-old has one year on his contract remaining after this one with a team-friendly cap hit of $4.5MM and he doesn’t have any no-trade protection.

As is often the case with players with term beyond the current year, there won’t be as much of a market in-season as there could be in the summer when teams have more payroll flexibility.  However, if the Canadiens are inclined to move their captain sooner than later, there still should be several suitors given the manageable contract and Montreal’s current cap space could certainly be used to take extra contracts back to facilitate a move.

Kypreos points out how patient Colorado GM Joe Sakic was when it came to moving Matt Duchene and there certainly are some parallels to this situation.  The two players have a nearly-identical point-per-game average over the course of their careers and many wonder if Pacioretty would benefit from a change of scenery to a less pressure-filled environment.  Pacioretty has actually out-produced Duchene in five of the last six seasons so it’s fair to speculate that Bergevin’s initial asking price may be a comparable (or slightly greater) return than the Avalanche received for Duchene.

The fact that the Canadiens have put Pacioretty’s name in play suggests they may be looking to shake up the roster.  Given that they find themselves eight points out of a Wild Card spot already, they may have to do something sooner than later.  If not, they may soon be shifting the focus from a retooling of the roster to more of a rebuild in the weeks to come.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Notes: Canadiens, Matthews, Bertuzzi

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The Montreal Canadiens seem to be having a roller coaster of a season, although it seems much of it is down. The team had a seven-game losing streak early in the year. Then they rebounded with a three-game mini win streak, followed by another five-game losing streak. Then a five-game winning streak looked like the team might turn their fortunes around until now, a three-game losing streak.

After a 6-2 defeat at the hands of the struggling Edmonton Oilers, The Athletic’s Mitch Melnick writes (subscription required) the team has major flaws and needs to be rebuilt as the team lacks one key philosophy that most teams have adjusted to, which is speed. The Oilers skated right past the slow-moving Canadiens on their way to an easy win.

Melnick writes that captain Max Pacioretty basically admitted that he was intimidated by the speed of the Oilers and has scored only once in the last 13 games. Much of the blame falls on general manager Marc Bergevin, who believes that players such as Jordie Benn and Tomas Plekanec are key pieces to the team’s success and believes they deserve big minutes for the franchise. But blame should also be thrown at Claude Julien, who didn’t play one of their fastest skaters in Victor Mete against the speedy Oilers.

  • Rumors of a concussion circle around Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews, who is doubtful to play in tonight’s matchup with the Edmonton Oilers, tweets James Mirtle of The Athletic. Matthews took a blow to the head from teammate Morgan Rielly during Saturday’s 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh  Penguins. He was turning around in the defensive zone when the two players collided in the third period. Matthews took the brunt of the hit, mostly in the chin. The 20-year-old wasn’t put into concussion protocol and played two more shifts after the hit. He had already missed four games earlier this year due to back issues and has only scored once in his last nine games.
  • Max Bultman of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that Tyler Bertuzzi’s stint with the Detroit Red Wings Saturday didn’t go as plan. As the team found itself on special teams for a large chunk of the game, Bertuzzi saw little time on the ice (9:23) as he doesn’t play on either unit. Unfortunately with Luke Witkowski returning from a 10-game suspension and a possible return of David Booth, the team will have to make a decision on whether to return Bertuzzi to the Grand Rapids Griffins or allow him to develop his game in Detroit at the expense of some veterans who are struggling. Considering that many feel he is a player that the rest of the team would want around, the move might suggest what direction the team is trending towards in the near future. Regardless, a move will have to be made within the next day or so.

Trade Rumors: Coyotes, Canadiens, Jets, Islanders

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In all likelihood, the recent three-way trade that sent Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators and Kyle Turris to the Nashville Predators will be the biggest deal made this season. Yet, that hasn’t stopped the whispers of an bustling trade market, especially this early in the season. At the quarter pole of the 2017-18 campaign, it’s been an unpredictable season, prompting an unexpectedly active market. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch has had his ear to the ground and has plenty of input on who the buyers and sellers are right now:

  • To no one’s surprise, Garrioch states that the floundering Arizona Coyotes are “willing to talk about pretty much every player on their roster”. That of course doesn’t include Calder-hopeful Clayton Keller or many of their other 21-and-under starters, but the rest of the roster may as well be up for grabs. The big off-season acquisitions of Derek Stepan, Antti Raanta, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Jason Demers have done nothing to change this team’s ability to win hockey games. At some point, GM John Chayka is going to go from “up-and-coming” to “up-and-went” and that pressure could force him to make some major moves as he rethinks his rebuild. While impending UFA’s like Raanta, Brad Richardson, and Luke Schenn would be the easiest pieces to move, the stakes are high for a Coyotes team whose core has done next to nothing for years and key pieces like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, and Tobias Rieder could soon be on their way out.
  • Perhaps the only team more disappointing than Arizona in 2017-18 is the farthest team from them across North America: the Montreal Canadiens. Under new head coach Claude Julien, the Habs have fallen apart. However, the newly-signed coach isn’t going anywhere, putting GM Marc Bergevin, who Garrioch calls ” the NHL’s most active GM”, on the hot seat. Bergevin may be willing to make a big move to save his job, and of course the first name that comes to mind is young forward Alex Galchenyuk, who has predictably struggled under the defense-first Julien. Galchenyuk seems lost in Montreal, without an identifiable position, role, or spot in the lineup, and could use a change of scenery. However, he is not wholly to blame for the Canadiens’ struggles. Tomas Plekanec has long been on the block and if the team truly commits to a rebuild, big names like Max Pacioretty, Shea Weber, and (if anyone is willing to take on his monstrous new contract) even Carey Price could soon join the list.
  • Garrioch mentions both the Winnipeg Jets and New York Islanders as possible sellers, but given the surprising success of both clubs thus far, neither is likely rushing to trade pieces away unless they can make their teams better this season. Impending Jets UFA’s Shawn Matthias and Matt Hendricks may draw interest, but if Winnipeg is in playoff position come deadline time, they would want veteran depth for themselves. It seems more likely that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could use his overflow of young forwards like Marko Dano, Joel Armia, Andrew Copp, Adam Lowry, or Brandon Tanev as trade bait to bring in another top-six forward for a team that doesn’t shoot the puck nearly enough. As for the Islanders, Garrioch singles out first-time UFA Calvin de Haan as the player to watch. Yet, de Haan is one of, if not the best shot-blocker in the NHL, can play major minutes, and is reliable in both ends. If the Isles can resign him, wouldn’t they? Obviously, John Tavares is the main focus and the team thinks highly of younger options like Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, but the loss of a player like de Haan, especially with Travis Hamonic now in Calgary, could cripple a playoff-bound Islanders squad. Odds are de Haan sticks around, at least as long as New York remains playoff-bound.
  • So who’s looking? Garrioch mentions the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins as suitors for forward help, with the Dallas Stars potentially looking to make another big blue line trade to turn their season around. With that many buyers and several disappointed sellers, the trade NHL trade market may not wait until 2018 to heat up.

Canadiens Notes: Potential Rebuild, Bergevin, Price

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The Montreal Canadiens find themselves at a crossroads. Expecting to compete for a playoff spot this year and beyond after what fans considered a solid offseason in which they traded for sniper Jonathan Drouin , signed veteraen defenseman Karl Alzner away from the Washington Capitals and locked up their star goaltender Carey Price for another eight years, the team has struggled all season, including a recent three-game losing streak to Columbus, Arizona and Saturday’s 6-0 loss to the rival Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canadiens suddenly find themselves 8-11-2 with little optimism that things might get better.

In fact, NBC Sports Joey Alfieri writes that it might be time to break up this team now and begin a proper rebuild. Up until now, general manager Marc Bergevin has been unwilling to trade the team’s veteran players such as center Max Pacioretty, but that could change soon as it doesn’t look as the team is a quick-fix away from repairing its on-ice problems. Saturday night on “Headlines,” Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos said that ownership and management would soon have a discussion about the direction of the team. Pacioretty would be a prime trade candidate, who has one more year on his contract at $4.5MM.

The scribe looks at their offseason moves and wonders if the team’s big trade to acquire Drouin might be looked as a major blunder as the team did trade away star defensive prospect Mikhail Sergachev, who is thriving for the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning. He is also quick to point out that it was a major mistake to let go of Alexander Radulov and veteran defenseman Andrei Markov for nothing when the team quite obviously needed them.

  • Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette writes that this latest 6-0 defeat to the Maple Leafs could spell the end for not just the current roster, but also for Bergevin, who has been responsible for constructing this roster and look to be going no where. The GM has been running the team for six years now and has little to show for it, but a team heading towards a lottery selection in June next year. The general belief is that if you aren’t competing for a playoff spot by the American Thanksgiving, then you have little shot of reaching the playoffs and the Canadiens aren’t close to competing. The scribe writes that while many feel that the team’s trade of P.K. Subban was the start of the downfall of the team, Todd suggests that Shea Weber is not to blame, but things may not look so bad had the team kept both Markov and Sergachev to form a Big Three. Instead, the team only has Weber to show for it, which falls under Bergevin’s domain.
  • Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette writes that the team has always had an identity, starting with their goaltender and then with a solid defense in front of him. Boring, but respectable. Instead, the scribe writes, the team is starting to look like the 2015-16 team that had lost Price for most of the season and finished in 13th place in the Eastern Conference. Now the team has gutted their defense and have removed their identity, which the franchise so often has depended on.
  • After a column in which he questioned the health of Price, Stu Cowan tweets that Price was the first out to practice Monday morning.

Atlantic Notes: Canadiens, Bogosian, Sheahan

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With the Canadiens struggling considerably out of the gate, some are wondering if a big change is going to be made in the near future.  In his latest column, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that it’s unlikely that ownership would consider changing general managers during the season.  It’s worth noting that GM Marc Bergevin is believed to be signed for four more years after this one so making that change would be an expensive one if it were to happen.

Dreger also notes that the team isn’t willing to consider dealing captain Max Pacioretty just yet although if they were to put him on the block, there would be no shortage of suitors around the league.  Pacioretty has led the Canadiens in scoring for six straight seasons but hasn’t been productive so far in 2017-18 with just one goal through seven games.  The 28-year-old is signed through 2018-19 with a cap hit of $4.5MM which is good value for a player who has hit 30 goals in each of the last four years.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • It doesn’t appear like Zach Bogosian will be suiting up for the Sabres anytime soon. Head coach Phil Housley told John Vogl of the Buffalo News that the blueliner remains week-to-week and that “As we look further into it, we’ll have more information as we move forward”.  Considering that Bogosian’s lower-body issue that was sustained at the end of the preseason was classified as a day-to-day issue for more than two weeks, Housley’s comments suggest that the 27-year-old will be out of the lineup for a while yet.
  • The Red Wings were close to dealing center Riley Sheahan to the Penguins over the offseason but there is nothing imminent on that front currently, reports TSN’s Bob McKenzie (Twitter links). Pittsburgh’s interest in adding another depth center is well-known while Detroit will soon have to shed some salary with Andreas Athanasiou agreeing to terms on a new deal earlier today.  Sheahan is off to a slow start this season, being held off the scoresheet through seven games and carries a $2.075MM cap hit that also represents his required qualifying offer in June.

NHL Snapshots: Galchenyuk, Vanek, Callahan, Morin

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For years, the Montreal Canadiens have been known as a team that changes up their lines constantly. However, Brendan Kelly of the Montreal Gazette writes that talk of a new combination of Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk and Jonathan Drouin could prove to be one of the stronger first lines in hockey. However, Kelly has his doubts the team would consider putting that line into effect.

To start, the talk of Pacioretty playing left wing and Drouin at right wing makes plenty sense. The 28-year-old Pacioretty has put up four straight 30-goal seasons, including a 35-goal season last year. Drouin, coming over from Tampa Bay, had a breakout year with the Lightning, putting up 21 goals and 32 assists in 73 games. The highly touted 22-year-old forward is expected play a major scoring role in the Canadiens future.

The problem, according to Kelly, is the team has shown little interest in putting Galchenyuk into that top center position over the past two years and nothing has changed. The former third-overall pick in 2012, Galchenyuk had a 30 goal season in 2015-16, but then dropped to 17 goals last year in 61 games after going down with a knee injury. The team even shopped him during the offseason.

Kelly writes no matter how much you like Tomas Plekanec, the 34-year-old is no longer in his prime and shouldn’t be considered for a number one role anymore and probably not a number two role either. After that, the scribe writes that there is little else at the center position, pointing to Phillip Danault, who had a breakout year last year, as nothing better than a No. 3 center on a good team.

The team has never allowed Galchenyuk to settle into a legitimate role on the team and has been bounced around the lineup. However, Kelly writes that a little faith and a golden opportunity could make that first line one of the strongest in the league.

  • Yesterday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentions that “it is believed that the Vancouver Canucks are taking a look at Thomas Vanek.” The 33-year-old wing was featured in a PHR poll earlier today on where he might end up. Vancouver, so far, has only garnered 15 percent of the vote. He put up 17 goals and 48 points this past season.
  • Corey Long of NHL.com reports that Tampa Bay Lightning’s Ryan Callahan is progressing well from two hip surgeries since the 2015-16 season. He is participating in informal workouts with no limitations and hopes to be back to health this season. The 32-year-old winger managed to play only 18 games last season and hasn’t put up a quality season since his 24-goal season in 2014-15. He still has three years remaining on his contract at $5.8MM per year.
  • Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi writes that Samuel Morin and Robert Hagg are the leading candidates to win the open defense jobs in training camp over Travis Sanheim and Phil Myers. Morin, the Flyers first-round pick in 2013, is a physical defensive blueliner who stands at 6-foot-7, 227 pounds and should provide the Flyers some much needed size. Hagg, a second-round pick in that same draft, has quite a bit of experience in the AHL and looks ready to take the next step.

 

Galchenyuk Negotiations Intensify

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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.

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.

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