Canadiens Notes: Potential Rebuild, Bergevin, Price
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: Eichel, Housley, Red Wings, Lightning
The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington writes how Buffalo’s struggles are just as perplexing as those affecting its franchise player, Jack Eichel. The third year pro has looked frustrated and lethargic this season as the Sabres sink to the bottom of the Atlantic, and the Eastern Conference even before the (American) Thanksgiving holiday. Harrington writes:
There’s one gnawing issue that keeps growing: What’s going on with Jack Eichel?
Forget about an elephant in the room. This is an entire herd. Eichel is not the guy we’ve seen the last two years. He was invisible again for long stretches Saturday — not getting a single shot on goal for more than 48 minutes.
He continues on the subject of Eichel, stating that the “dirty secret” amongst Sabres fans is that Eichel is essentially lolly-gagging around the ice when he should be skating harder. Worse, he pinpoints a play during the Sabres 3-1 loss to Carolina Saturday night where Eichel was a non-factor in what would be the game winning score. It’s Eichel, Harringon pens, who got his wish when former coach Dan Bylsma was fired. Which leads Harrington to his next subject: new bench boss Phil Housley.
- Calling him “Pollyanna Phil,” Harrington opines that while the first year coach finally talked tough following an uninspiring loss to Detroit, he was back to his passive ways Saturday. Where Harrington points out that Eichel may need to be shown how lackluster his play has been, Housley has instead gone a more positive route, choosing to highlight what he believes Eichel has done well. If you have a future captain, inked to an expensive long term deal, Harrington suggests that it may behoove the Sabres to call things as they truly are with Eichel.
- The Detroit News’ Gregg Krupa highlights the Red Wings’ young players as the reason for the team’s latest reversal of fortune. It’s been an uptick in usage of Andreas Athanasiou, Dylan Larkin, and Anthony Mantha that has helped the team while captain Henrik Zetterberg has taken a lesser role while still playing at a high level. Krupa adds that nine players on the team have four or more goals, showing that the more even distribution of ice time has benefitted the team.
- Tampa Bay hasn’t lost much this season, but when they have, it’s provided a “reality check” writes the Tampa Bay Times’ Roger Mooney. The Bolts have lost for only the third time this season, and as it was in the other two contests, they came out flat and ran out of time. Mooney points out that the team was resilient after both early season losses, ripping off a couple winning streaks after. Bench boss John Cooper likened it to the old Forrest Gump quote: “That stuff happens.” Regardless, it doesn’t seem to have fazed them in the slightest. Simply put, Mooney quoted Ondrej Palat as saying, “We have to be better,”
Lots Of Lightning Leading The League
Tight up against the salary cap for the next few years, Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription required) answers a number of mailbag questions about the Pittsburgh Penguins present and future. Among the tidbits of information is the scribe’s opinion that the team is likely to allow defenseman Ian Cole to depart via free agency this offseason.
Yohe writes that Cole, who is one of the team’s better defenseman is more likely of all their unrestricted free agents next year to be wearing a different sweater in the 2018-19 season. As Pittsburgh is already loaded with four defensemen making at least $4MM per year next season, Cole would likely be the odd man out for the Penguins, especially since there will likely be many teams offering big money to the blueliner. The 27-year-old has been a solid defender and likely could play a major position on another team’s top-four if given the opportunity.
- NBC Sports Tarik El-Bashir writes that Washington Capitals wing Jakub Vrana, who was a healthy scratch for the first time this year on Thursday, will return to the lineup today against the Minnesota Wild on the Capitals third line. He had just two points (both goals) in his previous 13 games. “I’m putting him back where he was … and I want to see him play really well tonight,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said.
- El-Bashir adds that Washington Capitals defenseman Christian Djoos, who suffered an upper-body injury Tuesday against the Nashville Predators and missed Thursday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, did not skate today. “I don’t know exactly when he’s going to skate yet,” Trotz said. “He’s still day-to-day with the trainers. Once they tell me he can skate, he’ll be out there.”
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Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times writes that with the Tampa Bay Lightning off to their best start in team history as they lead the league with a 15-2-2 record and 32 points, the team has a number of players who are also leading the NHL, including Nikita Kucherov, who leads the NHL in goals scored with 17; Steven Stamkos, who leads the league in assists with 25 and points with 35; and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy leads the NHL in wins with 14.
Lightning’s Cole Guttman Commits To University Of Denver
Cole Guttman might not be a major name among hockey fans just yet, but one of the top programs in college hockey has at least taken notice. Guttman, who was drafted in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Lightning this past June, has committed to the University of Denver, the reigning NCAA Champions.
Guttman is currently in his second season with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints and has four goals and four assists through eleven games. In 2016-17, Guttman was one of only 13 forwards in the league with a scoring rate of more than a point per game. Among that group were 2017 first rounders Casey Mittelstadt, Josh Norris, and Eeli Tolvanen and potential 2018 first overall pick Andrei Svechnikov. The league’s 7th-best goal scorer, Guttman was a major piece to Dubuque’s run to the USHL semifinals along with fellow NCAA commits Zach Solow (Northeastern) and Colin Theisen (Notre Dame).
With Denver, Guttman will re-unite with former Fighting Saints coach Jim Montgomery and a program loaded with talent. While any or all of the Pioneers’ big names – Henrik Borgstrom, Troy Terry, and Dylan Gambrell could be gone by next season, some may remain to join Guttman, 2017 second-round defender Ian Mitchell, Eero Teravainen, brother of Carolina Hurricanes forward Teuvo Teravainen, and a flurry of other incoming, 2018 draft eligible talents like Mathias Pettersen, Will MacKinnon, Erik Middendorf. It looks as if the good times for Denver won’t be ending any time soon.
Poll: Which Team Needs Help At Forward The Most?
In last night’s Insider Trading on TSN, the panel—comprised of Pierre LeBrun, Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger—spoke about the increased demand for top forwards around the league. According to them, the supply isn’t quite there for all these teams to go out and acquire someone impactful, so it’ll have to come down to the highest bidders.
The list of ten teams that McKenzie gave that are in the market for a forward include some surprises like Tampa Bay—who LeBrun clarified are currently looking for a winger to play with Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn—and obvious choices like Anaheim and Montreal.
Columbus put together a trade offer for Matt Duchene, and as LeBrun stated on TSN radio yesterday they’re still in the hunt for an upgrade down the middle. There’s no clear option at center as impressive as Duchene (or Kyle Turris, who was included in the same trade), but players are sure to shake loose as the season progresses.
So, who on this list needs the forward help the most this year? While deciding your vote, make sure to not just take in the offensive struggles but the proximity to Stanley Cup contention for each club. Which team will be the most willing to spend at the deadline, and go after the big fish to put them over the edge?
We’ve included all the teams on McKenzie’s list, but if you feel strongly that another should join the pursuit of another forward make sure to leave your comments below.
Which team needs forward help the most?
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Montreal Canadiens 25% (185)
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Boston Bruins 19% (146)
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Anaheim Ducks 16% (122)
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New York Rangers 12% (87)
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St. Louis Blues 9% (69)
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Edmonton Oilers 7% (51)
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Columbus Blue Jackets 6% (42)
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Florida Panthers 3% (21)
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Tampa Bay Lightning 3% (21)
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Ottawa Senators 1% (8)
Total votes: 752
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
Tampa Bay Lightning Acquire Louis Domingue
The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired recently demoted goaltender Louis Domingue from the Arizona Coyotes, sending Michael Leighton and Tye McGinn to the desert in return. Domingue’s role as the backup had been usurped by Scott Wedgewood, and he’ll now have to find his game somewhere else.
Of course that likely won’t be in Tampa Bay, at least not right away. The Lightning have Andrei Vasilevskiy and Peter Budaj locked in as their NHL duo for the time being, while Leighton had been starting for the Syracuse Crunch. Still, it could be just the fresh start Domingue needs to get his game back on track. At one point in the past, Domingue was an up-and-coming goaltender that looked poised to take on at least a part-time role in the NHL. He posted acceptable numbers over the last two years behind a bad Coyotes team, but saw his play fall off this year.
Interestingly like Dominuge, Leighton doesn’t have a clear place to play in the Coyotes organization. The Tucson Roadrunners, Arizona’s AHL affiliate, already have three goaltenders on the roster in Hunter Miska, Adin Hill and Marek Langhamer. Perhaps the 36-year old Leighton will be loaned somewhere else.
The only forward in the deal is McGinn, who hasn’t seen the NHL since 2015-16. Though he’s an effective minor league player, his NHL career has been less than impressive. In 89 career games he has 17 points, but has little upside at the age of 27. Still, he could find his way into the Coyotes lineup at some point if they continue to struggle this season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Central Notes: Zucker, Methot, Berglund, Bouwmeester, Yzerman
Minnesota Wild’s Jason Zucker has scored six consecutive goals for the team over the past three games, giving the team all their offense. The 25-year-old wing put up team’s only two goals in their 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. He followed that up with a hat trick in the Wild’s 3-0 shutout of the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
He added the team’s lone goal in last night’s matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers to continue his streak. That goal held up as Minnesota walked away with a 1-0 shutout. While skill has propelled the forward on his hot streak, his goal Saturday just happened to be a lucky bounce that deflected off his stick and got past Philadelphia’s Brian Elliott, according to Rachel Blount of the Star Tribune.
“I have no idea,” the Wild winger said, when he was asked how the puck got past Elliott. “It was an empty net, and it had a lot of spin off the boards. So I think when it hit my stick, it just kind of shot off, and I honestly couldn’t tell you what it hit. That’s just a lucky bounce.”
- NHL.com’s Sean Shapiro writes that Dallas Stars defenseman Marc Methot will miss the next two games with a lower body injury. The 32-year-old defensive defenseman will not travel with the team on their upcoming three-game road trip, but Shapiro also notes the team will not have to add another defender. The team will move defenseman Jamie Oleksiak back into their defensive rotation instead. The team also said that forward Tyler Pitlick, who has been out for the last week, is ready to go and Shapiro suggests that Pitlick will likely move into the lineup for Monday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
- The St. Louis Blues got some good news as Tom Timmermann of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that center Patrik Berglund and defenseman Jay Bouwmeester practiced with the team today and are expected to travel with the team on their upcoming three-game road trip. While coach Mike Yeo said that neither is expected to play on the road trip, both are close to returning to the lineup. Berglund was not projected to return until December after undergoing shoulder surgery and could be ahead of his timetable. Bouwmeester only practiced today for the first time since fracturing his ankle earlier this season.
- Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun tweets that while it may be meaningless, Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman was in attendance at the last two Winnipeg Jets games, having been at the Jets’ 4-1 victory over Arizona last night and the Jets’ 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday.
Morning Notes: Drouin, Spezza, Duchene
As usual, the Hockey Night In Canada Headlines segment last night was one to watch if you’re interested in rumors and speculation going on around the league. With a panel of Nick Kypreos, Chris Johnston and Elliotte Friedman, you knew there was going to be a few interesting nuggets of information.
Johnston relayed an interesting situation surrounding Jonathan Drouin and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The two sides have finished an arbitration over a performance bonus from last season, that Drouin missed by less than a tenth of a point per game. Because of all the work Steve Yzerman did at the trade deadline last season, the Lightning don’t have any carryover from their entry-level bonuses, meaning the settlement (which will pay Drouin 90% of the bonus) will not affect this year’s cap number.
- The panel also discussed Jason Spezza and the idea that his name is starting to surface in trade speculation. Spezza is obviously not as big a part of the Dallas Stars as he once was, taken away from the center ice position and moved down in the lineup. The interesting note that Friedman reported is that Spezza has a full no-movement clause during the season, instead of the 10-team no-trade list that had been previously recorded. That clause and the $7.5MM cap hit for this year and next make a move extremely unlikely even if Dallas wanted to part ways.
- Though the Matt Duchene saga is over, the panel did relay that the Pittsburgh Penguins made a last-ditch effort to acquire the center from the Colorado Avalanche. That would imply that the Penguins are not comfortable with the team they have right now, and few would be surprised by that. Pittsburgh lost again last night and are now 9-7-3 on the year. Though no one is expecting them to miss the playoffs, GM Jim Rutherford is a known horse trader as the deadline approaches, and will likely be involved in another big move this season.
Cedric Paquette Could Return Sunday
- Lightning center Cedric Paquette could return to the lineup from his upper-body injury on Sunday, notes Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. He last played on October 17th and has an assist in six games so far this season. Tampa Bay hasn’t placed him on injured reserve so they won’t have to make a corresponding roster move when he gets the green light to return.
Tampa Bay Lightning Make Multiple Moves
The Tampa Bay Lightning made a flurry of minor moves this afternoon, as indicated by an announcement from the team primarily impacted – their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. The most impactful NHL transaction was the return of veteran forward Erik Condra to the minors. The Bolts also reassigned top goalie prospect Connor Ingram as well as defenseman Matt Spencer to the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder. Down at the AHL level, the Crunch additionally recalled goaltender Nick Riopel from the ECHL and released journeyman forward Jason Akeson from his tryout agreement.
Condra, 31, is now in his third year with the Lightning and has seen his role with the team decrease with each passing season. The former Ottawa Senators spark plug signed with the Bolts as a free agent in 2015, expecting to have a similar job in Tampa as he did in Kanata. However, in year one he only suited up for 54 NHL games and scored less than half the points of the previous season’s total. Last year, he skated in only 13 games with the Lightning, spending much of the campaign in the press box or the minors. In 2017-18? Despite being recently called up, Condra has yet to make his season debut for the Bolts with the team 16 games in. It seems Condra has permanently settled into an AHL depth role.
Ingram and Spencer, both first-year pros, have each struggled to adjust to the AHL thus far. Although no one is doubting that Ingram could still be the reliable NHL keeper he projected as when he was selected in the third round in 2016, his .860 save percentage and 3.36 GAA in the pros is a far cry from his numbers as a top WHL goalie with the Kamloops Blazers the past few years. Some time in the ECHL could make for a smoother transition and a confidence boost for the 20-year-old. The same goes for the defenseman Spencer, a 2015 second-round pick and two-way ace for the OHL’s Peterborough Petes. Unable to work his way into the defensive rotation, Spencer has seen only limited minutes in just two AHL games. A trip to the ECHL will help him get some work in and, like Ingram, renew his confidence.
In the meantime, Syracuse needs another goalie and Riopel is getting the call. However, Ingram’s demotion could be short-lived, as the journeyman minor leaguer Riopel has arguably worse numbers – .871 save percentage and 3.91 GAA in nine games – in the ECHL than Ingram had in the AHL (and Ingram is eight years younger). Riopel does bring some more experience, but little upside over his younger counterpart. Whatever veteran boost Riopel gives the Crunch may be canceled out by the departure of Akeson, who failed to turn a PTO into a contract. Akeson, 27, is a former Philadelphia Flyer with 15 NHL games under his belt and a prolific AHL career to go with it. Yet, with the return of Condra and the realization that he may be in Syracuse for good, the organization likely decided they didn’t need another aging minor league forward on board.