Canadiens Notebook: Marc Bergevin says Eric Staal trade happened fast – Montreal Gazette

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When Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin spoke with the media on a video conference Thursday he talked about how he was up tight against the NHL salary cap and didn’t expect to make any moves before the April 12 trade deadline.

The next day, Bergevin acquired veteran centre Eric Staal from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick at this year’s NHL Draft.

“When I talked to you guys on Thursday I was being up-front and honest,” Bergevin said during another video conference Saturday. “But, again, I don’t think it’s the best interest of the Montreal Canadiens to sit in front of the camera and lay out everything I’m trying to do. I think it would be putting our team to a disadvantage because I know for a fact there was two other teams after Eric Staal.

“So when I talk to you guys there’s other people around the league that are listening, so I have to be very careful,” the GM added. “I’m trying to be as transparent a I can, but there’s times where I cannot be and that was the case. But, also, I didn’t have anything in the mix when I talked to you. It happened, honestly, very fast. I did have conversations with Buffalo a while back and I know the 14 days (quarantine) became an issue. But then when that was lifted it made it a lot easier to make the trade.”

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Bergevin confirmed Saturday that the federal government has reduced its mandatory 14-day quarantine period for players acquired by Canadian NHL teams from U.S. clubs to seven days.

“Some trades take a long time, some are quicker,” Bergevin said. “That one came really fast. What I said (Thursday) was true at the time. Not I wasn’t looking, but I didn’t think it was going to happen. The main reason was I needed cap space.”

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The Sabres helped Bergevin’s cap situation when they agreed to retain $1.625 million of Staal’s US$3.25-million salary. According to CapFriendly.com, the Canadiens had $1.421 million of current cap space on Saturday.

You have to think the Canadiens’ plan is to have Staal replace Jake Evans as the fourth-line centre with the possibility of having the veteran move up the lineup as needed. Bergevin said he had spoken briefly with head coach Dominique Ducharme about how Staal will be used after he completes his seven-day quarantine.

“(Ducharme) will hopefully talk to you guys on Monday and I will leave that to him to tell you how he sees his lineup,” Bergevin said. “But, again, Eric will not be available right away. You don’t make decisions on lineup until you have to. In the meantime, you could have injuries next week where the decision becomes a lot easier where he fits in and how Dom wants to use him. So until then I think we’re only going to speculate where he’s going to fit and where he’s going to play. But, again, players with their performance they’ll tell you where they should be playing and how much ice time they should get.”

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Staal is expected to do a video conference with the media on Sunday.

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New number for Staal

Staal has worn No. 12 throughout his NHL career, but can’t wear that number with the Canadiens.

No. 12 was retired by the Canadiens in honour of Hall of Famers Yvan Cournoyer and Dickie Moore.

Instead, Staal will become the 37th player in Canadiens history to wear No. 21 and the first since Nick Cousins last season.

Staal is a member of the Triple Gold Club, having won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, an IIHF world championship with Team Canada in 2007 and an Olympic gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

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What about Cole?

Cole Caufield, the Canadiens’ first-round pick (15th overall) at the 2019 NHL Draft, is expected to turn pro after his University of Wisconsin Badgers were eliminated Friday following a 6-3 loss to the Bemidji State Beavers in the first round of the Bridgeport Regional, which is part of the NCAA Tournament.

When asked Saturday whether it would be best for Caufield to now play for the AHL’s Laval Rocket or the Canadiens, Bergevin smiled and said: “Let me think and I’ll get back to you in a couple of days.”

Bergevin still needs to sign Caufield to an NHL entry-level contract and has to do that with the salary cap in mind. Bergevin admitted it “will be tight”, especially if bonuses are included in Caufield’s contract.

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The 20-year-old Caufield finished this season with 30-22-52 totals in 31 games to lead the NCAA in goals and points and he is a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in U.S. college hockey. Bergevin noted that Caufield is an exceptional talent, especially when it comes to shooting the puck, but added it’s still a big jump from the NCAA to the NHL.

At 5-foot-7 and 165 pounds, the biggest challenge for Caufield in the NHL will be the physical play.

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Salary-cap issues

Bergevin said he doesn’t expect to make any more moves before the NHL trade deadline, noting again that he’s up tight against the cap.

You can take that with a grain — or a full shaker — of salt.

When asked if he was working to free up some cap space, Bergevin said: “No.”

But the GM did say there were other NHL teams willing to take on unwanted salaries in trades.

“I know there’s teams who do have cap space that are willing to take on cap space,” Bergevin said. “So if you want to buy cap space that’s available, but there’s a price to pay for that. And depending on the amount you’re trying to buy then the price becomes steeper. So, like in a way a three-way deal where a team takes on the player and then retains money and then ship him to the other place. So that’s all there, but I’m not going to go into detail what are the teams that are doing that or trying to do that. But that’s also a possibility.”

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When Bergevin was asked Thursday about being up tight against the cap, he said: “You’re not against the cap and you get criticized for not being against the cap. And then you go against the cap and then you get criticized because you can’t do anything. So you do, you don’t. One of the last (offseason) moves we made was Tyler Toffoli and we knew by making that move we were really against the cap and I think we did the right thing by getting Ty.

“Honestly, I’m not worried about it,” Bergevin added about his cap situation. “I like our team.”

He likes it more now with the addition of Staal.

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Schedule up in the air

The Canadiens are expected to play their next game Tuesday night after having four games postponed when Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia were both placed on the NHL’s COVID Protocol Related Absences list last Monday. One of the two players, who Bergevin wouldn’t name, tested positive for a variant of the coronavirus, while the second had close contact.

The Canadiens were originally scheduled to play the Senators Tuesday night in Ottawa, but Bergevin noted the schedule might change as the NHL reworks the schedule in the all-Canadian North Division to fit in the four postponed games. There’s a possibility the Canadiens could instead play the Edmonton Oilers Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.

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The players and staff continue to be tested daily for COVID-19 and Kotkaniemi and Armia remained the only two Canadiens on the NHL’s updated COVID-related absences list on Saturday.

“There’s always a chance that something could come up today or tomorrow,” Bergevin said about the testing. “But every day that goes by I feel more confident that we’re going to start early next week.”

The Canadiens are hoping to practise Monday at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard.

Bergevin said it’s unlikely Toffoli will play in the Canadiens’ first game back after being sidelined with a lower-body injury, adding one practice might not be enough for the winger to be ready to go. Bergevin added that he expects Ben Chiarot to return to the lineup “a bit quicker than we thought” after the defenceman had surgery on his fractured right hand on March 15. Chiarot was originally expected to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks.

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When asked if this week off could help the Canadiens, Bergevin said: “To a degree yes. I you look at getting the players rested, the few players we have who had minor injuries, yes. But then having to start right away with very little practise and then having more games in less time … so it’s like this, one way good and one way bad. You pick which one.”

Still in fourth place

Heading into Saturday’s games, the Canadiens were still sitting in fourth place in the North Division with a 14-8-9 record, two points ahead of the fifth-place Vancouver Canucks and four points ahead of the sixth-place Calgary Flames. The Canadiens held six games in hand on Vancouver and four games in hand on Calgary.

“Games in hand are only good if you win them,” Bergevin said. “It’s nice to have them, but we have to win those games. Our schedule will be a little tougher now because of the week off. We have to control our destiny and we have to win our games and not going in back door. So I expect our team to be ready to play when we start again.”

scowan@postmedia.com

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