adplus-dvertising
Connect with us

Sports

Canadiens Trade Deadline Preview: Chiarot gone, Lehkonen next? – Sportsnet.ca

Published

 on


Here we are, just four sleeps away from an NHL trade deadline that seemed so distant for so long, with many of the pieces still on the board and the chess masters readying their moves.

We’d suggest this is the first real test Montreal Canadiens executive vice president of hockey operations Geoff Gorton and general manager Kent Hughes are facing if they hadn’t already been tasked with taking over a last-place team. They acted swiftly on a coaching change they didn’t originally have any intention of making, and they’ve already made several transactions— plucking Rem Pitlick off waivers, pulling off a trade for Andrew Hammond, swinging another big one by moving Tyler Toffoli to the Calgary Flames and waiving Cedric Paquette and Mathieu Perreault.

On Wednesday, the Canadiens traded defenceman Ben Chiarot to the Florida Panthers for a 2023 first-round pick, prospect Tyler Smilanic and a fourth-round pick in this coming draft. By all accounts, it was a whopping return for a player on an expiring contract.

300x250x1

As Hughes put it on Thursday morning, “We felt that was, without question, the best trade that we could do.”

He added that the Canadiens were, from the start of trade negotiations, targeting a 2023 first-rounder since they were already in possession of three picks likely to be made in the top 35 this coming summer.

As for targeting Smilanic, a 20-year-old, 6-foot-1 centre playing at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, Hughes had his reasons.

“I know him,” the GM said. “He played for the U.S. national development program, he was a year ahead of my son. I saw him play a lot. Also, my sons (at Northeastern University) played against him at Quinnipiac a couple of times this year, so I watched him.

“He’s a player with a lot of speed who’s capable of scoring. I said from the start we need to find players who can improve our speed, so he’s another player who helps us do that.”

There could be more on their way to Montreal between now and the end of the season. And the moves they make — no matter how many of them are coming — between now and Monday at 3 p.m. ET., will have a big impact on shaping the future roster.

We don’t have to guess the nature of them; they will be sales made with the intention of collecting draft picks and prospects.

FINANCIAL SITUATION

Projected deadline cap space: $8.71 million

Cap space committed to 2022-23: $80.65 million

DRAFT PICKS

2022: 13 PICKS: MTL 1, CGY 1, MTL 2, MTL 3, ANA 3, CAR 3, MTL 4, TB 4, FLA 4, MTL 5, MTL 6, MTL 7, STL 7

2023: 9 PICKS: MTL 1, FLA 1, MTL 2, MTL 3, MTL 4, MTL 5, CGY 5, MTL 6, MTL 7

NEEDS

This is not to be mistaken with wants, because the Canadiens would like to clear out as much salary as possible and obtain as many future assets as they can.

They might need to move out players on expiring contracts, and they want to sell off some on longer-term deals if, and only if, their prices can be met.

Whether or not they can accomplish that second part ahead of the deadline is questionable.

Regardless, as Hughes told us in this interview last week and reiterated again on Thursday, this isn’t a fire sale. He and Gorton have no intention of just jettisoning anyone and everyone.

As for potentially making an acquisition or two, Hughes said that they might look to add players to a strong Laval Rocket team in the AHL, and he and Gorton have put a premium on scooping up players already in development for the organization.

“If somebody’s two years older, two years post-draft, you have more information on that player,” Hughes said in our interview. “It’s easier to predict what you’ll get out of a 20-year-old than an 18-year-old, easier to predict an 18-year-old than a 16-year-old.”

“That doesn’t mean we don’t want draft picks,” he continued. “We’re going to look at anything, including former picks who are already playing.”

They’re not going to want to acquire players on expiring contracts — or ones with term, unless they fit with the program they’re trying to build — but they probably will need to in order to move some of their players who are signed long-term.

You can say the same for retaining money on the salary cap.

POTENTIAL TARGETS

Another first-round pick in 2022

Because we know the first-round pick they got from Carolina (as compensation for the offer sheet tendered to Jesperi Kotkaniemi) is going to Arizona to meet the conditions of the Christian Dvorak trade, this is something the Canadiens would like to acquire. Even if Hughes sought a 2023 first-rounder in the Chiarot trade, he won’t turn away from adding another one before Monday’s deadline.

A-B Prospects

It’s fair to say this is what the Canadiens covet most.

Go through the list of teams the Canadiens might do business with, and you can decipher which prospects they might have interest in acquiring. The contenders have good ones, but there are no guarantees they’ll be on offer.

Jack McBain

As our Elliotte Friedman reported, the Minnesota Wild are trying to trade the rights to McBain, who’s wrapping up his college season and is more inclined to sign elsewhere. We can confirm the Canadiens are very interested, but whether or not they move an asset to gain an edge on the market is to be determined.

The Wild have reportedly asked for a second-round pick in return for McBain’s rights. The 6-foot-4, 208-pound centre has 19 goals and 33 points in 24 games at Boston College in his senior year.

ASSETS TO TRADE

Artturi Lehkonen

A 26-year-old winger who can play either side, kill penalties, contribute on the power play and play on any line on any given night. The Canadiens would lock him up to a new deal if they weren’t jammed with expensive players in the middle of their lineup.

But considering Lehkonen is in the process of authoring a career year ahead of holding the arbitration hammer this summer in pursuit of his last contract as a restricted free agent, it probably makes more sense to trade him — especially if a first-round pick or a high-quality prospect can be obtained for his services.

Hughes told us he’s not trying to trade Lehkonen, but teams are going to be calling on this player and it’s highly likely at least one of them makes an offer he can’t refuse. That we’re talking about a player with a track record for elevating his game come playoff time only makes it more likely.

Lehkonen’s on a prorated, $2.6-million contract from here to the end of the season. Meaning he’s a cheap add for the cap-strapped teams out there. And his value, as a player who is still under team control for one more season after this one, is undeniable.

Brett Kulak

Depth defencemen are always precious commodities for any playoff team, not just the contenders, so the market could be wide for Kulak, who’s a 28-year-old pending unrestricted free agent with a prorated $1.8-million salary.

Whether it generates the type of return that would make it worth it for the Canadiens to move him is the question. As they attempt to integrate more young players on the back end, keeping a veteran like Kulak around at reasonable pay on two-year deal could prove to be a more worthwhile investment than taking a fifth-round pick for him.

We suspect if the Canadiens can do better in trading him, they’ll make the move.

Jeff Petry

The 34-year-old has been better of late but has been working through a very disappointing season after putting up the three best years of his career.

With three years remaining on a contract that pays him $6.5 million per, the chances he moves ahead of the deadline are slim — especially when you factor in that Petry has a 15-team no-trade list.

Still, Petry is unquestionably available, as Hughes confirmed once again on Thursday.

But Petry is not available at just at any price. That the Canadiens don’t have much of anything coming up on the right side of their defence makes it unpalatable to trade him just to clear his salary.

But even if that was their intention, there aren’t many — if any — teams that can afford to take Petry’s contract on ahead of the deadline without asking the Canadiens to retain salary in all three remaining years and/or take back a player on a similarly onerous contract that perhaps expires sooner. And if that’s something they’re going to consider, it’s going to have to come with an asset that really sweetens the pot.

Other assets who might move: Andrew Hammond (G), Chris Wideman (RD), Mike Hoffman (LW/RW), Christian Dvorak (C), Joel Armia (LW/RW), Kale Clague (LD), Mathieu Perreault (C/LW), Cedric Paquette (C).

Adblock test (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Shane Pinto has a goal, three assists as the Senators roll over the Sabres – Sportsnet.ca

Published

 on


* public_profileBlurb *

* public_displayName *

300x250x1

* public_name *
* public_gender *
* public_birthdate *
* public_emailAddress *
* public_address *
* public_phoneNumber *

Adblock test (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Here’s what we know about the allegations against Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara

Published

 on

LOS ANGELES –

Only a week has passed since the Los Angeles Dodgers abruptly fired Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter and constant companion of their new $700 million slugger, Shohei Ohtani.

But the biggest story of baseball’s spring is still murky — and shocking — as the regular season begins in earnest Thursday.

The scandal encompasses gambling, alleged theft, extensive deceit and the breakup of an enduring partnership between the majors’ biggest star and his right-hand man. Investigations are underway by the IRS and Major League Baseball, and Ohtani publicly laid out a version of events Monday that placed the responsibility entirely on Mizuhara.

300x250x1

Here are the basics as Ohtani and the Dodgers prepare for their home opener against St. Louis on Thursday:

Why was Ippei Mizuhara fired by the Dodgers?

Ohtani claims his close friend repeatedly took money from his accounts to fund his illegal sports gambling habit. Ohtani also says he was completely unaware of the “massive theft,” as his lawyers termed it, until Mizuhara confessed to him and the Dodgers last week in South Korea, where the team opened its regular season against the San Diego Padres.

Mizuhara has given more than one version of his path to this trouble, which was catalyzed by the IRS’ investigation of Mathew Bowyer, an alleged illegal bookmaker. Mizuhara has consistently said he has a gambling addiction, and he abused his close friendship with the Dodgers superstar to feed it.

Did Shohei Ohtani ever bet on sports?

That’s the biggest question to be answered in Major League Baseball’s investigation, and the two-time AL MVP emphatically says he has never gambled on sports or asked anybody to bet on sports for him.

Further, Ohtani said Monday he has never knowingly paid a bookie to cover somebody else’s bets. Mizuhara also said Ohtani does not bet, and Bowyer’s attorney said the same.

Mizuhara told ESPN on March 19 that Ohtani paid his gambling debts at the interpreter’s request, saying the bets were on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football. If that were true, Ohtani could face trouble even if he didn’t make the bets himself — but ESPN said Mizuhara dramatically changed his story the following day, claiming Ohtani had no knowledge of the gambling debts and had not transferred any money to bookmakers.

MLB rules prohibit players and team employees from wagering — even legally — on baseball. They also ban betting on other sports with illegal or offshore bookmakers.

What’s next for Ohtani?

Ohtani has played in every Dodgers game since the story broke, and he is expected to be their designated hitter in most regular-season games this season while baseball’s investigation continues.

Ohtani says his legal team has alerted authorities to the theft by Mizuhara, although his team has repeatedly declined to say which authorities have been told, according to ESPN.

Ohtani’s new interpreter is Will Ireton, a longtime Dodgers employee and fluent Japanese speaker who has filled several jobs with the team in everything from game preparation and analytics to recruiting free-agent pitches. But Ireton won’t be Ohtani’s constant companion, and manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday he’s optimistic that Ohtani will become closer to his teammates without the “buffer” provided for years by Mizuhara.

What don’t we know?

MLB’s investigation of Ohtani’s role in the events could last weeks or months, and it’s unlikely to be publicized until it’s complete. No one outside of Ohtani’s inner circle knows what it will find or how serious any repercussions could be, and nobody outside the circle is making informed speculation about the process.

One major question looms: How did Mizuhara have enough access to Ohtani’s bank accounts to get the alleged millions without Ohtani knowing? Is the slugger overly trusting, or is he wildly negligent in managing his vast fortune, which includes years of lavish endorsement deals in addition to his baseball salaries? Why didn’t the team around him, including his agent, do more to prevent the possibility of the theft he claims?

Finally, where is Mizuhara? Anybody who knows isn’t saying. He was fired in South Korea and apparently didn’t travel home with the Dodgers. Japanese media have visited his home in Southern California to look for him. Although he was born in Japan, Mizuhara’s life is in the U.S. — but his life will never be the same.

Adblock test (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

NHL analyst gets absolutely roasted for ‘insanely rich’ take on Zach Hyman

Published

 on

Article content

They say everyone is entitled to their opinion, but when you’re a member of the media and you share a truly awful take, you’re going to get called out for it.

Advertisement 2

Article content

That’s what happened when NHL analyst/podcast host Andrew Berkshire decided to post a video on X (formerly known as Twitter) mainly attributing Zach Hyman’s success to the fact that he grew up “insanely rich.”

Article content

The post came on the heels of the Oilers winger reaching the 50-goal milestone for the season and was rightly ripped apart by several notable colleagues, former players and fans in general.

In the video, which has been viewed more than 5.4 million times as of Wednesday morning, begins by stating that he has been in the sports media industry professionally since 2012 and that the industry “has to do a better job of telling truthful stories,” before discounting Hyman’s accomplishment.

“The story that’s being sold right now … is that, you know, if you work hard, if you stick to it, you can get there too, 31-year-old guy finally hits the 50-goal mark, harder worker, all that,” Berkshire said.

Advertisement 3

Article content

Article content

Advertisement 4

Article content

“Yeah, great, except you’re missing the part of the story where Zach Hyman grew up insanely rich.”

Berkshire, who works as an analyst and host with the Steve Dangle Podcast Network, then details how Hyman’s parents bought a league to “guarantee him playing time,” and that he did “exclusive training that only a rich person … could afford.”

“This is a person that has had every single possible advantage to get where they are today,” Berkshire continued, before also bringing up the fact that Hyman has been fortunate enough to play on teams and lines with Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid most of his career.

While Berkshire does state that Hyman is a hard worker and brings grit when he plays, he also discounts it almost immediately.

Advertisement 5

Article content

Recommended from Editorial

 

  1. Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews (34) and New Jersey Devils left-winger Erik Haula (56) battle for the puck during first period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Sheldon Keefe rips sloppy Maple Leafs following loss: ‘Hated lots of our game’

     

  2. Toronto Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner during the first period of a game against the New York Islanders.LEAFS SNAPSHOTS: Mitch Marner ‘progressing very well’ in return from injury

     

 

“Working hard, everybody works hard. You think every NHLer didn’t get there by working hard?” he asks. “Let’s not build this stupid narrative of ‘work hard, you’ll succeed.’ It’s just not true.

“There are people who’ve worked as hard as Zach Hyman their entire lives and never got a sniff of the American Hockey League, let alone the NHL because they didn’t have the advantages he had.”

Former Leafs defenceman turned NHL analyst Carlo Colaiacovo thought the whole take was ridiculous, posting the following: “Let me tell you something Andrew. You can’t buy your way to the NHL. You definitely can’t buy your way to having the career Hyman has had which includes scoring 50. Pretty ridiculous thing to say.”

Advertisement 6

Article content

Advertisement 7

Article content

Retired NHLer Bobby Ryan was one of the first to weigh in, calling the opinion “purely false.”

“As someone who has maybe lived on both ends of the ‘financial edge’ I can say this is just purely false. Who cares, he accomplished a feat not many do and to downplay the way it’s reported is just wrong. You show up, do the work, good things happen,” Ryan posted on X.

Advertisement 8

Article content

Jonathan Goodman, who claims he was Hyman’s personal trainer and tasked with getting the budding pro ready for the combine, had a glowing review of his former pupil’s work ethic.

“Yes, he had advantages. His family was wealthy and father obsessed with his success,” he said. “But the dude worked hard. Harder than anybody I’ve ever seen.”

Advertisement 9

Article content

But, perhaps another former NHLer, Jason Strudwick said it best, replying to the video by asking: “Did Hyman not sign an autograph for you one time?”

 

Adblock test (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending