As fans prepare to settle in to enjoy a modified 24-team playoff that includes the Montreal Canadiens as part of a play-in series, team management is looking ahead at the 2020-21 Montreal roster and the holes it needs to fill.
General manager (GM) Marc Bergevin will have a very busy summer ahead as the Habs hold 14 draft picks in the 2020 draft, and still need to fill gaps on the blue line and find added scoring in the top six.
Strategy
The Canadiens are not ready to go all-in on trades for rentals or free agents in their thirties. However, part of the strategy should be to use their own cap space and target teams near the salary cap limits to offer sheet talented young players.
Marc Bergevin, Montreal Canadiens, 2018 NHL Draft, Dallas, TX, June 22, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Or they can use their stable of picks and prospects as an incentive to trade instead of an offer sheet. Bergevin has proven he is willing to make an attempt with the rarely used offer sheet after making an offer to Sebastian Aho in the summer of 2019.
Defense
One glaring need for the Canadiens is on defense. The left side of the blue line is in dire need of a puck-moving defender that can log top-pairing minutes in all situations. While the signing of Alexander Romanov is hailed as a coup to assist with the depth on the left side and a possible partner for Shea Weber, he is not prepared to become that player yet.
Alexander Romanov, Montreal Canadiens, 2018 NHL Draft (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
There has been talk of a lack of size on the roster, but that isn’t the problem on the Habs’ blue line. The nine most-played defenders average 6-foot-1 and 202 pounds. There is also more than enough physicality with the likes of Weber, Jeff Petry, Ben Chiarot and even rookie Cale Fleury, who was able to add 102 hits in 21 games played.
Montreal Canadiens’ Jake Evans celebrates with teammates Shea Weber and Victor Mete (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes)
The true need is to add a defenseman capable of defending in the “modern” NHL system. That is to say, a defenseman who relies on positioning, using a stick to close off passing lanes, mobility to close gaps and recover pucks, and then move the puck up the ice quickly to generate a team’s transition game. There are no players in the Canadiens’ system ready to take on such a role.
Vince Dunn
Vince Dunn of the St-Louis Blues is a prime target for Bergevin to offer sheet or, more likely, make a trade to acquire.
The 6-foot, 203-pound Dunn is a left-handed puck mover that fits the Habs’ needs on defense. He’s ideally suited to the new style of defenseman that teams covet. He’s extremely mobile and is able to keep his speed while changing directions, which allows him to keep close to attacking forwards, pressuring them to make mistakes where he then gains control of the puck. He excels at gaining and keeping control of the puck with a career Corsi For (CF%) of 55.1.
Vince Dunn, St. Louis Blues (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
While he has only averaged just over 17 minutes per game so far in his three-year NHL career, he has gained invaluable experience playing for a contending franchise and winning a Stanley Cup with the Blues. He is also very capable of being a power play (PP) quarterback. He has excellent vision to set up teammates in high-percentage areas and also owns a good shot that forces defenders to respect his shot. This allows him to keep the penalty killers guessing and gain enough space to generate offence.
If an offer sheet isn’t used, it is possible to attempt a trade. The Blues will need to offload cap to make room to retain their captain, Alex Pietrangelo. If Bergevin were willing to offer the 2021 first-round pick and a prospect, as well as take on Jake Allen’s contract that has one year remaining at $4.35 million, he may be able to solve two issues simultaneously — a puck-moving defender and a reliable goaltender to ease Carey Price’s workload.
Offence
The Canadiens are developing a young core of forwards. Center depth has been an issue for decades but seems to have finally been given the attention it needs. While young centers such as Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki are developing and still have not reached their potentials, the hope is that together they will provide that one-two punch at center that can provide quality two-way play and offence that can compete against top opposition.
Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
The issue overall for the Canadiens hasn’t been possession as they are one of the elite teams in the NHL in those categories. At five on five (5v5), the Canadiens rank second for CF% at 54.3 and they rank second in expected goals for (xGF%) at 54.01. Despite these elite numbers, the overall offence is only 13th in the NHL with 147 goals for. Where they fall flat is on overall talent as they lack a true shooting threat, especially on the PP.
Anthony Mantha
When you take into account the lack of NHL-ready, right-wing depth, one name that could be a possible offer sheet target is Detroit Red Wings’ Anthony Mantha.
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound winger has the size the team lacks up front, and also has the speed to play in the Canadiens’ transition game. His play on the PP is where his true value would be felt. His excellent shot would be a much needed weapon to modernize the team’s PP system. A successful PP is no longer just the old-school method of setting up a one timer from the point. Today, it is one that uses multiple shooters set up closer to the net that can provide an effective PP. The Canadiens currently lack a right-wing shooter that can match Mantha’s career shooting percentage of 12.4%.
Detroit Red Wings right wing Anthony Mantha (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Paul Sancya)
While there is no lack of cap space for Detroit, the 25-year-old Quebec-native may still be a good offer sheet target. As Detroit is still in full rebuilding mode, GM Stevie Yzerman may be enticed to take on a flood of picks instead of matching a long-term, expensive contract for someone that may not fit in with his long-term plans. If that is not the case, Bergevin would then be forced to attempt to make a trade that would no doubt include a first-round selection, high-end prospects and possibly a roster player. Mantha would not come cheap, either in assets or in cap space.
Marc Bergevin, Montreal Canadiens, 2019 NHL Draft (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Whether Bergevin uses an offer sheet or a trade to fill roster needs, he has his work cut out for him. The Canadiens’ fan base is rapidly losing patience with his retooling plan and demand to see the team do more than make it into a play-in series in the 24-team playoffs. They want to see their team take the next step to becoming a true Cup contender.
EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers signed defenceman Travis Dermott to a professional tryout on Friday.
Dermott, a 27-year-old from Newmarket, Ont., produced two goals, five assists and 26 penalty minutes in 50 games with the Arizona Coyotes last season.
The six-foot, 202-pound blueliner has also played for the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto drafted him in the second round, 34th overall, of the 2015 NHL draft.
Over seven NHL seasons, Dermott has 16 goals and 46 assists in 329 games while averaging 16:03 in ice time.
Before the NHL, Dermott played two seasons with Oilers captain Connor McDavid for the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters. The team was coached by current Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion, led the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s fan vote her first year on the ballot — an important part to possible selection to the hall’s next class.
The organization released the voting results on Friday. American doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan finished second with Canada’s Daniel Nestor third.
The Hall of Fame said tens of thousands of fans from 120 countries cast ballots. Fan voting is one of two steps in the hall’s selection process. The second is an official group of journalists, historians, and Hall of Famers from the sport who vote on the ballot for the hall’s class of 2025.
“I am incredibly grateful to the fans all around the world who supported me during the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s fan votes,” Sharapova said in a statement. “It is a tremendous honor to be considered for the Hall of Fame, and having the fans’ support makes it all the more special.”
Sharapova became the first Russian woman to reach No. 1 in the world. She won Wimbledon in 2004, the U.S. Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008. She also won the French Open twice, in 2012 and 2014.
Sharapova was also part of Russia’s championship Fed Cup team in 2008 and won a silver medal at the London Olympics in 2012.
To make the hall, candidates must receive 75% or higher on combined results of the official voting group and additional percentage from the fan vote. Sharapova will have an additional three percentage points from winning the fan vote.
The Bryans, who won 16 Grand Slam doubles titles, will have two additional percentage points and Nestor, who won eight Grand Slam doubles titles, will get one extra percentage point.
The hall’s next class will be announced late next month.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they bicycled on a rural road had a blood-alcohol level of .087, above the .08 legal limit in New Jersey, a prosecutor said Friday.
Gaudreau, 31, and brother Matthew, 29, were killed in Carneys Point, New Jersey, on Aug. 29, the evening before they were set to serve as groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding.
The driver, 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins of nearby Woodstown, New Jersey, is charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle. At a virtual court hearing Friday, a judge ordered that he be held for trial after prosecutors described a history of alleged road rage and aggressive driving.
“’You were probably driving like a nut like I always tell you you do. And you don’t listen to me, instead you just yell at me,’” his wife told Higgins when he called her from jail after his arrest, according to First Assistant Prosecutor Jonathan Flynn of Salem County.
The defense described Higgins as a married father and law-abiding citizen before the crash.
“He’s an empathetic individual and he’s a loving father of two daughters,” said defense lawyer Matthew Portella. “He’s a good person and he made a horrible decision that night.”
Higgins told police he had five or six beers that day and admitted to consuming alcohol while driving, according to the criminal complaint. He also failed a field sobriety test, the complaint said. A prosecutor on Friday said he had been drinking at home after finishing a work call at about 3 p.m., and having an upsetting conversation with his mother about a family matter.
He then had a two-hour phone call with a friend while he drove around in his Jeep with an open container, Flynn said. He had been driving aggressively behind a sedan going just above the 50 mph speed limit, sometimes tailgating, the female driver told police.
When she and the vehicle ahead of her slowed down and veered left to go around the cyclists, Higgins sped up and veered right, striking the Gaudreas, the two other drivers told police.
“He indicated he didn’t even see them,” said Superior Court Judge Michael J. Silvanio, who said Higgins’ admitted “impatience” caused two deaths.
Higgins faces up to 20 years, a sentence that the judge said made him a flight risk.
Higgins has a master’s degree, works in finance for an addiction treatment company, and served in combat in Iraq, his lawyers said. However, his wife said he had been drinking regularly since working from home, Flynn said.
Johnny Gaudreau, known as “Johnny Hockey,” played 10 full seasons in the league and was set to enter his third with the Columbus Blue Jackets after signing a seven-year, $68 million deal in 2022. He played his first eight seasons with the Calgary Flames, a tenure that included becoming one of the sport’s top players and a fan favorite across North America.
Widows Meredith and Madeline Gaudreau described their husbands as attached at the hip throughout their lives. Both women are expecting, and both gave moving eulogies at the double funeral on Monday.
