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.
MONTREAL – On a night when New York’s top line was missing in action, the bit players grabbed the spotlight and led the Rangers to a commanding 7-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
“That’s the kind of team we have,” said Filip Chytil, who led the Rangers with a pair of power-play goals Tuesday. “The guys on the top line had chances but when they don’t score we have three other lines to pick up the slack.”
The Rangers’ dominance was reflected in the amount of time they spent in the Canadiens zone and their 45-23 edge in shots.
“If you’ve watched us practice, you know that’s something we work on all the time,” said Chytil. “When we get the puck, we want to hold on to it.”
The Rangers grabbed a 2-0 lead on goals by Mika Zibanejad at the 56-second mark and Jonny Brodzinski at 2:05, but it was Montreal which pressed the play in the first minute.
“I thought we had a good start but they turned it around on us,” said Montreal coach Martin St. Louis.
Lane Hutson controlled the puck off the opening faceoff and had two early shots, both of which were blocked by New York’s Jacob Trouba.
“That was huge for us,” said Rangers coach Peter Laviolette. “We know (Trouba) can generate offence but he can come up with those big defensive plays.”
Montreal goalie Sam Montembeault exited at 11:05 of the first period after giving up four goals on 10 shots. Zibanejad, Brodzinski, Chytil and Reilly Smith all scored on the Habs’ starter.
His replacement, Cayden Primeau, stopped 33 of 35 shots, giving up goals to Braden Schneider, Kaapo Kakko and Chytil.
Nick Suzuki scored both of the Montreal goals, his first strikes of the season
“It didn’t really feel like a 7-2 game until the end there when you look up at the scoreboard,” Suzuki said. “But we obviously keep digging ourselves these holes, and against a good team like that, our details early on have to be really sharp. And we were definitely a little sleepy coming out and they jumped on us.”
Hutson led the Canadiens in ice time with 24:10 but this wasn’t one of his better games. Smith scored on a breakaway after taking the puck off Hutson’s stick and the rookie was minus-4 for the night.
After Tuesday’s morning practice, the Canadiens announced forward Juraj Slafkovsky will miss at least a week with an upper-body injury. Defenceman Kaiden Guhle missed a second consecutive game with an upper-body injury but the team said it isn’t a long-term ailment.
The injury situation didn’t get any better after Trouba flattened Justin Barron at 7:11 of the third period. Barron didn’t return to the ice but there was no immediate word on his condition.
The Rangers welcomed back defenceman Ryan Lindgren, who made his season debut after missing five games with a jaw injury.
Before the game, 14 players from the Canadiens’ team that won four consecutive Stanley Cups between 1976 and 1979 were introduced at the Bell Centre. Among them were Hockey Hall of Fame members Yvan Cournoyer, Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe, Bob Gainey and Ken Dryden.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.
TOKYO – Canadians Leylah Fernandez and Bianca Andreescu have both moved on to the quarterfinals at the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Fernandez advanced after downing Varvara Gracheva 6-0, 3-6, 7-5 on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old from Laval, Que., fired three aces and converted 5-of-11 break points during the two-hour 15-minute match. Gracheva, of France, battled back in the second set, winning 72.2 per cent of her first-serve points, before Fernandez rallied in the third set.
Andreescu, from Mississauga, Ont., advanced after Beatriz Haddad Maia retired due to a back injury while trailing 3-0 in the first set. Haddad Maia, the No. 2 seed, appeared to be in pain from the second game onward and took a medical timeout before exiting the match.
In the quarterfinals, Fernandez takes on the winner of a matchup between the tournament’s top seed, Qinwen Zheng of China, and Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, while Andreescu faces either Katie Boulter or Kyoka Okamura.
In women’s doubles action, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and her partner Erin Routliffe were up 6-3, 1-2 on Japanese pair Nao Hibino and Miyu Kato when their match was suspended.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.
Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball has sold at auction for nearly $4.4 million, a record high price not just for a baseball, but for any ball in any sport, the auctioneer said Wednesday.
“We received bids from around the world, a testament to the significance of this iconic collectible and Ohtani’s impact on sports, and I’m thrilled for the winning bidder,” Ken Goldin, the founder and CEO of auctioneer Goldin Auctions said in a statement.
The auction opened on Sept. 27 with a starting bid of $500,000 and closed just after midnight on Wednesday. The auctioneer said it could not disclose any information about the winning bidder.
The auction has been overshadowed by the litigation over ownership of the ball. Christian Zacek walked out of Miami’s LoanDepot Park with the ball after gaining possession in the left-field stands. Max Matus and Joseph Davidov each claim in separate lawsuits that they grabbed the ball first.
All the parties involved in the litigation agreed that the auction should continue.
Matus’ lawsuit claims that the Florida resident — who was celebrating his 18th birthday — gained possession of the Ohtani ball before Zacek took it away. Davidov claims in his suit that he was able to “firmly and completely grab the ball in his left hand while it was on the ground, successfully obtaining possession of the 50/50 ball.”
Ohtani and the Dodgers are preparing for Game 1 of the World Series scheduled for Friday night.
