Author: Dose

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Chris Kreider file: the Maple Leafs have been left behind

I’ve said it before: the Maple Leafs had to get Chris Kreider this summer.

Why? Because the Queen City club needs help up front in terms of players with character who can make a difference in the playoffs.

Talk to the Habs: they can make the difference…

Finally, the Maple Leafs saw the Anaheim Ducks pick him up. They were on his no-trade list, but the club managed to convince him to say yes and move.

According to Elliotte Friedman, Joel Quenneville’s presence made the difference. Having a veteran coach like him can really make a difference for the California club.

And now we understand that the Maple Leafs did indeed have their noses in the matter.

But according to David Pagnotta’s report, the Ducks were too far advanced in the file and were able to table a decent offer, which the Rangers – and the main interested party – accepted.

Would the American have wanted to go to Toronto? History doesn’t say.

But to me, there’s no denying it: the club had to push harder to get Chris Kreider’s contract from the Big Apple for two years and $6.5 million a year.

With Mitch Marner on his way out, it’s clear that the club would have had room in terms of payroll. And he fits the identity the Maple Leafs are trying to find.

Better luck next time… especially with Sam Bennett likely to elude them, as he’s likely to stay in sunny Florida. So, how will the club change its identity?

overtime

– A page turns in Toronto.

– Coming up.

– Interesting.

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Another Canadiens target: a scorer for the middle trios of the line-up

The Canadiens are looking for a second-line center. No one’s denying that.

In an ideal world, the Canadiens are also looking for a defenseman who can eat up the minutes David Savard was able to take last year.

But that doesn’t mean they’re not looking for something else. And it doesn’t mean that a more “minor” addition should be ruled out.

In fact, as David Pagnotta and David Bernstein reported for The Fourth Period, the Canadiens are also evaluating their options for something else.

Like what? Like a goal-scoring midfield winger (i.e., second or third line).

Clearly, in an ideal world, the Canadiens would add a little scoring help. After all, scoring goals hasn’t been the Habs’ greatest strength this season.

If only Patrik Laine could be a reliable solution…

If the summer plan doesn’t change too much, a player like Kirby Dach or Alex Newhook could play on the wing with Laine, Ivan Demidov, Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson and Emil Heineman.

Adding a marker wouldn’t be a luxury.

Whether it’s playing with Ivan Demidov on the top-6 or on the third line, Martin St-Louis is going to need goals to repeat the feat of making the playoffs.

We’ll see what happens.

overtime

– Good morning, Taylor.

– Makes sense.

– To watch.

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2025 Series: Calvin Pickard has a 7-0 record

In the first round, Stuart Skinner lost the first game against the Kings and also lost game #2. Calvin Pickard replaced him.

The result? Pickard won four straight games against the Kings to knock the L.A. club out of the playoffs. And then he went on to win the first two games against the Golden Knights.

By then, he had a 6-0 record in seven games. But on the first of those games, the loss went to Skinner.

The regular then picked up his net and won seven of the next nine games: two against Vegas, four against Dallas and the first game of the final, against the Panthers.

In some of those games, he looked invincible.

But since then, it’s been tough. He started every game in the final, but lost games two and three… and let’s just say it wasn’t thanks to him that the club won yesterday. The goalie change paid off.

So yes, Calvin Pickard now has a 7-0 record in nine games. He wasn’t involved in the decision in game #3 of the final.

When you look at the stats of the two guys, you realize that it’s not that different since the start of the playoffs. In terms of average and efficiency rate, it’s relatively similar.

The proof?

  • Skinner: 2.99, .891
  • Pickard: 2.69, .896

The difference between the two, however, is that Skinner’s ceiling and floor are higher and lower, respectively. In other words, when he’s good, he’s good… but when he’s bad, he’s bad.

Pickard, on the other hand, is more stable. What you see is what you get, as they say in the language of hockey.

Pickard (7-0) is more reliable than Skinner (7-6) at the moment. He hasn’t been pulled from his net once, which is different from the three times Skinner has been pulled.

Pickard isn’t the best goalie in the world, but he’s more stable. And right now, the Oilers need reliability.

To me, there’s no doubt that Skinner can’t start Game #5. Pickard helped change the momentum last night and he deserves the chance to play tomorrow night’s game.

Because even though hockey is won and lost as a team (Corey Perry’s speech after the first period and Leon Draisaitl’s goal in overtime are proof that it’s won as a team), the goalie remains important.

overtime

– Coming up.

– Notice to those who want to read more about the draft. [NYT]

– Ahh, the streets of Montreal…

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– Ouch.

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Oilers tie series at two in extremis

Last night, the Oilers and Panthers faced off in game four of the final series.

Florida, at home, could take a 3-1 lead in the series and, thus, be one win away from the Stanley Cup.

But Edmonton won another game in overtime (5-4) to tie the series at two.

It was a rather last-minute victory for Connor McDavid’s team.

After one period, they were down 3-0.

After the third goal, Stuart Skinner made way for Calvin Pickard.

The second goalie did well in relief, stopping 22 shots and allowing just one goal. If I were the coach, I’d send him into the fray on Saturday.

It’s the first time in history that a team has won a Cup Final match after trailing 0-3 after one period.

What a comeback!

Of course, it was Leon Draisaitl who sealed the win in overtime. His fourth overtime winner of the playoffs.

An NHL record.

With just under 6:30 left in the game, Jake Walman gave his team the lead for the first time.

What a shot!

But Sam Reinhart, late in the game, sent everyone into overtime.

Edmonton may have won, but Paul Maurice’s team deserved the victory.

Out of 500 simulations, the visitors won this game 12.2% of the time…

Both teams return to action on Saturday in Canada, 8pm.

The series is now two of three.

Extended

– Matthew Tkachuk has had his hat trick stolen.

– What a shot!

– Scorers from game number four.

(Credit: NHL.com )
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According to Tony Marinaro, Sidney Crosby must offer himself in a transaction

There are many teams in the NHL’s Eastern Association that will be competitive next year. Many are looking for major pieces, and few teams are willing to sell their best players.

This is the case for the Penguins, who find themselves at a crossroads. They should sell their best players to get excellent returns, but perhaps Kyle Dubas will decide to give his aging group of veterans one last chance.

Tony Marinaro, who spoke to Jean-Charles Lajoie about the situation. The analyst believes that Sidney Crosby should request a trade for the Penguins to begin a rebuild.

“The best thing that could happen to the Penguins organization is that Crosby goes to the owners and says, ‘If you want to trade me, trade me.’ That way, they can trade everyone and start their rebuild.” – Tony Marinaro

He’s right. If Crosby asks for a trade, it will automatically mean the end of a cycle and the start of a rebuild. Plus, the Penguins could get the moon for his services considering the current market.

Malkin and Letang could follow and it would become interesting for buyers. For what it’s worth, I don’t think the Canadiens can compete if Crosby is ever offered to teams.

The price will be way too high and considering the fact that Kent Hughes doesn’t want to touch his future, a deal seems unlikely at this stage, but you never know.

Marinaro added an interesting point about teams that don’t want to end up like the Sabres and therefore want to get out of a rebuild quickly.

This is undoubtedly what drives teams like the Anaheim Ducks to want to pick up veterans like Kris Kreider to advance the cause quickly.

Overtime

– Will the price be right?

– It’s a real advantage,

– Lane Hutson honored once again.

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A 3rd place vote at the Vézina for Samuel Montembeault

Samuel Montembeault had a great season for the Habs. Despite some mid-season lows, he took his team to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

Yes, Jakub Dobes gave Montembeault a break in the second half of the season with some good performances, but it was the Québécois goaltender who took charge.

This evening, we learned that he had received a 3rd place vote for the Vézina Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s best goaltender.

Unsurprisingly, Connor Hellebuyck took top honors with 31 of the 32 first-place votes.

Andrei Vasilevskiy and Darcy Kuemper rounded out the podium.

Note that general managers vote for the Vézina Trophy, not journalists.

Montembeault was the 4th most-used goalkeeper last season, with 60 games played. He maintained a 31-24-7 record with an average of 2.82 and an efficiency percentage of 0.907.

He didn’t have the best statistics, but it was clearly his attitude in front of the net and his late-season performances that earned him third place.

He’s worked very hard since being taken in the Habs’ waivers. He’s become a sure thing in front of the net, as we saw in the playoffs when his absence hurt the Habs.

But does that mean we should give him a third-place vote? It’s debatable, but it shows that his performances are respected throughout the upper echelons of the NHL. I can’t wait to see what kind of season he’ll have next season.

Overtime

– Excellent start to his career.

– He practices hard so he doesn’t slow down.

– Files to follow.

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Hart: Nick Suzuki received more first-place votes than Connor McDavid

Nick Suzuki has had an extraordinary season.

And that season has been rewarded with a playoff appearance, a top-5 finish at the Lady Bing and now, a top-10 finish at the Hart Trophy, awarded to his team’s most valuable player.

The Habs captain finished ninth and received a first-place vote. That’s one more first-place vote than Connor McDavid, who also finished with 26 points.

Connor Hellebuyck was the obvious winner.

He’s the first goalie to win both the Hart and Vézina in a single season since… Carey Price.

But coming back to Suzuki, who also received one second-place vote and nine fifth-place votes, he finished his season with 89 points in 82 games.

By definition, the Hart is awarded to his team’s most valuable player. There’s no doubt that Hellebuyck was very important to his team. But the Canadiens… without Nick Suzuki? He wouldn’t have finished among the top eight clubs in the East.

I don’t think he deserved the trophy, but in my opinion, he was more useful to his team than a couple of guys ahead of him on the ballot. I’m thinking of Jack Eichel, Zach Werenski and Alex Ovechkin…

Leon Draisaitl and Nikita Kucherov rounded out the podium with 1209 and 973 points respectively. Nathan MacKinnon finished with 972 points.

In addition to the number 14, another Bleu-Blanc-Rouge player was honoured on Thursday evening. Lane Hutson was named to the league’s All-Rookie Team. The opposite would have been surprising.

Overtime

– Samuel Montembeault received a third-place vote for the first All-Star teams.

– Really?

– Carey Price had more playoff success.

– Ah well.

– Of course you would.

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Christian Dvorak back with the Canadiens: far from impossible, says Arpon Basu

Even though Christian Dvorak has spoken of his time in Montreal in the past tense, that doesn’t mean he won’t be back.

After all, Jake Evans did, too, and extended his contract a few days later.

But as for Dvorak, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent in the next few days, and while returning to the Canadiens seemed impossible at the start of the season, it’s now a possibility. Arpon Basu believes that, if both sides agree, it will be on July 3 (two days after the market opens). One thing is certain, the journalist believes in the possibility.

At the end of his TSN 690 Montreal segment, Basu states that the center, for two seasons, could be an excellent piece to help youngsters develop and offer some stability at center ice.

Because, apart from Nick Suzuki, that’s pretty tough…

But before accepting a two-year contract in the metropolis, Dvo will look at his options. Because if he’s offered a four-five year contract, he’ll definitely take it.

He’s still relatively young and this could be his last chance to get a big contract. Basu doesn’t see a world in which he doesn’t test the waters.

If he doesn’t find anything elsewhere, he could come back and tell the Canadiens he’ll take a two-year contract. – Arpon Basu

In 2024-2025, after an ordinary start to the season, 28 finished with 33 points in 82 games. He and his line were one of Martin St-Louis’s most consistent lines this season, and I’m sure the coach would like to keep that trio intact.

Now it’s up to Kent Hughes to work his magic.

Overtime

– Jonathan Marchessault is not on the market at the moment.

– Ah bon.

– The Ducks are aggressive.

– Please note.

– Too bad.

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Elliotte Friedman: “The Rangers seem to be on the verge of preparing an offer sheet”

Things have been hopping in New York for a few weeks now.

The Rangers have signed Mike Sullivan, they’ve traded Chris Kreider, they’ve identified some clubs interested in Alexis Lafrenière, they might like to send Mika Zibanejad and K’Andre Miller elsewhere…

Yikes. There’s a lot going on in this organization.

That said, the recent moves may have been made for a reason.

Because, according to Elliotte Friedman(SN 590)… the Rangers seem to be on the verge of preparing a hostile offer sheet.

Interesting!

And the player in question… is Buffalo’s JJ Peterka.

In all this, it’s worth remembering that the Rangers’ interest in Peterka is nothing new.

Because at the last NHL trade deadline… the Blue Shirts came close to picking him up in Buffalo. The deal fell through…

Then again, maybe that explains why the Rangers traded Chris Kreider and are trying to do the same with Alexis Lafreière.

Chris Drury wants to free up some space under the payroll to maneuver properly, and if he wants to give himself the best chance of getting Peterka out of Buffalo with an offer sheet, it’s important for him to have space.

That said, I’d like to draw a parallel between the Rangers and the Leafs.

In New York, we’re not capable of playoff success… like Toronto. But what’s the difference?

The Rangers aren’t afraid to shake things up. In Toronto, it’s the same thing all the time: you keep the core in place and hope things unblock at some point.

But hey. It remains to be seen, in all this, whether the changes made – and the plan to make an offer sheet – will work for the Rangers…

Overtime

– Oh.

– They have no choice but to come out hard tonight.

– Yep.

– Top MLB clubs:

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“There will be expansion in Atlanta in the next few years”

When it comes to NHL expansion, there are a number of cities that come to mind.

Of the lot?

Houston, Atlanta, Quebec City, New Orleans, Kansas City, Omaha (Nebraska), Cincinnati, San Diego…

But the longer this goes on, the more we understand that the idea of seeing a club return to Atlanta is growing.

Yesterday, Forsyth County voted in favor of the final documentation that would allow the Krause Group to officially propose NHL expansion in Atlanta.

All indications, then, are that the group will be able to present its full proposal to the NHL in the coming weeks… and it prompted Allan Walsh to say this, on Twitter:

The NHL will bring a club to Atlanta within the next few years. – Allan Walsh

Atlanta has twice failed to retain its hockey team.

After all, the Flames left Atlanta for Calgary in 1980, and the Thrashers headed to Winnipeg in 2011 to become the new Jets.

So why would it work this time?

It’s worth noting that the southern U.S. market has grown considerably since the 2000s.

The Nashville Predators, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Vegas Golden Knights, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Florida Panthers… These clubs have proven that it can work.

And in fact, Atlanta remains one of the biggest media markets without an NHL team. The league probably sees the economic potential (TV contract)… and we know that, in Gary Bettman’s eyes, the financial aspect is important.

But it still seems odd to see a club return to Atlanta for a third time. The plan has to be concrete for it to work, and the interest of the people who live there has to be there for it to work.

Still, I’m inclined to think it’s a bad idea…

Overtime

– Coming up.

– Who wins tonight?

– Wow!