Author: Dose

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The line-up of playoff clubs may have to respect the playoff salary cap

If there’s one thing that has been causing a stir in the playoffs for some years now, it’s the notorious non-existent salary cap.

Just think of the Vegas Golden Knights with Mark Stone, the 2021 edition of the Tampa Bay Lightning with its $18 million over the lot during the playoffs. And now, Evander Kane and the Edmonton Oilers are attracting interest at this level too.

When will the salary cap have to be respected during the spring dance?

According to Elliotte Friedman, it’s coming soon, and in view of the next collective agreement, it could become mandatory for the line-up.

That’s what he said in his most recent appearance on Sportsnet 590, with Matt Marchese and Mike Futa.

Note that this would not be the total salary of all the players in the line-up, but only the 18 players on the ice as well as the two goalkeepers.

We already know that the addition of payroll during the playoffs has already been discussed, but it’s mainly the aspect of players dressed for the game that piques my interest.

It would still give teams something to play for, while being fairer to everyone. Having a long-term injured player shouldn’t benefit you.

Payroll in the playoffs is a very interesting topic, because year after year, it’s one that gets a lot of attention.

At the end of every season, we seem to see players coming back just in time for the playoffs, when they could possibly be ready to return to the game beforehand. But since the salary would count against the mass, the team doesn’t dress it up beforehand to make the most of the space under the mass at the trade deadline.

I can’t wait to see what the new collective agreement brings, as there could be some interesting changes.

Overtime

– Always funny, this kind of video.

– This is truly amazing.

– Here’s one who’s been a major disappointment since his rookie season.

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Second center : The Habs want a long-term player

The Montreal Canadiens need two things for next season: a veteran right-handed blue-liner, but also a true second center.

Surrounding Ivan Demidov on the second line should be a priority for Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton.

Kirby Dach could be a backup plan if the Habs fail to fill this need, but it wouldn’t be ideal.

On the most recent episode of The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro, Eric Engels was on hand to discuss this topic.

According to him, the Habs want a player who would fit in with them to become a permanent winner :

Here’s the excerpt in question:

And it would make sense for the Habs not to add the services of a “decent” player. As long as they’re giving away prospects and/or draft picks, they might as well go after a center in his prime so he can have long-term success with the club.

Speaking of draft picks, Kevin Dubé of TVA Sports wrote an interesting article recently, reporting the words of a scout for an Eastern team.

The latter mentioned thatthere isa sharp drop in the value of prospects in the second half of the first round.

What does this mean for the Habs, who are drafting 16th and 17th?

They need to find a team willing to take risks with two consecutive picks and who need volume, rather than quantity.

And this team must have an interesting option as a second center for the Habs.

The options are starting to drop drastically.

Could the Anaheim Ducks use a breath of fresh air? Trevor Zegras has often been linked with the Habs, but he shouldn’t cost much, considering he’s not living up to expectations.

But why would the Habs want a 24-year-old who’s regressing year after year? Buy cheap in the hope that a change of scenery will help him find his feet.

But if the Habs want a REAL second center for the long term, Mason McTavish is still a more than interesting option (but much more expensive, obviously).

Both first-round picks would be in order, and the Habs have some pretty interesting prospects, as well as the Penguins’ second-round pick (41st).

It won’t be easy to find a quality second center in the long term.

Overtime

– A big man ready for Habs fan madness?Where do we sign?

– Brad Marchand is wearing a Dairy Queen jersey with an Oilers logo marked “Losers”.

– CF Montreal will be without Donadel for next Wednesday’s match.

– Read on.

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Ivan Demidov’s priority this summer: work on his skating stroke

Ivan Demidov came to Montreal as a surprise at the end of last season. His Russian team, SKA, decided to release him before the end of his contract, which was (really) not planned.

This allowed the kid to acclimatize a little to Montreal, but also to the NHL game. He played two games at the end of the regular season, then five playoff games.

And without saying that he “pulled out all the stops”, it was clear that, despite some very promising sequences, he still needed a little time to adapt.

The good news is that Demidov got his first taste of the NHL, and now he knows what it takes. He’ll now spend his summer in town, where he’ll practice in preparation for next season.

And Paul Byron, who works in player development for the Habs, is keeping a close eye on him… and according to Ti-Paul, the young Russian’s priority this summer is to work on his skating stroke.

Even before he was drafted, Demidov’s skating technique was called into question. It’s pretty unorthodox, after all, and one wonders if the Habs aren’t working with him a bit to “correct” it.

It’s also entirely possible that they’re letting him keep his technique and just trying to help him improve, but obviously Demidov wants to improve his skating stroke.

But Byron obviously likes what he’s seen of Demidov so far. He’s praised Demidov’s many qualities (his talent, his hands and his vision, among others), and he’s convinced that Demidov will arrive at camp ready for the season.

And Ti-Paul is convinced that Demidov is going to be “another great player for the fans to watch”.

We know that the kid has a thirst for improvement, and seeing him work on his skating leads me to believe that he’s capable of identifying his “weaknesses” and correcting them. That’s the right attitude for a young player, and I can’t wait to see how he does next season.

And for those who want a taste, maybe we’ll already see an improvement on July 12, when he visits Boisbriand…

Overtime

– Speaking of the wolf.

– Today’s news from the Montreal CF.

– Wow.

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“The Maple Leafs would have given more than $10.9M per year to Sam Bennett”

Last night, Sam Bennett was the talk of Florida. The forward, who was at a festival party yesterday, took to the microphone… and publicly announced that he wasn’t going anywhere.

It’s not completely settled yet, but clearly, the player wants nothing to do with leaving.

So we have to assume, until proven otherwise, that he won’t be leaving the Panthers. This means that the teams who coveted him for July 1 must now look elsewhere… and the Maple Leafs have to be considered.

We know that the Leafs, who will have money to spend with Mitch Marner on his way out, would have liked to repatriate Bennett, who is a little guy from Ontario. And according to Renaud Lavoie, the Leafs were even prepared to offer Bennett a monstrous contract: on BPM Sports this morning, he noted that Toronto would have offered Bennett “more than $10.9 million a year”.

10.9 M per year is the annual salary Mitch Marner received on his contract, which expires in ten days or so.

We know the Leafs have been looking for ways to break out of their playoff slump for years, and in Bennett, who just won the Conn Smythe Trophy after a very big playoff run, he would have added a player with a ton of dog, something the club has lacked in recent years.

That said, the club has been opting for the Core Four recipe for the past few years… and such a pact to Bennett would only recreate that same recipe by changing just one name. Or two, if John Tavares leaves, but you get the point.

It’s also worth remembering that Bennett, despite his 15 goals and 22 points in 23 playoff games, has never collected more than 51 points in a season. He’s celebrating his 29th birthday today, so he’s approaching 30… and the age when players generally start to regress.

And that’s even truer for a player as physical as Bennett.

Giving Bennett more money than Marner, who just doubled the Panthers forward’s points this season, makes it pretty clear that the Leafs would do anything to try and beat their spring demons.

And right now, there are people in Toronto who must really be hoping that negotiations between Bennett and the Panthers turn sour.

Overtime

– Of note.

– Contract buyouts: names to watch.

– Dante Fabbro is not close to a deal with the Blue Jackets. The Habs need to keep a close eye on this.

– Interesting.

– It says a lot about the relationship between the player and the team.

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Hostile offer sheet: forget the idea of Mavrik Bourque signing one this summer

The Dallas Stars have their work cut out for them this summer. After (another) loss in the Western finals, GM Jim Nill has his work cut out for him in terms of reshuffling his roster, which is already tight under the salary cap.

There’s a reason why Jason Robertson is constantly mentioned as a trade target: the Stars are short on cash.

And that was interesting, given that Québécois Mavrik Bourque’s contract expires on July 1. He was eligible to sign a hostile offer sheet, as he was about to become a restricted free agent… and a team could have put the Stars in trouble with a nice offer.

But that’s not going to happen, for one simple reason: the Stars have agreed with Bourque on the terms of a one-year, $950,000 contract.

He will therefore not become a restricted free agent.

More details to come…

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Jets: Jonathan Toews could earn up to $7 million in 2025-2026

This morning, we learned that Jonathan Toews would be making a return to action next season in a Jets uniform. The Manitoba native is coming home… and for the first time in his career, he’ll be wearing a uniform other than that of the Blackhawks.

The Jets have long been linked with the forward, and in 2025-26, it will finally become a reality.

We learned this morning that Toews has signed a one-year contract with a $2 million cap hit. But in reality, it’s a little more complicated than that, because there are some big performance bonuses in the deal.

In fact, the $2 million is the minimum salary Toews will receive, no matter what happens. But if we include all the bonus money, the bill could climb to… $7M.

Nothing less.

Basically, Toews can earn five different bonuses of $550,000 depending on how many games he plays this year. He’ll get one if he plays 20 games, another at 30 games, another at 40 games, another at 50 games and a final one at 60 games.

He’ll get even more money if he plays half the Jets’ games and the Jets make the playoffs (and go a long way). He’ll get $500,000 if he plays 50 games and the Jets make the playoffs, he’ll get $250,000 for every playoff round he wins in which he plays half the games, and he’ll add another million dollars if the Jets win the Stanley Cup and he plays half the games.

He can therefore earn $2.75 million in additional bonuses if he plays 60 games this season, regardless of the result. The other $2.25 million depends on his team’s performance (and the number of games he plays).

On the other hand, this amount is impressive for a player who, after all, hasn’t played in two years and, in his last NHL season, scored just 31 points (in 53 games). He was affected by illness, of course, but his game was in serious decline.

And usually, when a player misses two full seasons, he doesn’t break everything when he comes back.

And with bonuses that don’t depend on his number of points, for example, Toews could theoretically earn $4.75M this year by playing only 60 games, regardless of his impact on the team’s performance.

I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.

In Overtime

– News from Matthew Knies.

– Dan Muse has his assistants.

– New contract: Oilers to respect Connor McDavid’s timing.

– Hiring in the LPHF.

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“Bill, give me a contract!” brad Marchand won’t leave the Panthers

The Florida Panthers lifted the Stanley Cup on Tuesday night… and since then, the club has been on a tear. The guys are enjoying it… and they’re even showing Connor McDavid a lack of class.

I understand they like to be labeled the “bad guys”, but this might be a bit much.

And one of the guys having a lot of fun right now is Brad Marchand. The forward, acquired at the deadline, thanked the teams that let the players who helped the Panthers win the Stanley Cup go.

It’s worth remembering that Marchand will become a free agent in ten days’ time. And despite his age, it’s safe to assume that his big series means he’ll have the opportunity to break the bank if he so desires.

That said, Marchand has no desire to leave Florida. In front of the media this lunchtime, Marchand was asked what his message was for GM Bill Zito… and he was pretty clear:

Give me a contract! – Brad Marchand

It’s reminiscent of Sam Bennett last night, who said he wasn’t “going anywhere”. It’s not settled, but obviously that’s the player’s wish.

On the other hand, if both guys want to stay, they’re going to have to be willing to leave money on the table. Bennett may have to sign for $8 million a year in Florida, which is less than he could get on the open market.

Marchand, for his part, could be offered three years at more than $8 million a year on the independent market. I have a hard time seeing the Panthers, who already have quite a bit of money on their lot, making him an offer on par with what the Maple Leafs or the Mammoth could offer him.

We’ll see how all this develops, but the next 10 days will be very interesting to follow in Florida. There are some big deals on the table for Bill Zito, who probably has to wait for his players to finish sobering up before negotiating.

Or, in Marchand’s case, wait until he finishes serving the Blizzards at Dairy Queen.

Overtime

– The Canucks wanted Matt Duchene.

– Greg Cronin is leaving to practice with the Wild.

– Signature in Carolina.

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Zach Fucale: there were teams interested in the NHL this year

We recently had the opportunity to speak with Zachary Fucale in an interview. After talking about the Make Your Move project, we also discussed his career.

For those of you who have been following the Québécois’ activities over the past few weeks, you will have seen that the goaltender has changed teams in the KHL. After two years (including a final in the last few weeks) with Chelyabinsk Traktor, the Québécois is now in Minsk.

He has signed a two-year contract with the Dimano.

What you need to know is that the former Capitals goaltender enjoyed his two years with Traktor. He didn’t leave because he didn’t want to play in Chelyabinsk anymore, on the contrary.

He enjoyed playing for Traktor (Benoît Groulx’s 2024-2025 team), and reaching the final this year was special.

But the hockey business being what it is (with the salary cap and all the decisions made out of his control by management), he was forced to make a decision.

And for him and his family, it’s better in Minsk.

The goalie was also asked how close he came to returning to the NHL. After all, we know that his name has been bandied about in recent months for a position on the Bettman circuit.

It’s a very small sample, but in four career games in Washington, he’s held his own (1.75 average, .924 efficiency). And no one will take away his early-career feat.

The answer is that there was interest this year. His success in the KHL opened some eyes.

But the problem with a potential return to North America to make his mark in the NHL is the timing of the free agent period in Russia versus North America.

In reality, since contracts end on May 30 in the KHL and July 1 in the NHL, he would have waited a month to see if he ever got a good offer in the NHL.

The problem? If it hadn’t worked out here, he’d probably have lost a #1 position elsewhere in the KHL and taken a less interesting role in Russia by July.

There were teams interested.

To have waited, I would have taken a risk of losing what was available. It was a gamble I didn’t want to take. – Zach Fucale

Now he finds himself in a position that makes him happy. He loves his life in Russia (even if it’s not always easy because of the language) and he can play top-level hockey.

And clearly, it suits him. He’s somewhere else now, 12 years after being drafted by his childhood team in the second round in 2013.

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Party: Panthers stars must stop disrespecting Connor McDavid

On paper, the Panthers have a lot of respect for Connor McDavid.

Aleksander Barkov once said he was the most talented player he’d ever seen. Matthew Tkachuk thinks McJesus will win the Stanley Cup at some point in his career.

In short, the guys say what needs to be said… when they’re in work mode.

But for the past few days, when the party started after beating Connor McDavid’s Oilers for the second time in as many seasons, the guys have been getting away with it.

It started when Sam Reinhart (who will be playing with McDavid in the Olympics, last I heard) asked a fan on camera to shut the hell up when he asked Sasha Barkov what he thought of the Oilers player.

That’s a weird one.

Clearly, even though Barkov said they were just drinking water, Reinhart was obviously afraid of what his captain was going to say. Otherwise, he’d have just let him talk, right?

And what about Matthew Tkachuk?

Sober, he sees McDavid winning the Cup one day. But when the party’s in full swing, he grabs a microphone to say “who the hell is Connor McDavid?” to a cheering crowd.

I don’t like to see the Panthers knock a guy to the ground. The Oilers captain must be destroyed right now and unless he’s done something we don’t know about, he doesn’t deserve to be planted the same in celebration.

It’s a shame, because there’s a way to celebrate without crossing the line.

And for a club that sings the praises of its team chemistry, you realize that the guys are good at holding their own, but they’re lousy winners in reality.

It seems the examples are piling up… and not for the right reasons.

I figure Paul Maurice must be as perfect as everyone says he is, since as soon as he’s no longer around, his players suddenly have no class and can’t behave.

I find this rather ordinary since, when you think about it, there are ways to celebrate in the right way. Brad Marchand at Dairy Queen, for example, is absolutely perfect.

You don’t have to laugh at the Oilers to have fun.

If this keeps up, we’ll really have to wonder if McDavid won’t want to go to Tampa Bay (with a top-notch goalie) to go make the Panthers swallow their words.

overtime

– Jonathan Toews is a happy guy.

– Greg Cronin in the AHL: he’s leaving to manage the Iowa Wild.

– Coming up.

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“If the Habs draft him twice, Justin Carbonneau will undoubtedly become a Montreal Canadiens.”

Every June – it’s the summer solstice today, which means the days will start getting shorter tomorrow – David Ettedgui uses his contacts to share the news he hears behind the scenes.

Hostile offer for Sebastian Aho… deal for a young forward… willingness to draft Matvei Michkov Ivan Demidov… Georges Laraque’s former agent has often been right this time of year in the past.

Early this morning, Ettedgui published a long tweet in which he released several interesting tidbits.

For Canadiens fans, here’s what there is to know about the things David Ettedgui has been hearing over the past few weeks:

1. Justin Carbonneau’s stock is down across the NHL. Why is that? Ettedgui doesn’t say. However, I was told just a few days ago that Carbonneau’s character and dedication without the puck doesn’t appeal to all hockey executives. However, should the Canadiens make the first round twice on June 27, Ettedgui is convinced that Carbonneau will be wearing a blue-white-red vest on the stage.

“If the Canadiens draft twice, Justin Carbonneau will without a shadow of a doubt become a Montreal Canadiens […] if the Canadiens draft just once, expect to see Carter Bear or Lynden Lakovic.”

If the Habs are talking 16th and 17th, Ettedgui sees them selecting Carbonneau and Lynden Lakovic.

Another Carbo (2.0) in Montreal in the next few years? A goal-scorer born in la belle province, wouldn’t that sell?

2. Kashawn Aitcheson and Jackson Smith should no longer be available at No. 16.

3. Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton are reportedly actively looking to add a high-caliber player on draft day. That high-caliber player would probably be Sidney Crosby, a center..

Watch out, though! Utah, Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Columbus and Los Angeles are also said to be trying to get their hands on a top-quality player, and could beat the Habs to the punch. There will be competition for Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton…

4. The Canadiens could move up 4-6 spots and draft Roger McQueen, Radim Mrtka or Kashawn Aitcheson.

5. If Caleb Desnoyers is still available at #4 or #5, Kent Hughes could be tempted to trade with the Mammoth or Preds to move up into the top 5. But forget about a trade for one of the first picks or for another player ranked in the top 5.

Caleb Desnoyers will be a special player.
(Credit: QMJHL)

6. As I reported last week, Trevor Zegras is not dead in Montreal, but he’s not a priority for the Habs. We’d prefer to get our hands on a true second undisputed center.

It will be interesting to see what percentage of the information shared this morning by the BPM Sports columnist will be validated in ten days’ time. For now, all these revelations are interesting. But let’s wait and see…

in Overtime

– It was a busy day in MLB yesterday.

– To watch.

– He’s home.