He also mentioned talented Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras, who has yet to sign his next contract.
What makes the Zegras situation more complex, however, is that he has the necessary arguments to sign a lucrative long-term contract directly rather than a bridge contract.
And this is surely at the heart of why the Ducks’ number 11 has yet to sign.
If we understand the situation correctly, Zegras, like several other young players like Tim Stützle, wants to follow the current NHL trend of bypassing the bridge contract in order to sign a more lucrative long-term contract directly.
With two 60+ point seasons (61 and 65 to be precise), Zegras is understandable.
It remains to be seen why a contract has not yet been signed between the two parties.
Earlier this week, Zegras even announced that he would not return to Anaheim until he had a contract in hand.
In fact, he attended a charity event where Martin St-Louis stopped by for a visit → https://t.co/nWdjYN6NnF
Yes, exactly, it brings to mind the William Nylander situation we followed at the start of the 2018-2019 season.
Nylander wasn’t getting along with the Leafs on his new contract, even after the season had started.
As a result, the Swedish forward went on strike and missed a good part of the season, as he still didn’t have a contract in his pocket.
Finally, Nylander signed his contract and joined the Leafs to complete the season, playing 54 games and scoring 27 points (seven goals and 20 assists).
As we noted at the time, Nylander didn’t fare too well in his return to the Leafs that season, having missed all of training camp and the early part of the season.
So, right now, Zegras and the Ducks need to remember that situation and try to avoid it.
It’s never a good thing to create such a conflict, especially not with one of the team’s star players.
Zegras wants to play and the Ducks want to see Zegras play, so a Nylander-type situation is definitely one to avoid.
However, if Zegras sticks to his salary and contract demands, he’ll have no choice but to hold out and risk missing training camp and maybe even a few games.
In short, I don’t think we’ll get that far, especially considering that the Ducks aren’t stuck to the salary cap, on the contrary (about $20 million under the cap).
All the same, it’s an issue we’ll have to keep an eye on.
In a gust
– Sweden eliminates defending champions USA on penalty kicks. Sweden will face Japan in the next round.
It’s hard to say how much Laffy will get in his next contract, but a short-term deal should be on the table for both sides.
Firstly, New York doesn’t have the salary room to sign him long-term, and on the other hand, Lafrenière has no interest in signing long-term if he hopes to secure a lucrative contract.
The Rangers have another option, and that’s to place one of their names on the long-term injured list, to free up salary to extend his contract.
However, this option is not currently available, and will have to wait until early October.
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Among the uncompensated autonomous players still without a contract is Anaheim Ducks star Trevor Zegras.
I must say I was surprised when I realized this, but both parties really want the best deal possible.
Zegras had already confirmed that he would not be joining the Ducks organization until he had a contract extension.
He is taking the opportunity to remain in Stamford, Connecticut, where he trains with other NHL players, including Chris Kreider.
Juraj Slafkovsky has been polarizing for all sorts of reasons since his selection at the very top of the 2022 draft.
First of all, some people believe that Slafkovsky should not have been selected in the first place.
Others believe he should have started the season in the AHL.
Still others believe he should have participated in the 2023 World Junior Championship.
Instead, the CH decided to keep him with their club, even though the young Slovak was going through a difficult time in the month leading up to the tournament.
On that point, I still don’t understand this decision, because the team was going nowhere at that point anyway.
I’d also have preferred him to start with the Laval Rocket to get used to the North American style of play.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, I’m not the team’s general manager.
However, many fans shared these opinions.
Now that the 2023-2024 season is fast approaching, many still believe that Slafkovsky should start the season in Laval.
Sucks that Slafkovsky’s rookie season was wasted by playing him on bottom lines lower than 10min per game, not sending him to world juniors to regain more ice time and confidence, not making him start the season in the AHL or even juniors leagues like Mesar. 1/2 #gohabsgo
If we’re honest and forget the 1st overall selection, Slafkovsky should be in Laval all year and also go to the WJC since he’s still eligible and he could help Slovakia get a medal. Let him have fun this year https://t.co/TR2Q4hWCL7
On Twitter, Salfkovsky’s name is often linked to the American League and the World Junior Championship.
It’s interesting to wonder.
With his first professional year in North America and his results, would it be a good idea to send Slaf to Laval and the WJC to represent his country?
If you ask me, the idea of sending him to the World Junior Championship should be a “must”. As for Laval, I don’t think it’s the best option.
The decision to keep him in the NHL or demote him should depend on the starting line-up and also on the young player’s pre-season performances.
If Slafkovsky has a good training camp, he should start the season with the big club.
And honestly, that’s all I wish for him.
A great pre-season would boost his confidence significantly, and it could give him the opportunity to play alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield on the first line.
– Ivan Demidov is a prospect who should be selected in the top-3 of the next NHL draft.
I studied Demidov’s last game in the MHL playoffs yesterday, and he’s the real deal. I will be posting a scouting video on Recrutes tomorrow. https://t.co/jKB4B2ywDY
Nosek’s one-year, million-dollar contract restricted the club’s salary cap. They could have had nearly 3 million dollars under the payroll.
Perhaps with that extra million dollars, the Devils would have had the money to re-sign the Slovak.
GM Tom Fitzgerald had other plans in mind.
In addition to Tatar, Patrick Kane is still available, but his agent had made it clear that he would not sign before the start of the season, or even when he is able to return to action.
His recovery period was estimated at between four and six months last June, which could keep him out of action until December.
Tatar thus becomes, for the time being, the best striker still without a contract.
Even if the majority of the big names available are forwards, there’s still one good defenseman on the free agent market: Matt Dumba.
According to the renowned Elliotte Freidman, Dumba would be of interest to the San Jose Sharks too, only if they manage to trade Erik Karlsson as many rumors have it.
NHL Tonight: Elliotte Friedman on NHL Tonight on unrestricted free agent defenseman Matt Dumba. ** https://t.co/tyGSwOBQXf transcription Bruce Boudreau: “Last thing from me Elliotte. I guy that I had, had a lot of interest all year is Matt Dumba. I…https://t.co/txv7kYdx8F
In the last 3 seasons, Pavel Buchnevich has more 5v5 points than:
– Timo Meier – Tage Thompson – Elias Lindholm – Jack Hughes – John Tavares – Aleksander Barkov – Anze Kopitar – Roope Hintz – Claude Giroux – Elias Pettersson
By drafting Matvei Michkov seventh overall in the last draft, the Flyers took a gamble on one of the most dynamic forwards of recent years. Michkov is a real offensive bomb, and if he does make the jump to the NHL, he’s likely to rack up points at a breathtaking pace.
In recent years, we’ve mainly seen him play as a winger, but since the start of the KHL preparatory schedule, Michkov has been used at center. Our colleague Marc-Olivier Cook mentioned this to you this week.
In fact, his coaches have given him a brand new role and he’s adapted perfectly → https://t.co/eJCaA5mROG
Clearly, then, they seem to want to use him in a new role. There might be a bit of an adjustment period, but so far, it doesn’t seem like it.
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In fact, the results so far have been very promising: even today, he found the back of the net. Two goals (and an assist) in two games at center ice, that’s a nice touch.
And clearly, Mishkov seems determined to make the transition a smooth one: according to the principal, he began studying the game of none other than Sidney Crosby from the moment he learned he’d be employed at center.
Obviously, the sample size is still small, but we can begin to wonder whether the position change will benefit Michkov, who is already producing at an impressive rate for an 18-year-old in the KHL. And that’s not counting the fact that he’s doing it without moving to his natural position.
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If we’re going to play a bit of a prediction game for the upcoming campaign, we might wonder whether Michkov could have a historic season there. Remember that each team plays 68 games in a KHL season, and the record for goals in a single campaign is 48 (by Sergei Mozyakin, in 2016-17).
It may be a little early to ask whether Mishkov will already be in a position to fight to dethrone his Russian compatriot, but I don’t think it’s absurd to believe that he’ll be able to go for the 30-goal plateau. And if he scores 32, he’ll already be in the top-20 in league history for most goals in a single campaign.
(Credit: Screenshot/QuantHockey)
If he and Ivan Demidov (a top prospect in the upcoming draft) have the right chemistry this year, both guys have the potential to make a splash, even if they’re playing against professional players.
And if both have big seasons, they’ll continue to cement their place among the NHL’s elite prospects.
In gusts
– What do you think?
How many points will Huby Dubey Doo finish 2023-24 with? 🔥 #FantasyHockey
The final of the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament took place today, pitting Canada against the Czech Republic. The tournament pits the best under-18 players on the international scene against each other.
The tournament showcased the best hopefuls for the next draft, including the prodigious Michael Misa, eligible for the 2025 draft.
In short, Canada was trying to win the tournament for the 24th time, while the Czech Republic was trying to win for the first time since 2016.
The problem was that a few hours before the start of the match, it rained in the region of Braclav, the town hosting the tournament final.
And the rain was so heavy that it caused serious problems inside the Fosfa Arena, to the point where there was a ton of fog on the ice 90 minutes before the start of the match.
Just over 90 minutes to the gold medal game at the 2023 Hlinka/Gretzky Cup, but there are serious issues at the arena in Breclav. It’s pouring rain outside and very humid, as a result there is heavy fog inside and condensation is dripping on the ice. pic.twitter.com/q11Q7eZOTC
And as misfortune never comes alone, fog and condensation weren’t the only weather phenomena the arena had to contend with: it actually started raining inside.
Not exactly ideal conditions for a match, we agree.
It’s pouring outside and literally raining in the arena. The local organizers are expecting a large crowd, which won’t help matters once they fill the arena. https://t.co/7J1ovDFCatpic.twitter.com/hpxGmFml2H
The good news, however, was that the ventilation cleared away most of the fog before the match started, so both clubs were able to play the final. The Czechs scored first, but the Canadians responded with two second-half goals.
At the end of the third period, the Czechs tied the score with a beautiful power-play goal.
So we needed overtime to decide between the two clubs. And let’s not forget that this tournament is played 3-on-3, not 5-on-5.
The two teams exchanged good scoring chances, and it wasn’t until the very end of overtime that the winning goal was scored: Malcolm Spence grabbed the disc and scored the golden goal with a handful of seconds left in the fourth.
This week, Jean-Sébastien Dea made news when he said he was “mentally drained” by spending his time in the AHL. He said he hoped to get a chance to prove himself in the NHL, but wouldn’t mind getting a job in Europe.
Clearly, he didn’t want to play again with the Tucson Roadrunners (the Arizona Coyotes’ training club) in 2023-24.
So you’d think that with such comments made public, the forward and his clan would be trying to find a team in Europe to welcome him. Of course, the Coyotes weren’t going to stand in his way: he was unhappy with the organization and wanted to try his luck elsewhere.
And today, we learn that Dea will finally have the chance to play somewhere other than the AHL next year: the Coyotes have placed him on the unconditional ballot with a view to terminating his contract.
This is the second time this summer that the Coyotes have terminated a contract, having done the same with Alex Galchenyuk in July following his arrest in the Scottsdale area. This time, however, the decision was made by mutual agreement: Dea really wanted out, and the Coyotes accommodated him.
The Players’ Association won’t be interfering, we agree.
And in the end, if the player is happy, that’s a good thing. Clearly, the former member of the CH organization needed a change of scenery, and since no NHL team seemed willing to offer him a chance with the big club, he’ll be spending next season in Europe.
We wish him a great year there and, above all, we hope he’ll rediscover the pleasure of playing. He said he’d lost it playing in the AHL, and maybe it’s in Europe that he’ll find it again.
But to this trio of forwards who will occupy these positions, we thought it would be a good idea to add another one who is difficult to rank, to say the least, a player for whom this may be the very last chance to establish himself in the NHL.
Put Lias Andersson in the “honorable mentions” if you like, or rank him 10th if you like.
Personally, I’d simply call him a wildcard player and don’t assign him a specific position in the rankings.
But he could well be important for the CH if the stars align a little…
A very passionate and emotional player, others will also remember that he threw his silver medal into the stands at the 2018 WJC after losing in the final to Canada.
Andersson, picked against all odds seventh overall by Jeff Gorton’s Blue Shirts in 2017 – observers were anticipating him more in the middle of the first round – eventually experienced some difficult episodes psychologically as he was unable to establish himself with the Rangers in the years following his draft.
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Leaving the New York organization in December 2019, to clear his head in Sweden, and eventually return to the SHL, Andersson confessed to suffering from a fear of failure, developing bad lifestyle habits in the process, including a lack of sleep and late-night video games…
So, after playing a few games in the SHL to keep fit in the winter of 2020, Andersson was happy to have the chance to switch from the Rangers to the Kings at the end of the season. But it never really worked out for him in Los Angeles, where he played just 44 games in three seasons.
It was more after a transition to the wing with the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ training club, that the Swede was finally able to assert himself in North America, recording no less than 82 points, including 43 goals, in 86 games during the same period.
It’s worth noting that we simply haven’t seen this kind of statistic from a young CH prospect in Laval in recent years. Only Ylonen and Harvey-Pinard came close, and even then…
In the first instance, therefore, it’s his offensive potential and his impressive statistics with the Reign, particularly his scoring touch, that prompt us to give him a special place in this tally.
🚨 Lias Andersson on the Ontario Reign power play roofs it over Spencer Martin to tie this game at one.
Secondly, let’s not underestimate Andersson’s value to the Habs organization.
Of course, unless he destroys everything in his path at training camp (and even then), Andersson will start the year in Laval and is likely to be the Rocket’s best forward. He’s also likely to be the first to be recalled in case of injury.
But here’s where it gets even more interesting, especially if the CH is still a seller this season, is that there are at least half a dozen forwards in the CH’s current line-up who aren’t sitting on very comfortable chairs.
Anticipating at least one or two departures among Monahan, Dvorak, Evans, Hoffman, Pitlick, Ylonen and maybe even Josh Anderson if Hughes has his price, there’s a good chance the former Frolunda will play at least 30 games with the CH this season.
If he puts up RHP-like numbers, say 15-20 points in 35 games, playing 12-13 minutes per game, he might even get a nice little contract extension. The CH would then have another versatile forward in the same age group as the core we want to see grow together.
We won’t compare him to Dach or Newhook, but the acquisition of Andersson – 25 in October – is somewhat in line with the same rebuilding philosophy, which doesn’t rely exclusively on draft picks, but also (very much) on acquiring young players whose talent hasn’t been optimized elsewhere.
It remains to be seen whether Andersson will be able to do in the CH organization what he has never done elsewhere: produce in the NHL, having recorded just 17 points in 110 games in the world’s best league to date.
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At the time, Jeff Gorton admitted, shortly after trading him, that the Rangers had mishandled Andersson’s development. Now that his development seems to be complete in the AHL, we’re curious to see what kind of opportunity the Montreal organization will offer him.
Although reportedly 5’11, Andersson looks small on the ice and isn’t particularly fast or physically strong. On the other hand, he has very good hands and is able to shoot quickly and accurately. You don’t score 43 goals in 86 games in the AHL by chance…
We think the Gorton-Bobrov duo still believe in his above-average talent and really want to give him one last chance to establish himself in the NHL at a time when Andersson has no doubt dealt with his youthful anxieties and knows he has nothing left to lose.
Perhaps a smart, passionate player like Andersson could benefit from a smart, passionate coach like Martin St-Louis…
In the “long shot” style on a former top first-round pick, I prefer his chances to Gurianov’s.
Even though I ranked him higher last year and he rose in my esteem after his encouraging NCAA debut, I must confess I never quite shared the enthusiasm for Sean Farrell that many were (but may already be) a little less enthusiastic about.
I feel that his last year in the USHL as an overager and his first year in college as a 20-year-old “fake freshman ” showed us somewhat skewed stats that didn’t reveal his true potential. And let’s not forget that Harvard plays in a very weak NCAA division, so even his 53 points in 34 games last year as a “fake sophomore “m have to be put into perspective.
It’s as if Farrell had been placed in parallel realities for two, three years.
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After his “dream season” at Harvard, the shock of reality was quite brutal in the six games he was able to play with the CH at the end of the season.
The difference between his arrival from the NCAA and Caufield in the spring of 2021 was immediately apparent. Management noticed too, and skipped a few games to give him some breathing room.
One of his most enthusiastic supporters was undoubtedly Adam Nicholas, the Tricolore’s director of development, who had known him well in the USHL while working with the Chicago Steel. I don’t know if he was a bit disappointed after seeing his “protégé’s” modest debut in Montreal, but let’s just say that the latter simply wasn’t ready for the NHL.
Nor do I know whether Simon Boisvert, who drafted Farrell to the Val-d’Or Foreurs and whose opinions I highly respect, has lowered his expectations of Farrell with what he showed the Tricolore last spring.
During his appearance on Le Retour des sportifs with Martin Lemay, Simon Boisvert says that Sean Farrell is one of the most talented prospects on the CH.🔵 ⚪ 🔴
Farrell, who will already be 22 this November, just wasn’t fast enough or strong enough, so we didn’t really get to see his dominant qualities like his intelligence and shooting.
That’s why we don’t expect him to play too many games this season in Montreal. Farrell needs to get his bearings in the AHL, find his feet and adapt to the speed of the game and the strength of the players.
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Use value: What’s his future in Montreal?
But, even more importantly, what about his future within the organization?
Farrell has about the same size as Caufield, but not the same physical strength, explosion, dynamism, shooting or talent.
And the CH already has several other players of slightly below-average stature who are all physically stronger than he is.
Will he fit in on a top-6 that already boasts Caufield, Suzuki, and possibly players like Newhook and Roy? Or on a third line already featuring Beck and Mesar?
If he can’t play on the team’s first two, or even three, lines, will we really want a Sean Farrell on a fourth line?
Don’t think so…
Make any CHdepth chart you want for the years to come, Farrell would really have to bounce back quickly at the professional level in Laval and have a whole 2023-2024 season for us to change our minds about him…
14. Filip Mesar (Last ranking: 12th) Potential: 31/40 Insurance: 14/20 Use value: 21/30 Exchange value : 6,5/10 Total : 72.5 / 100
There’s a risk that Filip Mesar will never establish himself in the NHL. But there’s also a much better chance that he’ll play at least 99 games in the NHL according to this statistical model, something on the order of 70% for a 26th overall pick like him.
At least, that’s what it looks like if you look at draft picks from 2000 to 2009, as Jokke Nevalainen did in this 2020 analysis found on dobberprospects.com, which surveyed more than 2,000 players during that period.
(Credit: Screenshot/dobberprospects.com)
Statistical probabilities aside, the more we look at him, the more we analyze him, the more two names come to mind when we see him play: Ylonen and Lehkonen. In both cases, the key to their success in reaching the NHL was hard work and patience. It’ll be the same for Mesar, who hasn’t fallen too far in our esteem since our last assessment last summer. In fact, we think he has a bit more potential.
Although the young Slovak probably has a little more raw talent than his “comparables”, he too will have to work hard and be patient before he can make the big leap.
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Lehkonen arrived in North America and established himself in the NHL at the age of 21, three full years after being drafted.
Ylonen will be 24 in October and played more than 30 games for the first time last season alone.
Like his two predecessors, at 5’10, 168 lbs, Mesar isn’t exactly a 2 x 4, so he’ll need to add some muscle over the years and continue to play to his strengths: speed, puck control, shooting and above-average playmaking ability.
Mesar looked pretty good alongside Owen Beck at the CH’s last development camp last July. (Credit: Tony Patoine)
Mesar will also need to continue learning the North American culture and style of play. In this respect, living with his good friend Slafkovsky in the metropolitan region will probably be an excellent way for him to acclimatize smoothly.
Of course, if he’d been more dominant in Kitchener last year, he’d be higher on this list, but don’t worry too much about his ordinary OHL stats (51 points in 52 games). It’s been a year of adaptation, with its ups and downs.
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It’s only this year in Laval that we’ll really see what young Mesar is made of.
Let’s just say that if he scores just nine points in 40 games like Jan Mysak did last year, his value to the organization will obviously suffer.
But producing 30 or more points at age 19 would be rather encouraging, since we don’t see him establishing himself with the CH until he’s 21-22. So there’s no hurry in his case.
Mesar will have to live with this inevitable comparison, make his own way and “control what he can control” as Epictetus would say… or Stéphane Richer, depending.
Still following in the footsteps of Lehkonen and Ylonen, we therefore anticipate Mesar as more of a 3rd trio player, but with his versatility, speed and talent, he could also act as a 3rd wheel on a more offensive trio and perhaps even earn himself some playing time on the power play.
We know he’d love to have “Batman” Slafkovsky back on his trio one of these days, no doubt a great source of motivation for “Robin” Mesar!
But we’ll have to start by being on the same team first.
The big challenge will be there for Mesar, and he’ll have to repeat this over the coming years: “Patience and length of time are more important than strength and rage…”, as the oldsaying goes…
There’s no need to fear Heineman’s sensational arrival (7 goals, 9 points in 11 games) with the Rocket last spring. It’s not uncommon for newcomers to ride the adrenaline wave and experience such irresistible sequences in their early days (see Poehling, Ryan).
Heineman really wasn’t scoring at that rate in the SHL, and no one here is going to predict a 50-goal season with the Rocket or a 30-goal season in Montreal!
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However, even though he was blanked in his last six games in Laval after his hot start, it’s pretty clear that his adaptation to North American rinks won’t pose too many problems. In fact, it may even be to his advantage, especially with the devastating shot he possesses and which he will now often use from a little closer range, a shot strangely reminiscent of that of the Sabres’ Victor Olofsson, a scorer of some twenty goals a year…
There’s no doubt that Gorton and Hughes hold Heineman in high esteem, having insisted that the Flames give up the Swede in the Tyler Toffoli trade.
Backarna frös fast. Då passade Heineman på att göra sitt femte mål för säsongen 🏎💨
Heineman is strong, fast, feisty, and as we said, has a shot well above average. So he has the tools to be a fairly versatile and effective winger in a north-south style who can play on just about any trio. If he performs well on the power play in Laval, he could well get his chance one day in Montreal in this same phase of the game. After Hoffman’s departure, the CH won’t have many left-handed forwards with a shot like his…
It remains to be seen whether Heineman can develop the requisite 200-foot intelligence to quickly earn a place in the NHL sun. His defensive reads still need work, but it’s not an Everest to climb, we agree…
Like many others, the former Panthers prospect will probably have to be patient before he gets a real opportunity with the Habs. But the 22-year-old, who turns 22 in November and already has three years’ pro experience in Sweden, already displays a level of confidence and maturity in his offensive game that others don’t yet have.
Let’s bet an old friend that a few administrative decisions and/or a couple of injuries will almost guarantee him his first NHL games this season.
It will be VERY interesting to follow his progress with the Rocket and see if he can form a duo at the start of the season in Laval with compatriot Lias Andersson.
If the dominoes fall into place, these two could be a breath of fresh air for the Tricolore down the road.
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Conclusion
By adding Andersson to Farrell, Mesar and Heineman, the Canadiens now have four forwards with somewhat similar profiles – “depth wingers with potential” – who will be competing for positions and minutes in the months and years to come, in Laval as well as in Montreal.
That said, these are not players who will transform the CH’s offense, and they probably won’t all be able to play with the big club in the long term.
But I do think that Heineman, with his size, physical strength, speed and shooting, stands out a little from the pack and brings some of the rarer ingredients that the team’s leaders are looking for. That’s why I value him a little more than the others in this countdown of the most important prospects.
But we’ll also be keeping a very close eye on Lias Andersson in the coming months, as he’s surely the one who’s closest to the NHL with the blossoming he experienced last year in the AHL at the age of 24.
Everyone can’t wait for field hockey to start again.
The off-season is long and painful in the National Hockey League, especially for fans of teams that didn’t make the playoffs.
Right, Montreal Canadiens fans?
Even though the 2023-2024 season is once again shaping up to be a non-playoff season in which the CH will finish in the lower echelons of the NHL, fans are eager to see the team back in action.
We’re all looking forward to the 2023-2024 season to see the development and progression of all the team’s young players, as well as newcomers like Alex Newhook.
What will be even more interesting and exciting for fans is to follow the rookie camp as well as the team’s training camp to find out which players will make the team.
Right now, that’s what everyone’s speculating about: what will the line-up look like when we face the Toronto Maple Leafs in our season opener on October 11?
We want to know which hopefuls/youngsters will have found a position in Montreal, and which players will have been sent down with the Laval Rocket.
When you say down, you mean potential ballot passes.
And that’s where it’s going to get tricky for the Habs when it comes to making decisions.
Which players will the CH take the risk of losing via the ballot?
Get your #GoHabsGo Mailbag answers! This week we discuss:
– The potential battles at Montreal Canadiens training camp – The enforcer situation in the Atlantic – Xhekaj’s potential – Ylonen’s hopes – Great roadtrip songs – Trade potential
Well, the more we analyze the situation, the more we realize that a rather important decision will have to be made between two players, namely Michael Pezzetta and Jesse Ylönen.
And why is that?
Well, because if logic holds and Kent Hughes fails to trade one of the veteran forwards (Mike Hoffman, Joel Armia and/or Christian Dvorak), they’ll have to be in the line-up, at least to start the season.
This leaves the CH with 16 forwards who played NHL games last season.
It’s important to note that I’m not counting Sean Farrell (six games), Owen Beck (one game) and Lucas Condotta (one game).
That leaves 15 forwards, and that’s where my aforementioned dilemma comes in.
Generally, NHL teams keep 13 to 14 forwards in the NHL.
12 are on the ice, while two serve as extras.
If the CH keeps 14 forwards up top, there’s still one too many, and that one too many will be between Michael Pezzetta and Jesse Ylönen.
One of the two will most likely be sacrificed and sent to the ballot if no forwards are traded between now and the start of the season.
What’s more, I don’t think RHP (exempt from the ballot) will be sent to Laval to protect Pezzetta AND Ylönen.
So, now, who to choose?
Pezzetta, 25, is a crowd favorite for his intense, rugged and sometimes comical style of play.
The CH’s number 55 has established himself over the past two seasons as an ideal player to have on the fourth line.
He won’t exactly rack up the points, but the way he plays upsets the opposition, and the CH needs that.
In 114 NHL games so far, Pezzetta has accumulated 12 goals and 14 assists for a total of 26 points.
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As for 23-year-oldYlönen, he’s the complete opposite of Pezzetta.
He’s a rather discreet player in terms of intensity and sturdiness, and doesn’t really get involved in this kind of game.
However, he’s an excellent skater with solid vision and a very good shot.
The problem with Ylönen is that he always seems to lack something in his game.
He does everything pretty well, but he never stands out enough to be convincing.
In 52 career NHL games, Ylönen has amassed eight goals and 13 assists for a total of 21 points.
So, who do you pick?
Personally, I’d still choose Pezzetta over Ylönen, mainly because I sincerely believe that Pezzetta would be claimed in the ballot, whereas in Ylönen’s case, I’m not so sure that any team would claim him.
Admittedly, Ylönen is more talented than Pezzetta, and brings more to the table offensively, but considering that there are plenty of players of his style in the NHL, I prefer Pezzetta’s unique style of play.
So, normally, one of the two will have to be sacrificed before the first game of the season, that is of course taking into account that no prospect completely surprises everyone at training camp and forces the team’s hand.
That could very well happen.
Joshua Roy, Sean Farrell and Emil Heineman will all want to prove that they already deserve their place in the NHL.
En Rafale
– To be continued in connection with the Erik Karlsson file.
Romell Quioto has become a fundamental part of CF Montreal’s attack. When he’s absent, the club struggles to find an equally effective alternative to finish off the action.
Unfortunately, not all players drafted in the first round of the National Hockey League get the chance to develop and reach their full potential.
Being drafted very high up is just a number, while the work still to be done to establish oneself in the NHL as a good player is still very great.
This explains why, every year, former top draft picks find themselves on life support.
The team that drafted them has lost hope in them, and other NHL teams have little interest in giving these players another chance.
This is currently the case for Finnish forward Jesse Puljujärvi, a former first-round pick (4th overall) of the Edmonton Oilers in 2016 who is still looking for a new contract.
At the time, Puljujärvi was a highly coveted prospect who, according to some experts, was the second-best player in the 2016 draft after Auston Matthews.
His big frame (6 feet 4 inches/201 pounds) and offensive talent looked set for a very successful NHL career, especially with the Oilers potentially alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Unfortunately for the Finn, things never quite went according to plan.
He was never able to blossom and develop further to reach his potential, being limited to just 14 goals and 36 points in his best NHL season in 2021-2022.
After six seasons, the Oilers gave up on Puljujärvi and decided to trade him to the Carolina Hurricanes, where the Finn also broke nothing, in addition to injuring his hips.
In short, Puljujärvi, 25, is now a free agent, and therefore free to any team that wants to take a chance on him.
However, his recent poor season (16 points in 75 games), as well as his double hip operation this summer, are taking their toll on the Finn.
He’s never been able to blossom alongside the two best players in the world in McDavid and Draisaitl, so what could really make him blossom?
So far, no team has seemed interested in offering Puljujärvi another chance, which could very well push the Finn to sign a professional trial rather than a contract around the start of training camp.
Worse still, the former Oilers star could even turn to Europe if he doesn’t receive any NHL offers.
In short, it’s a real shame to see such a promising career on the brink of collapse at just 25 years of age.
