- Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson has been fined $5,000 for his interference on Florida Panthers forward Eric Staal in last night’s game, which became a bit of a circus. Ninety penalty minutes were handed out between the two teams, though none of them were for directly tied to the incident in question. Matheson and Matthew Tkachuk would fight later in the game.
Canadiens Rumors
Latest On Juraj Slafkovsky
- With 2022 first overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky now likely shut down for the season with a knee injury, some have questioned Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes’ decision not to give Slafkovsky any time in the AHL. Hughes told reporters in a press conference today that the organization didn’t want concerns around Slafkovsky’s development to come primarily about offensive production, as he feared might happen if the Slovak forward spent extended time with the Laval Rocket. Instead, the organization opted to keep “a close eye” on him and keep him focused on holistic development with Canadiens coaches. Hughes said that an AHL loan in the near future wasn’t out of the question for Slafkovsky, but that’s now out of the question given his injury.
Latest On Cole Caufield
Jan 18: General manager Kent Hughes added some more fuel to the Caufield rumor mill today, telling reporters at Canadiens practice that the team is interested in signing Caufield to a longer-term extension. The news makes the comparison to Boldy’s seven-year, $7MM cap hit contract even more relevant, and it will surely remain in the back pocket of both parties as they continue to negotiate a contract.
Jan 17: After falling to 15th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, the 22-year-old Cole Caufield now finds himself the focal point of the Montreal Canadiens’ rebuild.
The ups and downs of a chaotic 2021-22 season limited Caufield’s offensive production in his first NHL campaign. With coaching uncertainty and an improved locker room vibe, though, Caufield has excelled in his sophomore season. His 26 goals lead the team by a mile, and his 36 points are just one behind linemate Nick Suzuki.
Now, the team is lining up to sign one of its most crucial contracts for the next few seasons. TSN’s Darren Dreger said on Tuesday’s edition of “Insider Trading” that the Canadiens have had preliminary extension talks with Caufield’s agent, Pat Brisson. Dreger noted that the conversation started around a month ago.
Coming out of college to join the team at the end of the 2020-21 season, Caufield is now in the third and final season of his entry-level contract. In the event that contract talks between the two parties turn less than agreeable, Caufield is not eligible for arbitration.
The new management regime of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton has largely been heralded since taking over the Canadiens, giving the team a bright future soon after plummeting from contention over the last 24 months. They haven’t been tasked with signing any big contracts yet, however, and this is a high-stakes first test.
Fellow 2019 first-round selection Matt Boldy just signed a seven-year, $49MM contract with the Minnesota Wild that could be comparable for Caufield and Montreal. However, in the eyes of Caufield’s camp, that’s likely a starting point, not an end goal. Caufield has shown greater goal-scoring ability than Boldy and is playing further up in the lineup on a struggling team. It wouldn’t surprise many to see a long-term extension for Caufield start with a greater cap hit than $7MM.
Montreal Canadiens Will Not Trade Sam Montembeault
When looking around for goaltenders that might be of interest at the trade deadline, one might settle on the Montreal Canadiens. The team gave Cayden Primeau a three-year, one-way contract in the fall that suggested he would soon be installed at the NHL level, but still have Jake Allen and Sam Montembeault taking those spots.
Montembeault, the younger of the two, is only signed through 2023-24, so had drawn some speculation as a potential trade target. The 26-year-old goaltender has been strong for Montreal this year, posting a .912 save percentage in 18 appearances, much better than his older counterpart. Perhaps it is because of that performance that Kent Hughes, speaking with reporters including Eric Engels of Sportsnet, explained that he considers Montembeault a part of the team’s future and will not trade the netminder.
There have been flashes of this before from Montembeault. A third-round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2015, he burst onto the NHL scene a few years later and was impressive. The Panthers went 4-0-1 in his first five appearances, before he eventually went through some rookie struggles. It was the same in 2019-20 when he played 14 times in the NHL, showing ability but no consistency. Last year with the Canadiens, Montembeault was left out to dry many nights, playing behind a team that was destined for the first-overall pick. His .891 save percentage in 38 appearances hides some encouraging development that has carried over to this season.
Now, the question is whether or not Hughes’ comments about Montembeault mean anything specific for Allen, who is set to start a two-year extension next season. He has struggled with injuries this year and has an .892 save percentage (easily the worst of his career) in 27 games. The veteran netminder will turn 33 before the new deal kicks in, and will carry a $3.85MM cap hit through 2024-25.
While Montreal isn’t expected to challenge for the Stanley Cup next year, it’s not like they have plans for a years-long rebuild. Not with some of the young talent that is already in place. That leaves a complicated goaltending situation, especially for next season when Primeau will no longer be waiver-exempt. If Montembeault is part of the long-term solution, it’s not clear how the time share will play out over the next few years, as they transition toward playoff contention once again.
Juraj Slafkovsky Out Three Months With Lower-Body Injury
The Montreal Canadiens have provided updates on several injured players, and none of them are good. Juraj Slafkovsky, the first-overall pick from 2022, will miss three months with a lower-body injury that does not require surgery. Jake Evans will also not need surgery, but is out for 8-10 weeks. Jonathan Drouin and Joel Armia will be out until the All-Star break (the Canadiens return to play on February 11), and Jake Allen will be out a minimum of a week.
A three-month timeline essentially ends Slafkovsky’s rookie season. The Canadiens will wrap up their schedule on April 13, unless a miraculous playoff run is made in the second half.
With that in mind, 39 games and 10 points are not totals the Canadiens had hoped for. The big winger failed to record a point in his last 15 games, posting a -12 rating during that time and recording just 11 shots on goal. He looked overmatched for long stretches, with many suggesting that he should have been playing in the World Juniors or AHL, instead of struggling with Montreal.
Now, he’ll have to work through this injury and try to come back more prepared in 2022-23, when the Canadiens will hopefully be more competitive. The team is 19-23-3 on the year and very well may position themselves at the deadline to lose as many games as possible down the stretch. They sit 26th in the league overall, and like every other team that isn’t in playoff contention, hope to get closer to the first-overall pick.
Mike Matheson Activated From Injured Reserve
January 17: The Canadiens have now activated Matheson off injured reserve, according to CapFriendly. The move came in time for him to return to action tonight against the Winnipeg Jets.
January 13: The Montreal Canadiens have been without Mike Matheson for most of this season. After suffering an abdominal strain in October that sidelined him for more than a month, he found himself injured again in December. He’s totaled just ten games for this new team this season, and just one in the last month.
Despite that, the 28-year-old defenseman has six points, which still ties him with Joel Edmundson and Jonathan Kovacevic, two of the team’s regular defensemen. He’ll be able to add to that total soon, as he donned a regular jersey at practice today, suggesting he has been cleared for contact. The veteran defenseman will add some stability to the back end when he returns, and give the team another supporting option for their young group.
For Matheson himself, there are some milestones to chase. He is six assists away from 100 for his career, and needs the same amount of points to hit 150. He won’t be able to reach 500 games after missing so many, but getting on the ice and back in shape is important, even if the Canadiens aren’t competing for the playoffs. Remember, Matheson is signed through the 2025-26 season, meaning he’ll still be around as Montreal starts turning the corner on their rebuild.
That is of course unless he’s flipped – which is also not completely out of the question. Defensemen with elite skating ability, offensive upside, and experience logging big minutes are difficult to find, and at a $4.875MM cap hit, Matheson may actually be an interesting target. He’s still on the right side of 30 and has found his game again after some struggles a few years ago. It might not be this year, but the Canadiens could be presented with an opportunity to flip him for some additional future assets, should he be able to stay healthy and productive.
Armia, Evans, Slafkovsky Placed On Injured Reserve
The Montreal Canadiens have moved three forwards to injured reserve, giving the designation to Joel Armia, Jake Evans, and Juraj Slafkovsky. All three will be out indefinitely, while additional testing is performed. In their place, Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Rem Pitlick have been recalled.
Sean Monahan has also been moved to long-term injured reserve as he continues to rehab, though the team does not he is “progressing well.”
Armia is dealing with an upper-body injury, potentially one suffered on a hit from Jacob Trouba on Sunday. The Finnish forward played over 18 minutes in the game, but now is obviously dealing with something that will keep him sidelined. Armia has just seven points so far on the season and has been a healthy scratch several times, as he struggles to reach the heights that he was playing at a few years ago.
Slafkovsky also played in that game, but saw just over nine minutes of ice time. The top prospect is dealing with a lower-body issue. It hasn’t been quite the season many expected of the big Slovak, as Slafkovsky has just four goals in 39 games. He has shown flashes of high-level scoring ability but is too often overmatched by the speed of the NHL. Several times this season he has been caught with his head down by a heavy check, something he will have to adapt to moving forward.
Evans, meanwhile, may be dealing with the worst injury of the bunch. It at least looked that way when he crumpled at center ice on Saturday, piled on after a faceoff scrum. The 26-year-old forward was playing the best hockey of his season but is now dealing with a lower-body injury that kept him out of Sunday’s game.
If you are a proponent of the “tank,” then losing three regular forwards might be time for celebration. But the Canadiens are also trying to build a culture under head coach Martin St. Louis, and losing Slafkovsky in particular doesn’t help that move forward. The team’s depth will be seriously tested, though Harvey-Pinard and Pitlick are capable replacements.
Gino Odjick Passes Away At 52
Unfortunately, there’s some very sad news to report on this Sunday. Legendary Vancouver Canucks enforcer and fan favorite Gino Odjick has passed away at 52, according to the team.
Odjick played in 444 games with the Canucks between 1990 and 1998 and was a member of the team that reached the 1994 Stanley Cup Final. He made a strong impression after being drafted in the fifth round in 1990, making the team the following year as a 20-year-old and playing 45 games.
Odjick’s best offensive season came during the 1994 run, where he chipped in a career-high 16 goals and 29 points. Throughout stops with the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and Montreal Canadiens, Odjick maintained a hard-nosed game that resulted in 2,567 career penalty minutes in just 605 NHL games.
Vancouver Canucks chairman Francesco Aquilini spoke on the devastating news:
Gino was a fan-favourite from the moment he joined the organization, putting his heart and soul into every shift on and off the ice. He inspired many and embodied what it means to be a Canuck. Personally, he was a close friend and confidant, someone I could lean on for advice and support. He will be deeply missed.
He will be sorely missed by the Canucks community, and the PHR team sends their absolute best wishes to the Odjick family.
Jake Evans Suffers Lower-Body Injury
One of the interesting developments recently for the Montreal Canadiens has been the play of Jake Evans. The 26-year-old forward has taken over the second-line center role and was receiving more minutes than he has seen through most of his career. The top eight ice times of his seasons have all been since the start of December, with a 19-minute effort coming just two nights ago in a win against the Nashville Predators.
Unfortunately, he won’t come close to that number tonight. Evans left the game against the New York Islanders after getting landed on during a scrummed faceoff. He needed help to get off the ice and the team quickly ruled him out for the rest of the night with a lower-body injury.
With four points in his last four games, Evans was playing his best hockey of the year. If he’s out for any length of time, all of that momentum will be stopped, and he’ll have to try to build it back up down the road.
This isn’t a player that is headed to the open market or a potential trade candidate. Evans signed a new three-year contract in the summer to be part of the solution in Montreal. That $5.1MM deal was expected to pay him as a fourth or possibly third-line center, so anything more is a huge boost for the Canadiens. If he can keep playing like he has the last few weeks, they would be getting lots of value for his $1.7MM cap hit.
Hopefully, this injury won’t be as bad as it looks, and Evans will be back out there in the next few games. But if not, the team will have some minutes to fill, and not a ton of natural centers to take them.
Brendan Gallagher Out Six Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
It’s been a year to forget so far for Brendan Gallagher. With just nine points on the season, he’s on pace for the worst total of his career. Now, he might not even get close. The Canadiens have announced that Gallagher will miss a minimum of six weeks with a lower-body injury.
Gallagher, 30, had only recently returned from an injury that kept him out a month, playing three games before hitting the shelf again. The energy forward was once the heart and soul of the Canadiens’ forward unit, now he seems an afterthought as they move toward a new core without his help. There have been a lot of miles put on his body over the year, as Gallagher played a give-everything-you-have style nightly, going to war in the corners and in front of the net.
After scoring just seven goals in 56 games last season, and not completing a full 82-game schedule since 2018-19, it’s easy to wonder what the future holds for Gallagher in Montreal. Unfortunately, at least for Canadiens fans, a year before Marc Bergevin’s time as general manager ended, he gave out a six-year extension to Gallagher that will keep him with the team through 2026-27. He carries a $6.5MM cap hit, and holds a six-team no-trade clause.
It’s hard to see any way that Montreal gets their money out of that deal, and while that isn’t a problem this season as they try for the first-overall pick, it could be in the future as they are trying to compete. The best-case scenario at this point is that Gallagher takes all the time he needs to get fully healthy and can come back to contribute down the road.