What could the offseason hold for the Canadiens and Ducks? What’s the latest on Vincent Trocheck, Morgan Rielly, and Matvei Michkov? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
WHAT NEXT FOR THE CANADIENS?
RDS.CA: Francois Gagnon examined what could be in store for the Montreal Canadiens following their elimination from the Eastern Conference Final.
Gagnon believes the Canadiens need a second-line center who can help winger Ivan Demidov and take some of the burden off first-line center Nick Suzuki.
The Canadiens could also use a third line with more offensive bite, a fourth line with more bite overall, and a reliable sixth defenseman who can skate more than eight to 10 minutes per game.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Finding the second-line center is the priority, but it won’t be easy to do.
Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues is often mentioned as a trade target, but I’m not convinced they want to move him given the high asking price they’ve set for him. He also has a full no-trade clause and stated his preference is to stay in St. Louis.
Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks could be available. The 23-year-old center could fit in well among the Canadiens’ young stars, but the decline in his performance this season and concerns about his foot speed could be red flags for a forward carrying a $7 million average annual value for the next five years.
ESPN.COM: Kristen Shilton also looked at what could be ahead for the Canadiens during this offseason
Shilton anticipates the Canadiens could attempt to shore up their defense with veteran talent to support their younger talent. She suggested bringing in a free agent to boost the third pairing and improve the penalty kill.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The depth of talent in this summer’s free-agent pool is shallow, even for third-pairing defensemen. Most are in their early to mid-thirties and might not be much of an improvement over the promising youngsters within their system. The best of the bunch will be seeking raises that could price them outside the Canadiens’ $10.9 million cap space.
That doesn’t mean Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes won’t attempt to improve his blueline depth. However, he could prefer going the trade route for options that will fit within his club’s age group and salary-cap constraints.
THE LATEST DUCKS SPECULATION
THE CHRIS JOHNSTON SHOW: The Anaheim Ducks aren’t under pressure to trade Mason McTavish this summer. The 23-year-old center is coming off a disappointing performance in the first season of his six-year contract.
Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish? (NHL Images)
However, Johnston suggested the Ducks might have to consider moving McTavish. Center Leo Carlsson is a restricted free agent this summer, and Johnston believes he could get a “monster contract” worth an AAV of $14 million. Winger Cutter Gauthier is also an RFA in line for a significant raise.
Despite McTavish’s struggles this season, Johnston felt that some teams believe the young center could be a good fit with them if the Ducks attempt to trade him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Despite the concerns I noted earlier about McTavish, I concur with Johnston that he could still attract plenty of interest from clubs seeking depth at center, particularly on the second line. Whether the Ducks are willing to go that route remains to be seen.
The Ducks have over $38 million in salary-cap space, which should give them plenty of space to re-sign Carlsson and Gauthier. GM Pat Verbeek has a reputation for playing hardball with RFA players coming off their entry-level deals, which could result in those two being signed for less than expected.
However, Carlsson and Gauthier are bigger stars than the previous young RFAs that Verbeek has dealt with in the past. He might have to pay much more this time around. If the Ducks aren’t going to spend to the cap, it could turn McTavish into a cost-cutting trade candidate.
THE ATHLETIC: Harman Dayal listed Olen Zellweger of the Ducks, Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils, Braden Schneider of the New York Rangers, and Michael Kesselring of the Buffalo Sabres as four restricted free agents who could be traded this summer.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nemec, Schneider and Kesselring have surfaced in the rumor mill in recent weeks, especially Nemec and Schneider. However, it’s interesting that Dayal mentioned Zellweger as a trade candidate.
Dayal noted that Zellweger averaged between 17 and 19 minutes of ice time per game over the past two seasons. However, he was a healthy scratch for nine straight games before the postseason. Dayal also noted that the Ducks already have Jackson LaCombe and Pavel Mintyukov on the left-side defense chart. The club could also face a salary-cap crunch with Carlsson and Gauthier in line for substantial raises.
SHOULD THE BRUINS PURSUE VINCENT TROCHECK?
NESN: Evan Cormier suggested the Boston Bruins should attempt to acquire Vincent Trocheck from the New York Rangers if they are unable to land one of the few big-dog centers that might become available in this summer’s trade market.
The 32-year-old Trocheck’s experience and ability could make him a good short-term first-line center for the Bruins. With the Rangers wanting to get younger, trading draft picks and prospects for him might make sense from the Bruins standpoint.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trocheck is better suited for a second-line role. The Rangers’ asking price could also include a promising young player such as Fraser Minten or James Hagens, which would be deal-breakers for the Bruins.
SUGGESTED TRADE DESTINATIONS FOR MORGAN RIELLY
SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon listed several potential trade destinations for Morgan Rielly if the Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman is willing to waive his no-movement clause.
They include the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets, Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, and Vancouver Canucks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s no secret that the Sharks and Blackhawks will be in the market for blueline depth this summer. However, Rielly might not be keen to join a rebuilding club, even one as promising as the Sharks.
The Jets might be willing to take the chance on Rielly improving on a better team, but they could prefer the Leafs retain part of his cap hit. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas knows Rielly from his days as the Leafs GM, but he’s been shipping out aging veterans for younger talent, and acquiring Rielly would fly in the face of that process.
Given the potential high cost for the Ducks to re-sign Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier, they might not be keen to add a declining defenseman with an AAV of $7.5 million for the next four years. As for the Canucks, see my previous comment about the Sharks and Blackhawks.
DOES FLYERS WINGER MATVEI MICHKOV NEED A CHANGE OF SCENERY?
ESPN.COM: Rachel Kryshak included Matvei Michkov on her list of under-25 players who might benefit from a change-of-scenery trade. The 21-year-old Philadelphia Flyers winger struggled during his sophomore season under head coach Rick Tocchet, who joined the team last summer.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of the players on Kryshak’s list have been noted here before. Other pundits have also mused about the possibility of Michkov getting traded this summer.
Kryshak makes a good case for moving Michkov, noting that Tocchet hasn’t had a strong track record with promising young talent. Nevertheless, I don’t believe the Flyers intend to give up on Michkov after one poor season. They seem intent on remaining patient with the promising young winger, who acknowledged his struggles and vowed to do better next season.