All Habs Headlines: Tuesday May 26, 2015 |
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On this day in hockey history… 1997 – Montreal Canadiens hired Alain Vigneault as their new coach, replacing Mario Tremblay. 1992 – Hartford Whalers named current member of Calgary Flames brass Brian Burke as general manager. |
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► AK46 eyes return
- Former Habs first round pick Andrei Kostitsyn wants to come back to the NHL according to numerous reports. The elder Kostitsyn last played for the Canadiens during the 2011-12 season where he scored 12 goals, 12 assists for 24 points in 53 games.
- In 2014-15 Kostitsyn played for HC Sochi of the KHL scoring 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points in 37 games after starting the season with Traktor Chelyabinsk.
- Kostitsyn was traded to the Nashville Predators on February 27, 2012 for a second round draft pick in 2013 (Jacob de la Rose) and a fifth round pick that was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. This was the final trade of Pierre Gauthier’s tenure with the Canadiens.
Andrei Kostitsyn wants to return to the NHL after four years in Russia. Believed to be some preliminary talks ongoing for a one-year deal.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 25, 2015
► Unlucky 13
- Canadiens owner Geoff Molson says that the Canadiens didn’t get the bounces in the playoffs after having a very good season where the club finished second in the League. And he notes that the Habs rang pucks off the iron exactly 13 times.
- Molson took the positive approach when it came to speaking about the shortcomings of his team during this spring saying, “I look back to 1993 when we won the Cup. Ten of our 16 wins were in overtime. So the stars were aligned for us that year and this year wasn’t our year. But we’re going to come back.”
- Friend to the All Habs website, Brendan Kelly, posted Geoff Molson feeling upbeat following the Canadiens’ playoff exit.
► Prospects shine at Mem Cup
- Canadiens prospects Zachary Fucale and Michael McCarron have not disappointed thus far throughout the MasterCard Memorial cup. McCarron’s Gordie Howe hat-trick was a thing a beauty to watch along with Fucale’s calm cool composure.
- McCarron has a goal and two assists for three points in two games. McCarron leads all players in the tournament with 14 shots on goal. Fucale has allowed eight goals in two games for a 3.48 GAA and a .899 Sv%.
- McCarron’s Oshawa Generals sit atop the standings with four points and a perfect 2-0 record. The Kelowna Rockets and Fucale’s Quebec Remparts each have two points. Rimouski Oceanic have started the tournament with two losses.
- On Monday night the Kelowna Rockets met the Rimouski Oceanic, with each team looking for their first win. Kelowna pummeled Rimouski 7-3 with Leon Daisaitl (Oilers ’14), Madison Bowey (Capitals ’13) and Nick Merkley (draft-eligible ’15) each picking up three points.
- Oshawa and Kelowna close out their round-robin games as they meet on Tuesday night.
► Carey and Angela ‘honeymoon’ in Italy
- With the Canadiens season over, players have dispersed in different directions getting some much needed rest before they start training again. For Carey Price, he and wife Angela headed to Italy. Angela tweeted, “Venice…technically this is our honeymoon so a gondola ride was a must. Off to Florence in the morning.”
- In the photos, posted to Twitter below, Price can be seen still sporting his playoff beard.
https://twitter.com/AngelaPrice24/status/601839882911219712
Hitting up all the big tourist stops on our last day in Florence #Romenext #Italy pic.twitter.com/XA3tHGP2KW
— Angela Price (@ByAngelaPrice) May 23, 2015
I fell in love with Rome today #vatican #colosseum #ancientrome #beautiful #historyoverload #tiredfeet pic.twitter.com/EZJdcegwVJ
— Angela Price (@ByAngelaPrice) May 25, 2015
► Coaching carousel
- Now that the big fish in the coaching ranks has landed in Toronto, expect to see some of the other dominoes start to fall. The most obvious next step should be the promotion of Jeff Blashill from the Grand Rapids Griffins to the head coaching position with the Detroit Red Wings. Blashill seemed to have the endorsement of former Wings coach Mike Babcock who said, “A good man, smart. He’s put his time in. He treats people good. He’s demanding. He’s a good hockey coach and he’s a good man.” Blashill’s Griffins are facing the Utica Comets in the AHL Western Conference final. Don’t expect any announcement until the Griffins season is done.
- Our friends in Boston may be looking to replace Claude Julien after missing the playoffs this past season. Newly-appointed GM Don Sweeney would only say that Julien is “the coach of the Boston Bruins as of today,” when asked. If Julien is fired by Boston, Greg Brady of The Fan 590 in Toronto tweeted that the Buffalo Sabres “want him and badly.”
- Louis Jean from TVA reported that former Hamilton Bulldogs coach Guy Boucher has spoken to Devils GM Ray Shero about the coaching vacancy in New Jersey. Other candidates include Dan Bylsma, Adam Oates and Scott Stevens.
- Chuck Gormley from Comcast Sportsnet Washington reports that Oates is a candidate for the San Jose head coaching gig as well as Peter DeBoer, Randy Carlyle and Bylsma.
- Somehow John Tortorella‘s name hasn’t appeared in any of the speculation.
► Hudon sets his sights
- Charles Hudon had a stellar rookie season for the now defunct Hamilton Bulldogs, and he will look to transfer that success into a strong first NHL season.
- When thinking about players to fill the role of the big, skilled centre that the Canadiens lack, Hudon’s name doesn’t come to mind. He is a skilled, offensive player having scored 57 points in 75 games in his rookie season in the AHL. But Hudon is undersized at 5-foot-10, 175 pounds.
- When asked by RDS about the success of Tyler Johnson in the playoffs, another smaller player, Hudon instead turns the conversation towards a current Canadien saying, “We also had one in our own backyard, Brendan Gallagher, a player who always gave more than 100 percent despite his small physique. The media place great emphasis on [size], but it’s how we play that matters.”
- Hudon said that he has nothing against St. John’s but prefers not to move to Newfoundland in the fall hoping instead that he will stick with the Canadiens following training camp.
► Searching for offense
- Corey Desormeaux (and most Habs fans) wonders which Canadiens player will step up offensively next season, and if they can find the offense the internally. Check out Who Will Score for the Habs? Look Within
► Focus on the draft
- The Trevor Timmins era has, in my opinion, been made exceptional due to all of the late round picks that have panned out. Michael Ham-Fan makes his picks as Habs GM with the 26th, 87th, 131st, 177th and 207th overall picks, should they keep them. Read My Canadiens Mock Draft: Off the Grid
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