All Habs Headlines: Friday April 29, 2016 |
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On this day in hockey history… 1978 — Toronto’s Lanny McDonald scored at 4:13 of overtime to give the Maple Leafs a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Quarter-Finals, in Toronto. 1997 — Guy Hebert made 31 saves for his first career playoff shutout in the Ducks’ 3-0 win Phoenix. It was the first playoff series win in Ducks’ franchise history. 1997 — Craig MacTavish, the final player to appear in the NHL without wearing a helmet, announced his retirement after 15 seasons in the league. |
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► What Return Could Subban Bring?
- P.K. Subban’s no-movement clause is set to kick in in about two months time. In an interview with CHED, Marc-Antoine Godin said that trading Subban “is an option that Marc Bergevin is looking at right now.”
- “So as we speak,” he told host Bob Stauffer, “I’m not saying he’s going to be traded, but I’m concerned that it might end up the case.”
- As reported by the Edmonton Journal, Stauffer rated Subban as the “sixth to tenth best defenceman in the league. Godin agreed.”
- As for the return on a trade to the Oilers, Godin speculated, “There’s no doubt that Taylor Hall is the guy fits the best profile for the Canadiens.” According to Godin, the Habs would probably look to add smooth skating defenceman Oscar Klefbom to the package saying, “He’s probably the sort of guy that might be thrown in.”
► Vanek Facing A Buyout?
- Thomas Vanek’s 35-game stint in Montreal ended after the completion of the 2013-14 campaign and it seems his time in Minnesota is headed towards the same fate.
- In a season ended by injury, the 32-year old with one year and $6.5 million left on his contract is accepting his seemingly impending free agency, he told the Star Tribune.
- “I do understand the business side of it,” the veteran winger said. “I’m not happy with my year, but at the same time, I truly still believe that I’m a 30-goal scorer in this league.”
- Vanek, who’s scored 21 and 18 goals respectively in his pair of seasons in America’s hockey capital, is getting ready for the summer. “I’ll worry about myself, have a good summer and be ready to go.”
► Pizza! Pizza!
Check out the inspiration behind the brand new #LittleCaesarsArena logo. #LGRWhttps://t.co/w3MXyakfSU
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 29, 2016
► Canadiens Talking to Reway and Lehkonen
- The Montreal Canadiens are, reportedly, in discussions with prospects Martin Reway and Artturi Lehkonen.
- According to Mario Langlois of 98.5 FM, the Canadiens will be signing Lehkonen following the championships in Sweden, which are now over, and are speaking to Reway.
- “Expect Lehkonen to be signed to a contract as early as the completion of the final in Sweden. Negotiating with Reway as well.”
- The Finnish winger had a breakout season overseas With 16 goals and 33 points in 49 games with Frolunda, also scoring 11 goals and 19 points in 16 playoff games on route to a championship.
- Reway, not foreign to controversy, had a rocky season off the ice, getting dealt from Sparta Praha due to issues with the coach. He recorded 13 goals and 36 points in 33 games in the Czech league and Swiss-A league.
► Boudreau Axed
- Accountability is a concept unheard of in Montreal, but apparently not elsewhere in the NHL. Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray has fired head coach Bruce Boudreau after a round one playoff series loss to the Nashville Predators.
- Boudreau had coached the Ducks back from a tough start this season to a Pacific Division title, their fourth in a row under the 61-year-old coach.
- “I would like to thank Bruce for his hard work and dedication to the franchise,” Murray said in a statement. “This was a very difficult decision to make. Bruce is a good coach and character person, and we wish him the best of luck in the future.”
- Boudreau immediately becomes a candidate for the head coaching position of the Senators and Wild, but sadly, not the Canadiens.
#NHLDucks have relieved Head Coach Bruce Boudreau of his duties, Executive Vice President/GM Bob Murray announced. pic.twitter.com/aFAH2XhR9x
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) April 29, 2016
► Habs Looking At Another Netminder
- I guess you can never have enough talented depth unless it’s on the left wing, right? The Canadiens have been talking to another goaltender they wish to bring from overseas.
- According to writer Aivis Kalnins, the Canadiens are in discussions with goaltender Tomi Karhunen, who spent last season as Tappara, where he was the team’s starting netminder on way to a championship run.
- The 5-foot-11-inch backstop had a 2.03 goals against average (GAA) and .924 save percentage with the Finnish club last season, with a 1.86 GAA and a .936 save percentage in the postseason that saw his team reign supreme.
- Should Karhunen join Montreal he would be one of many talented netminders the organization has in their system with the likes of Zachary Fucale and Charlie Lindgren swimming around in their prospect pool.
Hearing #Habs are talking to Tappara goalie Karhunen.
— Aivis Kalniņš (@A_Kalnins) April 26, 2016
► Dubnyk Played With A Broken Finger
- Devan Dubnyk’s tribulations in his first post-season in the NHL, and first since his time in junior, were encapsulated by the horrible puck he let by him in game six of the series against Dallas. But, it turns out that he was also held back by injury.
- According to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, Dubnyk let reporters know following the team’s elimination that the hulking backstop played his first career playoff series with a broken finger.
- Dubnyk, who was signed to a six-year contract extension last summer, posted a horrid 3.34 GAA and .877 save percentage and was eliminated in six games at the hands of the Dallas Stars, who are taking on the St. Louis Blues in the second round.
► Deal on Expansion Process
- TSN’s Gary Lawless is reporting that the NHL and NHLPA have agreed in principle on the terms of expansion. The deal includes a mandate on the sticky issue of how players with current no-movement clauses will be handled.
- The Score reports that expansion “is believed to have each team losing one player per expansion entity, with the option to protect either seven forwards, three defensemen, and a goaltender, or eight skaters and a goaltender.”
► New Logo for Cats
Thanks to @TRoyConcepts for this cleaned up version of the leaked #FlaPanthers logo
More -> https://t.co/ujY8L5LabE pic.twitter.com/KKKhonBbm6
— Chris Creamer (@sportslogosnet) April 26, 2016
► Seguin Out Another Four to Five Games
- After suffering a cut Achilles in mid-March, Tyler Seguin’s return was scheduled for three to four weeks. Six weeks later, the Stars’ second leading scorer will be out another four to five days, eventually.
- According to Stars GM Jim Nill, once Seguin returns to skating he will be out yet another four to five days as a precaution. “He can’t skate yet…He’s day to day, and once he gets on the ice, it’s probably four to five days from there,” he told Mike Heika of the Dallas News.
- The former second-overall pick, who has played in one game in this post-season in which he had no points, hasn’t been all that missed as the Stars took care of the Minnesota Wild in six games.
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