Tag Archives: NHL

NHL eyeing all-Canadian division with January 1st as a potential start date

Oilers’ goaltender Mike Smith fights Flames’ Cam Talbot on February 01, 2020, in Calgary, Alberta. Photo credit: Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images

Well into our second month without NHL games now, hockey fans are clamoring for some NHL action, and with any luck, they’ll be seeing it by New Years’ Day.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has spoken multiple times now about the possibility of a January 1st start date for the upcoming season, but as we inch closer to that date without any plan formally in place, you have to wonder how realistic that target really is. Of course, the biggest obstacle for the league right now is the current surge in cases of COVID-19 across both the United States and Canada.

The Canada-US border is still closed until November 21st, after the closure was once again extended last month. However, with cases on the rise, and the deadline being only one week away, it’s incredibly likely that this closure will be extended again very soon. Even if we see a dramatic improvement in the number of cases in both countries, it’s doubtful that we’ll see the border open before January or perhaps even February.

So, where does that leave the binational National Hockey League? With 24 US-based teams and only seven in Canada, the vast majority of matchups for Canadian teams during any given season are against American opponents. However, that could be changing this upcoming season, as rumours continue to float around about an all-Canadian division for the 2021 NHL season.

Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton are all currently in the NHL’s Pacific division and typically play each other about four or five times per season. The same can be said for Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal, who account for a good portion of the Atlantic division. On the outside looking in are the Winnipeg Jets, who are presently joined by six US-based teams in the Central division, and consequently play their fellow Canadian opponents less often during a regular 82-game season.

If the Canadian division ends up going ahead, we’ll be treated to more frequent matchups between Pacific and Atlantic teams, as well as between the Jets and the other six Canadian clubs. However, with January 1st as the target date, it’s unlikely the NHL will manage to squeeze in an entire 82-game schedule, which typically runs from October to April.

The NHL does have experience planning a shortened season, though, having played a 48-game campaign in 2013 due to a CBA-related lockdown. That season ran from January 19th to April 28th, so with a two-week head start, the NHL should be able to pencil in another half a dozen games or so, and still finish relatively on time. With travel also being less of a concern, the NHL has suggested that teams play short series against one another, similar to how the MLB operates. This would allow teams to play two or three games in one city over a shorter period of time, without wasting as much time on the road.

At this point, it’s still all up in the air, however. The NHL has also tabled the idea of short-term hubs, where teams would play in one location for 10 to 12 days before moving on to the next one. Essentially, this would be a miniature version of what we saw in Edmonton and Toronto this past summer for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

No matter how it all shakes out, what seems to be almost a given at this point is that we will see an all-Canadian division. It’s entirely possible that the teams branch out and play US-based teams later on in the season if restrictions lift, but we’ll be seeing a lot of all-Canadian action this season regardless.

Now, just for fun, let’s see how an all-Canadian division with all-Canadian matchups would’ve turned out last season. Obviously, the sample size will be incredibly small, and this won’t take into account any roster moves made by the clubs during the offseason, but let’s take a look anyway.

Despite the fact that the Vancouver Canucks went the farthest of any Canadian team last year in the playoffs, making it to game seven of the Western Conference semifinals, they had a dreadful regular season record against the other six Canadian clubs. Winnipeg played a handful fewer games than every other team against their Canadian counterparts but using points-percentage as the measuring stick for success, they sit atop.

Of course, there’s no telling what will really happen this coming season and one person’s guess as is good as next’s. The NHL is running out of time to set everything in motion if they do want to accomplish that January 1st start date.

For now we’ll sit back and wait, and imagine the possibilities.

Montreal Canadiens Rebuild Part 6

All images are from NHL 19.

Welcome to part six of the Montreal Canadiens rebuild in NHL 19’s Franchise Mode. Click here to catch up on part one, part two, part three, part four and part five. As mentioned last week, this week’s post will entail the remainder of the season simulation and hopefully a long playoff run.

 

Season Simulation

Upon simulating the remainder of the season, the Montreal Canadiens finished second in the division and conference, and fifth in the league with 102 points. E. Pettersson and F. Forsberg led the way offensively with 84 and 83 points respectively.

 

Playoffs Round 1

In the first round of the playoffs, the Canadiens faced off against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The game results were as follows:

Game 1: 3-2 OTW

Game 2: 2-1 W

Game 3: 2-1 OTW

Game 4: 4-2 W

This was a tight series as the score in the first three games only differed by one-goal. It could have gone either way, especially in the two games which went into overtime. Hopefully, our squad will take advantage of this quick series by resting and preparing for the next round.

 

Playoffs Round 2

In the second round of the playoffs, the Canadiens played against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The game results were as follows:

Game 1: 5-1 L

Game 2: 4-0 W

Game 3: 4-0 L

Game 4: 7-2 L

Game 5: 2-0 W

Game 6: 5-2 W

Game 7: 5-2 W

This was a long series where our team struggled in three of the first four games. However, they persevered and came through in game seven.

 

Playoffs Conference Finals

In the Conference Finals, the Canadiens played against the New Jersey Devils. The game results were as follows:

Game 1: 5-4 OTW

Game 2: 2-1 W

Game 3: 2-1 W

Game 4: 3-1 W

Similar to the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning, this was a close series where the first three games only differed by one-goal. But the Canadiens were able to hang on and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

 

Playoffs Stanley Cup Finals

In the Stanley Cup Finals, the Canadiens played against the San Jose Sharks. The results are below.

This series went the distance, but the Canadiens were able to bring the Stanley Cup to Canada for the second year in a row in this simulation. Furthermore, T. Demko won the Conn Smythe Trophy while E. Pettersson posted 21-points in 22-games.

 

As promised in part one, The Hockey Singh has led the Montreal Canadiens to the Stanley Cup. Part six concludes the Montreal Canadiens Rebuild series. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did playing and writing about it. Please share your comments and/or suggestions.

Montreal Canadiens Rebuild Part 5

All images are from NHL 19.

Welcome to part five of the Montreal Canadiens rebuild in NHL 19’s Franchise Mode. Click here to catch up on part one, part two, part three and part four. As mentioned last week, this week’s post will entail a captaincy announcement, season simulation and much more.

 

Captaincy Announcement

The Montreal Canadiens are proud to announce that E. Pettersson is now the captain of their franchise. Additionally, F. Forsberg and E. Karlsson will serve as assistants.

 

Signings and Trades

With extraordinary depth and many players who could be lost on waivers since they have one-way contracts, there was a flurry of trades. N. Scherbak was traded to San Jose for R. Merkley and two late draft picks. B. Elliott was signed to a one-year deal to backup S. Bobrovsky. A. Lehkonen and J. Korpisalo were traded for draft picks. We received an immense upgrade on the blueline by acquiring B. Skjei from the Rangers in exchange for two first-round draft picks and T. Lindholm.

 

Lineup Analysis

Forwards: The team has four strong lines and minimal weaknesses up front.

Defence: There is a need for a top-four defender to fill the void on the second pairing as J. Ryan will not suffice.

Goalies: The team has two goalies who are very capable in their respective roles.

 

Season Simulation

I simulated until the end of November, just prior to December 1st, 2019. Surprisingly, A. Copp was still an unsigned RFA who would be an upgrade as a fourth line center for our team.  The Jets did not match the offer and due to the minimal salary involved no draft pick compensation was required. Upon inking A. Copp, I made a trade to fill the need for a top-four defender. J. Ryan and four draft picks including a first rounder were traded to Edmonton for D. Nurse.

 

Upon simulating into mid-February, it was apparent there were some players who were not interested in signing contract extensions with the team. These players included S. Bobrovsky, R. Murray, D. Brassard, J. Skinner and M. Domi. While a majority of these players had just been brought in, the lack of interest in signing an extension with a contending team worried me. I decided to explore trading these players and it resulted in a frenzy of trades.

 

New Lineup Analysis

Forwards: Stronger than ever.

Defence: No more weaknesses.

Goalies: A little bit weaker but still capable.

 

This team is in a win now mode. Tune in next week for the remainder of the season simulation and hopefully a long playoff run. Also, if you have any comments and/or suggestions please share them below in the comments.

Montreal Canadiens Rebuild Part 4

All images are from NHL 19.

Welcome to part four of the Montreal Canadiens rebuild in NHL 19’s Franchise Mode. Click here to catch up on part one, part two and part three. As mentioned last week, this week’s post will entail the results of the draft lottery, the draft itself, the re-sign phase, and, of course, free agency.

 

Draft Lottery

And the results are…

Obviously, we did not win the lottery, but luckily, we did not fall either.

 

Draft Day

After a few hours of viewing data on players provided by our scouts, I pinpointed eight players who I believe have elite potential.

I realized there was no player that was intriguing at ninth overall, so I viewed trading blocks around the league. To my surprise, A. Nylander was on the block in Buffalo. The following trade was made to acquire him and the 17th overall selection in this year’s draft.

Since the team had a plethora of picks and only eight players were being targeted, I deferred some late picks to next year’s draft. Luckily, I was able to find trade partners and we selected everyone who we had hoped for.

 

Re-Sign Phase

Korpisalo was inked a two-year $2.925M deal. H. Fleury signed a one-year “prove-it” contract valued at $1.575M. Similarly, R. Murray inked a one-year “prove-it” contract valued at $5.325M.

Olofsson, M. Reilly, N. Scherbak, M. McCarron, A. Lehkonen and C. Hudon signed contract extensions.

I. Scott, S. Walford, J. Tyszka, J. Ylonen, C. Hillis and J. Olofsson signed entry-level contracts.

 

Free Agency

This year’s free agent class featured many high-end players including E. Karlsson. Seeing that players of this caliber were available I decided that it was time to turn this team around and become a legitimate contender. Since the team was swimming in cap space, I offered contracts left, right and center. The most notable signings were E. Karlsson, M. Stone, S. Bobrovsky, A. Duclair, D. Brassard and J. Skinner. This resulted in many players being forced down the depth chart and players such as M. Reilly and C. Lindgren were now expendable and traded for draft picks. Upon reviewing the roster, it was evident that we still required better defenders as Karlsson would not suffice on his own. However, the team was also very close to the cap-ceiling. I explored an A. Shaw trade and was able to make the deal below to dump his contract. Surprisingly, we did not have to retain any salary. Even though we now had the cap space, there were not many quality defenders remaining in free agency. I was forced to sign J. Ryan to fill the void temporarily as options would now have to be considered on the trade front.

 

Tune in next week for a captaincy announcement, season simulation and much more. Also, if you have any comments and/or suggestions please share them below in the comments section.

Montreal Canadiens Rebuild Part 3

All images are from NHL 19.

Welcome to part three of the Montreal Canadiens rebuild in NHL 19’s Franchise Mode. Click here to catch up on part one and part two. As mentioned last week, this week’s post will entail a lineup reveal, captaincy announcement, season simulation and more!

 

Lineup:

Forwards

First Line: The first line features Forsberg and Domi who are being centered by Pettersson. While Forsberg has established himself as a first line player, I have decided to push Pettersson and Domi to play on the first line even though they are better suited for the second line. While splitting up this trio would create more balance within the lineup, we currently lack players who could fill the void on the first line.

Second Line: The second line includes Shaw, Cammalleri, and Jurco. Hopefully, Shaw will benefit from the increased ice-time which will make trading him away more viable. While Cammalleri is listed as a winger he has exceptional faceoff stats, so he will be the second line centre for the upcoming season. I believe that Jurco has some untapped potential and can still grow as a player. The opportunity on the second line may help in this regard.

Third Line: The third line features Lehkonen, Kotkaniemi, and Hudon. This line could have easily been our second line for the upcoming season, but I felt the need to shelter these players since they do not have as much experience. However, the door is not shut for them to move up. If they continually improve as the season progresses a promotion is likely.

Fourth Line: The fourth line includes Upshall, Vermette, and Jokinen. These three players are currently filling the holes in our roster.

Defence

First Pairing: The first pairing features Murray and Ouellet. While Murray is a top-four defenceman I am hoping that he will benefit from first pairing minutes so that he can become a bonafide top-four defender. Similar to Jurco, I am hoping to see some growth in Ouellet’s play as the season progresses.

Second Pairing: The second pairing includes Reilly and Bieksa. This pairing has been designed similar to the fourth line which has players who are filling holes in the roster.

Third Pairing: The third pairing features Fleury and Mete. Similar to the third line these two players are being sheltered and will move up in the lineup as they improve.

Goalies

After playing behind Bobrovsky for a few seasons, Korpisalo now has the opportunity to assume the starting role. But Mason has been brought in to ensure some friendly competition between the two players.

 

Captaincy Announcement

As a rebuilding club that is headed in a new direction, the Montreal Canadiens would like to announce that we will not name a captain for the upcoming season. However, we will have a leadership group of three assistant captains which include Pettersson, Forsberg, and Murray.

 

Season Simulation

I planned to simulate the game until the trade deadline and then take a look at how well our team is doing and potential trades. However, the simulation was interrupted at the end of January as Wotherspoon had been placed on waivers by the St. Louis Blues. I decided to place a claim as he would some defensive depth to the team. Now at the trade deadline, an offer came from the LA Kings for Stoner. They offered a 6th round pick in 2019. Since we had picked up Wotherspoon, Stoner had become expendable and the trade was accepted. Moreover, I attempted to locate a trade partner to take on Shaw’s contract, however, I did not find any takers. Furthermore, I also noted that Lehtonen was still a free agent and was being pursued by the Toronto Maple Leafs. It seemed that they were looking to add some goaltending depth for a playoff run. So, I viewed their trading block and traded Mason for Scott and two draft picks in the 2019 draft. This enabled us to acquire a legitimate goaltending prospect, but we were now left with a void behind Korpisalo. I offered Lehtonen a one-year $5-million-dollar contract to backup Korpisalo and he accepted.

The team finished the season with a record of 39-38-5 and 83 points. We were 7th in the division, 12th in the conference and 23rd in the league. Although the team performed poorly, Pettersson won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the most proficient first-year player in the NHL. Although we did not make the playoffs, the Stanley Cup returned to Canada as the Toronto Maple Leafs won it in five games against the Dallas Stars.

 

Tune in next week for the results of the draft lottery, the draft itself, the re-sign phase, and, of course, free agency. Also, if you have any comments and/or suggestions please share them below in the comments.