Latest news with #JeffGorton
Ottawa Citizen
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
What the Puck: Canadiens need to re-sign Lane Hutson, add toughness
Article content This is going to be a defining summer for the Canadiens management team of Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes. Article content The Toronto Maple Leafs had (have?) their Core Four and we all know how that worked out, right? Not so good. Their top hockey boss was shown the door this week and the team is no closer to contending for a Stanley Cup than they were back in 2014 when Brendan Shanahan was named head of hockey operations. Article content Article content The Canadiens have their Core Five, all of whom we got to admire on the power play during the Washington series once Patrik Laine went down with an injury. The Fabulous Five are, of course, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov. Article content Article content That is, indeed, an amazing young core. But now comes the hardest part, that which Leafs management has consistently failed to address — building a support staff to surround the core group. Hockey is the ultimate team sport. It's never about one or two or three guys. It's about the entire team. Look at the Florida Panthers. They have some great players — hello, Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov — but they're the best team in hockey right now because they are the most complete one. (It also helps that, especially in the playoffs, they're also the dirtiest team, but that's a topic for another day.) Article content Article content Article content In other words, Gorton and Hughes have much work to do. So without further ado, here are five things I'd love to see them do this summer. Article content Sign Hutson long term Article content The extraordinary 21-year-old defenceman from Holland, Mich., is under contract until the end of next season, but the Canadiens will be able to sign a new contract with him as early as July 1 this summer, and there is every reason to believe they will ink him to a rich, long-term deal close to that date. My advice? Sign him for eight years at $10 million a year. Don't wait and don't even think of a shorter bridge contract. Article content My Facebook pal Doug Miller nailed it: 'Get bigger and meaner.' Yup. The takeaway from the Capitals series, which the Habs lost 4-1, is the Canadiens got beat up — literally and figuratively. Tom Wilson alone went through the Montreal roster like a one-man wrecking machine. The only toughness on display from the CH came from Josh Anderson, who had an amazing series, and Arber Xhekaj, who only came into the lineup in Game 3 for the usual reasons (as in the coach doesn't trust him).
Vancouver Sun
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
What the Puck: Canadiens need to re-sign Lane Hutson, add toughness
This is going to be a defining summer for the Canadiens management team of Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes. The Toronto Maple Leafs had (have?) their Core Four and we all know how that worked out, right? Not so good. Their top hockey boss was shown the door this week and the team is no closer to contending for a Stanley Cup than they were back in 2014 when Brendan Shanahan was named head of hockey operations. The Canadiens have their Core Five, all of whom we got to admire on the power play during the Washington series once Patrik Laine went down with an injury. The Fabulous Five are, of course, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. That is, indeed, an amazing young core. But now comes the hardest part, that which Leafs management has consistently failed to address — building a support staff to surround the core group. Hockey is the ultimate team sport. It's never about one or two or three guys. It's about the entire team. Look at the Florida Panthers. They have some great players — hello, Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov — but they're the best team in hockey right now because they are the most complete one. (It also helps that, especially in the playoffs, they're also the dirtiest team, but that's a topic for another day.) In other words, Gorton and Hughes have much work to do. So without further ado, here are five things I'd love to see them do this summer. The extraordinary 21-year-old defenceman from Holland, Mich., is under contract until the end of next season, but the Canadiens will be able to sign a new contract with him as early as July 1 this summer, and there is every reason to believe they will ink him to a rich, long-term deal close to that date. My advice? Sign him for eight years at $10 million a year. Don't wait and don't even think of a shorter bridge contract. My Facebook pal Doug Miller nailed it: 'Get bigger and meaner.' Yup. The takeaway from the Capitals series, which the Habs lost 4-1, is the Canadiens got beat up — literally and figuratively. Tom Wilson alone went through the Montreal roster like a one-man wrecking machine. The only toughness on display from the CH came from Josh Anderson, who had an amazing series, and Arber Xhekaj, who only came into the lineup in Game 3 for the usual reasons (as in the coach doesn't trust him). They particularly need toughness up front. Some of that could come from within the organization. For one thing, Slafkovsky could perhaps take a long hard look in the mirror this summer and realize you shouldn't just say you want to play like the Tkachuk brothers. You need to actually do it. The dude is 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds and he needs to use that size and, more importantly, he has to develop a mean streak. The problem with Slaf is he's too much of a nice guy. The other tough forward waiting in the wings is Arber's brother Florian Xhekaj. He plays with an edge and he scored 24 goals this season with the Laval Rocket. He scored an absolute beauty this week in the playoff series against the Rochester Americans. But they'll need to go out and find a couple more big, hard-hitting forwards. Lucas Somers, a proud Verdunite who was sitting at the bar of McLean's Pub on Thursday evening, was saying exactly the same thing. 'Build some size,' Somers said. 'It's not just about speed. It's about size as well.' It won't be easy for the very good reason there are probably few teams that will be willing to pick up the enigmatic Finnish winger. But you have to give it the old college try. Yes, Laine scored a bunch of goals on the power play, but the team's power-play percentage actually dipped once he joined the unit, meaning he essentially took goals away from other players, notably Caufield. Five-on-five, he's dreadful and he's like a 10-ton anchor on whichever line he plays on. Everyone knows this is a priority, but the trouble is it's easier said than done. Let's look at the free-agent centres available. Sam Bennett? Forget it. Habs can't afford him. There was at least one report this week he could get $10 million. John Tavares? He'll never come to Montreal. Sidney Crosby? Fake news used by radio types to fill airtime. Evgeni Malkin? Next. There's a lot of talk about Bo Horvat, but does the team really want a guy who has six more years at a cap hit of $8.5 million and who'll be 36 when the deal expires? Probably not. So this will be a tough nut to crack. Maybe Brock Nelson, but he's also a bit old at 33. That's probably the most important piece of advice. Don't overspend on free agents like so many dumb GMs do. Don't make a big splashy trade for the sake of making a big splashy trade. Just continue to build slowly, but surely. Trade some of the bazillion draft picks you have and one or two prospects, and bring in a couple more veterans, including maybe another D-man with some experience under his belt. Joanne Barrett, also at McLean's on Thursday, said they should just stand pat. 'It's a good rebuild,' Barrett said. 'It's going to happen. Two more years and we're at the Cup.' Carlos Lehoux, just down the bar from Barrett, echoed that thought. 'They should do nothing and stay patient,' Lehoux said. 'Keep the team as it is, continue growing. The team is packed with guys who can be big stars in the league.' Do nothing is a bit radical. More like do stuff, but move slowly. David Winch said it succinctly in my Facebook conversation: 'Go slow, be methodical and keep tamping down expectations. Ignore the sports media, they're all in for quick fixes.'
Vancouver Sun
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Canadiens' season was 'huge stepping-stone' to future, Jeff Gorton says
Article content Making the playoffs, even for a brief five-game exercise, was only the first step in the Canadiens' marathon to a potential championship run. Article content Article content The team's management noted much work remains and vowed to improve the club this summer. Article content 'We're not done. There's a lot to do here,' Jeff Gorton, the Canadiens' executive vice-president (hockey operations), said Monday morning, when he and general manager Kent Hughes met the media for 45 minutes at the Bell Centre for their season-ending review. Article content Article content 'It has been a real good year, a fun year for everybody to be part of. We're going to use it as a huge stepping-stone to where we're going,' Gorton added. 'There's a lot of areas we need to improve in to be a team that's still playing now. We can defend better. We need more scoring. We need to be bigger. We want to be more competitive. There's a lot there, and we're far from a finished product. We want to build a team that can compete for a Stanley Cup every year. We're getting there (but) we're not quite there.' Article content Article content With the mandate of being in the mix this season, the Canadiens far exceeded expectations, securing the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference with a victory over Carolina in their final regular-season game. Montreal went 40-31-11 for 91 points. It garnered the same amount of points as New Jersey, which finished third in the Metropolitan Division. More importantly, the Canadiens improved by 15 points from a season earlier, when they were second-last overall in the conference. Article content Article content Article content While Montreal was competitive in its first-round series against top-seeded Washington, flaws were exposed. The Canadiens remain a small team and weren't a physical match for the Capitals. They also scored only 12 goals in the series — six in their lone victory — with seven coming from Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky. Article content 'I believe we're moving in the right direction,' Gorton said. 'We're not there yet, where we want to be, but we're getting there. It's a big summer with big opportunities, hopefully to move this thing forward. This is a hockey market. Everyone wants us to do well. We're just trying to keep the players understanding that next season's going to be really hard. To keep moving it forward is going to be hard. There's a lot of teams that would like to be in the spot we were in this year. They're going to be nipping at us. We have to be very aware of that.' Article content The Canadiens, a fast-skating team, were dangerous when given space, as head coach Martin St. Louis said after their elimination. But space comes at a premium during the playoffs. It will be management's mission to determine whether size trumps talent and speed.
Calgary Herald
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Canadiens' season was 'huge stepping-stone' to future, Jeff Gorton says
Article content Making the playoffs, even for a brief five-game exercise, was only the first step in the Canadiens' marathon to a potential championship run. Article content Article content The team's management noted much work remains and vowed to improve the club this summer. Article content 'We're not done. There's a lot to do here,' Jeff Gorton, the Canadiens' executive vice-president (hockey operations), said Monday morning, when he and general manager Kent Hughes met the media for 45 minutes at the Bell Centre for their season-ending review. Article content Article content 'It has been a real good year, a fun year for everybody to be part of. We're going to use it as a huge stepping-stone to where we're going,' Gorton added. 'There's a lot of areas we need to improve in to be a team that's still playing now. We can defend better. We need more scoring. We need to be bigger. We want to be more competitive. There's a lot there, and we're far from a finished product. We want to build a team that can compete for a Stanley Cup every year. We're getting there (but) we're not quite there.' Article content Article content With the mandate of being in the mix this season, the Canadiens far exceeded expectations, securing the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference with a victory over Carolina in their final regular-season game. Montreal went 40-31-11 for 91 points. It garnered the same amount of points as New Jersey, which finished third in the Metropolitan Division. More importantly, the Canadiens improved by 15 points from a season earlier, when they were second-last overall in the conference. Article content Article content While Montreal was competitive in its first-round series against top-seeded Washington, flaws were exposed. The Canadiens remain a small team and weren't a physical match for the Capitals. They also scored only 12 goals in the series — six in their lone victory — with seven coming from Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky. Article content 'I believe we're moving in the right direction,' Gorton said. 'We're not there yet, where we want to be, but we're getting there. It's a big summer with big opportunities, hopefully to move this thing forward. This is a hockey market. Everyone wants us to do well. We're just trying to keep the players understanding that next season's going to be really hard. To keep moving it forward is going to be hard. There's a lot of teams that would like to be in the spot we were in this year. They're going to be nipping at us. We have to be very aware of that.' Article content The Canadiens, a fast-skating team, were dangerous when given space, as head coach Martin St. Louis said after their elimination. But space comes at a premium during the playoffs. It will be management's mission to determine whether size trumps talent and speed.
Montreal Gazette
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Canadiens' season was ‘huge stepping-stone' to future, Jeff Gorton says
Montreal Canadiens By Making the playoffs, even for a brief five-game exercise, was only the first step in the Canadiens' marathon to a potential championship run. The team's management noted much work remains and vowed to improve the club this summer. 'We're not done. There's a lot to do here,' Jeff Gorton, the Canadiens' executive vice-president (hockey operations), said Monday morning, when he and general manager Kent Hughes met the media for 45 minutes at the Bell Centre for their season-ending review. 'It has been a real good year, a fun year for everybody to be part of. We're going to use it as a huge stepping-stone to where we're going,' Gorton added. 'There's a lot of areas we need to improve in to be a team that's still playing now. We can defend better. We need more scoring. We need to be bigger. We want to be more competitive. There's a lot there, and we're far from a finished product. We want to build a team that can compete for a Stanley Cup every year. We're getting there (but) we're not quite there.' With the mandate of being in the mix this season, the Canadiens far exceeded expectations, securing the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference with a victory over Carolina in their final regular-season game. Montreal went 40-31-11 for 91 points. It garnered the same amount of points as New Jersey, which finished third in the Metropolitan Division. More importantly, the Canadiens improved by 15 points from a season earlier, when they were second-last overall in the conference. While Montreal was competitive in its first-round series against top-seeded Washington, flaws were exposed. The Canadiens remain a small team and weren't a physical match for the Capitals. They also scored only 12 goals in the series — six in their lone victory — with seven coming from Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky. 'I believe we're moving in the right direction,' Gorton said. 'We're not there yet, where we want to be, but we're getting there. It's a big summer with big opportunities, hopefully to move this thing forward. This is a hockey market. Everyone wants us to do well. We're just trying to keep the players understanding that next season's going to be really hard. To keep moving it forward is going to be hard. There's a lot of teams that would like to be in the spot we were in this year. They're going to be nipping at us. We have to be very aware of that.' The Canadiens, a fast-skating team, were dangerous when given space, as head coach Martin St. Louis said after their elimination. But space comes at a premium during the playoffs. It will be management's mission to determine whether size trumps talent and speed. 'We're trying to get better in all areas,' Gorton said. 'We're not a finished product. There's not one area of our team where we're saying we're done there. We'll continue to look at everything. 'Everyone's talking about size and Washington, the way they played. Certainly, we're aware of that. We're going to have a lot of discussions about size, but compete is really the biggest thing. Making sure we have people that are comfortable in a playoff environment to play in all situations.' Two players — Kirby Dach and Patrik Laine — have come into focus recently as their future with the Canadiens becomes a hot topic. While Laine missed the final three games against Washington with a broken finger, Hughes said Montreal wouldn't have made the playoffs without his production and willingness to improve. Laine had 20 goals, including 15 on the power play, and 33 points in 52 games after missing the first two months with a knee injury. But more uncertainty surrounds Dach and his recurring right knee issues. He underwent surgery in late February after notching 10 goals and 22 points in 57 games. This came after he was limited to two games the previous season with ACL and MCL tears in the same knee. While Hughes denied Dach, 24, is on his last chance, Gorton sounded less enthusiastic. 'We're going to have to see how he responds this summer to the rehab and going through this again,' Gorton said. 'There's certainly a place for him in our lineup. It's going to be up to him where that's going to be. He has size, he's competitive, he's got skill. He's a very talented player. He's going to need a big camp to get himself going and get started early.' In the meantime, Gorton and Hughes will be keeping close tabs on the Laval Rocket and hope the AHL team has an extended playoff run to see whether defencemen David Reinbacher and/or Logan Mailloux are ready to replace the retired David Savard next season. They're also hopeful of extending fellow defenceman Lane Hutson, a Calder Trophy finalist. He becomes eligible to sign as of July 1.
