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Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NHL Summer Splash Rankings: No. 29, Los Angeles Kings
As the NHL's off-season unfolds, is analyzing the state of every team in the league in a special 'Summer Splash' team-by-team series. Did they get better? Did they get worse? Or did they stay the same? That's what we're answering in these columns. In every Summer Splash file, we'll be going in reverse order in terms of improvement. And we'll be breaking down the major and minor moves each team has made, focusing on trade and free-agent acquisitions, departures, and in certain cases, on hirings and firings. To decide on the team rankings, the writers and editors at debated and decided what teams have improved, what teams stayed the same, and what teams got worse. On occasion, there'll be exceptions to the rules, for instance, there are teams out there that aren't notably worse than they were last year, but that made fewer moves of note than they should've or could've made. But otherwise, this is a simple analysis process. We began the Summer Splash series late last week and focused on team No. 32, the Buffalo Sabres. We then turned to team No. 31, the Chicago Blackhawks, and on Saturday, we focused on the Winnipeg Jets. Today, the Los Angeles Kings are next under the microscope. Additions Joel Armia (RW), Corey Perry (RW), Cody Ceci (D), Brian Dumoulin (D), Anton Forsberg (G) The Breakdown: The Kings were one of the most active teams this off-season, bringing in experienced hands at forward in Armia and Perry, radically remaking their blueline with the signings of D-men Ceci and Dumoulin, and finally, adding a backup goalie in Forsberg. Even a Kings team that finished second in the Pacific Division last season has felt the need to effect notable change, and with these additions, they have it. New L.A. GM Ken Holland has never been shy about changing things up, and in his first off-season running things in Los Angeles, Holland once again has drastically altered the team he's responsible for. Perry and Armia add grit and know-how, Ceci and Dumoulin provide depth on the back end, and Forsberg provides a capable understudy for Darcy Kuemper. You can't say Holland hasn't tried to improve his team. But as we'll explain below, we don't believe Holland has succeeded at that goal. Departures Vladislav Gavrikov (D), Jordan Spence (D) The Breakdown: Let's be real here – Gavrikov's departure to the New York Rangers in free agency is a huge loss for the Kings. The veteran defenseman averaged 23:05 of ice time last season, second only to star Drew Doughty (24:08) – and Gavrikov's penalty-kill average of 3:17 shorthanded minutes per game also demonstrates what a fixture Gavrikov was defensively for this Kings squad. Trading Spence to the Ottawa Senators didn't move the needle for the Kings, and replacing Gavrikov with Ceci, who is now on his seventh NHL team in the past nine years for good reason, is not anywhere close to an upgrade. Nor is Dumoulin going to make the Kings genuinely better, if better at all. L.A. may be slightly more experienced up front, but the poor trade-off of losing Gavrikov and replacing him with Ceci and Dumoulin is chiefly why the Kings are ranked here on our Summer Splash list. Hirings Ken Holland (GM) Firings Rob Blake (GM) The Breakdown: After being unable to build a team that gets out of the first round, Blake and the Kings mutually agreed to part ways. And coming in is Holland, a fearless GM who helped craft the Edmonton Oilers team that has been a Stanley Cup finalist for the past two seasons – and a team that's had the Kings' number for years now. Blake always had his established group of core players to turn to, and he did so until the end. And while Holland has made many moves, he hasn't really touched that core group. However, Holland's sledgehammer approach to the Kings' peripheral players is no guarantee of greater success this coming season. Holland knows this team has veterans in Doughty and Anze Kopitar who may not have many shots left at a long Cup run, so he's trading with a sense of urgency. There's no denying he's done that – we just don't feel like he's made the right moves. The Bottom Line We're not here to tell you the Kings aren't going to be a playoff team next season. They've got some solid depth in the right places – mostly at forward, with a small nod to the improved goalie tandem – and Los Angeles is still better than many, if not most, teams in their division. With that out of the way, we also have to be dispassionate and consider all outcomes for this Kings team. And there's no question the players Holland brought in are all question marks to one degree or another. How much gas does Perry have left? Can Forsberg keep his save percentage above .900? Will the new-look defense corps be better equipped to handle another playoff showdown with the Oilers? Those are only a few of the questions regarding the Kings. Thus, we can't say we're especially optimistic about this Los Angeles group after their many changes. The Kings weren't a top team in goals-for last season, as they were 14th overall in that department, averaging 3.04 goals-for per game. And their power play was abysmal, as it ranked 27th in the league at 17.9 percent efficiency. Every other team below them in power-play effectiveness were non-playoff teams, and that tells you something about the offensive issues the Kings had last year. There's no great solution in that regard among the Kings' new players, as Perry is well past his prime and Armia isn't known for his offense. And the worry with the general state of the defense corps is justifiable. So until we see this team play the way Holland envisions they can play at their best, we're going to be skeptical that the Kings did anything other than take a step back, however slight that step may be. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
New York Times
01-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Canadiens have short-term holes, but their long-term goal seems more achievable
BROSSARD, Québec – To understand where the Montreal Canadiens are in their development as a team, on their path to contention, it suffices to look at Christian Dvorak. He was the only player the Canadiens had who could reliably win faceoffs on the left side, and coach Martin St. Louis constantly used him to do that whenever the faceoff was on that side of the ice. For a coach, it is a critical piece to have. Advertisement It is just as critical for a management team, and the Canadiens will surely have that piece one day, but they lack it now after Dvorak signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers worth $5.4 million — money the Canadiens simply didn't have to pay a bottom-six centre to win faceoffs and kill penalties. They also couldn't match the two-year contract Joel Armia signed with the Los Angeles Kings worth $2.5 million a year, a pay cut from his previous $3.4 million a year contract but still too rich for the Canadiens' blood. Armia played with Jake Evans on the Canadiens' top penalty-killing unit, and Dvorak played with Josh Anderson on the second unit. Those roles will now be an open audition at training camp in the fall. The Canadiens might still do something to replace those roles, but general manager Kent Hughes did not sound like a man who was prepared to do so at all costs, particularly not in a free-agent market that was typically goofy in terms of money and term some players signed for in a rising salary cap environment. No, instead of plugging short-term holes at great cost to help the Canadiens win today, Hughes and his boss Jeff Gorton focused on adding to what they hope will be a winning core in the future. 'Unfortunately, along the way to constructing what we hope to be a team that can compete, we're going to have to make decisions and those decisions on a short-term basis may be, we fill one hole and we have another hole in the boat,' Hughes said. 'But that's just the nature of the beast.' The opening day of free agency, from that perspective, was a win. The trade that sent defenceman Logan Mailloux to the St. Louis Blues for winger Zachary Bolduc, from nearby Trois-Rivières, was a case of deft asset management. Adding Noah Dobson to the right side of the Canadiens' blue line on Friday had essentially blocked Mailloux's path to the NHL. The Canadiens took that player and turned him into one that addresses an area of need. Advertisement Bolduc scored 13 goals over his final 24 games of the season as the Blues pushed for a playoff spot, tied with rumoured Canadiens trade target Jordan Kyrou for the team lead over that period. He is 22 and just completed his rookie season. Bolduc is a physical player with speed who excels on the forecheck, fitting the profile of Emil Heineman, who went to the New York Islanders in the Dobson trade. And while Bolduc likely slides into a bottom-six role for the Canadiens this season, down the road it is very possible he becomes a top-six player. And down the road is what matters more to the Canadiens than whatever happens this season. The progression of this past season alone demonstrated the extent to which Bolduc is on an ascending path, and he has the right mindset to make sure that continues: words coach Martin St. Louis will absolutely love to hear. 'You don't want to have a ceiling,' Bolduc said. 'You want to improve every year, every time you get on the ice you want to take your game to another level. So, I don't know what my ceiling is, but I hope it won't be next year or the year after. I hope to keep improving year after year. 'I'm still learning. I've played two years pro but I have a lot left to learn.' There was a lot of talk at the end of the regular season that the Canadiens, who were the youngest team to qualify for the playoffs in decades, risk being younger next season, something some players — most notably captain Nick Suzuki — expressed reservations about. That, seemingly, is exactly what will happen. Dvorak, Armia and David Savard are out; Dobson, Bolduc and rookie Ivan Demidov are in. And Hughes is more than fine with it because, again, this is not about next season. 'I think when you can add experience and keep it young, that would be the ideal,' Hughes said. 'I think that's the case in Noah Dobson's situation where you get a young guy who played in the NHL as a teenager; he's 25 but he's got a significant amount of experience and at the same time he can grow with our group. So that's important. Bolduc, obviously he's a little bit younger, but he's not a rookie and he's coming from a team that had a lot of experience around him, which we think is certainly helpful. Advertisement 'But at the end of the day, the reality is we're not going to put the perfect team together in the course of one summer, so I think as we go about doing things, we recognize we have other things we'd like to accomplish. I just don't see us accomplishing everything all at once.' And thus there is a likely path here that the Canadiens begin next season with Suzuki, Evans, Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach playing down the middle, with Newhook being the lone left-shot in the group and Suzuki and Evans being the only ones who can consistently win faceoffs. Oliver Kapanen will be given an opportunity to make the team, but he is also a right shot and faceoffs would be an issue for him as well. It's not perfect, but without a reasonable solution available on either the trade or free agent market — Dvorak, remember, signed for $5.4 million Tuesday — the preference was to wait for a long-term solution to the problem rather than commit money and/or term to an imperfect solution immediately. It's a sensible approach, one that has a longer view that any rebuilding team should have. And while the Dobson acquisition Friday signalled a new phase of the rebuild, the Canadiens are still in a rebuild. So, in the short term, you look for short-term, imperfect solutions, and Hughes suggested Tuesday he has asked all their players, no matter what position they play, to work on faceoffs in the offseason. 'As much as anything in the modern game, I feel centres, it's about faceoffs,' Hughes said. 'Because they switch positions, first guy back defends, those types of responsibilities are shared. The one thing that's not (shared) is faceoffs. So we're beating the drum with all of our guys that it's an important thing to work on in the offseason when you have time.' But having holes in your lineup also doesn't mean punting on next season. The Canadiens still hope to be a playoff team, and the additions of Dobson and Bolduc probably make that more probable despite the holes left on the roster on July 1, with lots of time still left to fill them in a sensible way. Advertisement 'I hope we make the playoffs,' Hughes said. 'I think that as a roster, we probably have a better chance than maybe we did last year at this time, but we found our way in and other teams that maybe were expected to didn't. You've still got to play the games. 'I think we still have work to do here from a management perspective to get to where we want to be, but I like the direction we're heading.' And that, ultimately, is the bottom line. And the direction the Canadiens are heading took a positive step in the last week. Here are some other Canadiens news and notes from the opening day of free agency: • Hughes answered in a very straightforward manner when asked if he intends on hanging on to defenceman Mike Matheson heading into next season: 'Yes.' Matheson has one year left on his contract and, with a cap hit of $4.875 million, would presumably be an extremely valuable trade chip. That is apparently no longer an option, though things can obviously change between now and training camp if an opportunity arises. 'Where did he finish in the league in minutes played? Top-10? So obviously the coaching staff relies on him,' Hughes said. (Matheson finished seventh.) 'We're young, still. We value his experience, we value what he does for our team. We have a puzzle to put together and we're going to try to do that, so we'll see where that goes.' • Hughes noted he has 'six and change' in salary cap space, which was somewhat revelatory. That means Carey Price's $10.5 million contract is heading to offseason long-term injured reserve (LTIR), which is a more restrictive form of LTIR than if the Canadiens would have been able to start the season with Price's contract on the books and put him on LTIR after the opening day of the season (one is far more rigid than the other is as far as I'm willing to go). So, the Canadiens still have some flexibility to add some money if needed. Advertisement This will be the final season of Price's contract, so the Canadiens will escape this restrictive situation next summer unless Hughes is able to trade Price to a team needing to reach the salary cap floor. The San Jose Sharks, for example, were a little over $9 million below the $70.6 million floor as of late Tuesday afternoon. This might be facilitated in September after the Canadiens pay out a $5.5 million bonus due to Price. • The Canadiens signed Samuel Blais to a one-year, one-way contract worth $775,000, and Hughes said he will be given every opportunity to make the NHL club in the fall after Blais spent all of the 2024-25 season in the AHL helping the Abbotsford Canucks win the Calder Cup. The physicality in Blais' game is what appeals to the Canadiens, and with Michael Pezzetta signing a two-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Blais would be a good fit filling that role as an extra forward and energy guy. And if he is ultimately put through waivers and sent to the Laval Rocket, he proved this season how valuable he can be in the AHL. • The signing of goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen to a one-year, one-way contract worth $1.15 million is another interesting move, especially in light of Cayden Primeau being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday. Jacob Fowler will need help in Laval, and Kahkonen can provide that. Hughes said Kahkonen will have an opportunity to battle Jakub Dobeš for the backup goalie job in Montreal, but acknowledged that giving Kahkonen a one-way contract would help ensure he gets through waivers if ever the Canadiens want to send him down to Laval, which is by far the most likely scenario here. It fills a serious need as the Canadiens would not have wanted Fowler to be on an island in Laval. His proper development is an important part of the process here. • Bolduc noted how he played the bumper position in the slot on the Blues power play, and though he was more accustomed to being a shooter on the flank to that point, he grew comfortable in that spot. He scored seven power-play goals last season from that spot, he said. The Canadiens have long searched for someone to effectively play that position, so Bolduc could have a good opportunity to fill it on the second power-play unit, where Newhook was the one normally playing there. The second unit might also see the additions of Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach if the Canadiens keep the first unit intact, which finished the season with Suzuki, Demidov, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovský and Lane Hutson. That could be one of the better second power-play units in the NHL. • Finally, Blues GM Doug Armstrong was not necessarily happy to see Bolduc leave, just as Hughes was not happy to see Mailloux go. This was a trade where both teams took an area of surplus and addressed a position of need, a hockey trade in the truest sense. 'It's a bittersweet day having to trade Zack, how he's grown with us … he went to the American League, he came up here and he's played really good hockey,' Armstrong said. 'I think he's going to do great in Montreal. I don't want to speak for him, but I hope that him going home lessens the blow a little bit.'
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Canadiens: Not So Long Ago It Was 3-1…
May 27, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Joel Armia (40) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Toronto Maple Leafs in the first period of game five of the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images After four hard-fought games, the Montreal Canadiens are on the brink of elimination in their first-round series against the Washington Capitals. The Habs had a day off on Monday. Still, alternate captain Brendan Gallagher spoke to the media and explained this was nothing new, reminding the press that Montreal was down 3-1 in their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2021. Advertisement Canadiens: About That Devastating Hit Canadiens: Tough Loss In Hard Hitting Battle Canadiens: After The Warnings, The Fines Granted, there aren't that many players left on the team (Gallagher, Josh Anderson, Joel Armia, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Jake Evans), but they are leaders the other players look up too, so leading the way will be nothing new for them when the puck drops on Wednesday night. Going back even further, in the Spring of 2010, the Habs were also down 3-1 against those same Capitals and ultimately prevailed. Of course, none of the players from then are still around, but the circumstances were similar. The Habs had qualified from the skin of their teeth while the Capitals were the Presidents' Trophy winners. Montreal won the first game 3-2 in overtime before losing the next three, including two one-sided games. Still, the Canadiens rose from their ashes thanks to Jaroslav Halak. They put up three consecutive wins to eventually dispatch the regular season champions in seven games on their turf. Advertisement The fact that the Canadiens haven't won a game in Washington so far doesn't mean they cannot do it. Despite the scoreline of Sunday night's game, the Habs were in it until the very end and were by no means dominated. The efficiency of both special teams may also play a significant role in game five. The newly formed first power play unit was impressive in game four and will be hungry for more in game five, especially with the high stakes. The Canadiens will hold a practice in Brossard at 11:00 on Tuesday morning before departing for Washington at 2:00 PM. They'll then have a morning skate on Wednesday at 10:30 in Washington to prepare for game five, which is scheduled for 7:00 PM. Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story. Advertisement Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @ and Threads @karinehains. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hughes Turned Down A Generous Offer For Armia
The Montreal Canadiens didn't trade anyone at the deadline, and some believed that if GM Kent Hughes didn't move, it was because nobody was willing to pay the price he had set for his assets, even though he stated he had decided to keep the team together as requested by captain Nick Suzuki. Canadiens: Fowler's Fantastic Sophomore SeasonDemidov: The Best Since Guy LafleurMichael Pezzetta's Ice Time is Curious However, in his post-deadline article, Sportsnet insider Eric Engels stated the Canadiens could have had a second-round pick for Finnish right winger Joel Armia. Whichever way you look at it, it's hard to believe Hughes could have set a price higher than that for him. While Armia is a very good penalty killer, he remains a forward that has never scored over 30 points in a season in the NHL, and that was several years ago, all the way back to 2019-20. So far this season, he has 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points, which ties his production from the 2023-24 campaign, which he attained in 66 games. He may be on target for a career-high 33 points, but that's assuming he can maintain his production until the end of the season, and he's not a picture of consistency. A second-round pick for a player who cleared waivers just last season appears to be more than a fair offer, but it wasn't worth more for the GM than showing his core that he believes in them. No stick, no problem for Joel Armia 🤣 — B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 17, 2025 Besides, the Canadiens already have two second-round picks in the subsequent two drafts and 12 picks in 2025, nine in 2026, and seven in 2027, which is more than enough. I know draft picks can be used in trades, but there comes a time when you seek established players when draft picks aren't enough, and your trading partners want roster players or prospects near ready to play in the NHL. It's obvious that the Canadiens are in need of a second line center, and if history has taught us one thing, it's that draft picks will bring you players with good potential, but that have so far failed to meet expectations. If we are realistic, this is what Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook are. Players with a high pedigree, but that didn't live up to the hype in their original market, and, we have to admit, in Montreal so far. They are not busts, but they don't appear to be players who will be able to play a pivotal role on a contending Canadiens' team. The Canadiens enjoyed a day off on Sunday but will be back on the ice for practice at 1 PM PDT on Monday. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday, they'll be playing a back-to-back against the Vancouver Canucks and the Seattle Kraken. With only 19 games to go, we'll soon know if Hughes was right to give a vote of confidence to his players, their first post-deadline game wasn't exactly convincing, especially the first frame in which they could only muster four shots. Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @ and Threads @karinehains. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Montreal Canadiens - 2025 Trade Deadline Hub
MONTREAL - It's that time of the year again and this time around, Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes is not just looking to sell, he's looking to acquire pieces that could help his team right away. The Canadiens team site wanted to create a one-stop shop for everything related to the Habs 2025 trade deadline. Feel free to comment below if you would like to see something new in this tracker, we love hearing from you! Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @ and Threads @karinehains. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. When is the trade deadline? On Friday, March 7, in just over a week. Who are the Canadiens likely to move? Their pending UFAs appear to be the most likely candidate for a move; Jake Evans, Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, and David Savard. Some have also suggested Mike Matheson could be an interesting asset to move. Time Is Running Out On Jake EvansCanadiens: The Forgotten Pending UFAWhy Package Joel Armia With Jake EvansMontreal Should Shop David SavardCould Mike Matheson Get Traded?Christian Dvorak Has Trade Value What should the Canadiens' strategy be approaching the deadline? The answer to that one has changed over the season... Don't Expect Hughes To Be A Seller The Canadiens' Strategy At The Trade DeadlineThe Canadiens Should Be In Tank ModeWhen Do The Canadiens Sit Evans and Savard? Who could be a possible target for the Canadiens? There have been a few names swirling around for some time on the market; Dylan Cozens, Trevor Zegras and Noah Dobson have been mentioned. Weekes Report Hughes Has A Trade TargetThe Canadiens' Strategy At The Trade DeadlineShould the Canadiens Acquire Trevor Zegras?
