Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is expected to miss the entire 2022-23 season because of a knee injury that has not responded well to treatment, general manager Kent Hughes told reporters Thursday.

Hughes added that it's unlikely Price can return to action by just rehabbing his knee and that an operation would be required. The veteran netminder will likely be placed on long-term injured reserve, per Eric Engels of Sportsnet.

Price underwent offseason knee surgery in the summer of 2021 and, while recovering, announced that he had voluntarily entered the NHL and NHLPA's player assistance program in October:

"Over the last few years, I have let myself get to a very dark place and I didn't have the tools to cope with that struggle. I made the decision to enter a residential treatment facility for substance abuse. Things had reached a point that I realized I needed to prioritize my health for both myself and for my family. Asking for help when you need it is what we encourage our kids to do, and it was what I needed to do."

Due to a number of setbacks in his recovery, Price missed all but five games of the 2021-22 season. He went 1-4-0 in his return to the lineup with a 3.63 goals-against average and .878 save percentage.

Since putting pen to paper on an eight-year, $84 million contract in July 2017, Price has not lived up to expectations, posting a 91-86-24 record with a 2.77 GAA, .908 save percentage and 10 shutouts in 203 games, including 200 starts.

Through the first 10 years of his career, he was one of the best in the NHL, posting a 270-175-55 record with a 2.40 GAA, .920 save percentage and 39 shutouts in 509 games (500 starts).

Price also won the 2014-15 Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender, won the 2014-15 Hart Trophy as the MVP and was also selected to the All-Star team in 2014-15. He hasn't finished among the top three in Vezina Trophy voting since the 2016-17 campaign.

The British Columbia native has four more years on his contract with an average annual value of $10.5 million. Placing him on LTIR will give the Canadiens more salary cap flexibility, which is greatly needed following the acquisition of Sean Monahan from the Calgary Flames.

According to CapFriendly, the Habs are currently over the salary cap by $6.1 million.

With Price expected to be sidelined in 2022-23, the Canadiens will have to rely on a combination of Jake Allen and Samuel Montembeault in goal.

Allen started 35 games for Montreal last season and posted a 9-20-4 record with a 3.30 GAA and .905 save percentage. Montembeault, meanwhile, started 30 games for the Habs and posted an 8-18-6 record with a 3.77 GAA and .891 save percentage.

Montreal finished the 2021-22 season with a 22-49-11 record and the team isn't expected to compete for a playoff spot this coming season either despite selecting Juraj Slafkovsky first overall in the 2022 NHL draft.

After trading defenseman John Marino to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday in exchange for Ty Smith and a 2023 third-round pick, the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired defenseman Jeff Petry from the Montreal Canadiens, the team announced.

The Penguins are also acquiring 23-year-old forward Ryan Poehling in the deal in exchange for defenseman Mike Matheson and a 2023 fourth-round draft pick.

Both Marino and Petry are right-shot defensemen, which means the latter will likely replace the former on the Pittsburgh blue line.

Petry served as Montreal's top defender in the absence of Shea Weber last season, and he struggled in the role until the Canadiens replaced Dominique Ducharme with Martin St. Louis as head coach.

In 68 games, the 34-year-old tallied six goals and 21 assists for 27 points and was a minus-11. It was his lowest point total since the 2016-17 season when he notched 28 points in 80 games.

Petry had been with the Canadiens since coming over in a trade from the Edmonton Oilers during the 2014-15 season. In 803 games across 12 seasons with the Oilers and Habs, he has tallied 87 goals and 235 assists for 322 points.

Petry has three years remaining on his contract worth $6.25 million annually and will become a free agent after the 2024-25 campaign. He will slot in on a defense that includes Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin and Jan Rutta.

Meanwhile, Marino spent the first three seasons of his NHL career in Pittsburgh after being selected in the sixth round of the 2015 NHL draft by the Oilers, who traded him to the Penguins in 2019 in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

The 25-year-old appeared in 81 games for the Pens last season and notched one goal and 24 assists for 25 points. In three seasons with the franchise, he tallied 10 goals and 54 assists for 64 points in 189 games.

Marino has five years remaining on his contract worth $4.4 million annually. He joins a Montreal defense that includes Joel Edmundson, David Savard, Justin Barron, Jordan Harris and Chris Wideman.

Matheson will also join that Montreal defensive unit after two seasons in Pittsburgh. He tallied 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points in 74 games for the Pens last season. Before joining the Penguins, he spent five seasons with the Florida Panthers.

The 28-year-old has tallied 49 goals and 89 assists for 138 points in 417 games. He has four more seasons on his contract worth $4.875 million per year.

Both the Canadiens and Penguins have little salary-cap space left to spend this summer. Montreal has $2.3 million in projected space, per CapFriendly, while Pittsburgh has under $2 million following the trade.

Pierre-Luc Dubois has spent the past one-and-a-half seasons with the Winnipeg Jets. But it may be time for a fresh start. At least that's what the 24-year-old forward appears to be looking for.

According to a report by Murat Ates and Arpon Basu of The Athletic, Dubois would like to play for the Montreal Canadiens, which is something he's "not shy to talk about in private company." Dubois was born in Quebec, not too far outside of Montreal, so it makes sense he'd want to suit up for the Habs.

Dubois is a restricted free agent, so it's not a sure thing he'll be returning to the Jets—although they have the ability to match any offer sheets he receives from other teams. It's also possible for Winnipeg to trade his negotiation rights, should it want to go that route.

Dubois joining the Canadiens appears to be more than just a pipe dream. Ates and Basu reported that earlier this month Dubois attended the 2022 NHL draft, which was held at the Bell Centre in Montreal, "because he believed a trade would be completed on the draft floor." However, nothing materialized, and nothing has since.

There could be a reason for that, though, as it may have to do with the Jets' wants in a potential trade.

"The Canadiens have continued their pursuit of Dubois since the draft," Ates and Basu wrote. "It is believed that Winnipeg is holding up the deal in an effort to secure a player Montreal has no interest in moving."

So, it's possible that Dubois may be staying with the Jets for a bit longer. But there will eventually be a time when he can go to any team he desires. That will be in 2024, when he'll be 26 and become an unrestricted free agent at the end of his current contract.

However, that shouldn't stop the Canadiens from pursuing a trade to acquire Dubois now, especially because it's so clear he wants to join them. He could become a key part of their offensive core, and he's young enough that he can be somebody the rebuilding Habs construct their roster around moving forward.

Dubois had an impressive 2021-22 campaign, tallying 60 points (one shy of his career high) with 28 goals and 32 assists. He also played 81 games, marking the third time in his first five seasons in which he's appeared in at least that many games.

It's unknown who or what the Jets would want in return for Dubois, but they may have a high asking price, considering the Canadiens have reportedly been hesitant to part with the proposed return. But Montreal has plenty of time to negotiate with Winnipeg, and perhaps it can talk down the cost.

The Habs can't publicly discuss Dubois, because he's still part of the Jets despite being an RFA. But it sure seems like Montreal would be interested in acquiring him.

“If we had the means to acquire a big center who is established in the NHL, for sure we would have an interest," Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes recently said, per Ates and Basu.

Dubois fits that bill, and he'd be a tremendous addition for Montreal who could play a big role in helping the franchise get back to being a playoff contender in the future.

Jeff Petry is 34 years old and entering his 13th NHL season. The Montreal Canadiens are coming off a 2021-22 campaign in which they had a league-low 55 points, and they could be a few years away from being a playoff contender.

So, naturally, there are trade rumors this offseason surrounding Petry, who could be looking to get moved to a contending team. And it's possible that will be the case and he'll no longer be with the Habs when the 2022-23 season begins.

Since free agency started on Wednesday, it seems the conversations have picked up regarding a potential Petry move. According to Sportsnet's Eric Engels, the Canadiens had a "short" conversation regarding Petry with the Dallas Stars, but a deal "seems very unlikely" with Montreal "very reluctant to retain salary."

That doesn't rule out the possibility of Petry getting traded to another team, though. In fact, it's a move the Canadiens should likely look to make, even though Petry has three seasons remaining on the four-year, $25 million contract extension he signed in September 2020.

But Montreal has made it clear it isn't willing to budge in trade negotiations regarding Petry at this time.

“It’s about finding that trade that makes sense for the Montreal Canadiens,” Habs general manager Kent Hughes said Thursday, per The Athletic's Arpon Basu. “If we’re able to find it, we’ll do it. If not, Jeff is going to have to return to Montreal and play here."

However, just because Petry could start the upcoming season in Montreal doesn't mean he has to stay there through the end of his contract.

“This isn’t something that has to happen today or tomorrow, it could happen in a week, it could happen in a month, and we’ll continue to work in that regard," Hughes said, per Basu.

It's something that should happen at some point, though. Petry still has high value at this time in his career after playing eight solid seasons for the Canadiens. That could change later in his contract, and it may take Montreal some time to return to contender status anyway.

It made sense that Petry was connected to the Stars in trade rumors, as they're looking to fill a spot on defense now that John Klingberg is unlikely to return in free agency. Though it doesn't seem too plausible that Petry will end up in Dallas, it's always possible the situation could change and the two teams could get close in negotiations.

But there could be other teams showing interest in Petry on the trade market. One potential fit could be with the Nashville Predators, who have $9.236 million in available cap space (per CapFriendly) and could use another top defenseman heading into the 2022-23 season.

Basu noted that the Preds could "meet each of the criteria Hughes set forth, with some interesting prospects to dangle and no need to send money back in the form of a bad contract." So if Nashville wants to make a deal, perhaps something could materialize in the future, whether that's soon or further down the line.

Regardless of whether it's with the Predators or another team, the Canadiens would be best off trading Petry, getting a solid return and continuing to build toward the future. It makes sense that they don't want to be on the hook for much of his contract, but that may be something they'll need to reconsider if they can't find any potential trade partners.

For now, Montreal is doing the right thing in exploring the market. However, it needs to move Petry sooner than later, and ideally sometime this summer.

The 2022 NHL draft came to a close on Friday night, and each of the league's 32 teams are hoping their new additions can one day help them contend for a Stanley Cup.

While there were some surprises throughout the draft, perhaps nothing was more of a shock than Shane Wright being passed on by the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils and Arizona Coyotes with the top three picks.

Wright, who was widely believed to be the best player in this year's class, was selected fourth overall by the Seattle Kraken. The pick is now being viewed as the steal of this year's draft.

That said, let's give the NHL's 32 teams a grade for the picks they made over Thursday and Friday's action.

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2022 NHL Draft Grades

Anaheim Ducks: B

Arizona Coyotes: A

Boston Bruins: C

Buffalo Sabres: B+

Calgary Flames: C-

Carolina Hurricanes: C+

Chicago Blackhawks: B+

Colorado Avalanche: D+

Columbus Blue Jackets: A-

Dallas Stars: B

Detroit Red Wings: B-

Edmonton Oilers: C

Florida Panthers: C

Los Angeles Kings: B+

Minnesota Wild: B+

Montreal Canadiens: A+

Nashville Predators: B

New Jersey Devils: A-

New York Islanders: C

New York Rangers: B

Ottawa Senators: C+

Philadelphia Flyers: A-

Pittsburgh Penguins: C

San Jose Sharks: B+

St Louis Blues: C+

Seattle Kraken: A+

Tampa Bay Lightning: B-

Toronto Maple Leafs: B

Vancouver Canucks: C+

Vegas Golden Knights: C

Washington Capitals: B-

Winnipeg Jets: B

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Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens took one of the best young players in the draft, selecting Juraj Slafkovsky first overall. However, their decision to pass on Shane Wright was baffling to many.

That said, Slafkovsky should be a productive player for the Habs for years to come.

The 18-year-old helped lead Slovakia to a historic bronze medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, tallying seven goals in seven contests, including two in the bronze-medal game.

He also represented Slovakia at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, finishing with three goals and six assists in five games en route to a silver medal, and played his domestic hockey in the Finnish Liiga for TPS Turku.

In addition to selecting Slafkovsky, the Canadiens also picked Filip Mesar (No. 26), Owen Beck (No. 33) and Lane Hutson (No. 62) in the first two rounds. all of whom should see plenty of time at the NHL level.

So while the Habs passed on Wright, they still get an A+ for this year's draft as they selected multiple players that could become staples in their lineup down the line.

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Seattle Kraken

The Seattle Kraken got the steal of the draft when they selected Shane Wright fourth overall.

The 18-year-old was widely expected to be the top pick in this year's class after an outstanding career with the Ontario Hockey League's Kingston Frontenacs.

While Wright got out to a slow start to the 2021-22 season with the Frontenacs, he still tallied 32 goals and 62 assists for 94 points in 63 regular-season games and added three goals and 11 assists in 11 playoff games.

Wright also represented Canada at the 2021 Under-18 World Championships, helping lead the Canadians to a gold medal. He notched nine goals and five assists in five games and was one of the best players of the tournament.

Considering Wright has been compared to Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, the Kraken may have just drafted their future franchise center.

Seattle also selected Jagger Firkus (No. 35), Jani Nyman (No. 49), Niklas Kokko (No. 58) and David Goyette (No. 61) in the second round. The Kraken have a great 2022 class that is sure to prepare them well for the future. which is why they received an A+.

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Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche made just two picks in this year's draft—one in the sixth round and one in the seventh, selecting a right-handed defenseman in Chris Romaine at No. 193 and a goaltender in Ivan Zhigalov at No. 225.

Colorado made a number of deals that included draft picks to make its 2021-22 squad better and, after winning the Stanley Cup, the front office probably has no regrets about losing some of those picks.

However, it's hard to give the Avalanche a grade higher than a D when they didn't add much to their prospect pool this week.

The Montreal Canadiens have been busy on the first night of the 2022 NHL draft.

The Habs opened the proceedings by selecting Juraj Slafkovsky No. 1 overall. They followed that by sending Alexander Romanov and the No. 98 overall selection to the New York Islanders for the No. 13 pick. The Nos. 13 and 66 picks then went to the Chicago Blackhawks for Kirby Dach.

Not one, but TWO trades to announce 🤯

The @CanadiensMTL trade Alexander Romanov and pick No. 98 to the @NYIslanders for the 13th overall pick... to then flip pick No. 13 and No. 66 to the @NHLBlackhawks for Kirby Dach! #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/Arc58SxTAS

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 7, 2022

Montreal clearly wanted to strengthen its forward line heading into the draft.

Slafkovsky was a logical target. He scored five goals and assisted on five others in 31 Finnish Liiga games. He also had seven points during Slovakia's bronze-medal run in the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The Canadiens acquiring a 21-year-old center probably wasn't as expected, though.

Dach didn't perform well in 2021-22, finishing with nine goals, 17 assists and a minus-18 plus/minus rating. He's at least young enough to where Montreal could find some untapped potential.

#Habs Romanov is RFA this summer and Mtl loses a promising young defenceman but gain a 21-year-old, 6’4”, 197 lb right-shooting centreman in Kirby Dach. Kent Hughes said the team needed to add size and skill up front. Slafkovsky and Dach tick those boxes. @TSN_Edge

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNWpg) July 7, 2022

Kirby Dach still has a ton of potential. I think Blackhawks fans were far too hard on him the last few years.

But this is probably good for him and the Hawks. His confidence and mindset were clearly suffering this past season.

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) July 8, 2022

TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Dach was a long-term target for the franchise.

For Chicago, flipping Dach for picks comes on the heels of the Blackhawks sending Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators for three selections, including No. 7 overall.

General manager Kyle Davidson seems to be willing to tear the roster down to the studs and start over. But unlike with DeBrincat, trading Dach will be an easier sell to the fanbase given how much his stock fell off last year.

Subject to change, of course, but plan as of now isn’t for #Blackhawks to package No. 7 and 13 to move up - it’s to draft in volume to stock their system.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 7, 2022

Still, Thursday's moves foreshadow some tough times ahead in the Windy City.

In Romanov, the Islanders address a clear need.

Noah Dobson's 51 points were the third-most on the team and highest for a defenseman. Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock were the only other two defensemen to finish with at least 20 points.

Although Romanov has just 19 career points (four goals and 15 assists) through 133 games, he can help provide some of the attacking verve that was missing if he continues to progress.

Alex Romanov is 22 and an extremely good skater. #Isles desperately needed a puck-moving defenseman

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) July 7, 2022

The 22-year-old does present an immediate challenge to general manager Lou Lamoriello in the form of his impending restricted free agency. As a 10.2(c) player, though, re-signing him shouldn't come with too much difficulty.

The Montreal Canadiens surprisingly passed on Shane Wright with the first pick in the 2022 NHL draft and instead selected Slovakian forward Juraj Slafkovsky on Thursday at Bell Centre.

WELCOME TO MONTREAL ⚜️

The Montreal Canadiens select Juraj Slafkovsky with the first overall pick! pic.twitter.com/OyCpMa6Qpu

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) July 7, 2022

Slafkovsky was widely expected to be taken second overall behind Wright, but the Canadiens must have felt the left wing fits their needs more.

He made a name for himself at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, helping lead Slovakia to a historic bronze medal, which was the country's first-ever Olympic medal in men's ice hockey.

The 18-year-old tallied seven goals in seven contests at the Beijing Games, including two goals in the bronze-medal game. His seven goals led the tournament, and he also tied with three other players for the most points with seven.

Slafkovsky also represented Slovakia under-18s at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, finishing with three goals and six assists in five games en route to a silver medal. The left-shot winger played his domestic hockey in the Finnish Liiga for TPS Turku, tallying five goals and five assists in 31 games mostly against older players.

The 6'4", 218-pound forward has the big frame to succeed in the NHL and uses his size and skill to his advantage. He has great puck possession skills and is good on the forecheck.

He could use some work on his skating, decision-making, awareness and positioning, though the Canadiens will surely help him develop those aspects early in his career.

Slafkovsky could enter Montreal's lineup immediately. The team struggled to a 22-49-11 record during the 2021-22 season for the worst finish in the league and could use a player of Slafkovsky's caliber.

Cole Caufield and Jonathan Drouin figure to be Montreal's top two left wingers during the 2022-23 season, so look for Slafkovsky to potentially slot in on the third line alongside Brendan Gallagher and Jake Evans.

Pierre-Luc Dubois may have just turned 24 on Friday, but the forward already has plenty of NHL experience. He's played 361 games over the past five seasons, with his 122 most recent contests coming for the Winnipeg Jets.

Dubois didn't begin his career in Winnipeg, as he spent his first three seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, then played five games in the 2020-21 campaign before getting traded to the Jets. He may not end his career in Winnipeg, either.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman recently reported that Dubois has informed the Jets that he is planning to test the market when he becomes an unrestricted free agent following the 2023-24 season.

"Now the Jets have control of the process until then, and what we're also hearing though is that they wish to keep him and have him as a Jet for a long time to come," Friedman said.

That may not be the best course of action for Winnipeg, though. Especially if Dubois is already thinking that far into the future and not committing to the Jets for the long term.

Dubois has been a solid player since arriving in Winnipeg. He tallied eight goals and 12 assists in 41 games for the Jets in the 2020-21 season. Then during the 2021-22 campaign, he recorded 60 points (one shy of his career high) with 28 goals (a career best) and 32 assists.

After missing the playoffs this season, Winnipeg should be making moves that will set it up for sustained success in the future. And that could mean trading Dubois before it potentially loses him following the next two seasons. The Jets may even be able to get a nice return for him, too.

If Winnipeg decides to put Dubois on the trade block, which teams could be among the potential suitors? One that would make sense is the Montreal Canadiens.

As Marco D'Amico of Montreal Hockey Now noted, the Canadiens will "undoubtedly be linked" to Dubois in trade rumors. And it could make sense for Montreal to try to swing a deal for him, depending on how things unfold in the 2022 NHL draft, which is set for July 7-8.

"Should the Montreal Canadiens not walk out of the 2022 NHL draft with one of the top centers like Shane Wright or Logan Cooley, trading for Dubois could be an option," D'Amico wrote.

There are potential cons for the Habs to consider. They'd likely have to part with strong players and/or draft picks in order to land somebody as young and talented as Dubois. Plus, Dubois will likely be seeking a large contract when he eventually becomes a UFA in 2024, so Montreal would have to commit a good bit of money if it wants him around for the long term (which it likely would if it traded for him).

Still, Dubois would be a great offensive player for the Canadiens to build around moving forward. It seems like a great fit, which is why they should do what it takes to acquire him (within reason) should he become available.

For now, though, Dubois remains in Winnipeg. And there's still a chance the Jets could change his mind about the future. But they'll need to find out soon whether there's a chance of that happening, or else it's likely best they try to deal him to a team such as the Canadiens.

Top prospect Shane Wright knows his fate in the 2022 NHL draft is out of his hands.

Wright told reporters Saturday he wants to be selected first overall by the Montreal Canadiens but that they hold all of the cards:

"I have my own opinion on where I believe I should go, but at the end of the day, it's out of my control now. What my opinion is, what I say, what I think, it doesn't matter now. It's in the hands of Montreal and their management. Obviously, I'd like to be the first overall pick. But at the end of the day, it's not my decision."

The 18-year-old posted 32 goals and 62 assists in 63 OHL games with the Kingston Frontenacs in 2021-22. He tallied another 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 11 playoff appearances.

Not surprisingly, NHL Central Scouting listed Wright as the No. 1 North American skater heading into the draft.

When it comes to the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Wright has some competition from Slovakian forward Juraj Slafkovsky. Slafkovsky helped his national team collect bronze at the 2022 Winter Olympics and finished as the leading goalscorer (seven).

Tabbing Wright as the top selection isn't an open-and-shut case for The Athletic's Corey Pronman.

Pronman wrote that Wright's "hockey sense is among the best in the draft" and called his shot "elite asset and something that can break games open." However, the Canadian "doesn’t have truly elite speed or skill, and isn’t the most physically imposing player either."

Bleacher Report's Lyle Richardson still projected Wright to land in Montreal, writing the Canadiens "will pounce" on a player who addresses their "ongoing need for skilled depth at center."