Montreal Canadiens news and notes
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Thursday’s links had a Grantland post by Sean McIndoe rating the off-season moves of the NHL’s Western Conference teams. The East is the topic of the latest instalment of the Bizarro Rankings, with two Atlantic Division teams vying for the title of strangest off-season move(s). McIndoe felt the oddest move by the Canadiens was not adding a top-level scorer, but then … [Grantland]
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The Canadiens signed Alex Semin to a one-year, $1.1 million contract. [EOTP]
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Neil Greenberg looked into Semin’s stats last season and discovered that even though the former Washington Capitals star failed to register many goals in 2014-15, he was generating lots of shots for his team and increasing his own shot counts as the season wore on. Greenberg believes the low signing price makes Semin a steal for the Habs. [Washington Post]
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Arpon Basu agrees [Soundcloud | Hustler & Lawless]
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Semin’s agent says Alexander prepares for a big season, wants to have an immediate impact and help #Habs to win the Stanley Cup
— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) July 24, 2015
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Olivier Bouchard examined Semin’s recent NHL performance and notes that, while his offensive game has abandoned the Russian winger in recent years, he has been very good on the defensive side of the puck. [LNH.com]
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Eric Engels also praised the low risk aspect of the deal [Sportsnet]
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J-F Chaumont notes that it’s a worthwhile gamble [Journal de Montreal]
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Alex Galchenyuk has been criticized for not being effective enough in his defensive duties. Andrew Berkshire looks at various defensive game events to pinpoint specific areas in which Galchenyuk struggles, but also some tasks at which he excels. [Sportlogiq]
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Daniel Audette, the Canadiens’ fifth-round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, has signed his entry-level contract. [EOTP]
Around the league and elsewhere
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In a situation reminiscent of the nerve-wracking ordeal before P.K. Subban’s last contract, the Capitals and Braden Holtby have reached a deal after having gone through an arbitration hearing. The star goaltender has been signed to a five-year extension with an average annual value of $6.1 million. [Japers’ Rink]
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Tomas Jurco has re-signed with the Detroit Red Wings. [Winging it in Motown]
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The outlook of the Buffalo Sabres has altered dramatically after an eventful period from just before the 2014-15 trade deadline to the beginning of free agency this summer. Watching the poorest excuse of an NHL team in recent history last year, Sabres fans are once again excited by their team’s potential. [Die by the Blade]
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After defeating the Canadiens and ultimately making it to the Stanley Cup Final last year, history is not on the side of the Tampa Bay Lightning to reach the final round at the end of the 2015-16 season. [Raw Charge]
