by TSN Hockey Insiders discuss the big decisions facing the Canucks organization, why the Bruins haven’t canceled Mitchell Miller’s contract, why the Habs need Evgenii Dadonov to increase his commercial value, and how interest in buying the Sens is likely to pick up will be multiple bids and more.
James Duthie: Your Insider Trio: Chris Johnston, Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger. The Vancouver Canucks went into their game in Ottawa on Tuesday with three wins in 12 games. It’s still early, but it’s getting late early, as we know in the National Hockey League. Are you about to make a big decision, Dregs?
Darren Dreger: You are clearly approaching the critical decision point to move this organization forward. Now it’s so difficult to make a meaningful trade because of the (salary) cap etc. So if you fire Bruce Boudreau in the near future, you may be risking the organization’s long-term future. Because all teams are looking to the 2023 draft, and the Vancouver Canucks are no different. And maybe there’s some long-term benefit in a draft pick. So with a new coach coming in and changing the club’s direction, is that good for the Vancouver Canucks’ long-term viability? Stand your ground, hold on to Bruce Boudreau and risk the development, the influence of the young NHL players within the Canucks organization? Maybe make the move in the new year so that a new coach comes along, he’s ingrained a philosophy, the systems, a structure that Jim Rutherford is always talking about so this team is ready to roll into the new year next season. Big decisions are ahead.
JD: A very different issue in Boston where the team is really good but the organization is still doing some serious damage control after Mitchell Miller was signed. So they said they broke up with him, but how do you technically do that, CJ, when you just signed a contract?
Chris Johnston: Well technically they haven’t parted ways [with him] Now. Mitchell Miller remains a part of the organization. Functionally, he’s still being paid at this point, and the Bruins have been pretty, you know, I guess they’re delusional about how, you know, they intend to proceed. And it’s important because if they simply tried to terminate his contract, which they haven’t done at this point, sources say the NHL Players’ Association would almost certainly file a complaint on Mitchell Miller’s behalf. You know, really, their claim wouldn’t have changed between Friday when he signed the deal and Sunday when he decided to walk away from it. You could also pay for it all year round and buy a third of it this summer [of] the costs. But if they do, there will be a cap beyond this over the next two seasons.
JD: Pierre, part of the Habs game plan in this rebuild was to turn some of their veteran players into tradable assets. Where do they stand with Evgenii Dadonov, who really hasn’t done much this season?
Pierre LeBrun: Yes, and James, here’s an example of sometimes that’s easier said than done. I mean, Dadonov is finally back in the lineup Tuesday night. He’s pointless in eight games this year, but he’s also notable [he’s] Only played four minutes and 16 seconds on the power play, and when you think about his skills, you certainly think about the power play. Why didn’t Martin St. Louis use it? Well, there are many reasons. Because they have a lot of offensive firepower and he goes with the guys he trusts. But that’s the delicate balance between Marty St. Louis and the guys he trusts; [he] wanted to develop the players he will be around for a long time, unlike an organization, you have to have Dadonov produce so you can flip him before March 3rd. A lot of teams I spoke to said they want to see how he plays here in the coming weeks to see if the Habs can create a trade market for him.
JD: In insider trading, we usually do news, not on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. But we saw Ryan Reynolds … he said he said yes he was interested in buying the Ottawa Senators. what now
DD: Yes, we’re talking about a five-star marketing boon for the Ottawa Senators and for the National Hockey League. Look, we know Ryan Reynolds is creative; He’s an enterprising guy. And no doubt he is working on a financial backing. And we also now know that the official For Sale sign stands for the Ottawa Senators, but the bids haven’t started rolling in yet. They’re weeks away, probably three weeks, before the actual start of the application process, which will involve the National Hockey League in that process. But I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Ryan Reynolds was involved to the end in one way or another.
JD: One of the surprise teams in the NHL so far this season is the Devils, up 9-3 but having some issues with injuries in goal, Pierre.
PL: Well, I don’t need to remind you, James, that it was the goalkeepers who ruined their season last year, both through injuries and inconsistent play. I can tell you the Devils front office breathed a sigh of relief that Mackenzie Blackwood’s MCL sprain is just getting better [be] about three to six weeks. They feared it could get worse [of] this knee injury. So in a way [a] a bit of a silver lining for the Devils. Meanwhile, Vitek Vanecek and Jonathan Bernier, who underwent hip surgery last January, have finally started skating again. He might join the team in a month or two. So you’re going to go from injury to maybe too much depth and goal in New Jersey.
JD: 9-3 ahead of Tuesday’s game against Calgary.
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