HABS LOSE EMELIN
Defenceman is Vegas-bound
Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin has added $4.1 million in cap space, but he has one extra hole on defence after the Las Vegas Knights selected defencemen Alexei Emelin in the expansion draft.
Emelin is the third defenceman Montreal has lost in the past week. Bergevin traded Nathan Beaulieu to Buffalo for a third-round draft choice and sent Mikhail Sergachev, the team’s first-round draft choice in 2016, to Tampa Bay for forward Jonathan Drouin.
The 30 players selected by the Golden Knights were revealed Wednesday night during the NHL Awards Show from Las Vegas, but general manager George McPhee added nine other players in trades. He also picked up 11 draft picks, including two first-round choices from the New York Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets. At least nine teams made side deals with Vegas to influence the selections, but the Habs weren’t in that group.
The Canadiens have been actively shopping for a top-four defenceman. They tried to pry N.D.G. native Marco Scandella from Minnesota, but were unable to get a deal done before a trading freeze went into effect on the weekend. The freeze will be lifted at 9 a.m. Thursday.
Shea Weber Jeff Petry, Jordie Benn and Brandon Davidson return from last season. The Canadiens are expected to re-sign unrestricted free agent Andrei Markov and they added former KHL defenceman Jakub Jerabek in May.
The loss of Emelin means Bergevin has $23 million in cap space for Markov, UFA Alex Radulov and possibly Alex Galchenyuk, who is a restricted free agent, but has been the focus of trade rumours.
Vegas picked up solid goaltending in Marc-André Fleury and Colorado starter Calvin Pickard. On offence, they selected 30-goal scorer Jonathan Marchessault from Florida, David Perron from the St. Louis Blues and James Neal, a nine-time 20-goal scorer from Nashville. Ottawa’s Marc Methot, power play specialist Jason Garrison from Tampa Bay and Edmonton’s Griffin Reinhart will join Emelin on the blue line.
Edmonton’s Connor McDavid won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player, the Ted Lindsay Award as the NHLPA’s choice for top player and landed on the cover of EA Sports NHL 18. Sergei Bobrovsky won his second Vézina Trophy as top goaltender. Carey Price of the Canadiens finished third in the voting behind Bobrovsky and Washington’s Braden Holtby.
As expected, Toronto’s Auston Matthews was a runaway winner in the Calder Trophy voting for the top rookie, Boston’s Patrice Bergeron tied Bob Gainey with his fourth Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward, San Jose’s Brent Burns won the Norris Trophy as top defenceman. Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which recognizes perseverance and dedication to the game.
Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s most gentlemanly player. Nashville’s David Poile was honoured as GM of the year and Columbus’ John Tortorella won his second Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.