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Toronto Maple Leafs: Turmoil in Montreal and Ottawa

By Josh Tessler

BROSSARD, QC - APRIL 9: Montreal Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin listens to journalists questions during the Montreal Canadiens end of season press conference on April 9, 2018, at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BROSSARD, QC - APRIL 9: Montreal Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin listens to journalists questions during the Montreal Canadiens end of season press conference on April 9, 2018, at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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As a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, I’m thoroughly enjoying the wheels falling off in Montreal and Ottawa.

In the last few days, Toronto Maple Leafs fans have seen the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators both active in the trade marketplace. Like every other Leafs fan, I’m ecstatic as both teams have made trades with awful returns.

Per a press release from the Senators, yesterday, Pierre Dorion, the general manager of the Senators dealt winger, Mike Hoffman to the San Jose Sharks.

The bad trades are enjoyable from a Leafs perspective, but there is nothing funny about what else is going on in Ottawa.  Last week, on June 13th, Shaamini Yogaretnam, a journalist for The Ottawa Citizen reported in an article that Melinda Karlsson, wife of Erik Karlsson filed for a restraining order from Hoffman’s girlfriend. Hoffman and his girlfriend deny the accusation.  Whatever the truth, it’s a horrible situation.

While we take pleasure from teams making bad trades, our rivalries do not extend into the personal lives of players and we sincerely hope this situation is resolved in whatever the best possible outcome for all involved is.   We can at least use this topic to do one thing: Remind people that any kind of bullying is disgusting and immoral, and urge people to make an effort to be respectful and positive in their dealings with strangers online.

Hoffman Dealt Twice

As a result of the scandal, the Sens felt that it was time to move on from Hoffman. As I mentioned prior, the Senators released a press release yesterday morning detailing the trade. The Sens dealt Hoffman to San Jose with Cody Donaghey and a 2020 fifth round pick. In exchange, the Sens received Mikkel Boedker, Julius Bergman and a 2020 sixth round pick.

Shortly after the trade was accepted, Doug Wilson, the Sharks’ general manager chose to flip Hoffman and send him to the Florida Panthers, per a report from TSN.

Hoffman was traded to the Panthers with a 2019 seventh round pick for a 2018 second round pick, a 2018 third round pick and a 2019 second round pick.

It’s hard to fathom why the Senators just didn’t trade Hoffman directly to the Panthers for the draft picks. Instead, they took a hit in the return for Hoffman by not trading him to Florida. Sure, they acquired an okay defensive prospect in Bergman, but the draft picks would have been better for the Sens as they look to rebuild.

Situation in MTL

On the other hand, the Canadiens made a questionable trade over the weekend.

Marc Bergevin, general manager of the Habs dealt Alex Galchenyuk to the Arizona Coyotes for Max Domi.

All-in-all, this trade made no sense to me. The Habs still lack a top centre. Galchenyuk was easily the best centre that they had. While he wasn’t their top centre, the Habs now have to acquire a top centre and a second line centre. Given Bergevin’s history, I strongly doubt they’ll find the assets they need.

It’s Not Over Yet

Trust me. The Canadiens and Senators aren’t done making moves. They are just getting started.

Let’s start with the Senators. At this very moment, according to CapFriendly.com, the Sens have 15 million USD in cap space. In addition, they only have two draft picks in the first three rounds of this years’ draft.

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Yes, both of the picks are in the first round, but if they are truly committed to a rebuild then they need more picks. Based on the desire to rebuild, Dorion and the Sens should be looking to move Karlsson, Boedker, Matt Duchene, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Bobby Ryan and Zack Smith. My expectation is that at least two of the players mentioned above won’t be on the roster come Friday. The Sens could then use the picks to draft some top talent in the first couple rounds.

Similar Issues in Quebec

Approximately 200 kilometers east, the Canadiens have similar issues. They have a lot of players committed to high salaries and will need to trim the fat. While Bergevin needs to move some contracts, I will give him credit for one thing. He has stock piled draft picks and has five draft picks in the first two rounds. While he has done a great job grabbing draft picks, it couldn’t hurt to grab more. Plus, the Canadiens could use the salary relief as they love to have a ton of cap space to overpay on defensemen. Perhaps, they’ll reunite Washington Capitals defenseman, John Carlson with his former linemate, Karl Alzner.

The Canadiens have a few contracts that they can deal to acquire draft picks and cap space. Bergevin will likely look to trade Max Pacioretty and Andrew Shaw. With Shaw, the Habs might have to buyout some of his salary to make him appealing. On the other hand, Pacioretty, the captain of the Habs should draw a decent amount of interest. If Bergevin moves him prior to the draft, he could get a decent return. He might even land a first round pick.

Next: Toronto Maple Leafs Top Ten Prospects Part 2 (2018)

It’ll be interesting to see what happens with the Canadiens and the Senators. Toronto Maple Leafs fans like myself will be hoping and praying that both teams get shafted in trades this off-season. Leafs Nation like every other fan base in the NHL will be anxiously awaiting to see which team will win the Pacioretty and Karlsson sweepstakes.

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