Pacioretty had a career year in most categories, scoring 33 goals and 32 assists for a team leading 65 points. He was also second on the Canadiens with five game winning goals
The trophy is awarded annually to the "player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey". The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association after each team nominates one player.
Pacioretty returned to action after missing the Habs' final 15 regular-season games and the playoffs last season after he was checked — head first — into a stanchion by Boston Bruins' blueliner Zdeno Chara.
Canadiens fans will bitterly recall that Chara was not handed any supplemental discipline following the incident.
As @WinterLions hilariously pointed out on Twitter, "I don't get why Pacioretty is a Masterton Trophy finalist. I mean, it was just a hockey play after all."
Jim Nill To Remain With Red Wings
After engaging in talks with the Montreal Canadiens, it appears that Detroit Red Wings Assistant General Manager will remain in the Motor City next season.
Although he claims there was mutual interest between him and the Habs, Nill explained that the timing was not right because of an illness in his family.
However, the fact that the organization reached out to Nill should be reassuring for Montreal Canadiens fans. The notion that Geoff Molson and company are considering a unilingual anglophone demonstrates that they are exploring all options available to them.
Danny Kristo To Stay in North Dakota
According to RDS, prospect Danny Kristo will remain with the University of North Dakota for the 2012-13 season. As such, he will delay his entry into the professional ranks for another year.
A second round pick in 2008, it was widely expected that the winger would join the Canadiens' organization after a career year at UND. He finished the campaign with 19 goals and 26 assists for 45 points.
After a playoff-free year in both Montreal and Hamilton, Kristo's decision negatively impacts a depth chart that desperately needs replenishing.
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Louis is an Associate Editor and Senior Writer at HabsAddict.com. Born in Chicago, Louis grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval. Find him on twitter @LouisMoustakas
(Photo by Mike Ridewood/Getty Images North America)
13 comments:
Good roundup, Louis!
On Nil: So, does this mean that when Brian Burke gets fired next season, the Leafs will hire him as their GM?
I find the whole thing a very unfortunate situation for the Habs since Nil was, imo, THE very best candidate on the market. And the fact the he was actually interested (which is contrary to previous reports) makes it all the more painful.
But family comes first and, whatever the reason, the timing ended up being poor for Nil and/or his family.
Montreal's loss, to be sure but, to your point, at least they are looking at all possibilities. No stone is being left unturned which should bode well for their final decision....whenever that ends up being made!
What the hell if you want the guy and he has family health issue tell him he can do his job from Detroit until it sorted out. It a GM job you always travelling anyway and his assistant job with the Wings is the same.
@Rambling Johnny: I think, to your point, if there is a will there is a way. If they really wanted Nil you'd think they could find some way to make it work.
I'm not sure that having Nil work remotely would cut it though, and I think Nil knows that too.
He would need to be in Montreal to figure out the landscape first before being the traveling guy. I imagine, as such, that both sides realized it wouldn't work.
Too bad too, imo, because Nil should end up being the next great GM in the NHL.
@Kp.....GM's prove they can work remotely. Just remember Pierre Gauthier.....oh wait.
Nil was by far my #1 choice but it has been rumoured for a week or so now that it is currently down to McGuire, Bergevin, Brisebois and Loiselle. You'd think they'd keep the window open just in case WIlson or Lombardi lose a job as well but we'll see I guess.
I definitely do not want to see Brisebois or Loiselle here....
@Bry: I'd also pass on Brisebois and Loiselle. By all accounts, these are numbers/contract guys, not talent evaluators and, in today's NHL, being able to properly evaluate PRO AND AMATEUR talent is paramount for any management team.
Just look at the downfall of the previous regime in Montreal. Bad trades killed Gainey, Gautheir et al...
You simply cannot afford to screw up that badly in the cap world, because you can't buy your way out of it.
This is why, being a top talent evaluator is, imo, one of the number one requirement for the incoming GM.
As for Bergevin, I think he's be a great GM. On the McGuire front, do we even know if he's been contacted? I've heard nothing on this.
@Rambling Johnny
Working remotely would be a PR disaster for the Habs. Fans are crying for a more available figure, especially after the ghost-like combo of Gainey and Gauthier.
@Bryan
Where did you hear about that final four? I find its rather hard to get a fix on who's being seriously considered. And then, you know, every 7-10 days we get a report about some left field candidate (Hextall, Robitaille).
@KP
The only thing about Pierre McGuire is this tweet (found via Dan's Daily Dose, who incidentally runs a pretty good GM tracker):
Jérémie Rainville (@RainvilleJR): Rencontré Pierre Mcguire ce matin: Et puis Montréal...Pas de réponse et un grand sourire. ''Je ne peux pas parler''
Thin, but something.
@Louis: Thin indeed, but he's a TVA dude so, one would think, legit.
You know, the strangest thing is that I was told three months ago (by an unsubstantiated and perhaps unreliable source) that Pierre McGuire made the Hal Gill trade, was already GM, and that the team would wait till the offseaon before announcing it.
Sounded like horse poop to me then, and it still does. But imagine that insanity was true and the only reason for all the "apparent" searching, was to appease the public/media?
I think that, right now, info that is being leaked is being leaked for very specific reasons. Why so much info about Bergevin, Brisebois....even Hextall and Robataille, but little to nothing about someone like McGuire who (this tweet above aside) seemingly hasn't even been contacted by the Habs?
It's either legit, or subterfuge. I'd wouldn't be surprised either way!
@ Everyone
Where do I heard this? I have eyes and ears everywhere my friends.
Beleive that or last week on the radio Francois gagnon and Marinaro I believe weere the 2 guys talked about the final four. Said it came down to 2 cap guys and 2 talent prognosticators.
I still would like to see the posse contact Dorion out of Ottawa. This guy assesses talent pretty damn well.
I would move Kaberle & Nokelainen with the #3 pick to Colorado for Paul Stastny & their 2nd pick either this year or next. Then go after Ryan Suter as a UFA to play with Subban and have Markov & Gorges as second pairing. Ship Bourque to St' Louis for Chris Stewart to re-unite him with Stastny. Another guy I would not bring back is Diaz as I would have Emelin and go after Matt Carkner (UFA)to play him and protect him so he can throw his big hits. (St. Denis as 7'th d-man. (maybe include Diaz with Bourque) Then I would offer Weber & Palushaj to NYI for M. Grabner. Either buy out or send Gomez to the minors. Next year we look like this: Price, Budaj
D: Suter/Subban-Markov/Gorges-Emelin/Carkner (St. Denis)
Forwards: Grabner/Stastny/Stewart-Pacioretty/Desharnais/Cole- Eller/Plekanec/Gionta- White/Geoffrion/Staubitz (Blunden as extra forward) Move Eller to wing to play with Plekanec & Gionta pretty nice third line. GO HABS GO
Price, Budaj
D: Suter/Subban-Markov/Gorges-Emelin/Carkner (St. Denis)
Forwards: Grabner/Stastny/Stewart-Pacioretty/Desharnais/Cole- Eller/Plekanec/Gionta- White/Geoffrion/Staubitz (Blunden as extra forward) Move Eller to wing to play with Plekanec & Gionta pretty nice third line. GO HABS GO
what a setup ...
That would be expensive and....Eller is not very useful on the wing, even with Plekanec.
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