CANADIENS SIGN DEFENSEMAN JARRED TINORDI TO A THREE-YEAR CONTRACT
MONTREAL (November 2, 2011) – Montreal Canadiens General Manager, Pierre Gauthier, announced today the signing of defenseman Jarred Tinordi to a three-year contract (2012-13 to 2014-15). As per Club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Tinordi was selected in the first round, 22nd overall, by the Canadiens at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Thus far in 2011-12, Tinordi recorded two points (0-2-2) and 22 penalty minutes in six games with the OHL London Knights, posting a +7 differential. The London Knights are currently the top team in the country according to the Canadian Hockey League rankings (CHL) with a 13-2-0-1 record. In his first season in the OHL in 2010-11, the 6’6’’ and 215 lbs defenseman played 63 games with the Knights, recording 14 points (1 goal, 13 assists). He also led his team with 140 penalty minutes.
A native of Burnsville, Minnesota, Tinordi is a product of the USA Hockey Development program. He played 39 games in the USHL in 2009-10, registered nine points (4-5-9) and 68 penalty minutes. He was also a member of the US national team on three occasions at international tournaments between 2008 and 2010.
Since the "new" NHL launched a few years back there have been a myriad of changes in the league.
First and foremost is, of course, a crack down on obstructions—one that has been relaxed considerably in recent years.
Another change that can be felt more tangibly, is that of the NHL schedule. I remember working for a software company, in a previous life, that pitched the NHL on automating their scheduling system.
At the time, it was one guy—yes, one guy—who did all of the scheduling by hand. He had a massive white board with logos for teams, various arena schedule information and other aids to help him put together a given NHL season schedule.
I know, total insanity.
But in recent years, this man has been replaced by software and, as such, we have seen a dramatic increase in teams randomly having several days off.
Witness the current five-day break the Habs are on as exhibit 'A'.
A question of momentum
With the Habs fresh on the heels of a three-game winning streak including back-to-back Ws over the rival Boston Bruins, the timing of the break is not necessarily great.
It remains to be seen how the extended break will affect the team, but suffice it to say that there is something to be said about keeping the momentum going. Especially considering the Habs were just starting to turn their horrible start around.
But who knows, they might come out with fire on their eyes on Friday as they face the red-hot Ottawa Senators.
I know, that doesn't roll off the tongue very well does it?
The only team ahead of the Sens—Ottawa is second in the Northeast with 14 points—are the Toronto Maple Leafs with 15 points.
That also doesn't roll off the tongue very well, but such is the 2011-2012 NHL season so far.
If there is a bright side to the Habs early November break, it is that they have time to lick their many wounds. That and they are, at least, going into the break on a winning streak.
Can you imagine all the hand-wringing that would be going on if they had just lost three in a row?
Better D
Jaroslav Spacek made his return to the lineup at the same time that assistant coach Perry Pearn was let go.
And while some are looking at the departure of Pearn as the reason for the turnaround, I think that Spacek's presence in the lineup isn't getting enough press.
With him out of the lineup, Montreal was forced to play Yannick Weber, Raphael Diaz and Alexei Emelin and give them major minutes.
Combine that with second-year defenseman, P.K. Subban, Josh Gorges and what looks to be an over-the-hill Hal Gill, and Montreal simply did not have enough experience in the lineup.
Spacek's presence on the back end helped to calm some of the young guns, especially his frequent playing partner Weber.
I think that having more experience on the backend helped the Habs get their transition game going, while allowing the coaching staff to spread out the ice time.
The result: a three-game win streak in which Gill has averaged around 18 minutes per game, along with Weber and Diaz.
Walking Wounded
Both Andrei Markov and Scott Gomez have been skating on their own and look to make returns to the lineup in the not-so-distant future.
Markov is probably still about three weeks away, maybe more, but Gomez looks like he could be back as early as this weekend.
So the big question floating around town is where does he fit in the lineup?
The short answer is that he doesn't.
Gomez has done nothing over the last two seasons to show that he deserves to be in the lineup. Moreover, with David Desharnais and Lars Eller getting more and more ice time, the two young centers are looking better each game.
Desharnais is a known commodity from last season but the emergence of Lars Eller as a big, strong two-way center has been nothing short of a revelation for the Habs.
Sure he doesn't have the best hands in the world and likely will never be a 30-goal scorer. But he should hit 20. Maybe even 25.
What's more important is that he, finally, gives the Habs some size up the middle.
So what do you do? Bump him to the fourth line in favour of Gomez, giving the Habs three small centers in their top-nine?
Personally, I'd let Gomez sit, look for a trade option or send him down to Hamilton.
That's a pipe dream, I know, but that's what I'd do.
As for the veteran-loving Jacques Martin, well, he will likely dislodge a player who is playing well in favour of getting Gomez back into the lineup. And that, my friends, is a crying shame.
Chris Nilan floated the idea, on TSN 990, of playing him on as a third line winger.
I suppose that's possible but I don't see a player who has been a "career" center, faring well in that transition.
Either way, Habs management has some big decisions to make!
Guaranteed Win Night
So the gents from The Franchise weekend morning show (on TSN 990) and I are throwing a hockey party this Saturday and you are all invited!
Why 'Guaranteed win night'? Because if the Habs lose, you get a coupon for free chicken wings!
It's at Brasserie Sports 40 in Anjou and costs $10 at the door which gives you entry into the party and one raffle ticket for our prize draw.
We'll be giving away tickets, jerseys and so much more! Plus, a portion of the proceeds will be going to Team in Training (TNT) charity.
If that wasn't enough, Chris 'Knuckles' Nilan will be in attendance.
So come out, watch the game (Habs v. Rangers) talk some hockey with Nilan, help out a charity and possibly win some prizes.
I'm hoping to see some of you Habs addict out there! Shoot me a message if you're going to make it, I'd love to meet you all face-to-face!
Lastly, but not leastly (can you say that?), here is our Sunday Shinny podcast from this past Sunday.
Former NHLer and current radio analyst for TSN 990, Bobby Dollas, was in studio with us.
It's always an amazing experience to hear a former player talk about the league and what goes on behind the scenes. I highly recommend checking out the podcast!
We discussed the return Gomez, Markov, the firing of Pearn, the Habs recent turnaround and so much more.
When it comes to Gomez I contented that he has never been more superfluous to the Habs lineup.
Never.
On Markov, I said that his return to the lineup will make Emelin the eighth D-man while pushing Diaz and Weber down the line. So does that mean that Emelin will go back to the KHL?
The bottom line is that, to me, the logjam spells a trade, probably of either Weber or Diaz, and that is a tough choice!
What do you think? Who goes where when Markov and Gomez are back? Is there a trade in the works?
Click play below to listen in (listing time 51:05):
--- Kamal is a freelance writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com and Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com. Kamal is also a weekly contributor to the Sunday Shinny on TSN Radio 990 (AM 990) every Sunday from 9 - 10 AM. Listen live at http://www.tsn.ca/montreal/
MONTREAL (November 1, 2011) – Netminder Carey Price is the Molson Cup recipient for the month of February. Price was the overall Molson Cup award winner for the 2010-11 season.
Price was selected three times as the first star of the game (October 9 at Winnipeg, October 27 at Boston and October 29 against Boston), and once as the second star (October 26 against Philadelphia). Price finished ahead of teammates Max Pacioretty and Erik Cole.
The 24-year old goaltender had a 4-4-2 record in 10 games in October, with a 2.59 goals against average. He stopped 235 of the 261 shots he faced for a .900 save percentage. Price earned his 100th NHL career win on October 26 against the Flyers.
Carey Price will be presented with the Molson Cup during a ceremony prior to the November 8 game against the Edmonton Oilers at the Bell Centre.
Fans can vote for the Molson Export three stars of the game for every game this season, by logging on to canadiens.com/3stars, on the Canadiens official iPhone mobile application or by smartphone at bell.ca/canadiens.
Almost one month into the season and now that all 30 NHL teams have played at least nine games, it's time to have a look at the potential Calder Trophy candidates for the 2011-12 season. While a few rookies were returned to their junior team or their European affiliate, such as Mika Zibanejad and Mark Scheifele.
1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers: 11 games, 5 g and 6 a for 11 pts, +4 rating Drafted first overall by the Oilers last June, RNH has clicked instantly with fellow youngsters Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle. The offensively gifted Nugent-Hopkins sees the ice well and has great offensive instincts for an 18 year-old rookie. Expect the 6'1'', 175-lbs to slow as the season advances because of his slightly-built frame.
Projections: 77 games, 32 g and 34 a for 66 pts, +7 rating
2. Luke Adam, Buffalo Sabres: 10 games, 3 g and 6 a for 9 pts, +0 rating After winning the AHL Rookie of the Year Award with the Portland Pirates last season, Adam didn't have anything else to prove in the minors. As a result, Adam was promoted to the big club in training camp and slotted between sniper Tomas Vanek and captain Jason Pominville with great success. With Derek Roy and Ville Leino struggling, the 21 year-old Adam will most likely remain in the Sabres' top-six, providing him plenty of ice-time along the way.
Projections: 80 games, 22 g and 42 a for 64 pts, +2 rating
3. Matt Read, Philadelphia Flyers: 11 games, 3 g and 4 a for 7 pts, +3 rating Read, who was never drafted, is a 25 year-old centre who came out of nowhere and made de Flyers out of training camp, which was made possible in part due to the departures of Mike Richards and Jeff Carter in the summer. Gifted with a good shot and a great ability to make offensive plays, the speedy Read is a well-rounded player and will stick with the Flyers since he's on a one-way deal.
Projections: 78 games, 20 g and 37 a for 57 pts, +10 rating
4. Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche: 11 games, 4 g and 3 a for 7 pts, +3 rating
Drafted second overall by the Avalanche last June, right behind Nugent-Hopkins, the 18 year-old Swede has made a considerable impact so far with a surprising Avalanche team. Landeskog is more a shooter than a playmaker as shown by his 43 shots on goal this year, second in the NHL only behind James Neal. Landeskog has acclimated well to North America, but he has yet to play an 82-game season so he will likely have tougher stretches ahead.
Projections: 76 games, 27 g and 26 a for 53 pts, +5 rating
5. Colin Greening, Ottawa Senators: 12 games, 4 g and 4 a for 8 pts, -5 rating
After getting a taste of the NHL in 2010-11, when he played 24 games with the Senators and notched 13 points, the 25 year-old rookie can be considered late bloomer. However, with Ottawa's flagrant lack of depth up front, Greening will get plenty of playing time in their top-six. Greening is currently playing with red-hot Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek on the Senators' top-line so he will get every opportunity to produce.
Projections: 81 games, 24 g and 27 a for 51 pts, -10 rating
6. Craig Smith, Nashville Predators: 11 games, 4 g and 5 a for 9 pts, +0 rating
Coming out of the university ranks, Smith was largely unknown before the season. With the lack of forward depth in Nashville, a good training camp propelled Smith into the Predators' top-six to start the season and he hasn't disappointed. The 22 year-old centre, who has yet to play more than 58 games in a single season, will be hard pressed to continue producing for the low-scoring Predators.
Projections: 77 games, 22 g and 26 a for 48 pts, +2 rating
7. Roman Horak, Calgary Flames: 7 games, 2 g and 3 a for 5 pts, +3 rating
Despite a poor training camp, Horak was kept with the big club after being acquired from the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Tim Erixon. Horak, who is currently playing on the Flames' third line with Lee Stempniak and Rene Bourque, is mostly unknown in fantasy circles, but he did score 78 points in 64 games last season for the Chilliwack Bruins of the WHL.
Projections: 75 games, 21 g and 24 a for 45 pts, +1 rating
Honorable mentions: Sean Couturier (Flyers), Ryan Johansen (Blue Jackets), Rafael Diaz (Canadiens), Jake Gardiner (Maple Leafs), David Rundblad (Senators), Marc-Andre Gragnani (Sabres)
Note: early season favorite Braydon Schenn is out with a broken foot and will miss four-to-six weeks of play ruling him out of the Calder race.
--- Fred is a freelance sports write and translator, as well as a featured Montreal Canadiens blogger on http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/ and a baseball columnist on http://www.dobberbaseball.com/. Fred also joined www.habsaddict.com in time for the 2011-12 season.
Imagine, for an instant, the Vice President of Marketing at any given firm under the following scenario:
After many years in the top-tier of sales, the firm begins to struggle. Where the company once seemed assured of success, sales have dipped dramatically and the organization is now well behind its competitors.
And this, even though the VP of Marketing has been given significant new resources to help promote and improve the product. Eventually, the CEO decides to shake things up and fires the VP of Marketing.
Does this story sound so farfetched? Does it seem so out of line?
I didn't think so. So why then would the firing of Perry Pearn mystify so many people?
When a team regularly ranks at the top of the league in powerplay efficiency and suddenly—in spite of additional tools in Erik Cole, David Desharnais and Raphael Diaz—finds itself floundering, it's not complete folly to fire the coach responsible for this particular facet.
Add to that the fact that the team had an overabundance of coaches and a rather quiet group at that. As such, putting the much more vocal Randy Ladouceur behind the bench makes sense on other levels as well. Also, as a former defencemen, Ladouceur brings a perspective behind the Habs bench that has been lacking since the departure of Rick Green in 2005.
Fans and media constantly decry Pierre Gauthier’s stoic demeanour and seemingly infinite supply of patience. Yet, when he decides to replace someone responsible for an underachieving area, Gauthier is accused of using Pearn as a scapegoat in order to deflect criticism or to buy time.
Jack Todd, amongst others, even said as much in today’s edition of the Montreal Gazette.
Perhaps Gauthier truly felt Pearn's performance had slipped. Perhaps the two had a disagreement. Perhaps he was buying time. Perhaps he was simply trying to shake up his team.
So what?
Pierre Gauthier’s job is to use the best people at his disposal to promote a winning environment, not to look like a "good guy" in the eyes of the media.
At the end of the day, Gauthier fired an Assistant Coach who was running an anemic powerplay. He replaced the coach with a more vocal, motivating figure who, due to his previous experience as an NHL blueliner, also offers fresh insight to the team.
If a CEO replaced the Vice President of an underachieving department in any other company, no one would blink an eye. Why is this any different? We constantly sing the refrain that hockey is a business. Yet, when Gauthier makes an executive decision, he is painted as a bad guy.
He is not a bad guy. Just a manager doing his job.
--- Louis is an Associate Editor at HabsAddict.com and an Editor at HabsWorld.net. Louis was born in Chicago but grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval. He currently lives in Ottawa and works for the Coaching Association of Canada. He can be reached at l.moustakas@habsworld.net
