With the Edmonton Oilers representing Canada’s last gasp and hope for the country’s first Stanley Cup since 1993 (Montreal, bonjour!), the rest of the Northern 7 are turning their focus to a busy off-season.
The last of that bunch to head to the beach and boardroom to prepare is, of course, Toronto. The Buds were an improved bunch that took Florida to the limit before meekly bowing out on Sunday night in Round 2.
We here in this corner of your page enjoy turning the focus to Eastern Canada’s Big 3 – Toronto, Montreal (bonjour, again!) and the Ottawa Senators.
Let’s dip into a heaping helping of post-season analysis of where the Leafs, Habs and Senators are headed, and what each organization would like to achieve before puck-drop in the fall.
MONTREAL CANADIENS:
Bosses Kent Hughes, Jeff Gorton and head coach Martin St. Louis engineered a trip to the post-season in fairly extraordinary fashion. The Habs were down on the mat several times as the season wound down but managed to latch on to and hang on to that treasured eighth seed.
Much like Ottawa’s situation, Montreal’s future shows promise . . . but also like Ottawa, Montreal needs to understand nothing’s a given in this league. There’s certainly no guarantee of a return to late springtime hockey.
They have this though – a trove of youth exhibiting enormous potential.
The organizational need at this point doesn’t sit in goal with a rapidly improving Samuel Montembeault, or on the blueline with rookie-of-the-year cinch Lane Hutson, steady Mike Matheson and rock-solid Kaiden Guhle (add to that, a number of guys knocking hard on the door including David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux). In fact, this team’s heady depth at defence will help absorb and ease the loss of the retiring David Savard.
Up front, though, the club has needs. Likely at the top of the list is a centre.
Take Nick Suzuki and his 89 points off the table and it’s slim pickings. Kirby Dach’s been strong since coming over in a deal with Chicago, but injuries have truly stung.
Beyond that, do the Habs re-sign unrestricted free agent Christian Dvorak who’s decent on the dot but doesn’t provide the offensive punch he displayed in junior with the London Knights?
Or does the answer lie in Toronto? The Leafs are promising change and maybe UFA John Tavares – even at the age of 35 – supplies answers for the Habs. He’d be a terrific fit bringing defensive awareness and scoring. Given how young Montreal is, I’d be chasing Tavares.
Cap-wise, the team is projected to have $10.5 million US to play with. The team is loaded with draft capital as well – two first-rounders and two second-rounders to start next month.
There likely isn’t a team, league-wide, with better potential than the Canadiens.
OTTAWA SENATORS:
Ottawa’s potential eventually reared up and said, ‘we’re here,’ after seven dreadful years of non-compete.
Like Montreal, the Senators need to be wary about taking anything for granted. You’d think – after years and years of fruitless play – Buffalo and Detroit would eventually make a run at one of the eight Eastern playoff spots.
Nevertheless, Ottawa appears poised to again challenge.
Unlike the Habs though, this team’s cupboards are not exactly overflowing prospect-wise.
The roster make-up should remain intact. That means your core group – again – will include Brady Tkachuk, Jake Sanderson, Tim Stutzle, Thomas Chabot, Ridly Greig, Drake Batherson and Shane Pinto. In goal, it’s again Linus Ullmark.
Let’s deal there first.
Ullmark’s back-up will be who, exactly?
Anton Forsberg is an UFA and probably is gone. Leevi Meriläinen is targeted as the replacement – he was solid when called upon last season. And given Ullmark’s age and health issues, Meriläinen figures prominently.
Defence is set but it will be interesting to see if last summer’s first-rounder, Carter Yakemchuk cuts his way on board. The Fort McMurray, Alta. native turns 20 in September.
Break-out blueliner Tyler Klevin is due a new deal (RFA).
Rumours of the team moving on from Artem Zub won’t go away.
There is a slew of UFAs at forward. First up – Claude Giroux who’s expressed an interest in returning. He’ll get locked up, but the wheels showed their age big-time last year.
On the cusp skaters like Adam Gaudette and Nick Cousins are also due new deals. Given Ottawa’s cap space (around $18 million US) there are better options available. Newcomer Fabian Zetterlund is also up as an RFA.
Wanted to pipe in on the coaching. One of my buddies who’s close to the situation said he was underwhelmed last year when Travis Green was named head coach. I agreed.
And I’ll snatch a take-back on that. Green was the right tonic and turned a willy-nilly bunch of free-flow youngsters into a team that thinks defence first (for the most part).
Does Ottawa move up in the standings?
I’d pencil them in for a playoff rung, but they likely remain in the lower tier.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: The changes are coming.
About time, eh?
Mitch Marner, Brendan Shanahan and John Tavares have played their last roles in the blue-and-white . . . that’s if the organization is finally serious about cleaning house, top to bottom.
All who follow this game know the post-season story here, so we won’t be running it back for you, ad nauseum.
Ditto for the wilting by the team’s leaders when the stove gets hot.
A fresh start is needed and outside of the somewhat taciturn captain, the energy level under excellent head coach Craig Berube is bound to get stronger.
The Leafs – as they sit right now – have plenty in their favour without Marner and without Tavares. Primarily, the team has a ton of cap space (nearly $27.5 million US). This will be handy when negotiating with stud RFA Matthew Knies who the organization would love to lock up to a long-term deal. The 22-year-old is destined to become one of the league’s preeminent power forwards, and sooner rather than later.
Let’s stick then with the forwards.
Yes, pending free agent Sam Bennett would be lovely as Toronto’s second-line centre, but I don’t see him ‘out’ of Florida. And at age 29 and plenty of hard miles, do you really want to sink six or seven years of lusty investment in him?
Undoubtedly, Bennett’s the type of skater the Buds need to replace Tavares. Brock Nelson should be targeted at a lesser cost and lesser term.
Then there’s always Brad Marchand (UFA), correct? (If that wouldn’t be a ‘gotcha!’ I don’t know what is).
The defence was no longer a sore spot last season. Additions Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo were hugely impactful. This is a large and capable group.
In net the Leafs rolled the dice on a couple of (largely) unproven lads – Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll. Both enjoyed excellent seasons and were not-the-problem in the playoffs.
‘Interesting’ is a good way to see how Toronto proceeds.
Draft capital is no capital with the club (no first-rounders seemingly for the next Millenium) so the win-now chants are pretty earnest again in 2025-26.
THOUGHT, SEEN AND HEARD: The Maple Leafs’ run of seven consecutive Game 7 series defeats surpasses Ottawa (0-6) for the longest streak in NHL history . . . Most of us don’t have nightmares about Brad Marchand. Toronto does though. Sunday night’s Game 7 win made the East Coast product the first player in NHL history to have five Game 7 wins against the same team . . . If they can get it done, get it done – Claude Giroux back in Ottawa. He’s not the player he was, and the cost has to be low, but he brings an element the Senators lack – playoff experience . . . Talk about a natural fit? Luke Richardson as an associate coach in Philly. There’s a history there. He played five seasons with the Flyers and would be a great piece alongside new head coach (and former Flyer toughie) Rick Tocchet . . . Thanks to Elliotte Friedman for the tip . . . Sticking with my use of: “To be the man, you got to beat the man,” I’m taking the Panthers in seven over Carolina . . . Out West, Oilers in seven . . . Intermissions sure were a lot more inciteful when either Rick Bowness or Derek Lalonde were chipping in on HNIC . . . Speaking of which, my go-to guy for play-by-play growing up was the great Dan Kelly . . . I’d put the classy Danny Gallivan at my No. 2.
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