Montreal Canadiens Assistant GM Scott Mellanby resigned on Saturday after being notified that he would not be considered for a promotion, the winds of change seem to stirring in Montreal. This week, I’ll be checking in on some of the key moves the Canadiens made (or didn’t make) in the 2021 offseason leading up to an Armchair GM post for the Habs. I’ve already taken a look at one key UFA that left town last summer in Phillip Danault. Today, I’m checking in on another newsworthy offseason loss for the Habs. Jesperi Kotkaniemi is a Hurricane this season after signing an offer sheet that the Canadiens declined to match.
Greg Amundsen
UFA Signing Check-in: Blake Coleman – CGY (Nov 2021)
Yesterday, I did a deep dive into the Calgary Flames in my first armchair GM post. Today, I’m looking at the early returns on their big free agent signing from the 2021 offseason. Following back-to-back Stanley Cup victories with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Blake Coleman hit the UFA market and the Flames brought him to Calgary in an attempt to fill their seemingly perpetual hole at right wing.
Armchair GM: Calgary Flames (Nov 2021)
forward for one of the teams in the NHL. Let’s take a look at the Calgary Flames.
UFA Signing Check-in: Phillip Danault (Nov 2021)
Phillip Danault was already one of the top unrestricted free agents available heading into the 2021 offseason before his stock rose further with his performance in the Canadiens unlikely playoff run to the cup finals. With the prospect cupboards stocked, the Los Angeles Kings landed Danault as they started looking to turn the corner on their re-build.
Regular Season Brief: Nov 24
andings are starting to take shape as we approach the quarter mark of the season. Historically, most teams that sit in playoff positions at American Thanksgiving are still there at the end of the season. Yet there are most often a few surprises mixed in. This week, we’ll look for one team in each division that appears most likely to break into the playoff picture over the rest of the season, along with one team that looks most likely to fall out.
UFA Signing Check-in: Dougie Hamilton (Nov 2021)
Dougie Hamilton was the premiere unrestricted free agent available in the 2021 offseason. The New Jersey Devils had piles of available cap space and looked to Hamilton as a piece that could help them turn the corner with their rebuild. With a small sample of games played in his new threads, let’s take an early look at the results of the signing.
Trade Check-in: Garland, Ekman-Larsson / Eriksson, Beagle, Roussel (Nov 2021)
With the Vancouver Canucks currently in disarray, I decided to check in on one of the biggest trades from the past offseason. The Vancouver Canucks acquired Conor Garland and Oliver Ekman-Larsson from Arizona for a package of players and picks in what was clearly a move to win this season. Let’s take a look at the early returns on the deal.
Regular Season Brief: Nov 17
e’re now far enough into the season that we’re starting to the see the true strength of most teams. The bubble has burst on some teams who got off to hot starts, while others who started slow relative to expectations have started picking up points. Let’s take a look at the past week around the league.
Trade Check-in: Bear / Foegele (Nov 2021)
As the Edmonton Oilers looked to improve their forward depth this offseason, a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes materialized that saw the Oilers acquire Warren Foegele from the Hurricanes, while Ethan Bear headed to Raleigh. With less than 15 games played with their new teams, let’s take a much too early look at the trade returns for both teams.
Regular Season Report Card: Carolina Hurricanes (13 GP)
league before eventually falling to the Florida Panthers. While their skeptics wondered about offseason decisions to move on from Dougie Hamilton and Alex Nedjelovic, the Hurricanes don’t seem to be missing them to start the season. Let’s take a closer look the Hurricanes early season results.