TSN’s Hockey Insiders discuss the Canadiens securing their front office duo, pressure mounting in Buffalo, Nick Robertson speculation in Toronto, the Habs and Mike Matheson, a IIHF agreement looming, Mats Sundin in line for a prestigious award, and an eye on Swedish coach Sam Hallam.
James Duthie: We’ve been talking a lot about contract extensions and hometown discounts lately. So do I assume that Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton took a hometown discount to stay in Montreal and extend?
Pierre LeBrun: You’re so nosy, James. I mean, why do you have to know everything? Listen, I will say this in all seriousness that I believe that Kent Hughes did not look to break the bank. That was not important to him. That his new deal does not put him at the very top of where you see those top tier guys like a Kyle Dubas, who makes big money in Pittsburgh, or Brad Treliving in Toronto. Having said that, term was important to Kent Hughes. He wants to see this through over the next six years. Jeff Gorton is the intriguing one here. I know I got a few texts from around the league who said, now that is interesting because Jeff Gorton was sought after the last couple of years. We know the New York Islanders reached out and wanted to talk to him after changing GMs last spring and the answer was no from Geoff Molson. He has stayed on because now he gets to do something he didn’t get to do in New York with the Rangers. See the fruits of his rebuild through. That still stings. Now he gets a chance to see it.
Duthie: Done a very good job, both of them so far. Three games into a season is no need to ever panic. Unless maybe you haven’t made the playoffs in 14 years and your franchise name is the Buffalo Sabres, correct?
Chris Johnston: That’s right. I mean, I would say if this was anywhere else, we wouldn’t be even discussing it probably at this point. But because Buffalo carries around the weight of that long playoff run and the way those three games have gone, two of them at home scoring just two goals. If you talk to management or coaching staff, they’re going to say, look, the team itself just hasn’t played well enough. They’ve always been contending with some injury issues as well. But the heat is really already up on the Sabres, even though we are just coming to the one week mark of the season with the way things have started. And they have two tough home games this week on home ice. We’ll be watching very closely to see how things go there, because if they don’t start winning some games, certainly the feeling is Kevyn Adams, the general manager, and everyone in that front office, there’s pressure to do something.
Duthie: One of the annual rites of autumn here on Insider Trading has become Nick Robertson trade speculation. It just makes me feel comfy post-Thanksgiving. Is it happening again?
Darren Dreger: It is, but it is early days. I mean, it feels like we have to qualify that with everything that we say. The 24-year-old finds himself one more time in a very familiar spot with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he’s hoping for a larger role, opportunity in the National Hockey League. He’s pushing 160 NHL games. I know that Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving has recently talked with clubs that may have some interest in Nick Robertson. Given the depth that the Maple Leafs have, it’s a tough spot for Robertson. So maybe it’s time to give him a fresh start somewhere else.
Duthie: You were talking about the extensions for management in Montreal. They get the big Lane Hutson deal done. So what’s next on the agenda?
LeBrun: Well, Mike Matheson is a UFA at the end of the year. And you know, between the opportunity to trade for Noah Dobson in the off-season and of course that long negotiation with Lane Hutson, the Matheson file kind of got pushed to the side. But that’s going to be a big priority now for Montreal management. They want to extend Mike Matheson. I’m told Mike Matheson and his agent are interested in having that conversation. So that’ll get going at some point here in the near future. The question is, what’s the sweet spot here? He’s 31 years old. He does not want to sign a short-term deal, I think. It has to be four to five years for it to make sense for him. What’s the AAV that makes sense for Montreal? They need something that takes their cap culture.
Duthie: Our focus is going to be the Olympics coming up in Milan next winter, but a World Cup in 2028, a deal close there?
Dreger: Yeah, with the NHL and the IIHF, they should have a partnership agreement done in the very near future. And I would say that is good news for all, especially the international federations. Meanwhile, James, Mats Sundin will be the recipient of the very prestigious Börje Salming Award. That’ll be named next month. And the NHL Alumni is also offering up its Man of the Year. It’s part of an Alumni week in March. And Hall of Famer Paul Coffey will be this year’s honored Man of the Year.
Johnston: And before we go, I’ll put one coaching name on your radar, a little different one. It’s Sam Hallam, who’s been coaching the Swedish men’s national team for the last few years. This is going to be his last season, the federation announced today. Rikard Grönborg will take over for him. But Hallam is hoping to move forward and eventually find his way over to North America. He’s had lots of club scene success in Sweden. He’s got a chance to still bolster that resume. He’ll be at the Olympics behind the bench for the Swedish team and the World Hockey Championship. And sometime next summer, perhaps we’ll be hearing about him landing over here in North America.