NHL teams traditionally are not hasty to pull the trigger on trades or make coaching changes. They usually evaluate their roster and the direction of their club through the first quarter of the season (which falls around the US Thanksgiving holiday) and then decide whether a shakeup is the best course of action.
The flexibility of general managers to make truly impactful moves is complicated by the salary cap, contractual no trade/movement clauses and the term remaining on multi-million dollar deals, but those factors do not eliminate the possibility of significant changes.
Tuesday saw the first of potentially many deals as the struggling Dallas Stars swapped veteran blueliner Sergei Gonchar to Montreal for forward Travis Moen. The 40-year-old Gonchar makes $5 Million (a small percentage that Dallas will retain) in the final year of his contract and may help Montreal’s struggling power play. The trade clears nearly $3 Million off the Stars salary cap and adds a veteran depth forward in Moen, who is under contract through the 2015-16 season.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have to feel generally optimistic with an 8-5-2 record through 15 games and a two-game weekend sweep of New York and Ottawa, but overall consistency and the performance of key players has been a concern.
Leafs GM Dave Nonis is not having his hand forced to make a deal as he was 12 months ago, when injuries to Tyler Bozak and Dave Bolland brought about the emergency signing of veteran Jerred Smithson and the trade for Peter Holland. Toronto has reaped the rewards of off-season veteran additions at forward and on the blueline, as well as improved special teams and solid goaltending performances from Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer.
If Toronto is looking to make a deal, it is operating more from a position of strength and would be looking to upgrade up the middle or add to their top six using players such as Jake Gardiner or Nazem Kadri.
One team that may be on the precipice of a major shakeup is the Colorado Avalanche, who have struggled unexpectedly after making the playoffs last season. The Avs are 4-7-5(just one point ahead of last place Dallas in the West) and according to the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, GM Joe Sakic and coach Patrick Roy are ready to make changes if the team does not turn things around quickly. Colorado made a number of changes over the summer, letting center Paul Stastny walk via free agency and adding veterans Jarome Iginla, Daniel Briere and Brad Stuart, but goalie Semyon Varlamov, Ryan O’Reilly and Calder Trophy winner Nathan Mackinnon are off to slow starts.
O’Reilly and Colorado management have had contract squabbles over the last two years that resulted in an offer sheet from Calgary in February 2013 and a lengthy impasse last summer before agreeing a two-year, $12 Million extension.
The Lady Byng winner has noticeably struggled after being moved from wing back to center(two goals, seven assists in 16 games ,-11 plus/minus rating) and the bridge deal that is the same amount as Matt Duchene and more than team captain Gabriel Landeskog brings the 23-year-old to the brink of unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2015-16 season.
The Leafs have reportedly coveted O’Reilly for awhile as a possible answer to their weakness up the middle and the Avalanche have long needed to upgrade their blueline, which could make the recently signed swift-skating Gardiner an attractive commodity.
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The Leafs have recalled Josh Leivo from the Toronto Marlies on Tuesday after sending the young forward to theAHL affiliate along with Sam Carrick and Stuart Percy on Monday.
Forward Daniel Winnik participated in practice for the first time since leaving the ice on a stretcher in Denver last Thursday and could return to the Leafs lineup against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday. Winnik sat out the weekend games following the league’s concussion protocol after being knocked unconscious by Colorado’s Jan Hejda.
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