The business model is highly regarded by the Canadian.
The recovery plan, devised by duo Jeff Gorton/Kent Hughes, acknowledges that we will give every opportunity to young skaters who show they have the qualities needed to take part in the adventure to be part of the solution.
Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, Jordan Harris and Juraj Slafkovsky reflect the new company policy well. You have taken an important step. Guhle excelled throughout the preseason’s schedule for his intelligence, vision of the game and leadership on the ice as well.
Xhekaj left his calling card last year, and he lived up to what he sold the organization’s decision-makers by showing tenacity, provoking opposition and quickly adapting to the hockey pro’s rhythm. We gave it to Laval yesterday but it was just a formality to meet the salary cap. He will be with the Canadians today.
Harris is a talented, quiet defender who approaches challenges with confidence and determination, while Slafkovsky finds exactly where he needs to be with the big team.
A new management
Due to the injury list there will be further squad changes. Except that the guides kept their promise. We start with a new tour. Important decisions were made to move forward with the reconstruction program. They had indicated that they preferred the most talented, and they did.
Also, head coach Martin St-Louis had said on a number of occasions that he would impose two non-negotiable rules: attitude and effort. The successful candidates have met expectations.
It is not to say that at some point a stay in Laval will not be on the agenda, but it is clear that we have just identified those who occupy the top of the org chart of greatest hopes.
Justin Barron is not far away, neither is Rafaël Harvey-Pinard. We’ll see Otto Leskinen, Cayden Primeau.
But for now, we’ve rewarded the best.
A Message for Veterans
Some veterans need to interpret recent decisions as a message inviting them to serious self-reflection.
The competition will therefore be fierce in the dressing room. Especially on the blue line.
That doesn’t mean Jonathan Drouin, Joel Armia and Mike Hoffman avoided the worst, however. However, this does not mean that Evgenii Dadonov will remain in the team’s entourage for long.
The preseason schedule was a platform that gave St. Louis and its roster an opportunity to conduct an even more thorough roster assessment.
Consequently, we wanted to follow the recovery plan closely.
time
The Habs are in a situation where they have time to put the established program into practice to achieve the goals. He must do this by making sure he has the elements to make the most important decisions with peace of mind. It was crucial to reduce the error rate by taking the time to properly analyze the workforce. We trusted the young hopefuls by giving them every opportunity to develop their talent. Ultimately, the CH selected the most talented.
Starting tomorrow, we will begin another phase of the recovery plan. As Kent Hughes pointed out last week, we need to keep a close eye on everything that’s happening in the league. Which teams are struggling with payroll? What formations are defenders looking for? You must keep your eyes open.
hidden cards
A salary increase is realized with young players, but also when we can bargain through a transaction, when we can take advantage of a unique opportunity in the free agent market, we have to react.
Jeff Gorton cleaned up New York, but he had some hidden cards and that’s why the plan has worked well so far.
Let’s not forget that Rangers were in a period of recovery when Gorton took over Adam Fox, who became an elite defender within a year. Gorton also used a combination of circumstances to lure a player like Artemi Panarin to the island of Manhattan.
The process is final.
There are games where it will be difficult, except that we realize that the group of administrators will know how to deal with adversity and will not panic at the slightest opportunity.
Hughes, don’t worry
Now it’s Kent Hughes’ turn to show off his magical skills or, if you prefer, demonstrate that he knows how to play his cards well.
He took the liberty of handing over Arber Xhekaj to Laval yesterday and then recalling him today. The Canadian reports a financial commitment of $96,817,499. He must reduce that amount to $82,500,000.
The general manager doesn’t have to come up with nearly $10.5 million to meet the salary cap. In other words, he doesn’t have to swap out veterans for the sake of the cause. Carey Price is out and Paul Byron will also be on the injured list for a long time.
Hughes is clairvoyant. His list of long-term absentees exceeds $25 million.
So there is no problem. He will still have to juggle a few employees.
save space
All in all, the four young professionals who are new to the team appear with their base salary already on Swiss employees.
Where things could get complicated if Jonathan Drouin, Mike Hoffman and Joel Armia were ever on the starting lineup. Again, the financial exercise wouldn’t require much thought.
The only catch is that a CEO doesn’t like to be anywhere near the salary cap. He always wants room to maneuver better if there’s ever a chance of a good shot.
