Writers Weigh In: Evaluating the Staal Acquisition
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Marc Bergevin decided to strike early on the trade market with Friday’s acquisition of Eric Staal. Having had some time to ponder the move, our writers offer up their thoughts on the swap.
Marc Bergevin decided to strike early on the trade market with Friday’s acquisition of Eric Staal. Having had some time to ponder the move, our writers offer up their thoughts on the swap.
It didn’t take long for Cole Caufield to decide to turn pro. Just a day after Wisconsin was surprisingly ousted in the NCAA tournament, the Habs announced that they’ve signed the winger to a three-year, entry-level contract.
A day after suggesting that he wasn’t going to do much on the trade market, Marc Bergevin added some depth down the middle, acquiring Eric Staal from Buffalo in exchange for Montreal’s third and fifth-round picks in 2021.
Last week was a strong one for Laval. They finished up their home stretch on a winning note before heading out West to take three straight from Stockton to retake first place in the Canadian Division.
For the first time this season, a North Division game has been postponed due to COVID protocols as Montreal’s Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia are both on the COVID-Protocol Related Absences list.
With Jordan Harris’ season officially coming to an end when Northeastern wasn’t invited to the road to the Frozen Four, the focus immediately turned to his NHL future. He decided that he’s happy where he is with the Habs announcing he’ll remain in college for his senior season.
Despite the frustration surrounding Montreal’s performance in overtime over the past few games, it was a successful week in the standings for the Habs as they picked up six of a possible eight points to give themselves a slightly larger cushion in the playoff race.
The Habs were looking to get back in the win column on Saturday against Vancouver after a pair of overtime losses. They blew leads early in the second and third periods and twice had to come back to tie it but managed to survive overtime and win in the shootout, coming away with a 5-4 victory.
After a week off, Laval had a busy schedule last week with a pair of games against Toronto and Belleville. Each time, they were only able to pick up the victory in the latter of the two contests.
In a move that comes as little surprise, the Habs placed Paul Byron on waivers on Tuesday in order to allow him to continue being shuffled to the taxi squad after his waiver exemption ended last week.