Irfaan Gaffar joins Sat and Dan on the show to talk all things Canucks on the heels of the Bo Horvat trade. The guys discuss what could come next for the team in terms of moves before the trade deadline along with what comes next for Conor Garland specifically.
This Podcast was produced by Ben Basran.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
Sat and Dan continue to discuss and breakdown the Bo Horvat trade and dive into what type of player he is along with his worth to any team moving forward. The guys are joined by Frank Seravalli to get his thoughts on the trade and shine light into what moves could potentially come next including the possible movement of Demko and Schenn.
This Podcast was produced by Ben Basran.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
"Honestly, I think (the) timing is perfect," Beauvillier told NHL.com's Kevin Woodley on Tuesday.
"Having a new coach and new (assistant) coaches, I feel like it can start a new page for everyone. Having the chance to start from scratch with everyone, it's exciting. I feel like everyone wants to play good for the new coaches and staff with the changes they made, so it's definitely exciting."
On Monday, the New York Islanders dealt the forward to the Canucks as part of the package that landed Bo Horvat. Beauvillier joined Vancouver along with 20-year-old center Aatu Raty and a conditional first-round pick in this year's draft.
Despite Beauviller's optimism about his change of scenery, he lamented having to leave Mathew Barzal. He met Barzal in 2012 and roomed with him at Canada's under-18 camp three years later before the Isles selected both in the first round of the 2015 draft, with Beauvillier going 28th overall.
"It's been a hell of a ride with him, and he's going to stay one of my best friends forever," Beauvillier said. "It's very emotional and sad to leave these guys, but at the same time, (you) don't want to beat yourself up too much because there's something exciting ahead."
Beauviller, who spent seven seasons with the Islanders, has yet to live up to the expectations placed on him as a first-rounder and former QMJHL star. The Quebec-born winger failed to carve out a consistent top-six role during his New York tenure, posting career highs of 21 goals (in 2017-18), 22 assists (last season), and 39 points (in 2019-20).
The 25-year-old's collected nine tallies and 11 helpers over 49 contests throughout this campaign while averaging his lowest ice time (15:47) since playing 14:39 per game in 2018-19. However, he should have an opportunity to nail down a top-six role with the retooling Canucks, who fired head coach Bruce Boudreau and replaced him with Rick Tocchet on Jan. 22.
Monday was a solid night for our best bets. The Winnipeg Jets bested the St. Louis Blues in regulation and Pierre-Luc Dubois came through with three shots. Unfortunately, Jordan Kyrou missed the net six times and finished one shot shy of giving us a perfect 3-0 night.
We'll try our luck at perfection again with a pair of bets for Tuesday's slate of games.
The Ottawa Senators are unlikely to make the playoffs once again - they would have to leapfrog too many teams in the second half of the season - but they could close the gap to as little as six points with a win tonight.
All signs point towards them getting one against a putrid Montreal Canadiens team.
Ottawa is in far better form at five-on-five, having controlled more than 54% of the high-danger chances over the last 10 games. That's a top-five rate in the NHL.
Comparatively, Montreal has posted a 43% high-danger chance share over the same period. That's a bottom-five rate.
The Senators are likely to have a significant edge in terms of controlling the run of play. That should prove fruitful given the talent advantage at hand.
Not to mention, the top dogs on the Senators get to shoot on an ice-cold goaltender in Jake Allen. He has dropped eight of his last nine starts and conceded four goals or more in all but one of them. He owns a .877 save percentage in that span, ranking 63rd among 67 eligible netminders.
While Anton Forsberg hasn't been lights out, his .903 save percentage over that same period is actually above league-average. He should give the Senators an edge between the pipes and make it hard on the Canadiens to compensate for a lack of talent throughout the roster.
I like the Senators to take care of business inside 60 minutes.
We are going to get a little creative with this one. It is not a side - nor a game total - that stands out in this game. No, it is a first period market.
The Washington Capitals are a structured, slower-paced veteran team that sort of feels its way into games. That leads to very few goals in the opening frame, as they've netted just 35 through 52 affairs. Only five teams have scored fewer times in the first period this season, all of whom are near the basement of the NHL.
Unsurprisingly, the Columbus Blue Jackets are one of those teams. They have scored only 29 times in the opening period this season. That's more than the Chicago Blackhawks and nobody else.
They are a very shallow team that has to try and play things tight to the vest to hang around in games for any amount of time. They've done a good job of that against Washington this season, as the two sides faced off twice this month and neither meeting featured more than a goal in the first period.
I like that Washington is a structured defensive side that doesn't tend to have glaring defensive breakdowns. I like that the Blue Jackets are essentially a one-line team that struggles to score on a nightly basis. I also like that we're getting an ideal goaltending matchup.
Darcy Kuemper has quietly played very well for the Capitals in his debut season with the team. He has appeared in 34 games and owns a rock-solid .915 save percentage.
While Joonas Korpisalo lags a little behind, his numbers are strong as well. He has a .909 save percentage to date and has saved 3.8 goals above expected. In comparison, his tandem-mate Elvis Merzlikins has conceded 23.9 goals more than expected. That's an unfathomably large swing.
I don't see a ton of chances being traded early in this game and the goaltending should be competent at both ends. Expect a slower start in these teams' last game before the All-Star break.
Bet: Under 1.5 first period goals (+115)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
We have three games to look forward to on the last big slate in advance of All-Star weekend. Let's dig deeper into a few player props that stand out.
Thomas Chabot over 2.5 shots (-132)
The Ottawa Senators' top blueliner is sizzling hot. Chabot has generated at least three shots in five of the last six games and is tied with Brady Tkachuk - one of the highest volume shooters in the NHL - for the team lead in attempts over the last 10 games (65).
Chabot is playing a ton of minutes in all situations, giving him every opportunity to take advantage of plus matchups. He certainly finds himself in one Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens.
They rank dead last in shot suppression - at five-on-five and on the penalty kill - over the last 10 games. Unsurprisingly, they have given up a lot of volume to defenders in that span.
Chabot generated four shots on six attempts last game out against this same Canadiens team. I expect a similar effort this time around.
Claude Giroux over 2.5 shots (+115)
Giroux is not someone I routinely target for shots but there is a lot to like with him right now.
First and foremost, he has been shooting the puck a lot since being placed on Ridly Greig's wing. Giroux has attempted more than 23 shots per 60 minutes with Greig as his center, essentially double his season average of 11.60. We're still dealing with a small sample size but that is a substantial uptick and very encouraging.
The other thing that really stands out is the mouthwatering matchup. The Canadiens are giving up shots at a higher clip than every team in the league right now and Giroux feasted on them just a few days ago, recording three points and four shots in a blowout victory.
Big games against Montreal are nothing new for Giroux, who has registered at least three shots in six straight head-to-head meetings.
Look for that streak to continue.
Alex Ovechkin over 4.5 shots (-115)
Alex Ovechkin continues to chug along like a well-oiled machine. The 37-year-old superstar has piled up 91 shot attempts over his last 10 games, which leads the entire NHL. It's not really close, either.
Roman Josi (82) is the only other player with more than 80 shot attempts over the same period of time.
Ovechkin, clearly, is never shy about pulling the trigger. He should have ample opportunity to do so against this Columbus Blue Jackets team. They are absolutely decimated by injuries and, unsurprisingly, that is leading to some treacherous numbers across the board. They get caved in at five-on-five on a nightly basis and are also subpar at preventing shots while killing penalties.
The Washington Capitals faced the Blue Jackets just over three weeks ago. Despite the Capitals getting outplayed in that game - and generating only 19 shots - Ovechkin still hit the over on his total while attempting eight shots.
With the Capitals in need of every point they can get, and the Capitals off until February 11th after this game, Ovechkin should get a full workload and then some.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
The first domino has fallen ahead of the NHL's March 3 trade deadline.
On Monday, the New York Islanders acquired Vancouver Canucks captain and pending unrestricted free agent forward Bo Horvat in exchange for forwards Anthony Beauvillier and Aatu Raty and a first-round pick in the 2023 draft. (The pick becomes an unprotected 2024 first-rounder if it's in the top 12, while the Canucks retain 25% of Horvat's $5.5-million salary and cap hit.)
Let's look at the midseason blockbuster from the perspectives of Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello and Canucks GM Patrik Allvin.
Islanders' side of deal
Darcy Finley / Getty Images
Horvat, 27, is a proven goal-scorer and faceoff winner. In just 49 games, he's tied a career-high in goals with 31 (he's now scored 20 or more in six of nine NHL seasons) while maintaining an elite 56% win rate in the faceoff circle.
The Isles rank 25th in goals per game and 15th in faceoff percentage, so it's no guess why Lamoriello pursued Horvat. Even if the team and player can't agree on an extension ahead of July 1, there's a thread of logic to follow here.
Horvat will slot in as a top-six center at even strength. With the man advantage, the 6-foot, 215-pound left shot will likely assume the bumper role. The league's second-worst power play certainly needs fresh blood.
According to the numbers, Horvat isn't a defensive savant, which is OK. The 2022-23 Isles are less structured and tight than any team from the Barry Trotz era. Perhaps this trade is the start of Lamoriello filling his lineup with players better aligned with the riskier style established by new head coach Lane Lambert.
The timing is the curious part. The Isles, who co-lead the league in games played, are two points outside the playoff cutline. In other words, Lamoriello is making what's ostensibly a win-now move in what could be a non-playoff season. The GM has now traded every Isles first-round pick from 2020-23, and none of the previous moves - which brought in Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, and Alexander Romanov - qualify as a home run.
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
What we don't know right now: 1) if Horvat is going to re-sign in New York, and 2) if Horvat is, in fact, extended, how much he'll earn and for how long.
If the Isles lock him up on a fair contract that doesn't run into his mid-30s, this trade could look smart even if New York doesn't find playoff success this year. If the Isles win only one round, but Horvat is a rental, it could look alright. If the team misses the playoffs and he's a rental, well, it'll undeniably look abysmal.
Another scenario: New York bows out of playoff contention early and flips Horvat to a contender before the deadline. Wouldn't that be a wild turn of events?
What's interesting about the Isles is they could potentially do serious damage in the playoffs with star goalie Ilya Sorokin (and, to a lesser extent, overqualified backup Semyon Varlamov). That must be a key part of Lamoriello's calculus here - let's push to get in and see what happens.
Overall, the range of outcomes is so wide that I don't love or hate this deal for the Isles. I'd rather not sit on the fence here, but it's true. This deal is risky, yet there's significant upside; it's promising, yet there's significant downside.
Grade: B-
Canucks' side of deal
Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
There's a reason why I focused on the first-rounder in the discussion above - it's the crown jewel of this deal for the Canucks. It would be inaccurate to say Beauvillier and Raty are thrown-ins. At the same time, neither player is an NHL star now or projects to blossom into a star one day.
Beauvillier, 25, is a speedy puck hound with 457 games of experience. A change of scenery may unlock another level. However, it's more likely Beauvillier is what he is at this point: a 30-to-40-point middle-six winger. His $4.15-million cap hit through next season made the money work between capped-out teams.
Raty, 20, was arguably the Isles' top prospect - though that said more about the club's lack of blue-chip prospects than Raty's NHL ceiling. The 6-foot-2 Finnish winger is armed with a tremendous shot but is a work in progress. The consensus among draftniks is he'll settle in as a third-line center.
Look, I don't want to completely dismiss Beauvillier and Raty. There are older players and worse contracts the Canucks could have acquired from the Isles or another team interested in Horvat. Yet there's also no "wow" factor here.
Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images
Back to the first-rounder. The condition of the pick is super intriguing because there's a non-zero chance the veteran-laden Isles implode over the next year and the Canucks end up with a lottery pick in 2024. That, of course, is the best-case scenario. Picking outside of the top 12 in 2023 is still pretty good.
Vancouver is desperate to restock the prospect cupboard. Trading Horvat not only gives the club another pick in one of the next two drafts, but it also worsens the current squad, which should lead to fewer wins and better 2023 lottery odds. It'll snowball as other veterans are traded before the deadline.
Casting a cloud over the return for Horvat is how the Canucks found themselves in this situation in the first place. Instead of fully committing to a rebuild/retool years ago, if not this past offseason, they went ahead and signed Brock Boeser, Ilya Mikheyev, J.T. Miller, and Andrei Kuzmenko to multi-year deals. The overhaul will be long and painful, even if Allvin sticks to the plan.
It took them forever to get there, but the Canucks appear to be finally accepting reality and looking toward the future. Marks for progress - I guess?
Following Patrik Allvin's press conference, Dan and Sat continue their breakdown of the Horvat deal. We hear from Bo Horvat, his reaction to the trade, his time in Vancouver, and what to expect as he now becomes a New York Islander. Shane Malloy stops by the show to discuss the trade, the potential of the Canucks newest prospect Aatu Raty, and what options Vancouver could have when it comes to the protected 2023 first round pick acquired in the deal.
This Podcast was produced by Eddie Gregory.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
Dan and Sat step aside for a moment, as Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin takes to the podium to discuss the Bo Horvat trade.
This Podcast was produced by Eddie Gregory.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
