Hockey Headlines: Bernier, Subban, Sutter, Voracek, Galchenyuk, Voynov

By Daemon Parent, Staff Writer, Hockey Pub

Jonathan Bernier (Photo by Chris Young/CP)

► Bernier offered minimum in arbitration by the Leafs

• Jonathan Bernier was offered the minimum by the Toronto Maple Leafs, $2.89 million in arbitration. With Bernier and his agent Pat Brisson asking for $5.1 million, the Leafs and their apparent number one goalie aren’t close on the financials.
• In two seasons since being brought over from Los Angeles in a trade, Bernier owns a 47-47-7 record. That comes with a pedestrian 2.77 goals against average, and a very respectable .917 save percentage. A high goals against is expected on a mediocre Toronto team with a make shift d-core. But his save percentage of .912 last year isn’t bad.
• An arbitrator will look over everything that transpired during a tumultuous season in Toronto. In my opinion, there’s the good: Bernier, and the bad: a team that absolutely quit in all facets of the game, except goaltending. Obviously both sides can still come to an agreement, but you would have to think that this will leave a sour taste in Bernier’s mouth when it comes time to sign an unrestricted free agent contract.
• “There is no chance the arbitrator will award Bernier less than the real dollars he made last year, which was $3.4 million, so the real gap is $3.4 million to $5.1 million. I still expect an award of between $4.4 million to $4.6 million.” — sports lawyer Elliot Saccucci
• Is this the Leafs way of getting another bridge deal for the 26-year-old netminder? A ‘prove yourself’ contract? With the low-ball offer and paycut that would come his way, the only thing that might happen is the Leafs chasing Bernier away. It’s not something you want to do with a good goalie on a bad team.

► P.K. Subban training with former Canadian track star Ben Johnson

• The 26-year-old Montreal Canadiens d-man has been training with track star Ben Johnson for the past month at a track complex in Toronto.
• Johnson has trained other pro athletes including Anthony Stewart of the Florida Panthers. With his extensive knowledge in speed training, this could only be a good thing for Subban. He’s already a very fast player, but being able to conserve some stamina for later in games when he’s needed the most will only help the former Norris trophy winner.
• What this does is show a commitment to being the best possible athlete Subban can be, and also shows Montreal management that he is the type of player that you can build your franchise around.

► Bruins to host the Canadiens at Gillette Stadium on New Years Day

• The NHL officially detailed its plans for the 2016 Winter Classic as the two original six clubs will play an outdoor game on New Years Day in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
• The Canadiens have been the guests in two Heritage Classic games: against the Oilers in 2003 (a 4-3 win for the Bleu, Blanc, et Rouge) and in Calgary in 2011. (The Flames won 4-0) The Bruins have hosted one game in 2010 at Fenway Park against the Flyers (Bruins won 2-1 in overtime.) and will host this years Winter Classic against the Habs.
• For one of sports greatest rivalries, it was only a matter of time before these teams got together for an outdoor game. The fact that it is at Gillette Stadium and there will be over 68,000 people, will only make the atmosphere that much better.

► Canucks trade for Brandon Sutter

• The 11th pick in 2007, Sutter was traded for Nick Bonino, Adam Clendening, and a 2016 second round draft pick. A Penguins 3rd-rounder also heads to Vancouver.
• Sutter becomes a free agent after the 2015-’16 season. The third line specialist has 98 goals and 87 assists in 495 career games split between Pittsburgh and Carolina.
• Nick Bonino is a former 6th round pick of the San Jose Sharks. In 264 NHL games, Sutter has 48 goals, 73 assists for 121 points.
• Adam Clendening is a 2nd round pick from 2011 of the Chicago Blackhawks.

► Canadiens sign Galchenyuk to a 2-year contract

• A two-year bridge deal was reached with restricted free agent Alex Galchenyuk. In 80 games last year, the 3rd overall pick in the 2012 draft had career highs in goals with 20, assists with 26, and points with 46.
• At times, the gifted centre has had trouble adjusting to life on the wing. His natural talent gives him the ability to still play a skill game. But his talents are best utilized playing centre. The Canadiens need to learn to live with mistakes that are going to happen with him adjusting to being an NHL centre.
• The deal is worth an average of $2.8 million a year. A great value for a player that puts up decent points with minimal power-play time.
• The challenge now is to loosen the leash around Galchenyuk’s neck and let him get more creative. Allow him to become more a part of the core. He is one of the future pieces this team needs to make a run at a Stanley Cup, and letting him naturally learn his way as one of the top two centres on this team.

Alex Galchenyuk (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

► Voracek signs 8-year deal to remain in Flyer orange and black

• After his fourth season with the Flyers, Jakub Voracek signed an 8-year deal worth $66 million dollars. With an average cap hit of $8.25, Voracek is just behind Claude Giroux as Philly’s highest paid players.
• In his four seasons in Philadelphia, Voracek has played 290 games. (He’s only missed four games during that span.) He has scored 85 goals, assisted 153 times for 238 points. Pretty good numbers for a player that has been on an inconsistent Flyers team.
• This deal locks up the Flyers apparent core of players on the heels of the Sean Couturier 6 year deal. Giroux, Voracek, Couturier and Andrew MacDonald are all signed until at least 2020. Couturier has the lowest cap hit at $4.33 million going forward.

Jakub Voracek (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

► Kings defenceman serving jail sentence

• Slava Voynov began his 90-day jail sentence on July 7th, and is staying at a southern Californian jail where he has to pay $100 dollars a night.
• Voynov plead no contest to a misdemeanor charge stemming from a fight with his wife that began at a King’s team Halloween party.
• Voynov was paid $3 million dollars for playing in a total of six games last year before his arrest. Popular public opinion is that the Kings should be voiding Voynov’s contract the same way they got out of forward Mike Richard’s deal.
• It’ll be interesting to see what the Kings do going forward with the Russian defenceman. Do they void his contract? Or do the forgive the whole fiasco and let the talented d-man come back.

Tags: Alex Galchenyuk, Ben Johnson, Boston Bruins, Brandon Sutter, featured, Gillette Stadium, Hockey, Jakub Voracek, Jonathan Bernier, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal, Montreal Canadiens, NHL, P.K. Subban, Philadelphia Flyers, Slava Voynov, Vancouver Canucks