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The Montreal Canadiens have an opportunity to add a 2019 first-round pick to the mix, as the Calgary Flames have placed Jakob Pelletier on waivers.
Pelletier, 23, was chosen 26th overall, and has had a hard time cracking the Flames’ roster, despite some solid play in the AHL. To be fair, the Flames haven’t exactly given him an overabundance of ice time during his 37 NHL games that were spread over the course of three seasons. The Quebec City native managed to score four goals and six assists in that stretch.
His AHL production, on the other hand, has been excellent. Pelletier scored 48 goals and 63 assists in 119 games for the Calgary Wranglers, resulting in an impressive 0.93 points per game pace. Pelletier can play down the middle of the ice and the wing, which means he brings a certain level of versatility to the mix, and he certainly seems to have some untapped offensive talent.
He does project as the type of player general manager Kent Hughes would be willing to invest in as a reclamation projection, however, there are some red flags at play when it comes to adding him to the Canadiens’ lineup.
The first is that he’s a diminutive forward, at 5’9″ and 170lb. I have no issue suggesting smaller players are underappreciated in the NHL, but we also have to be realistic when it comes to adding more short players to the lineup, as there’s a point of diminishing returns in terms of overall value.
Additionally, when evaluating the potential opening-night roster, there are no job openings available for a player coming from an outside source. The Canadiens could opt to return Oliver Kapanen to Sweden, or send one of Alex Barre-Boulet or Michael Pezzetta to the AHL, but neither of those situations are ideal when you consider Pelletier is far from a sure thing, and the available roster spots would not guarantee the type of ice time necessary to help a prospect find his scoring rhythm.
Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks
Some will be quick to point to Paul Byron’s statistics before the Canadiens gave him a legitimate chance to play in the NHL, and while there’s some merit to the argument Pelletier simply needs more ice time, there are many more examples of players playing quite well in the AHL, but failing to find a roster spot in the NHL. I’d also suggest Pelletier probably wouldn’t move the needle, and if we’re being honest, the Canadiens already have a few prospects of his ilk in the system.
The same can be said about Raphael Lavoie, who was added to waivers by the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. He’s an interesting option, but given the current roster situation in Montreal, I simply don’t see a scenario in which claiming Lavoie makes sense.
Montreal Canadiens Waivers Priority
If the Habs do decide to make a waiver claim, they will have the fifth-highest waiver priority, which means only the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, and Columbus Blue Jackets have a higher priority.
It’s also worth noting the Canadiens could claim both players, and it would not impact their waiver priority, as the current list will stay in effect until November 1, at which point the waiver-wire priority list will be based on the updated standings.
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Steelers work out two QBs amid Aaron Rodgers injury
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Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase’s One-Game Suspension Upheld
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NFL's decision on Ja'Marr Chase suspension was the right call
The NFL has heard the arguments from Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase regarding his spitting incident against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It did not buy what he was trying to sell. Nor should it have. NFL upholds one-game suspension for Ja'Marr Chase Chase immediately appealed the one-game suspension the NFL handed down for spitting on Steelers safety Jalen Ramsey during Sunday's game, but on Tuesday night hearing officer Jordy Nelson upheld the league's initial decision. That means Chase, the Bengals' best wide receiver and one of their best players overall, will miss Sunday's game against the New England Patriots. It was the only decision that made sense. Especially given the precedent they set early this season involving Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Prior to this season the NFL did not treat spitting incidents as a suspension-worthy offense, only issuing fines for them. But the league is attempting to crack down on unsportsmanlike conduct incidents, and spitting is pretty clearly high on the list. The season began with Carter being ejected from their season opener following a spitting incident involving Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Even though the NFL did not suspend Carter beyond that, it viewed his ejection as serving as a one-game suspension because he never actually played a snap in the game. Chase's incident happened late in the fourth quarter after he had played nearly a full game, and also received no penalty or ejection for it. Ramsey was ejected from the game for punching Chase in response. It is the type of thing the NFL — and all sports leagues — should have zero tolerance for and punish harshly. It goes beyond the game and has nothing to do with the physical nature of the game. It's not a heat of the moment punch. Or a borderline play that produces a dirty or illegal hit because of the speed of the game. It is a blatant act of disrespect that takes thought and effort to do. The fact Chase denied doing it, took no accountability for it and had a lame excuse for doing it despite clear video evidence showing that he did it, only adds to the issue for him. He deserves to sit a game for it. Now he will.
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