TRAIKOS: What happens to the Habs, Mark Scheifele, the officials and other underperforming players?

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What happens to the Montreal Canadiens?

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This was supposed to be a question for another day in another week. Typically, US Thanksgiving (November 25) is the deadline for GMs to start really caring about their teams. But the Habs can’t wait that long. As it is, they have already wasted too much time.

After reaching the Stanley Cup final last year, the Canadiens have the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference. With nine points in their first 15 games, they will probably need to win something like 40 of their 67 remaining games just to get to 90 points.

Of course, they are not the only ones who do not perform well.

From the Canucks and the Kraken to Mark Scheifele and Marc-Andre Fleury, various teams, players and even officials have gotten off to a bad start.

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The reeling Vancouver Canucks are in a lot of trouble, and producing star center Elias Pettersson is a big reason they're struggling.  USA TODAY SPORTS
The reeling Vancouver Canucks are in a lot of trouble, and producing star center Elias Pettersson is a big reason they’re struggling. USA TODAY SPORTS

THE CANUCKS

What happen: Following Thursday’s “embarrassing” 7-1 loss to Colorado, Vancouver continues to search for answers on how to take the next step and become a consistent playoff team. Much begins with its star players. Elias Pettersson, who recently signed a three-year, $ 22.05 million deal, has no uniform goals and only three uniform assists in 14 games. That’s not good enough for the highest paid striker on the team.

How to fix it: Calling up defenseman Madison Bowey from the minors won’t fix what the Canucks are afflicting. Something bigger needs to happen, whether it’s shaking up the attack lines or possibly finding a replacement for head coach Travis Green.

Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler have been shooting blanks thus far for the Winnipeg Jets, who are still managing to win games.  KEVIN KING / POSTMEDIA
Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler have been shooting blanks thus far for the Winnipeg Jets, who are still managing to win games. KEVIN KING / POSTMEDIA

MARK SCHEIFELE AND BLAKE WHEELER

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What happen: Winnipeg’s snake-bitten forwards have combined for zero goals and just seven assists in eight games this season. And while wasting time due to COVID-19 hurt both, Scheifele and Wheeler could be playing themselves off of the Canadian and US Olympic teams unless they start finding the back of the net soon.

How to fix it: The Jets, who are holding on to a playoff despite their big shots on target, have replaced Kyle Connor with Adam Lowry on the top line. It may seem like an odd decision, considering Lowry only has one goal and two assists. But maybe the 6-foot-5 Lowry can make room for Scheifele and Wheeler to work their magic.

Rookie Cole Caufield not only didn't score in the NHL with the Habs, but he has yet to score a goal in the minors after being sent off.  USA TODAY SPORTS
Rookie Cole Caufield not only didn’t score in the NHL with the Habs, but he has yet to score a goal in the minors after being sent off. USA TODAY SPORTS

COLE CAUFIELD

What happen: The preseason favorite to win the Calder Trophy isn’t just fighting in the NHL, where he didn’t score in 10 games this year. He is also fighting in the minors, where he is scoreless in three games since he was demoted. It’s no wonder Montreal is also struggling to score goals.

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How to fix it: Despite his play in the postseason, the AHL might be the best place right now for the 20-year-old Caufield. Not only will you be able to regain your confidence against lesser talents, but you will also be able to do so away from a team that, based on early results, could be waiting for a lottery pick in the draft.

Calgary Flames head coach Darryl Sutter argues with a referee during a game.  AP PHOTO
Calgary Flames head coach Darryl Sutter argues with a referee during a game. AP PHOTO

THE UP

What happen: While umpires were given strict orders to impose more cross-check penalties, they have done so at the expense of allowing tripping, snagging and other obstruction violations to go unchecked. No one seems more aggrieved by this than Connor McDavid, who went through the last two playoffs without taking a single penalty, a trend that appears to continue this season, with the Oilers captain ranking 182nd in the league on tied penalties.

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“Is it necessary for NHL umpires to receive instructions on what a trip is? This is a joke, ”his agent, Jeff Jackson, tweeted.

How to fix it: Call the rule book. Forget what John Tortorella recently told ESPN viewers about McDavid’s need to “change his game” to be successful in the playoffs. It is the officials who need to change. After all, it’s the stars of the game that fans pay to see.

Goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer has been unsatisfying this season between the tubes for the Kraken, which looks like an expansion team.  FAKE IMAGES
Goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer has been unsatisfying this season between the tubes for the Kraken, which looks like an expansion team. FAKE IMAGES

THE KRAKEN

What happen: It may not have been fair to assume that Seattle would jump out the door and reach the finals in its first year of expansion like Vegas did. But most of us hoped they would at least compete for the playoffs. Instead, Seattle is in last place in the Pacific Division, eight points behind Nashville for the last wild-card spot, with five losses in its last six games.

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How to fix it: The simple solution in Seattle could come down to patience. The more time the players spend with each other, the better they should be as a team. Many of Seattle’s problems would also be fixed if Philipp Grubauer, who was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy last year, made more saves.

Blackhawks goalkeeper Marc-Andre Fleury has been lousy this season, a year after winning the Vezina Trophy.  FAKE IMAGES
Blackhawks goalkeeper Marc-Andre Fleury has been lousy this season, a year after winning the Vezina Trophy. FAKE IMAGES

MARC-ANDRE FLEURY

What happen: After winning the Vezina Trophy last year, it seemed the 36-year-old had the inside track to replace Carey Price as Canada’s starting goalkeeper at the Olympics. But with a 2-7-0 record and a .892 save percentage since being traded to Chicago, Fleury will now be lucky to be invited to join as third stringer.

How to fix it: Barring an exchange, or discovering the fountain of youth, I’m not sure you can. While Chicago certainly isn’t Las Vegas, it’s worth noting that the Blackhawks are allowing fewer shots on goal than the Golden Knights. The difference is that, unlike last year, Fleury doesn’t stop them.

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NHL attendance, like Ottawa, has declined, even in fanatic hockey markets like Toronto and Montreal.  ERROL McGIHON / POSTMEDIA FILES
NHL attendance, like Ottawa, has declined, even in fanatic hockey markets like Toronto and Montreal. ERROL McGIHON / POSTMEDIA FILES

THE ASSISTANCE

What happen: After closing the doors to fans last year due to the pandemic, the NHL is back and open to the public. You just wouldn’t know it from the crowds. Ottawa, which has been around 60% full this season, had fewer than 9,000 fans for a game last month. Calgary and Edmonton have been below 90%. Even Toronto and Montreal have struggled to sell. Obviously, COVID remains a concern for most, including homeowners, who must wonder if they will ever get back the money lost from the past few years.

How to fix it: Do you want more fans? Lower the price of tickets. Yeah sure, that’s probably not happening.

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