The Montreal Canadiens have shown interest in skilled Russian wingers in the past.
Nikita “The Goose” Gusev was placed on unconditional waivers by the New Jersey Devils recently. If he clears, which is likely to happen, it will be open Goose season for the rest of the NHL.
Should the Canadiens take a flier on Gusev, a prime candidate for a low risk high reward contract? Will he return to his high flying ways, or is he just a lame duck?
This has not been a year to write home about for Gusev, or the Devils in general. A lot of the heat has been diverted from them, because Buffalo kind of commands all the attention. New Jersey is currently fifth-last in the league, and only 10 points up on Buffalo.
Gusev has not been good. The Goose has 2 goals and 5 points to his name in 20 games this season, which includes goose-eggs in seven of his last eight games, and not scoring a goal in ten.
There has not been a multi-point game this year, and only one game where his plus-minus has been in the plus. But the team overall has a -24, and it can be hard to be good on a bad team.
Gusev has only played in one other season in the NHL, last year with the Devils. In 66 games, he scored 13 goals and 44 points. If he was on Montreal last year, that would have put him tied for third in team scoring with Max Domi.
The thing is, that is not even a fraction of the story. For that, we have to go off the the KHL.
Gusev was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 7th round in 2012, but never made the jump to the NHL, instead electing to play in the KHL with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk and SKA St. Petersburg.
In his first full year in the KHL, in 2013-2014, he scored 14 points in 44 games. But his career really took off when he moved from Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk to St. Petersburg. That first year, he scored 13 goals and 35 points in 33 games.
Each year with St. Petersburg, 2015-16 to 2018-19, Gusev scored at a better than point per game, including 2018-19, where he scored 82 points, which lead the whole KHL.
Also in the KHL, Gusev is a play-off stud. 2015-16 Gusev scored 14 points in 15 games, 23 points in 18 games in 2016-17, 12 points in 15 games in 2017-18, and 19 points in 18 games in 2018-19.
Montreal is pretty solidly set in the play-offs barring a massive collapse, Gusev could prove to have valuable play-off experience with this still young team. Even if it is the KHL play-offs, and he hasn’t seen play-off action in the NHL, it is extensive experience.
The downsides? Well, Gusev has had a 50-50 NHL career so far. One good year and one bad year. He is unproven goods in North America, and the question is whether the real Gusev is 2019-2020 Gusev, or the current model.
There is no question that he has not played up to the $4.5 million contract he signed with New Jersey. Part of that might be the players that he was playing with in New Jersey, who in a few words are not great.
Pavel Zacha has not scored more than 13 goals in one season. Andreas Johnsson had one good year in Toronto in 2018-2019, but hasn’t scored more than 10 goals or played 43 games in a season outside of that. Mikhail Maltsev and Nicholas Merkely are rookies.
The year before, Gusev was regularly paired with Travis Zajac and Blake Coleman. Zajac has played in over 1,000 games in his career, and Blake Coleman has had a pair of 20 goal seasons.
Not saying that Gusev was set up for failure, or that it is not his fault for this awful season, but it did no favours. If he was signed in Montreal, he would definitely have better line mates.
Gusev has played on the left wing, which is a place of some weakness for the Habs. There’s Tomas Tatar, Paul Byron, Jonathon Drouin and Corey Perry. Some of the right wingers have come over to help lighten the load, like Tyler Toffoli and Perry, but another left winger would not be amiss.
There’s another thing that Montreal has going for it. In the past, the Canadiens have been a great Russian Rehabilitation Centre. It has happened before, and it can happen again.
Think back to 2016-2017. Marc Bergevin makes a little signing of Alexander Radulov for $5.75 million for one year. He had been in the league previously from 2006-2008 with the Nashville Predators, but left after a legal battle to the KHL.
He came back to Montreal, and it seemed like he hardly missed a beat on the NHL ice, scoring 18 goals and 54 points in 76 games. He was then low-balled by Marc Bergevin and left for Dallas, and the lower taxes of the United States.
If it was just that, then that would not mean anything. But, I am sure few need to be reminded of last year, and Ilya Kovalchuk’s tenure with the Canadiens.
Ilya Kovalchuk was taken 1st overall in the 2001 draft, and quickly became one of the most electrifying goal scorers in the NHL. From 2001 to 2013, he scored over 50 goals twice and over 40 goals another 3 times.
Then, he signed a massive 15 year, $100 million contract with the New Jersey Devils (another connection?) that he did not see the end of, before moving over to the KHL.
After spending some time in the KHL, and his NHL contract expiring, Kovalchuk came back to the NHL, signing a 3 year, $18.75 million contract with the LA Kings. It didn’t work out, and he was bought out of that contract.
Then, when all hope of Kovalchuk revitalising his NHL career, in swoops the Montreal Canadiens. Signing Kovalchuk for the league minimum, Kovalchuk paid himself off in spades, scoring 6 goals and 13 points in 22 games. Not bad for a washed up 36 year old.
Gusev is only 28 years old, and has had a good NHL year recently. If there is no other suitors, and there might not be in this pandemic season with many teams pushed up against the cap, the Canadiens could possibly sign Gusev to the league minimum or close to it. And even if it doesn’t work out, where’s the harm?
With Gallagher out long term, that frees some space for some signs and trades. Instead of buying high and trading out some assests, why not take a flier on “The Goose”, what is there to lose?