{allcanada} NHL Scouting Combine continues to evolve

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TORONTO -- The NHL Scouting Combine has come a long way since the days of fitness testing in the basement of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

That was evident this week when the 21st installment of the Combine was held at the Westin Bristol Place and The International Centre.

A total of 119 of the top prospects from North American and Europe did their rounds of interviews and fitness exams at one of the NHL's premier events leading up to the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on June 27-28.

This year's format was revised to include a trio of more dynamic test stations for overhand pull-ups, single-leg squats (both legs) and a pro agility shuttle. Live display monitors allowed NHL personnel to view immediate results with height and weight, pro agility shuttle and vertical jump scores.

"Pro agility is kind of my specialty area, so I was glad it was added," Portland Winterhawks forward Chase De Leo told NHL.com. "I'm a smaller guy so I'm always trying to be quicker and faster than others. I think it went well and I felt confident in that."

While center Samuel Bennett, No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final list of North American skaters eligible for the 2014 Draft, didn't score well in pull-ups, NHL Director of Central Scouting Dan Marr is confident it certainly won't be held against him in the early stages of the first round.

"The fact he can play the game the way he plays the game, I think teams feel he's a pretty complete package and the combine process allows teams to fill in any blanks," Marr said. "The team that will get Sam Bennett knows what work is needed and they'll be able to put him on the proper path for development."

Bennett was glad to be given the opportunity to let teams get to know him.

"The Combine was definitely a chance for the teams to get to know me off the ice and get to see how I do in the gym and how I can push myself," Bennett said. "I did have a lot of fun this weekend and it was really cool talking to all the teams and getting to know them. I was honest and just wanted them to get to know me."

Marr, who was overseeing his third Combine, was impressed by how well the members of this year's draft class represented themselves.

"If you go back 10-15 years, they were more overwhelmed but now it's impressive how well the players get the support of their junior teams and agents prepare them for this event," Marr said. "This is a genuinely good group of kids. There used to be a time when all these prospects had that deer-in-the-headlights look and were a little apprehensive when they get here.

"Now they know what's coming because they hear from their friends who have already gone through it. I think the guys in the first testing group are more apprehensive than the others, but once they get going they're just fine."

This year's fitness venue at The International Centre was constructed in a 16,302-square foot room that was a little more than 200 feet long, up from a 12,807-square foot space last year. The size of the fitness floor not only provided more room for the prospects but for the scouts and general managers in attendance as well.

Unlike previous years, the interviewing stage of the Combine was conducted during a five-day period; the functional movement screening was held on Thursday, medical examinations on Friday and the fitness tests were completed in one day on Saturday.

"I thought the kids were well prepared but also seemed to be a little more engaging and comfortable," Edmonton Oilers head scout Stu MacGregor said. "There were a few nervous guys, but maybe not quite as many as previous years. A lot of them seemed to be comfortable in communicating which I thought was good. Overall it was a real solid group. We didn't have any real poor interviews; just a lot of good ones."

Two extra bikes were included this year, increasing the Wingate Cycle Ergometer total to three and the VO2 Max to five. The added equipment created a smoother transition between tests.

"The combine fitness segment isn't a competition or a pass-or-fail type of test," Marr said. "It allows the NHL strength coaches to see where these players are in their current state of development and identify areas for improvement."

The late E.J. McGuire was still very much in the minds and hearts of everyone at the Combine.

McGuire, who served as Director of Central Scouting for seven years, passed away on April 7, 2011, following a five-month battle with leiomyoscarcoma, a rare form of cancer. McGuire, 58, was the architect of many of the innovations Central Scouting pioneered in the past decade to achieve its mandate of providing the League's clubs with the most comprehensive list of NHL Entry Draft-eligible prospects each season. The Combine was a major part of that process.

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{allcanada} Canada downs Finland at Volleyball World League

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CALGARY — World No. 11-ranked Canada downed Finland in straight sets in its opening FIVB Volleyball World League game Saturday.

Canada capitalized on 28 Finland errors and out-blocked the visitors 9-4, riding a 16-point performance by Saskatoon’s Gavin Schmitt to earn the 25-21, 25-19, 25-20 victory in just one hour 18 minutes.

"It was a good way to start World League," said captain Frederic Winters of Victoria. "We did the same thing last year, started really strong in our home matches and then the theme was we didn’t do so well the second night. So I think the guys are really aware of that. We’ll be really prepared for tomorrow night, I think Finland’s capable of playing much better, especially in service."

Canada’s head coach Glenn Hoag said there’s still plenty of room for improvement for his squad.

"Both teams are working things out, it’s obvious," he said. "This is what World League is at the beginning. The game grows better as we go. We have a lot of things to work on.

"Our serving wasn’t great. We didn’t serve very hard, and that’s one part of the game where we need to improve is put hard serves in. Second thing is our small play. We need to polish it. We need to be better at setting high balls by non-setters."

The Canadians jumped out to an 8-3 lead in the first set in front of a hometown crowd of 2,850 at the Stampede Corral. The Finns worked back to just a two-point disadvantage at 18-16, but Schmitt was solid down the stretch as Canada took it 25-21.

Canada took the early lead in the second set but Finland pushed in the middle to come within two points before Canada pulled away late.

The third set featured 11 tie scores between 6-6 and 18-18 as neither team could gain a significant advantage, but a block by Gord Perrin of Creston, B.C., and Justin Duff of Winnipeg broke the tie for good to give Canada a 19-18 lead. A kill and a service ace by Schmitt set up match point, and a Finland serve error gave Canada the win at 25-20.

Schmitt led Canada with 12 kills, with Perrin adding nine. Rudy Verhoeff of Calgary had six kills, a block and an ace for Canada.

Canada and Finland will wrap up the opening leg of their Pool C competition Sunday night.

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{allcanada} CFL CITES 'FACT AGAINST FICTION' IN MEMO OUTLINING CBA TALKS

 

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Less than a day after talks broke down between the Canadian Football League and the CFL Players' Association for a new collective bargaining agreement, the CFL issued a memo to the media stating that even their own CBA proposal would lead to three of their nine teams losing money.

"We want CFL players and fans to have the facts," read the statement, written in a fiction vs. fact format.  

"Fiction: The CFL offer would set the salary cap at $5 million and the players want it set at $5.8 million, so they could just saw off the difference a little and get a deal.

Fact: The players' union's ask is actually much, much bigger. You see, a lot of player compensation does not fall under the cap. Things like benefits, pensions, pre-season and post-season pay, plus any bonus to be paid for ratifying a new agreement. If you look at everything in our offer and everything in their offer, you find that the CFL is offering to increase player compensation by $850,000 per team in the first year of a deal, and the union is asking us to increase player compensation by $2.4 million per team in the first year of a deal. Their ask is not realistic. Under their proposal, six of nine teams would lose money."

The league also reiterated that it made its best offer to the union, a response to what it calls 'fiction' - that all the CFL has to do is add a little more to its offer to get a deal done.

"It's the most we can pay," read the statement. "It was put forward knowing that under the CFL's best offer, three of nine teams would still lose money this year, even with the new TV deal in place."

After almost two days of talks at a Toronto airport hotel, the league eventually did increase its financial offer and the union removed any revenue-sharing percentages from its own proposal, but talks between both sides broke down Thursday afternoon. The current CBA expired Thursday at Midnight et.

"The players gave up revenue sharing last time because the CFL promised back then to put it back in this round of bargaining," added the league statement under the fiction heading. "That's not true. That was never agreed to."

There's been no update on if or when the two sides will meet again at the bargaining table, but the league and the union said it won't stop players from reporting when training camps open Sunday.

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{allcanada} BOUCHARD, RAONIC PLAY FOURTH-ROUND MATCHES SUNDAY ON TSN2

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Canadians Eugenie Bouchard and Milos Raonic are both scheduled to play their fourth-round matches on Sunday morning and both matches can be seen live on TSN2.

The 18th-seeded Bouchard will play in the first match on centre court and will be tested by No. 8 Angelique Kerber of Germany at 5am et/2am pt.

Raonic, ranked No. 8 on the men's side, will face veteran Spaniard Marcel Granollers in the fourth match on the Leglen stadium court. The native of Thornhill, Ontario should see action at approximately 11am et/8am pt.

Bouchard advanced to the fourth round after beating Johanna Larsson of Sweden 7-5, 6-4 on Friday. The Montreal native is looking for another strong result in Paris after making the semifinals at the Australian Open in January.

Raonic outlasted Frenchman and No. 29 seed Gilles Simon in five sets in the third round, also on Friday. Raonic became the first Canadian male player ever to reach the fourth round at the French Open.

Round of 16 Coverage

Bouchard vs. Kerber (TSN2)

Sunday at 5am et/2am pt

Raonic vs. Granollers (TSN2)

Sunday at 11am et/8am pt (approx.)

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{allcanada} Canada's Abel on podium in diving World Series

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WINDSOR, Ont. — Olympic medallist Jennifer Abel of Laval, Que., earned her first individual podium finish this season on the FINA World Series diving circuit, placing third in the women’s three-metre springboard final on Saturday.

World champion Tingmao Shi led China to a 1-2 finish with 398.45 points and Han Wang was second at 385.05. Abel stayed entrenched in third place through the entire five-dive final and collected 356.15. Pamela Ware of Beloeil, Que., placed fifth.

Abel’s best result in her three previous World Series appearances this season was a fifth last month in London.

"It was super important for me to get that medal," said Abel, a silver medallist with Ware on three-metre synchro on Friday. "This is where I want to be at this point in the season. I had a difficult start but the work I’ve put in is showing and I’m gaining more confidence."

After five events, Wang stands first at 82 points in the World Series standings. He Zi, who dove for China at the first four events, is second at 70 and Tania Cagnotto of Italy is third at 56. Ware is in fourth spot at 48 and Abel is sixth.

The Canadians missed the fourth stop in Moscow earlier this month because it conflicted with the Grand Prix competition in Gatineau, Que, which was also a selection meet for the FINA World Cup and the Commonwealth Games.

On men’s three-metre, world champion He Chong of China took gold. Jack Laugher of Britain placed second and Ilya Kvasha of Ukraine finished third. Two-time Olympian Riley McCormick of Victoria was sixth in his semifinal and took seventh place overall.

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{allcanada} Canadiens face contract decisions on Subban, others

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BROSSARD, Quebec -- The Montreal Canadiens' leadership group could have an entirely different look next season.

Captain Brian Gionta and alternate captain Andrei Markov are eligible to become unrestricted free agents July 1, and the possibility exists neither will be back with the Canadiens.

Gionta, 35, and Markov, 36, are nearing the ends of their respective careers, and their next contract would remain on a team's salary cap even if they retire because they are 35 or older.

Gionta recognized he probably will need to take a pay cut from his salary of $5 million per season, but he expressed a desire to return to Montreal. He said there haven't been any talks with general manager Marc Bergevin but hopes that happens soon.

"We love it here," Gionta said Saturday when the Canadiens cleaned out their lockers after being eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the New York Rangers two days earlier. "My family's been here for a while. We love the city. We love the team and believe in the team and the direction of the team, so we'll leave it up to [Bergevin] and my agent to take care of it.

"Nothing's been discussed. We have a mutual respect for each other and I'm sure we'll get together soon."

Bergevin will address the media Monday, but he has spoken glowingly in the past of Gionta's leadership qualities and character. He has shown an ability to adapt during his time in Montreal.

Gionta arrived as an unrestricted free agent from the New Jersey Devils as a player with a reputation for scoring goals, a big reason he was signed to a five-year, $25 million contract.

In his first season with the Canadiens in 2009-10, Gionta scored 28 goals in 61 games and had nine in 19 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He followed that with a 29-goal season in 2010-11 but has not approached those totals since.

He scored 18 goals this season, and after scoring in the first game of the playoffs did not score again in the next 16 games. His value now lies elsewhere; he's an important penalty-killer and reliable forward who can be deployed against the opposing team's top players.

"Your role is always changing, depending on the makeup of the team," Gionta said. "Things change. I think my role has always been the same though."

Markov's role also remained the same, and it's an important one on the Canadiens. He makes up one of the best power-play defenseman tandems in the NHL alongside P.K. Subban; they combined for 44 power-play points in the regular season. The only tandem that had more was Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Phoenix Coyotes with 53 points.

Markov did not speak to reporters Saturday, but Subban expressed his desire to see his power-play partner return.

"Obviously [Markov's] a big part of this team and he's been a big part of this organization for a long time," Subban said. "I consider him a good friend and a very good teammate so obviously I want to see him here. But hockey is a business and you just don't know what could happen. In my heart, I want to see him here and to have another chance to win championships with him, for sure."

Subban represents a more complicated problem for Bergevin.

A restricted free agent July 1, Subban completed the second year of the so-called bridge contract he signed after the 2012-13 season began, missing the first six games of the season coming out of the lockout. Subban went on to win the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman in 2013 and led the Canadiens in playoff scoring this spring with 14 points in 17 games.

If he had no leverage two years ago when negotiating with Bergevin, Subban certainly does now. But he made no effort to hide that he wants to play for the Canadiens for a long time.

"Since 2007 when I was drafted by Montreal, I think I've made it pretty clear that I want to remain here and play here for a long time, hopefully for the rest of my career," Subban said. "It's a great place to play. I love playing here. I enjoy the fans. They've been completely supportive of myself and the hockey club since I've been here. We've had a lot of good years since I've been here and there's no doubt in my mind that there's a lot more to be accomplished. Hopefully I'm here a long time to do that."

Subban, 25, is one of two important restricted free agents on Bergevin's docket, the other being center Lars Eller, Montreal's top-scoring forward in the playoffs with 13 points in 17 games.

Eller, 25, had a difficult regular season with 26 points in 77 games; half of that point total came in his first 20 games. But he showed in the playoffs what kind of player he can be and hopes to show it on a more-consistent basis next season in an offensive role.

"I want to be a top-six forward, and hopefully a center," Eller said. "That's still my goal, to round up into that player that can be depended on at both ends of the ice, playing in important situations, if you're down a goal or up a goal. That's the player I want to be."

After falling two wins short of the Stanley Cup Final and with young veterans Subban, Eller, Max Pacioretty and goaltender Carey Price leading the way, the general sentiment in the dressing room Saturday was that this playoff run was just a taste of things to come.

"I look at the Montreal Canadiens winning the Cup in '93 and only being to the conference finals two times since then, and I've been to them both times," Subban said. "A lot of guys go their whole career and never make it to a conference final and get to within two wins of a Stanley Cup Final, so I understand the importance of taking advantage of those moments. It's unfortunate we didn't get that done this year, but I know that the future is bright and there's going to be plenty of opportunities for us to redeem ourselves and take that next step."

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{allcanada} Canadiens' Vanek heading for free agency July 1

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BROSSARD, Quebec -- The moment Thomas Vanek has been waiting for has almost arrived.

Vanek has made no effort to hide his intention to hit the unrestricted free agent market on July 1. He said so more than a year ago, when he was a member of the Buffalo Sabres. He still feels the same after being traded to the New York Islanders and then to the Montreal Canadiens at the NHL Trade Deadline in March.

Going on an extended run through the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Eastern Conference Final with the Canadiens has done nothing to change Vanek's mind that he will begin taking offers to sign with the team of his choosing as of July 1.

"A year ago I made a decision that it will likely be my only time to pick my own team, and hopefully pick a team where I have a chance to win," Vanek said Saturday as he and his Canadiens teammates cleaned out their lockers. "So once I made the decision, you can't look back."

Though Vanek has been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, his play in the playoffs likely didn't help his negotiating leverage. After posting 27 goals and 41 assists in 78 regular-season games with the Canadiens, Islanders and Sabres, Vanek had a wildly inconsistent postseason for Montreal.

Vanek tied for second on the Canadiens with five goals, but all five were scored in three games. He was held to one shot on goal or fewer in 11 of the 17 games he played after setting a career high with 248 shots on goal during the regular season.

"It wasn't great, obviously," Vanek said of his playoff performance. "[Friday] was tough waking up because I knew I could have made a difference, and I just wasn't there."

His reluctance to shoot led to speculation that Vanek was nursing an injury. On numerous occasions in the playoffs Vanek appeared to have a golden scoring opportunity but instead of firing the puck, he tried to force a pass to a teammate.

The same was true of Vanek's most significant scoring chance of the playoffs, one in which New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist made a miraculous blocker save in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final to keep the game scoreless shortly before Dominic Moore scored the only goal of the game. On that play, Vanek was actually trying to pass the puck across the crease to Michael Bournival, but Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi deflected the pass on net.

It might have been Vanek's most dangerous shot of the series, and it was actually a pass.

Vanek said Saturday he was no more injured than anyone else playing at this point of the postseason, and that his low shot totals and generally poor play were due to a lack of chemistry with center Tomas Plekanec. Vanek was moved from the Canadiens' top line with David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty to a line with Plekanec and Bournival before Game 3 of the Montreal's second-round series against the Boston Bruins. He said he never felt right from that point on.

"When I first got here I struggled a little bit, then got moved with [Desharnais] and [Pacioretty] and as a line I thought we were great," Vanek said. "I thought we were one of the best lines. Once I got taken off, I just struggled to find myself on a new line. I played with [Plekanec] most of the playoffs and it just didn't work. We're both, I believe, very good players, we're just not on the same page. It's just a different game."

Plekanec didn't disagree entirely.

"I guess he's right. We didn't score many goals, so I didn't see any chemistry there," Plekanec said. "It's not like we had so much time to work on that, we didn't play that many games together. Sometimes it works right away and sometimes it takes some time to find some chemistry. It's normal and it didn't work this time."

Vanek was under heavy scrutiny throughout the playoffs largely because of what will happen July 1. He will be among the top forwards available on the free-agent market, a player who has scored at least 25 goals in every full season he has ever played in the NHL.

But Vanek had not played in the playoffs since 2011, so his performance this spring was likely being watched closely by any prospective general manager who was considering offering him a contract. Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin might have been in that group, and still might be, but it would be difficult to believe he would make an offer based on what Vanek provided for his team in the playoffs and the likelihood he will come with a big price tag.

However, should Bergevin be interested in keeping Vanek, the 30-year-old said the door remains open for him to return to Montreal once he's considered all his options.

"It's a place where you want to be," Vanek said, "especially in the playoffs."

There have been many rumors linking Vanek to the Minnesota Wild come July 1. Vanek went to college in Minnesota, met his wife there and lives there in the offseason, so many people have made the natural link that he wants to sign there.

Not necessarily, Vanek said.

"I don't have a city preference," Vanek said. "It's going to come down to offers and I want to go somewhere to win. I've said that since Day 1, that's the reason I probably got moved twice, and I'm sticking to it."

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{allcanada} HABS' PRICE SAYS INJURY WILL HEAL, DOES NOT NEED SURGERY

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BROSSARD, Que. -- Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price said Saturday the "lower body" injury he suffered in the NHL Eastern Conference final won't need surgery.

Price's playoffs ended in the second period of the series opener after New York Rangers forward Chris Krieder crashed into him while on a breakaway. He would only call it a lower body injury, although he was wearing a brace on his right knee in the days after the incident.

"Over time it's going to get back to normal," he said. "I actually got really lucky, it could have been a lot worse than it was."

Price lay on the ice for a moment after the collision early in the second period of New York's 7-2 victory, but finished the period. He was substituted by back-up Peter Budaj for the third.

No penalty was called on the play, although teammate Brandon Prust said Kreider's crash was "accidental on purpose."

"I don't think he did it intentionally and I don't think he tried to miss me either," said Price. "He was coming in with a lot of speed and he lost his footing.

"There's not much really to be said. I'm not going to go seeking revenge or anything like that. Hockey is a game of chance and unfortunately, I was unlucky in that situation."

Budaj was beaten for three goals in his one period of action and coach Michel Therrien made the surprise decision to start third-stringer Dustin Tokarski for the rest of the series.

Tokarski, who had only played 10 NHL regular season games in his career and had no playoff experience, was solid in goal, going 2-3-1 with a 2.60 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. Price had been 8-4-1 with a 2.35 average and a .919 save percentage.

"That was probably one of the hardest situations you could ever throw a guy into and he really excelled," Price said of Tokarski, a former rival in the junior Western Hockey League. "He showed why he's won at different levels.

"He's an awesome guy and I've got to tip my hat to him. He did an awesome job."

It left Budaj out to dry. The Slovak has a year remaining on his contract but looks to have been bumped to third-string status. Price feels for him.

"It's definitely a tough spot," he said. "Peter's one of the genuinely nicest human beings I've ever met.

"He's an unbelievable backup. He's one of the best friends I have on this team and he showed a lot of character. He never hung his head, never pouted and he showed the utmost support for everybody, including Dustin. It takes a special person to do that."

Price was on an accelerated rehab program after the injury. Going from a five-minute skate to a half hour in pads and then practising with his teammates. He said he should have been able to play if the team reached the Stanley Cup final.

"I would have been pushing my luck to come back real quick, but obviously the time of year I would be trying to come back real soon," he said.

"Obviously, in the playoffs you play through things, and that's what I wanted to do. But there's also the reality that no matter how bad you want to play and how bad you want to get in there, there's also a question of how effective you are going to be. That was a decision that we had to make."

He said the injury was not related to the one he suffered while backstopping Canada to gold at the Sochi Olympics in February. The 26-year-old plans to continue rehab in Montreal for a short spell and return home to British Columbia to heal and get ready for next season.

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{allcanada} SUBBAN DISCUSSES FUTURE AS CANADIENS CLEAN OUT LOCKERS

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BROSSARD, Que. -- P.K. Subban was still wearing his playoff beard as he answered questions about what may be a summer-long story about his contract negotiations.

Since signing a two-year "bridge" deal that paid him US$3.75 million this season, the 25-year-old, who has become one of the NHL's best and most entertaining defencemen, is a potential restricted free agent in position to ink a multi-year contract for a king's ransom with the Montreal Canadiens.

Or he could take a shorter contract and then become an unrestricted free agent.

Subban said he hopes to sign a long-term deal and to stay in Montreal his entire career.

"I'm sure everybody in hockey wants a long-term contract, but for me, it's not just about that," he said. "It's about being part of a team that can win a championship, and I believe we have that in this dressing room.

"When it comes to contract stuff, that's why I hire my agent (Don Meehan). That's why we pay him. That's his job and I'll let him do his job. I've done mine, and he'll do his."

The Canadiens, coming off their second trip to the Eastern Conference final in four years, gathered at their suburban training centre to clear out lockers and begin exit interviews before splitting up for the off-season.

Their better-than-expected run to the third round of playoffs ended on Thursday with a 1-0 loss to the Rangers in New York.

"Right now, the season just ended 48 hours ago," said Subban. "It feels weird cleaning out my stall.

"I'm just still trying to enjoy the last couple of days with my teammates before going home. Enjoy the summer with my family. So, I haven't put much thought into (a new contract) as of right now, but obviously during the summer it's something that will get taken care of."

General manager Marc Bergevin, who will talk to the media only on Monday, has a heap of contracts to settle, but none will be watched with quite the rapt attention of Subban's.

During his bridge deal, the Toronto native won the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenceman in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season and followed with a career-best 53-point campaign in which he had 24:36 of ice time per game, second on the team to rearguard Andrei Markov.

He also helped Canada win gold at the Sochi Olympics in February, although he was cast as the extra defenceman on a talent-packed team due to management's doubts about defensive lapses.

Where Subban sits on the scale of NHL stars, or of top defencemen, is much debated.

Among his Olympic teammates, Shea Weber is signed through 2020-21 by Nashville for an average of $7.8 million per season, Drew Doughty is with Los Angeles until 2018-19 at $7.0 million, while Chicago's Duncan Keith will make only $5.5 million until 2020-21.

The one he is often compared with is Ottawa's Erik Karlsson, who is earning $6.5 million per year through 2018-19.

But with the salary cap expected to rise steadily in coming years, the scale may now he higher for a player of Subban's skill and star power. And there's always the possibility that another team (Toronto perhaps?) makes him a spectacular offer that the Canadiens would have the right to match.

Asked if he feels he has reached elite status among NHL defenders, Subban said it is for others to decide.

"I don't control what people say and what category people put me in," he sad. "All I can control is trying to help my team win hockey games and a championship.

"That's my goal. But in terms of what people say about me. There are always critics. There are always people that are going to characterize yourself, your game. That's not for me to do."

Two other restricted free agents who are likely to be much easier to sign are Lars Eller, who had an excellent playoffs and who is developing into a shut-down centre, and right-winger Dale Weise, a late-season pickup who sparkled in the post-season until suffering a suspected concussion in Game 5 of the conference final.

Weise was not available to the media. And RFA Ryan White, who wasn't used in the playoffs, has an uncertain future with the club, although he would likely be of interest to a team needing a fourth liner with grit to his game.

Markov, Thomas Vanek and captain Brian Gionta top the list of seven potential unrestricted free agents.

The tough decisions involve Markov and Gionta, who are both 35 and slowing but who are leaders on the team. Both may have to take short-term deals for perhaps less money.

Gionta, ending a five-year deal that pays $5 million per season, wants to stay.

"My family's been here for a while," he said. "We love the city.

"We love the team and believe in the team and the direction of the team, so we'll leave it up to (Bergevin) and my agent to take care of it."

Vanek has said all season he intends to test the free agent market. The big, gifted winger showed he can be a game-changer when at his best, but he struggled in the playoffs and ended up going from the first to the fourth lines.

"A year ago I made a decision that it will likely be my only time to pick my own team, and hopefully pick a team where I have a chance to win," said Vanek, who started the season in Buffalo and moved to the New York Islanders before being picked up at the trade deadline by Montreal. "Once you make the decision, you can't look back.

"I loved it. It's a market that I wasn't used to. Overall, I have nothing but good things to say. Marc Bergevin really made me feel at home. When I had ups and downs he was always there for me. He's a great guy. I'll always appreciate what he did for me."

Vanek insists he wasn't injured in the playoffs, but said he struggled once he was taken off the top unit with David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty.

"I thought we were one of the best lines," he said. "Once I got taken off, I just struggled to find myself on a new line.

"I played with (Tomas Plekanec) most of the playoffs and it just didn't work. We're both, I believe, very good players, we're just not on the same page. It's just a different game."

The Canadiens may also want to keep another deadline pickup, defenceman Mike Weaver, although he is also over 35.

But it may be the end in Montreal for potential UFAs Francis Bouillon, Douglas Murray and enforcer George Parros.

"I'd like to keep playing, but we'll see what happens," said 38-year-old Bouillon.

While much of the talk was of who would and would not be back, the mood was upbeat. The Canadiens were expected to battle just to make the playoffs, but ended up with a 100-point regular season and a trip to the conference finals.

They have a young core of Subban, Pacioretty, pesky winger Brendan Gallagher, skilled 20-year-old Alex Galchenyuk, goalie Carey Price and a few promising young defencemen that suggest they can become a Cup contender.

"I think we have an excellent opportunity," said Price, who injured a knee in the opening game of the conference final. "We came just a little bit short, so we'll need to find ways to improve somehow.

"We didn't win, so we have to get better. How that is we'll have to evaluate over the summer. Each player individually is going to have to figure out a way to get 10 per cent better. It might not even be that much, it might be one per cent better. But we're going to have to improve somehow."

The Michael J. Fox Show / ESPN Fantasy Football / Work From Home

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