MONTREAL – No news, good news? A week after the LPHF draft, Montreal fans who are still hoping that their team has hit a home run by taking the chance to select American Amanda Kessel can only cling to this saying.
At a press briefing on Monday to comment on the signing of three players who were part of the original version of her training, general manager Danièle Sauvageau was sparing with details, contenting herself with pronouncing the status quo for the seven players she drafted and who are still without a contract.
“A lot of time has passed since then, but above all there is a lot ahead of us,” Sauvageau remarked. I can confirm that we have communicated with all the players whose rights we have obtained, that is to say those whose names we announced in the draft. Just this morning, I was in conversation with some agents and there are meetings planned during the week. We still have a long summer ahead of us. »
The mystery surrounding Kessel’s possible arrival in Montreal is therefore still opaque.
About a month ago, the three-time Olympic medalist’s intentions to join the pool of players eligible for the draft began to fuel the rumor machine. A few days later, his name appeared on the official list unveiled by the LPHF. From then on, she had been identified as a potential first round pick.
However, when the auction began on June 10, Kessel’s name was ignored for a long time. Until Montreal called it in the seventh and final round, in fact. The hypothesis circulating at the time was that she was being considered to become the next general manager of the Minnesota team. Since Hockey News reported that Kessel was indeed interested in playing, but wanted to stay in the Boston market.
Did the conversation that Sauvageau promised to engage with her convince her to soften her positions since then? Our questions to the Montreal manager did not reveal this.
“Again, the information when you register for the draft is that you are available, that you want to play and that you are ready to play regardless of where you are drafted,” Sauvageau repeated. There are a lot of things that have been said, I haven’t read everything, but one thing is certain: the information we have is that she wants to play hockey. She might even like to do another Olympic cycle. With the talent she has, at her age, it’s more than possible. For us, the goal is for her to be at camp and possibly playing hockey next season. »
The selection of Kessel at such a late stage in the draft is a gamble that could pay off big for the Montreal team. At 32, the former American international, who put her playing career on hold to work in the offices of the Pittsburgh Penguins last year, could undoubtedly tone up an offensive top-6 which already counts on Marie-Philip Poulin , Laura Stacey and Kristin O’Neill.
In the event that the charms of Montreal left Kessel indifferent, we can assume that Sauvageau could obtain interesting compensation for relinquishing his rights.
However, this is just speculation. For now, this is what we will have to be content with.
More details to come.
