NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2020
The latest on Steven Stamkos, Brendan Gallagher, Andrei Svechnikov and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).
SPORTSNET: Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said team captain Steven Stamkos was dealing with a compensation injury triggered by his rehab from sports hernia surgery in March. Stamkos is expected to be fully recovered in time for the start of next season.
TORONTO SUN: Speaking of the Lightning, they’re facing criticism for holding a public parade in downtown Tampa where fans were packed shoulder-to-shoulder cheering for their champions. Some of the players allowed several fans to drink from the Stanley Cup. Winger Alex Killorn also slapped the hands of fans as he walked along a barricade.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN reports the NHL reached out to the Lightning questioning some of that behavior. We don’t know if the league intends to discipline the club or any individual players. Here’s hoping no one contracted or spread COVID-19 during the celebrations.
RDS.CA: Brendan Gallagher could soon become the Montreal Canadiens’ highest-paid forward. General manager Marc Bergevin said preliminary contract talks have started and he’s confident a new deal can be worked out soon. He said he’d like to keep Gallagher with the Habs for the rest of his NHL playing career and intends to make him the club’s best-paid forward.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: According to Cap Friendly, Gallagher’s current annual average salary if $3.75 million. Jonathan Drouin’s $5.5 million AAV is the highest among the Canadiens’ forwards. Gallagher has a year remaining on his current contract. Depending on the length of his next deal, his annual cap hit could be over $6 million.
THE SCORE: cites TSN’s Frank Seravalli reporting the Edmonton Oilers are making progress on a long-term contract extension with forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He’s entering the final season of a seven-year, $42-million contract. A deal isn’t imminent but is reportedly heading in the right direction.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see what Nugent-Hopkins’ next contract looks like. It could cost the Oilers over $7 million annually to keep him in the fold.
SPORTSNET: Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell said his club is in contract talks with winger Andrei Svechnikov, who has a year remaining on his entry-level deal.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Svechnikov and linemate Sebastian Aho provide the Hurricanes with one of the NHL’s best one-two scoring punches. Aho is earning over $8.45 million annually and Svechnikov could seek around $7 million per season on his next contract.
DETROIT FREE PRESS: Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman confirmed veteran goaltender Jimmy Howard won’t be back. He intends to sign a replacement via free agency.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise about Howard. Yzerman will find plenty of options in this year’s UFA market. The possibilities could include Vegas’ Robin Lehner, Washington’s Braden Holtby, Vancouver’s Jacob Markstrom, now-former Ranger Henrik Lundqvist, Chicago’s Corey Crawford, Dallas’ Anton Khudobin, and Calgary’s Cam Talbot. He might have to overpay for one of them, given the Wings’ status as a rebuilding team.
STARTRIBUNE.COM: The Minnesota Wild named Michael Murray as the assistant to general manager Bill Guerin.
AZCENTRAL.COM: The Arizona Coyotes named Darryl Plandowski as their new director of amateur scouting.
October 1. When hockey is supposed to be starting. Not ending.
Latest update is that NHL was looking at January 1 start. That was on Board call Monday.
But things change. They are ever changing.
— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) October 1, 2020
So Tampa Bay hold their Cup celebration and photos look like a Trump rally – people shoulder to shoulder and no masks – and then we get the news that the President and First Lady have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Will this get the message across or is it more fake news?
I honestly don’t understand what is happening.
Leave politics out of it fanboy …
NY4, I’d love to talk hockey but you’d agree, I’m sure, that TB’s celebration was not the best move in the current situation.
We have no reason to point fingers here – the second wave has arrived in many parts of the country.
Some hockey trades wouldn’t go amiss right now.
Mentioning the Tampa celebration wasn’t political and is in fact referencing the news of the day.
Comparing the Tampa celebration to a Trump rally is clearly a different story.
It seems that some people are so engulfed in politics that they cannot help but interject it into everything else, others of us are burnt out on politics and enjoy the break from it that sports typically provides.
Based on the tone of your message you don’t know how to “leave it at that”…. you should have left it at that after saying that.
People’s world views can easily be sparked through cultural activity in this case sports. The NHL did a great job of delivering a safe playoff format only to see total disregard for public safety by it’s championship team.
You should expect to see these themes in discussion boards and should realize that you yourself flame the “political bs” by terming it so. It’s a free country and people will express themselves; you can simply choose to keep your comments sports oriented only. The entertainment and sports world does not live in a vacuum.
Just as a general info statement, not political – Masks provide some protection from getting Covid, but the main purpose is to prevent you from spreading it.
While the more symptomatic you are the more contagious you are, or at least they think that, you are contagious before you get symptoms or if your symptoms are mild and feel like minor allergies.
If everyone wheres a mask, spread is reduced approx 95%.
Please wear a mask – for our vulnerable and for our economy.
Science has been pretty clear that this virus was not created in a lab.
Tampa’s choice of celebration brought politics into the conversation by default. Deal with it guys… now can we talk hockey?
Like for example, what does Tampa do with Steven Stamkos? People point to others like Cirelli and Johnson as being traded. Did they paly 2:47 of hockey this spring? Yes the goal from Stamkos was beautiful and he is an amazing player. But essentially they won the Cup without him. This is the difficult question Tamp has to face with a flat cap looming. This team could win another which is obvious based on the limited time he put in; and yes this was no fault of his own. Just throwing this out there….. thoughts?
Per Shannon above “ Latest update is that NHL was looking at January 1 start. That was on Board call Monday. ”….
If that is what they are “looking at”…. it very well could be mid Jan actual
Either way; how do they get 82 games and full playoffs in by 3 weekend in July when key TV networks switch to covering the Tokyo Olympics?
Re Bolts celebration… especially the fans drinking from cup and personal high fives with fans…. yep mistake…. but I don’t foresee penalties or fines levied…. they’ll be “spoken to” or “admonished” but I think that will be the extent of it
Unless they have a handle on the virus by then, including a viable vaccine, and the second wave taking firm hold everywhere around the world, does anyone really think any government with an ounce of brains is going to allow thousands of athletes to gather in Japan next summer to compete in front of empty stadiums? They can talk all they like about their determination to have the Olympics, but if large cities are still reporting upwards of 1,000 new cases every day and hospitals begin to be overwhelmed, the LAST thing we’re going to see is that farce.
Wished there was a like button. You have me as one ✅
Olympic Games will be canceled.
The “viable vaccine” is of course the key to all of that.
I just listened to an interview with “testing czar” Admiral Brett Giroir and he said that we are currently on track to have a vaccine through trials within the next couple of months.
Getting the vaccine mass produced, distributed and administered will be a different story, but I don’t think July is an impossible timeline.
Unfortunately, as long as we have large numbers around the world fundamentally opposed to vaccines of any type, this virus will always be around – perhaps even mutating at some point similar to flu viruses – and therefore not only putting children deemed too young to get a vaccine at risk, but even anyone who DOES get vaccinated against this strain.
Hi George
Fully agree..lf no handle on it by then… no Olympics… agreed
I’m taking the optimistic road in thinking (hoping 🤞🙏) that vaccine proven and ready for distribution by late Jan; distribution well under way for start of Spring; and fully accessible to any who want it; by late May/early June
Call me a dreamer… that’s OK… it’s what I’m clinging too 😩😢
We’re all hoping Pengy. But when I see realistic articles like this I temper my hope and start getting ready to weather the coming storm
https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19/88559
A pessimist complains about the wind … an optimist expects it to change … a realist adjusts the sails
Pengy
Just a guess on my part but I think the plan is to start Jan1 and teams play 6 games a week.
I was looking at the Ducks roster and it struck me that they do not plan to field an AHL team. All the prospects are sign but none of the career AHL Vets that fill out the roster are signed. If no AHL then what do you do with the prospects ? Looks like no college hockey and unsure of Junior hockey at this point.
You could do 6 games a week by expanding the roster to 40 players.
Make 3 sets of 10 players with each set having a goalie, 3 D-men, 6 forwards.
First game of the week sets A&B play, nite 2 sets B&C play and 3rd nite sets C&A plays. so each set plays 4 games a week and gets 2 games off.
Prospects get to play also. The last 10 players on 40 man roster would be spare parts for injuries etc.
Just a wild guess but see no other way of starting Jan 1, playing 82 games, full playoffs and finish by July 1. Also, if it’s iffy for NHL start date, see near zero chance of AHL playing at all. Cutting out the AHL means cutting expenses and finding a place for prospects to play.
Boom/Bust, re your question about what will teams do with prospects with no AHL or Junior, here’s a list by team in alpha order (a long one) showing those prospects that have been assigned to Europe to date – ranging from 0 in several cases to upwards of 10 (so far). Many are of European origin to begin with, but there is a fair sprinkling of North American prospects in there
ARIZONA: Victor Soderstrom, D – Assigned to European Team AIK-Sweden
ANAHEIM: 0
BOSTON: Boston Bruins: Oskar Steen, C – Assigned to European Team IF Bjorkleven-Sweden; Jakub Lauko, C – Assigned to European Team HC Energie Karlovy Vary-Czech Rep
BUFFALO: Oskari Laaksonen, D – Assigned to European Team Lahden Pelicans-Finland; Arttu Ruotsalainen, C – Assigned to European Team Ilves-Finland;
CALGARY: Eetu Tuulola, RW – Assigned to European Team Vasterviks IK-Sweden; Dmitry Zavgorodniy, LW – Assigned to European Team SKA St. Petersburg-KHL; Juuso Valimaki, D – Assigned to European Team Tampereen Ilves-Finland
CAROLINA: 0
CHICAGO: Tim Soderlund, C – Assigned to European Team Almtuna IS-Sweden; Joni Tuulola, D – Signed with European team KooKoo-Finland; Philipp Kurashev, C – Assigned to European Team HC Lugano-Switzerland; Michal Teply, LW – Assigned to European Team BK Mlada Boleslav-Czech Republic; Pius Suter, C – Assigned to European Team GCK Lions-Switzerland; Matej Chalupa, RW – Assigned to European Team Mountfield HK-Czech Republic; Brandon Hagel, LW – Assigned to European Team HC Thurgau-Switzerland
COLORADO: Martin Kaut, RW – Assigned to European Team HC Dynamo-Czech Republic
COLUMBUS: Veini Vehvilainen, G – Assigned to European Team JYP Vyvaskyla-Finland; Alexandre Texier, LW – Assigned to European Team KalPa-Finland; Emil Bemstrom, RW – Assigned to European Team HIFK Helsinki-Finland
DALLAS: 0
DETROIT: Filip Larsson, G – Assigned to European Team Almtuna IS-Sweden; Jared McIsaac, D – Assigned to European Team HPK-Finland; Michael Rasmussen, RW – Assigned to European Team Graz 99ers-Austria; Moritz Seider, D – Assigned to European Team Adler Mannheim-Germany; Filip Zadina, RW – Assigned to European Team HC Ocelari Trinec-Czech Republic; Gustav Lindstrom, D – Assigned to European Team Almtuna-Sweden; Mathias Brome, LW – Assigned to European Team Orebro-Sweden; Filip Hronek, D – Assigned to European Team Mountfield HK-Czech Republic
EDMONTON: Ryan McLeod, C – Assigned to European Team EV Zug-Switzerland; Evan Bouchard, D – Assigned to European Team Sodertalje SK-Sweden; Gaetan Haas, C – Assigned to European Team SC Bern-Switzerland; Cooper Marody, C – Assigned to European Team Dornbirn Bulldogs-Austria; Tyler Benson, LW – Assigned to European Team GCK Lions-Switzerland; Patrick Russell, RW – Assigned to European Team Rungsted Seier Capital-Denmark; Kirill Maksimov, RW – Assigned to European Team CSKA Moscow-KHL; Philip Broberg, D – Assigned to European Team Skelleftea AIK-Sweden; Joakim Nygard, LW – Assigned to European Team Farjestad BK-Sweden
FLORIDA: 0
LOS ANGELES: Carl Grundstrom, LW – Assigned to European Team IF Bjorkloven-Sweden; Jacob Moverare, D – Assigned to European Team SaiPa-Finland; Tobias Bjornfot, D – Assigned to European Team Djurgardens IF-Sweden; Samuel Fagemo, LW – Assigned to European Team Sodertalje SK-Sweden
MINNESOTA: 0
MONTREAL: Lukas Vejdemo, LW – Assigned to European Team Sodertalje SK-Sweden; Hayden Verbeek, C – Assigned to European Team Banska Bystrica HC05-Slovakia; Otto Leskinen, D – Assigned to European Team Kalpa Kuopio-Finland
NASHVILLE: Yakov Trenin, LW – Assigned to European Team SKA St. Petersburg-KHL;
Eeli Tolvanen, RW – Assigned to European Team Jokerit Helsinki-KHL
NEW JERSEY: Fabian Zetterlund, LW – Assigned to European Team HC Vita Hasten-Sweden; Janne Kuokkanen, RW – Assigned to European Team Oulu Karpat-Finland; Mikhail Maltsev, LW – Assigned to European Team SKA St. Petersburg-KHL; Marian Studenic, RW – Assigned to European Team HC Slovan Bratislava-Slovakia
NYI: Simon Holmstrom, RW – Assigned to European Team Vita Hasten HC-Sweden; Oliver Wahlstrom, RW – Assigned to European Team AIK-Sweden
NYR: Yegor Rykov, D – Assigned to European Team CSKA Moscow-KHL
OTTAWA: Vitaly Abramov, RW – Assigned to European Team Mikkelin Jukurit-Finland; Andreas Englund, D – Signed with European team Vasterviks IK-Sweden; Filip Gustavsson, G – Assigned to European Team Sodertalje SK-Sweden; Filip Chlapik, LW – Assigned to European Team Sparta Praha-Czech Republic; Lassi Thomson, D – Assigned to European Team Ilves Tampere-Finland
PHILADELPHIA: Linus Hogberg, D – Assigned to European Team HC Vita Hasten-Sweden; David Kase, LW – Assigned to European Team HC Karlovy Vary-Czech Republic; Linus Sandin, RW – Assigned to European Team HV71-Sweden; German Rubtsov, C – Assigned to European Team HC Sochi-KHL; Mikhail Vorobyev, C – Signed with European team Salavat Yulaev Ufa-KHL;
PITTSBURGH: 0
SAN JOSE: Tim Heed, D – Signed with European team HC Lugano-Switzerland; Josef Korenar, G – Assigned to European Team HC Ocelari Trinec-Czech Republic; Fredrik Handemark, C – Assigned to European Team Malmo-Sweden; Timur Ibragimov, LW – Assigned to European Team TPS Turku-Finland; Jonathan Dahlen, C – Assigned to European Team Timra IK-Sweden; Evan Weinger, RW – Assigned to European Team TPS Turku-Finland; Alexei Melnichuk, G – Assigned to European Team Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod-KHL
ST. LOUIS: Klim Kostin, LW – Assigned to European Team Avangard Omsk-KHL; Alexei Toropchenko, RW – Assigned to European Team Kunlun Red Star-KHL
TAMPA BAY: Otto Somppi, C – Assigned to European Team Lahden Pelicans-Finland
TORONTO: Mikko Lehtonen, D – Assigned to European Team Jokerit Helsinki-KHL; Egor Korshkov, RW – Assigned to European Team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl-KHL; Jesper Lindgren, D – Assigned to European Team Modo-Sweden; Filip Kral, D – Assigned to European Team HC Prerov-Czech Republic
VANCOUVER: 0
VEGAS: 0
WASHINGTON: Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, LW – Assigned to European Team Vastervik IK-Sweden; Tobias Geisser, D – Assigned to European Team EV Zug-Switzerland; Damien Riat, LW – Assigned to European Team Geneve-Servette-Switzerland; Aliaksei Protas, C – Assigned to European Team Dinamo Minsk-KHL; Brendan Leipsic, LW – Signed with European team CSKA Moscow-KHL; Bobby Nardella, D – Assigned to European Team Djurgardens IF-Sweden
WINNIPEG: Leon Gawanke, D – Assigned to European Team Eisbaren Berlin-Germany; Mikhail Berdin, G – Assigned to European Team SKA St. Petersburg-KHL; Ville Heinola, D – Assigned to European Team Lukko Rauma-Finland; JC Lipon, RW – Signed with European team Dinamo Riga-KHL; David Gustafsson, C – Assigned to European Team Tingsryds AIF-Sweden
That is a comprehensive list George.
Happy to see the Oil have their key prospects playing.
B’s not so much.
Not ideal for those not playing, to say the least.
Holland has certainly been busier than most in getting some of his prospects valuable ice time Ray … perhaps some teams have been holding back such assignments until they get a firmer handle on which way the wind is blowing re AHL, ECHL and Major Junior
In fact, Ray, today he just assigned RW Adam Cracknell to Esbjerg Energy (Denmark)
I could be wrong, but considering the position from which they’re starting, and the long road ahead, somehow I can’t see any of Lehner, Holtby, Markstrom, Lundqvist, Crawford or Khudobin taking any amount of money to go between the pipes in Detroit – nor can I see – with the possible exception of Lehner – Yzerman trying to entice any of them to the Motor City.
No intended politics here but I do hope the foolish decision of Tampa doesn’t put a damper on the perfect record the nhl had for these playoffs.
Folks, I’m going to ask you again to stick to the topics and leave the politics out of this. This site follows NHL hockey. Let’s keep the discussions to that. You want to talk politics, religion, or whatever, take it somewhere else. I’m not going to allow this thread to be highjacked. Otherwise, I’ll delete the comments and shut this thread down. Freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom from consequence.
Point taken, Lyle, hockey it is.
Nice distraction but seriously, Gallagher is gonna ignore for how much? I know the Habs are light on proven good talent but $6m for what would be a bottom 6 player on any other team is great for the league. I can’t justify giving him anything or $5 maybe as high as $5.5 simply because he’s in Montreal.
You are entitled to your opinion, Ron, but you might want to look at Gallagher’s stats before you make such comments:
2018: 31 goals.
2019: 33 goals.
2020 22 (59 games)
30 goal scorers are hard to come by. Taylor Hall scored 30+ goals once in his career and has been paid 6 million on a contract that started in 2013-14.
LOL. This from a guy who’s a fan of a team that pays Nylander close to $7 mil per.
Over 547gp Gallagher has averaged 50 pts per 82gp. Over 307gp Nylander has averaged 59 pts per 82gp.
So you think that 9 pt difference (garnered with, admittedly, getting ice time with more potent linemates) is worth $2 mil?
The Leafs would be lucky to have someone with Gallagher’s heart among their F.
I’d like to take a positive view of this. The NHL, and, importantly, the Players Association, found a way to hold a legitimate set of playoffs and award a Stanley Cup, and I don’t think it needs an asterisk. They seem ready and willing to bring us a season, and in our sport, a spirit of compromise seems to be the rule so far I expect this will be the capstone on Bettman’s tenure and we’ll end up giving him high marks as hockey has prospered under his reign. This finances of all spots are going to be under severe pressure if the building can’t be used to capacity. One might expect this problem wold be worse for Hockey than the sports with more TV revenue. To me the signs are that that hockey’s coping has been the smoothest so far. I am looking forward to them figuring out something we’ll enjoy watching.