NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 7, 2022
Devils center Jack Hughes enters COVID protocol, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour considers the Panthers a juggernaut, the Wild look like Stanley Cup contenders, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
ESPN.COM: New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes was placed on the NHL’s COVID protocol list after participating in the 2022 All-Star Game over the weekend.
New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see how many other All-Star participants join Hughes on the protocol list.
SPORTSNET (via THE SCORE): Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour praised the Florida Panthers when asked about them during an interview on Friday. “That’s the juggernaut for me,” he said, commending the club’s management for the “great job” it did to construct the roster. “There’s no weaknesses,” said Brind’Amour.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers could get even better if they land a top-four, left-side defenseman before the March 21 trade deadline. Their only real weakness is the lack of playoff success. Perhaps that will change this year.
TWINCITIES.COM: Dane Mizutani points out the Minnesota Wild’s current record of 28 wins, 10 losses and three overtime losses is a franchise-best after 41 games. He cites several factors, including the one-two scoring punch of Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, that makes them legitimate Stanley Cup contenders this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild’s lack of experienced depth at center could hold them back, but there’s no question they’ve become a rising force since last season in the Western Conference.
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW (via THE SCORE): Penguins president of hockey operations Brian Burke praised general manager Ron Hextall’s support of Tristan Jarry after the latter’s struggles during last year’s playoffs. Jarry is enjoying a bounce-back performance this season. He’s among this season’s top netminders and played in the 2022 All-Star Game.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hextall ignored calls to find a replacement for Jarry via trade or free agency last summer. Some observers still believe the Penguins should go shopping for a goalie but those calls are now for a reliable backup for Jarry.
NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks fired long-time Rockford Icehogs head athletic trainer D.J. Jones in November for sexual harassment that allegedly took place in 2014 but didn’t come to light until recently.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I can’t find the words to describe my reaction to this story given everything about the Blackhawks organization that’s preceded this report. Disgust doesn’t seem sufficient to cover it.
OTTAWA SUN: The Senators are among the Canadian clubs that approached the NHL about playing some home games within the stringent rules in Ontario regarding large gatherings that are in place until March.
Arizona board of regents officially reviewing Coyotes plan on Thursday. States the new arena accommodations would be built, paid for by Coyotes, in time for Dec 2022 games pic.twitter.com/znYUhyHPjL
— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) February 6, 2022
I still think veteran C Chris Tierney ($3.5 mil – a UFA at season’s end) will wind up in Minnesota as part of their search for depth at the position.
With Norris due back soon (and White in a couple of weeks) to Join Stutzle, along with Gambrell, Gaudette, Bishop and, in March, Pinto, the Senators will have enough at that position to finish out the year.
Re D.J. Jones and Blackhawks and: “ I can’t find the words to describe my reaction to this story given everything about the Blackhawks organization that’s preceded this report. Disgust doesn’t seem sufficient to cover it.”
Ditto…. To infinity and beyond
Re Panthers…”Juggernaught” …..and Possibly only needing top 4 LHD…. Agree as long as Bobo continues on track…. I submit that Soucy acquisition would come much cheaper (than Chychrun); less on Cap; less disruptive re players (and chemistry) going out (in trade); and cheaper next year (when there is $6.6 M in dead cap). Panthers are NOT absolutely in need of 1LD. Soucy @ 2LD (and who could step up to 1LD in a pinch ) is just the right answer.
Re Wild and…”legitimate Stanley Cup contenders this season.”…. to me that is a stretch. Wild over Avs AND Knights AND then flying to the state of Florida to open a series and hoping to win…. extreme longshot IMHO. That said…. This “is” the year for Wild if they are considering going all in….. They (in reality) should have no chance at a cup in ‘23, ‘24, ‘25 with dead cap hits (starting next season) of almost $13M followed by two years of almost $14 M!!!
Watching the snow fall sipping my BRC ( Freedom Choice) wondering would a Dylan Strome and a Calvin DeHaan make the Bruins a better team …. while also adding a 4th line banger like a Mark Martin type
Hi Joe
Bright sunshine here… sipping a great XL Tim’s (double milk)….
Absolutely Stromboli and DeHaan in help Bruins…. What is the offer to attain them?
As a Leafs fan…. Hope the above move does not happen
Stromboli ???? That’s a whale of an autocorrect
Stromboli ???? That’s a whale of an autocorrect
Strome & DeHaan are stiffs and wouldn’t move the needle one bit for the Bruins. They need Giroux & Giordano.
Trust the Bruins might need those two you mentioned but they won’t get them …
Pengy…. I always have a problem with player trade values being you have to take into account that they could be a UFA or a RFA in the next year could you or do you want to sign them the age of the players the $$$ they could be making a lot to think about I’ll leave that to the experts
Absolutely Joe
A dilemma all GMs face
With upcoming UFAs… most GMs are trading for them for this year only and not even considering the potential of re-signing them B4 UFA season opens
With RFA acquisitions I would expect the opposite…. Most GMs would have already weighed the required QO needed against the future expected value and odds that they could negotiate AND fit the new contract into next year’s (and beyond) Cap
I think the list would be extremely small of RFA players acquired that a GM already plans to Qualify (thus keeping the rights) then trade the player
The list would be smaller still (if in fact there were any on a list) of RFA players acquired by GMs that at the time of acquisition had no intention of Qualifying, re-upping or trading …. acquiring now for the here and now; knowing they would be letting them walk for free
Some GMs are very good with their balancing of the above and making prudent and timely moves that pay off….Zito, IMVHO, has been doing a fantastic job as GM
Lyle: This from the article you site re the Hawks:
“Recently, when allegations of sexual harassment in 2014 by D.J. Jones, the head athletic trainer for the Rockford IceHogs, were reported to the Blackhawks on October 27, 2021, we adhered to our new protocols and procedures, suspended Mr. Jones, conducted an in depth investigation over 5 days and, following the conclusive results, terminated Mr. Jones on November 3, 2021.”
You express disgust. The above suggests the Hawks acted appropriately. Am I missing something?
The fact that the organization kept it on the dl instead of being open about it? Maybe cause it shows just how rampant this was in the organization?
Is that a fact Chrisms?
Or did the victim(s) just come forward?
If it was on the DL, than ya, disgust sums it up well.
If not, how do you deal with something you don’t know about?
While this doesn’t provide perfect clarity, it “suggests” they didn’t know.
Will post what LJ did again.
“Recently, when allegations of sexual harassment in 2014 by D.J. Jones, the head athletic trainer for the Rockford IceHogs, were reported to the Blackhawks on October 27, 2021, we adhered to our new protocols and procedures, suspended Mr. Jones, conducted an in depth investigation over 5 days and, following the conclusive results, terminated Mr. Jones on November 3, 2021.”
No idea if they are being truthful or not.
I was not referring to them hiding it from 2014. But that it’s February and this happened in November of last year. They should have disclosed this right after they addressed it in light of the larger picture.
Chrisms, yes this is a bulletin board and everyone can answer.
But I asked Lyle specifically, in case he knew something more than the article stated; it is possible that there are reasons behind the scenes that could explain a gap of a few months.
Lyle hasn’t answered. Maybe the Hawks need another public spanking. Maybe they don’t. Premature with the righteous indignation, IMO.
“SPECTOR’S NOTE: I can’t find the words to describe my reaction to this story given everything about the Blackhawks organization that’s preceded this report. Disgust doesn’t seem sufficient to cover it.”
Amen brother. There are no words to adequately describe the continued ignorance and arrogance of this organizations’ management.
For years pundits and armchair warriors complained about the lack of transparency of Habs executives, specifically Bergevin.
They sung the praises of Chantal Machabee and the duo of Gorton/Hughes which is fine and well.
Joel Edmundson hasn’t played a game, hasn’t had a full contact practise and not a word about when or if to expect him back.
transparency
Save some disgust to register after tales yet to be told. I think it would be naive to think that occurrences such as these are peculiar to the Blackhawks club.
What do you call this “ I think it would be naive to think that occurrences such as these are peculiar to the Blackhawks club.” when considering in resent memory, absolutely yes in particular to the hawks in this case. Having one occurrence is terrible but two with two complete sets of people is simply astounding.
It’s like the world is flat again.