NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 22, 2022
The list of arbitration dates is released, the Penguins re-sign Kasperi Kapanen, the Predators sign Nino Niederreiter and the Sharks name David Quinn as head coach. Get the details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHLPA.COM: The list of salary arbitration hearing dates has been released:
July 27
Isac Lundestrom (Anaheim Ducks)
July 29
Jesse Puljujarvi (Edmonton Oilers)
July 30
Matthew Phillips (Calgary Flames)
August 1
Mathieu Joseph (Ottawa Senators)
Steven Lorentz (San Jose Sharks)
August 2
Yakov Trenin (Nashville Predators)
August 3
Jesper Bratt (New Jersey Devils)
August 5
Andrew Mangiapane (Calgary Flames)
August 6
Miles Wood (New Jersey Devils)
August 7
Kailer Yamamoto (Edmonton Oilers)
August 8
Ethan Bear (Carolina Hurricanes)
Lawson Crouse (Arizona Coyotes)
Zack MacEwen (Philadelphia Flyers)
August 9
Maxime Lajoie (Carolina Hurricanes)
August 10
Keegan Kolesar (Vegas Golden Knights)
Oliver Kylington (Calgary Flames)
August 11
Mason Appleton (Winnipeg Jets)
Morgan Geekie (Seattle Kraken)
Tyce Thompson (New Jersey Devils)
Matthew Tkachuk (Calgary Flames)
Jake Walman (Detroit Red Wings)
Pavel Zacha (Boston Bruins)
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk’s hearing being held on the final day of the arbitration schedule provides the Flames with some time to work out a trade for the restricted free agent. He recently informed them that he wasn’t interested in signing a long-term contract, sparking reports claiming a trade was imminent.
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Kasperi Kapanen (NHL Images).
Clubs with an interest in Tkachuk will want assurances he’ll sign a long-term deal with them. Depending on when he’s traded, the Aug. 11 arbitration date could give his new team some wiggle room to hash out the details of a new contract with him.
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins avoided salary arbitration with Kasperi Kapanen by signing the restricted free agent winger to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.2 million. Kapanen, 26, was slated for an arbitration hearing on July 30.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kapanen’s getting the same AAV as he was on his previous contract. This signing puzzled some Penguins followers given the winger’s disappointing performance last season and the frequency he surfaced in the rumor mill.
THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators signed winger Nino Niederreiter to a two-year, $8 million contract. The average annual value is $4 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators needed secondary scoring depth. Niederreiter, 29, has tallied 20-plus goals six times in his 11-season NHL career. He took a pay cut to go to Nashville down from $5.25 million per season on his previous deal.
This move should put to rest recent speculation suggesting Predators general manager David Poile would pursue a big-ticket scorer such as Matthew Tkachuk via trade or center Nazem Kadri through free agency. With $4 million in cap space and 21 players under contract for 2022-23, it appears that Poile has made his significant roster additions for this summer.
SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks have hired David Quinn as their new head coach. Quinn was head coach of the New York Rangers from 2018-19 to 2020-21.
VANCOUVER HOCKEY NOW: J.T. Miller’s agent reveals there haven’t been any contract talks with the Canucks since the 2022 NHL Draft two weeks ago.
Brian Bartlett said previous discussions were amicable but the two sides aren’t particularly close to a deal, nor does he believe a trade is imminent. He said his client likes playing in Vancouver and is open to signing a contract extension.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks management could be taking a breather after a busy two weeks involving the draft and free agency. With Miller under contract for the coming season, both sides have plenty of time to continue contract talks.
PHILADELPHIA HOCKEY NOW: Carter Hart’s attorney said his client was not involved in the sex scandal involving players from Canada’s 2018 world junior team. A woman has accused eight players from that team of sexually assaulting her during a Hockey Canada gala and golf tournament in 2018.
TSN: The Winnipeg Jets named Brad Lauer and Marty Johnston as assistant coaches.
If Pavel gets anything over three mill trade him. ( Jimmy m?)
Hi Rick
Datsyuk right??? He is 44…. $3M too much 😂
Don’t laugh … he could yet be the “veteran” replacement in the Leafs line-up to replace Spezza! 🙂
Aging Magic man replacing man with transplanted Horse thighs…. You may be on to something!!
Stay tuned for the next episode of As The Sweeney Turns
@Pengy..What a waste of $3.2 million dollars.
Had we just released him we could have just added $800,000 and got Nino to play aside Malkin.
Nashville signed him two years $ 8 million..$4 per year
Malkin Rakell Nino
Do you know anything about Johan Larsson apparently he was signed and now not?
Great defensive player 40 point capability..
Upgrade bottom six?
Hi BNG
The QO was good strategy by HexBurkie…. They blew the first buyout period because they thought (obviously very mistakenly) that they could move Zucker at full whack
Only way to open the new buyout window was (A) give a player a QO and be (B) election for Arb
His QO was so extremely low; that ensured he would elect for Arb… which he did
Then the clock is ticking because buyout doesn’t open until 3 days after a settlement
So they were under pressure to get the buyout window opened up ASAP while still some fair bottom 6 UfAs available
They probably over-paid by $500 K…. But this was the only option for buyout… so bargaining power shifted to Kappy’s agent
After Zucker is bought out…. $3M in space…. Certainly good enough for a middle/bottom 6 winger…. Would live E-Rod back (perhaps that was the immediacy push)
The deadcap of $1.7 M next year 23/24) is moot… JJ’s buyout drops by $1M and Cap will go up at least that
Don’t know tons re Larrsson…. Other than the report is he is like a ZAR but that Larrsson can score
Maybe they can get E-Rod & Larrson
Great signing by. Preds.
Fantastic signing
I was hoping for him to be a Penguin (with Gino and Rakell)… would have only needed to be ~$4.4 M by Pens to match Predz $4 M (cite GavinGroup)
Re Pens and rationale for signing Kappy and Cap situation….yesterday from Yardbreaker (Coltin Pinkiw)…
“at least one player on their roster either being traded, or bought out. According to Frank Saravelli … the latter is the more likely option.
Seravalli suggested ….Penguins may be considering buying out … Jason Zucker … a 48-hour buyout window which begins in three days.”
A Zucker exit MUST be done by HexBurkie
result …. Pens would have 22 of 23 and $3M in space
Nylander or Poulin up or UFA Fwd… 23 of 23 with minimum $2.1 M space
👍👍👍
Bad signing by the Pens. You can add that to the Jeff Carter contract. I don’t understand either.
Agreed a waste of $3.2 million dollars we could have Tyler Motte
Hi Wayne
See my post above
This was absolutely necessary … w/o the signing they could not buyout Zucker
They likely overpaid Kappy by $500 K… but will free up $3.5 M Sunday or Monday that they would not have been able to do without QO and then Arb election and then signing Kappy
Agree they should have bought out Zucker at first window; but that closed…. Leaving Kappy signing as only option to then allow the Zucker buyout
Zucker bought out signs on the cheap with the Avs and Jack Johnson hands the cup to Zucker lol . Sorry Peggy can’t resist ! Cheers
All good Swany
I wish Zucker the best
As long as Leafs don’t sign him… unless than can get him for $1.07 M or less (waivable w/o any Cap amount showing above the line)
History says that most RFAs will reach an agreement before going through the arbitration process – but it’s still interesting to contemplate which of the above will wind up being hold-outs until they get what they want – with Tkachuk being the first candidate.
Four years of Laine on one wing and Gaudreau on the other. The Jackets, suddenly, are dangerous.
SSSSSSSSSSSWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNN
NNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!!!!!!!!! Do something, anything go polish up your Mclaren Speedtail but do something?!? Never in the history of the nhl has there been a more lazy gm or ineffective gm than this guy.
Oh, yes, even though he’s waiting on three or four potential signees, Sweeney is supposed to rebuild Boston’s roster.
You are a bloody fool