NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 15, 2022
Nazem Kadri spurned a more lucrative deal to sign with the Flames, the Senators signed Tyler Motte, the Blackhawks announced the date for Marian Hossa’s jersey retirement and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports Nazem Kadri is believed to have turned down an offer from a club earlier in this summer’s free-agent period that would’ve paid him $8.5 million per season. Kadri, 31, signed a seven-year deal last month with the Calgary Flames worth an average annual value of $7 million.
Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (NHL Images).
At the time, Kadri’s agent, Darren Ferris, told Flames general manager Brad Treliving that his client’s decision came down to three teams. LeBrun claims the New York Islanders were definitely interested in the former Colorado Avalanche center.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: According to LeBrun, Kadri’s decision not to sign with the team making the bigger offer was because the fit “obviously wasn’t right for him.” He didn’t indicate which team made that offer.
LeBrun also believes that Kadri likely waited to see if Isles GM Lou Lamoriello could free up the necessary cap space to sign him.
OTTAWA SUN: The Senators signed Tyler Motte to a one-year, $1.35 million contract. The 27-year-old checking-line forward split last season with the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, helping the latter reach the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A low-cost signing that provides more experienced depth to the Senators’ checking lines.
NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks announced they’ll retire Marian Hossa’s No. 81 during a ceremony on Nov. 20 prior to their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the United Center.
Hossa will become the eighth player in franchise history to have his number retired. The Hall-of-Famer spent eight of his 19 NHL seasons with the Blackhawks, winning three Stanley Cups between 2010 and 2015.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hossa also briefly played for the Penguins in 2018, helping them reach that year’s Stanley Cup Final.
FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: It appears goaltender Andrew Hammond won’t be joining the Panthers on a professional tryout offer. He’s reportedly going to sign with KHL club Traktor Chelyabinsk though it hasn’t been confirmed yet. Hammond, 34, split last season with the Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils.
DAILY FACEOFF: The Arizona Coyotes signed winger Alex Chiasson to a professional tryout offer. Former Boston Bruins forward Zach Senyshyn has accepted a PTO with the New Jersey Devils. The Columbus Blue Jackets signed Victor Rask to a PTO. The 29-year-old center split last season between the Minnesota Wild and Seattle Kraken.
Speaking of the Blue Jackets, THE ATHLETIC’s Aaron Portzline reported they’ve hired former NHL defenseman Roman Polak as a European-based scout.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets head equipment manager Tim Leroy is no longer with the club. He’d been in that role since their inaugural season in 2000.
TSN: Nathan Gerbe has retired as an NHL player after 11 seasons to join the Nashville Predators as their forward development coach. One of the NHL’s smallest players at 5’4”, Gerbe played 435 games with the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring 63 goals and 151 points.
Speaking of the Predators, they’ve hired Ronda Engelhardt as a North American scout based out of Minnesota. She becomes their first female scout.
CALGARY SUN: Reports indicate the roof of the Saddledome is showing signs of deterioration with netting put up as a precaution. Meanwhile, a committee tasked with finding a replacement for the aging arena has reportedly made some progress.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A crumbling Saddledome could spur along negotiations to hammer out an agreement for a new arena.
Best of luck to the Hamburglar. Traktor Chelyabinsk is definitely one of my favorite hockey team names. Has a certain ring to it.
Good luck, Howard, to a player going to Russia given the current circumstances?
I appreciate the fact that money is important but there are plenty to teams in Europe that could give him a nice pay day and a far better lifestyle with a contract.
The luck I wish him is to not to be hit by someone thrown out a window for disagreeing with Putin.
Seriously. He may be Canadian, but he could still end up like Brittney Griner.
Not sure why they do the Hossa signing against the pens? Is that a shot at the pens? He didn’t leave Pittsburgh in the smoothest of ways.
I’m fine with how things went after Hossa left. Pens beat his Wings in cup final the next year.
Yeah. Kinda my point. He left saying he wanted the best shot at a cup then lost to the pens resulting in a collective Nelson from pens fans. It’s just an odd choice of Pittsburgh with his short and ignominious exit vs Ottawa
I don’t disagree Chrisms. Maybe it’s coincidence but I thought it an odd choice to retire Hossa’s number on a night they play the Pens. I raised an eyebrow reading it, that’s for sure.
Good luck, Nathan Gerber. You were appreciated,here in Columbus.
Rask’s PTO signing is interesting. Makes me wonder if the front office is concerned about the center position.
Senators signed former playoff beast Senator Derek Brassard to a PTO according to Ian Mendes.
Yea, the Saint – him and LW Michael Dal Colle.
These I do not get. Brassard is a C – where they’re the deepest they’ve been in years – who last enjoyed a halfway decent season in 2017-18 when he had 18g 20a 38 pts in 58 gp for Ottawa and 3g 5a 8pts in 14gp for Pittsburgh after going there in exchange for goalie Gustafsson.
In his 235 NHL games since – with Pittsburg, Florida, Colorado, NYI, Arizona, Philadelphia, Edmonton (likely earning him the nickname Suitcase) – he’s had 40g 54a 94 pts which works out to 82-game averages of 14g 19a 33 pts – and he’s been a consistent minus F in that span. Plus he turns 35 next week.
Who is he going to beat out for a job? Gambrell? All this does is conjure up the memory of acquiring him way back for Zibanejad!
Dal Colle is a dime-a-dozen type and yet another LW (they just signed Motte to a 1 year deal which gives them plenty of options within their signed rosters at that position).
yeah George, I would rather Tyler Ennis come back than Brassard. Weird decision but ultimately like won’t come out to anything. Maybe something to push the young guys at camp?
C’mon George, that’s “Big Game Brass” you’re talking about…
That guy wasted his opportunity in Pittsburgh. Refused to embrace a 3rd line center role on a deep team. Spent most of his time in Pittsburgh hurt, if i remember correctly.
Heh. If they’re here as “cannon fodder” for training camp only – fine. Otherwise it’s a waste of ice time better given to some of the young prospects eventually headed for Belleville.
Could just be doing for the competition/cannon fodder purpose in camp as you suggest George. Also could just be doing the guy a solid by giving him some exposure.
At very least having another player, and seasoned professional example, to beat out for job can’t hurt.
Probably, Ray. But as theSaint says, I’d rather have seen Ennis given a shot.
Anyway, here’s the “official” slant on the two PTOs as reported locally this morning:
Only 49 games short of 1,000 in his career, Brassard, who makes his off-season home in Gatineau, will be trying to earn a contract. In two years with the Senators, Brassard finished with 32 goals and 77 points in 139 games in Ottawa.
Brassard will be facing some stiff competition if he wants to earn a spot. The club already has Josh Norris, Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto and Dylan Gambrell signed in the middle.
“This is just something that we felt we needed to do,” Dorion said Thursday morning. “It’s very simple: Derick is someone we targeted. Michael has played for D.J. in the past. Right now, we have four centre’s pencilled in. Having a healthy competition at that position is something we always look forward to.
“He’s going to come in and he’s going to play exhibition games at centre. We’ll see what he’s got left.”
Dal Colle won a Memorial Cup with Smith in 2015 and was drafted as an offensive player. He could get a chance to be in that role during camp. He could earn a two-way contract to be a depth player in the organization.
If Brassard does stick, Dorion will at least be able to say he has more Francophones on the team than do “the Flying Frenchmen” – LOL.
Reporting makes sense, doing him a solid for a chance at 1000 games with the Sens or somebody else if he proves he still has some game.
Need more than 12 forwards to get through a season, and having it be a C and a pro to mentor guys is a good idea.
Can’t comment on what his game is like, played only 15 in EDM at end of last year and 4th line minutes when in, didn’t accomplish much. But what is telling is only 1 in the playoffs.