NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 1, 2022
Notable highlights from Friday’s preseason play, Canadiens’ rookie Juraj Slafkovsky’s underwhelming preseason play, Flyers goaltender Carter Hart says he’ll be ready for his club’s season-opener, plus the latest injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: Matt Duchene scored twice in a five-point performance to lead the Nashville Predators to a 7-1 drubbing of the Tampa Bay Lightning in preseason action on Friday. Tanner Jeannot had four points (including two goals) while Filip Forsberg collected three assists.
Nashville Predators center Matt Duchene (NHL Images).
San Jose Sharks hopeful Danil Gushchin tallied a hat trick in a 7-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Jack Eichel scored two goals for the Golden Knights. Ducks defenseman Urho Vaakanainen was stretchered from the ice after crashing into the end boards. He was taken to a hospital for observation and was said to have full movement of his extremities and was fully conscious and alert.
Speaking of the Ducks, sophomore center Trevor Zegras will undergo more medical tests after suffering an upper-body injury in a preseason game on Wednesday.
Toronto Maple Leafs winger Nick Robertson scored twice and added an assist as his club downed the Ottawa Senators 6-3.
MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes called Juraj Slafkovsky’s performance in his first two NHL preseason contests “a little underwhelming”. Hughes said the club would do what was best to help the 2022 first-overall pick to improve. He didn’t rule out having the 18-year-old winger start the season with their AHL affiliate in Laval.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Internet trolls and panicky Canadiens fans are already calling Slafkovsky a bust. Sensible hockey fans understand it’s far too early for that kind of assessment.
The young Slovak is trying to adjust to a different style of game on a smaller ice surface. Some players can adjust quickly while others need more time.
The worst thing the Canadiens can do is try to push Slafkovsky into their lineup before he’s ready. If he needs a season in the AHL to adjust to the North American game then so be it. If he’s not NHL-ready yet he shouldn’t be on their roster this season simply because he’s a first-overall draft pick.
Slafkovsky could become a superstar. He could become a bust. He could become something in-between. It’s ridiculous to write him off after just two meaningless preseason contests.
Speaking of the Canadiens, winger Josh Anderson explained the upper-body injury that sidelined him since the start of training camp was a spider bite on his hand that got infected.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It wasn’t a radioactive spider so he won’t turn into the NHL’s version of Spiderman. Anderson is expected to return to their lineup before the end of their preseason schedule.
PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Carter Hart will miss the Flyers’ first four preseason games. However, the 24-year-old goaltender said he expected to be ready for the club’s season opener on Oct. 13 against the New Jersey Devils.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers will need a healthy Hart at his best if they hope to reach the playoffs this season. They’re already missing Ryan Ellis from their blueline for the season while center Sean Couturier will miss the start of the schedule with an upper-body injury.
THE DETROIT NEWS: Andrew Copp hopes to make his debut with the Red Wings in their season-opener on Oct. 14. The versatile 28-year-old forward signed with the Wings as a free agent but is still recovering from offseason abdominal surgery.
TORONTO STAR: Maple Leafs defenseman Carl Dahlstrom requires shoulder surgery that will sideline him for six months. Blueliner Jordie Benn will be out for three weeks with a groin strain.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars forward Ty Dellandrea will miss the next two-three weeks with a broken finger.
SPORTSNET: Los Angeles Kings forward Jacob Doty received a two-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for interference on Sharks forward Jeffrey Viel in a recent preseason game.
SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks signed Scott Harrington to a one-year, two-way contract. The 29-year-old defenseman earned the job while on a professional tryout offer.
ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes claimed goaltender Jonas Johansson off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche.
Let’s hope. Vaakanainen Is ok after that nasty crash head 1st into the back boards. I’m sure it has happened to all of us at least once playing competitive hockey usually you end up sore but ok Praying the same for him
Has Gorton been taking drafting lessons from Sweeney Juraj slavkovsky hasn’’t done much of anything. You only learn from your mistakes what’s Sweeney’s excuse. Foligno is the lineup tonight won’t be watching. Simply by having this hobby horse in the lineup means the bruins haven’t learned anything. Where’s Fabian?
Good luck, Harrington. You were a solid 7th d for the Jackets for several years.
“Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes called Juraj Slafkovsky’s performance in his first two NHL preseason contests “a little underwhelming”.
Can you imagine the kind of pressure this has put on an 18 year old. What the hell is wrong with the general manager. Talk about an unrealistic expectation. If Canadien fans are truly panicking …..wow…..can you imagine playing for that team. Juraj should ask for a trade. That might shut Hughes up.
They could have had a future #1 center with Cooley or Wright. Now they will have to hope for PLD to come over….but maybe he does not wish to go to a what may be a terrible team that is in an ungoing rebuild….
Image if wright takes off and slovy struggles? That will be a mess.
Hughes is just managing expectations preparing to have Slafkovsky start the season in Laval.
He’s been playing both wings, using his body well,surprising everybody with his skating and passing.
I think you’re right. They don’t really need him and what I saw of him, he has the right way of playing and knowing where to go… he’s 18 or 19 and he’s just learning how to in a new league filled of guys as good as him. It will take some time which is in Montreal’s favor since they are in no rush to burn a year of his ELC, they literally have 2 yrs if they like.
Good point Lyle, Slafkovsky “could be a superstar, a bust, or somewhere in between” That about sums it up with these draft picks? People have to take a deep breath and have patience! Give the kid room to grow. Our expectations of some of these kids is unrealistic. He’s probably going to be really darn good or he wouldn’t have gone as high as he did but maybe not in our time frame? I’m sure the Canadiens got a good one! GO AVS!!!!!!
Basically Hughes picked the absolute worst wording in his criticism or Juraj Literally failed management 101. He panicked the fans and could deflate Juraj. So many ways he could have stated that to make it positive but…well…the Habs do like to eat their own alive.