NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 12, 2022
The Rangers and Golden Knights win their season openers, the latest on Carey Price plus some contract signings, injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Mika Zibanejad scored twice and Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves as the New York Rangers opened their 2022-23 season with a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Barclay Goodrow also scored for the Rangers while Steven Stamkos replied for the Lightning.
New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Rangers as winger Vitali Kravtsov left the game with an upper-body injury in the first period following a collision with Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman. Kravtsov is listed as day-to-day.
Mark Stone’s snapped a 3-3 tie with 26 seconds remaining in the third period as the Vegas Golden Knights nipped the Los Angeles Kings 4-3. Logan Thompson made 27 saves for the win. Alex Pietrangelo, William Karlsson and Chandler Stephenson each had two points. Jonathan Quick kicked out 47 shots for the Kings.
HEADLINES
THE ATHLETIC: Carey Price will undergo Osteochondral Autograft Transfer (OAT Surgery) in what could be a long-shot gamble to resume his playing career. The 35-year-old Montreal Canadiens goaltender said he’s still plagued by swelling in his knee and is trying to reach a place where he’ll be at least pain-free in his everyday life.
In an exclusive interview with Arpon Basu, Price revealed he has a large hole in the cartilage in the joint of his injured knee. Describing the OAT procedure, he said, “They would basically take a plug of bone and cartilage out of a lower-wear area in my knee, and then place that plug into the damaged area of my knee.”
Basu cites two studies indicating the estimated long-term success rate to be 72 percent, and that is for a pain-free, normal life. Price acknowledged that he might not be able to resume his playing career following the procedure but won’t give up hope.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It sounds like it would take a miracle for Price to not just resume his career but regain the form that made him one of the best goaltenders of his generation.
TSN: Speaking of the Canadiens, they placed forward Paul Byron (hip injury) on long-term injury reserve and recalled defenseman Arber Xhekaj from the Laval Rocket. Byron’s annual average value is $3.4 million.
WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Capitals winger Carl Hagelin underwent arthroscopic surgery to address a chronic hip injury. He’s out indefinitely and is listed as an injured non-roster player.
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins have signed Anton Stralman to a one-year, $1 million contract. The 36-year-old defenseman had been on a professional tryout offer.
NEWSOBSERVER.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes signed forward Derek Stepan to a one-year, $750K contract. He’d attended training camp on a PTO contract.
CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed Michael Stone to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level. He’d been on a PTO contract with the club.
ESPN.COM’s Kevin Weekes reports he’s been told the Edmonton Oilers and defenseman Jason Demers are discussing the possibility of his signing an AHL contract.
CBS SPORTS: Winnipeg Jets forward Mason Appleton was moved to injured reserve with an upper-body injury retroactive to Oct. 5.
TSN: Hockey Canada’s board of directors announced their resignations yesterday. The move came amid calls for a change in the organization’s leadership following its mishandling of sexual assault allegations against players from Canada’s 2003 and 2018 World Junior teams.
Rick Westhead reports members of the Canadian parliament will continue to investigate Hockey Canada’s historical response to those allegations. They’ll also want answers about any severance package offered to chief executive Scott Smith, who stepped down on Tuesday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It took several major sponsors and provincial hockey organizations withdrawing their support of Hockey Canada for those directors to finally step down. It’s a long overdue step in the right direction but it will take more than just sweeping aside the former leadership to restore trust in Hockey Canada. This organization needs a massive overhaul.
NHL.COM: Former Buffalo Sabres head coach Joe Crozier has died at age 93. Crozier took over as coach in January 1972. In his three seasons behind the Sabres bench, he put together the famous French Connection line of Gilbert Perreault, Rene Robert and Richard Martin. Crozier also guided the Sabres to their first-ever playoff appearance in 1972-73.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crozier was head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1979-80 and 1980-81. He achieved success with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, coaching them to three Calder Cups in four seasons from 1964-65 to 1967-68. He also guided the WHL’s Vancouver Canucks to a championship in 1968-69 and the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers to a Memorial Cup championship in 1981-82. My condolences to Crozier’s family, friends, and to the players he coached over his long career.
Stralman is a very good depth signing For bruins
Kravtsov fell to his knees reaching back for puck. Only “collision” was between Herman’s left hand, Kravtsov’s head, and the wall as Hedman pinned him to wall. I’d say upper body injury is either concussion or neck injury from Hedman pressing down on his head after driving it into boards. But hey, it’s only Kravtsov. I’m sure if it was Crosby, it would be played on a loop 24/7 in Canada.
Slick, I’m confused, who exactly are you mad at here? Hedman? The refs? The league? Crosby? Canada?
Slick62, you have it all wrong. If it were Kravtsov who did this to Hedman the Rangers would give him the C or at least an A for being so brave and tough.
🍿
Randino, you basically made my point. Had to endure months of attacks on Trouba for a simple hockey play that resulted in Crosby getting hurt. Not mad at Hedman cause I didn’t think much of play but, as I stated, the only contact was him deliberately giving him a shot to head while he was down. If I’m mad at anyone, it’ll be media who if it was Crosby, it would’ve been overly anyluzed for days and Hedman would become public enemy number 1.
Slick,
Don’t even bother. They’re fixated on captain concussion being touched at all.
And they love to dismiss the Hulk Hogan body slam and endless slew foots etc. that he has gotten away with over the years. Maybe trying to remove a finger or two with a slash.
When captain Quagmire does it, it’s “frustration” and somehow easy to look the other way. Justified. But god forbid someone throws a body check at that can of pringles. Then it’s “dirty team”, “dirty player”, and calls for 10 game suspensions.
Captain, who is they in “they’re fixated”?
Slick – who in Canada would be playing it on a loop?
Same question Canadian King asked – who are you guys mad at?
Or do you just enjoy being mad?
“They” = Pittsburgh Penguins fans.
Got it Captain.
Great start to the season for the Rags last night, the part I watched in the 3rd they took it to TB, and the #’s this AM confirmed it.
Anton Stralman has been signed, yay. If I see Foligno in tonight’s lineup I won’t be watching. If Foligno’s on the ice it means the bruins really haven’t learned anything at all, when you insert the human pylon even on the 4th line You’re chances for even a playoff spot doesn’t look very promising.
It’s all on Foligno to win 50+ games this season.
Does this mean there won’t be another inane ramble tomorrow:
Game 1 expected lines:
Hall-Bergeron-DeBrusk
Zacha-Krejci-Pastrnak
Greer-Coyle-Smith
Foligno-Nosek-Lauko
Lindholm-Carlo
Reilly-Clifton
Forbort-Zboril
Scratches: Frederic, Studnicka
Nice to see Lauko make the team out of camp. Sounds like he earned it.
RWM…. To move Foligno they are going to have to attach something of value to him and that probably won’t happen right now ….come March who knows so they are stuck with him …They have been bitten by this type of player before and they just don’t learn …GO Bruins
Joe,
Don’t bother talking sense to RWM. He’s the most negative person I’ve ever encountered. If Patrnak were to accept a dollar a week to play, he’d whine that Pasta is paid too much and if Pasta walked as a UFA, he’d whine that Sweeney should have moved heaven and earth to sign him.
Joe. It would probably have to be either a 1st or Lysell to move Foligno. So you are right saying that never happens. So Rick will gave nothing to complain about tomorrow as he won’t be watching season opener. Lol
Go Bruins
It’s funny reading all the Bruins fans complain about Foligno. Consider yourselves lucky. All he has cost the Bruins is money. They didn’t give up a 1st round pick and two 4th round picks and only got 11 games played and 5 points from the guy. LOL
That team’s fans are the ones who should be steaming mad at Foligno. LOL
Hey Kev some of those fans you’re talking about understand that when a GM makes a move to bolster their club, we all hope it works out. Sometimes it does in various degrees and some times it doesn’t which happened, mind you you can’t blame anyone on his unforeseen injuries, or could you?
I’m liking the route Halland had been taking at the trade deadline. Not trading 1st round picks for rental players. Using the trade deadline to improve the bottom 6 forwards or bottom 3 d-men. 1st round draft picks are becoming more valuable. Their ELCs offset the high cap hits the star players are making nowadays.
At the trade deadline, the majority of the moves involving 1st round picks don’t work out. You rarely see a final 4 team in the SCP spend a 1st round pick at the trade deadline on a rental player.
They do work out though…see the Avs.
I did look at the Avs before I posted. Who did they trade a 1st round pick for that was a rental?
Lehkonen was an RFA at the end of last season and wasn’t considered a rental. Cost them Justin Barron (2020 1st round pick, 25th overall) and a 2024 2nd round pick.
Cogliano cost a 5th round pick.
Manson cost a second round pick plus Drew Helleson (A 2020 second round pick, 47th overall) and hasn’t played an NHL game.
I think we all knew that Price would likely never play again, or play at the level he was once capable of doing. It’s still sad news. I have good memories of my kids playing hockey in our driveway with “Carey Price” making saves 😉 For us, that was enough. Hoping he recovers to an improved quality of life.
I quite frankly don’t see how Price will ever play again. The proposed surgery goes even beyond Tommy John surgery for knees. This is a major procedure which would require a very lengthy rehab period. A year from now, Price will be a 36 year old goalie coming off major surgery who has played a handful of games in 2 years. Hopefully he’ll be able to have a pain free life but his career is done.
As for Crozier, I’ll never forget that he was coach of the Calgary team of the WHA when Rick Jodzio, a blatant thug playing for Crozier, was sent out for the sole purpose of taking out Marc Tardif, Quebec’s best player. Blatant thuggery as bad as anything else ever taking place in pro hockey. That’s the type of coach he was and that should be his legacy.
Carey Price is a class act, was an elite goaltender and played in the toughest media market in Hockey.
Carey your life outside of playing hockey will hopefully be longer than your career.
Heal, get pain free and enjoy the abundance of everything life has to offer outside the game.
As they say at Paul’s and b’s annual senior Citizen BBQ and Maalox festival stick a fork in him he’s done. Price will never play again. Well there’s an excellent horror film on the tonight, Plan 9 from Outerspace I have it straight from the horses mouth Mr. B ….could have been from the other end, but, apperently this is a Goodun. Matter of Fact B was so scared watching it both of his head hairs stood on end. Won’t be watching b’s not as long Foligno’s still playing.
Well if Mr B suggested it it must be good!
Actually I rented it on VHS back in the mid 80’s, and would say it is more Sci-Fi than horror. I laughed my arse off watching that one, but I also smoked a lot more weed back then.
Look forward to your review Rick, in particular the special effects.
Plan 9 from outer space is a classic “Ed Wood” production which means it’s very bad but that means it’s very good and worth watching, lots of laughs in that one. Enjoy!!!!! P.S. I think it’s Bela Lugosi’s last film before he died, makes a cameo? GO AVS!!!!!!!!!
Lugosi might have died during the shooting of it or even prior and he was spliced in later for a couple scenes. The stand in he hired to replace Lugosi held a cape over the bottom of his face in every shot as they didn’t really look alike either.
That’s what makes Plan 9 a classic! That and the special effects.