NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 6, 2022

by | Oct 6, 2022 | News, NHL | 18 comments

Recaps of Wednesday’s preseason games, Hockey Canada faces growing criticism as sponsors distance themselves from the organization, the Stars sign Jason Robertson to a four-year contract, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I underwent surgery on Oct. 5 to repair damaged tendons in my left hand. It was similar to the procedure I had in February. As a result, it could take a little longer to post my daily updates over the next few days. Please bear with me. As always, I appreciate your support.

RECAPS OF PRESEASON GAMES

NHL.COM: A third-period goal by Mike Reilly broke a 4-4 tie as the Boston Bruins nipped the New York Rangers 5-4. Bruins forwards David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha each had a goal and two assists. Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko both scored twice for the Rangers.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

The Washington Capitals doubled up the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 on third-period goals by Connor Brown and Alex Ovechkin. It was a costly win for the Capitals as winger T.J. Oshie left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We could hear an update on Oshie’s status later today after he’s been reevaluated by the Capitals’ medical staff.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender David Rittich made 37 saves to backstop his club to a 5-0 shutout of the Calgary Flames. Kyle Connor scored twice and Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and two assists.

Third-period goals by Logan O’Connor and Mikko Rantanen lifted the Colorado Avalanche over the Dallas Stars 2-1. Alexandar Georgiev got the win with a 32-save performance.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored two third-period goals (including the game-winner) in a 5-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Canucks captain Bo Horvat collected three assists. Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist.

SPONSORS AND TWO PROVINCES WITHDRAW SUPPORT FROM HOCKEY CANADA.

CBC.CA: Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said it “boggles the mind” that Hockey Canada continues to defend its leadership amid ongoing accusations of its mishandling of sexual assault allegations against a number of junior hockey players.

Parents across the country are losing faith or have lost faith in Hockey Canada,” said Trudeau. “Certainly, politicians here in Ottawa have lost in Hockey Canada.”

Canada’s sports minister Pascale St-Onge believed mass resignations by Hockey Canada’s leadership are necessary to restore trust in the organization. If they continue to dig in its heels, she called upon Hockey Canada’s voting members to clean house.

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Hockey Quebec and the Ontario Hockey Federation are pulling their support from Hockey Canada and moving to withhold registration fees from the national federation. Meanwhile, Tim Hortons, Telus and Scotiabank announced Wednesday that they will be suspending their sponsorship of men’s hockey for the 2022-23 season.

TSN: Rick Westhead reports a group of Hockey Canada’s sponsors is discussing the possibility of permanently suspending their business relationships with the national sports organization, using the “reputational damage” clauses in their contracts.

THE ATHLETIC: Ken Volden, a senior executive at TSN, acknowledged that the network’s business operations have been affected by its coverage of the Hockey Canada scandal. However, the network will continue to pursue the story.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The ongoing damage to Hockey Canada worsens the longer it continues to keep its head in the sand. Suppose the outcry by politicians and the public won’t force the organization to implement change in its leadership. In that case, the withdrawal of funding by the provinces and major corporate sponsors should do it.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars signed winger Jason Robertson to a four-year, $31 million contract. The average annual value is $7.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson gets a hefty raise over his entry-level AAV of $894K. He earned it by becoming one of the Stars’ top players. He was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2020-21 with 45 points in 51 games and tallied 41 goals and 79 points as a sophomore last season.

This deal also sets up the 23-year-old for a more lucrative payday on a longer-term contract. He’ll earn $9.3 million in actual salary in the final year of this deal, meaning it’ll cost the Stars that much to qualify his rights.

Speaking of the Stars, goaltender Anton Khudobin has a clean bill of health after recovering from off-season hip surgery. He could be showcased for a trade or placed on waivers and demoted to their AHL affiliate Texas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Scott Wedgewood has nailed down the backup role behind young starter Jake Oettinger.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki and teammates Joel Armia and Emil Heineman are listed as day-to-day with upper-body injuries. The Canadiens also announced the signing of 2021 first-round pick Logan Mailloux to an entry-level contract. He will spend the coming season with his junior team in London, Ontario.

The Columbus Blue Jackets released center Victor Rask from his professional tryout offer.

THE SCORE: Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis isn’t ruling out Shane Wright playing the full season in the NHL. The 18-year-old center was considered the top prospect heading into the 2022 draft but was selected fourth overall by the Kraken.

DAILY FACEOFF: The NHL department of player safety fined Arizona Coyotes forward Michael Carone $2,027.23 for roughing Vegas Golden Knights forward Gage Quinney in a preseason game on Tuesday.







18 Comments

  1. Lyle, take your time, and I wish you a speedy recovery! those injuries can be the worst

  2. Wow! Good on Dallas and Nill to get it done! Robertson will have an even better shot at Much more lucrative contract after this one with the expected cap rise and a rise in his play!

  3. Heal up Lyle ;

    The recipe of HOF Ronnie Francis helping Wright mature into the NHL could work out for everyone involved. Francis himself overshadowed by some all time greats @ center during his career-Team Canada depth during that time was…. 99 66 11…etc

    Thanks Dallas for helping Robertson maybe be the steal of my fantasy draft now in the 7th round

  4. Hockey Canada needs to (1) clean house at the top, and (2) sue all of the players who were involved in the sexual abuses to recoup their lost income from the sponsors and provinces

    • The players should be held responsible but the outcry is due to the mishandling of the situation, not the situation itself.
      They have no leg to stand on in a court of law should they opt for litigation.

  5. Take time heal well. Hope they let you heal with a solid two finger pour of something tasty.

  6. Lyle, best wishes for a speedy recovery.
    A good friend of mine is having the same surgery today. Sliced his thumb while slicing turkey.

  7. I hope you’re right-handed…..(winky wink). You’re getting the Craig Anderson special!

    Some interesting headlines. Many will watch young Shane in Seattle to see if he can prove Montreal wrong for passing over him. Certainly the kid they drafted seems impressive. Then again, so did Nik Antropov, Chris Gratton, and a bunch of other big raw talented kids who were drafted high and were sorta hit n miss. Adam Creighton even…..though I’m aging myself.

    • I’m wondering how he’ll do too simply because every year there’s a general consensus that such and such is clearly the top pick and like in the past this player would be regarded as the top pick but for some reason all of a sudden he’s not. Sort of like the Liane and Matthews debate that some were making claiming one to be a pure goal scorer and the other a complete centerman. Well we know how that turned out. So looking at Montreals draft history, even win picking 1st over all, they haven’t hit on them often.

  8. The Krejci is old and over the hill crowd are quiet this morning. What a show of chemistry last night. Czech line was awesome. Hopefully they stay together if so I believe we will see DK and Zacha hit career highs if they stay healthy. Once we get Marshy Mac Hall n Grizz back the Bruins will again be an elite team.

    • 100%!!!

  9. You need to get on some voice to text to save those hands Lyle!

    Speedy recovery

  10. Feel better Lyle!

  11. Here’s to speedy healing Lyle!!

    Also that leaves only two RFAs without contract. I am really wondering if Ottawa has any interest in keep Formenton or if they are waiting for a trade partner. It almost feels like the team is taking solid shape without any concern with whether he is in the lineup.

  12. theSaint, the longer this drags on without conclusion it starts to look more and more that perhaps Formenton might have been one of those so-far unidentified participants in that 2018 sex-capade for which Hockey Canada is being raked over the coals for their cover-up efforts.

    In that event he’d be as useless at teats on a bull insofar as trade-bait is concerned.

    Either way (and I hope the kid wasn’t one of those involved) it certainly seems like the team is prepared to move on without him, with options like Motte, Parker Kelly and Jayce Hawryluk to cover the 3rd and 4th line LW position. Even rookie Ridley Greig has shown that, while he probably will start in Belleville, he will be called up for some NHL exposure somewhere along the line.

    If Formenton is not part of that despicable escapade, I’m not sure how much he’d get in return – he does have speed to burn, but not much in the way of finish around the net – 109gp so far and just 23 goals and 16 assists for 39 points.

    • hey George, yeah my biggest fear is that he was part of that horrific act. If so, well the last thing I want is for him to ever suit up as a Sen again. If he wasn’t…I think he is managing to either play or negotiate himself off the team

      • That’s the kicker for sure … i.e., if he wasn’t part of that disgusting frolic what the heck are he and his agent thinking? He was never about to get an offer like Stutzle, or Norris, or Tkachuk – not even a Batherson-type deal, based on his so-so production so far. I would bet that what Dorion has offered – again, assuming he is confident Formenton was not part of that – is a2 or 3-year bridge deal in the $2.5 range. In other words, we know you have lots of speed – now show us that you also know how to put the puck in the net.

        By dropping him to the 3rd line (which is likely where he’d be if he did sign) they’re not asking for 25-30 goals – just gives us 18-20 again, combined with better defensive stats, for the next couple/three years and we’ll negotiate again. If he’s OK and turns that down, then he’s nuts. He isn’t going to get better by holding out.

      • I’m fairly certain he’s part of the group. Body language and facial expressions tell a lot. I can’t say for sure, but that’s my take.