NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 3, 2023
The Ducks finally re-sign Trevor Zegras, notable injury and waiver updates, and recaps of Monday’s preseason action in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
HEADLINES
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The contract standoff between the Anaheim Ducks and center Trevor Zegras ended Monday with an agreement on a three-year contract worth an average annual value of $5.75 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The dollars were the sticking point in negotiations resulting in Zegras missing nearly two weeks of training camp and preseason play. It was reported the Ducks offered between $3 million and $4 million annually.
Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras (NHL Images).
Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek ended up paying more but it’s still a team-friendly amount. This deal also sets an artificial cap ceiling for Verbeek to wield when he goes into contract talks with promising youngsters such as Mason McTavish and Leo Carlsson.
As The Athletic’s Eric Stephens and Pierre LeBrun observed, this contract gives Zegras a runway to elevate his game and establish himself as a true franchise player for the Ducks. If he does, he’ll be poised to command a much more lucrative deal as he’ll have arbitration rights when this contract expires in 2026.
Verbeek’s next order of business is signing restricted free agent Jamie Drysdale. With Zegras under contract, perhaps a new deal for the 21-year-old defenseman will be announced before the end of this week.
THE MERCURY NEWS: San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn said Logan Couture (lower-body injury) is improving but he remains questionable for the club’s season opener next week. The 34-year-old center isn’t expected to resume skating until the end of this week at the earliest.
NEW YORK POST: Rangers center Filip Chytil remains sidelined with an upper-body injury. He remains day-to-day but head coach Peter Laviolette isn’t sure if Chytil will be ready for their season opener.
TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Conor Timmins is listed as week-to-week with a “significant lower-body injury”, according to head coach Sheldon Keefe.
NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said defenseman Josh Manson (oblique) is expected to be ready for opening night. However, goaltender Pavel Francouz remains sidelined and won’t be in the lineup for the start of the season.
PRESEASON GAMES RECAP
NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators goaltender Joonas Korpisalo turned in a 40-save performance to shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, NS.
New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt tallied a hat trick and collected an assist as his club held off the New York Islanders 6-5. Mathew Barzal had two goals and an assist for the Islanders.
The Philadelphia Flyers picked up a 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Flyers winger Cam Atkinson picked up his first goal of the preseason.
St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug got an assist in his first game of this preseason in a 5-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jackets goalie Jet Greaves turned aside 36 shots for the win.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Krug was returning from a foot injury suffered before the start of training camp.
The Montreal Canadiens overcame a 4-2 deficit to nip the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4. Josh Anderson sent the game into overtime where Nick Suzuki netted the game winner. John Tavares scored twice for the Leafs.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens forwards Joel Armia and Alex Newhook and defenseman Gustav Lindstrom all missed this game with upper-body injuries. They’re listed as day-to-day.
Calgary Flames forward Matt Coronato scored the winning goal and picked up two assists in a 5-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. David Gustafsson tallied twice for the Jets.
Connor McDavid scored the go-ahead goal and Xavier Bourgault tallied twice as the Edmonton Oilers downed the Seattle Kraken 4-1. Former Oiler Kailer Yamamoto replied for the Kraken.
IN OTHER NEWS…
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins claimed forward Jansen Harkins off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets.
DAILY FACEOFF: The Nashville Predators claimed forward Samuel Fagemo off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings.
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Victor Mete, Florida Panthers blueliner Lucas Carlsson and Arizona Coyotes forward Jan Jenik were the notables among 29 players placed on waivers on Monday.
THE SCORE: The Senators placed defensemen Jacob Bernard-Docker and Jacob Larsson along with forwards Egor Sokolov and Matthew Highmore on waivers. Bernard-Docker was chosen 26th overall by the Senators in the 2018 draft.
MLIVE.COM: The Detroit Red Wings could start the season with three goaltenders to avoid the risk of losing Alex Lyon to waivers. Ville Husso and free-agent signing James Reimer are expected to be the Wings’ goalie tandem.
Seeing Bernard-Docker follow Thompson on waivers is a sure sign that big Kleven has made the team to go along with Chabot, Chychrun, Sanderson, Zub, Hammonic and Brannstrom. I expect Bernard-Docker will be claimed, as might former 1st round pick (by Anaheim) Larsson.
And with the Pinto situation no closer to settlement, and the pre-season showings by Greig and Jarvenie solidifying the depth at C, I would think that, IF Pinto is dealt, it will be for a high pick and a good D prospect.
I’m ok with prospects jumping into the mix , Jarventie has had a good camp. Grieg is also a good bet. What I am not ok with is losing the 2018 26th overall pick ; 2019 19th overall ; 2020 61st overall picks for nothing , nada, zilch. The burden gets heavier.
let’s at least wait and see if any are, in fact, claimed. not many teams have loads of cap space – or roster spots without jettisoning one of their own.
Are they bad picks that aren’t going to pan out or victims of the current salary cap restrictions?
Picks that fail to pan out is common but losing players due to the cap is crap for everyone.
I wouldn’t call the Zegras deal team friendly; I would say it’s a fair deal. Zegras scored 23 goals in each of the last two season and yes he has plenty of potential and the deal may prove to be a bargain but it’s only a short term deal.
The Bruins have at least two players who should be breaking camp with the big boys.
Defenseman Mason Lohrei and forward Matthew Poitras.
Poitras by all account has impressed everyone and may have had the strongest camp of any player. One pundit quibbled “If Poitras doesn’t get any games to start the season, i don’t know why any prospect would bust his @ss in camp.”
Mason Lohrei who also had a strong camp could potential have Boston move out Forbort or Grizz, no sweetener needed to move either player.
Jacob Bernard-Docker is on waivers, i guess he hasn’t develop as Ottawa hoped. Does he get claimed?
The one prospect Boston fans were hoping to see fight for a job was Fabian Lysel unfortunately he has not provided that in this camp.
The announcement of Timmons’ injury by the Leafs is typical pro sports BS.
“He has a knee injury, he’ll likely need surgery, he’ll be back by……whenever. He will go on LTIR to start the season.”
Why is it impossible to say that? What is the big secret? It’s hockey, not spy versus spy.
It’s about protecting the player and doctor’s confidentiality. No specific injury info is released unless the player agrees to it. It’s also supposed to protect the player’s injured area when they return from other players targeting it.
Look at the LA vs. Oilers playoff series in 2022 after Draisaitl injured his ankle. LA players were wacking at his ankle every chance they got.
Could not agree more. The whole “injury” detail secrecy is a load of crap.
Either way, it doesn’t have much to do with the game other than that player is not available to dress up into the lineup until he is deemed able to. Just like lineup scratches, it doesn’t matter why other than said player isn’t playing that game tonight and not until further notice. It sucks anyway you look at it.