NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2024
Recaps of Wednesday’s games, Martin Brodeur believes today’s goaltenders are babied, the players could have half of their escrow returned to them for this season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Boston Bruins 3-1. Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point each scored their 42nd goal of the season for the 40-25-7 Lightning (87 points). They hold the first Eastern Conference wildcard berth and sit two points behind the third-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. Danton Heinen replied for the 42-17-15 Bruins (99 points) as they slipped into third in the overall standings, one point behind the league-leading New York Rangers.
Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov regained sole possession of the points lead with 124, one up on Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon. The Lightning improved to 8-1-1 in March.
A five-goal first period gave the Ottawa Senators a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Shane Pinto had a goal and three assists while Joonas Korpisalo made 34 saves for the Senators (31-36-4). JJ Peterka tallied his 25th goal of the season for the Sabres as they slipped to 34-34-5.
HEADLINES
THE ATHLETIC: In an interview with Pierre LeBrun, Martin Brodeur lamented how NHL clubs handle their goaltenders.
“I think we baby our goalies,” said Brodeur. “I see it. I’m part of it. It’s like, my goalie coach will say, ‘He’s played five games in the past eight days.’ I’m like, ‘So?’”
The Hall-of-Fame goalie is now the executive vice president of hockey operations for the New Jersey Devils. He played 70 or more games 12 times during his 22-year NHL career.
Brodeur acknowledged the game has changed and so has the position. He noted how volatile it has become in recent years where a netminder can be the top goalie one year and struggle the next. He blames the 1A and 1B system that result in split workloads.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: We discussed this Wednesday night on the Face Off Hockey Show. The decline in quality goalies in recent years could be another reason as there are fewer standout starters compared to Brodeur’s era. The increase in the game’s speed and the skaters’ improved scoring skills are other potential factors.
DAILY FACEOFF: With this season’s NHL revenue projected to reach $6.2 billion, the players can expect to receive half of the escrow withheld from the contracts returned to them after final accounting and auditing.
The salary cap for next season is projected to rise to $87.5 million. With revenue projections higher than expected and the players’ $1.1 billion in debt from pandemic-related losses repaid to the owners, there is a window to negotiate a higher cap for next season provided both sides are willing to agree to this. If not, the cap will continue to rise by five percent with escrow remaining at six percent annually as agreed under the 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that extended the CBA to Sept. 15, 2026.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The cap could reach $92 million for 2025-26, the final year of the CBA. The players could receive another escrow refund next season if revenue growth remains robust.
THE PROVINCE: The Canucks placed goaltender Thatcher Demko on long-term injury reserve. However, he remains on track to return from a lower-body injury sometime around April 6.
Meanwhile, Canucks center Elias Lindholm missed practice yesterday after being scratched from Monday’s 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Head coach Rick Tocchet said he wasn’t concerned, claiming it was “something a little nagging, that’s getting better every day.” Still, there’s no timeline for Lindholm’s return.
STLTODAY.COM: Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the ACL in his right knee during Monday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. He will undergo surgery and be reevaluated in six months.
NYI HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of season-ending injuries, Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield recently underwent successful surgery to treat a lower-body injury. He’s expected to make a full recovery.
CBS SPORTS: Anaheim Ducks winger Brock McGinn underwent disc surgery on his back and will be sidelined for four months. He’s expected to be recovered by late July but it remains to be seen if he’ll be ready for training camp in September.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals defenseman Ethan Bear entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. He will be out indefinitely, returning to on-ice competition once cleared by the program administrators.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Bear. Here’s hoping he receives the treatment he needs that enables him to continue his career and lead a more fulfilling life.
COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Earlier this week, the Avalanche signed goaltender Justus Annunen to a two-year, one-way contract extension with an average annual value of $833K.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: An arena deal that would’ve moved the Washington Capitals and the NBA’s Washington Wizards to Virginia has fallen through. The clubs’ ownership reached an agreement on a publicly-funded arena deal with the city that will keep them in Washington until 2050.
Oh please, Brodeur wouldn’t nearly be half as good as they seem if not for the dead puck era
In today’s league, Brodeur would probably have been lit up more so than a christmas tree in July
Jeff Skinner has had an interesting career, he’s been productive with various degrees of success on a monster 8 yr contract @ $9 million per year is closing in on 1,000 games.
Amazingly not a single playoff game.
Is he alone with that “record”?
Bruins had no jump in game 2 of a back to back on the road with travel involved
Joe
Ya a little flat. But still really a 1goal game EN not really a factor. They just need to be healthy and ride hot goalie in playoffs. Play till you lose one mentality
Concerned about playing Fla.,Tampa,Toronto! We Don t have the offensive fire power of those groups! If Pasta gets shut down,who scores for the Bruins? The next closest scorer to Pasta that being Marchand has almost 40 pts. Less! Can the goalies win all 2-1 games?That s not to mention a D corps that is not even close to last years!
habfan30, that’s interesting. I thought Skinner would have been in playoffs before in Carolina? He’s a good player. I can’t remember if he has been on any other team but those two but I am probably wrong?
Big tilt tonight against rangers for Avalanche. Didn’t show up against habs. Montreal did a good job shutting down Avalanche. I was impressed with Slafkovsky. Big kid, tough to play against. GO AVS!!!!
Ottawa’s 3-game winning streak involved wins over 3 teams ahead of them in the standings – Edmonton, New Jersey and Buffalo. Tonight they’re at home to Chicago, currently sitting 31st, just 4 points up on San Jose – a game which, if it follows their routine this season, they will lose – likely 5 – 2 or in that range.
Oh, and look who’s possibly out again for some time (we find out later today) – Mr. Brittle Chabot, of course. I wouldn’t trust this guy with a bar of soap in a shower stall.
It’s not as if his “game” is one of shot-blocks and heavy hitting – I can’t recall the last time he did either in a game.
Not his fault, of course. But that doesn’t make it easier for a team paying him $8 mil off the cap for 4 more seasons after this. Many have mentioned him as a trade possibility. Unless Staios is ready to withhold a HUGE chunk of that, he’s not going anywhere.
Trade the China cup,
Chabot
For a goaltender Saros or Ullmark
Re-sign Jakob Chychrun who wants to be in Ottawa….❓👌👌
williew, the problem is – no one will want him at $8 mil per and his repeated trips to the IR – 3 times this season alone.
MAYBE he’s tradeable IF Ottawa holds back a hefty % of his deal and/or includes a costly sweetener. Neither of which does the team any good.
They sure as Hell ain’t gonna get Saros or Ullmark for him.
Just heard that the latest injury is just something that has been “nagging” him for the past while and that he won’t play tonight vs Chicago. Big Tyler Kleven has been called up. Let’s hope they keep him around for the rest of the season and give him a GOOD look at the NHL level
“Upwards of half the escrow withholding could be returned” still means that the players will end up losing 2-3% of the face value of their contracts. Pushing for a higher cap might have benefited a relatively small number of 2023 UFAs/RFAs, but for the majority of players on previously existing deals (or new deals that would not have been inflated by a higher cap) it just would have meant more lost to escrow. Hard to see how that could be considered a win for the NHLPA.
I feel like a shocking number of hockey fans and even professional writers don’t fully grasp this fundamental point, even after nearly two decades. Raising the cap doesn’t mean players get paid more. In fact for most players it’s the exact opposite, since pushing for a higher cap ceiling without a commensurate increase in revenue just means more lost to escrow.
Players get 50 percent of HRR, period, whether the cap is set to $80 million or $100 million or anything else. The cap basically just determines how much players get per paycheck during the season. But eventually both sides have to square up to 50-50 at the end.
Johnny, I don’t think a shocking amount of fans and professional writers don’t understand it, I think the majority do. Especially the writers, the average fan just might not really give a crap, or ever bothered to look into how it exactly works, but get the general concept.
Not sure if you don’t like the concept of escrow, or the NHLPA agreeing to raising the cap in case of higher than projected revenues?
But your right, it has never worked out where the players are the ones owed money back from the owners, so why do it. Fair enough, but did they really lose anything?
You could argue that the % should be less in the next round of negotiations. The NBA is set at 10%.
I don’t think it’s any different than it is for guys like me, a significant portion of what I can earn is in the form of a bonus, the largest components are EBITA $, EBITA %, and return on working capital. If we hit the #’s, me, and our team, get paid more. If we don’t, we don’t. What’s the diff?
Hey George,
Would love them to keep Big Tyler Kleven up for the rest of the season to get some NHL playing time he would be good on the 3rd paring next season,
Would also like to see them bring up young goaltender Mads Sogaard and play him 75 % of the remaining Games to see what he has got if he can be the back up next year or Not….❓
The goaltender trade
Maybe Chabot and The Sen’s 2nd first round pick in the 2024 draft for Saros or Ullmark, if Boston dont get Noah Hanifin…. Boston could be all over that..🤔
Brodeur faced what maybe 25 shots a game most nights? Most goalies are facing 50% more shots per game these days. It’s simple math Martin, time to head back to school.
Correct. Brodeur also played behind a defense who were exceptional at playing in an Era where hooking, holding, and interfering were overlooked, and it was almost “anything goes”. He should just accept the accolades graciously, keep his mouth shut, and maybe go back to doing car rental commercials.
Brodeur,
most wins
Most 40 game wins
Most 30 game wins
Most affairs with sister in law
Most marriages to sister in law.
Captain, WTF? I seriously had no idea that Brodeur was getting it on with his brothers wife and then married her. Wondering if the Bro came to the wedding?
Brodeur was kind of the last stand up/hybrid tender. Not only has the speed and skill gone up considerably, along with better sticks, almost all targets play the butterfly. Harder on the knees and hips.
Still shocked about him and his sister in law, and that I had never heard that before. Kind of a serious dick move. Wow.
Ray Bark “Kind of a serious dick move” lol you think!
As far as his goaltending nothing to criticize. We was one of the best of all time.
Has the game changed, yes but the goaltender job is to stop the puck, and the net hasn’t changed.
To say he wouldn’t thrive in today Nhl is baseless and petty.
No doubt he would be one of the best.
Lol,
I’m pretty sure if you’re looked at my SIL sideways they’d both mutilate me!
That invite list must have been seriously cut down at that wedding!
That story is pretty old, I want to say early 2000s?
People were killing him with signs when his ex filed for divorce.
And of course his best buddy Sean Avery didn’t let it go unnoticed.
Ya Caper, Brodeur is an all time great player. Different era, game has changed, but it doesn’t change that.
Captain, I can’t imagine what would happen in my family if moved on my SIL. Mind blown.
I googled it and the fan stuff is pretty funny. I’m partial to Uncle Daddy chants.
LJ, can’t sue for libel if it’s true. You have an affair with your brother’s wife, your taking heat, and IMO, deserve it. Find your own gal Martin. I ain’t perfect, but I ain’t doin that, and if anyone I knew did that, they would hear it in person as well.
Ray for clarity, i read it was his wife half brother, wife.
No it doesn’t make a difference, but not his brother wife.
OK, got it Caper. Ya, still kind of a serious dick move.
So is your wife’s brothers wife your sister in law?
All kinds of questions today.
For future reference, CO, Brian Burke got pissed off at some know nothing nobody who posted a rumour about his personal life on the internet, and successfully sued the dick.
Up to you if you want to run your mouth off with a such comments, you will probably get away with it.
But as you do, WTF do your comments have to do with hockey? Anything intelligent to say about the sport?
Hmmmm, if what I posted wasn’t true I’d be nervous?
Do you need understand how liable / slander cases work? Do you also know how difficult it is to fight these things when you’re a public figure?
Don’t normally go off topic, last I checked you’re not an admin or moderator????
Don’t like my post ? Scroll on.
People who post here have to except responses. That’s one of the points of this site.
If you don’t like getting responses then don’t post, or go elsewhere. Given your latest content, perhaps the National Enquirer is the place for you?
LJ you don’t like that fact, it seems. You too don’t need to defend MB for doing what he did or reply to CO for bringing that fact up. On top of that, as much as you may dislike what CO or anyone has to say, you certainly have no right to tell someone not to comment considering some of the crap you’ve said.
This isn’t a space that has all flowers and candy for you or anyone. For the record, CO does make posts about hockey more often than not, way more than me.
Should I too get lost?
A other 4 point night for the young Sen’s Centre
Shane Pinto……❗️🤙🤙🤙