NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 7, 2024
The Avalanche’s Cale Makar nets a hat trick, the Leafs’ Auston Matthews gets closer to 60 goals, the latest notable contract signings and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar tallied his first career NHL hat trick as his club crushed the Detroit Red Wings 7-2. Nathan MacKinnon extended his season-opening home points streak to 31 games with a goal and three assists while Mikko Rantanen collected four assists for the 39-20-5 Avalanche, who sit third in the Central Division with 83 points. Robby Fabbri and David Perron replied for the Red Wings (33-23-6) as they continue to hold the first Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 72 points.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Makar became the fourth defenseman in Avalanche history to score a hat trick and the first to do so since Sandis Ozolinsh in 1999-2000.
MacKinnon has 109 points on the season, putting him into first place in the NHL scoring race with a four-point lead over Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov. The Avalanche center is just two points away from equally last season’s career-best 111-point performance.
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews netted his league-leading 54th goal of the season as he scored in overtime in a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. William Nylander tallied his 34th goal of the season for the Leafs (36-18-8) as they sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 80 points. Victor Olofsson replied for the 29-29-5 Sabres.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews’ goal-scoring pace has slowed a bit with two goals in his last seven games. Nevertheless, he continues to close in on his second 60-goal season. Nylander, meanwhile, continues to lead the Leafs in points with 84.
The Anaheim Ducks nipped the Ottawa Senators 2-1. Goaltender Lukas Dostal stopped 29 shots while Ryan Strome and Alex Killorn scored for the 23-36-3 Ducks. Mark Kastelic replied for the 25-32-3 Senators.
HEADLINES
SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can see yesterday’s list of notable trades by following this link.
PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers signed Nick Seeler to a four-year, $10.8 million contract extension. The 30-year-old defenseman was slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The average annual value of his new contract is $2.7 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seeler is in the final season of a two-year, $1.55 million contract. His play this season recently garnered praise from Flyers head coach John Tortorella.
TSN: The Flyers placed forward Ryan Johansen on waivers after acquiring him from the Colorado Avalanche as part of the return in yesterday’s Sean Walker trade. If he clears he’s expected to be sent to the Flyers’ AHL affiliate.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johansen’s play has declined since reaching 63 points in 2021-22. He has 23 points in 63 games this season.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals signed Rasmus Sandin to a five-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $4.6 million. He has 20 points in 52 games this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The aging Capitals are in the process of retooling their roster with younger players. They acquired the 24-year-old Sandin from the Maple Leafs last season and expect him to be a key part of their blueline in the coming years.
CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Flames forward Martin Pospisil received a three-game suspension from the league’s department of player safety for boarding Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn on Monday.
TSN: Speaking of the Flames, they signed Daniil Miromanov to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.25 million. They acquired the 26-year-old defenseman last night from the Vegas Golden Knights as part of the return in the Noah Hanifin trade.
Vegas made a big splash yesterday with the Hanifan trade! The best D corps in the NHL got better!Look for them to add to their forward group!Their organization has made an art out of the LTIR clause!Wonder if Boston will do anything with Debrusk and Ullmark?
Vegas made the 2024 1st to Calgary conditional!
*Conditions: If traded by March 10, 2024 OR if the pick is top 10, Calgary will instead receive 2026 1st round ‘VGK’
This is because Vegas may use this pick to try to acquire Guentzel!!!!!!! (or maybe Buchnevich) Ain’t the LTIR loophole grand!!!!!!
Ryan Johansen has half his contract retained and is immediately waived by the Flyers.
He is now available for free at a cost of $4 million for 1 year
Career 53% face off, experienced 3rd line center who’s numbers are good for the money.
Same numbers as Elias Lindholm this year (almost)
Torts won’t even say hello to him and he only has 1 more year on his contract, the GM who grabs him makes off like a bandit.
Penguins MUST get the Guentzel deal done; free up space; and take Johansin off waivers
Only $800 K more in Cap than Carter (more than 7 1/2 tears older, 10 lbs lighter, waaay slower, weaker, and much less on the production end) and Carter will be coming off Cap next year
Johanson is also a prime candidate for @change of scenery” motivated increase in play
He is by no way a replacement for Guentzel; but whoever comes back for Guentzel; plus Johanson; minus Carter…. Just may be a net offensive increase; but for sure will increase size and get team younger; and WILL be a net defensive improvement
I disagree HabFan. Even $4m. is a big hit for what he’s producing. And I don’t see his numbers picking up. He’ll likely spend the rest of the season in the AHL and then be bought out. I hope Hughes stays away from him and I think he will.
All in all, compared to the other trades that have gone down, Hughes got a good return for Monahan. Picked up a 1st without retaining salary or taking back a bad contract.
I could be wrong but i don’t trink the avs retained 50% of Johansen’s salary/cap hit.
no the av’s offloaded his whole cap hit…
You’re right, Avalanche off-loaded his whole contract, Preds are paying 50% of original $8 million.
Howard, look at Johansen objectively.
He has a bum rap because he’s paid $8 million a year and doesn’t deliver on it.
Elias Lindholm is a catch at $4million
Johansen is a bust, but he has more goals.
Face off stats are similar but Lindholm is a darling and Johansen is a bust.
The stars are aligned for him to prove he’s valuable, I haven’t watched him much….but he looked good aside from bein overpaid.
HabFan I was not comparing Johanson to Lindholm, I did not even mention Lindholm and I’m not sold on Lindholm either. All I’m saying is that Johanson at this time is not worth it at $4m. through next season and I still believe that.
MacKinnon just ramping up the Hart votes
Makar over Hughes for Norris?? This will be close
Great moves by McCrimmon
From last year’s cup team; only Quick and Smith out, Mantha and Hanafin in. Only player given up off of THIS year’s roster is Mirimanov.
With Cap going up next year; I foresee not re-signing soon to be 37 year old Martinez ($5.25 M Cap) and using that space AND Cap ceiling increase in space to sign 27 year old Hanafin
Most importantly ,
Vegas still has fair space; still has this year’s 1st
Per Cap Friendly; 23 players listed that are NOT LTIR or IR, for Cap hit’s totalling only $70.4 M.
IR totalling $9.4 M (4 more players)
That’s 27 players at a Cap hit of only $79.8 M
If any come off IR by the year end, they have extra players that have to be either waived or moved
For playoffs on LD they have Hanafin, McNabb, Martinez, Hague, Hutton, Bjornfot
So they have extra LHDs, AND still have this year’s first AND per ESPN, TSN, The Hockey News, SN; they are still “in” on Guentzel
Dubas must maximize return; must get bigger; younger; faster
Guentzel (25%); Smith (50%); that’s annualized Cap hit in of only $4M; to Vegas
Penguins pay Chicago (or any other team with loads of space) ; a 4th to retain 25% on Guentzel (cash retention would be around $350,000)
Penguins receive Roy , Hague, Korczak, 1st,
Penguins flip Nedjelkovic (use Blomqvist instead) and Accairi to Colorado for O’Connor , Drouin, and Oloussan
Penguins improve in age, size, strength; now and out years
And…. if they sit Carter and Graves; their current defensive game improves substantially
Pens play Hague, Roy, Drouin, O’Connor…. Huge D uptick over Carter, Graves; Smith
Offensive loss of Guentzel but overall:
Guentzel, Carter, Graves, Accairi, Smith replaced by Roy, Druin, O’Connor , Hague, and one more…. Overall net change in offence not that big
Ullmark/DeBrusk/Forbort need to leave…. Bring in a center/Tough Dman … move Coyle or Zacha back to wing
Tough D Man you say
Penguins have a 6’5”, 220 lb D man that’s tough, blocks shots; has term
Make us an offer
Guentzel and Accairi, no retention
For Roy and Hague and 1st
Yes Vegas has tons of room for that net loss in Cap space
Then Penguins pick up Johanson off waivers
Now that’s getting younger, and bigger
Pengy is the type of guy who hides behind a coat rack whilst wearing a fedora and closes his eyes so we can’t see him.
I missed you. Glad to know you’re okay.
A couple of key things to say to make him come out from his new persona.
Ruhwedal = Norris candidate.
Jack Johnson = cup winner in Colorado, while still collecting his check from Pittsburgh .
Pittsburgh only has 2 years left of paying JJ to play elsewhere.
Alex Pietrangelo 6’3″ rd
Shea Theodore 6’2″ rd/ld
Brayden McNabb 6’4″ ld
Alex Martinez 6”1″ ld
Noah Hanifin 6’3″ ld
Nicolas Hague 6’6″ ld
Zach Whitecloud 6’2″ Rd
Ben Hutton 6’2″ ld
Is there any team that come close to that quality and depth? Could they move out a Ld?
Caper, no, there isn’t.
I know Vegas isn’t cheating with the LTIR, again, and I respect their aggressiveness in acquiring players, and respect how this team is built.
None of that means I won’t root against them. Because they are flippin’ stacked.
Oiler road to SCF just got tougher. So did everybody else’s in the west. And agree with above, they ain’t done.
The return for Hanifin was less than I expected. Word (Francis) is he had zero interest in going somewhere as a rental, and set up his NT list as such.
The other teams willing to talk extension, did have the picks/assets to give Calgary. Sounds a lot like BOS and TB.
The West is way more loaded for bear than the East.
Hope you go down in the first round Vegas!
Boston should be calling Vegas about all their LHD immediately! Offer Debrusk!
Would like Hague as one of the pieces coming back for Guentzel