NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 1, 2024
The Canucks reach the 100-point plateau, the Devils’ Dougie Hamilton’s season is likely over, the Stars’ Chris Tanev reevaluated following an injury on Saturday, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: The Vancouver Canucks became the sixth team to reach 100 points this season by nipping the Anaheim Ducks 3-2. Dakota Joshua scored twice, including the game-winner, and Brock Boeser tallied his 38th goal of the season. The Canucks improved to 46-20-8 and moved into fifth place in the overall standings. Rookie Olen Zellweger scored his first NHL goal for the 24-47-4 Ducks.
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils interim head coach Travis Green said on Saturday that Dougie Hamilton’s season is probably over. The 30-year-old defenseman has been sidelined since Dec. 1 following surgery for a torn pectoral muscle.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils were off to a stumbling start to this season before Hamilton was injured but were only two points out of a wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference. The absence of their top defenseman contributed to their inability to clinch a playoff spot this season.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars defenseman Chris Tanev was reevaluated Sunday after leaving Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. The injury occurred in the third period as Tanev was hit from behind by Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson, who received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for elbowing on the play. Tanev left the game immediately favoring his right arm.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman will have a hearing with the NHL’s department of player safety for unsportsmanlike conduct during Saturday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Hartman threw his stick in the direction of an official. He was upset over what he considered a lack of a high-sticking call against Vegas’ Noah Hanifin.
THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken have recalled center Shane Wright from their AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley. Wright was the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. This is his second stint this season with the Kraken, having played three games in November.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Critics have been quick to label Wright a draft bust, overlooking that some players can take longer to develop than others. The 20-year-old center still has plenty of time to become a full-time NHL player and perhaps blossom into a star. The Kraken hope Wright will contend for a full-time roster spot in training camp this fall.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Arizona Coyotes forwards Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther and Josh Doan are providing a sense of hope for the future.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The trio are promising youngsters with bright futures who could form the basis of a strong core of talent for the Coyotes in a few years. Speaking of Doan, he collected an assist on Saturday, becoming the first player in franchise history to register points in his first three NHL games. Doan scored two goals in his first game and collected two assists in the second one.
Is it safe to say that despite his injuries Hamilton s signing does not look to good right now! Really would consider him a no. 1 D man on the offensive zone!Very weak in the neutral zone and not physically effective in the D zone!
Dougie at his finest:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyrtkd9d5_M
You can mock Hamilton if you wish, Johnny. The fact remains the Devils are a better team with him in the roster. They’ve paid him handsomely to do what he does best, and that’s to be a puckmoving defenseman providing offense from the blueline and quarterbacking their power play.
Oh, no doubt. But the guy can not be physical for fear of injury. And then is often injured anyway. A lot of cap space for a guy that can’t seem to stay on the ice.
I thought that s what they drafted Hughes for?
Calling a 20-year old who has not yet played a full time NHL role a bust is the height of idiocy. I don’t care where he’s drafted. Not every high pick is ready for the NHL as an 18 year old. Few are. Lafreniere was written off as a bust by many last year. He’s had a very solid season. Patience is required.
Exactly. There were folks saying the same thing about Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovsky after last season. They’ve been awfully quiet lately now that he’s reached 41 points on the season and set the Canadiens’ single-season record for most points by a teenager.
Ironic that Wright was thought to be the better choice for #1OA when they picked Juraj!
Howard patience is key, last year i was lobbying for Boston to trade with LA for Quinton Byfield in a season Byfield finished with 3 goals in 53 games.
Now his game is growing 19 goals 53pts in 71 games played.
If you remember old friend Striker would constantly post about size of players and how long it takes them to develop.
Howard,
You’re right that it’s too early to call him a bust but he was called a franchise player, a consensus #1, not quite generational. but a sure thing.
He hasn’t shown a glimmer of those expectations and at this point there’ the hope that he becomes a good NHL player.
Are you talking about Wright, HF30?
If so, you seem to have forgotten that there was considerable debate about whether Wright, Slavkovski or Cooley was the best overall choice. There are many reputable sites that have the three as interchangeable, and few if any had Nemec in the top 3.
This is a quote from the Athletic’s final draft rankings:
“The 2022 NHL Draft is days away. By now any illusion about what the top of this draft class is has faded, and there is emerging clarity about the lack of clarity.”
I was one of many Habs fans clamouring for Wright, and the dose of humility is good for me.
I’m looking forward to watching the Panthers and leafs tonight.
Toronto with the additions of Reaves, Domi, Bertuzzi, Lyubushkin and Edmundson all for a potential playoff against Florida.
How many teams added toughness because of the Florida Panthers run to the finals last season?
Boston added all but retired Lucic and replaced him him Maroon, although Peeke isn’t a fighter but has size and can handle the physical play.
Bruins still lack that toughness needed for the playoffs … against Panthers last game when you have Marchand and Lindholm getting into fights there’s an issue … Freddy tried to step up against TB and got punched out which was expected, he’s a nice player to have because he gets involved but has a problem when players are bigger
Joe, although you may want them to fight, Boston won’t back down, they had the size to handle the physical play and can play physical, their just not scrappers.
I would like to see them improve their power play, one way to correct the nonsense is to be productive on the PP.
The team is what it is and Maroon will play against the more physical teams that like to take run at players.
Agree Caper, the B’s don’t back down although I would prefer some more size, with speed, up front to bang the other D.
So who would you guys prefer to see the B’s play in RD 1?
TB is lower in the standings today, but word is Vassy has found his game and the Lightning have been playing really well of late.
TB plays us tougher than the Leafs, so I’ll take the Leafs, maybe we can out goalie them.
Ray, I take Toronto, simply because of defense and goaltending.
Toronto isn’t a easy out.
Got to play someone.
There was recent news of Carolina being close to signing Scott Morrow, a right handed defenseman that they drafted with the 40th pick in 2021. Their top prospect Nikishin, a defenseman drafted with the 69th pick in 2020, is under contract to the KHL for 1 more year. The only defensemen on Carolinas roster that were drafted and developed by Carolina are Pesce and Slavin. Both were drafted by Rutherford and signed by Francis.
When Dundon bought the team he said he would never draft a defenseman in the first round. That strategy seems to be working but they cant go another year without having a stable AHL team.