NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 13, 2024

by | Jun 13, 2024 | News, NHL | 16 comments

Updates on the Panthers and Oilers on the eve of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, plus the latest on Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin, Rangers blueliner Adam Fox, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP NOTEBOOK

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Aleksander Barkov could play in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday.

The Florida Panthers captain left Game 2 in the third period after taking an elbow to the head from Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

Barkov was on the ice with his teammates for their final skate before flying to Edmonton for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday.

He got through the skate today, felt better,” said Panthers coach Paul Maurice. “We will get him on a plane, get him off a plane, get him on the ice and make a decision tomorrow (Thursday). But he looked good today.

Speaking of that plane, its departure was delayed by over three hours due to inclement weather in Miami. It finally took over at 4:25 pm EDT and arrived in Edmonton around 8 pm local time.

The Panthers lead the best-of-seven series two games to none.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given Barkov’s promising progress, it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s in the lineup with his teammates for Game 3. If he’s unable to go, Anton Lundell (AKA “Baby Barkov”) will take his place on the roster.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers must find a way to break through on the power play if they hope to rally back against the Panthers and win this series. They’ve gone 0-for-7 in the first two games and were shut out in eight of the Oilers’ last 11 playoff contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The power play played a crucial role for the Oilers during the regular season and playoffs. So far, however, they’ve been thwarted by the Panthers’ solid penalty killing and the goaltending of Sergei Bobrovsky.

TSN: Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse and winger Corey Perry are expected to play in Game 3 tonight. Nurse was hampered by an injury in Game 2 that limited him to just over four minutes of ice in that contest. Perry was scratched from the lineup for Game 2.

Winger Evander Kane (sports hernia) remains questionable for Game 3.

THE LATEST ON JACCOB SLAVIN AND ADAM FOX

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Carolina Hurricanes are working on a long-term contract extension for Jaccob Slavin. The 30-year-old defenseman has one season remaining on his seven-year contract with an average annual value of $5.3 million. He’s eligible to sign that extension on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Slavvin is the linchpin of the Hurricanes’ defense corps. They’re expected to part ways with Brett Pesce and could also lose Brady Skjei to this summer’s free-agent market. Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov are eligible for UFA status next summer. Retaining Slavvin will be crucial to maintain a level of stability and to give them someone to build around on the blueline.

It’ll be interesting to see how much of a raise Slavvin receives and for how long. He’s among the league’s best all-around defensemen and recently won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for the second time. It could be a five or six-year deal worth over $8 million annually.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman Adam Fox suffered a mild MCL strain following a knee-on-knee hit with Washington Capitals blueliner Nick Jensen during their first-round playoff series. The injury affected Fox’s play for the remainder of the Rangers’ postseason run.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox’s injury contributed to the Rangers’ elimination from the Eastern Conference Final by the Florida Panthers. He struggled to play up to his usual performance level as the postseason went on.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning head coach Jon Cooper is expected to be named Team Canada’s bench boss for next year’s 4 Nations Faceoff and the 2026 Winter Olympics.

TSN: The Minnesota Wild shot down a report claiming they were changing their color scheme to the green and yellow of the Minnesota North Stars as part of their 2025-26 rebrand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s too bad, I was looking forward to seeing that. The old North Stars jersey was one of the best.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins named Jay Leach as an assistant coach and promoted Joe Sacco to associate coach. Leach spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the Seattle Kraken. Before that, he was head coach of the Bruins’ AHL affiliate in Providence from 2017 to 2021.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche will soon have a new director of amateur scouting. Wade Klippenstein is leaving on July 1 to join Notre Dame Hounds Hockey as their director of hockey development. He’d been with the Avalanche since 2016 and was promoted into his current role in 2021.

DAILY FACEOFF: A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the father of former NHL player Steve Montador will go to trial in March 2025. Paul Montador has been embroiled in a nine-year legal battle with the league. Steve suffered at least 11 documented concussions during his NHL career, including four in 12 weeks in 2012. He passed away in 2015. 







16 Comments

  1. If the Oilers need a quick fix for the power play, I hear Todd Reirden is available…

    • Rierdon killed any shot at playoffs for us this year.

      Penguins finished 30th in PP%

      If they had moved up just one more spot (29th); that percentage gains them 4 more goals in the year

      27th spot percentage ; gains Pens 7 more goals than they finished with

      Setting aside EN goals against, Pens had 25 losses by 1 goal

      10 were intra-Division
      18 intra-Conference

      With 7 more goals; all but 100% assured of a play-off spot

      Just 4 more; very likely gets them in;

      Rierdon should have been fired in January

      Fingers crossed that Quinn (if he’s tasked with running the PP) can right the ship

  2. Being the first game back in Edmonton since Edmonton eliminated Dallas. I wonder how many fans and cameras will be looking around to see if one particular fan is in the building.

    • I think she’s going with the squad from Spittin Chicklets.

      • Ya, saw that too, standing O.

  3. Bruins ..possible minor move Bruins could move on from Maroon and sign UFA …BRANDON DUHAIME

    • Joe, just out of curiosity, why?

      The guy is coming off a $1 mil per cap hit after being drafted 8 years ago, did nothing over 3 seasons in Minnesota and next to nothing this past season in Colorado. He has played 211 NHL games and has scored 20 goals with 20 assists for 82-game averages of 8g 8a 16 pts. Why would Sweeney even look at him?

      • IDK George …why does Ari have Liam O’Brien….why does ANA have Ross Johnson,why does the Leafs have Ryan Reaves,why does NYI have Mark Martin,why does the Flyers have Nic Deslauriers just to name a few ….

      • And they are all – for the most part anyway – useless as teats on a bull when it comes to a roster spot. Complete waste of valuable cap money. The day of the goon is over.

        Another question: why have two teams walked away from Duhaime? Why do the teams you just named either continuously struggle to make the playoffs or, if and when they get there, bow out early?

        You can’t waste a valuable roster spot on someone with the mistaken belief that his mere presence will make the opposition be less aggressive.

        They may engage in a fight, following which they and their opponent sit for 5 minutes. Big deal.

      • If your looking for a guy like that Duhaime isn’t the worst choice. But I wouldn’t IMO unless your getting knocked around every game. My theory on why team like ARI and ANA employ these types of players is they have a bunch of young guys, some teenagers, who are not even fully developed physically.

        And fights sell tix when you are losing.

        Leafs – I dunno, Reeves is on one leg these days. Tre thought they needed a guy like that I guess.

        How many guys, like Reeves, who can’t play a regular shift and contribute to winning are on the roster in the finals? Final 4? Final 8? 1 or 2, and they hardly played.

  4. I don’t think there’s anymore wrong with Barkov than there was with the kid who took a rest after being hit in the hip by Foegele.

    Embellishment isn’t honorable in my opinion. Dives and head snaps are dishonest hockey.

    Oh well, whatever it takes to win, right?

    • Agree 100 SOP, only 2 possible options for officials, who can’t be happy about getting “tricked” like Tkachuk snapping his head back on a luv tap from Bouchard.

      Call the dive and penalize it, and not both guys which is the norm. Problem is you’re often guessing, especially when someone is embellishing if they are injured or not. It’s not as bad as soccer when the trainer comes out with some miracle spray, and they all of a sudden bounce back up. But seriously, it’s not good for the sport and IMO it’s cheating.

      Or, do what many folks thought happened in 2011 when the Canucks were doing the same thing, flopping all over, while biting guys in a scrum. The refs stopped calling penalties as they didn’t know who was faking and who wasn’t.

      Or at least that is the theory that is out there. Simplest way to do it, but increases odds of somebody getting hurt. So if somebody does, will the NHLPA blame the divers and actors and police themselves? Wouldn’t bet on it.

      NHL could form Department Of Player Embellishment Services. DOPES

      • Just a thought. Be on the safe side. If the ref feels the player is embellishing an injury make the player ineligible to return to that game as a medical protection. Should stop injury embellishment. With respect to embellishment “the turtle”, tachuck or similar players do game ejection. At least solves the embarrassment of that player.

    • Sop and Ray i agree there is a ton of diving and laying on the ice.

      Last game on an Oiler outbreak Tkachuk was in front of the Oiler net and he fell down like someone drop kicked him, but no one was close by.

      With that said, I don’t put Barkov is that group. He was legitimately hit up high. Imo there was zero diving on his part and the fact that he can play tonight is a good thing and doesn’t take away from the actual hit being high and to the head.

      Barkov reminds me Bergeron a player with integrity and respect.

      • Agree on Barkov Caper.

        Gretzky called him the best 2 way C since Trottier.
        High praise, but I would include Bergeron in that group, but I guess he didn’t score as much as the other 2.

  5. Oil & Panthers

    Hopfully tonight the Zebreas have there Elton Johns on and are Focust on tonights game…
    and dont miss to many call like the last game….!!