NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 17, 2024

by | Jul 17, 2024 | News, NHL | 27 comments

Stars winger Joe Pavelski retires, Blues defenseman Torey Krug faces a potentially season-ending injury, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Joe Pavelski officially announced his retirement after 18 NHL seasons with the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars.

Dallas Stars winger Joe Pavelski (NHL Images).

The 40-year-old winger netted 476 goals and 592 assists for 1,068 points in 1,332 regular-season games, sitting sixth all-time among American-born players. He also tallied 74 goals and 69 assists for 143 points in 201 playoff contests.

Pavelski appeared in seven Conference Finals and two Stanley Cup Finals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of Pavelski’s stats were accumulated during his 13 seasons with the Sharks. He’s second among their all-time leaders with 355 goals, third in points with 761, and fourth in games played with 963. Pavelski played a significant role in the Sharks’ rise as a Western Conference powerhouse from 2007-08 to 2010-11 and their run to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final.

The Sharks reportedly looked into bringing Pavelski back next season but he’d made up his mind that it was time to retire. He was a model of consistency throughout his career, exceeding the 60-point plateau 11 times, including a 67-point performance last season.

Pavelski will be remembered among the best American-born players in NHL history. One day soon, he will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues defenseman Torey Krug was diagnosed with pre-arthritic changes in his left ankle and will be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks. The injury is a cumulative result of a bone fracture earlier in Krug’s playing career.

If Krug requires surgery, he will be sidelined for the 2024-25 season. That would enable left-shot defenseman Scott Perunovich to receive more playing time.

Krug carries an average annual value of $6.5 million. He would be eligible to be placed on long-term injury reserve if he’s sidelined for the season. However, the Blues currently have more than $7 million in salary-cap space, meaning they would only place him on LTIR to free up more cap room.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford indicated Krug was being mentioned in trade rumors after the Blues signed Ryan Suter last week to a one-year contract. That created a logjam of nine defensemen on one-way contracts. Rutherford points out there won’t be a trade market for Krug even if he agrees to waive his no-trade clause.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars will induct Brenden Morrow and Jim Lites into their Hall of Fame in October.

Morrow spent 13 of his 15 NHL seasons with the Stars, seven as team captain. Lites was president and CEO of the Sharks from 2011 until 2020 when he was named team chairman.

The Stars also signed 2024 first-round pick Emil Hemming to a three-year entry-level contract. Hemming was selected 29th overall by the Stars.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders signed forward Simon Holmstrom to a one-year, $850K contract.

THE GAZETTE: The Montreal Canadiens hired former Columbus Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent as the new bench boss of their AHL affiliate in Laval.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks signed goaltender Arturs Silovs to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $850K. Silovs, 23, stepped in during the first round of the Canucks series against the Nashville Predators after Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith were sidelined, backstopping them to a six-game series victory.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers goaltending prospect Alexei Kolosov didn’t appear in the club’s recent prospect development camp and is reportedly attempting to get out of his NHL contract.







27 Comments

  1. Pascal Vincent appears to be a very good hire for the organization.

    He was a successful Junior and AHL coach as well as assistant in the NHL, should be able to groom the young pros for the Habs.

    Columbus might be considered a blemish but he never really stood a chance over there.

    He doesn’t like Kent Johnson’s game so it makes trading for him doubtful.

    • He was absolutely atrocious as an assistant coach for the Jets. One of my biggest fears as a Jets fan is them ever hiring him as a head coach.

  2. Congrats on a great career little Joe!

    Silvos for 2 years at barely over League minimum; that could prove to be s fantastic deal next year

  3. I get that the Blues don’t NEED to put Krug on LTIR if he has surgery because they are under the cap already, but why wouldn’t they?
    Is there any benefit to the team to keep him on regular IR instead of LTIR?

    • Krug makes $6.5 million. The Blues have over $7 million in cap space. There’s no requirement to put him on LTIR unless they take on a big salary and need to create room.

      Another reason is a team cannot accrue cap space with a player on LTIR. That doesn’t hurt in the short term but could handcuff the Blues at the trade deadline if they became buyers by that point.

      • Lyle, this is were I don’t know for sure how the cap/LTIR works.

        Here is what I think, or depending how you answer, used to think.

        If a team puts a player on LTIR before the season starts you don’t accrue cap space.

        If you put a player on LTIR after the season starts, you can accrue cap space.

        You want to be as close to the cap ceiling at the start of the season as that impacts your ceiling for the entire year.

        Is all of that accurate or am I wrong about some of it?

      • That link helps – – – just seems to be overcomplicated for no reason. The LTIR Pool calculation is counterintuitive.
        Maybe I like simple math, but if a team is already $100k under the cap and they put a $4M player on LTIR, they should be able to use all of the $4.1M.
        As long as they stay cap compliant when the player eventually comes off LTIR, this would be much easier to track/follow.

  4. Kolosov trying to get out of his NHL contract ?

    • That’s the rumor.

  5. Joe Pavelski, is a good nhl player but nothing about his numbers say he’s a Hall of Famer, in his 18 season, the most points he accumulated was 81pts in 82 games played. He never scored a point a game, he reached the 40 goal plateau once. He didn’t win any awards and no Stanley Cups.

    Pavelski had a long and very good Nhl career however he isn’t Hall of Famer, unless longevity is a reason to put someone in the hall of fame.

    The Hall of Fame should be for the best of the best.

    • caper: Pavelski is among the best of the best American-born players, sitting sixth all time in points. Four of the players ahead of him (Brett Hull, Mike Modano, Phil Housley and Jeremy Roenick) are in the HHoF. The other, Patrick Kane, will be.

      Pavelski might have to wait a few years past his eligibility date but he will be inducted into the HHoF.

      • I’m pretty sure you’re right about that this Lyle, but it gives me the chance to whine about Mogilny’s ongoing exclusion from the Hall. Who would you rather have on your all-time all star roster, AlMo or Little Joe?

        His exclusion is even more baffling when you consider his off ice life story.

        Sorry for veering off topic, but it’s one of those things that just bugs me. 🙂

      • You’re not the only person it bugs! Mogilny should’ve been inducted a long time ago. Given the choice, he should go in ahead of Pavelski.

    • Caper are you suggesting they throw out some guys like Daniel and Henrik Sedin? What about Hossa? Federko?
      Honestly I would like to see Hockey Canada lose their Board seat at the HHOF, over their inaction of the multiple sexual scandals. Give the seat to the NHLPA.

      • Brian, i don’t think you can throw anybody out.

        The hall should be for the best of best. Not because you had a long career.

        Definitely agree there players in the hall that shouldn’t be and players like Mogilny who should be.

        I would like to see them make it harder to get in.

        The year Brian Burke was on the committee and three canucks get into the Hall.

      • The Sedins are deservedly in the Hall, and Mogilny should be. I’m on the fence about Pavelski.

        But while the Sedins’ career point totals and GP are similar to Pavelski, they also won major awards and were the best players on their team.

        Henrik won the Hart and Art Ross. Holds Canucks record for all-time points and most points in a season. Daniel won the Art Ross and Ted Lindsay, holds the team record for all-time goals. Each won Olympic gold and was an NHL all-star 3 times.

        Pavelski had more all-star appearances, really good player but less decorated and shared the spotlight with Thornton and Marleau.

    • Pavelski good career, agree not screaming with high level stats; but played over 1300 games got fairly close to 500 goals, 600 assists, and 1100 points and trailing only 4 US born players (Modano, Kane, Housley, Roenick) in overall nhl stats

      He’ll get in eventually. Should not be first ballot

      Agree with “Curtains back” and Lyle; Mogilny absolutely better get in before him

      Him and some others (say like Curtis Joseph) have been overlooked for too long

      • So the reason to put Paveski into the hall of fame is

        1. Played a long career
        2. Ranks 5th by US born players

        That’s an insult to the other US players and Pavelski himself.

        Modano 7x point per game player
        Roenick 7x point per game player
        Kane 9x point per game player
        Housley 5x point per game player
        Pavelski 0x point per game player.

        My opinion is Pavelski had a good career and solid consistent numbers but that and being a 5th on US scoring isn’t enough to get into the hall.

        I would but Keith Tkachuk in the Hockey Hall of Fame before Pavelski

      • Modano, Roenick and Housley also played in eras when scoring was much higher than it is now. Indeed, it’s a testament to Pavelski’s skills that he put up the consistent numbers he did over the course of his career. He was among the most consistent players of his generation.

        During the course of his career (2006-07 to 2023-24), he’s seventh overall in total points behind Sidney Crosby (1,494), Alex Ovechkin (1,444), Evgeni Malkin (1,296), Patrick Kane (1,284), Anze Kopitar (1,211), and Steven Stamkos (1,137). He’s also the second American player in that group.

        Pavelski also has the second-best plus-minus (+201) of those forwards and sixth-best overall behind Brad Marchand (+292), Patrice Bergeron (+281), Zdeno Chara (+253), Ryan McDonagh (+246), and Crosby (+218). He’s fifth in goals behind Ovechkin (801), Stamkos (555), Crosby (553) and Malkin (498), and 10th overall in game-winning goals with 75.

        Those are worthy numbers for a Hall of Fame career.

      • Lyle, we’ll have to agree to disagree.

        Solid career but not Hall worthy. The should be for the best of the best,

        Joe Pavelski had one season were he finished in the top 10 in scoring and that was 9th, he next best finished was 17th overall, no other season did he finish in the top 20 in league scoring.

        This is not a Hall of Fame career.

      • Is the Hall of Fame, or the hall of achievements?
        Mogilny not being in is a shame.
        Little Joe was a really good player when he played with Jumbo.
        He was just decent without the big fella pumping his stats.

      • That’s not true, Shoreorrpark. Thornton’s stats considerably declined from 2016-17 to 2019-20 (50, 36, 51, 30) while Pavelski’s were better and remained consistent (68, 66, 64) in his final three seasons with the Sharks. In his five seasons with the Stars, away from Thornton, he netted 31, 51, 81, 77 and 67 points.

      • Right you are, Lyle. I had to go look for sure.
        I’m not sure why my memory told me otherwise.

  6. Pavelski in the HHOF while someone like Steve Larmer still isn’t in makes no sense. Larmer has like 50 less career points in 300 or so less games, a Calder trophy and a Stanley Cup.

    • I never said Pavelski should be in the HHoF before Larmer. In fact, I agree that Larmer should’ve been inducted a long time ago and should go in before Pavelski.

      • For sure, I was referring to if the selection committee actually picked Pavelski while continuing to ignore Larmer (Mogilny snub is also ridiculous).