NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 9, 2024
The latest on Brett Pesce, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff looks for promising youngsters to step up this season, the Blue Jackets make more coaching changes, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Kristy Flannery reports Brett Pesce is looking forward to joining the New Jersey Devils after nine seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. The 29-year-old defenseman signed a six-year, $33-million contract with the Devils on July 1.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce (NHL Images).
Appearing on Morning Cuppa Hockey, Pesce said he enjoyed his time with the Hurricanes. However, he wanted to be close to his Tarrytown, NY home and is excited about joining the Devils. He praised their young stars and noted their June addition of goaltender Jacob Markstrom could make them even better.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pesce is among several notable offseason additions (including Markstrom) by the Devils as they hope to bounce back from a disappointing 2023-24 campaign. He’ll play a key role in shoring up their blueline depth.
TSN: Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff hopes his organization’s promising young players make big strides in their development this season.
Cheveldayoff believes center Cole Perfetti is just scratching the surface of his potential, acknowledging that injuries held him back last season. He’s also looking for forwards Brad Lambert and Nikita Chibrikov to step up this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets have an established core of talented veterans including Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers. Nevertheless, Cheveldayoff hopes those promising kids will become the club’s next stars ensuring he Jets remain a competitive playoff contender.
DAILY FACEOFF: The changes to the Columbus Blue Jackets coaching staff continued on Thursday with the hiring of new assistant coaches Mike Haviland and Scott Ford.
Haviland spent the last two years as an associate coach with the Blue Jackets AHL affiliate in Cleveland. Ford is coming off eight years as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators AHL affiliate in Milwaukee.
DAILY FACEOFF: Former Edmonton Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom formally announced his retirement as a player. The 31-year-old’s last NHL game was during the COVID bubble playoffs on Aug. 7, 2020. He underwent surgery for a nagging shoulder injury that sidelined him for the remaining three years of his contract.
Klefbom had 34 goals and 122 assists for 156 points in 378 NHL games with the Oilers from 2013-14 to 2019-20.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Klefbom was a promising puck-moving defenseman for the Oilers until injuries derailed his playing career.
NJ looks like a much improved team with their off season acquisitions! Now their talented but small forwards need to stay healthy! Nashville my second choice for recent free agent signings!
Agree re Devils
Pesce and Markstrom great additions
Should get them Top 3 Metro
The East,
with NJ & Ottawa addressing both there Big wholes
in Goaltending and adding d/men they need and better bottom six players
they should make the playoffs.đ¤
Buffalo is an other young team that has a Great young d gore and good goaltending
However they still need More Scoring up front
with Coach Ruff coming back and add maybe a Patric Laine at half salary Retained…âthat may help them out…
They have $8M in cap space but im sure nobody wants to take Laine at full Salary $8.7Mâď¸
williew, while I would love to agree with you re Ottawa becoming a playoff team next season … and I do think it’s a possibility … it requires a lot of things going right – including Norris being able to put in a full season and, with Ullmark in the fold and a new coaching regime, along with several changes to the bottom 6F and 2 key changes to the D, a much improved overall defensive structure, including the pk.
On the surface, I believe they’re on the right path, However, so are other “outside” teams like Detroit, NJ, Philadelphia, Buffalo and Montreal.
Which is why I keep saying the end result next season could see one of the tightest races, involving more teams, than we’ve seen in years, with the WC teams needing something closer to 95 pts to qualify.
Tough luck for Klefbom, and folks outside Edmonton likely don’t know him like we do. Well before he had to pack it in, and then retire he played hurt. His last healthy season was 16/17. And he played big minutes hurt for 3 seasons. Tough guy.
I would add to Lyle’s description of a puck moving defenseman. He was their #1 D-man. Big at 6’3″ and 215. Could skate, hit and defend.
Part of his issue apart from the injuries, was that he played on a young team that wasn’t very good, in a role playing big minutes against tough opposition. As a young player.
Bonus was that he was on a good contract. His injuries and having to stop playing impacted multiple decisions made by Oiler management. Nurse having all the leverage, to paying too much for Ceci and playing him too high up in the lineup.
The Ekholm trade has worked out excellent for the Oil, but they had to give up assets to get him. Would they have needed to if they had a player his equal, or even better by now, at LD?
Thanks for fleshing out Klefbom’s time in Edmonton, Ray. I had to post that update quickly this morning as I was travelling today. Nice work!