NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 12, 2024
Key dates for the upcoming season, the latest injury updates, contract signings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
KEY DATES FOR THE NHL’S 2024-25 SEASON
SPORTSNET: The NHL released several key dates for the 2024-25 season.
Oct. 1: NHL Board of Governors meeting (New York)
Oct. 4-5: NHL Global Series in Prague (Sabres vs. Devils)
Oct. 8: Opening night
Oct. 22: NHL Frozen Frenzy: All 32 teams in action
Nov. 1-2: NHL Global Series in Tampere, Finland (Stars vs. Panthers)
Dec. 9-10: NHL Board of Governors meeting
Feb. 10-21: Season paused for 4 Nations Face-Off
March 7: Trade deadline (3 p.m. ET)
April 17: Final day of the regular season
April 19: Stanley Cup Playoffs begin
June 23: Last possible day for Stanley Cup Playoffs
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 4 Nations Face-Off pushes the playoff schedule later into the calendar. Expect the same thing for 2025-26 when the league shuts down for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The league’s annual holiday roster freeze will be Dec. 20 to 27.
The dates for the 2025 Draft Lottery, the NHL Awards, and the NHL Draft will likely be announced at some point next year. The best guess for the Awards is June 26 with the draft being held on June 28-29. Free agency will begin as usual on July 1.
INJURY UPDATES
CBS SPORTS: Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse continues to be hampered by an undisclosed injury suffered last season. Nurse, 29, could miss the start of training camp and the Oilers’ first preseason game but is expected to be ready for their season opener next month.
PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen took part in a recent skate with several teammates. He seems fully recovered from his season-ending triceps injury. He was sidelined on Feb. 10 and underwent surgery on Apr. 18.
NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks rookie Artyom Levshunov injured his right foot and is unavailable for the 2024 Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase in St. Louis.
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (NHL Images).
ALL CITY NETWORK’s Craig Morgan reports Utah HC prospect Tij Iginla is listed as day-to-day after being evaluated for a lower-body injury.
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins prospect Tanner Howe suffered a facial injury and is listed as day-to-day. He’s been scratched from the upcoming Prospects Challenge in Buffalo.
CONTRACT SIGNINGS
TSN: Max Pacioretty signed a professional tryout offer (PTO) with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 35-year-old left winger is expected to sign with the club before the start of the upcoming season.
TORONTO SUN: The Leafs also signed defenseman Jani Hakanpaa. The 32-year-old former Dallas Stars defender agreed to a one-year deal worth $1.47 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hakanpaa originally signed with the Leafs on July 1 but the deal was never formally announced or went on the Leafs’ salary cap amid concerns over a knee injury. This deal is shorter but the amount is reportedly close to the original’s average annual value.
DAILY FACEOFF: Former Seattle Kraken winger Kailer Yamamoto signed a PTO with Utah HC.
The Anaheim Ducks are bringing defensemen Boris Katchouk, Mark Pysyk, and Gustav Lindstrom to training camp on PTO contracts.
Defenseman Madison Bowey is reportedly signing a PTO with the New York Rangers. He spent last season in the KHL.
COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Pierre-Marc Bellemare is returning to the Avalanche on a PTO. The 39-year-old center played for the Avs from 2019-20 to 2020-21.
IN OTHER NEWS
WINNIPEG SUN: Cole Perfetti remains hopeful of having a new contract in place with the Jets before training camp opens next week.
“Our side is working on a deal with them,” said the 22-year-old center. “We’re obviously positive something’s going to get done. Our groups are working hard together to figure something out. At this point, I want to be there.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s been speculation whether another club might sign Perfetti to an offer sheet. His remarks suggest he hasn’t received one and doesn’t seem interested in an offer from another club.
TVA SPORTS: The Montreal Canadiens will honor former captain Shea Weber in a pregame ceremony at the Bell Centre on Nov. 16.
Weber was acquired by the Canadiens from the Nashville Predators in 2016 and was team captain from 2018 to 2021.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries ended Weber’s playing career following the 2021 playoffs. He hasn’t officially retired but remains on permanent long-term injury reserve (LTIR) until his contract expires in 2026. The Canadiens traded his contract to the Arizona Coyotes (now the Utah Hockey Club) on Feb 22, 2023.
RG.ORG: Speaking of the Canadiens, prospect goaltender Jacob Fowler is learning French in anticipation of playing for Montreal one day. A high-profile prospect, the 19-year-old Fowler will return with the NCAA’s Boston College Eagles this season.
Re: “The Anaheim Ducks are bringing defensemen Boris Katchouk, Mark Pysyk, and Gustav Lindstrom to training camp on PTO contracts.”
Penguins should have gone this exact route; at least re Lindstrom and Katchouk
Leafs now over cap and only Knies waiver exempt and that wouldn’t be enough freed up anyway; so some trade or two coming
If this is the same Katchouk that played for Ottawa last year he didn’t stand out as being “awfuL”. I don’t recall him making any glaring impression one way or the other.
Heh … that’s him in a nutshell Dark G. Invisible. Ottawa plucked him off waivers from Chicago where, in 38gp, he had 5g 4a 9 pts and was a minus 2. In Ottawa he played 21 games with 2g 2a 4pts and a minus 4,
Re the Leafs, they are now $1,069,667 over the cap with 23 of 23 – 13F 8D 2G. And they have Lorentz coming in as a pto.
They really can’t drop a combination of cap hits at or in excess of that amount in order to get under without severely limiting the size of the roster so, could someone like Reaves and his $1,350,000 cap hit be in jeopardy?
Be interesting to see what Treleving has up his sleeve.
Actually, Lorentz and Pacioretty as p.t.o.’s
Yes Dark G and thanks for the review on him
Agree that he may or may not be so/so or non memorable or unimpressionable (one way or the other) but there is almost zero cost (I believe PTO’s get a meal allowance and obviously practice jerseys) and definitely zero risk (not committing to anything)
At the very least they push competition at training camp and ownership gets a broader group to potentially choose a roster from. At the very best a reasonable depth player signed AND at league min.
I Would very much rather have Katchouk (6’ 2”, 210, 26 years old) : 82 G pace: 9-7-16; and at League min
Than
Nieto—almost 6 years older; 3 “ shorter; 10 lbs lighter , 82 game pace 4-8-12; and costs $125 K more
and I’d definitely want Katchouk
Over
Accairi (almost 7 years older, 4” shorter, 5 lbs lighter) and 82 game pace of 6-4-10; and most importantly ; almost 3 times the cap hit AND for another year beyond this
I would rather have Lindstrom (6’ 2”, 195 , 25.9 years old) : NOTE 82 game +/- pace of + 30 on lowly Ducks; AND at League min
Than Gryzlyk (4” shorter, 15 lbs lighter, 5 years older) and at almost 4 (four) times the cap hit
Or Aho (3” shorter, 15 lbs lighter, 2 years older) ; note…. Same Cap hit …. League min
I’m not familiar with Katchouk, however it’s a good sign for a D-man to be invisible, it usually means no glaring mistakes and not causing damage.
An invisible F is different altogether as it means he isn’t contributing.
Isn’t this the same Boris Katchouk that played in the Soo? I remember him because he played with out of the blue first round pick Zach Senyshyn in the Soo.
Not that I wanted to open that wound again.
He is a forward folks, listed as a LW.
That’s him Ray. In his last season with the Soo in 2017-18 he had an eye-opening 58gp season when he potted 42g 43a 85 pts,
As a pro, however, he has struggled with his best effort being a 14g 18a 32 pts season with Syracuse of the AHL – 5 years ago.
haha, actually this is a very good point 🙂
And sums up Katchouk perfectly.
I had to laugh when I read this morning’s Ottawa Sun where Senators owner Michael Andlauer is quoted as saying ““There’s been some roadblocks along the way … I think there’s willingness, that’s the thing, so I think we’ll get there.”
That ranks right up there with someone on city management staff saying “I think we have the light rail system fixed and that the trains will now stay on the tracks when winter hits …”
I don’t mind our new mayor. He seems pretty level headed. But what an absolute cluster eff he inherited. It’s not all on Watson but…it kinda is.
And no point going over what I think the Sens should do. It’s been well documented here. I really like that Vanier Parkway location. The mostly abandoned old RCMP HQ. Only one part of it is a heritage building that you could probably preserve as a rail stop running through it like TD Gardens has in Boston. The river is there. Ottawa U is there for practice facility, parking isnt’ an issue. It’s on the 417 for the west and east folks. It just works. And maybe just maybe it might help to clean up “crack town” aka Vanier.
“Cleaning up” that area has been a failed focus for a long, long time Dark G. And for a variety of reasons.
I lived there through my teens in the 1950s when it was named Eastview, and even then it was a district you didn’t frequent if you were perceived as a “stranger.”
So Nurse is still hampered by an injury from last season and played with in the playoffs. Explains some stuff regarding his play, his ice time, and also why Dermott was signed to a PTO as well as the total high number of D-men on the roster.
They finished in late June, so we’re talking 10 plus weeks. Not healed. They are being quiet about it, so not sure what it is. But, has to be some concern? No?
The Nurse bashers may get an opportunity to see what the team looks like without him. Dog that caught the car comes to mind. We will see.
Once again, plays hurt, doesn’t bitch or make excuses, just guts it out and plays. Gets roasted and doesn’t make a peep.
Yes he is overpaid, but I would take that guy on my team any day. It’s why his team mates luv him.
Got to agree there, Ray. The guy plays his heart out and sure he makes gaffes here and there. But then so do a lot of high-priced D around the league who eat up minutes in all scenarios. We have one such in Ottawa in Chabot. The more you’re out there the greater the chance of a brain-fart now and then.
But in that regard Nurse, whose collective +/- over his career to date is +67. That is infinitely better than than other top-priced D like Karlsson (collective -99), Dahlin (collective -71) and Seth Jones (collective -115).
And yet they don’t seem to draw anywhere near the criticism leveled at Nurse almost daily during the season.
George, part of playing in Edmonton, or other hockey mad markets, I guess. It isn’t every fan, but some vocal ones on social media anyway, which is another reason to avoid it.
Oiler fans did it to Horcoff too. Very good 2 way C, but not a big point producer, or an “elite” player. Had a good year, great playoff run, got paid, had some injuries, production went town with the team getting worse, and some Oiler fans started to hate him. Add in that he was around for the beginning of the “Decade of Darkness”, and became public enemy #1.
Leaf fans always pick a villain. Now it’s Marner. Ceci for another example. The guy made mistakes as a younger player, got run out of town, went to PIT and had a solid year in a defensive role. Became a solid NHL D-man, who got paid too much by EDM as they were desperate, played too high in the lineup for the same reason, got roasted here too. Team mates loved him too, character guy who played hard. Didn’t bitch in a tough role.
Made the mistake of having a good agent at the right time I guess.
Yeah, some among Leafs Nation will never love down the fact they booed D Larry Murphy out of town. All this guy did, while playing for 6 different teams (L.A., Washington, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Detroit) did was wind up with 1216 points, which turned out to be the fifth highest in NHL history at the time back of Ray Bourque, Paul Coffey, Al MaxcInnis and Phil Housely, and so got into the Hall of Fame in 2004.
The boo-birds were also vocal when it came to Jake Gardiner and Luke Schenn, albeit to a lesser volume.
With you Ray
It’s literally just the cap hit issue
I like his game and he is a full effort player and uses his strength and size
Johnny Z: you kicking around today?
It occurs to me that I gave you a raspberry when you suggested Laine to the Habs. One for you. Shows what I know.