NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 16, 2024
The Blue Jackets sign James van Riemsdyk, the Devils bring in Kevin Labanc on a PTO, and Antti Raanta ends his NHL career. Check out the details on these stories and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets signed free-agent winger James van Riemsdyk to a one-year, $900K contract.
The 35-year-old van Riemsdyk had 38 points in 71 games with the Boston Bruins last season. He’s a 15-season NHL veteran with previous stops with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers.
Columbus Blue Jackets sign winger James van Riemsdyk (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This signing came shortly after Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell indicated his intention to shore up his forward depth by signing veteran players. Waddell probably isn’t done making additions via free agency and we can’t rule out a trade.
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils are reportedly close to signing Kevin Labanc to a professional tryout offer. The 28-year-old winger spent the past eight seasons with the San Jose Sharks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Labanc was once a promising forward with the Sharks, reaching a career-high of 17 goals and 56 points in 82 games during the 2018-19 season. He hasn’t regained those heights as his production and ice time declined.
DAILY FACEOFF: Antti Raanta is ending his NHL career after 11 seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks. The 35-year-old Finnish goaltender intends to continue his playing career in Europe.
Raanta had a record of 139 wins, 80 losses, and 20 overtime losses in 277 NHL regular-season games with a 2.48 goals-against average, a save percentage of .915, and 20 shutouts. He also had a 9-9 record in the playoffs with a 2.48 GAA, a .911 SP and one shutout.
THE BUFFALO NEWS: Jack Quinn hopes to bounce back from a torn Achilles tendon and a broken left fibula that limited him to 19 points in 27 games during his sophomore campaign last season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quinn showed considerable promise as an offensive forward during his rookie season with 37 points in 75 games. He also put up solid numbers despite last season’s setbacks. A healthy 2024-25 could see the 22-year-old winger become invaluable to the Sabres’ offense.
SPORTSNET: Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Fraser Minten left Sunday’s prospect game in Montreal during the second period following a hit by Canadiens defenseman David Reinbacher. He did not return as he was held out of the remainder of the game for precautionary reasons.
RG.ORG: Speaking of the Canadiens, top prospect Ivan Demidov scored his first career goal in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg. Former Washington Capitals star Evgeny Kuznetsov picked up the primary assist. The 18-year-old Demidov was chosen fifth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Re “Waddell indicated his intention to shore up his forward depth by signing veteran players. Waddell probably isn’t done making additions via free agency and we can’t rule out a trade.”
Wadell,
Give Dubas a call
Accairi, Hayes; Nieto
Take your pick (or two ; heh, all 3!!!)
We’ll give you a 2nd in ‘26 , 3rd in ‘25 ; Hayes and Accairi; for a 5th in ‘26
LOL – will you GIVE it a rest! NOBODY is giving up anything for that trio.
Just the two
And see above the gain Wadell gets
Dubas must do something to improve team
The above (my 2nd post) shows s win-win-win set of moves
Obvious to you. The fact it hasn’t happened – and won’t – shows it ain’t so obvious to those whose jobs are to make wise decisions. Or are you laying claim to being more knowledgeable on the subject than those individuals?
Why do you bother with 8787 – “not Pengy” – George. Most of his posts are grammatical train wrecks, leavened with stream of unconsciousness proposals.
I long ago stopped reading them, and it’s not as if you’d be missing the aphorisms of Seneca.
LJ, I just thought that one was worth a laugh out loud post
Waddell then can retain 50% (of the already 50%) on Hayes and flip him (@ $1.8 M cap hit) on to someone for a 3rd in ‘26
Wadell gets to Cap floor; gains a 2nd and two 3rds at the expense of a 5th and having to take on Accairi; gains another Veteran to mentor youth
Penguins clear $5.6 M Cap space; completely erase the Hayes trade; rid Accairi for nothing; got younger, better, faster; and have 2 spots available for the current Pens youth to fill (note Nietto can be sent to WBS)
Win-win-win
Just how stupid do you think Waddell is? When will all you GM wannabes finally figure out that the Jackets don’t exist to solve your favorite team’s mistakes?
Face it, 8787, your team is headed for a major rebuild. Which they should have started two years, or more, ago.
Hayes isn’t being traded. Deal with it!
Waddell has plenty of time now to get to the cap floor. The league is not going to enforce the rule for a while on CBJ.
Exactly. With the signing of Van Riemsdyk at $900,000 they are only $1,798,334 from the cap floor of $65 mil.
Waddell has lots of time to sit back and wait to see what some of those 13 teams currently over the cap, or with amounts less than the league minimum, might offer in deals to relieve their situations. And not all – like Vegas and Washington – have LTIRs on which to fall back.
He could take on a high cap with just a season to go to put his team past the minimum, while also getting a very good sweetener or two.
Couldn’t have been better put, George.
Hayes is gonna be third line center after Eller is dealt for a third round pick mid season.
While the Labanc p.t.o. has yet to be confirmed, the Canucks, after apparently trying unsuccessfully to get UFA goalie Kevin Lankonen to bite on a minimum offer, have brought in 26 y/o Dylan Ferguson on a p.t.o. He played last season in the KHL and has virtually no experience at the NHL level. In fact, after being drafted by Dallas in Round 7 194th overall in 2017 he has played 1 game with Vegas in 2017-18 and 2 with Ottawa in 2022-23.
Labanc p.t.o. with N.J. just confirmed. The Devils also signed a p.t.o. with 31 y/o RD Andy Welinski who last played in the NHL with Anaheim in 2020-21. The past 5 seasons have been spent with 5 different AHL teams.
Happy for JVR ,a real professional, now CBJ needs to sign a few others like Clutterbuck to help them through a tough transition!
Sr
Reunite Kessel and JVR in Columbus!
Kessel’s energy could be a good thing for columbus
Most importantly Columbus hot dog vendors.
Lyle
Re “ Hayes isn’t being traded. Deal with it!”
Deal with it?
I’m now in therapy because of it!
Very bad move by Dubas
Slow; plays only a 100’ game; plays soft; doesn’t use his size or reach.
Wasted $3.6 M in Cap this year and next
I have strong confidence that Crosby wasn’t happy with that move
His cap plus Gryzlyk’s could have got a top 6 winger
Sidney Crosby signs two years extension.
Habs could move two veterans to CBJ, Dvorak 28 y/o and Armia 31 y/o.for 3rd pick in 2025 and 2026.
Both are UFA at the end of the year so Waddell can resign them if they perform, trade them at TDL, or let them hit the UFA market.
Habs open up spots for some of the kids like Owen Beck, Joshua Roy and maybe Emil Heineman.
Helluva lot better than Accairi, Hayes and Nieto
hf30,
Olivier Kapanen will be in training camp for the Habs & is said to be more NHL ready than Beck.
My suggestion would be trade Ryan Evans who is a right handed shot like Beck & Kapanen, if either are ready. Keep Dvoark, at least until the trade deadline as the left handed center.