NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 30, 2024
Recapping Sunday’s preseason action, Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj was fined, an update on Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
SUNDAY’S PRESEASON RESULTS
NHL.COM: Evgeni Malkin had a hat trick and an assist and Sidney Crosby tallied twice to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Ottawa Senators 5-2 in the Kraft Hockeyville game on Sunday in Sudbury, Ontario. Nick Cousins and Tim Stutzle replied for the Senators.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins forward Blake Lizotte was struck in the face by an errant puck while sitting on the bench during the first shift. He missed the remainder of the game. No update was provided regarding his condition.
The Utah Hockey Club rolled to a 6-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Dylan Guenther scored two goals and picked up an assist while Clayton Keller scored and set up two others. Justus Annunen made 32 saves for the Avalanche.
Dallas Stars rookie forward Logan Stankoven netted two goals as his club doubled up the Minnesota Wild 4-2. Jesper Wallstedt stopped 25 shots for the Wild.
IN OTHER NEWS…
MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The NHL department of player safety fined Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj $3,385.42 for unsportsmanlike conduct on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare on Saturday. Xhekaj pummeled Pare in retaliation for the latter’s knee-on-knee hit on Canadiens winger Patrik Laine.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard suffered a sore neck from a goal-mouth collision that forced him to leave Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. However, the injury isn’t serious and he’s expected to return to the ice in a few days.
NEW YORK POST: Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey left practice on Sunday with a lower-body injury.
NHL.COM: Tom Gulitti reports Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said forward Sonny Milano’s preseason performance was “just OK”. He’s given the 28-year-old veteran the benefit of the doubt but expects him to ramp up his effort for the regular season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some veterans don’t put forth a full effort in training camp and preseason because they’re already assured of a roster spot but they step it up when the regular season begins. That could explain Milano’s effort thus far He is skating on the Capitals’ third line alongside Hendrix Lapierre and Aliaksei Protas.
NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Top prospect Fabian Lysell was a surprise roster cut by the Bruins yesterday. The 21-year-old was a candidate for the right wing spot on their second line. He had a slow start to training camp but improved as the preseason rolled on.
Curious move by Boston. I figured that Lysell would at least start the year in the NHL to see how he performed.
I saw one report that suggested Boston wanted to go heavier/tougher with their opening roster.
Curious what Boston fans think of this. How was Lysell performing lately and who makes up that 2nd line now?
The spot that Lysell was looking at is being occupied by Tyler Johnson on a PTO! Going heavier and tougher is OK but you need players with speed and offensive instincts and Johnson a 2 time Stanley Cup winner gives them that!
Sr. Would agree. Lysell did not separate himself from the pack so once again he will at least start in providence he is still only 21 so he has time to blossom IMHO
I watched all pre season games Lysell was just ok with flashes of brilliance Potrais was best player on ice and Korpisalo was very good he will be fine as a starter.
Obe, a bit of caution: Korpisalo was also very good in last season’s pre-season games when Ottawa went 6 – 2, scoring 27 and giving up 18.
He was good over the first 4 seasonal games as well when the team went 3 – 1, scoring 19 and giving up 10. Then the wheels fell of over the next 10 when they went 4 – 6. scoring 38 and giving up 36.
It did not improve in terms of consistency over the remaining 68 games.
Yes, Boston has a better overall D structure than did Ottawa last season – by far – but a LOT of his inconsistency was letting in soft goals and seemingly at the worst time possible, deflating the bench in the process.
Korpi has a very good defence in front of him in Boston I did notice he gave up a few rebounds needs to clean that up a bit. He was awesome in L A Bruins lucky to have him.
Obe, in L.A. he was awesome in 11 games played regular season and 7 playoff games. Hardly major measuring sticks.
Leaf bum got caught flat footed and stuck his knee out severely injuring Laine. No penalty or fine. Then he lies about Xhekaj “catching him by surprise.”
Why isn’t that a story?
If a bum like that can injure a guy, not stick up for himself and get the injured teammate fined, there’s something wrong.
Must be a Habs fan with that comment!
Just read. Last offer to Swayman was 8 for 8. 64 mil and he passed. Implied by Neely at latest presser .This is not going to resolved anytime soon If true let him sit the year out
If true … find a trade partner use the 8.6 million to get a goal scorer and another piece … the Bruins have waited to long to solve this ongoing issue…
Ya, this situation with Swayman is getting a bit tricky. I don’t think they want to keep Bussi up either. All depends how they start, if they struggle, leverage moves to Swayman, if they play well, other way around. Will he really walk away from that much money for the year? I might call that bluff.
Joe, trading a tender who won’t accept 8 x $8.6M, is tough, assuming that is accurate. Bottom dweller likely not interested, so who has the space or a player they would give up, plus need a tender?
Teams that might want to push for playoffs – Utah, Seattle and maybe Calgary? Would you folks trade Swayman to Calgary for Kadri as the main piece? Guy can still play, but gets paid for too long at his age.
Utah is interesting, but they’re not trading Cooley for Guenther up front. Guenther is lethal offensively. Ingram the tender and ?? Maybe Crouse? They might actually be happy with their tending, it isn’t costing them much either.
Seattle would want Boston to take back Grubauer, which is a no thank you.
Tough trade to make without getting hosed on the return. The vultures would be circling.
Play well B’s.
Mrbruin4, that hasn’t been confirmed … this release from NBC
https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nhl/boston-bruins/jeremy-swayman-contract-offer-bruins-cam-neely/652666/?os=winDhGBITyl&ref=app
which says, in part
“I don’t want to get into the weeds with what his ask is, but I know I have 64 million reasons why I’d be playing right now,” Neely said.
This comment implies the Bruins have offered Swayman a $64 million deal. Neely didn’t say how much term has been offered, but an eight-year contract with a salary cap hit of $8 million would total $64 million. Again, the Bruins didn’t say they offered him an 8×8 deal, but no other term makes sense with a $64 million offer to Swayman.”
So, speculation based upon comments that avoided specifics.
Neely is trying to put public pressure on Swayman’s reluctance to accept what many will think as a good deal. It may also justify trading Swayman and/or trading for a replacement and/or let him set.
Mr Bruin 4, if that is true,I would let him sit out the year! That s almost a 5 million dollar raise a year,for being a half time player! This craziness has to stop somewhere!
Joonas Korpisalo Has been named the starting goaltender to start the season … it will be interesting to see who #2 is … if Bussi he can’t be sent back to the minors without clearing waivers which won’t happen … this will be very telling whether they expect Sway back or not
Joe
It will be interesting if they give back up to him or bring a Talbots etc on the cheap and save the chance Bussi gets claimed if Swayman comes back
I’m thinking they want Bussi to do another year in minors .. don’t see how they can chance him making the team … said it before this is a carryover from last years negotiations with Bruins and Sway … Sway is getting some bad advice
Edmonton released Mike Hoffman from his p.t.o. today – likely the end of the line for him.
Bruins should have secured the Swayman deal while they still had Ullmark. They out themselves in this position.
Except they got caught in deadlines. I think the intention all along was to retain Swayman, but where Ullmark was concerned, the date was approaching fast where he could have altered his no-trade list, and n preliminary talks with teams prepared to deal at the time, the best one they had came from Ottawa. In a couple of days from that offer they ran the risk of Ottawa being added to his list (turns out he had no intention of doing so – but THEY didn’t know that at the time and he didn’t feel obligated to tell them) … so they pulled the trigger before the draft.
I get the impression Sweeney had no concrete knowledge of just how deep Swayman’s displeasure ran at how he was portrayed at the previous year’s arbitration session and figured it would be an easy negotiation. He was wrong.
True that George, plus it takes 2 to tango. We have no idea when Boston started negotiations or reached out to his agent. If they wanted to wait, then you wait. Not a damn thing you can do about it other than trade him I guess.
I don’t know, but it seemed pretty obvious they were not going to keep both guys. When Swayman outplayed Ullmark in the playoffs, the decision to trade Ullmark likely became clear. Maybe the B’s wanted to wait as well to see how that played out. Not a crazy idea.
We’ll see how this ends but I would bet $100 it ends before he sits the season. Nylander caved at the 11th hour when he did this as a RFA, hopefully it doesn’t take that long, but it might.
Either of these 3 things are going to happen with Sway … he’s going to sit out the year … he’s going to take the 8×8 or he gets traded … he’s not getting if reported right 8×10 or it would’ve happen already …
Ray I can see it now …. Sway comes back Thanksgiving weekend … puts up back to back bad games at home and the Bruins fans boo him right out of Boston … Boston fans usually stick by their players in all sports but this might be one of the few times they don’t … now New York is a different story do them dirty you’re as a player done
Bruins president Cam Neely discloses Jeremy Swayman offer: ‘64 million reasons why I’d be playing’… this doesn’t sound like the Bruins are going to budge
Update from Lewis Gross, agent for Jeremy Swayman.
“At today’s press conference, $64 million was referenced. This was the first time that number was discussed in our negotiations. Prior to the press conference, no offer was made reaching that level.
We are extremely disappointed. This was not fair to Jeremy. We will take a few days to discuss where we go from here.”
Neely never actually said that the Bruins offered $64 million to Swayman. But he sure implied that was the case.