NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 7, 2024
An update on Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko’s injury, Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin could be nursing an injury, the latest on free-agent defensemen Mark Giordano and Kevin Shattenkirk, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Max Miller cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman providing an update on the injury plaguing Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko.
Friedman revealed Demko won’t fully recover from his injury. He said the situation remains shrouded in mystery but the injury isn’t fixable via surgery.
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (NHL Images).
“It’s something he’s going to have to learn to play through and he can play through to a high level,” said Friedman. He believes Demko was never fully healthy entering the 2024 playoffs and the club rushed him to return before he was completely healed.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks and Demko have not commented yet on Friedman’s report. It’ll be interesting to hear their response. Their silence has reached the point where speculation has become an unnecessary distraction as training camp approaches.
NYI HOCKEY NOW: Russ Macias cited Friedman reporting Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin was “battling something”. He noted that no one within the organization would comment on the 28-year-old goalie’s situation. Sorokin’s agent wouldn’t comment out of respect to Isles general manager Lou Lamoriello.
Macias wondered if Sorokin’s injury could be related to the dropoff in his performance last season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Any team run by Lamoriello is well-known for its silence regarding its players’ status. We’ll likely have to wait for the Islanders’ response when training camp opens in less than two weeks for the Islanders’ response.
SPORTSNET: Mark Giordano’s agent, Ritch Winter, said the 40-year-old defenseman isn’t ready to retire. Winter indicated he’s spoken with the Edmonton Oilers and two of his client’s former teams, the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Winter said his client’s priority is winning the Stanley Cup. He hopes to join a rebuilding club that could move him at the trade deadline or an established contender. He said Flames GM Craig Conroy wasn’t that interested in bringing Giordano back to Calgary.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The decline in Giordano’s performance was apparent over the past two seasons as age takes its toll. That will affect his efforts to continue his NHL career.
TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the agent for Kevin Shattenkirk is engaged in discussions with several teams hoping to find a fit for the 35-year-old free-agent defenseman.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman claimed he’d heard that Shattenkirk would love to be part of the Oilers if there’s a spot for him. The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson reports the blueliner’s agent George Bazos is trying to get a contract for his client rather than a professional tryout offer (PTO).
Darren Dreger reports Cole Perfetti continues to skate and practice with his Winnipeg Jets teammates while contract negotiations between the two sides continue. He also intends to represent the Jets at next week’s NHL Player Media Tour in Las Vegas.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s promising news given the circumstances. It suggests Perfetti could be under contract when training camp opens in less than two weeks.
SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks prospect Will Smith will live with former Sharks captain Patrick Marleau while the young center attempts to make the club this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Smith’s fellow Sharks prospect Macklin Celebrini will stay with Joe Thornton this season.
NEW YORK POST: Former NHL player Alex Formenton has walked away from his playing career and is pursuing a career in construction. Formenton, 24, is among the five former members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior team facing charges of sexual assault related to an incident in London, Ontario, in 2018.
RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico reports Montreal Canadiens prospect Oliver Kapanen could steal a roster spot during the club’s upcoming training camp. Kapanen, 21, is a 2021 draft pick who starred during the 2024 Finnish Liga playoffs and is playing well in preseason action with Swedish Hockey League club Timra IK.
Timra head coach and former NHL all-star Olli Jokinen praised Kapanen’s two-way skills and hockey sense. Jokinen said his club has been planning for the possibility of Kapanen’s absence once he signed his entry-level contract with the Canadiens in July.
While I realize we have annually seen RFAs still unsigned as we approach the opening of camps – and that there have been a small number who subsequently missed the entire season due to not being signed by December 1 – I can’t recall the last time there have been this many this late (13 to be exact), a couple of whom could easily be signed within the framework if the team’s available cap.
Those two are Ilya Solovyov of Calgary, sitting on $19,974,166 in cap space and, according to Puckpedia, a full complement of 23, and Peyton Krebs of Buffalo, which has $8,449,484 to spend and 22 of 23 signed.
Solovyov, a 6′ 3″ 208 lbs LD only has 10 NHL games played with 0g 3a 3 pts coming of an ELC of $898,333 – so with that much in cap reserve what could possibly be the hold-up in this case? Krebs, a 6′ 186 lb C who shoots L played in 80 games this past season and had 4g 13a 17s +2 and in 215 career games has 20g 46a 66 pts and is a cumulative -31 coming off an ELC of $863,334. Again, whatever the team has offered he and his agent should take and prove he is worth more.
In Toronto’s case with Nick Robertson we know the stalemate stems from the player’s demand to be traded, with ice-time being the catalyst for his request. We’re all pretty much agreed that Robertson should accept what the GM is offering and, under a new coach, go out and show – in whatever ice-time he gets – that he is prepared to work to improve the defensive, away-from-the-puck aspect of his game.
Toronto has $1,275,333 in cap space with 21 of 23 on the main roster.
Somewhat similar situations (except for the player demand) exist with Los Angeles ($1,321,666 in cap space with 23 of 23 on the main roster) and their 6′ 2″ 210 lb RW (shoots L) Arthur Kaliyev, who played 51 games this past season with 7g 8a 15 pts and has a carer 188gp 35g 36a 71 pts cumulative -12 coming off an ELC of $894,167, and Nashville ($2,270,801 in cap space with 20 of 23 on the main roster) and their 6′ 179 lb C Philip Tomasino who, this past season, played 41 games with 7g 13a 20 pts and has a career 148gp with 23g 47a 70 pts and is coming off an ELC of $863,334, along with 6′ 3″ 212 lb C Juuso Parssinen who, this past season, played 44 games with 8g 4a 12pts and has a career 89gp with 14g 23a 37 pts and is coming off an ELC of $850,833. Both L.A. and Nashville have to keep those raises well within the cap space available, but it would appear the players do not agree with the offers.
Winnipeg, according to Puckpedia, has $5,776,309 in cap space and a full complement of 23 on the main roster and Cole Perfetti still to sign. The 5′ 11′ 185 lb left-shooting F this past season played in 71 games with 19g 19a 38 pts and a +13 and has career totals of 140 games played with 29g 46a 75 pts and is a cumulative +24, coming off an ELC of $894,167. Once he is signed, a player will need to be optioned to make room, so that would make the available cap space closer to $6.8 mil – but surely he and his agent can’t be looking at anything approaching that!
As for the rest, it would seem their RFAs are definitely seeking something well in excess of the cap space available: Boston ($8,630,667 – Swayman), Dallas ($6,243.759 – Harley), Detroit ($17,646,194 – Raymond and Seider with the hold-up on Berggren likely being to see what’s left after the other 2 sign), New Jersey ($4,976,103 – Mercer).
So far, 12 teams have signed UFAs to PTOs as follows:
Washington – Jakub Vrana LW turns 29 in Feb
Vegas – Tanner Pearson LW 32 y/o
Philadelphia – Eetu Makiniemi G 25 y/o
Vancouver – Sammy Blais – LW 28 y/o
Tampa – Logan Brown C 26 y/o
Pittsburgh – Nicolai Knyzhov LD 26 y/o
Ottawa – Nikolay Kulemin LW 38 y/o and Calen Addison RD 24 y/o
Toronto – Steven Lorentz C 28 y/o
New Jersey – Jakub Zboril LD
Boston – Tyler Johnson C 34 y/o
Detroit – Austin Watson RW – turns 33 in Jan
Calgary – Tyson Barrie RD – 33 y/o
UFAs still hoping for jobs – maybe it’s time for some to hang ’em up:
Kevin Shattenkirk RD turns 36 in Jan
Mark Giordano LW turns 41 in Oct
James van Riemsdyk RW 35 y/o
Tony DeAngelo RD 28 y/o
Kevin Labanc RW 28 y/o
Mike Hoffman RW 34 y/o
Max Pacioretty LW 35 y/o
Justin Schultz D 33 y/o
Gustav Lindstrom RD turns 26 in Oct
John Klingberg D 31 y/o
Kevin Lankinen G 29 y/o
Antti Raanta G 35 y/o
Cal Clutterbuck RW 36 y/o
Malcom Subban G turns 31 in Dec
Sam Gagner C 35 y/o
Matt Martin LW 36 y/o
Tyler Pitlick C turns 33 in Nov
Oscar Lindblom LW 28 y/o
Travis Dermott LD turns 28 in Dec
Jakub Voracek RW 36 y/o