NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 8, 2024
The North American portion of the 2024-25 regular season begins on Tuesday. Check out the latest injury updates, contract signings, waiver claims, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL NORTH AMERICAN SCHEDULE BEGINS TUESDAY
NHL.COM: The NHL season began last week in Prague, Czechia between the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils in the 2024 NHL Global Series. The North American portion of the schedule begins Tuesday with a triple header televised nationally in Canada and the United States.
The schedule opens with the Seattle Kraken hosting the St. Louis Blues at 4:30 ET. It will be a historic game as Seattle assistant coach Jessica Campbell becomes the first woman in NHL history to serve in a behind-the-bench capacity.
The Florida Panthers will raise their 2024 Stanley Cup banner at home before facing off against the Boston Bruins starting at 7 pm ET.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: South Florida is outside the cone of concern for the approaching Hurricane Milton. For now, this game appears likely to be played as scheduled in Sunrise.
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning have been forced to evacuate. They were expected to depart for Raleigh, North Carolina, on Monday evening with most players bringing along their family and pets. Some made private arrangements to evacuate their families.
The tripleheader concludes with the Utah Hockey Club making its debut by hosting the Chicago Blackhawks at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
INJURY UPDATES
TSN: The Vancouver Canucks announced forward Dakota Joshua and goaltender Thatcher Demko were placed on the club’s injured non-roster list. Joshua missed training camp recovering from surgery for testicular cancer while Demko’s been dealing with a rare muscle injury in his knee.
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s speculation both players could be sidelined three-to-four weeks.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars head coach Pete DeBoer and winger Jason Robertson returned to the club on Monday. DeBoer underwent an appendectomy two weeks ago and dealt with some minor complications during his recovery. Robertson was sidelined recovering from offseason surgery to remove a cyst from his foot.
CBS SPORTS: The Anaheim Ducks placed goaltender John Gibson (abdomen) on injury reserve. Meanwhile, San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Eduoard Vlasic is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Sharks, rookie center Macklin Celebrini is good to go for their season opener on Oct. 10. He was sidelined last week by a lower-body injury.
TSN: The Calgary Flames placed winger Yegor Sharangovich on injured reserve. He’s listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
NEW YORK POST: Rangers winger Artemi Panarin returned to practice on Monday for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury during a preseason game last week. Meanwhile, the Rangers placed defenseman Ryan Lindgren (upper body) on injured reserve and winger Jimmy Vesey (lower body) on long-term injury reserve (LTIR).
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins placed forward Bryan Rust and Blake Lizotte and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic on IR and placed forward Matt Nieto (knee surgery) on LTIR.
NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres placed forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel on IR with a lower-body injury.
TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs placed Calle Jarnkrok, Jani Hakanpaa and Dakota Mermis on LTIR and put Conor Dewar and Fraser Minten on IR.
LATEST NOTABLE CONTRACT SIGNINGS
TORONTO SUN: The Leafs signed winger Max Pacioretty to a one-year contract worth $873,770 and forward Steven Lorentz to a one-year deal worth $775K. They also signed defenseman Cade Webber to a two-year contract extension.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pacioretty and Lorentz attended Leafs training camp on professional tryout offers (PTOs).
DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild signed goaltender Jesper Wallstedt to a two-year, $4.4 million contract extension. The average annual value (AAV) is $2.2 million commencing in 2025-26.
The Washington Capitals signed winger Jakub Vrana to a one-year, $775K contract. He attended Capitals training camp on a PTO.
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Winger Austin Watson turned his PTO with the Red Wings into a one-year, two-way contract with the club.
IN OTHER NEWS…
TSN: The Anaheim Ducks claimed goaltender James Reimer off waivers from the Buffalo Sabres.
Forward Zach Aston-Reese was claimed off waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets from the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights claimed forward Raphael Lavoie from the Edmonton Oilers.
The Vancouver Canucks reclaimed goaltender Jiri Patera from the Boston Bruins, who had claimed Patera off waivers from the Canucks last week.
THE WINNIPEG SUN: Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck missed practice on Monday for family reasons. He’s expected to be ready for their season opener against the Oilers on Wednesday.
THE SCORE: Jett Luchanko is set to become the youngest roster player in Philadelphia Flyers history. He was chosen 13th overall in this year’s draft and turned 18 on Aug. 21.
OTTAWA SUN: The Senators returned Carter Yakemchuk to the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. Chosen seventh overall in this year’s draft, the 18-year-old defenseman had a strong training camp and performed well in preseason action. However, management felt it best for his long-term development that he return to the Hitmen where he’ll get more playing time this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A smart decision by the Senators. Despite his preseason play, Yakemchuk likely would’ve seen limited action in regular-season play. He’ll be in a better position next season for a full-time roster spot among their top-four blueliners.
RDS: Former NHL player Mike Ribeiro pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault in Texas on Monday. The charge was connected to an event that occurred in June 2021 resulting in Ribeiro being acquitted on two counts of sexual assault earlier this year.
The jury was unable to agree on the final charge. The process of selecting a new jury was slated for Monday but the two sides reached an agreement in which Ribeiro admitted under oath that he sexually touched the victim without her consent.
Ribeiro will avoid prison and must pay a $4,000 fine.
Knights also claimed Cole Schwindt from Calgary off waivers.
And both Andy Welinski 31 y/o RD and 27 y/o RD Jakub Zboril failed to stick with NJ as p.t.o.’s.
I see, too, that Florida has decided to go with Chris Driedger as their back-up goalie and have sent Spencer Knight back to the AHL.
Sending Yakemchuk back to Major Junior wasn’t a huge surprise … but maybe not giving him 9 games was a bit of a surprise. The bottom line here – again – is this idiotic rule which allows players of his age from Europe to hone their skills at the pro level in the AHL if the team so chooses, but not if they’re from Major Junior.
The article in the Ottawa Sun this morning by Bruce Garrioch also says, interestingly, that “A couple of league executives have indicated that Staios has been sniffing around the market for a depth defenceman. The club likely looked at some of the options available on waivers on Sunday but didn’t take any because the Senators may be able to find something via trade.”
With that, and the way the opening roster is being projected, with Hamonic going from the extra D to 3rd pairing beside Kleven, I get the feeling that Bernard-Docker may have had a setback in camp in the eyes of the coaches and that his days as a Senator could be numbered, Also, so much for the idea of starting Norris on the wing to “protect his shoulder.”
Not so much of a surprise was seeing veteran C Adam Gaudette make the roster on the 4th line between Gregor and Cousins instead of Ostapchuk. Gaudette had a very strong camp and, with 220 NHL gp, makes that 4th line an experienced one. Of he can produce at his 82-game averages of 10g 16a 26 pts it should be an effective 4trh line.
They are still high on Ostapchuk and feel getting big minutes in Belleville will do more for his development than 8 or 9 minutes a night in the NHL.
Tkachuk – Stutzle – Giroux
Perron – Norris – Batherson
Greig – Pinto – Amadio
Gregor – Gaudette – Cousins
Zack MacEwen (extra)
Sanderson – Zub
Chabot – Jensen
Kleven – Hamonic
Bernard-Docker (7th D)
Ullmark – Forsberg
The 23rd player, F Matthew Highmore, opens on the IR
I think the Yakamchuk decision to not give him a few games stems from who the Sens play in their first dozen. Some weak games but also a murders row of quality hockey teams sprinkled in there. Pre-season scoring leader on defense… and then have his spirit crushed when he’s getting walked around by Florida, Colorado, NJ, and Vegas top scorers.
Very valid point Dark G. By the same token, sending him back to Major Junior, where probably 80% of those he faces will never see a pro game and 95% an NHL game and so hardly ever taking advantage of any flaws, won’t do much to correct his defending abilities. But some time against pros in the AHL – and under the watchful eyes of organization coaches and playing alongside veterans would definitely help.
That rule HAS to change.
100% agree.
That rule was made to protect the Canadian Hockey league. But it handy caps player development.
Yes George. Been beating that drum for awhile. If the chl can’t function in its current state without the nhl transfer rules then the chl needs to contract or otherwise figure it out on their own. Bad enough the way they treat their players as kids but to prevent an an adult from pursuing their career is criminal.
I’m surprised no one has taken that rule to court chrisms – either here or in the U.S. There is NO way a legal ruling would come out in favour of the CHL.
I’d guess it’s due to how long court procedures take. If a player in the chl filled it likely wouldn’t be figured out until they were old enough for nhl as it stands now. Players would really be fighting for future players not themselves. The nhl ahl teams would have to be the ones to see long term advantages in fighting the Chl. But the nhl is complicit! So not sure who has the motivation to actually take it to court.
Some young kid whose family, perhaps, badly needs some support and/or who argues the rule is preventing him from using his skills to earn close to $900,000 as a pro … even if the team chooses to give him some skill-honing time in the AHL.
I don’t get it, it’s widely known you can ruin a player by rushing him, especially dmen but I don’t recall a player or his development taking a step back if returned to jr.
Any examples of ruined players sent back or are y’all a bit impatient?
It isn’t a question of “ruining a player” … it’s a question as to an individual’s right to earn a living if he so chooses without an arbitrary “rule” blocking that right. If someone was offered a job at age 18 or 19 in a movie or a commercial, as examples, there’s nothing to stop them.
Hockey may be a “sport” but it’s also very much an occupation and if a young man can start earning upwards of half a million to three-quarters of a million, why should some self-preserving cockamamy rule prevent them from doing what their equivalents in Europe can do?
Wow. That’s a pretty sick mentation Ron. Kinda game of throne like vibes going on there. They are young men who should have every right to use their natural and developed talents to support themselves and their families the best they can. George said it well. It’s that kind of thought process that enables the chl to abuse these kids and young men the way they do.
Before that convenient (for the CHL) rule was implemented some 18 years ago, turning pro at 18/19 didn’t seem to harm Bobby Orr, Henri Richard, Frank Mahovlich, Bobby Hull, Mario Lemieux. Tim Horton, Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Sydney Crosby, Mike Modano … not to mention countless European players … I could go on and on
I posted a question yesterday about what “injured, non-roster” meant and who was eligible.
I found this explanation online, which seems to align to the players getting this designation:
“Injured Non-Roster is mandated per the CBA instead of Injured Reserve if the player reports to camp injured.”
Here’s an interesting site showing details of opening night rosters
https://puckpedia.com/news/2024-25-nhl-opening-rosters
I like the way it’s laid out – lot of details included
Actually, it’s part of the Puckpedia layout.
With the Bruins having gotten bigger and tougher I wonder if they try to come out and set the tone tonight …
Bruins … looking at their forward group it looks like from these eyes that they are short a legit goal scorer… goals per game were down last year as the season went on and not replacing DeBrusk will hurt
In the famous words of Coach Monty last season …. You can’t Win every game 2-1
Joe, I hope Florida clobbers them. Not because I have anything against the Bruins … just that Florida comes into Ottawa Thursday night and I’d just as soon they come in fat from an opening night big win and not pissed off because they dropped their opener to Boston. 🙂
George O ,wishful thinking! The Tkaczuk brothers never take each other lightly! Keith was breaking up fights between the brothers every day!
If I play badly I’ll pick a fight in the third, just to get into a fight. I’ll break a guy’s leg to win, I don’t care. Afterward I say, ‘Yeah all right I played badly, but I won the fight so who gives a damn.