NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 19, 2020

by | Jan 19, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 19, 2020

More scoring milestones for Alex Ovechkin, Jonathan Toews leads the Blackhawks over the Leafs, another solid performance by Blue Jackets’ Elvis Merzlikins, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Alex Ovechkin tallied his second straight hat trick as the Washington Capitals overcame a 4-1 deficit to beat the New York Islanders 6-4. With 692 career goals, Ovechkin passed Mario Lemieux (690) for 10th on the all-time goal-scoring list and is tied for ninth place with Steve Yzerman. He’s also just the third player to score consecutive hat tricks three times, tying Wayne Gretzky for second place behind leader Joe Malone with four. Ovechkin is just two goals behind Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (36) for the league lead. Devon Toews had a goal and two assists for the Islanders.

Another milestone performance for Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin in a 6-4 win over the New York Islanders (Photo via NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin just keeps passing milestones on his way to 700 career goals. He needs just three goals to pass Mark Messier (694) for eighth place and should reach seventh-place Mike Gartner’s 708 before season’s end. Toews, meanwhile, poked the bear by mimicking Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov bird-dance goal celebration.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews scored twice and set up two others to lead his club over the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-2. Hawks rookie winger Dominik Kubalik scored twice to reach 20 goals on the season, while Patrick Kane picked up his 999th career point. The loss drops the Leafs (57 points) to 10th overall in the Eastern Conference, one point out of the final wild-card spot. The Blackhawks, meanwhile, move to within five points of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Give the Blackhawks credit, they’re not giving up on this season. The Leafs, meanwhile, are starting to look like they did before they changed coaches two months ago. Perhaps a trade is necessary to bolster the lineup or shake them up.

Elvis Merzlikins made 41 saves for his third shutout in four games backstopping the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-0 win over the New Jersey Devils. Cam Atkinson scored twice and collected an assist. The Jackets (58 points) hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Colorado Avalanche held off the St. Louis Blues 5-3, snapping the latter’s six-game win streak. Nathan MacKinnon and Andre Burakovsky each picked up a goal and an assist while Cale Makar set the Avalanche record for rookie defensemen with his 11th goal of the season.

Connor McDavid scored two goals, Riley Sheahan picked up four points and Josh Archibald three in the Edmonton Oilers’ 7-3 trouncing of the Arizona Coyotes. The Oilers have won five of their last six games. McDavid (76 points) holds a one-point lead over linemate Leon Draisaitl as the league’s leading scorer. Coyotes goalie Antti Raanta was pulled after giving up six goals in 18 shots. Meanwhile, there’s speculation the Oilers are closing in a four-year contract extension with winger Zack Kassian worth between $3.2-$3.5 million annually.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Critics will complain that’s too much money for too long for a player whose production is dependent upon his more talented linemates. Nevertheless, the Oilers consider him a faster, more affordable replacement for Milan Lucic, who was shipped to Calgary last summer. Given the steady increase in the salary cap, that projected contract isn’t that bad. However, it would push their 2020-21 salary-cap payroll to nearly $63 million invested in 13 players, with defensemen Darnell Nurse and Ethan Bear in line for raises and veteran goalie Mike Smith to be re-signed or replaced.

The Vancouver Canucks sit atop the Pacific Division with 58 points following a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Tanner Pearson, Adam Gaudette, and Jake Virtanen each had two points for the Canucks, who’ve won 11 of their last 14 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks still have their work cut out for them holding a playoff berth in the tightly-contested Pacific. With each game, however, they’re looking more and more like a postseason contender.

The Montreal Canadiens kept their playoff hopes alive in a 5-4 squeaker over the Vegas Golden Knights. The Habs blew 3-0 and 4-2 leads before Ilya Kovalchuk and Tomas Tatar scored in the shootout. Nick Cousins scored twice for the Canadiens (51 points), who sit six behind the third-place Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division. Golden Knights center Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist before losing some teeth after catching an errant stick in the mouth.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 27 saves backstopping the Florida Panthers to a 4-1 win over the lowly Detroit Red Wings. The Panthers have won four in a row but played without netminder Chris Driedger, who’s expected to miss several weeks with a groin injury. Wings center Dylan Larkin tallied his 100th career goal.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny scored two goals and James van Riemsdyk had three points to defeat the Los Angeles Kings 4-1. Claude Giroux chipped in the two helpers for the Flyers (58 points), who hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

The Nashville Predators edged the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 on Craig Smith’s third-period goal. The Sabres win streak ended at three games while captain Jack Eichel’s points streak ended at nine games.

Jason Zucker had a goal and two assists and Alex Stalock had a 27-save shutout as the Minnesota Wild thumped the Dallas Stars 7-0. With 50 points, the Wild are seven points out of a Western Conference wild-card berth. Stars defenseman Stephen Johns returned to action following a 22-month absence dealing with post-concussion symptoms.

The Ottawa Senators picked up their first victory in 10 games by dousing the Calgary Flames 5-2. Senators goaltender Marcus Hogberg kicked out 40 shots while Brady Tkachuk had a goal and an assist. Brother Matthew was held scoreless by the Sens.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Bruins center David Krejci (upper body) is expected to miss today’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Justin Williams is expected to return to the Carolina Hurricanes lineup today against the New York Islanders.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 18, 2020

by | Jan 18, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – January 18, 2020

Several suggested trade targets for the Bruins, the Leafs are reportedly interested in Rangers goalie Alexandar Georgiev, plus updates on the Sharks, Hurricanes, and Capitals in today’s NHL rumor mill.

FOUR PHYSICAL TRADE TARGETS FOR THE BRUINS

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Joe Haggerty lists the New York Rangers Chris Kreider, New Jersey Devils winger Miles Wood, Nashville Predators center Craig Smith, and Anaheim Ducks defenseman Josh Manson as four physical players the Bruins could target before the Feb. 24 trade deadline. He feels they need more physicality down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Should the Boston Bruins add more physicality by acquiring Anaheim Ducks defenseman Josh Manson? (Photo via NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kreider’s been linked to the Bruins in the media rumor mill for some time. I suspect he’s their prime target, but the Rangers could seek a good young player or quality prospect in return.

Wood or Smith would be more affordable options but lack Kreider’s scoring punch. Like Kreider, Smith’s eligible for unrestricted free agency in July. Manson and Wood have multiple years remaining on their respective contracts and might not be available. Manson’s 12-team no-trade list could also complicate things

LEAFS REPORTEDLY INTERESTED IN GEORGIEV

THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle reports the Toronto Maple Leafs inquired multiple times this season into the availability of New York Rangers goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. Given veteran Henrik Lundqvist’s status with the Rangers and promising Igor Shesterkin’s potential as a future starter, Georgiev’s appears the odd-man-out.

The Rangers seek a quality young NHL-ready player. The Leafs are willing to part with futures, but the Blueshirts seek someone like Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, or Alexander Kerfoot in return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs are desperate to find a reliable backup for Frederik Andersen. I can’t blame Rangers management for attempting to squeeze the Leafs for one of their good, young, affordable forwards. Nevertheless, that’s too high a price for Georgiev. As Mirtle points out, we don’t know what the 23-year-old netminder’s ceiling might be. He’ll be more enticing to the Leafs if the Blueshirts lower their asking price.

LATEST SHARKS SPECULATION

THE MERCURY NEWS: Curtis Pashelka recently opined San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson has little choice but to wave the white flag on this season and ship out a few parts of his roster before the trade deadline. He suggests pending UFAs Brenden Dillon and Melker Karlsson could be trade candidates.

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Kevin Kurz was asked about the trade statuses of Sharks such as goalie Aaron Dell, defenseman Richard Simek, and forwards Marcus Sorensen and Kevin Labanc. He doubts there’s much of a market for a struggling goalie like Dell. He doesn’t think they’ll move Simek as they’ll need his physical style should they ship out Dillon at the deadline. Sorensen probably doesn’t have much trade value, but there could be some for Labanc despite the drop in his production.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wilson reportedly isn’t interested in moving core players like Logan Couture, Evander Kane, Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl, Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. It seems Dillon and Melker Karlsson could draw the most interest, though they won’t fetch significant returns. Labanc would draw interest, but his RFA status this summer means Wilson isn’t under pressure to move him during the season, assuming he wants to trade the winger.

UPDATES ON THE HURRICANES AND CAPITALS

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Luke DeCock believes there’s no replacing sidelined Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton. The Hurricanes were in the market for a top-four blueliner before Hamilton suffered a fractured left fibula. DeCock believes the injury increases the urgency to find one.

Unfortunately, rival clubs know this and will set higher prices for their available rearguards. In the meantime, Jake Gardiner will get an opportunity to step up and fill some of that gap left by Hamilton’s absence.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: New Jersey’s Sami Vatanen, Los Angeles’ Alec Martinez, Chicago’s Erik Gustafsson and San Jose’s Brenden Dillon are the best playoff rental options if the Hurricanes wish to go that route.

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: In a recent mailbag segment, J.J. Regan dismissed the notion of the Washington Capitals trading Braden Holtby at the deadline for another goaltender or a top-four defenseman. He points to Holtby’s experience, including backstopping the Capitals to the 2018 Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals’ recent re-signing of center Nicklas Backstrom plus the rise of promising goalie Ilya Samsonov likely means this is Holtby’s last season in Washington. He’s a UFA at season’s end, doesn’t want to accept a hometown discount, and will be too expensive for the Caps to retain. Nevertheless, they’re still all-in for another Cup run this season. Given Samsonov’s playoff inexperience, they’ll need Holtby as insurance.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 18, 2020

by | Jan 18, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 18, 2020

Game recaps, Dougie Hamilton sidelined by a fractured fibula, Dave Backes on waivers, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli tallied his first career NHL hat trick as his club crushed the Winnipeg Jets 7-1. Nikita Kucherov scored twice, Ondrej Palat collected three assists, and Andrei Vasilevskiy picked up his 10th straight win.

Anthony Cirelli’s first NHL hat trick carried the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Winnipeg Jets 7-1 (Photo via NHL Images).

Sidney Crosby scored in overtime as the Pittsburgh Penguins edged the Detroit Red Wings 2-1. He has six points in three games since returning from core muscle surgery. Bryan Rust’s 20th goal of the season tied the game and forced the extra period.

Anaheim Ducks center Sam Steel’s overtime goal lifted his club over the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1. It was the Hurricanes’ first game since losing defenseman Dougie Hamilton to a fractured left fibula. Teammate Jaccob Slavin will replace Hamilton at the upcoming 2020 NHL All-Star Game in St. Louis.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hamilton’s injury leaves a gaping hole in the Hurricanes’ blue line. With 40 points in 47 games, he’s the Canes’ highest-scoring defenseman and was well on his way to a career year. I’ll have more on the Hurricanes in the Rumors section.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: The Edmonton Oilers are reportedly nearing a contract extension with Zack Kassian. The 28-year-old winger is completing a three-year contract worth $1.95-million annually and is due to become an unrestricted free agent in July. It’s assumed the deal will be announced before the trade deadline on Feb. 24. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kassian’s a big-bodied forward with 20-goal potential who plays a physical style and is popular among his teammates. It’ll be interesting to see how much of a raise he receives. It could be a five-year deal worth $4 million annually.

Nashville Predators winger Viktor Arvidsson was fined $2,000.00 by the league’s department of player safety under the league’s rules regarding diving and embellishment.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: The Bruins placed veteran winger David Backes on waivers for the purpose of assigning him to their AHL affiliate in Providence.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Backes played infrequently this season due to his injury history and declining performance. His demotion will clear $1 million of his $6-million salary-cap hit from the Bruins’ books for the rest of the season. Backes could be bought out of the final season of his contract in June.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning placed defenseman Luke Schenn on waivers.

STLTODAY.COM: St. Louis Blues defenseman Carl Gunnarsson will return to the roster tonight after a 15-game absence in part because of an upper-body injury.

NBC SPORTS: Some good-natured billboard trolling between Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers fans has raised over $50K for various charities.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets TSN analyst Kevin Sawyer will address criticism regarding comments he made two weeks ago about an apparent hazing incident involving Jared Spurgeon during the Minnesota Wild defenseman’s junior hockey days. “Favourite story of Jared Spurgeon,” Sawyer began. “He was a 15-year-old. Two months into the season we saran-wrapped him to a pillar in the arena, about six feet up in the air … he was tiny. He looked like he was 12.”










What We Learned This Week in The NHL: Week 15

by | Jan 18, 2020

What We Learned This Week in The NHL: Week 15

 










What Can The Maple Leafs Do to Bolster Their NHL Roster?

by | Jan 17, 2020

What Can The Maple Leafs Do to Bolster Their NHL Roster?

 










NHL Rumor Mill – January 17, 2020

by | Jan 17, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – January 17, 2020

Are the Oilers eying one of the Leafs’ affordable young forwards? Are the Flames interested in Kings’ winger Tyler Toffoli? Could Wild defenseman Matt Dumba become trade bait? Check out the latest in today’s NHL rumor mill.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM LATEST “INSIDER TRADING”

TSN: Darren Dreger believes the Edmonton Oilers will keep a close eye on what happens with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He notes there’s speculation surrounding Leafs forwards Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson and maybe Alex Kerfoot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers seek secondary scoring depth. It’s assumed the Leafs would have to move one of those young forwards to bring in a skilled top-four defenseman, something I don’t believe the Oilers have enough to spare right now. The Leafs might part with Kapanen, Johnsson, or Kerfoot for someone like Darnell Nurse, but I don’t see the Oilers agreeing to that. 

Could Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba be moved before the trade deadline? (Photo via NHL Images)

Dreger also said he’s been told Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin is open for business. Part of the trade bait could include defenseman Matt Dumba.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Michael Russo also believes Guerin is open for business. He thinks rival GMs are wondering if players like Dumba or Jason Zucker are available. Russo also believes blueliner Jonas Brodin could be getting some interest from the Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, and Vegas Golden Knights.

Dumba would draw plenty of interest in the trade market, but it would be a mistake to move him. He’s a 25-year-old defenseman with the talent to become the linchpin of their blueline for years. Perhaps he’ll benefit from a coaching change instead of a trade.

Pierre LeBrun reports the Calgary Flames are hoping to add a top-six forward with a right-hand shot before the Feb. 24 trade deadline. He believes they have interest in Los Angeles Kings winger Tyler Toffoli, among others.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toffoli would fit the bill for the Flames. I expect the Kings will want at least a decent draft pick and a quality prospect or young NHL-ready player in return.

Bob McKenzie reports the Chicago Blackhawks are facing a big decision between goaltenders Corey Crawford and Robin Lehner. Both will become unrestricted free agents in July. Lehner indicated he won’t take a hometown discount and wants a lucrative long-term deal. Crawford, meanwhile, indicated he has no intention of being anyone’s backup. McKenzie wonders if GM Stan Bowman will trade one of them and which one he’ll sign.

Pierre LeBrun believes the Carolina Hurricanes could be interested in Lehner if he hits the open market in July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crawford was a key reason behind the Blackhawks last two Stanley Cup championships, but he’s now 35 and being outplayed by the 28-year-old Lehner, who was a Vezina Trophy finalist last season. While Bowman could still have loyalty toward Crawford, re-signing Lehner is the right move.

UPDATES ON THE FLYERS

NBC SPORTS PHILADEPHIA/THE ATHLETIC: Jordan Hall and Charlie O’Connor reports the Flyers’ limited salary-cap space will make it difficult for GM Chuck Fletcher to become a buyer leading up to the trade deadline. The Flyers need at least another top-nine forward, preferably a center, but Cap Friendly indicates they only have around $580K in deadline cap room. Unless they can ship out a higher-price veteran, or convince a rival club to absorb half of an incoming player’s salary-cap hit, they could be forced to acquire a lower-salaried depth player or look to within their system.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Several Flyers fans in recent days asked me if I think their club will make a big move by the deadline. Unless GM Chuck Fletcher can get creative or swings a dollar-in, dollar-out deal that improves his roster, I think his hands are tied by the salary cap for this season.