NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 13, 2020

by | Jan 13, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 13, 2020

The Devils fire GM Ray Shero, Jonathan Huberdeau become the highest-scoring Panther in franchise history, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The New Jersey Devils 3-1 upset of the Tampa Bay Lightning was overshadowed by their firing of general manager Ray Shero an hour before game time. Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald takes over on an interim basis while Martin Brodeur moved to a role in hockey operations. The Devils’ victory brought the Lightning’s 10-game win streak to an end. The Devils also recalled goaltender Cory Schneider. Winger Kyle Palmieri missed the game with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shero’s firing caught many observers off-guard. Ownership didn’t cite any specific reason, other than the club’s poor record this season. With the club poised to miss the playoffs for the fourth time in five years under Shero, they felt it was time for a change in the front office.

Shero made several positive moves during his tenure with the Devils, including the acquisitions of Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri and taking Nico Hischier with the first-overall pick in the 2017 Draft. However, his inability to suitably address his club’s defensive and goaltending issues hampered their development and led to his downfall. I’ll have more on the Devils in the Rumors section.

The New Jersey Devils fired general manager Ray Shero (Photo via NHL.com).

Florida Panthers winger Jonathan Huberdeau became the highest-scoring player in franchise history in an 8-4 thumping of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Huberdeau scored and collected an assist for his 420th point, surpassing Olli Jokinen as their all-time points leader. Mike Hoffman scored twice while Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck each had a goal and two assists. Mitch Marner scored twice for the Leafs.

Earlier in the day, the Panthers called up goaltender Sam Montembeault as starter Sergei Bobrovsky was sidelined with an upper-body injury suffered during Saturday’s practice. Leafs forward Andreas Johnsson returned to the lineup after missing 15 games with a leg injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 61 points, Huberdeau is enjoying a career season thus far. The 26-year-old left winger is among the league’s top-10 scorers and on pace for a career-high 110 points.

Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat scored twice to lead his club to a 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. J.T. Miller picked up two assists for the Canucks, who moved into third place (54 points) in the Pacific Division. Wild defenseman Greg Patertyn made his season debut after missing 44 games to core muscle surgery.

Teddy Blueger’s shootout goal gave the Pittsburgh Penguins a 4-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Evgeni Malkin collected two assists for the Penguins (61 points), who move within four points of the Washington Capitals for first place in the Metropolitan Division. Niklas Hjalmarsson returned to the Coyotes lineup after missing 43 games with a lower-body injury.

Jusse Saros had a 28-save shutout and Kyle Turris scored the only goal as the Nashville Predators blanked the Winnipeg Jets 1-0. Predators captain Roman Josi’s points streak ended at 12 games. Jets defenseman Tucker Poolman left the game in the first period with an injured right leg.

The Buffalo Sabres rolled to a 5-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings, Evan Rodrigues tallied twice while teammate Jack Eichel picked up an assist to stretch his points streak to seven games. The Wings played without goaltender Jonathan Bernier, who’s dealing with a lower-body injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: Edmonton Oilers winger Zack Kassian will have a hearing today with the NHL’s department of player safety regarding his altercation with Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk on Saturday. Kassian took offense to two hits from Tkachuk, punching the Flames winger and throwing him twice to the ice.

TSN: New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba was fined $5,000.00 for slashing St. Louis Blues defenseman Vince Dunn on Saturday.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars defenseman Stephen Johns played his first game in 22 months with their AHL affiliate Texas Stars. Johns had been sidelined by post-concussion headaches.










Devils Fire GM Shero, Who Leaves a Nice Cache of Talent For Successor

by | Jan 13, 2020

Devils Fire GM Shero, Who Leaves a Nice Cache of Talent For Successor

 










Leafs, Lightning Look To Be On Stanley Cup Collision Course

by | Jan 12, 2020

Leafs, Lightning Look To Be On Stanley Cup Collision Course

 










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – January 12, 2020

by | Jan 12, 2020

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – January 12, 2020

More speculation on the Canadiens, Rangers, Leafs, Golden Knights, Sharks, and Ducks in the Sunday NHL rumor roundup.

SHOULD THE CANADIENS SHOP PRICE AND WEBER?

LE JOURNAL DE MONTREAL: Michel Bergeron believes it’s time for the Montreal Canadiens to consider trading goaltender Carey Price and defenseman Shea Weber. Bergeron points to Price’s obvious frustration as the club continues to struggle on the ice. He points out Price and Weber aren’t getting any younger, suggesting management sit down with both players to find places where they’ll each have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. Price has a full no-movement clause, but Bergeron believes he could waive it to join a contender.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks suggests the Carolina Hurricanes should at least look into acquiring Price or New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, though he doesn’t see any scenario where Lundqvist leaves New York. He doesn’t see the Hurricanes winning the Stanley Cup with the tandem of Petr Mrazek and James Reimer.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin is expected to wait until the club’s pre-All Star break before meeting with his staff to determine their plans.

Should the Montreal Canadiens consider shopping Shea Weber? (Photo via NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t see the Canadiens putting Price or Weber on the trade block unless they ask to be moved. Given their expensive contracts, however, I don’t believe those are moves that can be made during the season. Those types of deals tend to take place in the offseason when teams have more salary-cap room and more willingness to spend.

Even then, it won’t be easy to move either player. The Habs would probably have to absorb a portion of their annual average salary to facilitate a deal or take back an expensive contract in return. 

RANGERS WILLING TO ENTERTAIN OFFERS FOR GEORGIEV

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports teams have been told the New York Rangers are willing to take calls on goaltender Alexandar Georgiev if what’s being offered impresses them. He believes the asking price could be a young NHL-ready forward or one who’s close to it.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks wonders if the Tampa Bay Lightning might be interested in a package of Georgiev and Chris Kreider. The problem for the Rangers, however, is the Bolts would be reluctant to part with a meaningful player to add another. The Blueshirts could load up on draft picks, but that return isn’t likely to help them push for the playoffs over the next couple of years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Until promising Igor Shesterkin made his recent impressive NHL debut, I didn’t see the Rangers moving Georgiev while they were in the chase for a wild-card spot. It appears their position has changed. If they get a return they like, Georgiev could be moved before the Feb. 24 trade deadline.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS IN THE MARKET FOR A DEFENSEMAN

THE ATHLETIC: Jesse Granger reports league sources are claiming the Vegas Golden Knights are shopping around for a top-four defenseman to take some pressure off Nate Schmidt and Shea Theodore. Given their limited salary-cap space, Granger believes it’ll have to be a dollar-for-dollar swap. He feels a deal could happen at any time between now and the Feb. 24 trade deadline.

Granger suggested the New York Rangers’ Anthony DeAngelo as one of the most attractive defensemen potentially available in the trade market. His puck-moving skills and low salary for this season ($925K) would make him a perfect fit. Another would be the New Jersey Devils’ Sami Vatanen, though his $4.875 million salary-cap hit and pending UFA status could rule him out.

Other sugessted options are Los Angeles’ Alex Martinez, San Jose’s Brenden Dillon, Chicago Erik Gustafsson, and Carolina’s Jake Gardiner.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vegas’ cap limitations will force GM Kelly McCrimmon to get creative. He could be forced to ship out a decent salaried forward to bring in that top-four rearguard.

I’m surprised to see DeAngelo mentioned as a trade candidate. Granger believes his defensive play is why he could be available in the first place. His restricted free agent status with salary-arbitration rights could be another. The Rangers aren’t under any pressure to move DeAngelo now, but his situation could be worth monitoring in the coming weeks.

SHARKS, DUCKS COULD BE BUSY IN THE TRADE MARKET

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the San Jose Sharks hope to contend next season if they fail to reach the playoffs this year. They don’t intend on moving any of their core players. They’re willing to talk about pending UFAs like defenseman Brenden Dillon and forward Melker Karlsson. Friedman said the Toronto Maple Leafs could be kicking the tires on Dillon.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dillon’s annual average value is $3.27 million. The Leafs have over $1.3 million in projected trade-deadline cap space.

The Anaheim Ducks, meanwhile, have let it known they’re willing to use their salary-cap space to help other clubs with limited cap room. However, they’ll also want good, young assets as part of the return.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 12, 2020

by | Jan 12, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 12, 2020

Patrick Marleau reaches a notable milestone, bad blood between Matthew Tkachuk and Zack Kassian, the “Last Men In” for the 2020 NHL All-Star Game are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: San Jose Sharks winger Patrick Marleau scored the winning goal in his 1,700th career NHL game as his club defeated the Dallas Stars 3-2. Marleau is just the fifth player in NHL history to reach that milestone. Gordie Howe is the all-time leader with 1,767 games. Before the game, Stars center and former Sharks captain Joe Pavelski received a lengthy standing ovation from the San Jose fans in his first game against his old club. Pavelski spent 13 seasons with the Sharks before signing with the Stars last summer as a free agent.

San Jose Sharks winger Patrick Marleau scored in his 1.700th career NHL game (Photo via NHL Images).

The Calgary Flames rolled to their fifth straight win by nipping the Edmonton Oilers 4-3. Elias Lindholm scored twice, including the game-winner in the third period. Oilers captain Connor McDavid’s first-period highlight-reel goal was overshadowed by teammate Zack Kassian raining punches on Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk in the second period after Tkachuk nailed Kassian with a big hit behind the Flames’ net. The two had choice words for each other during their post-game interviews.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Another shot fired in the ongoing Battle of Alberta. The two clubs face off in back-to-back games on Jan. 29 and Feb. 1. Circle your calendars, folks, this series should be a dandy.

The Tampa Bay Lightning picked up their 10th straight win by blanking the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0. Andrei Vasilevskiy turned in a 23-save shutout while Pat Maroon tallied the only goal. Maroon subsequently left the game with an apparent right-shoulder injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The red-hot Lightning (58 points) have surged past the Toronto Maple Leafs into second place in the Atlantic Division.

The St. Louis Blues picked up their eighth straight home victory by downing the New York Rangers 5-2. David Perron extended his goal streak to four games while Alex Pietrangelo, Brayden Schenn, Zach Sanford, and Ivan Barbashev each collected two points.

Four third-period goals by J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Jake Virtanen, and Loui Eriksson lifted the Vancouver Canucks to a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Boeser tallied two goals on the afternoon, while Sabres captain Jack Eichel collected two assists to extend his points streak to six games.

Patrice Bergeron scored in overtime as the Boston Bruins edged the New York Islanders 3-2. Isles center Mathew Barzal had two points in a losing cause. Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

Caroina Hurricanes goalie James Reimer kicked out 42 shots to blank the Los Angeles Kings 2-0. Nino Niederreiter and Teuvo Teravainen were the goal scorers. The Hurricanes have won three straight.

Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Elvis Merzlikins made 27 saves for his first NHL shutout in a 3-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Emil Bemstrom, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Alexander Wennberg were the goal scorers. The Jackets have won 15 of their last 17 games.

Nico Hischier scored twice as the New Jersey Devils upset the Washington Capitals 5-1. Louis Domingue picked up the win with 33 saves as Mackenzie Blackwood missed the game with an upper-body injury.

Dominik Kubalik scored twice and Robin Lehner made 35 saves as the Chicago Blackhawks doubled up the Anaheim Ducks 4-2. The Ducks have lost six of their last seven contests.

Ilya Kovalchuk’s first goal as a Montreal Canadien was the game-winner in a 2-1 overtime squeaker over the Ottawa Senators. It was the Habs first win in nine games while the Senators have dropped seven in a row. Canadiens goalie Carey Price made 41 saves.

IN OTHER NEWS…

St. Louis Blues winger David Perron, Washington Capitals winger T.J. Oshie, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, and Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes were voted by NHL fans as the Last Men In for the 2020 NHL All-Star Game in St. Louis on Jan. 25.

TORONTO SUN: Toronto Marlies assistant coach Rob Davison was released from the hospital yesterday following a grand mal seizure before Friday’s AHL game against the Texas Stars. He’s returning to Toronto and will be away from the club indefinitely.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Davison in his recovery. I have a family member who suffered similar seizures, so I know how scary it must have been for the Marlies players and staff to witness what he went through.

NEW YORK POST: Former NBC NHL analyst Jeremy Roenick apologized for joking about wanting to have a sexual threesome with colleague Kathryn Tappen on a podcast in late December.

OTTAWA SUN: On Friday, the Senators named Jim Little as their new CEO. He’s a former executive with Shaw Communications.










Updates on NHL Players Who Have Requested Trades This Season

by | Jan 12, 2020

Updates on NHL Players Who Have Requested Trades This Season