NHL Rumor Mill – December 13, 2024

by | Dec 13, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – December 13, 2024

​Check out the latest on the Sabres, Hurricanes and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST SABRES SPECULATION

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Buffalo Sabres are getting calls from other teams about Dylan Cozens. The 23-year-old right-shot center is two years removed from a 30-goal season but he’s struggling in 2024-25. He has five years left on his contract with an average annual value of $7.1 million, which Friedman believes helps his value in the trade market.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports no sense of panic among the Sabres’ organization despite their difficulties. Teams are calling in for promising young players like Jack Quinn but general manager Kevyn Adams isn’t moving him. He’s open to a trade that helps his team now but doesn’t want to force things.

THE ATHLETIC: Matthew Fairburn wonders what move could set the Sabres back after missing the playoffs for 13 consecutive seasons. They’re closer to last place in the league this season than they are to a playoff berth.

Buffalo Sabres forward Dylan Cozens (NHL Images).

Fairburn cited Adams saying he didn’t spend his $7 million in cap space because Quinn, forward JJ Peterka and goalie Devon Levi are restricted free agents next summer. However, Quinn has one goal this season, Peterka has one goal in his last 13 games, and Levi is back in the AHL.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There are plenty of reasons why the Sabres have struggled over the years, from meddling ownership to poor management to a revolving door of coaches. The issue now is whether Adams and head coach Lindy Ruff can find a way to turn things around before their postseason drought stretches to 14 years and counting.

HURRICANES SHOPPING FOR A GOALTENDER

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Carolina Hurricanes had discussions with the San Jose Sharks about Mackenzie Blackwood before the 28-year-old goaltender was traded to the Colorado Avalanche. They’re seeking insurance for starter Pyotr Kochetkov.

LeBrun mentioned Dan Vladar of the Calgary Flames, Anton Forsberg of the Ottawa Senators and Karel Vejmelka of the Utah Hockey Club as options. However, none of those teams are ready to be sellers.

The Hurricanes have spoken to the Anaheim Ducks about John Gibson. However, the asking price will have to go down before

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman also noted the Hurricanes’ interest in Gibson. He said there’s been an on-again, off-again courtship between the Hurricanes and Ducks over Gibson for years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson has a 10-team no-trade list but these reports suggest the Hurricanes are on that list. The Hurricanes could prefer the Ducks retain part of his $6.4 million average annual value through 2026-27, but the Ducks could seek something substantial to make salary retention worthwhile.

RUMOR TIDBITS FROM THE LATEST “32 THOUGHTS” COLUMN

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello isn’t tipping his hand about potential moves this season. His peers find it hard to believe that Lamoriello would move pending UFA center Brock Nelson if the Isles remain in playoff contention.

The Dallas Stars are expected to utilize its extra salary-cap space while Tyler Seguin recovers from hip surgery. Friedman indicates they’re doing due diligence on what centers and right-shot defensemen are available.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars are expected to put Seguin on long-term injury reserve and use the salary-cap savings to bolster their roster for the playoffs. Seguin is out for four to six months.

The Vancouver Canucks are trying to find a better fit for Vincent Desharnais. It hasn’t worked out as hoped for the 28-year-old defenseman, who signed a two-year contract in the offseason with the Canucks.

Seattle Kraken defenseman Will Borgen is being scouted as a potential depth addition.

Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz is doing all he can to avoid making head coach Andrew Brunette the fall guy for the club’s struggles this season. Friedman speculated that little-used forward Juuso Parssinen could follow Dante Fabbro and Philip Tomasino out of Nashville.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trotz might not have much choice if the losses keep mounting.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 13, 2024

by | Dec 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 13, 2024

A four-goal performance for Scott Laughton, a six-point game for Nikita Kucherov, and much more as we recap a busy Thursday night in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Scott Laughton tied a Philadelphia Flyers record with a four-goal performance to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1. Travis Konecny collected two assists for the Flyers, who hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 32 points). Ben Chiarot replied for the Red Wings, who’ve dropped six of their last seven games (1-4-2).

Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laughton became the 17th player in Flyers history to score four times in a game and the first to do so since John LeClair in 2002-03. He also passed the 100-goal milestone.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had a six-point performance (one goal, five assists) in an 8-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. Jake Guentzel tallied a hat trick, Anthony Cirelli had a goal and two assists, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves as he became the first Lightning goaltender to play 500 regular-season games. Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and an assist and Nazem Kadri got his 10th of the season for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Victor Hedman missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. The Bolts hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 32 points while the Flames (33 points) sit one point behind the Colorado Avalanche for the final Western wild-card spot.

Six unanswered third-period goals powered the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Montreal Canadiens 9-2. Bryan Rust had a hat trick and picked up an assist while Rickard Rakell scored twice and collected two helpers. Nick Suzuki and Joel Armia scored for the Canadiens as they remain in last place in the Eastern Conference with 25 points.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl had a goal and three assists as his club thumped the Minnesota Wild 7-1. Connor McDavid, Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse and Vasily Podkolzin each had two assists for the Oilers and Calvin Pickard made 20 saves for the win. Frederick Gaudreau replied for the Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bouchard left the game late in the third period after being knocked into the goal post by a dirty hit from Wild forward Ryan Hartman. Earlier in the day, the Oilers placed defenseman Travis Dermott on waivers. Meanwhile, Wild defenseman Jake Middleton left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

The Vancouver Canucks blanked the Florida Panthers 4-0 on a 27-save shutout performance by Kevin Lankinen. J.T. Miller collected two assists as he returned to the Canucks following a leave of absence. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 15 shots for the Panthers as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks forward Teddy Blueger’s mother Jana was also a winner, taking home over $100K as she won the Canucks nightly 50-50 draw. She’s visiting from Latvia and attended last night’s game to watch her son.

San Jose Sharks rookie center Macklin Celebrini scored two goals and an assist in a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev stopped 17 shots and Nikolai Kovalenko collected three assists in their Sharks debut as their new club snapped a three-game losing skid. Blues forward Jake Neighbours had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks forward Klim Kostin left the game with an undisclosed injury. Blues forward Radek Faksa missed this contest with a groin injury.

The Toronto Maple Leafs nipped the Anaheim Ducks 3-2. Max Pacioretty led the way with two goals and an assist and Joseph Woll turned aside 19 shots for the win. Jackson Lacombe had a goal and an assist for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Woll replaced Anthony Stolarz as he left the game after the first period with a lower-body injury. He’ll be reevaluated on Friday. Before this game, the Leafs activated defenseman Jake McCabe (upper body) from injured reserve. Meanwhile, the Ducks announced that sidelined forward Trevor Zegras will miss six weeks following knee surgery. They also activated forward Robby Fabbri (knee surgery) off injured reserve.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes had a goal and two assists in a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, snapping the latter’s six-game win streak. Ondrej Palat had a goal and an assist for the Devils, who sit second overall in the Eastern Conference with 41 points. Jordan Spence replied for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils scratched forward Tomas Tatar in favor of getting Kurtis MacDermid into the lineup.

Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas tallied twice, including the winner in overtime, to lead his team over the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1. Jakob Chychrun had two assists and Charlie Lindgren kicked out 32 shots as the Capitals (42 points) hold first place in the Eastern Conference. Zach Werenski scored for the Blue Jackets as they’ve dropped five of their last six.

New York Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom had a goal and two assists as his club held on for a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves and Jean-Gabriel Pageau had three assists for the Islanders. Tyler Bertuzzi tallied twice and Connor Bedard had a goal and two assists for the Blackhawks, who’ve dropped seven of their last 10 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Isles head coach Patrick Roy was fuming over his club’s performance in the final eight minutes of the third period as the Blackhawks scored three goals to make it interesting. “In my day, if my team would have done that to me, I would break a stick in that room,” said Roy. “Our goalie (Sorokin) deserved more respect than this from ourselves.”

The Nashville Predators got two goals and an assist from Ryan O’Reilly in a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Justus Annunen made 35 saves for his first win with the Predators as they snapped an eight-game winless skid (0-5-3). Stars rookie Lian Bichsel tallied his first NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators played without defensemen Alexandre Carrier and Roman Josi. Carrier is week-to-week with an upper-body injury while team captain Josi (lower body) is day-to-day. Stars defenseman Matt Dumba missed this game with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Ivan Barbashev lifted the Vegas Golden Knights over the Winnipeg Jets 3-2. Victor Olofsson tied the game late in the third for Vegas while teammate Shea Theodore collected two assists. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 33 shots for the Jets, who hold first place in the Central Division with 43 points.

The Utah Hockey Club rolled to a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Dylan Guenther had two goals and an assist and Karel Vejmelka stopped 23 shots for his club’s fifth straight road win. Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche as their three-game win streak ended. They’re clinging to the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 34 points.

Seattle Kraken forward Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice to beat the Boston Bruins 5-1. Philipp Grubauer stopped 33 shots as the Kraken are 4-1-1 in their last six games. Bruins captain Brad Marchand scored on a penalty shot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins center Elias Lindholm left this game with an upper-body injury.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 12, 2024

by | Dec 12, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – December 12, 2024

A look at some intriguing trade candidates and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Nick Kypreos released his first trade board of the 2024-25 NHL season. He’s broken his list down into several categories.

Under “Intriguing Names to Watch,” Kypreos includes Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett, Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot, San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro, and Nashville Predators blueliner Alexandre Carrier.

Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett (NHL Images).

Bennett is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. Kypreos indicates there’s a risk the Panthers could lose him to the UFA market which isn’t appealing to general manager Bill Zito. From what Kypreos has been told, Zito will listen to offers.

Kypreos believes the Colorado Avalanche would pursue Bennett to fill the void of Gabriel Landeskog’s ongoing absence. He also speculated the Dallas Stars would seek a replacement for sidelined forward Tyler Seguin, wondering if they’d part with Mason Marchment to get Bennett.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trading Bennett before the March 7 deadline would be a bold move by Zito. However, I don’t see him going that route with his club attempting to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. The return would have to be significant. Marchment might do it but the Stars could be reluctant to part with him.

Kypreos thinks the Senators could make a big trade involving Chabot to shake things up if they’re out of playoff contention by the deadline. He has three years left on his contract with a 10-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A Chabot trade is more likely to occur in the offseason when teams have the cap space to take on his $8 million annual salary-cap hit. The Senators could retain half of it but having $4 million in dead cap space for each of the next three seasons might not appeal to them.

Ferraro surfaced in trade rumors last season and will be present again in 2024-25. The 26-year-old Sharks blueliner has a year left on his contract with an average annual value of $3.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks could entertain offers for Ferraro if he intends to test the market in 2026.

If the Predators continue to struggled they could be forced to make some changes. Carrier has two years left on his contract with an AAV of $3.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carrier also surfaced in last season’s rumor mill before he signed his current contract with the Predators.

Kypreos also included Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson and Nazem Kadri, New York Islanders center Brock Nelson, Senators center Josh Norris, Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler, New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider, and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.

Those players have frequently appeared here and on other trade boards in recent weeks so there was no point in rehashing their situations.

Kypreos also listed the pending UFAs likely to be trade candidates. They include Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov and forward Mathieu Olivier, Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers, Pittsburgh Penguins blueliner Marcus Pettersson, the Islanders’ Brock Nelson, Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall, Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde and winger Brandon Tanev, Ducks forward Frank Vatrano, and Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: These players have frequently appeared here and on other trade boards because of their pending UFA status.

The Jets could hang onto Ehlers as an own rental as they attempt to stage a run for the Cup this season. The Islanders could also hang onto Nelson if they’re in playoff contention by the deadline. Kypreos noted that Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell downplayed the Olivier rumors and is working on re-signing him.

Kypreos suggested the Kraken could attempt to peddle goaltender Philipp Grubauer. They’ll have to retain part of his $5.9 million AAV that runs through 2026-27. The Kraken could buy him out this summer if they find no takers in the trade market.

The Ducks’ John Gibson was included with Grubauer as two goalies of note in the market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s not impossible to move Grubauer or Gibson during the season but such attempts are more likely in the offseason. It’s possible they’re both bought out this summer if there’s no trade market for their services.

Kypreos also listed energy players like the Flyers’ Scott Laughton, the Sharks’ Barclay Goodrow, and the Penguins’ Drew O’Connor.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laughton and Goodrow have term left on their contracts which could make it tougher to move them during the season. O’Connor is UFA-eligible and more likely to move.

TORONTO STAR: Kypreos also reports it sounds unlikely the Ducks will attempt to flip recently acquired defenseman Jacob Trouba at the trade deadline. He claims they see him as a big part of their rebuild plus it will provide his wife with wonderful opportunities in the medical field. Kypreos claims the Ducks are exploring signing Trouba to a contract extension on July 1.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2024

by | Dec 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2024

Recaps of Wednesday’s games and the latest on Kirill Kaprizov, Tom Wilson and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators winger Drake Batherson had a four-point night, including a natural hat trick, to lead his club to a 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Batherson also tallied his 100th NHL goal. Linus Ullmark made 31 saves while teammates Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle each had two points as the Senators have won three of their last four games. Cutter Gauthier scored and John Gibson stopped 29 shots for the Ducks, who’ve lost four straight (0-3-1).

Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The win gives the Senators 28 points (13-13-2), putting them within two points of a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

The New York Rangers nipped the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in the battle of two struggling clubs. Mika Zibanejad netted his 300th career regular-season goal and Adam Fox had a goal and two assists for the Rangers, who picked up their third win in their last 11 games. Owen Power and Tage Thompson replied for the Sabres, who have lost eight straight games (0-5-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres were in third place in the Atlantic Division before their losing skid began. If the Montreal Canadiens defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, the Sabres will drop into last place in the Eastern Conference.

Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff is pushing every button trying to snap his club out of its funk. He benched defenseman Owen Power and forward JJ Peterka for parts of this game. Power’s turnover in the first period led to Zibanejad’s goal, earning him a seat on the bench for the rest of the period.

The win leaves the Rangers (31 points) holding the first wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Defenseman K’Andre Miller left the game in the third period with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update on his condition.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold is committed to getting franchise superstar Kirill Kaprizov signed to a contract extension.

“Well, it’s a priority,” said Leipold. He indicated the 27-year-old winger is “a big part of our future.” Leipold said he’s discussed Kaprizov’s next contract with general manager Bill Guerin as they try to figure out what the salary cap is going to be. “It’s an important part of our strategic plan to get him signed for as long as we can.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov is signed through 2025-26 with an average annual value of $9 million. He can sign an extension with the Wild on July 1, 2025.

Kaprizov is jockeying for the NHL scoring lead, making him an early favorite to win the Hart Memorial Trophy, something no Wild player has ever done. If he takes home the Hart, the cost of signing him will rise considerably, making him one of the league’s highest-paid stars.

Leipold and Guerin will want to know next season’s salary cap as that will give them a better idea of what it could be in 2026-27, the first season of Kaprizov’s next contract.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman projected the cap could rise by five percent to $92.4 million in 2025-26 as mandated in the CBA. He hinted it could go beyond that if the league and the NHL Players’ Association agree to increase it beyond the five percent limit. The higher the cap rises for next season, the higher it’ll go in 2026-27, giving the Wild more room to accommodate Kaprizov’s next contract.

SPORTSNET: Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson suffered a small fracture to his sinus cavity during Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. He went briefly to the locker room but returned and finished the game. His face swelled up and got worse on the flight back to Washington. However, he returned to practice on Wednesday wearing a bubble mask.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Columbus Blue Jackets placed forward Yegor Chinakhov (upper body) on injured reserve and recalled goaltender Jet Greaves from their AHL affiliate in Cleveland.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Jets forward David Gustafsson suffered a concussion after taking a punch to the jaw from Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic on Tuesday. He missed practice on Wednesday and is in concussion protocol.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs placed forward Alex Nylander on waivers. The younger brother of Leafs star William Nylander has no points in five games seeing limited playing time.

NHL.COM: David Bonderman, who led the ownership group that brought the Seattle Kraken into existence, passed away on Wednesday at 82.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 11, 2024

by | Dec 11, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – December 11, 2024

Check out the latest on the Rangers, Stars, and Canadiens in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE RANGERS?

THE SCORE: John Matisz cited ESPN’s Emily Kaplan recently mentioned hearing four New York Rangers – forwards Kaapo Kakko, Chris Kreider and Reilly Smith, and defenseman Ryan Lindgren – could be trade chips. Her report came Friday after the Rangers shipped Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks.

New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider (NHL Images).

Matisz also cited Rangers general manager Chris Drury telling reporters his club wasn’t opposed to making other moves. However, he wanted to let the dust settle a bit after everything the struggling club has been through over the past couple of weeks.

THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple wondered what Drury’s next move would be after the Rangers lost to the Seattle Kraken and Chicago Blackhawks.

Staple wondered if the players had tuned out head coach Peter Laviolette. He claimed a league source told him Laviolette was safe. However, things can change quickly. Staple believes changing coaches would shift the blame for the club’s recent difficulties behind the bench rather than on it.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A coaching change could be all Drury has left if the losses pile up and he can’t get decent returns for those rumored trade chips. No one’s going to throw him a lifeline in the trade market.

WILL THE STARS GO “BIG GAME HUNTING” TO REPLACE TYLER SEGUIN?

DAILY FACEOFF: Jeff Marek believes the Dallas Stars will go big game hunting to replace sidelined forward Tyler Seguin. He believes that GM Jim Nill will be aggressive with his salary-cap space as the club is in “win-now” mode.

Pursuing a big-ticket player means giving to get, and that could mean parting with a good young player like Logan Stankoven, Mavrik Bourque and Lian Bichsel.

Marek speculates Nill could wait until after the 4 Nations Face-Off in February in case Jake Oettinger gets injured in that tournament. The Stars goaltender has been selected to play for Team USA. Marek can also see Nill looking for toughness among his checking lines, suggesting Mathieu Olivier of the Columbus Blue Jackets as a trade target.

Marek’s colleague Colby Cohen suggests Nill pursue Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri and defenseman Rasmus Andersson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars could accrue over $6 million in cap space by the trade deadline without having to place Seguin and his $9.875 million cap hit on long-term injury reserve. Nevertheless, it’s expected Nill will put Seguin on LTIR and use those savings to bolster his roster for a Cup run next spring, most likely targeting pending free agents on non-contending clubs.

The Flames probably won’t part with Kadri and Andersson if they’re in playoff contention by the March 7 trade deadline. Of the two, Andersson could be the more likely to move. He’s signed through next season with an AAV of $4.55 million and a six-team no-trade list. That’s assuming Flames GM Craig Conroy believes Andersson could prove too expensive to retain or intends to test the market in 2026.

Meanwhile, Kadri’s contract is a potential stumbling block. He is signed through 2028-29 with an AAV of $7 million and a full no-movement clause. He told reporters during training camp to pump the brakes on the trade rumors that dogged him during the summer.

CANADIENS STILL SEEK RIGHT-SIDE BLUELINE DEPTH

RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico reports the Montreal Canadiens continue to seek an upgrade on the right side of their defense corps. David Savard is their only consistent right-shot rearguard but he’s UFA-eligible this summer and could be moved by the March trade deadline.

The Canadiens were linked to David Jiricek before the Columbus Blue Jackets traded the young blueliner to the Minnesota Wild. However, the Habs were concerned about his foot speed, hockey sense and defensive positioning. The Jackets also preferred sending Jiricek to a Western Conference team.

It’s believed that the Canadiens were among the clubs kicking tires on Jacob Trouba before the Rangers shipped him to the Ducks.

D’Amico pointed out the difficulty of finding a suitable defenseman in the trade market during the season. The Habs might have to look to this summer’s trade and free-agent markets to address that need.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Free agency won’t yield much. The most notable options are 39-year-old Brent Burns of the Carolina Hurricanes, long-time Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, and Neal Pionk of the Winnipeg Jets.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 11, 2024

by | Dec 11, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 11, 2024

Five-point performances by Avalanche stars Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon, Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl is the first to reach 20 goals this season, the latest from the Board of Governors meetings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche stars Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon each collected five points in a milestone game for both players, leading their club to a 6-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rantanen had a hat trick and two assists in his 600th regular-season NHL game while MacKinnon scored a goal and picked up four assists to reach 600 career NHL assists. Cody Glass and Michael Bunting replied for the Penguins.

Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche picked up their third straight victory as Scott Wedgewood stopped 25 shots. Penguins backup Alex Nedeljkovic briefly left the bench after being struck in the face by an errant puck in the first period but returned early in the second.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl became the first player this season to reach the 20-goal plateau, scoring the game-winner to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1. Draisaitl also collected an assist on Connor McDavid’s 14th goal of the season. Jake Guentzel tallied his club’s only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers have put their slow start to this season behind them, winning seven of their last nine games. Lightning center Anthony Cirelli and defenseman Erik Cernak missed this game due to injuries suffered on Dec. 8 against the Vancouver Canucks.

Speaking of the Canucks, they dropped a 4-3 decision to the St. Louis Blues. Dylan Holloway scored the winner in overtime and Robert Thomas had a goal and two assists as the Blues have won six of their last nine contests. Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Conor Garland each had two points for the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko made 21 saves in his season debut. He’d been recovering from a knee injury since the opening round of the 2024 playoffs.

The Calgary Flames nipped the Nashville Predators 4-3, handing the latter their eighth straight loss (0-5-3). Jonathan Huberdeau and Kevin Rooney each had a goal and an assist as the Flames collected their second win in their last eight contests (2-4-2). Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault tallied two goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators also lost captain Roman Josi as he left the game after the first period with a lower-body injury. There was no post-game update on his condition.

An overtime goal by Auston Matthews gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Pontus Holmberg also scored and Anthony Stolarz kicked out 38 shots for the win. Ondrej Palat scored for the Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs activated Max Domi from injured reserve for this game and assigned Nikita Grebenkin to their AHL affiliate.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a late goal from defenseman Jalen Chatfield to down the San Jose Sharks 3-2. Fellow blueliners Shayne Gostisbehere and Brent Burns also scored for the Hurricanes. Luke Kunin scored both of the Sharks goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carolina forward Jack Drury left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury. Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said Drury’s injury didn’t look good and he could be sidelined for a while. Before the game, the Sharks placed center Will Smith (upper body) on injured reserve and activated forward Barclay Goodrow (upper body) from IR.

A two-goal performance by Travis Konecny carried the Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Morgan Frost had a goal and an assist and rookie winger Matvei Michkov collected two helpers. Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson had a goal and an assist as his club lost for the fourth time in five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Michkov leads this season’s rookie scorers with 11 goals and 27 points. Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson is second with 19 points, all of those assists. Sharks center (and 2024 first-overall pick) Macklin Celebrini is third with 16 points in 19 games.

The Los Angeles Kings picked up their sixth straight win by holding off the New York Islanders 3-1. Kings forward Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist while teammate Kevin Fiala netted his 10th goal of the season. Islanders captain Anders Lee scored while goalie Ilya Sorokin turned aside 27 shots.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele scored twice and collected an assist in an 8-1 drubbing of the Boston Bruins. Kyle Connor had a goal and two assists as the Jets have won three of their last four contests. David Pastrnak tallied the Bruins’ only goal.

The Minnesota Wild nipped the Utah Hockey Club 5-4 on a shootout goal by Matt Boldy. Marcus Johansson had a goal and two assists while teammate Kirill Kaprizov potted his 18th goal of the season as the Wild have won six of their last seven games. Clayton Keller tallied twice and Karel Vejmelka stopped 34 shots for Utah HC.

Shootout goals by Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart gave the Florida Panthers a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Barkov also scored in regulation as the Panthers have won three straight. Chandler Stephenson tallied for the Kraken.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Commissioner Gary Bettman said the salary cap for next season is projected to rise by five percent to $92.4 million under the current guidelines of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA). However, he also indicated that there will be negotiations with the NHL Players’ Association in the New Year to discuss the possibility of raising the cap by more than five percent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Teams with limited cap space for next season or clubs with players due for significant raises in the next couple of years could be stumping for a higher cap ceiling in 2025-26.

It will be based on hockey-related revenue by the end of this regular season. Bettman projected it will be $6.6 billion but it could be close to $7 billion.

TSN: Bettman also said CBA talks with the NHLPA will begin in February. The current agreement expires in September 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bettman has expressed confidence that an agreement with the PA can be reached well before that expiration date. Having covered the last two lockouts I hope we don’t have to endure another.

THE ATHLETIC: Bettman said the league has no active tampering investigations. Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer raised the issue of “soft tampering” following a recent report in the New York Post claiming the Rangers made Senators captain Brady Tkachuk a trade target.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators vehemently denied Tkachuk was available and have assured their captain he’s not on the trade block.

The Florida Panthers could stage an outdoor game at the Miami Marlins ballpark (LoanDepot Park) as soon as next season.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras is seeking a second opinion to treat the knee injury he suffered on Dec. 4.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson is expected to return to action against the Rangers on Wednesday. He’s missed 12 games with a lower-body injury.

SI.COM: The Los Angeles Kings sent forward Arthur Kaliyev to their AHL affiliate on a conditioning stint. He’s been on injured reserve this season with a fractured collarbone.

TSN: Kevin Shattenkirk announced his retirement on Tuesday. The 35-year-old defenseman played 14 NHL seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Anaheim Ducks and Boston Bruins.

Shattenkirk had 103 goals and 381 assists for 484 regular-season points and 48 points in 91 playoff contests, winning the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2019-20.