NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 6, 2024

by | Sep 6, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 6, 2024

Oilers captain Connor McDavid talks about his offseason, Alex Ovechkin prepares for his 20th season with the Capitals, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid revealed he adjusted his summer training schedule to account for his club’s shorter offseason following the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

McDavid, 27, was also motivated to change his offseason training following the Oilers’ poor start last season.

“I went with a little bit of a different strategy this summer,” said McDavid. “In years past, it’s just been very heavy volume. Very go, go, go. Throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks.”

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

McDavid admitted he felt fatigued at the start of last season following a long summer of heavy training. That contributed to a 2-9-1 start to the season for the Oilers before rebounding following a coaching change.

The Oilers captain said he took some time off the ice this summer though he continued his off-ice workouts. He resumed skating in August and feels good heading toward training camp.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is in his playing prime but what worked for him in his offseason regimen several years ago isn’t as effective now. The human body changes as it ages and athletes must adjust accordingly.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Alex Ovechkin has returned to the United States to prepare for the upcoming season with the Washington Capitals.

Entering his 20th NHL season, the 38-year-old Ovechkin is 42 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. Following a slow start last season, the Capitals captain finished with 31 goals, marking the 18th time he’d reached the 30-goal plateau.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Age is catching up with Ovechkin. Nevertheless, a better start could improve his chances of breaking Gretzky’s record this season.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The funeral of Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew has been scheduled for 12 pm on Monday in Philadelphia. The Gaudreaus were killed by a drunk driver last Thursday.

NEW YORK POST: Former Rangers defenseman Marc Staal has retired as an active player, rejoining the Rangers as a player development coach.

Chosen in the first round of the 2005 NHL Draft (12th overall) by the Rangers, Staal spent 13 seasons with the Rangers (2007-08 to 2019-20). He spent the following four seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, and Philadelphia Flyers.

Staal had 53 goals and 234 points in 1,136 regular-season games and 20 points in 128 playoff contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicated that Staal overcame multiple concussions and played the last 11 years of his 17-season NHL career without vision in his right eye after being struck by a puck in 2012-13. He wore a visor after that and never missed a game because of his eye or vision.

THE SCORE: Long-time NHL defenseman Alex Goligoski also hung up his skates on Thursday.

A second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2004 draft, Goligoski spent 17 seasons in the NHL from 2007-08 to 2023-24. He scored 87 goals and collected 388 assists for 475 career regular-season points with the Penguins, Dallas Stars, Arizona Coyotes and Minnesota Wild. He also had 21 points in 47 playoff games. He won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2008-09.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils invited defenseman Jakub Zboril and goaltender Michael Hutchinson to training camp on professional tryout offers (PTOs).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils also denied a rumor claiming they were bringing Milan Lucic to camp on a PTO. “Categorically untrue. His situation lies with the league. We haven’t and couldn’t sign him to a PTO.”

Lucic entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program following his arrest last fall for a domestic incident. He needs clearance from the league to resume his career but has not yet been cleared by league doctors to exit the program.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Anaheim Ducks prospect forward Beckett Sennecke suffered a broken foot during offseason training and will miss the next six to eight weeks. Sennecke, 18, was chosen third overall by the Ducks in this year’s draft.

The Ducks also signed goaltender Oskar Dansk to a one-year, two-way contract. The former Vegas Golden Knights netminder spent the past two seasons with the Calgary Flames AHL affiliate.

TSN: A London, Ontario court is hearing legal arguments in the sexual assault case of five former players of Canada’s 2018 World Junior Hockey team.

Dillon Dube, Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were charged earlier this year in connection with an alleged sexual assault at a hotel in 2018.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Former NHL defenseman Larry Trader died Thursday at age 61. Trader played 91 games in the NHL with the Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens from 1982-83 to 1987-88, scoring five goals and 18 points. He also won a Calder Cup with the AHL’s Adirondack Red Wings in 1985-86 and a Spengler Cup for Canada in 1986-87.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Trader’s family, friends and former teammates.

US HOCKEY HALL OF FAME: Former NHL players Matt Cullen and Kevin Stevens are among the inductees in the Class of 2024. The induction ceremony will be held on Dec. 4, 2024, in Pittsburgh.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Cullen and Stevens for this great honor.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 5, 2024

by | Sep 5, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – September 5, 2024

In today’s NHL Rumor, what a Sidney Crosby trade might look like, whether Penguins center Lars Eller could be a trade candidate, the latest Jeremy Swayman speculation, and an update on the Canucks’ goaltending.

TSN: Travis Yost admits it’s unlikely the Pittsburgh Penguins trade Sidney Crosby. The 37-year-old Penguins captain has a year remaining on his contract and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

Nevertheless, Yost thinks the hockey community underestimates the possibility of Crosby being moved by the March trade deadline.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

Yost raised a scenario where Crosby accepts a trade to a contender at the deadline if the Penguins are out of contention by then, ensuring the type of return that accelerates their rebuild. He could return to the Penguins when free agency begins on July 1.

The Penguins also have the cap flexibility to retain part of Crosby’s $8.7 million cap hit in the deal.

Yost suggested the Dallas Stars, Winnipeg Jets, and Colorado Avalanche possess the flexibility and pedigree to compete for the Stanley Cup with Crosby in their lineup. He doesn’t rule out the Vegas Golden Knights given their mastery of salary-cap gymnastics and their “win-now” mentality.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I doubt Crosby will be playing with another NHL team by this season’s trade deadline. Still, Yost raises an interesting scenario of what could become one of the biggest trades in NHL history. It would certainly provide additional excitement leading up to deadline day.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Matt Vensel wonders if the additional forward depth brought in by Penguins management this summer could lead to Lars Eller getting traded before the start of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eller put up solid numbers last season as the Penguins’ third-line center. He’ll return in that role unless another player successfully challenges him for that job.

THE BOSTON GLOBE: Kevin Paul Dupont recently reported the possibility of the Bruins and Jeremy Swayman agreeing to a short-term contract to end their current negotiation stalemate.

Dupont wrote the Bruins were looking at offering Swayman a bridge deal of 3-4 years at between $22 million and $24 million. Once the deal ends, he would become eligible for UFA status at age 29.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A three-year, $22 million deal would be worth an average annual value of $7.33 million while a four-year, $24 million contract would be worth $6 million annually.

The Bruins will have to raise those numbers to get Swayman to sign. His camp reportedly seeks around $8.5 million annually on a long-term deal.

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston reports Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford is waiting until training camp opens to get a clearer picture of the health of goaltenders Thatcher Demko and Arturs Silovs.

Demko recently resumed skating after surgery earlier in the offseason believed to be related to the knee injury that knocked him out of the 2024 playoffs. Meanwhile, Silovs was held out of competing for Latvia in their Olympic qualifier due to knee ligament inflammation.

Johnston indicated the Canucks have put out feelers to free agents Kevin Lankinen and Antti Raanta regarding professional tryout offers. However, Lankinen would prefer a full-on contract offer.

Rutherford admitted he’s hoping the Canucks can avoid starting the season with players on long-term injury reserve. The longer they remain under the salary cap when the season begins, the more cap space they accrue to put toward adding players by the March trade deadline.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 5, 2024

by | Sep 5, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 5, 2024

The Blue Jackets and Flames honor the Gaudreau brothers with candlelight vigils, Torey Krug talks about his upcoming ankle surgery, the latest on the Senators, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets held a candlelight vigil outside Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Wednesday to remember Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who were killed by a drunk driver last Thursday in New Jersey.

Johnny, 31, joined the Blue Jackets as a free agent in 2022.

Over 1,000 fans gathered to pay their respects. They heard emotional words and memories from Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell, captain Boone Jenner, alternate captain Erik Gudbranson and center Cole Sillinger.

CALGARY SUN: Thousands of fans gather outside Calgary’s Saddledome on Wednesday to honor the Gaudreau brothers. Johnny began his NHL career with the Flames and spent nearly nine seasons with them. Flames GM Craig Conroy, captain Mikael Backlund, and team legend Lanny McDonald shared their memories of Gaudreau with the crowd.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The vigils cap an emotional week in both cities. Fans outside both arenas set up makeshift memorials over the past week. They will remain in place for the time being. At some point, both clubs will likely implement some form of permanent tribute to the brothers.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues defenseman Torey Krug met with the local media yesterday regarding his season-ending ankle surgery and its effect on his playing career.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug (NHL Images).

Krug was diagnosed earlier this summer with pre-arthritic changes in his left ankle related to an injury suffered during the 2018 playoffs. He later experienced arthritis but was able to treat the issue with non-surgical means until this year when the pain persisted.

The 33-year-old defenseman hopes the surgery will allow him to lead a normal life. However, he became emotional when discussing the possibility it could end his playing career, forcing him to pause at one point for several seconds to compose himself.

The surgery will fuse the subtalar joint that involves side-to-side movement of the foot, limiting Krug’s range of motion in that area. He could also experience pain in the nearby ankle or midfoot joints following surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Krug makes a full recovery from this surgery.

SPORTSNET: Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios is not pushing Linus Ullmark to sign a new contract.

The Senators acquired Ullmark from the Boston Bruins in June. Staios said the club wants the 30-year-old goaltender to settle in and get comfortable in the community before opening contract talks.

Ullmark carries a $5 million cap hit this season. The 2023 Vezina Trophy winner is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: How well Ullmark’s new team performs this season will also factor in his negotiations. Senators fans have been waiting for this rebuilding club’s emergence as a playoff contender since 2021-22.

Poor goaltending factored into their inability to achieve that goal which was why they acquired Ullmark. A strong performance by him and his new teammates could finally lead to that much-anticipated breakout performance. That could entice Ullmark to stick around beyond this season.

Staios also said oft-injured forward Josh Norris is trending toward being a full participant in training camp. The 24-year-old Norris underwent his third surgery on his left shoulder after reinjuring it in March. Staios indicated Norris is ahead of where he was in his recovery compared to this time last year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A healthy and productive Norris will also be a key factor for the Senators this season.

OTTAWA SUN: Talks are heating up again between the Senators and the National Capital Commission regarding the potential construction of a new arena at LeBreton Flats in downtown Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: These negotiations have been going on for several years. So far, there’s no indication a deal is coming anytime soon.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings and Lucas Raymond are no closer to agreement on a new contract. Raymond’s agent indicated the two sides have yet to reach common ground for the framework of a new deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings’ training camp opens in two weeks. Both sides will want to avoid this carrying over into training camp.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks top prospect Macklin Celebrini will be living with former Sharks great Joe Thornton for the coming season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini was the first-overall pick in this year’s draft. He’ll learn a lot from Thornton, who was chosen first overall by the Boston Bruins in 1997 and understands the expectations that come with that honor.

THE SCORE: Former Senator and Chicago Blackhawks forward Dominik Kubalik is returning to Swiss club HC Ambri Piotta. The 29-year-old forward spent the past five seasons with the Blackhawks and Senators, tallying 93 goals and 176 points in 357 career games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kubalik had a promising debut in 2019-20 with 30 goals and 46 points in 68 games but was never able to replicate that performance over the remainder of his NHL career.

SPORTSNET: Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mattias Norlinder could return to Swedish club MoDo if the fans want him to. The club lacks funds to offer Norlinder a contract and has created a crowdfunding campaign to address the issue.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 4, 2024

by | Sep 4, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – September 4, 2024

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we examine the fallout from Leon Draisaitl’s expensive new contract with the Oilers and its effect on Mitch Marner’s negotiations with the Leafs plus the latest on free-agent winger Max Pacioretty.

FALLOUT FROM THE DRAISAITL CONTRACT

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples cites Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli predicting it’s now a “100 percent shot that Connor McDavid signs with the Edmonton Oilers” following the club’s re-signing Leon Drasaitl on Tuesday.

Draisaitl, 28, inked an eight-year, $112 million contract extension with a league-leading $14 million average annual value beginning on July 1, 2025.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

“There is no way that Leon is signing if there is a chance that Connor is not,” Seravalli said.

Meanwhile, Jim Matheson speculates it could cost the Oilers the league maximum of 20 percent of their overall salary cap to re-sign McDavid. If the cap is $100 million when his new contract begins, his average annual value would be $20 million.

Matheson also thinks emerging blueline star Evan Bouchard’s next contract could be at least $10 million annually.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski examined the winners and losers of Draisaitl’s new contract. The losers include those who generated rumors suggesting the Oilers star could spurn Edmonton in favor of signing with the Boston Bruins or the San Jose Sharks (the latter based on team owner Hasso Plattner being German like Draisaitl.)

Wyshynski also thinks the league loses because two of its biggest stars will play in a smaller, remote market rather than a big-city market like New York, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Toronto or Los Angeles.

However, Wyshynski makes the counterpoint that having Draisaitl and McDavid on the same roster makes Edmonton a glamour franchise and more meaningful to the league than having them lead two different franchises.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be shocking if McDavid doesn’t re-sign with Draisaitl inked to a long-term extension. The earliest the Oilers can sign their captain is next July and he’ll likely regain his place as the NHL’s highest-paid player.

The rumors about Draisaitl going to Boston or San Jose were wishful thinking at best.

Edmonton could indeed become a glamour franchise with Draisaitl and McDavid there for the long haul. However, the bloom could come off that rose if they lack the cap room to maintain a Stanley Cup contender around them.

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons believes the Maple Leafs are unaffected by Draisaitl’s new deal with the Oilers and continues to play the waiting game with Mitch Marner. The 27-year-old right winger will be the top player in next summer’s unrestricted free-agent market with Draisaitl no longer available.

The Leafs intend to see how Marner performs under new head coach Craig Berube this season, especially in the playoffs. Meanwhile, he must also decide if he wants to stay in Toronto.

Marner carries a $10.9 million AAV for this season. Simmons suggests his new contract could come in between that and below the $14 million Draisaitl will make on his deal. He could earn more by staying in Toronto as the Leafs are known for overpaying players.

LATEST ON MAX PACIORETTY

TSN: Chris Johnston reported earlier this week that the Maple Leafs are among the teams interested in Max Pacioretty.

The 35-year-old free-agent winger suffered a twice-torn Achilles tendon in 2022-23 that threatened to end his career. However, he returned to action midway through last season with the Washington Capitals, netting 23 points in 47 games.

Johnston thinks Pacioretty is in a position to sign a contract with a team rather than a professional tryout offer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pacioretty has also been linked to the Anaheim Ducks and New York Rangers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 4, 2024

by | Sep 4, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 4, 2024

The Blue Jackets and Flames to hold candlelight vigils for the Gaudreau brothers, plus the latest on Leon Draisaitl, Brad Marchand, Torey Krug, Thatcher Demko, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: The Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames announced they will hold candlelight vigils on Wednesday evening to honor the lives of Johnny and Matthew Goudreau after the brothers were killed by a drunk driver last Thursday.

The Flames ceremony will be at 8 pm MT/10 pm ET at the west stairs of the Scotiabank Saddledome. The club will stream the candlelight vigil on the Flames website, app, and the team’s social media channels.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau (NHL Images).

The Blue Jackets vigil will be held outside Nationwide Arena starting at 7:30 pm ET/5:30 pm MT.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens winger Cole Caufield will start wearing jersey number 13 in honor of Johnny Gaudreau, who wore the same number for most of his NHL career.

Caufield, 23, called Gaudreau his hero on an Instagram post following the winger’s death last Thursday. On Tuesday, Caufield issued another Instagram post explaining the number change, praising Gaudreau as an inspiration and trailblazer for smaller players with dreams of playing in the NHL.

The Canadiens winger was Gaudreau’s teammate on Team USA at the 2024 IIHF World Championship.

TSN: Donations continue to pour in to support Matthew Gaudreau’s widow Madeline, who is pregnant with the couple’s first child, due in December. A GoFundMe set up by Madeline’s sister raised more than $560K as of 7 pm ET on Tuesday.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Leon Draisaitl said it was difficult to imagine himself wearing a different jersey or walking away from the Oilers. On Tuesday, the 28-year-old superstar signed an eight-year, $112 million contract extension.

Draisaitl said he saw himself as an Oiler for life. He stated that he felt at home in Edmonton, believes the club is building something special and wants to be part of it.

THE ATHLETIC: Daniel Nugent-Bowman believes Draisaitl’s new contract ensures the Oilers can keep their Stanley Cup window open. He expects this improves the club’s odds of signing team captain Connor McDavid, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2026.

Nugent-Bowman pointed out the Oilers are the oldest team in the NHL with little draft capital and a depleted prospect pool. He considers it imperative that they win the Stanley Cup with their current group before they reach what he calls “Pittsburgh Penguins territory.”

He also noted the expected high cost of re-signing McDavid and emerging star Evan Bouchard would put the Oilers among the teams with top-heavy rosters forced to fill out its roster depth with young prospects or inexpensive veterans.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was expensive to re-sign Draisaitl and it will be costly to keep McDavid and Bouchard in the fold. That’s the cost of being in “win-now” mode when many of your best players are in their late twenties and early thirties.

The Oilers are betting they can win the Cup or at least remain a serious contender during the first half of Draisaitl’s new contract (and McDavid’s, too) before age inevitably takes its toll on their veteran roster.

A rising salary cap in the coming years should help the Oilers offset some of the big salary-cap crunch coming their way. Like the Penguins, however, management will eventually find it challenging to maintain a Cup contender as age and injuries catch up with their expensive stars.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Bruins captain Brad Marchand revealed he underwent three surgeries during the offseason to address nagging injuries that plagued him throughout last season.

Marchand, 36, said he played through a torn elbow tendon through most of last season. He also underwent groin and abdominal surgeries to repair a sports hernia that he suffered late in the season.

The Bruins captain indicated the surgeries limited his offseason training. He’s hoping to be ready for the start of his club’s training camp on Sep. 18 or shortly thereafter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That would explain the decline in Marchand’s production last season. Nevertheless, he finished with 29 goals and 67 points in 82 games.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues defenseman Torey Krug will miss the upcoming 2024-25 season due to surgery on his left ankle.

Krug, 33, was diagnosed with pre-arthritic changes in the ankle earlier this summer. He was attempting to rehabilitate the ankle through non-surgical means.

The Blues could turn to Nick Leddy or Ryan Suter joining their top-four defense.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could also open up an opportunity for a younger blueliner to move up in the pecking order on their defense corps.

THE PROVINCE: CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal reported yesterday that Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko has resumed skating and working out on the ice.

Recent reports speculated Demko, 28, could miss training camp and the start of the Canucks’ season as he continued to rehab an offseason medical procedure tied to his playoff-ending knee injury this spring.

Canucks training camp opens on Sep. 19.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demko could still miss some or all of training camp. Nevertheless, Dhaliwal’s report is the first positive news about the goalie’s condition in weeks.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Flames have invited free-agent defenseman Tyson Barrie to training camp on a professional tryout offer (PTO).

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to invite former Florida Panthers forward Steven Lorentz to camp on a PTO.

RG.ORG: Vladimir Bure, father of former NHL players Pavel and Valeri Bure, passed away in Miami at age 73 on Tuesday. He was the former conditioning coach of the New Jersey Devils and won two Stanley Cups with them in 2000 and 2003.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the Bure family and the Devils organization.










Edmonton Oilers Sign Leon Draisaitl To An Eight-Year Contract Extension

by | Sep 3, 2024

Edmonton Oilers Sign Leon Draisaitl To An Eight-Year Contract Extension

The Edmonton Oilers signed Leon Draisaitl today to an eight-year, $112-million contract extension with an average annual value of $14 million.

Draisaitl, 28, is entering the final season of his current eight-year contract with an AAV of $8.5 million, considered one of the best bargain deals in the league given his accomplishments over that period.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

Since Draisaitl’s superstar breakout season in 2018-19, he sits second to teammate Connor McDavid in total points (643), second to Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews in goals (272) and is tied with New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin with 371 total assists.

Drasaitl won the Hart Memorial Trophy, the Art Ross Trophy, and the Ted Lindsay Award in 2019-20. He and McDavid give the Oilers a lethal one-two scoring punch, turning them into Stanley Cup contenders entering 2024-25.

Draisaitl’s new contract will make him the NHL highest-paid player when it goes into effect on July 1, 2025, eclipsing Matthews’ $13.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Everyone knew Draisaitl would seek top dollar on his next deal and everyone knew the Oilers would pay to keep him in Edmonton.

Some observers expected Draisaitl would seek more, perhaps between $15 million and $16 million annually. The $14 million AAV is approximately where most experts believed it would be.

Draisaitl has earned that hefty salary, though his new deal will grow more burdensome for the Oilers over the final four years when he’ll be in his mid-to-late 30s when a player’s skills inevitably deteriorate. The Oilers’ front office believes it’s worth it to re-sign their second-best player, especially when they’re in “win-now” mode and he’s still in his playing prime.

This signing should also be an encouraging sign for McDavid. He’s eligible for UFA status in July 2026. Seeing the Oilers open the vault for Draisaitl sends the message that they’re willing to invest in their top players. It’s also a sign that they’re serious about pursuing the Stanley Cup.

It should dispel any concerns from Oilers fans that McDavid will depart in 2026. Keeping Draisaitl in the fold will encourage their captain to stay in Edmonton.