NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 1, 2024

by | Jan 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 1, 2024

Another milestone for Marc-Andre Fleury, the Senators make some front office changes and the Golden Knights prepare to face off against the Kraken in the 2024 Winter Classic. Details on these and other stories in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury appeared in his 1,000th career NHL game but his club dropped a 3-2 decision to the Winnipeg Jets. Fleury made 26 saves and Frederick Gaudreau had a goal and an assist for the 16-15-4 Wild (36 points) as they sit four points out of a Western Conference wild-card berth. Laurent Brossoit stopped 24 shots while Dominic Toninato snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period as the Jets (22-9-4) extended their points streak to eight games and sit one point out of first place in the Central Division with 48 points.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury became just the fourth goaltender in NHL history to reach the 1,000-game plateau, joining Martin Brodeur (1,266), Roberto Luongo (1,044) and Patrick Roy (1,029) on the all-time list.

The Ottawa Senators defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-1. Anton Forsberg kicked out 45 shots while Thomas Chabot collected two assists in his first game back with the Senators since being sidelined on Dec. 2 with a leg injury. Tage Thompson tallied for the Sabres, who sank to 14-19-4 while the Senators are 14-18-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Senators announced several front-office moves. President of hockey operations and interim general manager Steve Staios becomes the full-time general manager, former NHL player and TSN hockey analyst Dave Poulin is their new senior Vice-President of Hockey Operations and Ryan Bowness becomes associate general manager.

The Senators made a management change earlier this season when Staios replaced GM Pierre Dorion on Nov. 2. They also replaced head coach D.J. Smith on Dec. 18 with Jacques Martin on an interim basis. It’s expected they’ll announce a full-time replacement in the offseason.

With Staios now fully in charge of the front office, the focus is likely to shift toward possible roster moves if the Senators fail to show any significant improvement between now and the March 8 trade deadline.

Speaking of the Sabres, Zemgus Girgensons returned to action after being sidelined since Nov. 24 by a lower-body injury.

Edmonton Oilers winger Warren Foegele had a career-high five points (two goals, three assists) as his club thumped the Anaheim Ducks 7-2. Leon Draisaitl has a goal and two assists for the 18-15-1 Oilers (37 points) as they won their fifth straight game and sit three points out of the final Western wild-card spot. John Gibson made 32 saves for the 13-23-0 Ducks.

The Tampa Bay Lightning overcame a 2-0 deficit in a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist to become the first player to reach 60 points this season as the Lightning (17-11-6) vaulted one point over the idle Washington Capitals into the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 41 points. Cole Caufield, Johnathan Kovecevic and Nick Suzuki replied for the 15-16-5 Canadiens as they dropped their third straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens center Christian Dvorak missed this game with an upper-body injury and is sidelined indefinitely.

Dallas Stars winger Mason Marchment netted a hat trick and set up another goal in an 8-1 drubbing of the Chicago Blackhawks. Tyler Seguin had a goal and two assists for the 22-9-4 Stars, who sit in third place behind the Jets in the Central Division with 48 points. Philipp Kurashev netted the lone goal for the 11-23-2 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Winnipeg and Dallas have identical records but the Jets hold second place in the Central with 20 regulation wins.

Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic scored twice and set up another as his club defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-3. Charlie McAvoy collected three assists for the 22-7-6 Bruins (50 points) as they moved to within one point of the league-leading New York Rangers. Patrick Kane’s six-game points streak came to an end as the Red Wings dropped to 17-16-4.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got a 37-save performance from Alex Nedeljkovic in a 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Lars Eller scored twice for the 18-13-4 Penguins (40 points) as they picked up their third straight win and extended their points streak to six games, sitting one point out of the final Eastern wild-card berth. Ilya Sorokin stopped 35 shots for the 18-15-5 Islanders as they sit in the first Eastern wild-card spot with 43 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield returned to the lineup after missing the last eight games with an upper-body injury.

Calgary Flames forward Blake Coleman got a goal and an assist in his 500th career NHL game while Andrew Mangiapane collected three assists to nip the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3. Dennis Gilbert also had a goal and an assist for the 15-16-5 Flames. Travis Konecny had two helpers for the 19-12-5 Flyers as they remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 43 points.

Third-period goals by Valeri Nichushkin and Josh Manson lifted the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Nathan MacKinnon picked up two assists to extend his home points streak to 19 games as the Avalanche (23-11-3) hold first place in the Central Division with 49 points. Tomas Hertl scored for the 9-25-3 Sharks, who’ve dropped eight straight games and also lost top defenseman Mario Ferraro with a suspected shoulder injury following a check by MacKinnon.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights will face off against the Seattle Kraken at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park at noon PT on Jan. 1. This will be the Kraken’s first outdoor game and the second for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll watch it for the novelty of seeing an outdoor game as usual. Besides, there are no World Junior Championship games scheduled for today.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Toronto Maple Leafs placed goaltender Ilya Samsonov on waivers before sending him to their AHL affiliate. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres placed goalie Eric Comrie on waivers before sending him to their AHL affiliate in Rochester.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both netminders are expected to clear waivers today. Samsonov has struggled this season and the Leafs intend to work with him during his time with the Marlies to help him improve his game. Comrie, meanwhile, is the third man out behind Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen among the Sabres’ goalies.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils forward Timo Meier left Saturday’s game against the Boston Bruins with an injury. There’s been no update yet regarding his status.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 31, 2023

by | Dec 31, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 31, 2023

Are there any goalie options to help the struggling Leafs? Is there interest in Hurricanes winger Michael Bunting? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

CAN THE LEAFS FIND HELP BETWEEN THE PIPES?

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox examined several options facing the Toronto Maple Leafs to address their goaltending with Ilya Samsonov continuing to struggle.

One is to stick with their current netminders and ride Martin Jones in the hope that he stays healthy until Joseph Woll returns healthy and in form sometime in February or hope that something pops up on the waiver wire.

Their second option would be sending Samsonov through waivers to their AHL affiliate and recalling a prospect they don’t want to rush. The third option is to look outside the organization.

Fox noted that Jaroslav Halak remains available in the free-agent market. Middling trade options include Montreal’s Jake Allen, Buffalo’s Eric Comrie, Ottawa’s Anton Forsberg and Calgary’s Dan Vladar. However, the price for those netminders is abnormally high plus the New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers are also believed sniffing around the trade market.

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (NHL Images).

According to Fox, the “dream scenario” would be Juuse Saros, who has another season remaining on his contract with the Nashville Predators with a $5 million cap hit. However, the Predators remain in the playoff chase and he’d likely cost more than Leafs general manager Brad Treliving is willing to spend.

Fox suggested the best low-risk option could be New York Rangers’ third-stringer Louis Domingue.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: According to Fox’s colleague Elliotte Friedman, it’s believed the Leafs don’t have much enthusiasm to go shopping for a goaltender. They’d prefer to hang on until Woll returns to action. They don’t have a lot they can afford to trade in terms of draft picks and prospects. He said they could consider bringing up promising Dennis Hildeby to play in one game during their upcoming California road trip.

I keep seeing Saros occasionally surface in the rumor mill. Predators GM Barry Trotz made it clear on two occasions earlier this season that he has no intention of moving his 28-year-old starter and plans to open contract extension talks with Saros’ agent in July. He’s not going anywhere this season.

A LOOK AT THE GOALIE MARKET

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman looked at the teams in the market for goaltenders and the clubs who could be sellers.

The Leafs, Oilers, Hurricanes, Devils and Los Angeles Kings are believed to be among the buyers, with the Kings seeking a depth option.

The Canadiens, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks are among the sellers.

Friedman believes Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has a price and won’t waiver much from it. The Ducks are setting a high ask for John Gibson, especially if salary retention is involved. The Sharks’ Kaapo Kahkonen has been good this season but his experience is an issue.

The Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings and Florida Panthers could be among the sellers but they’re not there yet. The Red Wings are dealing with injuries while the Panthers could need to move a goalie once Spencer Knight is ready to return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs, Oilers, Hurricanes and Devils need reliable starters but that’s not what’s available in the trade market. The Kings are happy with Cam Talbot but it’s believed they have concerns about backup Pheonix Copley, who was struggling before becoming sidelined by an injury.

The Ducks’ John Gibson is the best of the bunch among available goaltenders. His stats have improved this season and I think there are clubs with a genuine interest in him.

Gibson’s contract is a sticking point. He’s signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $6.4 million and a 10-team no-trade clause. With so many clubs pressed for cap space, I don’t think that’s a contract that gets moved during this season.

TEAMS REPORTEDLY INTERESTED IN BUNTING

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports teams have expressed an interest in trading for Michael Bunting. The 28-year-old winger is in this first season of a three-year, $13.5 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes but is on pace for his lowest goal total since 2020-21.

Friedman said Bunting’s name came up when the Hurricanes were looking to clear some salary-cap space and maybe make a move for a goaltender. He was lower down in their lineup at the time and is seventh or eighth in ice time on the Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes could be getting calls about Bunting but that doesn’t mean he’ll be moved. His goal numbers may be down (he’s got eight this season) but he’s tied for third in points (25) with Martin Necas among Hurricanes scorers and has eight points in his last 10 games.

Maybe that’s why teams are interested in acquiring him. Perhaps he could become trade bait if the Hurricanes need to shore up depth elsewhere. He’s also got a 10-team no-trade list which could complicate things.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 31, 2023

by | Dec 31, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 31, 2023

The number 600 was an important milestone for Connor McDavid and Erik Karlsson, a hat trick performance for Artemi Panarin, another multi-point game for Sebastian Aho, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist in his 600th career game as his club downed the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on a shootout goal by Derek Ryan. Stuart Skinner stopped 26 shots in regulation and overtime for the 17-15-1 Oilers as they’ve won four straight games. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist as the Kings (20-8-5) picked up a point and sit third in the Pacific Division with 45 points.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has 274 multi-point games, which is the third-most through 600 games in NHL history. He sits behind Wayne Gretzky (407) and Mario Lemieux (353).

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson collected his 600th career assist as his club doubled up the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist while Sidney Crosby tallied his 20th goal of the season for the 17-13-4 Penguins, who sit two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 38 points. Robert Thomas and Kasperi Kapanen replied for the Blues (18-17-1), who are three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 37 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Karlsson reached the 600-point plateau in 954 games, ranking eighth all-time among NHL defensemen for the fewest games to reach that number. Bobby Orr tops the list with 608 games.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin tallied a hat trick in a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Vincent Trocheck had a goal and three assists for the Rangers (25-9-1), who moved into sole possession of first place in the overall standings with 51 points. Nikita Kucherov netted his 25th goal of the season for the 17-15-5 Lightning (39 points) as they slipped one point out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panarin sits third in the NHL points races with 50. He’s nine points behind the league-leading Kucherov (59), who sits second among the league’s leading goal scorers.

The Carolina Hurricanes nipped the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Sebastian Aho had his third-straight game with at least three points with one goal and two assists as the Hurricanes improved to 20-13-4, vaulting over the idle Philadelphia Flyers into second place in the Metropolitan Division with 44 points. Max Domi collected two assists for the 17-10-1 Leafs as they cling to third place in the Atlantic Division with 41 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Former Leaf Michael Bunting scored against his former team in this contest while his teammate Jesper Fast left the game with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Leafs winger William Nylander’s points streak ended at 13 games.

Winnipeg Jets winger Nino Niederreiter scored twice as his club held off the Minnesota Wild by a score of 4-2, extending their points streak to seven games. Connor Hellebuyck kicked out 34 shots for the 21-9-4 Jets (46 points) as they sit one point behind the first-place Colorado Avalanche in the Central Division. Ryan Hartman and Matt Boldy scored for the 16-14-4 Wild (36 points) as they slipped to four points out of a Western wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild also lost goaltender Filip Gustavsson and winger Kirill Kaprizov to injuries during this contest. There was no postgame update regarding their statuses.

The Boston Bruins netted four goals in the second period to defeat the New Jersey Devils 5-2. David Pastrnak and Kevin Shattenkirk each scored twice while Linus Ullmark turned aside 31 shots for the 21-7-6 Bruins, who side in first place in the Atlantic Division with 48 points. Nico Hischier and Luke Hughes scored for the Devils (19-14-2) as they slipped behind the Washington Capitals for the final Eastern wild-card spot with 40 points.

Speaking of the Capitals, they dropped a 3-2 shootout decision to the Nashville Predators. Ryan O’Reilly netted the winning goal while Yaroslav Askarov stopped 26 shots for his first NHL win for the 20-16-1 Predators, who vaulted over the idle Arizona Coyotes into the first Western wild-card spot with 41 points. Beck Malenstyn and Alex Ovechkin scored for the Capitals (17-11-6) as they overcame a 2-0 deficit, picking up a point as they cling to the final Eastern wild-card berth with 40 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals appeared to have won this game in the dying seconds of the third period on what would’ve been Ovechkin’s second goal of the game. However, it was overturned due to goaltender interference.

The Florida Panthers picked up their fourth straight win by defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-1. Eetu Luostarinen scored twice while Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers (22-12-2) as they sit second in the Atlantic Division with 46 points. Cole Caufield scored for the Canadiens as they slipped to 15-15-5 on the season.

An overtime goal by Jeff Skinner gave the Buffalo Sabres a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Owen Power collected two assists for the 15-18-4 Sabres. Danill Tarasov made 39 saves for the 12-18-8 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blue Jackets placed forward Sean Kuraly (chest) on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 23. Meanwhile, Sabres prospect Matt Savoie underwent an MRI Saturday for a lower-body injury and could miss the remainder of the 2024 World Junior Championship.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE ATHLETIC: Flyers head coach John Tortorella became the eighth coach in NHL history to reach 1,500 games during Friday’s matchup against the Seattle Kraken. He’s the first American-born coach to reach that plateau.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Tortorella on this achievement as well as reaching 10th all-time in wins (723) earlier this week.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders yesterday placed defenseman Ryan Pulock (lower body) on long-term injury reserve retroactive to Dec. 7. With Adam Pelech also on LTIR, the Islanders have $9.95 million in LTIR cap space.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 30, 2023

by | Dec 30, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – December 30, 2023

Dissecting a rumor linking Elias Pettersson and William Nylander to the Blackhawks plus the latest on the Leafs goaltending in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

PETTERSSON AND NYLANDER TO THE BLACKHAWKS?

SPITTIN’ CHICLETS: Matt Murley told hosts Colby Armstrong and Mike Grennell that he’d heard Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson and Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander could be interested in joining the Chicago Blackhawks.

“Do not be surprised if you see Elias Pettersson try to make his way to the Chicago Blackhawks to be with (Connor) Bedard next year,” said Murley. He also claimed there was “a lot of talk about Nylander going to Chicago as well.”

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

Murley acknowledged Pettersson’s status next summer as a restricted free agent so he’s “not exactly sure” how that will work. However, he noted the Blackhawks will have a lot of salary-cap space.

SPORTSNET: During Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast, Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman discussed Murley’s rumor linking Pettersson to the Blackhawks.

Friedman didn’t discredit or denigrate Murley. “He’s not an idiot. He hears things. I’ve seen the stuff that he reports. He gets information. People talk to him,” he said.

However, Friedman called Murley’s report “premature”, adding that he believes the Canucks will throw a significant amount of cash toward re-sign Pettersson when he’s ready. He doubts that Pettersson is giving much thought to his contract status right now as he’s focused on playing this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I have a few questions.

First, why would Pettersson want to leave a team that’s currently jockeying for first place in the overall standings for a rebuilding club that’s near the bottom of the standings? For that matter, why would Nylander leave a reliable playoff contender (albeit one with just a single playoff-round victory) to join a club that’s several years away from postseason contention?

During an Aug. 23 interview with Friedman, the Canucks star indicated he wasn’t sure if he wanted his next contract to be long or short-term. It’s also believed that he wanted to get a better sense of the Canucks’ direction after several losing seasons. In other words, he seemed reluctant to commit to a long-term deal if the Canucks failed to improve.

Nylander, meanwhile, has stated his wish is to remain with the Leafs. Unless his contract talks have reached a serious impasse, the intent on both sides is to get a deal done before his eligibility for unrestricted free agent status on July 1.

Second, why would Pettersson want to play with Bedard? The latter is a promising rookie who has no prior connection to the Canucks star. This isn’t like wanting to play with a more established superstar such as Edmonton’s Connor McDavid or Toronto’s Auston Matthews.

Third, why would the Blackhawks sign Pettersson and Nylander? Sure, they’ve got a whopping $52 million in projected cap space with just six players under contract for 2024-25.

They’ve got several restricted free agents such as Lukas Reichel and Taylor Raddysh but they won’t be expensive to sign. They must also re-sign or replace pending UFA goaltender Petr Mrazek, though that also won’t be costly to do.

The problem is Pettersson and Nylander could easily cost at least a combined $22 to $24 million to sign, taking a big chunk out of that cap space. That’s not troublesome for next season but having those two on the books could make it difficult to re-sign Bedard when their supposed crown jewel will be due for a new contract (with a whopping big raise) in 2026. It could also complicate other signings or make it difficult to improve the roster.

Adding Pettersson and Nylander would work for the Blackhawks if they already had a solid or promising supporting cast. However, they’re still in the middle of a major roster rebuild and still need depth at every position. A roster featuring Pettersson, Nylander and Bedard might be more entertaining but it will still lose more games than it wins until the roster depth issues are suitably addressed.

Why would the Blackhawks deviate from their rebuilding program in such a sudden and dramatic fashion? Wasn’t the game plan to build around Bedard with promising young players and affordable veterans with experience and leadership abilities? Why invest in two expensive superstars who’ll be on the downside of their careers when the Blackhawks are finally ready to become Stanley Cup contenders?

In short, Pettersson and Nylander to the Blackhawks makes no sense for the players or the team.

WHAT WILL THE LEAFS DO ABOUT THEIR GOALTENDING?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: David Alter believes the Toronto Maple Leafs could be running out of patience with struggling goaltender Ilya Samsonov. Before Friday’s 6-5 loss to the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets, head coach Sheldon Keefe expressed his belief that general manager Brad Treliving “is going to consider everything.”

With Joseph Woll sidelined until late January, the Leafs have been using the tandem of Samsonov and Martin Jones. The latter has been shouldering the load but it means they need to use Samsonov in back-to-back games.

Alter believes the Leafs don’t have many options. They could call up promising young goaltender Dennis Hildeby but he’s playing in North America for the first time and they want to avoid bringing him up too early.

THE ATHLETIC: Jonas Siegel has seen enough of Samsonov’s performance and believes the Leafs cannot play him any longer. He also acknowledged their reluctance to call up Hildeby but believes they have little choice, suggesting he wouldn’t need to play a lot. He also suggests that Treliving explore the trade and free-agent markets for short-term help.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Samsonov’s confidence is shot right now, Jones is an effective but aging backup while Hildeby has little North American hockey experience. With Woll’s return still a few weeks away, they’ll need to find a short-term fix between the pipes or risk sliding out of playoff contention.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 30, 2023

by | Dec 30, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 30, 2023

Aleksander Barkov ties a Panthers record, the Avalanche win but Nathan MacKinnon’s point streak ends, the Devils move into an Eastern Conference wild-card spot, the Blue Jackets upset the Leafs, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Aleksander Barkov collected three assists and Sam Reinhart scored two goals as the Florida Panthers nipped the New York Rangers 4-3. Barkov tied the Panthers franchise record for career assists (415) while his club improved to 21-12-2 (44 points) to move within two points of the first-place Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division. Artemi Panarin netted his 20th goal of the season for the 24-9-1 Rangers, who remain atop the overall standings with 49 points.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reinhart is having an impressive performance in his contract season. He sits fourth among the league’s goal-scoring leaders (23) and 10th in points in 44. Meanwhile, sidelined Rangers center Filip Chytil has returned to his native Czechia for the next step in his recovery from a suspected concussion suffered on Nov. 2.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon’s point streak ended at 19 games in a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Ryan Johansen opened the scoring and collected an assist on Devon Toews’ game-winner for the 22-11-3 Avalanche as they hold first place in the Central Division with 47 points. Robert Thomas scored for the 18-16-1 Blues (37 points) as they sit two points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 56 points, MacKinnon remains two behind Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, who leads the league with 58 points.

An overtime goal by Johnny Gaudreau lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 6-5 upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Gaudreau also collected two assists as did defenseman Damon Severson while rookie Adam Fantilli netted the game-tying goal for the 12-18-7 Blue Jackets. William Nylander had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to 13 games while Auston Matthews potted his league-leading 29th goal of the season for the Leafs (17-9-7), who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 41 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a rough night for goaltenders in this game. Blue Jackets starter Elvis Merzlikins left the game following the first period due to illness and was replaced for the duration by Spencer Martin. Meanwhile, it was another tough outing for the Leafs’ Ilya Samsonov, whose struggles are raising concerns in Leafs Nation. I’ll have more about that in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

Speaking of overtime, Lucas Raymond scored as the Detroit Red Wings downed the Nashville Predators 5-4. Red Wings winger Alex DeBrincat (one goal, two assists) had a “Gordie Howe hat trick” (goal, assist, fighting major), Jake Walman scored twice and set up another and Patrick Kane had two assists for the 17-15-4 Red Wings (38 points), who moved within two points of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Filip Forsberg and Gustav Nyquist each tallied twice and collected an assist for the 19-16-1 Predators, who hold the final Western wild-card spot with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon made 33 saves in his return from a midsection injury that had sidelined him since Dec. 16.

The New Jersey Devils cruised to a 6-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Jesper Bratt had a goal and three assists while Jack and Luke Hughes each had a goal and two assists for the 19-13-2 Devils, who moved into the final Eastern wild-card spot with 40 points. Drake Batherson and Jacob Bernard-Docker replied for the 13-18-0 Senators, who remain mired in the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with 26 points.

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz scored in overtime to complete his hat trick to top the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4. Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson each had two points for the Stars (21-9-4) as they sit one point behind the Avalanche in the Central Division with 46 points. Tyler Johnson scored twice for the 11-22-2 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks forward Taylor Raddysh left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury and will be re-evaluated on Saturday. Meanwhile, Nick Foligno has indicated his willingness to sign a contract extension with the Blackhawks. The 36-year-old forward is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

The New York Islanders rolled to a 5-1 win over the Washington Capitals. Jean-Gabriel Pageau had two goals and two assists while Julien Gauthier had two goals and an assist for the Islanders (17-9-9), who sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 43 points. Nicolas Aube-Kubel scored for the 17-11-5 Capitals as they slipped out of a wild-card berth with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov missed this game with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Capitals netminder Charlie Lindgren and defenseman Martin Fehervary left this game with injuries during the opening minutes of the first period.

Arizona Coyotes goalie Connor Ingram made 28 saves to shut out the Anaheim Ducks 2-0. Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse were the goal scorers as the Coyotes (19-14-2) hold the first Western wild-card berth with 40 points. John Gibson stopped 30 shots for the 13-22-0 Ducks.

An overtime goal by Justin Schultz gave the Seattle Kraken a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Vince Dunn scored the game-tying goal for the 14-14-9 Kraken (37 points), who extended their points streak to eight games and sit two points out of the final Western wild-card spot. Travis Konecny scored for the Flyers (19-11-5), who remain in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 43 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken winger Andre Burakovsky rejoined his teammates for the first time since being sidelined by an upper-body injury on Dec. 7.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky practiced with his teammates on Friday, showing no ill effects from the hit to the head he received from Carolina Hurricanes forward Stefan Noesen on Thursday. Slafkovsky was placed in concussion protocol following the hit, which the referee told the winger was a hit to his chest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The replay clearly showed Noesen struck Slafkovsky in the head. Some pundits and fans believe Noesen should’ve been penalized or received supplemental discipline while others blamed Slafkovsky for putting himself in a vulnerable position. This incident might “rekindle debate” about such hits but nothing will happen and this will die down until the next headshot takes place. Wash, rinse, repeat.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk will miss Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a lower-body injury.

CBS SPORTS: The Anaheim Ducks placed forward Leo Carlsson (knee) on injured reserve. He will be sidelined for three to five weeks.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres assigned Tyson Jost to their AHL affiliate in Rochester after he cleared waivers.

TSN: Former NHL forward Nick Ritchie received an eight-game suspension by Finland’s Liiga for a series of gloved punches to the head of an opponent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL’s department of player safety likely would’ve fined him $5,000 and sent him on his way.

Former NHL forward Reggie Savage died last Sunday of cancer at age 53. He played 34 games with the Washington Capitals and Quebec Nordiques from 1990-91 to 1993-94, spending the bulk of his pro career from 1990-91 to 2004-05 in the AHL, IHL, ECHL, UHL and in Italy and Switzerland.

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










NHL Rumor Mill – December 29, 2023

by | Dec 29, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – December 29, 2023

Check out the latest on the Bruins and Canadiens in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy acknowledged it’s no secret the Bruins could use a bonafide top-six center/rugged winger and another defenseman. However, those players could further deplete the Bruins of draft picks and prospects.

With the Bruins performing better than expected in what is considered a bridge year for the club, Murphy suggested it might be better if general manager Don Sweeney waits until the offseason to pursue players like Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Noah Hanifin.

Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney (NHL.com)

Lindholm and Hanifin are both eligible to become unrestricted free agents in July if they don’t sign contract extensions with the Flames before then. Sweeney would have around $28 million in cap space to pursue such players without having to part with draft picks and prospects.

THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa believes the Bruins need a scoring winger with Jake DeBrusk struggling this season. He agrees that pursuing someone such as Lindholm could be beyond the Bruins’ means in this season’s trade market.

The price of acquiring a winger, however, wouldn’t be so costly. Shinzawa noted that the San Jose Sharks’ Anthony Duclair, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Tyler Johnson, and the Anaheim Ducks’ Adam Henrique could become available as rental players by the March 8 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sweeney could try to make another big splash or two near the trade deadline to go all-in for another deep playoff run. However, as Murphy and Shinzawa point out, they lack the salary-cap space as well as depth in quality draft picks and prospects to win bidding wars for guys like Lindholm and Hanifin.

That doesn’t mean Sweeney will sit on his hands by the trade deadline. I expect he’ll try to make an affordable move or two. His big moves could come in the summer when he’ll have the cap room to bring in some long-term veteran talent.

SPORTSNET: In this week’s mailbag segment, Eric Engels was asked which defenseman the Montreal Canadiens could move to clear their logjam on the blueline. They have promising prospects Lane Hutson and David Reinbacher in their pipeline plus they’ll soon need to reintegrate Jordan Harris and Arber Xhekaj into the lineup.

As soon as Harris returns, Engels believes trading or waiving Gustav Lindstrom feels like the first step. After that, he thinks they’ll have to seriously consider moving David Savard. While the 33-year-old Savard remains valuable to the rebuilding Canadiens, his value in the trade market could be too high to ignore. He has a year remaining on his contract with an affordable $3.5 million cap hit.

Turning to the forwards, Engels doesn’t see the Canadiens trading winger Josh Anderson. He doesn’t rule out trading center Sean Monahan by the deadline as he could fetch a first-round pick or a quality prospect.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barring injuries, Monahan and Savard are my candidates most likely to be traded this season by the Canadiens. I’m not sure if either guy can land a first-round pick but one should never underestimate the willingness of desperate general managers to overpay for help near the trade deadline.