NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 6, 2023

by | Dec 6, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 6, 2023

The Kings tie a season-opening win record, the Hughes brothers face off for the first time, plus updates on the 2024 draft, international tournaments and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings tied the league’s season-opening road win streak at 10 games by overcoming a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. Drew Doughty scored in overtime while Phillip Danault tallied twice as the Kings improved their record to 15-4-3. Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and an assist as the Blue Jackets sank to 8-14-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine missed this game due to illness.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes and Devils center Jack Hughes (NHL.com).

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes and defenseman Luke Hughes came out on top against Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes with a 6-5 victory. Jack had a goal and two assists while Luke scored a goal as Jesper Bratt opened and closed the scoring for the Devils (12-10-1). Quinn collected two assists while J.T. Miller had a goal and two assists and Brock Boeser netted his league-leading 18th goal as the Canucks (16-9-1) overcame a 5-2 deficit to tie the game before Bratt won it in the dying seconds of regulation.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first NHL game to feature all three Hughes brothers.

The Ottawa Senators upset the New York Rangers 6-2. Vladimir Tarasenko had two goals and an assist, Brady Tkachuk scored twice and Drake Batherson had a goal and two assists for the 10-10-0 Senators, who remain in last place in the Eastern Conference with 20 points. Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist for the Rangers (18-5-1), who sit in first place in the Conference with 37 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Senators learned that defenseman Thomas Chabot has been sidelined by a knee injury. An update on his status is expected on Wednesday. During the game, Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow was struck in the face by a puck in the first period and didn’t return. It appears he lost a couple of teeth.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin netted two goals in a 5-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Robby Fabbri and Michael Rasmussen each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings (14-7-3) as they picked up their third straight win. Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist for the slumping Sabres (10-14-2) as they’ve dropped four straight.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Buffalo center Tage Thompson collected an assist as he returned to the lineup from an injured left arm a week ahead of schedule. The Sabres also placed forwards Alex Tuch (lower body) and Jordan Greenway (upper body) on injured reserve and recalled goaltender Devon Levi from their AHL affiliate in Rochester.

The San Jose Sharks overcame a three-goal deficit to upset the New York Islanders 5-4 on an overtime goal by William Eklund. Tomas Hertl tallied a hat trick while Eklund finished with three points for the Sharks (7-17-2) as they moved out of the bottom of the Conference standings with 16 points. Bo Horvat and Simon Holmstrom each had two assists while Mike Reilly had a goal and an assist for the 10-7-7 Islanders.

A shootout goal by Filip Forsberg lifted the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Ryan O’Reilly netted his 12th of the season as the Predators improved to 13-12-0. Nick Foligno scored twice and collected an assist while Connor Bedard netted his first-ever NHL shootout goal but the Blackhawks dropped to 7-16-1 and sit last in the overall standings with 15 points.

The Minnesota Wild picked up their fourth straight win under new head coach John Hynes by dousing the Calgary Flames 5-2. Matt Boldy scored twice and set up another, Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist while Mats Zuccarello picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 10 games for the 9-10-4 Wild. Mikael Backlund and Connor Zary replied for the 10-12-3 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames played without goaltender Jacob Markstrom as he’s sidelined week-to-week with a fractured finger. The club recalled Dustin Wolf yesterday from the AHL affiliate.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists in a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Drouin also had two assists as the Avalanche (16-7-2) remain on top of the Central Division with 34 points. Sam Carrick and Leo Carlsson scored for the Ducks as they slid to 10-15-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon also picked up his 500th career assist, joining Joe Sakic, Peter Stastny and Peter Forsberg as the only players in franchise history to reach that plateau. Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury following a big hit by Ducks forward Max Jones.

HEADLINES

DAILY FACEOFF: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman expressed concerns about the delays in the construction of an arena for the Milan 2026 Winter Olympics following the league’s two-day Board of Governors meetings in Seattle. He noted that construction had not yet begun on the venue.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s December 2023. The venue is reportedly expected to be completed by the end of 2025. It seems like Bettman’s already looking for an excuse not to participate in the 2026 Games.

NHL.COM: The league continues to work on its plans to stage a four-team international tournament involving NHL players in 2025. Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland are expected to be the four countries taking part.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 2016 World Cup of Hockey had a Team Europe (consisting of NHL stars from other European nations) and Team North America made up of the best under-23 NHL stars. Team Europe reached the Gold Medal round against Canada while Team North America became a fan favorite with their fast-paced play.

For whatever reason, the league has opted not to go that route again. That means superstars like Germany’s Leon Draisaitl and Czechia’s David Pastrnak will be prevented from participating in this tournament.

TSN: The 2024 NHL Draft will be held at the Sphere in Las Vegas on June 28-29. It will be the last draft before it is decentralized with teams operating from their own facilities.

The Arizona Coyotes are in the process of trying to finalize the purchase of a plot of land in the Phoenix area for a new arena. TSN’s Darren Dreger said the mood around team owners and league governors is that the Coyotes are getting to the end of the line here. The league is looking ahead at scheduling for next season and needs to know whether the Coyotes will be able to move ahead with this land purchase early in the new year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I noted yesterday a report claiming that some owners and governors were running out of patience with the Coyotes’ situation. However, Bettman’s been the driving force keeping the club in Arizona with majority support from the team owners.

Nevertheless, any delays over the land purchase for a new arena could spark uncertainty over the Coyotes’ future. Dreger mentioned the possibility of relocation but that will require majority approval by the Board of Governors. Ultimately, that will come down to whether Bettman believes there are no more avenues to keep the Coyotes in Arizona.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 5, 2023

by | Dec 5, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – December 5, 2023

More speculation on Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, Flames defensemen Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev, and Sharks blueliners Mario Ferraro and Marc-Edouard Vlasic in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: During their Dec. 4 “32 Thoughts” podcast episode, Elliotte Friedman wondered what would happen with Steven Stamkos if the Tampa Bay Lightning are a playoff bubble team if he isn’t signed to a new contract by the end of this season.

Co-host Jeff Marek noted that Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said at the start of this season that they need to see what the season is going to be like before opening contract talks with Stamkos. Friedman believes teams will call about Stamkos.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s still a long way to go before the end of this season. Still, it probably won’t be the last time that Stamkos surfaces in the rumor mill. For now, he’s not going anywhere.

Bear in mind that Stamkos still has a full no-movement clause that expires when his current contract does on June. 30. He’ll have complete control over whether the Lightning attempt to trade his negotiation rights during the offseason just as he would if they approached him about moving before the March 8 trade deadline. Time will tell if either possibility takes place.

The pair also discussed Calgary Flames defensemen Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. Friedman noted that the Arizona Coyotes had shown an interest in Hanifin this year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: GOPHNX.COM’s Coyotes beat writer Craig Morgan acknowledged the rumors linking the club to Hanifin. While saying the rumor “has some legs”, he also suggested their level of pursuit of the Flames defenseman was “a bit exaggerated.”

Morgan noted that the Coyotes could use a defenseman such as Hanifin. However, if they were to acquire him, it would have to be without giving up any of their top prospects plus they’d have to sign him to a contract extension with a term and salary that would fit within their cost-conscious budget plans.

Regarding Tanev, Friedman noted a couple of people told him that they think the Flames could make another attempt to re-sign him. However, he’s not sure how likely that will be.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Toronto Maple Leafs are believed to be quite keen on acquiring Tanev to shore up their injury-depleted blueline. Whether they can pull it off remains to be seen.

Turning to the San Jose Sharks, Friedman said the Carolina Hurricanes were rumored to have taken a run at acquiring defenseman Mario Ferraro. He’s a talented young player signed for two more seasons with an affordable $3.25 million average annual value. Friedman thinks a lot of teams will be checking into his availability.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The rebuilding Sharks could prefer hanging onto Ferraro if they see the 25-year-old rearguard fitting into their long-term plans. However, they could part with him if they get an irresistible offer.

Friedman also believes the Sharks want to move out Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who’s been a frequent healthy scratch this season. He’s got two more seasons on his contract with an AAV of $7 million plus there are some signing bonuses too.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The only way I see the Sharks moving Vlasic (who has a three-team trade list) is if they’re willing to keep half of his cap hit as they have one retained salary slot left. Even then, they might have to include a sweetener in the deal like a draft pick or prospect.

Vlasic will be 37 in March and is a spent force as an NHL defenseman. I doubt he’ll draw much interest in the trade market. The Sharks might have to bite the bullet and buy him out next June.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 5, 2023

by | Dec 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 5, 2023

The Lightning defeat the Stars during a milestone game for Victor Hedman, the Jets re-sign Nino Niederreiter, the latest projection for next season’s salary cap, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning celebrated Victor Hedman’s 1,000th career NHL game with a 4-0 victory over the Dallas Stars. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves for the shutout and Anthony Cirelli scored twice as the Lightning (11-10-5) snapped a four-game losing skid. Jake Oettinger stopped 19 shots for the 14-6-3 Stars.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (NHL Images).

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Laurent Brossoit kicked out 42 shots as his club held off the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1. Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers each had a goal and an assist as the Jets improved their record to 14-8-2 (30 points) to sit one point back of the second-place Stars in the Central Division. Martin Necas replied for the 14-9-1 Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Jets announced the signing of Nino Niederreiter to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $4 million. It’s the same AAV on the 31-year-old winger’s current contract. Acquired from the Nashville Predators last season, Niederreiter quickly fit in well with the Jets. He’s got 14 points in 24 games on their third line.

A five-goal first period carried the Arizona Coyotes to a 6-0 drubbing of the Washington Capitals. Nick Schmaltz tallied two goals, Alex Kerfoot had three assists and Connor Ingram turned aside 26 shots for the shutout as the Coyotes (13-9-2) picked up their fifth straight win. The Capitals made Evgeny Kuznetsov a healthy scratch from this game following a disappointing performance in a 4-1 loss on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes hold the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 28 points. Meanwhile, their ongoing saga for a new arena could be testing the patience of some of the NHL governors, who are currently meeting in Seattle.

As long as league commissioner Gary Bettman supports the Coyotes’ efforts to remain in the Phoenix area and has the support of the majority of league governors, it won’t matter if a handful of the others are growing weary of this situation.

An overtime goal by Pavel Buchnevich lifted the St. Louis Blues over the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 2-1. Jordan Binnington made 33 saves while Alexey Toropchenko also scored for the Blues as they improved to 13-10-1. Jack Eichel scored for the Golden Knights (16-5-5), who remain in first place in the Western Conference with 37 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights played without defenseman Shea Theodore (upper body) as he was placed on long-term injury reserve on Saturday. The earliest he could return to action is Dec. 17.

The Philadelphia Flyers nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on an overtime goal by Sean Couturier. Carter Hart stopped 31 shots, Tyson Foerster also scored and Travis Konecny collected two assists for the 13-10-2 Flyers. Sidney Crosby scored for the Penguins as they fell to 11-10-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins played without forward Matt Nieto (lower body) as he was placed on injured reserve on Saturday.

Montreal Canadiens center Sean Monahan scored two goals as his club doubled up the Seattle Kraken 4-2. Sam Montembeault stopped 31 shots while Josh Anderson finally tallied his first goal of the season as the Canadiens boosted their record to 11-11-3. Vince Dunn had a goal and an assist for the 8-12-6 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Canadiens loaned defenseman Arber Xhekaj to their AHL affiliate in Laval. He’d been sidelined since Nov. 16 with an upper-body injury.

HEADLINES

DAILY FACEOFF: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman informed the league Board of Governors yesterday that the salary cap is on track to reach $87.7 million for 2024-25. The cap is currently at $83.5 million and has been flattened since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The $4.2 million increase is in line with the “lag formula” contained in the 2020 Memorandum of Understanding between the NHL and NHL Players Association coming out of the pandemic. The two sides can negotiate for a higher formula, something NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh hinted at during a recent interview with Frank Seravalli.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The PA could push to have it increased to between $88 million and $89 million. As Seravalli indicates in his report, however, achieving that goal would mean the PA having to make a concession, something the league isn’t planning on based on their report on Monday to the Board of Governors.

NHL.COM: Arizona Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram, New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes are the league’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 3.

CALGARY SUN: Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom left practice yesterday after suffering an injury to his right hand. An update on his condition could be made today.

CBS SPORTS: Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish did not travel with his club for their upcoming two-game road trip. He suffered an upper-body injury during Saturday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.

THE MERCURY NEWS: The San Jose Sharks placed forward Ryan Carpenter and defenseman Ty Emberson on injured reserve.

NHL.COM: The 2024 IIHF World Junior U-20 Championship begins on Dec. 26, 2023, and will end with the gold medal game on Jan. 5, 2024 The tournament opens with the United States facing off against Norway while defending champion Canada meets Finland in preliminary round action. Slovakia will also face Czechia while Sweden takes on Latvia.

Speaking of the IIHF, all players participating in their tournaments will be mandated to wear a neck laceration protector.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 4, 2023

by | Dec 4, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – December 4, 2023

The latest on the Oilers’ recent scouting of the Blue Jackets plus updates on the Senators and Sabres in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE OILERS’ RECENT SCOUTING TRIP TO COLUMBUS

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline took note of the Edmonton Oilers scouting the Columbus Blue Jackets last week even though the two clubs don’t play each other until late January.

The Oilers need goaltending help, sparking rumors that they might have been looking at the Blue Jackets’ netminders or their opponents. Jackets starter Elvis Merzlikins’ $5.5 million annual average value through 2026-27 would be difficult for the Oilers to take on unless Jack Campbell ($5 million AAV through ’26-’27) was included in the deal.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (NHL Images).

With the Jackets playing the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens last week, Portzline wondered if the Oilers were scouting the Bruins’ Linus Ullmark or the Canadiens’ Jake Allen, though the latter didn’t play against the Jackets.

The Jackets could end up placing Spencer Martin on waivers with Daniil Tarasov due to return soon from his AHL conditioning stint.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Martin faced the Bruins last week, giving up three goals on 28 shots in a 3-1 loss. If he was being scouted by the Oilers, they might pick him up if he hits the waiver wire.

Martin carries a very affordable cap hit of $762,500, though the cap-strapped Oilers might be able to squeeze into their payroll if he becomes available on the waiver wire. However, there is persistent speculation that the Oilers could recall Campbell from their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

ARE CHANGES COMING FOR THE SENATORS?

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Senators interim general manager Steve Staios has a lot on his plate these days.

The club’s ongoing on-ice struggles have Senators fans calling for head coach D.J. Smith to be fired. The front office wants to be patient with Smith as they like his approach and management is trying to give him more support. However, Staios’ patience could soon wear thin.

Garrioch doesn’t expect Staios to swing a blockbuster trade. Teams have called about Drake Batherson but the Senators don’t want to go in that direction. Staios is working the phones and there’s a chance Dominik Kubalik could be traded before Shane Pinto returns to the lineup in January. Kubalik is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staios could find that a coaching change could be his easiest route considering the difficulty of making a significant trade that improves his roster with so many clubs pressed for cap space this season. I think that’s more likely to occur if things don’t improve soon for the Senators.

UPDATE ON THE SABRES

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Mike Harrington weighed in on the Sabres’ recent struggles. While forwards Tage Thompson and Jack Quinn are sidelined, others have regressed so far this season.

General manager Kevyn Adams didn’t do anything to replace Quinn when he suffered an Achilles injury in June. He also lost out to the Detroit Red Wings in the Patrick Kane sweepstakes.

Harrington believes the Sabres cannot wait until the trade deadline as they need an injection now to snap them out of their funk. They need help up front and have plenty of draft and prospect capital to entice a rival club to make a deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres are four points out of a wild-card berth. A string of wins could propel them into a playoff spot but those have been difficult to come by thus far.

Adams could be working the phones but he’s likely finding suitable deals difficult to come by right now. The Sabres will be worth monitoring in the rumor mill if they don’t start gaining ground in the standings.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 4, 2023

by | Dec 4, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 4, 2023

Hat trick performances by the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin and the Bruins’ Brad Marchand, the Kings crown a new all-time assists leader, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin tallied a hat trick as his club held off the San Jose Sharks 6-5. Panarin extended his points streak to seven games and sits fourth among the league’s leading scorers with 35 points. Vincent Trocheck, Jacob Trouba and Jonny Brodzinski each collected two assists for the 18-4-1 Rangers as they sit in first place in the overall standings with 37 points. Anthony Duclair had a goal and an assist for the Sharks (6-17-2) as they sit last overall with 14 points.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks activated forward Alexander Barabanov and defenseman Jan Rutta off injured reserve for this game. However, forward Nico Sturm and blueliner Ty Emberson missed this contest with lower-body injuries.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand netted a natural hat trick to rally his club to a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Charlie McAvoy picked up two assists while Jeremy Swayman made 24 saves as the Bruins (17-4-3) kept pace with the Rangers with 37 points. Boone Jenner replied for the Blue Jackets as they fell to 8-14-4.

The Los Angeles Kings have a new all-time assists leader as captain Anze Kopitar picked up his 758th career assist to surpass Hall-of-Famer Marcel Dionne during their 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Quinton Byfield scored two goals and Adrian Kempe collected two assists as the Kings (14-4-3) picked up their seventh win in their last 10 games. Josh Manson netted the only goal for the 15-7-2 Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche superstar Cale Makar missed this game with an undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, Avs forward Ross Colton received his second fine of this season as the department of player safety levied him a $5,000.00 fine for a dangerous trip on Anaheim Ducks rookie Leo Carlsson.

Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello had a goal and two assists to lead his club over the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. Zuccarello extended his points streak to nine games, rookie Marco Rossi tallied twice and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 28 shots as the Wild (8-10-4) picked up their third straight win under new head coach John Hynes. Connor Bedard collected an assist on Taylor Raddysh’s goal to extend his road points streak to nine games but his Blackhawks slipped to 7-16-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks forward Lukas Reichel was a healthy scratch from this game. Meanwhile, Wild defenseman Zach Bogosian missed this game as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

The Nashville Predators nipped the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 2-1. Juuse Saros kicked out 34 shots while Filip Forsberg and Yakov Trenin scored for the 12-12-0 Predators. Victor Olofsson replied for the Sabres (10-13-2) as they’ve dropped three straight games.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 3, 2023

by | Dec 3, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 3, 2023

Which clubs might target the Predators’ Tyson Barrie? Could the Oilers look into signing Corey Perry? Are the Leafs trying to land a Flames defenseman? What’s the latest on the Sharks? Check out the latest in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

WHICH CLUBS COULD PURSUE TYSON BARRIE?

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reported the Nashville Predators have given permission Tyson Barrie and his agent permission to speak with other clubs about a possible trade. The 32-year-old defenseman was a healthy scratch from Saturday’s game against the New York Rangers. He is 10 games away from 800 career contests and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: Michael Gallagher looked at four clubs who might pursue a trade for Barrie. The blueliner’s former club, the Edmonton Oilers, topped the list as Gallagher believes reacquiring Barrie would improve the defense in front of their struggling goalies.

Nashville Predators defenseman Tyson Barrie (NHL Images)

The New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders could use more offense from the blueline. Another of Barrie’s former teams is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who could use a right-hand shot on their injury-ravaged defense corps with John Klingberg on long-term injury reserve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Never say never but I doubt the Oilers or Leafs are interested in bringing back Barrie. The Oilers need a skilled shutdown defenseman while Barrie struggled to find chemistry with the Leafs during his only season in Toronto.

The Devils could be an option with Dougie Hamilton sidelined but they could continue trying out promising call-up Simon Nemec. While the Isles could use more production from their defense, they might not be enamored with his defensive game.

COULD THE OILERS LOOK INTO SIGNING COREY PERRY?

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson assumes Oilers general manager Ken Holland is checking in on Corey Perry, whose contract was terminated last week by the Chicago Blackhawks for unacceptable workplace conduct. He also believes the Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers could be doing the same as they need role-player help.

Matheson pointed out that Holland went out on a limb to sign Evander Kane despite his off-ice baggage. That deal turned into a home run for the Oilers.

The Oilers GM will have to wait until Perry’s completed his substance abuse treatment and will fully investigate why the Blackhawks terminated his contract. If it’s not a serious impediment, Matheson thinks Holland could be all-in on signing him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perry doesn’t face any criminal charges nor is there any indication he broke the law in what was described as an “alcohol-fueled” situation during a gathering of Blackhawks team employees and corporate partners. He’s also under no suspension by the league and can sign with any club if he wants to return to action.

Perry has a long and productive career, garnering a well-earned reputation as a leader and shift disturber who always elevates his play in the postseason. It wouldn’t be surprising if he lands with another NHL club before the March 8 trade deadline.

LEAFS ATTEMPTED TO ACQUIRE ZADOROV AND TANEV

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Toronto Maple Leafs attempted to acquire Nikita Zadorov and Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames before Zadorov was traded last week to the Vancouver Canucks.

According to Friedman, the potential deal fell apart because the two sides couldn’t agree on what it would cost the Flames to retain up to 50 percent of the salaries of both players. “The two sides couldn’t figure out that compensation, in addition to just the compensation for the players.”

The Leafs are still searching for help on the blueline. Friedman indicated their preference is for a right-handed shot. He believes they could still be in on Tanev but he has a larger cap hit ($4.5 million) than Zadorov.

Earlier yesterday, Friedman’s colleague Luke Fox opined for the Leafs to continue their pursuit of a Toronto homecoming for Tanev, who will likely be more in demand than Zadorov. He’s a right-shot who could skate alongside Morgan Rielly or Jake McCabe and help improve the Leafs’ penalty kill.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs are still awaiting clarification on John Klingberg’s status regarding his hip ailment. He’s currently on long-term injury reserve but there’s no indication yet how long he’ll be sidelined. If he needs season-ending surgery, it’ll ensure they have the cap space for the remainder of this season to acquire someone like Tanev.

LATEST ON THE SHARKS

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the San Jose Sharks have let it be known that they will consider a lot on the blueline in terms of who might be available and what they’re willing to do. He believes teams will be most interested in Mario Ferraro, who has two more seasons left on his contract with a $3.25 million annual cap hit. Friedman doesn’t think he’s off the table at this time.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Lizz Child recently noted The Athletic has Sharks winger Anthony Duclair, goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen and forward Alexander Barabanov among their top-25 trade candidates. She also pointed out that Daily Faceoff has wingers Mike Hoffman and Kevin Labanc among their top 20 trade targets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Other than Ferraro, the rest are eligible for UFA status next summer. The Sharks could retain Ferraro and perhaps even Duclair and Kahkonen if those two are willing to stay if their asking price is reasonable. On the other hand, this is a rebuilding club that’s on the lookout for offers of solid returns that will help them build up their long-term future.