Oilers Fire Head Coach Jay Woodcroft

by | Nov 12, 2023

Oilers Fire Head Coach Jay Woodcroft

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers have fired head coach Jay Woodcroft and defense coach Dave Manson.

Woodcroft is being replaced by Kris Knoblauch and will be joined by assistant coach Paul Coffey.

Former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft (NHL.com).

Knoblauch joins the Oilers from the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack, the farm team of the New York Rangers. He also coached Oilers captain Connor McDavid when the two were with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hired by the Oilers in February 2022, Woodcroft coached them to the Western Conference Final that year. He guided them to a 109-point campaign in 2022-23, marking the fifth-best regular-season performance in franchise history.

Despite being upset by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2023 playoffs, the Oilers began this season considered a Stanley Cup contender. Instead, they’ve lurched to a 3-9-1 start that threatens to derail their season.

One would’ve thought the Oilers would’ve replaced Woodcroft with Knoblauch on Thursday following their loss to the bottom-feeding San Jose Sharks. Instead, it comes after they snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win last night over the Seattle Kraken.

Knoblauch’s connection to McDavid is fueling speculation that the Oilers captain had a hand in deciding Woodcroft’s replacement. It’ll be interesting to see how he addresses their porous goaltending, shaky defense and a popgun offense, especially if McDavid remains hampered by an upper-body injury that sidelined him for two games last month.

For those keeping score, Knoblauch becomes the Oilers’ eighth head coach since 2013. As per Hockey-Reference.com, the others were Ralph Krueger (2013), Dallas Eakins (2014 to 2015), Todd Nelson (2015), Todd McLellan (2016 to 2019), Ken Hitchcock (2019), Dave Tippett (2020 to 2022) and Woodcroft.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – November 12, 2023

by | Nov 12, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – November 12, 2023

Check out the latest Nikita Zadorov trade rumors plus some recent Oilers speculation in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

THE LATEST ON ZADOROV

CALGARY SUN: Wes Gilbertson reports Nikita Zadorov addressed the reports that he had requested a trade from the Flames through his agent Dan Milstein. “We have been discussing it,” said the 28-year-old defenseman. “I cannot really say a lot of stuff.”

Zadorov reiterated his love of playing for the Flames and the city of Calgary. “But the business side, sometimes stuff happens, you know? My agent has to protect me at some points, for sure”.

Gilbertson cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman expressing his belief that Flames management has made it clear to Zadorov that they would be willing to move him. However, it will be on their timetable.

That means Zadorov could be on their roster for a while, perhaps until the March 8 trade deadline. Gilbertson expects Flames general manager Craig Conroy should receive plenty of calls about the big blueliner, pointing out that he’s already been linked to “Toronto, Vancouver and New Jersey”.

Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov (NHL Images).

Zadorov currently skates on the Flames’ third defense pairing. He believes he deserves a bigger role but said the coaches are controlling how much ice time he gets. He also acknowledged that some of his teammates might be miffed by his trade request but he hopes they’ll understand one day.

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox reported the Canucks and Maple Leafs are willing to trade for Zadorov and the rearguard (who lacks a no-trade clause) is open to joining either club. The market for him could be competitive, providing an opportunity for the Flames to land a decent return.

Fox wondered if the Leafs would be willing to part with young forward Nick Robertson or their 2024 first-round pick even though they lack a second-rounder. Perhaps the Flames would take on John Klingberg’s contract with enough of a sweetener.

Meanwhile, the cap-strapped Canucks also hold a first-rounder but lack a second in next year’s draft. Fox wondered if they might be able to offload winger Conor Garland.

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston also cited Friedman noting that the Canucks are among the clubs with an interest in Zadorov. A source told Johnston that they were looking into trading for him this summer before signing free agent Carson Soucy.

Johnston wondered who Zadorov might replace if the Canucks acquired him. He’s not going in for Quinn Hughes, Ian Cole or Soucy on the left side, though Cole and Soucy have skated on the right side.

Mark Friedman has been a quiet surprise for the Canucks since they picked him up from the Pittsburgh Penguins last month. Perhaps he might replace Tyler Myers, who the Canucks have explored trading over the past couple of years.

TORONTO SUN: Lance Hornby noted there remains a cordial relationship between Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving and his former club in Calgary. However, acquiring Zadorov could prove easier said than done.

The Leafs lack any attractive roster players that they can spare. They might also be hesitant to risk their young prospects plus they’ve already traded away five of their first 12 draft picks over the next three drafts with no second-rounders in any of them. The Leafs also haven’t accrued enough cap space yet to take on Zadorov’s $3.75 million cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman also noted that Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev have also drawn attention. Like Zadorov, the Flames defensemen are eligible to become unrestricted free agents in July.

Friedman said Toronto and Vancouver are believed to be among the teams with an interest in Tanev and Zadorov “if not both.” Meanwhile, the Arizona Coyotes “took a long look” at Hanifin this week. He thinks Zadorov’s availability has brought other teams into the mix but there’s nothing imminent.

As always, salary cap space and depth in tradeable assets are the determining factors here. Friedman was asked if the Ottawa Senators would be interested in Zadorov but he noted they lack the cap room to do so.

The Devils could have the advantage in terms of prospects and promising young players to draw on for trade bait if they wish. They still need to accrue some cap space to take on Zadorov but could still be better-positioned than the Canucks and Leafs, especially if the Flames were willing to retain some salary in the deal or take back a contract in return.

UPDATE ON THE OILERS

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes the Edmonton Oilers remain in shock over how quickly things have fallen apart so far. He indicated that it’s not just the goaltending but also their poor defensive play and lack of offense.

They spent much of this week calling around the league trying to see what’s out there in the trade market. They made it very clear that they were not going to make a desperate deal but couldn’t find a reasonable deal as teams were willing to wait them out.

Friedman doesn’t believe the Oilers have given up on this season. However, something will have to change soon because they can’t keep going as they have.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It could end up being a coaching change if no reasonable season-saving trades can be found. Head coach Jay Woodcroft is probably breathing a little easier today following his club’s 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. However, he could start feeling the heat again if the Oilers don’t soon string some wins together.

**UPDATE** The Oilers fired Woodcroft on Sunday, replacing him with former Hartford Wolfpack bench boss Kris Knoblauch. 

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Caleb Kerney noted there’s been a lot of talk linking the Oilers to Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros. However, he feels they would be better off attempting to acquire Ilya Sorokin from the New York Islanders.

With Sorokin having a down year so far, Kerney believes this would be the best time to propose a trade to Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators general manager Barry Trotz said earlier this season that Saros isn’t going anywhere, adding that he’s looking into getting the ball rolling on contract extension talks next summer.

Sorokin may be having a “down year” by his standards through the early weeks of this season but Lamoriello isn’t trading his starting netminder. He signed Sorokin to an eight-year contract extension this summer.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2023

by | Nov 12, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2023

Hat-trick performances by the Oilers’ Zach Hyman and the Blues’ Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich highlight the recaps of Saturday’s action in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: A natural hat trick in the first period by Zach Hyman carried the Edmonton Oilers over the Seattle Kraken 4-1 to snap their four-game losing skid. Stuart Skinner made 17 saves for the 3-9-1 Oilers while Jaden Schwartz replied for the 5-7-3 Kraken.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were held scoreless in this contest. Kraken netminder Philipp Grubauer got the hook after giving up four goals on 17 shots.

Speaking of hat tricks, Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich each tallied three goals as the St. Louis Blues crushed the Colorado Avalanche 8-2. Robert Thomas collected four assists while Jordan Binnington stopped 36 shots as the Blues improved to 7-5-1. Mikko Rantanen and Jack Johnson replied for the Avalanche as they slipped to 8-5-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche were without forward Artturi Lehkonen as he’ll be sidelined for weeks with an upper-body injury suffered on Thursday against the Kraken.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander scored to extend his season-opening points streak to 15 games in a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi each picked up two assists while Ilya Samsonov turned aside 31 shots as they improved their record to 8-5-2. J.T. Miller and Pius Suter scored for the 10-3-1 Canucks.

An overtime goal by Kaiden Guhle lifted the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins, ending a 10-team losing streak against the Bruins. Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki also scored for the 7-5-2 Canadiens. Pavel Zacha and Brad Marchand scored for the 11-1-2 Bruins, who remain on top of the Eastern Conference with 24 points.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a 22-save shutout performance from Pyotr Kochetkov to blank the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0. Sebastian Aho and Brent Burns each had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes as they rose to 9-6-0 in the standings. Nikita Kucherov missed this game due to illness as his club dropped to 6-5-4 in his absence.

Speaking of 4-0 shutouts, the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres by the same score as Tristan Jarry returned to action by kicking out 35 shots after missing one game with a facial injury. Erik Karlsson scored twice while Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Graves each had two points for the Penguins (7-6-0) as they picked up their fourth straight win. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 36 stops for the 7-7-1 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres also returned forward Matthew Savoie to his WHL club in Wenatchee after he made his NHL debut on Friday against the Minnesota Wild.

Arizona Coyotes forwards Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley each picked up three points as their club overcame two 2-goal deficits to beat the Nashville Predators 7-5. Michael Carcone scored twice for the Coyotes, who boosted their record to 7-6-1. Filip Forsberg scored twice and collected an assist for the 5-9-0 Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes played without center Jack McBain, who is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Alex Ovechkin scored twice as his Washington Capital (7-4-2) rolled to a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders (5-5-3), handing the latter their third straight loss. Call-up goalie Hunter Shepard turned in a 37-save performance for the Capitals. Alexander Romanov got the Islanders’ only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders fans aren’t pleased with their club’s performance this season, calling for head coach Lane Lambert to be fired during this game. Earlier in the week, they were chanting for general manager Lou Lamoriello to lose his job. Meanwhile, the Capitals placed sidelined defenseman Martin Fehervary (foot) on injured reserve.

The Detroit Red Wings held off the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4, handing the latter their fourth straight defeat. Jake Walman scored what proved to be the game-winner while Jeff Petry and Christian Fischer each had two assists for the 8-5-2 Red Wings. Patrik Laine scored in his first game back with the Blue Jackets (4-7-3) since suffering a concussion on Oct. 20.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: To make room for Laine’s return, the Jackets assigned defenseman David Jiricek to their AHL affiliate in Cleveland.

Dallas Stars goaltender Scott Wedgewood made 31 saves while Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Cole Perfetti and Brenden Dillon tallied for the Jets (7-5-2) while the Stars (9-3-1) sit atop the Central Division with 19 points.

The Ottawa Senators ended a five-game losing skid on home ice by dousing the Calgary Flames 4-1. Joonas Korpisalo made 24 saves while Drake Batherson had a goal and an assist for the 6-7-0 Senators. Blake Coleman replied for the Flames as they fell to 4-8-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The trade request made by Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov remains a hot topic among the pundits. I’ll have more in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

Former Los Angeles Kings netminder Cal Petersen made 35 saves to help the Philadelphia Flyers defeat his old team by a score of 4-2. Morgan Frost scored twice as the Flyers improved to 7-7-1 on the season. Carl Grundstrom and Adrian Kempe replied for the 8-3-3 Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Kings reclaimed forward Samuel Fagemo off waivers from the Predators.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 11, 2023

by | Nov 11, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – November 11, 2023

Possible destinations for Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov following his trade request and some recent Sharks speculation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHERE COULD THE FLAMES SHIP ZADOROV?

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s the big question following last night’s report that Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov requested a trade through his agent. So, let’s dive in and see…

TSN: Pierre LeBrun confirmed the report by ESPN’s Kevin Weekes that Zadorov requested a trade through his agent Dan Milstein yesterday. His camp is hoping for a quick resolution.

Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov (NHL Images).

Chris Johnston reports the pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman would welcome a trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before Weekes’ report of Zadorov’s request broke, Sportsnet’s Luke Fox and The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel included him among three Flames defensemen they felt the Leafs should target in the trade market. The others were Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev, who are also slated to become UFAs next summer.

They agree that Hanifin would be the most expensive to acquire. He and Tanev also have modified no-trade clauses with Hanifin having an eight-team no-trade list and Tanev having 10 teams on his.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols cited a source saying Zadorov would welcome a trade to the Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bidding war! Well, that’s what the Flames will hope for given Zadorov’s lack of no-trade protection and his reasonable $3.75 million cap hit for this season. They’ll ship him to the team that will give them the best return.

THE ATHLETIC: Julian McKenzie wonders what the Flames’ asking price will be for Zadorov. Given the club’s intent to get younger and their need for speed and skill, McKenzie speculates they could obtain draft picks or a young prospect for Zadorov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils’ deep prospect pool gives them an advantage over the Leafs in that regard. Cap space, however, will be a sticking point for both clubs.

The Flames might have to retain salary or take back a player with a comparable cap hit to make this work for the Leafs or Devils. It’ll be interesting to see if other clubs get into the bidding here.

RECENT SHARKS SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Duhatschek recently observed that the San Jose Sharks had hoped pending UFAs Mike Hoffman, Anthony Duclair and Kevin Labanc would be of interest to playoff contenders as trade-deadline rentals. However, they’re off to terrible starts and would have zero value at the moment.

If the Flames felt their season was salvageable, Duhatschek wondered if they might acquire Duclair and reunite him with Jonathan Huberdeau. The duo developed some offensive chemistry during their time with the Florida Panthers.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Max Miller reported Sharks general manager Mike Grier wasn’t worried about the trade value of those on expiring contracts. “I think all those guys have a pretty good track record of who they are and producing and things like that,” he said.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli noted that the Sharks need to figure out where high-price forwards like Tomas Hertl and captain Logan Couture fit into the club’s future.

Seravalli noted there will only be room to move one of them if they need to retain salary to facilitate a trade. They only have one salary-retention spot left after using two of them on Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. Servalli speculates that Hertl could generate more interest than Couture.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s no indication Hertl and/or Couture want out of San Jose. However, Grier said back in September that he would listen if they asked to be moved and explore that option if it made sense for the team.

The most likely trade candidates remain those pending free agents. Of those three, Duclair has the most value given his 31-goal season in 2021-22 and his solid performance during the Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final last spring.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 11, 2023

by | Nov 11, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 11, 2023

The Leafs’ William Nylander extends his points streak to 14 games, Ducks rookie Leo Carlsson tallies his first big-league hat trick, and the Flames’ Nikita Zadorov requests a trade. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: William Nylander extended his points streak to 14 games while Max Domi scored in the shootout as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Calgary Flames 5-4. Nylander scored on the power play and shorthanded to finish the night with three points as the Leafs improved to 7-5-2. Nikita Zadorov scored for the Flames (4-7-2), who overcame a 4-1 deficit before falling in the shootout.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

Following the game, reports emerged that Zadorov requested a trade through his agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll have more about Zadorov’s trade request and potential destinations in today’s Rumors update. Meanwhile, it’s safe to say that the cost of signing Nylander will get more expensive if he maintains his current high level of play throughout the remainder of his contract year.

Anaheim Ducks rookie Leo Carlsson scored all three of his club’s goals in a 6-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Travis Sanheim had a goal and two assists while Owen Tippett tallied twice for the 6-7-1 Flyers. The Ducks, meanwhile, slipped to 7-6-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Carlsson’s first NHL hat trick. His six goals rank second to Chicago’s Connor Bedard among this season’s rookie goal scorers. Meanwhile, Carlsson’s teammate Trevor Zegras missed this game with a nagging lower-body injury.

As for the Flyers, goalie Carter Hart missed this game due to illness while forward (and former Duck) Nicolas Deslauriers played in his 600th career NHL game.

The Vegas Golden Knights regained first place in the overall standings by blanking the San Jose Sharks 5-0. Adin Hill stopped 20 shots for his second shutout in his last three starts while Alex Pietrangelo had a goal and two assists and Alec Martinez netted two goals for the 12-2-1 Golden Knights. Kaapo Kahkonen made 34 saves for the 2-11-1 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud made his season debut in this contest. He’d been sidelined by an upper-body injury suffered during training camp.

Florida Panthers forwards Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist to propel their club to a 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 shots as the Panthers improved to 8-4-1 and sit second in the Atlantic Division with 17 points. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Sebastian Aho replied for the 8-6-0 Hurricanes.

The Washington Capitals improved their record to 6-4-2 by doubling up the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Evgeni Kuznetsov tallied two goals and Tom Wilson had two assists for the Capitals. Timo Meier and Dawson Mercer scored for the 7-5-1 Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary left the game in the second period favoring his foot and didn’t return. An update on his condition could be released today. Rasmus Sandin was also banged up in this game but is expected to be ok.

Buffalo Sabres forwards Jeff Skinner and JJ Peterka each had a goal and an assist as their club held off the Minnesota Wild by a score of 4-2. Devon Levi kicked out 33 shots for the Sabres as they rose to 7-6-1. Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist for the Wild as they dropped to 5-7-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres center Dylan Cozens returned to action after missing two games due to injury while teammate Matthew Savoie made his NHL debut in this contest. Wild captain Jared Spurgeon made his season debut after being sidelined since preseason with an upper-body injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins will retire Jaromir Jagr’s No. 68 during a pregame ceremony on Feb. 18 when the club faces off at home against the Los Angeles Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jagr spent 11 of his 24 NHL seasons with the Penguins. It was the most productive period of his career, winning two Stanley Cups, five Art Ross Trophies as the league’s leading scorer, two Ted Lindsay Awards and the Hart Memorial Trophy. This will be a fitting tribute by the club for one of the greatest players in franchise history.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine could return to action as early as Saturday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. He’s been sidelined by a concussion since Oct. 20.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Nashville Predators placed Samuel Fagemo on waivers.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: A source told Max Miller that the NHL prevented Vegas Golden Knights goalie Logan Thompson from putting a cancer ribbon sticker on his helmet design.

It is Hockey Fights Cancer Month in the NHL.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can always count on NHL headquarters to do the wrong thing.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 10, 2023

by | Nov 10, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – November 10, 2023

Could the Canucks be making a trade soon? Can the Leafs make a trade to improve their performance? Could the Flyers peddle Morgan Frost? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST CANUCKS SPECULATION

THE PROVINCE: As the Vancouver Canucks roster gets healthier, Patrick Johnston wonders if it could lead to a trade by the team.

Johnston noted that Anthony Beauvillier is skating on the fourth line. He’s earning an average annual value of $4.15 million. While the winger has been fine so far, it may not be the best use of their cap space to have him at that position.

Vancouver Canucks winger Anthony Beauvillier (NHL Images).

Beauvillier has surfaced in trade rumors as his contract expires following this season and he lacks no-trade protection. Shedding his salary would free up cap space to add a new winger, which sources tell Johnston is a big target for Canucks management at the moment. They would also like to bolster their defense via trade, though the more likely course of action could be signing free agent Ethan Bear once he’s ready in December to return from shoulder surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks were trying to move Conor Garland but he’s signed for three more years at $4.9 million annually and that’s difficult to move in a season when most teams are feeling the salary-cap pinch.

Beauvillier may be on an expiring contract lacking no-trade protection but his cap hit and limited production (five points in 13 games) could make it tough to find a trade partner at this point in the season.

The Canucks might have to retain some of his cap hit to facilitate a deal. Otherwise, they’ll have to wait until later in the season when teams have accrued more cap room.

LEAFS SHOPPING AROUND BUT NO QUICK FIXES COMING

TSN: Darren Dreger reports Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving is looking on the trade front for blueline help. However, it’s still very early in the season and “he doesn’t have a magic wand.”

Dreger noted that “there hasn’t been a consistent commitment to checking or defending and those aren’t things that a general manager can fix at this point of the regular season.” He thinks the forwards need to buy in and the coach needs to hold accountable those who won’t.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maybe investing more in defense rather than adding “snot” to the forward lines (hello there, Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Ryan “All Talk No Action” Reaves) might’ve been the better course of action during the summer.

Treliving did add a defenseman in John Klingberg but he was never renowned for his defensive skills, something that’s become very apparent so far this season.

TRADE RUMORS STILL DOGGING FLYERS’ FROST

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli noted that Philadelphia Flyers forward Morgan Frost has been dwelling in head coach John Tortorella’s doghouse thus far this season. After netting 19 goals and 46 points in 2022-23, the 24-year-old center has been a healthy scratch in seven games already this season.

Seravalli claims several teams have contacted the Flyers to make inquiries about Frost. To make a trade take place, however, there must be a higher level of interest. He believes they must play the youngster more often to boost that interest rather than ban him to the press box.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Recent reports out of Philadelphia (and elsewhere) claim the Flyers aren’t shopping Frost and have no plans to move him. He’s also trying to make the best of this situation and hasn’t said anything to add fuel to the fire.

Maybe the situation changes as the season goes along if Frost fails to improve or he and Tortorella start engaging in a war of words in the media. Until then, I wouldn’t expect him to be moved anytime soon.