NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 7, 2023

by | Nov 7, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 7, 2023

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week are revealed, and the latest on Frederik Andersen, Nicklas Backstrom, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Jack Hughes and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Vancouver Canucks extended their points streak to eight games by dumping the Edmonton Oilers 6-2. Quinn Hughes had a goal and three assists, Brock Boeser scored twice and Thatcher Demko kicked out 40 shots for the Canucks (9-2-1) as they sit second overall in the Western Conference with 19 points. Mattias Ekholm and Leon Draisaitl replied for the 2-8-1 Oilers, who sit second-last in the conference with five points.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is not where most observers expected to see these two teams in the standings when this season began. The Canucks are off to their best start in years while the Oilers are enduring one of their worst.

Edmonton’s struggles, however, are garnering more attention than the Canucks’ early-season success. The Oilers’ growing frustration was apparent as Draisaitl received a 10-minute misconduct in the third period while head coach Jay Woodcroft was ejected later in the period for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Oilers’ difficulties are also generating speculation about possible changes. I’ll have more in today’s Rumors update.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman stopped 35 shots while rookies John Beecher and Mason Lohrei netted their first NHL goals in a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars. Brad Marchand tallied the game-winner as his Eastern Conference-leading Bruins (21 points) held on to improve their record to 10-1-1. Wyatt Johnston and Joe Pavelski scored for the 7-3-1 Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars forwards Matt Duchene and Radek Faksa missed this game as they’re still recovering from upper-body injuries. Both are considered day-to-day.

An overtime goal by Calle Jarnkrok lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-5. Jarnkrok and Auston Matthews each scored twice, Mitch Marner had a goal and three assists and Matthew Knies had three points for the 6-4-2 Leafs, who overcame a 4-1 deficit after Joseph Woll replaced Ilya Samsonov in goal. Nikita Kucherov had two goals and two assists and Victor Hedman collected three points for the Lightning as they dropped to 5-3-4.

The Florida Panthers nipped the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 on an overtime goal by Carter Verhaeghe. Sam Reinhart had two assists and Aleksander Barkov also scored for the 6-4-1 Panthers. The Blue Jackets (4-5-3) overcame a 3-0 deficit as Spencer Martin made 34 saves after Elvis Merzlikins got the hook for giving up three goals on 11 shots.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, Los Angeles Kings goaltender Cam Talbot and Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish are the three stars for the week ending Nov. 5.

CAROLINA HOCKEY NOW: Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen is out indefinitely after a medical exam discovered a blood clotting issue that requires treatment. The club issued a statement indicating there is no timetable for his return but they are confident he’ll make a full recovery.

The Hurricanes also signed goaltender Jaroslav Halak to a professional tryout offer and recalled netminder Pyotr Kochetkov from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Andersen completely recovers and resumes his playing career.

TSN: Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said it’s unlikely Nicklas Backstrom will play again this season. The 35-year-old center stepped away from the team last week citing ongoing issues with his surgically-repaired left hip. Backstrom is expected to go on long-term injury reserve soon.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I hope I’m wrong but I believe Backstrom’s playing career is over. No NHL player has successfully returned to form following a hip resurfacing procedure.

TSN: Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper said starting goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is on track to return to action later this month. Vasilevskiy underwent lower back surgery in late September and is expected back soon after American Thanksgiving on Nov. 23.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning have made do thus far with backup Jonas Johansson filling in for Vasilevskiy. Nevertheless, they’ll be looking forward to his return between the pipes as they attempt to stage another run for the Stanley Cup this season.

DAILY FACEOFF: It’s been confirmed that New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes injured his right shoulder when he exited Friday’s game against the St. Louis Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes is listed as week-to-week with some observers indicating he could be sidelined for three-to-four weeks. His condition is unrelated to the upper-body injury that he suffered during the playoffs.

MLIVE.COM: Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin (upper body) is questionable for Tuesday’s game against the New York Rangers. Winger Robby Fabbri is expected to return from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for the past 10 games.

CBS SPORTS: New York Islanders center Bo Horvat is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Penguins forward Jeff Carter has accepted that he’ll be in and out of the lineup this season. He was a healthy scratch on Saturday against the San Jose Sharks for the first time in his NHL career.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 38-year-old Carter has had a long, productive NHL career but his performance has been in decline over the past two years. He indicated that he’s not going to be a “grumpy old guy” about his situation and will continue to support his teammates when he’s not playing.

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier held a meeting with his players to address the club’s woeful 0-10-1 start to this season. Grier acknowledged he expected growing pains for his rebuilding roster but found their effort in their last two games (in which they gave up 10 goals in each contest) to be “unacceptable”.

Grier told the press that everyone on the team (including himself) had to be accountable for this situation. He refused to lay all the blame on the shoulders of head coach David Quinn. The Sharks GM indicated he’d been evaluating the club’s performance in the coming weeks, adding that changes could be coming if things didn’t improve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s little that Quinn can do with the gutted roster he was given for this season. Trading away Erik Karlsson and Timo Meier last season took away two talented core players plus they’ve been missing the skills and experience of sidelined captain Logan Couture.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 6, 2023

by | Nov 6, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – November 6, 2023

Some roster shakeup suggestions for the struggling Oilers plus the latest on the Blue Jackets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SHAKEUP SUGGESTIONS FOR THE OILERS

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Robert Tychowski believes the Oilers need to address the lack of production coming from their bottom-six forwards. “There needs to be movement on this front – trades, demotions, anything to shake some life into the third and fourth lines.”

Tychowski singled out Ryan McLeod, Dylan Holloway, Derek Ryan, Connor Brown, Mattias Janmark and Adam Erne. He pointed out that they’ve combined for 52 man games thus far with a total of two assists. They also appear to be trying to compensate for a lack of production by not being physical.

Any member of that group would’ve been healthy scratches from the lineup by now. However, the Oilers salary-cap constraints mean there’s not enough room to bring in substitutes.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The problem with trying to make trades right now is there are a high number of clubs in the same boat as the Oilers in terms of cap space. It will require some creativity by management to swing a deal that shakes up the bottom six forwards. They could be forced to address the issue internally or consider a coaching change.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Caleb Kerney suggested the Oilers consider buying out a contract if they can’t make any trades before the American Thanksgiving later this month.

Kerney noted the Oilers have “a few high-priced contracts that could be bought out to create some cap flexibility.” He suggested they start with goaltender Jack Campbell, whose performance has left much to be desired. Buying him out would free up over $3.4 million in cap space for this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Contract buyouts only occur during the offseason, with the main window opening during the second half of June. See CapFriendly for a detailed explanation. Whether the Oilers go that route with Campbell or anyone else next summer remains to be seen.

LATEST ON THE BLUE JACKETS

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline observed that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson’s demotion last Friday to their AHL affiliate in Cleveland along with his recent change of agents raised concern among Jackets fans.

However, Johnson’s future with the Jackets doesn’t appear to be in doubt. He’s handling the demotion well while coach Pascal Vincent felt that the 21-year-old will become an elite NHL player given his progression over time.

Johnson’s new agent is Pat Brisson, who represents former Blue Jackets Pierre-Luc Dubois and Seth Jones. Both players asked to be traded out of Columbus. However, Brisson said changing agents had nothing to do with his relationship with the Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnson may get traded but it sounds like the Jackets still see him as an important part of their future. He is a restricted free agent next summer following the completion of his entry-level contract.

Johnson had a promising rookie performance with 40 points last season but struggled through the early going of this season. Sending him to their AHL affiliate is to get him more playing time and try to bolster his confidence. Don’t be surprised if he returns to their lineup soon.

Portzline also reported that Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has been working the phones for months trying to reduce his roster glut. He noted that Winnipeg Jets assistant GM Larry Simmons was in Columbus last Thursday as was Philadelphia Flyers head pro scout Dave Brown and senior advisor Bob Murray.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been reported for weeks that Kekalainen is trying to move a defenseman. Adam Boqvist and Andrew Peeke have been healthy scratches for some time. Perhaps one of them gets peddled later this month.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 6, 2023

by | Nov 6, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 6, 2023

The Ducks upset the Golden Knights, the Devils defeated the Blackhawks, plus the latest on Jack Hughes, Igor Shesterkin, Mathew Barzal and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Anaheim Ducks tallied four unanswered third-period goals to upset the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2, ending the latter’s points streak at 12 games. Sam Carrick scored twice while John Gibson made 30 saves as the Ducks improved to 7-4-0. Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights (11-1-1), who sit atop the Western Conference with 23 points.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Offseason acquisition Alex Killorn made his season debut with the Ducks but was held scoreless in this contest. He’d been sidelined with a fractured finger through their first 10 games of this season.

New Jersey Devils goalie Vitek Vanecek stopped 32 shots as his club doubled up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Dawson Mercer scored his first goal of the season while Curtis Lazar netted what proved to be the game-winner for the 7-3-1 Devils. Taylor Hall and Ryan Donato replied for the Blackhawks (4-7-0), who got a 36-save effort from Arvid Soderblom.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the Devils’ first game without leading scorer Jack Hughes. He is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered during Friday’s game against the St. Louis Blues.

HEADLINES

NEW YORK POST: Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin is reportedly day-to-day with “minor soreness.” He could miss Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.

DAILY FACEOFF: New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal was fined $5,000.00 for high-sticking Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Tony DeAngelo on Saturday.

CALGARY SUN: Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane received a one-game suspension for a “reckless cross-check” on Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann on Saturday.

THE ATHLETIC: The Toronto Maple Leafs recently held a team meeting to address what was considered their meek response to Timothy Liljegren suffering an ankle injury after being tripped by Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand on Thursday.

“I hated everything about it,” said head coach Sheldon Keefe. He and general manager Brad Treliving addressed the players about the issue before their 6-4 loss on Saturday to the Buffalo Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Treliving added Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Ryan Reaves during the offseason in the hope they would bring more toughness and character to the Leafs lineup. So far, however, the results have been disappointing.

Bertuzzi and Domi are struggling to score and haven’t had much of a physical impact. Reaves, meanwhile, is a first-class chirper but he hasn’t backed up his words with actions. Indeed, he’s been a non-factor since getting roughed up by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj during the season-opener for both clubs last month.

THE SCORE: Kent Johnson is adjusting to his recent demotion from the Columbus Blue Jackets to their AHL affiliate in Cleveland. The fifth-overall pick in the 2021 draft, Johnson had three points in eight games to start the season with the Jackets before his demotion.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnson is taking his situation in stride and understands that he remains part of the Jackets’ plans. Nevertheless, his demotion and his recent change of agents sparked some speculation about his future. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: A former Chicago Blackhawks player is suing the club alleging former video coach Bradley Aldrich “groomed, harassed, threatened and assaulted him” and the club hushed up his complaint during their 2010 Stanley Cup run.

The player is listed as “John Doe” and was a teammate of Kyle Beach. Both were call-ups from the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate in Rockford who practiced with the team during their Stanley Cup run in case someone got injured.

A review from an outside law firm hired by the Blackhawks in response to two lawsuits in 2021 found the club mishandled Beach’s allegations that he was assaulted by Aldrich. The club reached a confidential settlement with Beach.

General manager Stan Bowman and former coach Joel Quenneville resigned following the release of the report. Quenneville was the head coach of the Florida Panthers at the time.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – November 5, 2023

by | Nov 5, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – November 5, 2023

Changes could be in store for the Oilers, an update on Patrick Kane, Nino Niederreiter hopes to stay with the Jets, and the Hurricanes are looking to move a defenseman. Check out the latest in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE SLUMPING OILERS?

SPORTSNET: Mark Spector believes “everything is on the table in Edmonton” as the Oilers slumped to 2-7-1 on the season. They face the real possibility of missing the playoffs if they fail to reverse their fortunes.

Spector suggests a coaching change could end up being under consideration. He noted that current bench boss Jay Woodcroft’s “non-competitive, lackadaisical team” looks exactly like the one that cost former head coaches Dave Tippett and Todd McLellan their jobs.

Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft (NHL.com).

Spector’s colleague Elliotte Friedman reported everything was quiet in Edmonton following the Oilers’ 5-2 loss on Saturday to the Nashville Predators. He said we’ll see how everything goes over the next couple of days as the club looks to address things internally. Friedman wondered if Stuart Skinner would get a run in goal after another poor performance by Jack Campbell.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers are a better team than the one we’ve seen thus far. Their current woes not only reflect badly on Woodcroft but also on team leaders like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Firing Woodcroft could snap the Oilers out of their doldrums but at some point, the players have to take responsibility. A trade could shake things up but that won’t be easy to pull off at this stage during a season where so many teams are pressed for cap space. For now, they seem to have little choice but to seek answers from within.

The good news for the Oilers is there is still plenty of time to turn things around. The bad news is another month like this could put them into such a deep hole in the standings that they risk being unable to climb out of it.

KANE COULD START CONSIDERING TEAMS THIS WEEK

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes this week could be an important one for unrestricted free agent Patrick Kane. The 34-year-old winger is still a few weeks away from playing but he could be getting closer to narrowing down his list of potential destinations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman didn’t indicate which teams could be interested in signing Kane. It’s rumored they could include the Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights.

NIEDERREITER HOPES TO REMAIN A JET

WINNIPEG SUN: Scott Billeck reports sources claim that Nino Niederreiter hopes to remain with the Jets beyond this season.

The 31-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He’s in the final season of a two-year contract with an average annual value of $4 million.

Billeck’s source said that Niederreiter’s agent, Andre Rufener, will be in Winnipeg this week. The winger is fond of Winnipeg and has praised the fans and the way the club handles its players. Management has been made aware that he’s interested in signing an extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Billeck believes the Jets should re-sign Niederreiter, pointing to his five goals and nine points in the club’s 11 games thus far this season. Given the “win-now” mentality of the club’s front office (highlighted by their recent extensions of Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele), they’ll give serious consideration toward keeping Niederreiter in the fold.

Niederreiter’s previous contract was a five-year deal with an average annual value of $5.25 million. If he seeks something similar on his next contract the Jets could be willing to listen.

HURRICANES SHOPPING A DEFENSEMAN

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Carolina Hurricanes are looking to move a defenseman. Tony DeAngelo is the name that’s out there but Friedman said there are other things that the Hurricanes could potentially consider.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: DeAngelo, 28, is on a one-year deal with an affordable $1.675 million cap hit. His defensive play leaves something to be desired. Nevertheless, he could draw interest from teams in need of a cost-effective offensive boost from the blueline, especially on the power play.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 5, 2023

by | Nov 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 5, 2023

The Golden Knights extend their season-opening points streak, the Sharks give up 10 goals again, and much more as we recap a busy Saturday in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights extended their season-opening points streak to 12 games by blanking the Colorado Avalanche 7-0. Golden Knights captain Mark Stone scored two shorthanded goals and collected two assists, Jack Eichel and William Karlsson each tallied twice while Adin Hill kicked out 41 shots for the shutout. Alexandar Georgiev made 27 saves for the 7-3-0 Avalanche while the league-leading Golden Knights sit at 11-0-1.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No sign of any Stanley Cup hangover yet for the Golden Knights thus far. Some of those victories came against lesser opponents like the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks but they’ve also played well against good clubs like the Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, and Winnipeg Jets.

Four-point performances from Jake Guentzel, Reilly Smith and Bryan Rust powered the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 10-2 drubbing of the San Jose Sharks. Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson collected two assists against his former club, Evgeni Malkin tallied twice and Sidney Crosby collected an assist in his 1,200th career NHL regular-season game. Tomas Hertl, Anthony Duclair and Jacob MacDonald each had two points for the Sharks as they sank to 0-10-1 on the season while the Penguins are 4-6-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks became the first team since the 1965-66 Boston Bruins to give up 10 goals in consecutive games as they also lost 10-1 to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.

Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch scored twice in the third period to lift his club over the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 6-4. The Sabres improved their record to 6-6-0. Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews regained the NHL goal-scoring lead (11) by netting his third hat trick of the season while Mitch Marner had a four-point night. The Leafs sit at 5-4-2 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews is tied with Rick Vaive for the fourth-most hat tricks (10) in Leafs history. He’s netted three this season in 11 games, joining Cy Denneny and Babe Dye (four), Newsy Lalonde (five), Joe Malone (seven) and Odie Cleghorn (10) among the players requiring the fewest games in NHL history to net three hat tricks in a single season.

Earlier in the day, the Leafs placed defenseman Timothy Liljegren (lower body) on long-term injury reserve (LTIR). Meanwhile, Sabres forward Dylan Cozens missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The Nashville Predators defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-2. Predators center Ryan O’Reilly netted a hat trick, Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists and Kevin Lankinen stopped 33 shots for the 5-6-0 Predators. Darnell Nurse and Zach Hyman replied for the Oilers as they dropped to 2-7-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers now have the second-worst record in the NHL. Changes could be coming soon if this club fails to snap out of its tailspin. I’ll have more about that in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup. Predators defenseman Ryan McDonagh missed this contest with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Niederreiter’s hat trick powered his club to a 5-3 comeback victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Brenden Dillon had a goal and two assists for the Jets as they moved to 5-4-2. Lawson Crouse had a goal and an assist for the Coyotes (5-5-1), who held leads of 2-0 and 3-2 during this game but couldn’t close the deal.

The Detroit Red Wings held off the Boston Bruins 5-4 to snap the latter’s 10-game points streak. David Perron had a goal and two assists while Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings as they improved to 7-4-1. David Pastrnak, James van Riemsdyk and rookie Matthew Poitras each tallied a goal and an assist for the 9-1-1 Bruins, who still sit atop the Eastern Conference with 19 points.

Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Brayden Point (three goals, one assist) and Nikita Kucherov (one goal, four assists) led the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Ottawa Senators 6-4, boosting their record to 5-3-3. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk scored twice and collected an assist as his club sank to 4-6-0, putting them at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, Tkachuk took issue with Senators fans booing his club’s performance. “It’s frustrating, the negativity from the outside, the constant booing and the bullshit, kind of, from the crowd tonight,” he said. The Ottawa captain added that he understood their frustration but felt that he and his teammates are playing as hard as they can in every game.

The Washington Capitals got a 34-save performance from goaltender Charlie Lindgren to hold off the Columbus Blues Jackets 2-1. Tom Wilson and Sonny Milano scored for the 5-4-1 Capitals while Dmitri Voronkov replied for the Blue Jackets as they fell to 4-5-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets left wing Johnny Gaudreau was benched during the final 16 minutes of the third period. Head coach Pascal Vincent wasn’t pleased with his performance, claiming he felt that Gaudreau “wasn’t there” during this contest. That’s a pretty obvious shot across the bow by Vincent against his highest-paid player.

Meanwhile, Capitals defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk left this game early in the first period with a lower-body injury. There was no update on his status following the game.

Los Angeles Kings goalie Cam Talbot had a 24-save shutout in a 5-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Quinton Byfield collected three assists while Arthur Kaliyev and Trevor Moore each had a goal and an assist for the Kings as they moved up to 7-2-2. Cal Petersen allowed five goals on 30 shots from his former team as the Flyers fell to 5-6-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Flyers shifted defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen to LTIR with an undisclosed injury.

The Carolina Hurricanes overcame a 3-0 deficit to nip the New York Islanders 4-3 on an overtime goal by Sebastian Aho. Andrei Svechnikov and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each collected two points for the Hurricanes (7-5-0). Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat each had two points and Ilya Sorokin stopped 43 shots for the 5-2-3 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech missed this game as he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Conor Bedard scored for the third straight game in a 5-2 upset of the Florida Panthers. Philipp Kurashev had a goal and two assists while Petr Mrazek turned aside 38 shots for the 4-6-0 Blackhawks. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Matthew Tkachuk replied for the Panthers as they sit at 5-4-1.

The St. Louis Blues got a goal and two assists each from Jordan Kyrou and Brayden Schenn to beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-3. With the win, the Blues improved to 5-4-1. Juraj Slafkovsky, Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki replied for the 5-4-2 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens center Christian Dvorak made his season debut after being sidelined by a knee injury since March 7. He saw 14:53 of ice time and was held scoreless.

A shootout goal by Matt Boldy lifted the Minnesota Wild (4-5-2) to a 5-4 win over the New York Rangers (8-2-1), snapping the latter’s six-game win streak. Mats Zuccarello had a goal and an assist in regulation as the Wild overcame a 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 lead before the Rangers’ Chris Kreider tied it in the third period. Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist as the Rangers winger extended his season-opening points streak to 11 games.

The Calgary Flames snapped a six-game losing skid by defeating the Seattle Kraken 6-3. Mikael Backlund scored twice and rookie Martin Pospisil scored his first NHL goal on his first shot for the 3-7-1 Flames. Oliver Bjorkstrand, Eeli Tolvanen and Jaden Schwartz replied for the 4-6-2 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane was ejected from this game in the first period for cross-checking Jared McCann in the upper back while the Kraken forward was lying on the ice after blocking a shot.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko made 27 saves in a 2-0 shutout of the Dallas Stars. Pius Suter and Elias Pettersson were the goal scorers as the Canucks now sit at 8-2-1 on the season. Joel Oettinger stopped 26 shots for the 7-2-1 Stars.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 4, 2023

by | Nov 4, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – November 4, 2023

Does Nicklas Backstrom’s ongoing hip injury suggest the Red Wings should avoid Patrick Kane? What’s the latest on the Canadiens and Blue Jackets? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill

SHOULD THE RED WINGS PASS ON PATRICK KANE?

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Bob Duff suggested that Nicklas Backstrom’s decision to step away from the Washington Capitals for health reasons should be taken as a note of caution if the Red Wings are seriously considering the pursuit of Patrick Kane.

Backstrom, 35, underwent a hip resurfacing procedure in 2022 but struggled to regain his form since returning to action in the middle of last season. Earlier this week, he announced that he was stepping away amid ongoing issues related to his hip.

Free agent winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Kane, 34, underwent a similar procedure in June and is expected to be ready to return to action by December. His camp is expected to begin fielding contract offers from interested clubs later this month. The Red Wings are rumored to be among those teams.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Duff raises a good point, one that interested teams could keep in mind. Backstrom isn’t the only NHL player who underwent this procedure. Those who have, like Ed Jovanovski, Ryan Kesler, Carl Hagelin were never the same. Indeed, Kesler never played again.

Kane is hoping for better luck in his return to play. He’ll likely only get one-year offers from clubs as they’ll want to evaluate his performance before committing to anything long-term.

LATEST CANADIENS SPECULATION

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli believes Sean Monahan could be a good trade chip for the Montreal Canadiens if he remains healthy and maintains his current performance.

Seravalli noted Monahan had 17 points in 25 games last season before he was sidelined for the rest of the 2022-23 campaign. He believes a healthy Monahan, who recently turned 29, could have 20 goals by the time the March 8 trade deadline rolls around.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In 10 games this season, Monahan leads the Canadiens with six goals and sits second in points with nine. He also carries a very affordable $1.985 million on a one-year contract and lacks no-trade protection.

If Monahan remains healthy and productive the Canadiens could get a nice return for him by the trade deadline. That’s assuming they’re well out of playoff contention and he prices himself out of their market given his UFA status in July.

TSN: Darren Dreger noted the Canadiens continue to carry three goaltenders with Jake Allen, Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau sharing the duties. They can’t risk trying to send Primeau to their AHL affiliate because they know he won’t clear waivers.

Dreger believes there’s a decision coming. That could include attempting to trade one of their goalies.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Primeau seems the most likely candidate. Despite his struggles to crack the Canadiens lineup, there are reportedly some teams that feel the 24-year-old needs a change of scenery to reach his potential.

BLUE JACKETS’ KENT JOHNSON CHANGES AGENTS

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman recently observed that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson is now represented by CAA. He also noted that the 21-year-old forward is trying to find his way with the Jackets.

Friedman doesn’t think there’s any reason for Columbus fans to panic but he pointed out that CAA also represented former Blue Jackets Pierre-Luc Dubois and Seth Jones.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnson was the Jackets’ first-round pick (fifth overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft. He’s in the final season of his entry-level contract and had a 40-point performance in 79 games as a rookie in 2022-23.

I don’t think the Jackets plan to move Johnson as they see him as a key part of their rebuilding process. However, they didn’t want to part ways with Dubois or Jones but Friedman noted that both players wanted out of Columbus. Dubois was traded to Winnipeg in January 2021 while Jones was shipped to Chicago in July.

Johnson won’t have any leverage over the Jackets as he’ll lack arbitration rights next summer. Unless they become disenchanted with his play I expect he’ll get a short-term bridge deal with them.