NHL Rumor Mill – October 20, 2023

by | Oct 20, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – October 20, 2023

The latest on the Canadiens, Blackhawks and Jets plus an update on the Predators’ rumored interest in Conor Garland in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE CANADIENS, BLACKHAWKS AND JETS

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy believes the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets could make some noticeable moves leading up to the American Thanksgiving on Nov. 23.

A source told Murphy there’s a market for Canadiens goaltender Cayden Primeau. The Canadiens are said to be listening to offers. The San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers have expressed more than a passing interest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens are carrying Primeau as their third goalie. They don’t want to risk losing him to waivers if they attempt to send him back to their AHL affiliate in Laval. I don’t think they want to move Primeau as they will need him if Sam Montembeault or Jake Allen become injured at some point.

The rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks are still in sell-and-stock mode. A pro scout told Murphy he keeps hearing that Tyler Johnson, Nikita Zaitsev and Jarred Tinordi are out there in the trade market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t doubt that all three could be shopped at some point this season. However, those moves seem more likely to happen near the March 8 trade deadline.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Nate Schmidt (NHL Images).

The Jets, meanwhile, could try to clear some cap space in the trade market. Murphy wondered if defenseman Nate Schmidt might help a depleted Florida Panthers blueline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schmidt carries a cap hit of $5.95 million. The Panthers are pressed for cap space. I don’t think there’s a fit there even if the Jets retained some salary.

UPDATE ON GARLAND

THE FOURTH PERIOD: Dave Pagnotta recently noted that the Nashville Predators were among the teams interested in Vancouver Canucks winger Conor Garland. He also claimed the Predators would be willing to part with defenseman Dante Fabbro as part of a move.

SPORTSNET: In his latest “32 Thoughts” column, Elliotte Friedman believes Luke Schenn’s injury decreased the possibility of the Predators acquiring Garland. “If Dante Fabbro was the desired return, the Predators need him now,” wrote Friedman, who’s not as certain that they were as interested in Garland as originally believed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schenn is for four to six weeks with a lower-body injury. Maybe the Predators will be more willing to move Fabbro after his return. By that point, however, the Canucks may have shipped Garland to another club. Then again, perhaps the Preds weren’t as keen to move Fabbro as some suggest.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 20, 2023

by | Oct 20, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 20, 2023

Recaps of Thursday’s games plus the latest on Patrik Laine, Kaiden Guhle, Craig Anderson and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Calgary Flames nipped the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. Adam Ruzicka snapped a 3-3 tie in the third period while Dan Vladar stopped 24 shots for the win as the Flames improved to 2-1-1. Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens each collected two assists for the Sabres, who drop to 1-3-0 to start the season.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves in a 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sam Reinhart had a goal and an assist for the 2-2-0 Panthers. Mitch Marner scored for the 2-2-0 Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi was bumped down to the third line to begin the second period as he’s playing through an injury.

The Nashville Predators defeated the New York Rangers 4-1. Cole Smith tallied twice, Filip Forsberg and Tyson Barrie each had two points and Juuse Saros turned aside 24 shots for the Predators (2-3-0). Adam Fox replied for the Rangers (2-2-0) while goalie Igor Shesterkin got the hook after giving up four goals in 18 shots.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

Nikita Kucherov scored two goals as the Tampa Bay Lightning improved to 2-2-1 by holding off the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos picked up an assist as he returned to action after missing the last two games with a lower-body injury. J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson each had two points for the 2-2-0 Canucks.

The Philadelphia Flyers got two goals from Cam Atkinson in a 4-1 upset of the Edmonton Oilers, dropping the latter to 1-3-0. Sean Couturier and Owen Tippett each had two assists while Carter Hart made 22 saves for the 3-1-0 Flyers, who sit atop the Metropolitan Division. Zach Hyman scored for the Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers were outworked and outhustled by the Flyers in this game. It’s still very early in the season and the Oilers have plenty of time to recover from this poor start. For now, though, they look nothing like the Stanley Cup contender they were projected to be this season.

Los Angeles Kings center Pierre-Luc Dubois scored two goals in 12 seconds in the second period to lead his club over the Minnesota Wild 7-3. Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala each had two points for the Kings as they improved to 2-1-1. Connor Dewar, Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek replied for the Wild as they dropped to 2-2-0.

The Arizona Coyotes got power-play goals by Nick Bjugstad, Jason Zucker and Sean Durzi in a 6-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Durzi, Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz each had a goal and an assist for the 2-2-0 Coyotes. Jakub Vrana and Sammy Blais scored for the 1-1-1 Blues.

A third-period power-play goal by Jack Eichel broke a 3-3 tie as the Vegas Golden Knights downed the Winnipeg Jets 5-3. Logan Thompson made 36 saves while Shea Theodore collected three assists for the 5-0-0 Golden Knights. Alex Iafallo netted two goals for the 1-3-0 Jets, who scratched defenseman Nate Schmidt from this contest.

Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen broke a 2-2 tie to lift his club to a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks (1-2-0). Heiskanen finished the night with a goal and two assists while teammate Joe Pavelski had a goal and an assist as the Stars improved to 2-0-1. Ducks rookie Leo Carlsson netted his first NHL goal while teammate Troy Terry had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks defenseman Jamie Drysdale missed this game with a lower-body injury.

The Seattle Kraken got their first win of the season by beating the Carolina Hurricanes 7-4. Vince Dunn and Oliver Bjorkstrand each had a goal and two assists for the 1-3-1 Kraken. Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists for the 3-2-0 Hurricanes.

Colorado Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev stopped 18 shots to shut out the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0. Logan O’Connor, Ryan Johansen, Devon Toews and Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche as they improved to 4-0-0. Petr Mrazek made 37 saves for the Blackhawks as they dropped to 2-3-0.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak extended his goal streak to three games in a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. James van Riemsdyk and Brad Marchand also scored for 3-0-0 Bruins while Anthony Duclair replied for the 0-3-1 Sharks.

HEADLINES

DAILY FACEOFF: Columbus Blue Jackets star Patrik Laine isn’t impressed with his poor start to this season. “I feel like it’s overall been pretty awful, pretty awful so far,” he told The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. “Can’t hit the net if my life depends on it. Can’t make any plays. Can’t win a faceoff.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It could be down to the pressure of playing a new position. As the article noted, Laine is playing center this season for the first time after spending the past seven seasons as a left wing.

Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens followers were expecting the worst after losing center Kirby Dach for the season with a knee injury. They’re undoubtedly breathing a sigh of relief now.

The Winnipeg Jets aren’t the only club suffering at the gate early in this season. The Buffalo Sabres are at 83 percent capacity through their opening home games while the Washington Capitals sellout streak of 588 games ended on Monday. The San Jose Sharks drew just 10,000 for their third game of the season while the Calgary Flames didn’t sell out their home opener.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Several factors are likely behind this. The rising cost of living caused by inflation can make it difficult for fans to afford the cost of attending NHL games. As the piece also noted, the start of the NHL season also coincides with Major League Baseball playoffs and in some markets that’s going to draw away eyeballs from hockey. Meanwhile, teams like the Sharks are in the middle of a rebuild while the Flames, Jets and Capitals are coming off a disappointing 2022-23 campaign.

The Ottawa Senators will sign goaltender Craig Anderson to a one-day contract so that he can officially retire as a member of the club. He’ll join the Sabres as a hockey liaison.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Anderson spent half of his 20-year NHL playing career with the Senators. The high-water mark of his tenure in Ottawa was backstopping them to the 2017 Eastern Conference Final.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Radim Simek, Ottawa Senators forward Zack MacEwen and Pittsburgh Penguins center Jansen Harkins were placed on waivers yesterday.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 19, 2023

by | Oct 19, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – October 19, 2023

An update on the Hurricanes’ Brett Pesce, concerns over the Kings’ goaltending and a suggestion about a recent Vezina Trophy winner as a trade option for the Lightning in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

UPDATE ON BRETT PESCE

CAROLINA HOCKEY NOW: Bryant Baucom recently cited The Fourth Period’s Dave Pagnotta claiming the Hurricanes management hoped to get Brett Pesce signed to a contract extension worth between $4 million and $5 million annually during the offseason.

Pesce, 28, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. Pagnotta claimed the blueliner wants to stay in Carolina and management still hopes to get him under contract.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (NHL Images).

With the salary cap set to rise significantly for next season, Baucom suggested there’s a chance to extend a more reasonable offer to Pesce. He felt that the blueliner would likely seek something around the $7 million range. If Pesce is re-signed, it would likely mean the end of Brady Skjei’s tenure with the Hurricanes

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes have over $32 million in projected cap space for 2024-25 but just nine active roster players under contract. Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis are restricted free agents in line for healthy raises as well next season. Management must also re-sign or replace pending UFAs such as Teuvo Teravainen, Antti Raanta and Jordan Martinook.

GOALTENDING COULD BECOME AN EARLY PROBLEM FOR THE KINGS

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli suggested that goaltending could be an early-season issue for the Los Angeles Kings. Their tandem of Cam Talbot and Pheonix Copley struggled through the club’s first two games with Talbot giving up four goals in a 5-2 loss to Colorado and Copley allowing five in a 6-5 shootout loss to Carolina.

Seravalli acknowledged Copley’s record last season (24-6-3) was “pretty damn good” but his underlying numbers were not. The oft-injured Talbot, meanwhile, was not very good last season with the Ottawa Senators even when healthy.

Kings GM Rob Blake will likely be patient but Seravalli speculates he could start seeking help between the pipes if Talbot and Copley fail to improve.

Montreal’s Cayden Primeau, Philadelphia’s Felix Sandstrom or Samuel Ersson could be trade or waiver options. Calgary’s Dan Vladar could be available for a second-round draft pick or perhaps they could look into signing free agent Jaroslav Halak.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Talbot was solid in the Kings’ 5-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, finishing with 27 saves and a .963 save percentage. A few more games like that could alleviate that concern about their goaltending. Nevertheless, this situation could be worth keeping an eye on in the coming weeks.

COULD THE BRUINS OFFER UP ULLMARK TO THE LIGHTNING?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: With Tampa Bay Lightning starter Andrei Vasilevskiy sidelined until early December, Stan Fischler recently suggested the possibility of the Boston Bruins offering up Linus Ullmark to the Bolts. He noted the Bruins have been grooming backup Jeremy Swayman as their future starter. However, sources informed Fischler that Lightning GM Julien BriseBois has no plans to trade for a goalie.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins have no intention of trading Ullmark this season as they prefer to keep their award-winning goalie tandem intact. Besides, he carries a 16-team no-trade clause this season along with a $5 million cap hit that would be tough to move at this stage in the season.

Even if Ullmark was available, the Lightning couldn’t afford to acquire him. Yes, they have $7.7 million in cap space with Vasilevskiy on LTIR but they must become cap-compliant when he’s ready to return to action. Besides, the Bruins’ asking price would likely be too expensive for the Bolts, who don’t have much trade capital in terms of draft picks and prospects.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 19, 2023

by | Oct 19, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 19, 2023

Josh Norris makes an impressive season debut with the Senators, the Red Wings down the Penguins and Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar recently set a league record. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris scored twice in his season debut as his club trounced the Washington Capitals 6-1. Tim Stutzle had three assists and Drake Batherson had two helpers. John Carlsson scored Washington’s only goal while Alex Ovechkin has just one assist in his first three games and was held without a shot in consecutive games for the first time in his career.

Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Norris had been sidelined since Jan. 21 by a shoulder injury. His return provides a big boost to their offense as well as bolster their depth at center. Meanwhile, Senators defenseman Artem Zub left the game in the third period after taking a puck to the side of his face. No word yet as to his condition but for now he could be considered day-to-day. Capitals forward Nic Dowd missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The Detroit Red Wings got two goals each from Alex DeBrincat and Andrew Copp in a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Dylan Larkin had three assists and a fighting major as the Wings have won three straight games. Erik Karlsson had a goal and two assists for the Penguins.

IN OTHER NEWS…

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar set an NHL record for defensemen during their 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday. With an assist on Logan O’Connor’s goal, he became the fastest blueliner to reach 250 career points. He did so in 241 games, beating out Hall-of-Famer Bobby Orr by six games.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets saw a significant drop in attendance in their first two home games of this season. There were roughly 2,000 empty seats for their season opener and over 4,000 for Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings.

Average attendance at the 15,325-seat Canada Life Centre dropped to 14,025 last season. Their season-ticket base of 13,000 has dropped to less than 10,000.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see if that trend continues over the course of this season.

The growing cost of attending NHL games in the league’s smallest market at a time when inflation has driven up the cost of living is one factor. The novelty of the NHL’s return could be finally wearing off for some of their fans. The Jets decline since reaching the 2018 Western Conference Finals could also be turning off some of their followers.

TSN: Speaking of the Jets, winger Gabriel Vilardi will miss the next four to six weeks with a sprained MCL.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was speculation that the Jets might pursue a winger such as Vancouver’s Conor Garland if Vilardi’s injury was as serious as that of Montreal’s Kirby Dach, who’s out of the season with a knee injury.

The Jets currently have around $2.4 million in cap space. They have no reason to place Vilardi on long-term injury reserve until they’re acquiring someone with a higher cap hit than his $3.43 million. They could instead opt to make do with a call-up from their farm team until he returns.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators defenseman Luke Schenn will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a lower-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Minnesota Wild recalled forward Sammy Walker and placed defenseman Alex Goligoski (lower body) on long-term injury reserve.

CAROLINA HOCKEY NOW: The Hurricanes called up goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov. The move comes after Frederik Andersen left Tuesday’s game against San Jose after taking a puck to the mask.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 18, 2023

by | Oct 18, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – October 18, 2023

What’s the latest Patrick Kane speculation? Could the Jets attempt to acquire Canucks winger Conor Garland? Which member of the Ducks could attract the most interest by the March trade deadline? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON PATRICK KANE

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports Pat Brisson, the agent for free-agent winger Patrick Kane, said his client is progressing well in his recovery from offseason hip surgery. He could be medically cleared to resume playing in early-to-mid November.

Free agent winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Brisson indicated that he doesn’t want to start speaking with teams until Kane is cleared to return or close to being cleared. About a dozen teams reached out on July 1 asking to be kept in the loop and several clubs have kept in touch.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports that it’s still open speculation as to where Kane might end up once he’s ready to return. The Buffalo Sabres, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings could be among the suitors.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We’re now getting a clearer picture of when Kane will be ready to return to action. Until then, it’s anyone’s guess where he’ll end up.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the Sabres, Rangers and Red Wings mentioned as possible suitors or destinations for the future Hall-of-Famer. The Florida Panthers reportedly expressed an interest in him back in July while the New Jersey Devils and Vegas Golden Knights have also come up as possible landing spots. I’ve previously gone over my pros and cons of each club.

I daresay we’ll probably start hearing more about where Kane might land once the calendar flips to November.

COULD VILARDI INJURY PROMPT THE JETS TO PURSUE GARLAND?

WINNIPEG SUN: Scott Billeck noted that Jets winger Gabriel Vilardi suffered an apparent leg injury in Tuesday’s loss to the Winnipeg Jets. If the 23-year-old Vilardi is out for an extended period of time, Billeck believes it’ll be interesting to see how general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff addresses the issue.

The Jets were mentioned last week as a possible trade destination for Conor Garland. Billeck observed that the chatter linking them to the Vancouver Canucks winger had died down in recent days but a long-term injury to Vilardi could change that.

If Vilardi ends up on long-term injury reserve, it would free up some cap space to fit the 27-year-old Garland into the Jets’ lineup. The Canucks are believed willing to retain up to 30 percent of his $4.95 million average annual value. He’s signed through 2025-26.

Billeck also speculated that Cheveldayoff could look east toward the Ottawa Senators. They’re trying to free up cap room to re-sign restricted free agent Shane Pinto. It’s rumored winger Mathieu Joseph ($2.95 million annually through 2024-25) could be available.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Joseph would be more affordable in terms of salary and return for the Jets if Vilardi ends up sidelined for a long period of time. We should learn more about his status in the next couple of days.

WHICH DUCKS COULD BE MOVED BY THE TRADE DEADLINE?

THE ATHLETIC: In his 10 questions for the Anaheim Ducks in 2023-24, Eric Stephens wondered which players could be shopped by the March 8 trade deadline.

Stephens believes Adam Henrique would be their most attractive trade chip. He’s on an expiring contract and scored 20 goals in 62 games last season.

Winger Jakob Silfverberg is also a pending UFA but it wouldn’t be shocking if he finishes the season in Anaheim and returns to his native Sweden. Defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin is another UFA after this season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2023

by | Oct 18, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2023

Recaps of Tuesday’s games include Leon Draisaitl setting an Oilers record, the Avalanche tying a league record, plus the Canucks and Penguins making a trade. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman each had four points as the Edmonton Oilers picked up their first win of the season with a 6-1 drubbing of the Nashville Predators. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had three points, Connor McDavid, Warren Foegele and Evan Bouchard each had two points while Jack Campbell kicked out 42 shots for the win. Tommy Novak netted the Predators’s only goal.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl’s two goals came on the powerplay, giving him the franchise record for career tallies on the man advantage with 128. Meanwhile, the Predators held a video tribute to Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm as he returned to Nashville for the first time since being traded to Edmonton last season.

The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-1. Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin were among the goal scorers for the Avalanche while Alexandar Georgiev got the win with a 37-save performance. Kailer Yamamoto replied for the Kraken, who are winless (0-3-1) in their first four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche tied the league record for consecutive regular-season road wins (14) stretching back to last season.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault scored in the shootout to lift his club to a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. William Karlsson and Kaeden Korczak each had a goal and an assist while Adin Hill got the win by stopping 24 shots. Craig Smith and Joe Pavelski replied for the Stars while Jake Oettinger made 32 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights are red-hot to start the season with a league-leading four straight wins. Stars center Roope Hintz made his season debut after being sidelined by an upper-body injury.

The Minnesota Wild scored three power-play goals and tallied twice shorthanded to thump the Montreal Canadiens 5-2. Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello each had three points, Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice and Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves for the Wild. Tanner Pearson and Alex Newhook replied for the Canadiens, who lost defenseman Kaiden Guhle to an upper-body injury in the second period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, the Canadiens announced that center Kirby Dach (knee injury) is done for the season. Meanwhile, the 38-year-old Fleury soaked up the atmosphere as he played what was likely his final game in Montreal as he faces potential retirement at the end of this season. Speaking of the Wild, defenseman Alex Goligoski missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Former Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois scored his first goal of the season with the Los Angeles Kings in a 5-1 victory over his former club. Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore each had three points for the Kings. Mark Scheifele replied for the Jets, who lost forward (and former King) Gabriel Vilardi to a lower-body injury in the first period following a hit by Blake Lizotte.

The Buffalo Sabres blew a 2-0 lead but nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on an overtime goal by Dylan Cozens. Zemgus Girgensons and Jeff Skinner also scored while Devon Levi stopped 21 shots for the Sabres as they picked up their first win of the season. Brandon Hagel tallied both Lightning goals as Jonas Johansson made 28 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Steven Stamkos missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury. Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left this game in the third period with an upper-body injury while winger Victor Olofsson was a healthy scratch.

Four unanswered third-period goals lifted the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Seth Jarvis tallied twice for the Hurricanes while Tomas Hertl collected two assists for the Sharks as they remain winless (0-2-1) in their first three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho missed this contest with an upper-body injury. Goaltender Frederik Andersen was pulled early in the first period for precautionary reasons when he appeared dazed after being struck in the mask by a shot. He was replaced by Antti Raanta.

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart turned in a 25-save performance to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 2-0. Flyers center Sean Couturier scored his first goal for the first time since missing all of last season due to back surgery. Thatcher Demko turned aside 40 shots for the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Canucks traded minor leaguers Jack Rathbone and Karel Plasek to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Mark Friedman and forward Ty Glover. The addition of Friedman brings more size and experience to the Canucks blueline. The Canucks also placed defenseman Guillaume Brisebois on long-term injury reserve.

The New York Islanders blanked the Arizona Coyotes 1-0. Mathew Barzal tallied the game’s only goal while Ilya Sorokin made 14 saves for the shutout. Karel Vejmelka kicked out 33 shots for the Coyotes.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils placed goaltender Keith Kinkaid on waivers.