NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 5, 2023

by | Aug 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 5, 2023

The Capitals sign Tom Wilson to a contract extension, Penguins winger Jake Guentzel suffers an ankle injury, an update on Ducks center Trevor Zegras and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: The Capitals announced Friday they reached an agreement with Tom Wilson on a seven-year contract extension for Tom Wilson worth an average annual value of $6.5 million.

Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson (NHL Images).

Wilson, 29, is entering the final season of a five-year deal worth an AAV of $5.16 million. As per Cap Friendly, his new contract is comprised of a total of $23 million in signing bonuses and $22.5 million in base salaries. He also has a 15-team no-trade list through the first four seasons, dropping to a 10-team NTC in the final three years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wilson’s new contract has generated a mixed reaction among observers.

Some believe it will benefit the Capitals over the long term given Wilson’s rise from a fourth-line grinder to a versatile top-six power forward and team leader. Others believe this contract won’t age well given his age, his recent injury history and the projected decline of his performance over the term of the contract.

If Capitals winger T.J. Oshie’s response is anything to go by, Wilson’s teammates are not only thrilled about his new contract but also consider it well-deserved.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins winger Jake Guentzel underwent surgery on Wednesday to repair his injured right ankle. He will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks. There was no immediate word as to the severity of the injury and when it occurred.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could be a serious setback for the Penguins. Their best left winger, Guentzel could miss at least the start of their season. This news could affect whether management uses its current 48-hour contract buyout window to shed the contract of forward Mikael Granlund. It could also affect the Penguins’ reported interest in San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson.

NHL.COM: Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras is hopeful of getting a new contract signed soon. Linemate Troy Terry inked a seven-year, $49 million contract earlier this week. Zegras, 22, completed his entry-level contract last season, leading the Ducks with 65 points.

“Hopefully, we get something done soon,” said Zegras. He acknowledged that this situation is up to his representatives to sort this out with Ducks management.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks have over $20 million in cap space for 2023-24 with Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale left to sign. It’s not unusual for players coming off ELCs to have their negotiations drag out through the summer. There’s still plenty of time for both players to sign new deals before training camp opens next month.

Some assume Terry’s new contract could act as a cap for someone like Zegras. Terry, who turns 26 next month, is nearly four years older than his young linemate, who has considerably more upside. What will be interesting is whether Zegras gets a long-term contract worth $1-$2 million more per season than Terry or a shorter one for around the same cap hit in order to cash in on a much higher salary cap within the next three or four years.

CAP FRIENDLY: Speaking of Zegras and Drysdale, they’re among the 14 unsigned restricted free agents still remaining in the market. Other notables include New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere, Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard and Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: According to a study conducted by US Betting Report, the Toronto Maple Leafs led the NHL last season in Fan Cost Index (FCI), that is the metric that calculates the total cost for a family of four to attend a sporting event. The Leafs topped the list at $697.75.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some fans will point at the Leafs’ high salary-cap payroll as the reason why their FCI is so high. However, it’s the market that determines the cost of attending a Leafs game, not the players’ salaries.

TSN: Former NHL defenseman and Winnipeg Jets coach Bob Murdoch passed away at age 76. He played 757 games over 12 seasons (1970-71 to 1981-82) with the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, and the Atlanta/Calgary Flames, netting 60 goals and 278 points as well as winning two Stanley Cups with the Canadiens in 1971 and 1973.

Murdoch was also head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1987-88 and the original Winnipeg Jets from 1989 to 1991, winning the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 1989-90. He also spent six seasons coaching in Germany.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Murdoch’s family, friends, former teammates and players who played for him.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 4, 2023

by | Aug 4, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – August 4, 2023

Check out the latest on Erik Karlsson and Elias Lindholm in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD THE PENGUINS ATTEMPT TO CLOSE OUT A KARLSON DEAL THIS WEEKEND?

NHL NETWORK: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman anticipates a contract buyout coming this weekend for the Pittsburgh Penguins that could affect their efforts to acquire San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

Friedman noted the Penguins avoided arbitration with Drew O’Connor earlier this week. That opens a 48-hour contract buyout window this weekend.

General manager Kyle Dubas prefers not to use contract buyouts. However, Friedman said he’s had a couple of people tell him to keep an eye on this weekend as the Penguins could attempt to get this closed (referring to a Karlson trade).

THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe also took note of the Penguins’ buyout window. He wondered if Dubas will use it to buy out the remaining two years of Mikael Granlund’s contract, potentially freeing up some salary-cap space to acquire Karlsson.

Yohe also envisioned other scenarios such as including Granlund in the package to acquire Karlsson from the Sharks, trading other veterans in cost-cutting moves, or the unlikely option of putting Jeff Carter on long-term injury reserve.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Jacob Punturi examined the pros and cons of the Penguins potentially buying out Granlund. While it would provide significant immediate cap savings of around $4 million, it would also result in four years of dead cap space worth $1.38 million annually on top of what they’re carrying from their 2020 buyout of Jack Johnson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve previously mentioned my theory of Dubas buying out Granlund and then using the savings to put toward getting the Karlsson deal done. We’ll find out by the end of the weekend if that’s the case.

LATEST ON ELIAS LINDHOLM

NHL NETWORK: Friedman said things were quiet regarding Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm. He believes the Flames want to sign the 28-year-old to an eight-year extension in the range of $8 million to $9 million annually.

THE ATHLETIC: Julian McKenzie and Shayna Goldman listed some potential trade destinations for Lindholm if he and the Flames fail to reach an agreement on a contract extension.

They took note of speculation linking Lindholm to the Boston Bruins. However, they question whether they have sufficient assets to pry him away from the Flames. They also looked at the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes, Blue Jackets and Wild have the depth in tradeable assets to tempt the Flames. I’m not convinced that the Leafs and Canucks could pull it off. Salary-cap space could also be a concern for some of these clubs even with the projected increase by $4 million next summer.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 4, 2023

by | Aug 4, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 4, 2023

The Oilers put Connor McDavid’s former agent in charge of hockey operations, Kyle Dubas will remain the Penguins’ general manager, Mike Babcock admits to making mistakes with the Leafs, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Edmonton Oilers announced Jeff Jackson has been named as their new CEO of Hockey operations. Jackson is a former NHL player and the former agent of Oilers captain Connor McDavid.

Jackson will report directly to Oilers owner Darryl Katz and will serve as the club’s alternate governor. He will be assisted in his role by Paul Coffey, who’s been with the Oilers for over a year as a special advisor to Katz. Ken Holland remains as general manager and will report directly to Jackson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This hiring is also being seen as the Oilers m a step closer to solidifying McDavid’s future with the club. His contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season.

Jackson acknowledged his close relationship with McDavid but stressed that it will be different now. He feels the goal is to ensure they keep the Oilers’ core group together. That will include Leon Draisaitl, whose contract expires in 2025.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins have made Kyle Dubas their general manager on a full-time basis. Dubas was hired as president of hockey operations in June and was serving as interim general manager. Trevor Daley and Amanda Kessel were named special assistants to Dubas in a series of promotions announced yesterday.

Pittsburgh Penguins hockey ops president and GM Kyle Dubas (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubas said he believed it was in the interest of continuity that he remain in both roles for now. He didn’t rule out finding a new general manager in future off-seasons.

SPORTSNET: Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Mike Babcock admitted to making mistakes during his tenure as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs during an interview with the FAN Morning Show.

“Do I like how I was talked about after I left? No,” said Babcock. “Do I think I did anything wrong? Absolutely.” He added that he wasn’t trying to hide from anything he’s done and will own up to any mistakes and learn from them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Babcock didn’t get into specifics about his mistakes. He faced allegations of bullying players during his tenure with the Leafs and during his time behind the Detroit Red Wings bench.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev wasn’t happy about how recent comments he made during a recent interview with a Russian news outlet were mistranslated and posted to Instagram by @nhlbreakers.

In the now-deleted post, Sergachev is quoted as saying, “Wow, Toronto wins one series in 19 years then immediately loses, they deserve no credit, no other team would celebrate such a thing.”

In a post on his Instagram account, Sergachev insisted he said no such thing. He said he was asked if Toronto’s physical play during their first-round series accounted for a couple of Lightning defensemen getting injured. He said he replied, “No, it just happens sometimes people get hurt by accident, and I don’t want to give them credit.”

When asked why not, Sergachev said he didn’t think they deserve credit. When the reporter noted it was the first time in 19 years the Leafs got past the first round, the blueliner said that he replied, “Here true, good on them! But didn’t go thru the second round, I don’t see a reason to celebrate.”

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Leafs, Milan Lucic said they and the Chicago Blackhawks were interested in signing him when he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The 35-year-old winger signed with the Boston Bruins, returning to the club where he began his NHL career and enjoyed his biggest successes.

THE PROVINCE: Former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Ethan Bear said he’s recovering well from his recent shoulder surgery. An unrestricted free agent, he’s received inquiries from other clubs but would love to return to the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bear will be sidelined until December. He’ll likely get a new contract with a club around then as injuries start to take their toll on defense corps around the league.

THE ATHLETIC: Ian Mendes did a feature on Taylor Dixon, the creator of the Puckdoku puzzle game that’s taken hockey fans by storm this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I recently became a fan of Puckdoku and usually start my day solving the latest puzzle before going to work. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to test your knowledge of NHL players past and present. Go to puckdoku.com to check it out!










NHL Rumor Mill – August 3, 2023

by | Aug 3, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – August 3, 2023

Should the Penguins re-sign or trade Jake Guentzel? What will they do after settling Drew O’Connor’s arbitration? Who could the Golden Knights move if they need to make a cost-cutting trade? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST PENGUINS SPECULATION

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski recently examined whether the Penguins will re-sign Jake Guentzel or trade him before his unrestricted free-agent eligibility next summer. The 29-year-old winger carries an average annual value of $6 million on his current contract.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel (NHL Images)

A two-time 40-goals scorer, Guentzel will likely command a significant raise on his next contract. Given the future salary cap escalation, Kingerski believes a five or six-year contract between $7 million and $8 million seems a workable range. He has concerns about Guentzel’s size and durability as he ages but noted that the winger has proven him wrong in the past.

Kingerski thinks the Penguins will retain Guentzel given their current commitment to winning. With the salary cap expected to rise significantly next summer, he believes they can easily afford to invest $7-$8 million in him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A bounce-back performance by the Penguins this season along with another 70-80 point effort by Guentzel should ensure he remains in Pittsburgh. That’s assuming he’s willing to accept between $7-$8 million annually on a new long-term contract to stay put. His agent could insist on a full no-trade clause or no-movement clause if the Penguins won’t go over $8 million annually.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Nick Horwat observes the Penguins settling with Drew O’Connor before his arbitration hearing will open a 48-hour contract buyout window for the club. With trade rumors tying them to San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson, this allows them to buy out the remaining two years of Mikael Granlund’s contract.

Granlund currently sits on the Penguins’ books with an annual cap hit of $5 million. Buying him out would free up over $4 million for 2023-24, giving them additional cap space to acquire Karlsson. That’s assuming no other team is willing to acquire Granlund.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s been my theory (and that of other observers) as to why the Penguins haven’t yet pulled the trigger on acquiring Karlsson. We’ll soon find out if they’re heading down that path.

As per Dan Kingerski, the buyout window begins on the third day following O’Connor’s signing. That means it will open on Saturday and close on Monday.

WHO COULD BECOME A GOLDEN KNIGHTS COST-CUTTING TRADE CANDIDATE?

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Jesse Granger was asked if there was a scenario that would see the Vegas Golden Knights move one of their veteran defensemen to make room for younger blueliners like Zach Whitecloud and Nicolas Hague to free up cap dollars to invest in their forward lines.

If the Golden Knights were to move a player to create cap space, Granger believes defenseman Alec Martinez would be the likely candidate. The 36-year-old blueliner has a year remaining on his contract with an annual cap hit of $5.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights are currently cap compliant with goaltender Robin Lehner on long-term injury reserve. I think they’re content with their current roster heading into 2023-24.

Should Lehner come off LTIR during the season, they’ll have to free up cap room for his $5 million cap hit. Under that scenario, Martinez could be the most likely trade candidate.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 3, 2023

by | Aug 3, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 3, 2023

David Krejci is expected to retire, Ryan Ellis’ career is likely over, Troy Terry agrees to a seven-year contract with the Ducks, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines. 

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: David Krejci could follow Patrice Bergeron into retirement. A source told Jimmy Murphy that the 37-year-old Boston Bruins center could soon hang up his skates, though he could play for the Czechia National Team in 2024.

Boston Bruins center David Krejci (NHL Images).

Murphy’s source claims Krejci will announce his NHL retirement very soon but is keeping it low-key as he left the Bruins in 2021-22 to play in his native country. He was coaxed into returning to Boston last season, finishing with 56 points in 70 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Krejci may also be giving the Bruins organization an opportunity to catch its breath after dealing with Bergeron’s recent decision to call it a career. Management probably already knows what he has in mind as their offseason roster moves have been made as though Krejci and Bergeron wouldn’t be back.

THE SCORE: Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy believes Brad Marchand has what it takes to replace Bergeron as Boston’s captain. Cassidy, who coached Marchand and the Bruins for six seasons until his firing in June 2022, told “The Cam & Strick Podcast” that he thinks the 35-year-old winger would be “a great leader in terms of leading by example, will to win, been there done it.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cassidy also thinks that Marchand’s biggest challenge if named the Bruins captain will be learning how to deal with younger players given the high expectations he sets for himself and his teammates.

We still don’t know who the Bruins will tap as Bergeron’s successor. They could go with Marchand or perhaps opt for someone younger such as David Pastrnak or Charlie McAvoy.

NHL.COM: Keith Jones, the Philadelphia Flyers president of hockey operations, said defenseman Ryan Ellis’ playing career could be over due to a torn psoas muscle. “It’s a tough time. It’s a very, really difficult time. I’m very sympathetic to what he’s gone through,” said Jones, whose own NHL career was ended by a knee injury in 2000.

Jones had some good news regarding forwards Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson. Both players missed last season due to injuries but are expected to join their teammates when training camp opens next month.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ellis’ ongoing absence leaves a gaping hole on the Flyers’ blueline that could take years to adequately address. However, the potential returns of Couturier and Atkinson to their forward lines should make them a more competitive club this season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Anaheim Ducks avoided salary arbitration with Troy Terry as the two sides agreed to a seven-year, $49 million contract with an average annual value of $7 million. The contract also comes with a 10-team no-trade clause starting in 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Terry led the Ducks in scoring (67 points) during his 2021-22 breakout season and was second in scoring last season with 61 points despite missing 12 games to injury and the birth of his first child. With the NHL salary cap projected to significantly rise in the coming years, Terry’s contract could prove to be an affordable investment for the Ducks if he maintains his current level of production.

The Ducks’ focus now shifts to re-signing Terry’s linemate Trevor Zegras. He’s coming off his entry-level contract and could seek a more lucrative long-term deal.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Ducks also got some bad news yesterday as center Isac Lundestrom is expected to be sidelined for six months with a torn Achilles suffered during training in Sweden. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could send the Ducks into the free-agent market in search of an experienced penalty-killing center on an affordable one-year contract.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins avoided arbitration with Drew O’Connor, signing the winger to a two-year contract with a $925K AAV.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: And with that, the 2023 NHL arbitration cases are completed. The settlement of O’Connor’s case will open up a 48-hour window for the Penguins to buy out a contract. I’ll have more about that in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets signed Rasmus Kupari to a two-year, $2 million contract worth an AAV of $1 million. The 23-year-old forward was among the three players that the Jets received from the Los Angeles Kings in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade in June.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL winger Josh Ho-Sang is reportedly considering retirement. A first-round pick of the New York Islanders (28th overall) in the 2014 Draft, Ho-Sang spent parts of three seasons with the Islanders between 2016-17 and 2018-19.

Ho-Sang, 27, played one game last season with KHL team Ufa Salavat Yulayev before being sidelined by a significant injury, returning for four playoff games. In 2021-22, he had 35 points in 47 games for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and played for Canada’s 2022 Olympic Team with three points in five games.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 2, 2023

by | Aug 2, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – August 2, 2023

The latest Leafs speculation, an update on Tyler Myers and some cost-cutting trade candidates for the Senators in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE MAPLE LEAFS

THE ATHLETIC: In his latest mailbag segment, Arpon Basu was asked to predict which players the Montreal Canadiens might target in the 2024 class of free agents. He proposed Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander (NHL Images).

If the Canadiens decide to be active in next summer’s unrestricted free-agent market, Basu believes they would target a winger to complete their top-six forward lines. He thinks they would have sufficient cap space to pursue Nylander, whose current contract extension talks with the Leafs reportedly aren’t going well.

Nylander will be 28 next summer and has been a consistent scorer for the Leafs, even in the playoffs. Basu speculated it would cost $10 million annually on a contract carrying him into his mid-thirties.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bear in mind that Basu was merely responding to a reader’s question and he’s not reporting the Canadiens will pursue Nylander on the open market next summer. Depending on the course of their rebuild and the performance of young players such as Juraj Slafkovsky, Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, they might not be in the market for a big-name UFA by that time.

Still, this gives us all something else to banter about during these dog days of the NHL offseason other than when and where Erik Karlsson will be traded.

Meanwhile, Basu’s colleague Joshua Kloke looked at some bargain-bin free agents for the Leafs to consider. They included Jonathan Toews, Zach Aston-Reese, Jesse Puljujarvi, Sam Gagner, Derick Brassard, Ethan Bear and Scott Harrington.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toews is likely retiring while Puljujarvi underwent double hip surgery and probably won’t be available for some time. The rest could be dirt-cheap signings for the Leafs or other NHL clubs looking for affordable options to boost their rosters for 2023-24.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: David Alter recently examined how the Leafs can slide under the salary cap before their season opens in October.

One option is demoting waiver-exempt players such as Nick Robertson and Pontus Homberg. They could also do the same with Matthew Knies though they’d likely prefer retaining someone who performed well during the playoffs. Another would be placing Maxime Lajoie or Dylan Gambrell on waivers.

DO THE CANUCKS HAVE A DEAL IN PLACE TO TRADE TYLER MYERS?

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Harman Dayal was asked about rumors claiming the Vancouver Canucks already have a trade in place for Tyler Myers but are waiting to announce it after his signing bonus is paid next month.

Dayal recalled Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting in late June that the Canucks had a deal on the table to send Myers to the San Jose Sharks. This was denied by Canucks GM Patrik Allvin as well as Myer’s agent, J.P. Barry. Seravalli clarified that the deal would’ve sent Myers to the Sharks for winger Kevin Labanc.

Myers’ future feels like a “wait-and-see” scenario for several reasons. One is the Sharks’ efforts to trade defenseman Erik Karlsson. The Canucks might also prefer seeing how their other right-shot blueliners fare during training camp. Myers’ 10-team no-trade clause also complicates things.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Myers’ situation could be resolved before the end of September. We’ll know by that point if the Canucks indeed to move him or not.

POSSIBLE COST-CUTTING OPTIONS FOR THE SENATORS

THE HOCKEY NEWS: With the Senators signing Vladimir Tarasenko last week, they need to shed salary in order to re-sign restricted free-agent center Shane Pinto.

Ryan Hyndman listed five potential cost-cutting trade candidates. The most obvious is forward Mathieu Joseph as clearing his $3 million cap hit from their books provides the room needed to re-sign Pinto.

Other options include defenseman Erik Brannstrom, winger Drake Batherson, blueliner Artem Zub, and goaltender Anton Forsberg.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think it will be Joseph but they might end up having to package him with a sweetener to get it done.