NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 3, 2024

by | Feb 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 3, 2024

Connor McDavid wins the All-Stars skills competition, the Kings fire head coach Todd McLellan and the NHL will return to the 2026 and 2030 Olympics—details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid won the 2024 NHL All-Star skills competition at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, taking home a $1 million check for his efforts. McDavid won four of the eight events for 25 points.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar finished second with 20 points while Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews was third with 18 points. Makar’s teammate Alexandar Georgiev was the top goaltender in the event, earning a check of $100,000.

THE SCORE: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov drew boos from the Toronto fans for what appeared to be a lackadaisical effort on his part during the passing and stickhandling events. He finished with 0.5 points through four events before being eliminated.

MAYOR’S MANOR: The Los Angeles Kings fired head coach Todd McLellan on Friday and promoted assistant coach Jim Hiller as his replacement on an interim basis for the remainder of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McLellan is the sixth NHL head coach to lose his job this season. He received a vote of confidence from general manager Rob Blake last month. However, the club’s ongoing slump couldn’t be overlooked any longer as it threatens to derail their season.

Changing the head coach is the easiest go-to for the general manager of a struggling team, especially one that lacks sufficient salary-cap space to make a trade or two to improve the roster.

Nevertheless, Blake isn’t escaping unscathed from this.

The Los Angeles Times’ Helene Elliott and The Athletic’s Eric Stephens believe the Kings GM deserves his share of the blame for constructing a dysfunctional roster.

Elliott and Stephens pointed to the divisions in the dressing room as well as the Kings’ lack of scoring punch and inadequate goaltending. They singled out the indifferent play of Pierre-Luc Dubois, the Kings’ big-ticket acquisition last summer whose performance has been disappointing thus far. Trading away Sean Durzi, Alex Iafallo and Gabriel Vilardi last year also hurt their roster depth.

If Hiller reverses the Kings fortunes it’ll buy Blake time to reexamine his roster and make adjustments accordingly. If things remain the same or worsen it’ll cast the Kings GM into a much harsher spotlight, raising questions about his future in Los Angeles.

NHL.COM: League Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the NHL will return to the Winter Olympics in 2026 and 2030. The last time the league participated in the Winter Games was in 2014 in Sochi, Russia.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The return to the Olympics was part of the league’s 2020 memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the NHL Players Association extending the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to 2026. Participation in the 2030 games is an olive branch to the PA for the league’s decision not to participate in the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, China, over COVID-19 concerns.

Bettman also announced a four-nation tournament involving NHL players from Canada, the United States, Finland and Sweden from Feb. 12-20, 2025. It will be held in two North American cities, one in Canada and one in the United States, with the locations to be announced at a later date.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The reason behind this “appetizer” (as Bettman called it) is based on the NHL’s stance against Russia over that country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The NHL could’ve fleshed this out into a six-team tournament by following their template from the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Smaller European countries such as Germany, Czechia and Slovakia formed Team Europe while North American players 23 and younger skated as Team North America. Team Europe reached the 2016 World Cup Final while Team North America became a fan favorite because of their exciting play.

Instead, we get a half-baked warm-up tournament without superstars such as Leon Draisaitl and David Pastrnak. I’ll cover it because it’s my job but I am not enthusiastic about it. I’m looking forward to the true international best-on-best hockey in the next two Winter Olympics.

NHL.COM: Bettman said he doesn’t believe the four NHL players facing charges over an alleged sexual assault in 2018 as members of Canada’s World Junior team will return to the league this season.

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart, Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube and New Jersey Devils players Michael McLeod and Cal Foote are on indefinite leave of absence from their respective teams. They each face one charge of sexual assault while McLeod faces an additional charge.

Alex Formenton, whose rights belong to the Ottawa Senators, has also been charged. He’s been playing in Switzerland since last season and is also on a leave of absence from his club.

Bettman confirmed the four players are still being paid by their respective teams. He also said the league conducted its own investigation into the alleged incident but wouldn’t comment on whether it yielded a conclusion of wrongdoing by the players.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league wouldn’t be releasing the results of its findings while charges are pending.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The four players could end up being banned from the NHL and their contracts terminated for violating the league’s and their teams’ respective codes of conduct. However, any such action will likely wait until the completion of their trial and a verdict has been issued.

ARIZONA SPORTS: Bettman and NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh gave conflicting views on the Arizona Coyotes’ efforts to find a new arena site.

Bettman said he was “reasonably confident” that the club’s ownership could announce a new location within the next several weeks. However, Walsh said he was “extremely disappointed” in the Coyotes’ efforts, calling for the franchise to be relocated to a new city if a plan wasn’t in place by the end of this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Arizona Republic’s Stacey Barchenger reported yesterday evening that Coyotes ownership confirmed they are applying to buy about 200 acres of state trust land in North Phoenix. However, they stress they’re still considering all options and aren’t yet ready to announce which one they’ll pursue as their primary location. The soap opera continues…

DAILY FACEOFF: Bettman also confirmed that Corey Perry has a grievance pending with the Chicago Blackhawks over his contract termination on Nov. 30 but it has yet to be filed.

The 38-year-old winger’s contract was terminated over an alcohol-fueled incident that included Blackhawks employees and corporate partners. Perry signed a one-year, prorated contract last month with the Edmonton Oilers.

NYI HOCKEY NOW/NEW YORK POST: The Islanders have placed forward Julien Gauthier on waivers. They also hired Benoit Desrosiers as an assistant coach. He worked with Islanders head coach Patrick Roy for six seasons with the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts, winning the Memorial Cup in 2023.

KLTV: A Franklin County, Texas jury found former NHL player Mike Ribeiro not guilty of two counts of sexual assault and was deadlocked over a third count of attempted sexual assault. It’s not yet clear if he’ll be retired on the third charge. Ribeiro played for the Dallas Stars from 2006 to 2011.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Former Bruins goaltender Blaine Lacher passed away suddenly in Medicine Hat, Alberta on Jan. 29 at the age of 54. He played two seasons with the Bruins from 1994-95 to 1995-96 with a career record of 22 wins, 16 losses and four overtime losses with a 2.80 goals-against average, a save percentage of .887 and four shutouts.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Lacher’s family, friends, former teammates and coaches.










Sean Monahan To The Winnipeg Jets

by | Feb 2, 2024

Sean Monahan To The Winnipeg Jets

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger report the Montreal Canadiens are trading Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a first-round pick and a conditional pick pending trade call. 

NHL.COM: Trade confirmed. Monahan to the Jets in exchange for the Jets’ 2024 first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick in 2027. 

Montreal Canadiens trade center Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets. (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN’s John Lu reports the Jets are shoring up their depth at center with Mark Scheifele currently sidelined by a lower-body injury. They went 2-3-1 during his absence before the All-Star Break. 

This is an affordable addition for the Jets, who were jockeying for first overall before Scheifele was injured. The 29-year-old Monahan carries a $1.95 million salary for this season. He is enjoying a bounce-back performance after missing most of last season due to lower-body injuries. He was third on the rebuilding Canadiens in scoring with 35 points in 49 games. He’ll slot into the second-line center position behind Scheifele. 

The Canadiens got a conditional 2025 first-round pick from the Calgary Flames in 2022 for taking on the remainder of Monahan’s former contract which carried a $6.35 million cap hit. This deal with the Jets means they now have two first-rounders in this year’s draft and two in 2025. That provides them the option of keeping those picks for themselves or using some of them as trade bait to bring in some established young talent. 

 










NHL Rumor Mill – February 2, 2024

by | Feb 2, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – February 2, 2024

The ongoing fallout of the Elias Lindholm deal on the trade market, plus the latest on the Predators and Blackhawks in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

FALLOUT FROM THE LINDHOLM TRADE

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports Sean Monahan of the Montreal Canadiens moves to the top of the list of available centers who are pending unrestricted free agents heading toward the March 8 trade deadline.

Montreal Canadiens center Sean Monahan (NHL Images).

He believes the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche want to add a second-line center. The Boston Bruins and New York Rangers also make sense as destinations for Monahan.

The Anaheim Ducks’ Adam Henrique is probably next on that list. LeBrun also wondered if Scott Laughton could end up on this list if the Philadelphia Flyers fall out of the playoff race. He cited colleague Darren Dreger reporting the Flyers are getting calls about Laughton, who has two years left on his contract with an annual cap hit of $3 million. While general manager Daniel Briere isn’t keen to move the 29-year-old center he’s willing to listen to offers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Monahan’s bounce-back performance this season and his affordable $1.9 million cap hit account for why he’s likely the top center in the trade market leading up to March 8. The Canadiens could even retain half of that cap hit but they’ll likely want a first-round pick and maybe a prospect or a promising young NHL player in return.

Laughton could be moved if someone pitches a significant offer to Briere, who isn’t deviating from his rebuilding plans despite his club sitting third in the Metropolitan Divison. As he said, however, he won’t make trades just for the sake of doing so. Briere indicated the trade market would determine what moves (if any) he’ll make.

LeBrun believes the Flames’ focus now shifts toward pending UFA defensemen Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. He thinks they’re still trying to re-sign Hanifin but will have to fish or cut bait by March 8.

It’s more likely that Tanev gets moved by deadline day. The Flames’ asking price is believed to be a second-round pick plus another asset but a club could have him right now if they’re willing to part with a first-rounder.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun believes the Flames are rebuilding on the fly rather than engaging in a full roster teardown. They could seek a young roster player for Hanifin as he has more value than Tanev.

LeBrun also wondered what effect Lindholm’s trade might have on Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom as the two are good friends. Markstrom is signed through 2025-26 with an AAV of $6 million and a no-movement clause. If he wants out, moving him might have to wait until the offseason.

LATEST ON THE PREDATORS

THE TENNESSEAN: Paul Skrbina doesn’t see the Nashville Predators parting with starting goaltender Juuse Saros by deadline day. They’re jockeying for a wild-card berth in the Western Conference and promising Yaroslav Askarov isn’t NHL-ready yet. The only way he thinks that could happen is if a desperate general manager is willing to overpay to get him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Somebody could pitch Preds GM Barry Trotz an offer too good to refuse but I don’t think anyone’s going to do that by the trade deadline. Maybe in the offseason if Saros’ contract extension talks get difficult.

Skrbina expects Tyson Barrie to be the more likely candidate following his recent public trade request. Pending free agents such as Tommy Novak, Yakov Trenin, Alexandre Carrier and Kevin Lankinen and pending restricted free agent Dante Fabbro could also become trade bait.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Not all of those pending free agents could hit the trade block. In Fabbro’s case, Trotz doesn’t have to move him by March 8 as he could wait for the offseason to gauge his market value if he doesn’t have a long-term future in Nashville.

SHOULD THE BLACKHAWKS LOOK INTO ACQUIRING KAKKO?

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Nate Brown noted a recent report indicating the New York Rangers are taking calls on winger Kaapo Kakko and wondered if the Blackhawks should look into it if they haven’t already done so.

Kaapo, 22, could be an affordable acquisition and he still has time to reach his potential. However, Brown noted that the young Rangers winger has had ample opportunity to do so and hasn’t reached it yet. He also noted the Blackhawks are dealing with a struggling young winger of their own in Lukas Reichel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks already have enough promising youngsters on their club and within their system. They need more established young talent to help their rebuild and provide some much-needed depth around budding superstar Connor Bedard.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 2, 2024

by | Feb 2, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 2, 2024

The four All-Star Game rosters are set, the three stars and rookie of the month for January are revealed, the latest on Sam Reinhart’s contract situation and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The four teams are set for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game following the player draft by team captains Auston Matthews and singer Justin Bieber, Nathan MacKinnon and singer Tate McRae, Jack and Quinn Hughes with singer Michael Buble, and Connor McDavid with actor Will Arnett.

Among the notable picks:

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

The hometown Toronto Maple Leafs all-stars will be playing on Team Matthews as he and assistant captain Morgan Rielly used their first two picks to select William Nylander and Mitch Marner.

Team Hughes used the first overall pick to select Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, who leads the league in scoring with 85 points.

Team MacKinnon chose Pittsburgh Penguins captain (and MacKinnon’s fellow Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia native) Sidney Crosby with their first pick.

Team McDavid selected Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebucyk and Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Seattle Kraken winger Oliver Bjorkstrand was the last pick of the draft as he joined Team MacKinnon. Well, he wasn’t chosen by that team. Each of the final four players – Anaheim Ducks winger Frank Vatrano (Team Hughes), New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (Team Matthews), San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl (Team McDavid) and Bjorkstrand – were assigned to their respective teams.

NHL.COM: Speaking of MacKinnon, he’s the league’s first star for January 2024. Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner is the second star with Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson the third star.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber was named the Rookie of the Month for January 2024.

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart said his contract talks with the club are going well and he has no problem with the process taking more time. “I’ve got no issues with them being ongoing. They certainly don’t either,” said Reinhart, going on to say the main focus of both sides right now is winning the Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Both sides have expressed a willingness to get a deal done stretching back to last fall.

Reinhart has already set a career high this season with 37 goals and with 62 points is on pace to exceed his career-best of 80 points. He’s due for a big raise on his next contract. The 28-year-old is earning an average annual value of $6.5 million and could earn between $9 million and $10 million annually on his next deal.

With over $28 million in projected cap space for 2024-25, the Panthers can afford to re-sign Reinhart. It will put a big dent into their remaining cap space and could complicate efforts to re-sign pending UFA defensemen Brandon Montour and Gustav Forsling as well as restricted free agent Anton Lundell.

THE TORONTO STAR: Maple Leafs great Dave Keon believes current Leafs stars Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander will probably reach the top of the list among the club’s all-time scoring leaders. “And unless they win a Cup, that will be their legacy,” he said.

“What is the object of this exercise? At the start of the year when you gather in training camp, the object of the exercise is to win the Stanley Cup,” said Keon. “If you have all of these players putting up great numbers and you’ve won one playoff series in eight or nine years, and you haven’t even played for the Stanley Cup, then you have to take a look in the mirror.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Keon is speaking some harsh truth here. One of the greatest two-way forwards in NHL history, he won four Stanley Cups in six seasons with the Leafs between 1961-62 and 1966-67 and won the 1967 Conn Smythe Trophy.

Yes, the league and the game have changed since Keon’s heyday 60 years ago. Matthews, Marner and Nylander aren’t to blame for their club’s inability to build up a solid supporting cast around them. Nevertheless, they’re the foundation on which the club’s success depends. So far, they’ve struggled to meet those postseason expectations.

CALGARY SUN: Elias Lindholm posted a heartfelt message on his Instagram account to Flames fans following his trade to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday. “Thank you Calgary and thank you C of Red for these five and a half years,” he wrote.

“It’s been truly amazing to represent this organization and play in front of you all. You guys have been nothing but incredible to me and my family. We’re so grateful for our time in Calgary and it will always have a special place in our hearts. All the best, it’s been an honor.”

TSN: The sexual assault case involving five players from Canada’s 2018 World Junior team will be before a court in London, Ontario starting on Monday.

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart, Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube, New Jersey Devils forward Michael McLeod and defenseman Cal Foote and unsigned Ottawa Senators winger Alex Formenton (who played in Switzerland this season) are each charged with one count of sexual assault. The five are on indefinite leaves of absence from their teams.

McLeod also faces an additional charge of sexual assault for “being a party to the offence.” The alleged incident occurred in London on June 19, 2018, following a Hockey Canada event.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 1, 2024

by | Feb 1, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – February 1, 2024

With Elias Lindholm off the trade market, check out the latest on Jake Guentzel and Sean Monahan plus updates on the Bruins and Sabres in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST PENGUINS’ SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe believes Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas would like to re-sign Jake Guentzel. The 29-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. It could depend on Guentzel’s willingness to sign what Yohe called a “somewhat team-friendly deal.”

Yohe believes Dubas isn’t afraid to trade Guentzel if a new deal isn’t possible. He won’t let the winger walk away for nothing this summer. Nevertheless, the Penguins GM would love to sign him for the right price.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Guentzel’s cap hit on his current contract is $6 million. With the salary cap projected to jump by $4.2 million for 2024-25, he could get between $9 million and $10 million annually on the open market.

My guess is Dubas’ number is between $7.5 million and $8 million per season. It would then come down to how much Guentzel wants to stay and remain Sidney Crosby’s wingman.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski noted the Penguins have a couple of holes to fix among their middle-six forwards. He wondered if Dubas would attempt to move struggling winger Reilly Smith and his $5.5 million annual cap hit through next season to make room for another solution in a similar role.

Kingerski’s suggested trade targets include Ottawa Senators right wing Vladimir Tarasenko, Buffalo Sabres winger Victor Olofsson, and former Penguins winger Jason Zucker of the Arizona Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 32-year-old Smith’s production is well down this season with just eight goals and 20 points in 40 games. He has a 10-team no-trade list for this season which becomes an eight-team list next season.

Smith might not be willing to move to a rebuilding team, though the Coyotes are showing signs of a potential breakthrough as a playoff contender this season. Whether the Coyotes would want him, however, is another matter.

UPDATE ON THE CANADIENS

SPORTSNET: In his Jan. 30 mailbag, Eric Engels was asked if the Montreal Canadiens will trade Sean Monahan and if so what type of return he might fetch.

Engels believes it would take a first-round pick for Canadiens GM Kent Hughes to part with Monahan. As for when Hughes can expect to receive serious offers for the 29-year-old center. Engels expects talks in the trade market will pick up following the All-Star break.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those discussions could start now after the Lindholm trade yesterday. That was the first domino to drop. Trade activity won’t take place during the All-Star break because the league doesn’t want anything to overshadow that.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the next big move takes place soon after the end of the All-Star weekend. Teams that were interested in Lindholm could shift their focus toward Monahan and that could drive up his trade value.

WILL THE SABRES BECOME SELLERS?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Michael Augello noted that the Buffalo Sabres have six pending unrestricted free agents (Victor Olofsson, Kyle Okposo, Zemgus Girgensons, Eric Robinson, Eric Comrie and Erik Johnson) who could become trade bait leading up to the March 8 deadline. However, he doesn’t expect they’ll fetch big rewards for the Sabres.

Augello also noted some recent speculation suggesting the Sabres could trade forward Casey Mittelstadt. He carries an affordable $2.5 million cap hit and is eligible for restricted free-agent status this summer. However, that might be a move that Sabres management can hold off on until this summer.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Jason Moser recently noted the speculation about David Jiricek’s future with the Columbus Blue Jackets after the rookie defenseman expressed frustration over being demoted to their AHL affiliate.

Moser thinks it could be worthwhile for the Sabres to look into acquiring Jiricek if he’s available. He thinks offering up a top prospect forward such as Matthew Savoie, Noah Ostlund, Jiri Kulich or Isak Rosen would make sense.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres playoff hopes appear dashed for another season. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Sabres peddled some of those pending UFAs for middle or low-range draft picks and prospects that could be used as trade bait in the offseason.

They could move Mittelstadt but that could depend on how his contract talks go. If it appears he could be headed to arbitration they might shop him during the draft in June for a skilled defenseman or an established starting goalie.

As for Jiricek, he hasn’t asked to be traded and I doubt that the Blue Jackets want to move him given his potential as a top-pairing blueliner. If he did become available, however, the Sabres possess the depth in promising young assets to make a competitive offer.

WHAT MUST THE BRUINS ADDRESS BEFORE THE TRADE DEADLINE?

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Nick Goss ranked the Bruins biggest needs to address as the trade deadline approaches.

Acquiring a physical veteran defenseman who can clear the front of the net, kill penalties and play tough minutes against quality opponents. is the top priority. Adding a middle-six forward with a decent scoring touch could also help.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 1, 2024

by | Feb 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 1, 2024

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, reaction to the Flames trading Elias Lindholm to the Canucks, Blue Jackets rookie Adam Fantelli sidelined for eight weeks, and the latest on Phil Kessel in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings snapped a four-game winless skid by doubling up the Nashville Predators 4-2, handing the latter their third straight loss. Rookie forward Alex Turcotte had a goal and an assist for his first NHL points while David Rittich kicked out 39 shots for the 23-15-10 Kings as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 56 points. Filip Forsberg and Philip Tomasino replied for the 26-23-2 Predators, who sit two points behind the Kings and remain behind the St. Louis Blues for the final wild-card spot.

Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto (NHL Images).

An overtime goal by Shane Pinto lifted the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 upset of the Detroit Red Wings. Pinto finished the night with two points while Joonas Korpisalo stopped 23 shots for the 20-25-2 Senators. Daniel Sprong and Dylan Larkin scored for the Red Wings (26-18-6) as they hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 58 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson suffered a lower-body injury in the first period and didn’t return. He’ll be re-evaluated when the club returns to Ottawa.

The Anaheim Ducks got an overtime goal by Frank Vatrano to nip the San Jose Sharks 3-2. Troy Terry had a goal and an assist while John Gibson made 26 saves for the 18-30-2 Ducks. Anthony Duclair and Marc-Edouard Vlasic tallied for the 14-32-5 Sharks.

HEADLINES

THE PROVINCE/CALGARY SUN: Pundits are reacting to yesterday’s trade between the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks that saw the Flames ship center Elias Lindholm to the Canucks in exchange for winger Andrei Kuzmenko, two defense prospects and two draft picks, including the Canucks’ 2024 first-rounder.

The Province’s Patrick Johnston believes the price wasn’t that steep for the Canucks. He cited Kuzemenko’s struggles this season, considered prospects Joni Jurmo and Hunter Brzustewicz to be long-shots to reach the NHL, and noted the first-rounder will likely be in the high 20s or even in the 30s by the time this season is over.

Johnston also felt this move indicates that Canucks management isn’t fooling around. He considers the acquisition of two-way center Lindholm as “pushing their chips in to win the Stanley Cup.”

Meanwhile, Sun pundit Wes Gilbertson felt the Flames got a “substantial haul” from the Canucks for Lindholm. He called Kuzmenko “an intriguing talent”. However, he acknowledged his inclusion in the deal may have had more to do with making the cap dollars fit in this deal than how he potentially fits into the Flames’ long-term plans.

Brzustewicz currently leads the OHL in assists by a wide margin (61 in 47 games) and sits third in that league’s scoring race. Jurmo is a big blueliner (6’4”, 210 pounds) skating in Finland’s pro league.

Gilbertson also noted the willingness of Flames general manager Craig Conroy to trade one of his favorite players. He also considered this proof that Conroy is serious about rebuilding the roster and will prioritize acquiring future assets in any trade talks regarding pending free agents Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think this is a move the Canucks could afford to make this season. They’re an entertaining club loaded with talent generating excitement among their fans. Bringing in Lindholm indicates confidence by management that this team can stage a deep playoff run.

Yes, there’s a risk that it might not work out and Lindholm departs this summer as a free agent. Nevertheless, they already possess some good young talent on their roster and they didn’t have to part with one of their better prospects such as Jonathan Lekkerimaki or Tom Willander to get Lindholm. If they’re going to take the chance by acquiring a notable potential rental player, this is the season to do it.

As for the Flames, I agree with Gilbertson that Conroy isn’t waffling on what to do with his pending UFAs. If they don’t want to re-sign or are dragging their feet about it, he’s going to move them before March 8 for the best possible returns. Tanev and Hanifin are likely on their way out in the coming weeks.

TSN: Speaking of the Canucks, they signed general manager Patrik Allvin to a multi-year contract extension. This news was announced before they acquired Lindholm.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hired in January 2022, Allvin’s done a fine job thus far in reversing the Canucks’ fortunes as they currently sit atop the NHL’s overall standings. He’s also been the busiest GM in the trade market since the start of the regular season, making six trades since Oct. 8. Those include the additions of Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov and Sam Lafferty.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets rookie center Adam Fantilli will miss the next eight weeks after suffering a skate laceration to his left calf muscle. He suffered the injury on Sunday against the Seattle Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A big blow to Fantilli and the struggling Blue Jackets. He sits third among their skaters and fourth among rookie scorers with 27 points in 49 games.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Phil Kessel remains in contact with several NHL teams and is still hopeful of signing with a club this season. The 36-year-old free-agent winger has been skating and trying to remain ready in case a team comes calling. He holds the NHL Ironman record with 1,064 consecutive regular-season games played. Kessel had 36 points in 82 games last season with the Vegas Golden Knights, winning his third Stanley Cup.