NHL Rumor Mill – December 30, 2023

by | Dec 30, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – December 30, 2023

Dissecting a rumor linking Elias Pettersson and William Nylander to the Blackhawks plus the latest on the Leafs goaltending in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

PETTERSSON AND NYLANDER TO THE BLACKHAWKS?

SPITTIN’ CHICLETS: Matt Murley told hosts Colby Armstrong and Mike Grennell that he’d heard Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson and Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander could be interested in joining the Chicago Blackhawks.

“Do not be surprised if you see Elias Pettersson try to make his way to the Chicago Blackhawks to be with (Connor) Bedard next year,” said Murley. He also claimed there was “a lot of talk about Nylander going to Chicago as well.”

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

Murley acknowledged Pettersson’s status next summer as a restricted free agent so he’s “not exactly sure” how that will work. However, he noted the Blackhawks will have a lot of salary-cap space.

SPORTSNET: During Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast, Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman discussed Murley’s rumor linking Pettersson to the Blackhawks.

Friedman didn’t discredit or denigrate Murley. “He’s not an idiot. He hears things. I’ve seen the stuff that he reports. He gets information. People talk to him,” he said.

However, Friedman called Murley’s report “premature”, adding that he believes the Canucks will throw a significant amount of cash toward re-sign Pettersson when he’s ready. He doubts that Pettersson is giving much thought to his contract status right now as he’s focused on playing this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I have a few questions.

First, why would Pettersson want to leave a team that’s currently jockeying for first place in the overall standings for a rebuilding club that’s near the bottom of the standings? For that matter, why would Nylander leave a reliable playoff contender (albeit one with just a single playoff-round victory) to join a club that’s several years away from postseason contention?

During an Aug. 23 interview with Friedman, the Canucks star indicated he wasn’t sure if he wanted his next contract to be long or short-term. It’s also believed that he wanted to get a better sense of the Canucks’ direction after several losing seasons. In other words, he seemed reluctant to commit to a long-term deal if the Canucks failed to improve.

Nylander, meanwhile, has stated his wish is to remain with the Leafs. Unless his contract talks have reached a serious impasse, the intent on both sides is to get a deal done before his eligibility for unrestricted free agent status on July 1.

Second, why would Pettersson want to play with Bedard? The latter is a promising rookie who has no prior connection to the Canucks star. This isn’t like wanting to play with a more established superstar such as Edmonton’s Connor McDavid or Toronto’s Auston Matthews.

Third, why would the Blackhawks sign Pettersson and Nylander? Sure, they’ve got a whopping $52 million in projected cap space with just six players under contract for 2024-25.

They’ve got several restricted free agents such as Lukas Reichel and Taylor Raddysh but they won’t be expensive to sign. They must also re-sign or replace pending UFA goaltender Petr Mrazek, though that also won’t be costly to do.

The problem is Pettersson and Nylander could easily cost at least a combined $22 to $24 million to sign, taking a big chunk out of that cap space. That’s not troublesome for next season but having those two on the books could make it difficult to re-sign Bedard when their supposed crown jewel will be due for a new contract (with a whopping big raise) in 2026. It could also complicate other signings or make it difficult to improve the roster.

Adding Pettersson and Nylander would work for the Blackhawks if they already had a solid or promising supporting cast. However, they’re still in the middle of a major roster rebuild and still need depth at every position. A roster featuring Pettersson, Nylander and Bedard might be more entertaining but it will still lose more games than it wins until the roster depth issues are suitably addressed.

Why would the Blackhawks deviate from their rebuilding program in such a sudden and dramatic fashion? Wasn’t the game plan to build around Bedard with promising young players and affordable veterans with experience and leadership abilities? Why invest in two expensive superstars who’ll be on the downside of their careers when the Blackhawks are finally ready to become Stanley Cup contenders?

In short, Pettersson and Nylander to the Blackhawks makes no sense for the players or the team.

WHAT WILL THE LEAFS DO ABOUT THEIR GOALTENDING?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: David Alter believes the Toronto Maple Leafs could be running out of patience with struggling goaltender Ilya Samsonov. Before Friday’s 6-5 loss to the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets, head coach Sheldon Keefe expressed his belief that general manager Brad Treliving “is going to consider everything.”

With Joseph Woll sidelined until late January, the Leafs have been using the tandem of Samsonov and Martin Jones. The latter has been shouldering the load but it means they need to use Samsonov in back-to-back games.

Alter believes the Leafs don’t have many options. They could call up promising young goaltender Dennis Hildeby but he’s playing in North America for the first time and they want to avoid bringing him up too early.

THE ATHLETIC: Jonas Siegel has seen enough of Samsonov’s performance and believes the Leafs cannot play him any longer. He also acknowledged their reluctance to call up Hildeby but believes they have little choice, suggesting he wouldn’t need to play a lot. He also suggests that Treliving explore the trade and free-agent markets for short-term help.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Samsonov’s confidence is shot right now, Jones is an effective but aging backup while Hildeby has little North American hockey experience. With Woll’s return still a few weeks away, they’ll need to find a short-term fix between the pipes or risk sliding out of playoff contention.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 30, 2023

by | Dec 30, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 30, 2023

Aleksander Barkov ties a Panthers record, the Avalanche win but Nathan MacKinnon’s point streak ends, the Devils move into an Eastern Conference wild-card spot, the Blue Jackets upset the Leafs, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Aleksander Barkov collected three assists and Sam Reinhart scored two goals as the Florida Panthers nipped the New York Rangers 4-3. Barkov tied the Panthers franchise record for career assists (415) while his club improved to 21-12-2 (44 points) to move within two points of the first-place Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division. Artemi Panarin netted his 20th goal of the season for the 24-9-1 Rangers, who remain atop the overall standings with 49 points.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reinhart is having an impressive performance in his contract season. He sits fourth among the league’s goal-scoring leaders (23) and 10th in points in 44. Meanwhile, sidelined Rangers center Filip Chytil has returned to his native Czechia for the next step in his recovery from a suspected concussion suffered on Nov. 2.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon’s point streak ended at 19 games in a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Ryan Johansen opened the scoring and collected an assist on Devon Toews’ game-winner for the 22-11-3 Avalanche as they hold first place in the Central Division with 47 points. Robert Thomas scored for the 18-16-1 Blues (37 points) as they sit two points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 56 points, MacKinnon remains two behind Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, who leads the league with 58 points.

An overtime goal by Johnny Gaudreau lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 6-5 upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Gaudreau also collected two assists as did defenseman Damon Severson while rookie Adam Fantilli netted the game-tying goal for the 12-18-7 Blue Jackets. William Nylander had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to 13 games while Auston Matthews potted his league-leading 29th goal of the season for the Leafs (17-9-7), who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 41 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a rough night for goaltenders in this game. Blue Jackets starter Elvis Merzlikins left the game following the first period due to illness and was replaced for the duration by Spencer Martin. Meanwhile, it was another tough outing for the Leafs’ Ilya Samsonov, whose struggles are raising concerns in Leafs Nation. I’ll have more about that in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

Speaking of overtime, Lucas Raymond scored as the Detroit Red Wings downed the Nashville Predators 5-4. Red Wings winger Alex DeBrincat (one goal, two assists) had a “Gordie Howe hat trick” (goal, assist, fighting major), Jake Walman scored twice and set up another and Patrick Kane had two assists for the 17-15-4 Red Wings (38 points), who moved within two points of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Filip Forsberg and Gustav Nyquist each tallied twice and collected an assist for the 19-16-1 Predators, who hold the final Western wild-card spot with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon made 33 saves in his return from a midsection injury that had sidelined him since Dec. 16.

The New Jersey Devils cruised to a 6-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Jesper Bratt had a goal and three assists while Jack and Luke Hughes each had a goal and two assists for the 19-13-2 Devils, who moved into the final Eastern wild-card spot with 40 points. Drake Batherson and Jacob Bernard-Docker replied for the 13-18-0 Senators, who remain mired in the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with 26 points.

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz scored in overtime to complete his hat trick to top the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4. Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson each had two points for the Stars (21-9-4) as they sit one point behind the Avalanche in the Central Division with 46 points. Tyler Johnson scored twice for the 11-22-2 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks forward Taylor Raddysh left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury and will be re-evaluated on Saturday. Meanwhile, Nick Foligno has indicated his willingness to sign a contract extension with the Blackhawks. The 36-year-old forward is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

The New York Islanders rolled to a 5-1 win over the Washington Capitals. Jean-Gabriel Pageau had two goals and two assists while Julien Gauthier had two goals and an assist for the Islanders (17-9-9), who sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 43 points. Nicolas Aube-Kubel scored for the 17-11-5 Capitals as they slipped out of a wild-card berth with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov missed this game with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Capitals netminder Charlie Lindgren and defenseman Martin Fehervary left this game with injuries during the opening minutes of the first period.

Arizona Coyotes goalie Connor Ingram made 28 saves to shut out the Anaheim Ducks 2-0. Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse were the goal scorers as the Coyotes (19-14-2) hold the first Western wild-card berth with 40 points. John Gibson stopped 30 shots for the 13-22-0 Ducks.

An overtime goal by Justin Schultz gave the Seattle Kraken a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Vince Dunn scored the game-tying goal for the 14-14-9 Kraken (37 points), who extended their points streak to eight games and sit two points out of the final Western wild-card spot. Travis Konecny scored for the Flyers (19-11-5), who remain in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 43 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken winger Andre Burakovsky rejoined his teammates for the first time since being sidelined by an upper-body injury on Dec. 7.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky practiced with his teammates on Friday, showing no ill effects from the hit to the head he received from Carolina Hurricanes forward Stefan Noesen on Thursday. Slafkovsky was placed in concussion protocol following the hit, which the referee told the winger was a hit to his chest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The replay clearly showed Noesen struck Slafkovsky in the head. Some pundits and fans believe Noesen should’ve been penalized or received supplemental discipline while others blamed Slafkovsky for putting himself in a vulnerable position. This incident might “rekindle debate” about such hits but nothing will happen and this will die down until the next headshot takes place. Wash, rinse, repeat.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk will miss Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a lower-body injury.

CBS SPORTS: The Anaheim Ducks placed forward Leo Carlsson (knee) on injured reserve. He will be sidelined for three to five weeks.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres assigned Tyson Jost to their AHL affiliate in Rochester after he cleared waivers.

TSN: Former NHL forward Nick Ritchie received an eight-game suspension by Finland’s Liiga for a series of gloved punches to the head of an opponent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL’s department of player safety likely would’ve fined him $5,000 and sent him on his way.

Former NHL forward Reggie Savage died last Sunday of cancer at age 53. He played 34 games with the Washington Capitals and Quebec Nordiques from 1990-91 to 1993-94, spending the bulk of his pro career from 1990-91 to 2004-05 in the AHL, IHL, ECHL, UHL and in Italy and Switzerland.

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










NHL Rumor Mill – December 29, 2023

by | Dec 29, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – December 29, 2023

Check out the latest on the Bruins and Canadiens in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy acknowledged it’s no secret the Bruins could use a bonafide top-six center/rugged winger and another defenseman. However, those players could further deplete the Bruins of draft picks and prospects.

With the Bruins performing better than expected in what is considered a bridge year for the club, Murphy suggested it might be better if general manager Don Sweeney waits until the offseason to pursue players like Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Noah Hanifin.

Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney (NHL.com)

Lindholm and Hanifin are both eligible to become unrestricted free agents in July if they don’t sign contract extensions with the Flames before then. Sweeney would have around $28 million in cap space to pursue such players without having to part with draft picks and prospects.

THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa believes the Bruins need a scoring winger with Jake DeBrusk struggling this season. He agrees that pursuing someone such as Lindholm could be beyond the Bruins’ means in this season’s trade market.

The price of acquiring a winger, however, wouldn’t be so costly. Shinzawa noted that the San Jose Sharks’ Anthony Duclair, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Tyler Johnson, and the Anaheim Ducks’ Adam Henrique could become available as rental players by the March 8 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sweeney could try to make another big splash or two near the trade deadline to go all-in for another deep playoff run. However, as Murphy and Shinzawa point out, they lack the salary-cap space as well as depth in quality draft picks and prospects to win bidding wars for guys like Lindholm and Hanifin.

That doesn’t mean Sweeney will sit on his hands by the trade deadline. I expect he’ll try to make an affordable move or two. His big moves could come in the summer when he’ll have the cap room to bring in some long-term veteran talent.

SPORTSNET: In this week’s mailbag segment, Eric Engels was asked which defenseman the Montreal Canadiens could move to clear their logjam on the blueline. They have promising prospects Lane Hutson and David Reinbacher in their pipeline plus they’ll soon need to reintegrate Jordan Harris and Arber Xhekaj into the lineup.

As soon as Harris returns, Engels believes trading or waiving Gustav Lindstrom feels like the first step. After that, he thinks they’ll have to seriously consider moving David Savard. While the 33-year-old Savard remains valuable to the rebuilding Canadiens, his value in the trade market could be too high to ignore. He has a year remaining on his contract with an affordable $3.5 million cap hit.

Turning to the forwards, Engels doesn’t see the Canadiens trading winger Josh Anderson. He doesn’t rule out trading center Sean Monahan by the deadline as he could fetch a first-round pick or a quality prospect.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barring injuries, Monahan and Savard are my candidates most likely to be traded this season by the Canadiens. I’m not sure if either guy can land a first-round pick but one should never underestimate the willingness of desperate general managers to overpay for help near the trade deadline.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 29, 2023

by | Dec 29, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 29, 2023

The Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho achieves a franchise first in his club’s win over the Canadiens, a milestone game for Flyers coach John Tortorella, the latest injury updates, the Capitals finally sign Ethan Bear, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho collected four assists and Andrei Svechnikov tallied a hat trick in a 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Brent Burns set up three goals and Jesper Fast scored twice as the Hurricanes improved to 19-13-4 to move into third place in the Metropolitan Division with 42 points. Mitchell Stephens, Mike Matheson and Josh Anderson scored for the Canadiens as they slipped to 15-14-5.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Aho became the first player in Hurricanes/Whalers history to collect four points in consecutive games and the first player in the NHL to do so since Jeremy Roenick on Nov. 25-26, 1999.

A three-goal second period powered the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Joel Farabee had a goal and an assist while Samuel Ersson made 18 saves before leaving the game early in the third period with an undisclosed injury. The Flyers improved to 19-11-4 and hold second place in the Metro Division with 42 points. Teddy Blueger scored for the 23-10-3 Canucks as they remain in first place in the Western Conference with 49 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone game for Flyers head coach John Tortorella as he moved into 10th place on the all-time wins list for NHL coaches with 723. The Flyers have the same number of points as the Hurricanes but sit ahead of them with two games in hand.

The Vegas Golden Knights snapped a four-game losing skid by holding off the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 3-2. Logan Thompson stopped 32 shots while Jack Eichel, Michael Amadio and William Karlsson scored for the Golden Knights (22-10-5) move into a tie with the Vancouver Canucks with 49 points. Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist while Trevor Moore also scored for the Kings (20-8-4) as they remain in third place in the Pacific Division with 44 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks still hold first in the West with one more victory as well as a game in hand.

A four-goal first period and 25 saves by goaltender Stuart Skinner gave the Edmonton Oilers a 5-0 shutout over the San Jose Sharks. Zach Hyman tallied his 20th of the season as the Oilers improved to 16-15-1. Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 17 of 18 shots in relief of Magnus Chrona for the 9-24-3 Sharks.

HEADLINES

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is out with an undisclosed leg injury on a week-to-week basis.

SPORTSNET: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano returns to action on Friday against the Blue Jackets after missing a month with a broken finger.

CBS SPORTS: Nashville Predators blueliner Tyson Barrie is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

THE SCORE: The Washington Capitals officially signed Ethan Bear on Thursday to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.0625 million. The 26-year-old defenseman is returning to action following offseason shoulder surgery.

TSN: The Buffalo Sabres placed center Tage Thompson on their non-roster list as he is dealing with a personal issue.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils sent goaltender Akira Schmid to their AHL affiliate in Utica after recalling Nico Daws. They’re hoping Schmid can regain his rhythm after struggling this season.

DAILY FACEOFF: Detroit Red Wings goalie Michael Hutchison and Sabres forward Tyson Jost hit the waiver wire on Thursday.

Nikolai Khabibulin is returning to action as the 50-year-old goaltender signed a one-year deal with the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. His last professional game was on Nov. 16, 2013, with the Chicago Blackhawks.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL defenseman Cody Franson has been hired as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Iowa Wild.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: A lawsuit alleges the Kraken violated the Seattle Metropolitans trademark with their Winter Classic jerseys.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 28, 2023

by | Dec 28, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – December 28, 2023

Check out recent speculation about the Maple Leafs, Sabres, Predators, and Senators in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE ATHLETIC: Jonas Siegel recently looked at what the Toronto Maple Leafs have for potential trade assets in their quest to add a defenseman. He noted their lack of prospect depth and draft picks doesn’t leave them very much to bargain with.

Possible trade bait includes their 2024 first-round pick, promising goaltender Dennis Hildeby, forward prospect Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan, forward Nick Robertson and defenseman Topi Niemela.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies (NHL Images).

Siegel thinks rival clubs could be interested in forward Matthew Knies but he’s too valuable to their present and their future.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Siegel isn’t saying the Leafs will move those assets but is showing the potential cost if they intend to bolster their blueline for the playoffs. General manager Brad Treliving will likely make a move or two by the March 8 trade deadline. What he gets will depend on what he’s willing to part with. Stay tuned!

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Mike Harrington reported last week that Sabres GM Kevyn Adams continues to resist making knee-jerk moves to help his struggling club. Nevertheless, he wonders what moves Adams could have in store if they hope to turn things around.

Harrington speculates on how close Victor Olofsson, Tyson Jost or Eric Comrie are to going on waivers. Perhaps the Chicago Blackhawks will be interested in Olofsson with the losses of Taylor Hall and Corey Perry. He believes Adams must bolster his bottom-six forwards and improve their defense. It’s clear Erik Johnsson is their No.7 option on the blueline

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Harrington also pointed out the difficulty the Sabres face in making trades given how many clubs have limited salary-cap space right now. He recently acquired depth forward Eric Robinson from the Blue Jackets so I daresay he’s monitoring the trade market to see if there’s another deal to be had to improve his roster’s depth.

THE TENNESSEAN: Paul Skrbina examined why defenseman Dante Fabbro has been a frequent healthy scratch this season, which has resulted in his name surfacing in trade rumors.

Head coach Andrew Brunette said part of the problem was the Predators’ logjam on defense. Meanwhile, Fabbro isn’t making waves over the situation and tries not to think about his name popping up in the rumor mill.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fabbro’s situation could be alleviated if the Predators can find any takers for blueliner Tyson Barrie, who recently requested a trade. His agent received permission from GM Barry Trotz to speak with other clubs but it doesn’t appear a deal is coming soon.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch wonders what Senators president of hockey ops and interim GM Steve Staios has in store for the club in the New Year.

The expectation is that suspended center Shane Pinto will sign a one-year deal in the range of $875K. He knows he has no leverage and reportedly appreciates that Staios has been supportive in preparations for when he’s eligible to return to action on Jan. 21. He will be allowed to start skating with the club 10 days beforehand.

Pinto’s return could make Dominik Kubalik expendable. Garrioch claims the Senators have received some calls about the 28-year-old winger, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kubalik could indeed become the odd man out once Pinto returns but it could take some time to move him. Just because some teams have called doesn’t mean a deal will take place right after Pinto comes back.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 28, 2023

by | Dec 28, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 28, 2023

A record-setting performance by the Penguins’ Kris Letang, the Coyotes stage a four-goal comeback win over the Avalanche, Connor Bedard snipes an overtime winner for the Blackhawks, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: Kris Letang enjoyed a record-setting performance as his Pittsburgh Penguins crushed the New York Islanders 7-0. Five of Letang’s six assists came in the second period, which is a record for the most points in one period by an NHL defenseman. Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel each scored two goals while Marcus Pettersson collected four assists for the 16-13-4 Penguins (36 points), who sit three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. The Islanders (16-9-9) sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 40 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Letang also became the seventh defenseman in league history to record six assists in a game, joining such luminaries as Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, Pat Stapleton and Gary Suter. Malkin also surpassed Sergei Fedorov for the second-most goals scored by a Russian NHL player with 484.

The Arizona Coyotes overcame a 4-0 deficit to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 on an overtime goal by Jack McBain. Sean Durzi had a goal and three assists for the Coyotes (18-14-2) as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 38 points. Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen each had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche (21-11-3) as they sit in first place in the Central Division with 45 points. MacKinnon’s point streak sits at 19 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a dozen times this season: don’t sleep on the Coyotes. They’ll bite you if you do. This is a club loaded with blossoming talent that has made steady improvement under head coach Andre Tourigny. One of those good young players is defenseman JJ Moser, who remains sidelined with an upper-body injury but is expected to return to action soon.

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard became the third-youngest player in NHL history to score a regular-season overtime goal in a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. The 18-year-old Bedard also scored in regulation while goaltender Petr Mrazek stopped 37 shots for the 11-22-1 Blackhawks. Morgan Barron replied for the 20-9-4 Jets, who sit one point behind the Avalanche in the Central standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You know, I think this Bedard kid’s gonna have a long and productive career (insert winky face emoji here).

The Carolina Hurricanes downed the Nashville Predators 5-2. Center Sebastian Aho had a goal and three assists to surpass the 500-point career milestone while Pyotr Kochetkov made 35 saves as the Hurricanes improved to 18-13-4 and hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 40 points. Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and an assist for the 19-16-0 Predators as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 38 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Aho is the fourth player in Hurricanes history to reach the 500-point plateau, joining Ron Francis (1,175), Eric Staal (775) and Kevin Dineen (544).

New York Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller had two goals and an assist in a 5-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. Mika Zibanejad collected two assists in his 800th career NHL game as the Rangers (24-8-1) moved past the idle Vancouver Canucks into first place in the overall standings with 49 points. Anthony Mantha scored for the 17-10-5 Capitals as they cling to the final Eastern wild-card spot with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers captain Jacob Trouba left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury. An update on his status is expected on Thursday.

An overtime goal by Timo Meier lifted the New Jersey Devils over the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. Dawson Mercer had a goal and two assists while Luke Hughes tied the game late in the third period for the Devils (18-13-2) with a spectacular end-to-end rush. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 31 shots for the 11-18-7 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils (38 points) are now one point out of an Eastern wild-card spot. They did so without forward Curtis Lazar as he’s listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski left the game with a lower-body injury following a collision with Devils winger Ondrej Palat.

The Florida Panthers nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 3-2. Sam Reinhart scored twice while Aleksander Barkov collected three assists for the 20-12-2 Panthers as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 42 points. Nikita Kucherov and Michael Eyssimont scored for the Lightning (17-14-5) as they sit behind the Capitals in the Eastern standings with the latter holding four games in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov remains the league’s leading scorer with 58 points but the Avs’ Nathan MacKinnon has cut his lead to two points.

Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson tallied twice as his club overcame a 2-0 deficit in a 4-2 upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joonas Korpisalo kicked out 34 shots while Brady Tkachuk picked up his 300th career NHL point for the 13-17-0 Senators. William Nylander picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 12 games as the Leafs (17-9-6) sit third in the Atlantic Division with 40 points.

The Boston Bruins snapped a four-game losing skid with a 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Charlie Coyle netted two goals for the 20-7-6 Bruins as they sit second in the Eastern Conference with 46 points. Erik Johnson scored for the 14-18-4 Sabres, who were playing without Tage Thompson as he was absent from the club for personal reasons.

A four-goal third period carried the Minnesota Wild over the Detroit Red Wings 6-3. Marcus Johansson scored twice and collected an assist for the Wild (16-13-4) as they picked up their fourth straight win and sit two points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 36 points. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist for the slumping Red Wings (16-15-4) as they sit three points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 36 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Patrick Kane has been among the few bright spots for the Wings during their current slide. He scored in this game to extend his points streak to five games and now has 11 points in as many games, showing no ill effects thus far from his offseason hip resurfacing procedure.

St. Louis Blues goalie Joel Hofer made a career-high 39 saves in a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Jake Neighbours and Marco Scandella scored for the 18-15-1 Blues (37 points) as they’ve won three straight to move within a point of a Western Conference wild-card spot. Jason Robertson replied for the 20-9-4 Stars as they slipped to third place in the Central Division with 44 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars and Jets have identical records but the Jets have more regulation wins with 18.

The Seattle Kraken nipped the Calgary Flames 2-1. Goalie Chris Driedger stopped 37 shots in his first NHL game since May 1, 2022, while Alex Wennberg and Kailer Yamamoto scored for the 13-14-9 Kraken as they extended their points streak to seven games. Nazem Kadri replied for the 14-16-5 Flames.

A four-goal first period gave the Anaheim Ducks a 5-2 upset win over the Vegas Golden Knights. John Gibson made 30 saves while Brett Leason scored twice for the 13-21-0 Ducks while Mark Stone and Alec Martinez replied for the 21-10-5 Golden Knights, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 47 points.

The Los Angeles Kings beat the San Jose Sharks 5-1. Adrian Kempe scored twice for the Kings (20-7-4) as they sit third in the Pacific Division with 44 points. Fabian Zetterlund scored his 10th over the season for the 9-23-3 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks goalie Mackenzie Blackwood missed this game with an illness while teammate Jacob MacDonald (lower body) was placed on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov returned to action after missing five games with a lower-body injury.