NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2023

by | Nov 1, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2023

Recaps of Tuesday’s games, the NHL and NHLPA discuss neck guards for its players, Paul Stastny retires, the Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy is suspended, and more in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson tallied a hat trick and defenseman Quinn Hughes had three assists in a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Colton Sissons and Dante Fabbro replied for the Predators. The Canucks end the month of October with a record of 6-2-1 while the Predators slipped to 4-5-0.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A much better start for the Canucks compared to last season (2-5-2), 2021-22 (3-5-1) and 2020-21 (4-5-0). A healthy roster, strong performances from Pettersson and Hughes and the players’ adjustment to head coach Rick Tocchet’s system are among the contributing factors. Pettersson sits second among NHL scorers with 16 points and Quinn (11 points) is tied for the scoring lead among NHL defensemen.

The Los Angeles Kings downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. Cam Talbot made 29 saves, Phillip Danault scored what proved to be the game-winner and Quinton Byfield collected two assists for the 5-2-2 Kings. John Tavares scored and William Nylander collected an assist to extend his season-opening points streak to a team record nine games for the 5-3-1 Maple Leafs.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the league has initiated discussions with the NHL Players Association to increase neck protections among its players. The move comes following the death of former NHL player Adam Johnson on Saturday after his neck was accidentally sliced by a skate blade during an EIHL game in England.

TSN: Chris Johnston reports there’s a huge level of concern around the NHL about this issue with teams calling league headquarters for direction. Three teams (Pittsburgh, Washington and Carolina) have started the process of optional neckguards for their players while the Penguins are making them mandatory for their AHL and ECHL affiliates.

Pierre LeBrun, meanwhile, indicated that cut-resistant gear has been a topic of discussion for the past half-dozen NHL general managers meetings dating back to Evander Kane’s wrist injury last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL cannot implement changes to player equipment without the consent of the NHLPA. However, it sounds like the PA could be receptive to this issue. Teams are already taking action to allow their players the option of wearing cut-resistant gear. This could be something that gets put into practice more quickly than previous changes to equipment policies.

NHL.COM: Paul Stastny has retired after 17 NHL seasons. He had 293 goals and 822 career regular-season points in 1,145 games with the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes. He also had 73 points in 118 playoff games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stastny’s best seasons were with the Avalanche, including a career-high 79 points in 2009-10. He reportedly sought the guidance of his father, Hall-of-Famer Peter Stastny, before reaching this decision. Stastny told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun that he’s interested in returning to hockey one day in a management role.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy received a four-game suspension from the NHL department of player safety for an illegal hit to the head of Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Monday.

The Bruins also announced that blueliner Matt Grzelcyk will miss “a couple of weeks” with an upper-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Bruins center Matthew Poitras and Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski won’t be returned to their respective junior teams. Both will remain with their NHL clubs following their nine-game trials with their respective teams.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That means their entry-level contracts now go into effect and will count against their respective teams’ salary-cap payrolls for this season.

CBS SPORTS: San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture suffered a minor setback in his recovery from a lower-body injury that will keep him off the ice for a little while. Meanwhile. Sharks forward Alexander Barabanov will miss four to six weeks due to a broken finger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The hits just keep on coming for the struggling Sharks. The absence of Couture has hurt their offense and Barabanov’s absence won’t help.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens center Kirby Dach underwent successful knee surgery in New York on Tuesday. He’s expected to make a full recovery and be ready to return to action next season.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche blueliners Cale Makar and Bowen Byram missed practice on Tuesday and are questionable for Wednesday’s game against the St. Louis Blues.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Chicago Blackhawks center Conor Bedard is off to a promising start with six points in nine games. However, Ottawa Senators center Ridly Greig was the rookie points leader for October with seven points in eight contests.

THE SCORE: Buffalo Sabres rookie Zach Benson is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Edmonton Oilers signed center Sam Gagner to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level and placed forward Adam Erne on waivers.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 31, 2023

by | Oct 31, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – October 31, 2023

Should the Flames consider tearing down their roster? Are the Flyers shopping Morgan Frost? What’s the latest on the Penguins? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SHOULD THE FLAMES TEAR DOWN THEIR ROSTER?

TSN: Chris Johnston, Bryan Hayes, Jeff O’Neill and Jamie McLennan discussed the future of the Calgary Flames and what might happen if things don’t improve following their terrible start to this season.

Johnston wondered how the club’s poor start might affect plans to sign players such as Noah Hanifin to long-term contracts. He thinks it would be a painful teardown if they go that route comparable to what’s going on with the San Jose Sharks. They could also try to tough it out under new general manager Craig Conroy and new head coach Ryan Huska.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek also discussed the Flames during their “32 Thoughts” podcast on Monday. Friedman thinks some big decisions are going to have to be made.

Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin (NHL Images).

Friedman noted in his recent report that contract talks between the Flames and Hanifin were getting closer. However, there’s now a sense of “hang on here a second.” He believes everyone is taking a deep breath and a long look at what the start of this season could mean for the Flames.

Marek wondered what it could mean for all their players on expiring contracts such as Hanifin and Elias Lindholm. Friedman thinks there’s a little bit of uncertainty now.

Friedman noted that it wouldn’t be easy for the Flames to move on from good players but things aren’t working right now. “The way this is going might make the decisions for Calgary, instead of Calgary making the decisions for itself.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Things are getting grim in the Stampede City with the Flames near the bottom of the Western Conference standings approaching November. There’s still plenty of time for them to reverse their fortunes but it’s clear that the positive vibes from training camp and preseason are gone.

The blame for last season’s disappointing performance was placed on head coach Darryl Sutter. With Sutter gone and the club under new management, there’s no one left to blame.

It’s no coincidence that this team hasn’t been the same since the departures of core players Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk in the summer of 2022. Trading away Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils in June and the ongoing absence of Oliver Kylington certainly haven’t helped.

If the Flames fail to turn things around in November it could spell the beginning of the end of any hope of re-signing Hanifin and Lindholm. Conroy could be forced to become a seller by the March 8 trade deadline.

THE FLYERS AREN’T TRYING TO TRADE FROST

THE ATHLETIC: Kevin Kurz reports a league source informed him that the Philadelphia Flyers aren’t trying to trade Morgan Frost. The 24-year-old forward was a healthy scratch for six straight games before returning to the lineup on Monday.

Kurz indicates that Frost handled being scratched the right way and has been a good teammate throughout that period. The Flyers still view him as one of the young players they want to grow with this rebuilding team. They will give him every opportunity to become a productive player.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Frost is in the first season of a two-year, $4.2 million contract. He enjoyed a career-best 46-point performance last season. Kurz acknowledged that things could change but for now, the Flyers have no intention of moving Frost.

LATEST ON THE PENGUINS

THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe thinks a move by Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas is a possibility if the club’s upcoming California road trip goes poorly. They’re dead last in the Eastern Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Yohe noted that Dubas has little leverage because of the number of players on his team with no-trade clauses. Nevertheless, he believes the Penguins GM can’t let this go on much longer.

Cap space will also be an issue for Dubas if he wants to go the trade route. He can’t afford to take on salary and most clubs are also pressed for cap space at this point in the season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 31, 2023

by | Oct 31, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 31, 2023

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week are revealed, calls for neck guards to be mandated following the death of former NHL player Adam Johnson, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish scored the tying and winning goals (the latter shorthanded) in a 4-3 upset of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Anaheim goaltender Lukas Dostal turned aside 33 shots replacing John Gibson when the latter left following the first period with an upper-body injury. Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson each had a goal and an assist for the 3-6-0 Penguins while the Ducks improved to 5-4-0.

Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins honored former teammate Adam Johnson in a pregame ceremony that also included the Ducks players. The former NHL forward died on Saturday when his neck was accidentally sliced by a skate blade during an EIHL game on Saturday in Sheffield, England. The incident is currently under police investigation.

The Vegas Golden Knights extended their season-opening points streak to 10 games (9-0-1) by nipping the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Shea Theodore’s shootout goal. Paul Cotter and William Carrier scored in regulation while Adin Hill stopped 37 shots for the Golden Knights. Sean Monahan and Nick Suzuki replied for the 5-2-2 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A solid effort by the Canadiens as they threw a scare into the defending Stanley Cup champions. However, they were stymied by the Golden Knights’ solid penalty kill, going 0-4 with the man advantage.

The Boston Bruins extended their season-opening points streak to nine games (8-0-1) by overcoming a 2-0 deficit to beat the Florida Panthers 3-2. Pavel Zacha tallied the winner in overtime and Linus Ullmark kicked out 35 shots for the win. Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart each had a goal and an assist for the 4-3-1 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers forward Sam Bennett made his season debut after suffering a lower-body injury in preseason but left this game with an injured left ankle. Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy received a match penalty for an illegal hit to the head of Panthers blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Conor Bedard opened the scoring but his club fell 8-1 to the Arizona Coyotes. Michael Carcone tallied a hat trick and collected an assist, Jack McBain scored twice and added two assists and Alex Kerfoot had three helpers for the 4-4-0 Coyotes. The Blackhawks’ record fell to 3-6-0.

The New York Rangers (7-2-0) defeated the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 as Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists while Mika Zibanejad tallied the winner in overtime. David Gustafsson and Nikolaj Ehlers replied for the 4-3-2 Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers winger and former Jets captain Blake Wheeler was held scoreless in his first game against his old club in Winnipeg. He’s yet to dent the scoresheet for the Blueshirts this season.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen snapped a 2-2 tie to lift his club over the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Stefan Noesen and Michael Bunting each had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes as they improved to 6-4-0. Owen Tippett and Garnet Hathaway replied for the 4-4-1 Flyers.

The Detroit Red Wings snapped a three-game losing skid with a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Lucas Raymond’s overtime goal. Raymond, J.T. Compher and Jake Walman each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings as they rose to 6-3-1. Bo Horvat had a goal and an assist for the 4-2-2 Islanders.

An overtime goal by Jared McCann gave the Seattle Kraken a 4-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. McCann and Kailer Yamamoto each had a goal and an assist while Philipp Grubauer made 34 saves for the 3-5-2 Kraken. Tanner Jeannot, Alex Barre-Boulet and Brandon Hagel each had a goal and an assist as the Lightning dropped to 4-2-3.

The Dallas Stars improved their record to 5-1-1 by dropping the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3. Matt Duchene tallied his first of the season with the Stars while teammates Jamie Benn, Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston and Evgenii Dadonov each collected two points. Dmitri Voronkov tallied his first NHL goal for the 3-4-2 Blue Jackets.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: New Jersey Devils winger Tyler Toffoli, Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Jonas Johansson and Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Oct. 29, 2023.

TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs assistant general manager and four-time women’s Olympic hockey gold medalist Hayley Wickenheiser is calling for mandatory neck protection at every level of hockey in the wake of former NHL forward Adam Johnson’s tragic death.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Protective neck gear is mandatory in most minor hockey and junior/college leagues. There’s also been an increase in players wearing socks and wrist coverings that protect against skate cuts at every level.

Wickensheiser isn’t the only executive on an NHL team calling for this change. Boston Bruins team president Cam Neely believes it’s time for the league and the NHL Players Association to reevaluate neck safety on the ice.

Meanwhile, Washington Capitals forward and Warroad protective gear founder T.J. Oshie saw his brand’s base layer protective shirts sell out in recent days. The built-in neck collar on the shirts, which was introduced in September, is made from Kevlar.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Danton Heinen’s patience has been rewarded with a one-year, $775K contract with the Bruins. He’d signed a professional tryout agreement with the club on Sept. 5 and continued to practice with the club once the regular season was underway.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators placed forward Cody Glass on injured reserve.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 30, 2023

by | Oct 30, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – October 30, 2023

How long will the Blues continue to carry eight defensemen? Can the Canadiens capitalize in the goalie trade market? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford pondered how long the St. Louis Blues will continue to carry eight defensemen this season. They’re currently doing so because they don’t want to risk losing Tyler Tucker or Scott Perunovich on waivers trying to send them to their AHL affiliate in Springfield.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug (NHL Images).

If this season continues going the way it has for the Blues, Rutherford wondered if they might revisit the trade market for Torey Krug or other defensemen such as Robert Bortuzzo or Marco Scandella. The latter two are slated to become unrestricted free agents next July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rutherford isn’t sure how much interest those three might draw in the trade market. The Blues attempted to move Krug to the Philadelphia Flyers in June but he invoked his no-trade clause and could do so again.

Scandella carries a $3.275 million cap hit plus a seven-team no-trade clause. Bortuzzo carries a more affordable $900K cap hit and lacks no-trade protection but he might not draw much interest and won’t fetch much of a return.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marc Dumont noted the Canadiens continue to carry three goaltenders in Jake Allen, Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau. Goalies tend to carry little value in the trade market but a rival club in need of depth between the pipes could pony up assets to acquire one.

Dumont noted that the Buffalo Sabres might fall into that category, pointing out that Eric Comrie will be sidelined for several weeks with a lower-body injury. They briefly called up Devin Cooley following Comrie’s injury but returned him to their AHL affiliate as Devon Levi is expected to return to action this week.

There’s no indication that the Sabres and Canadiens have engaged in talks with teams like the Sabres. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if they did given that Habs general manager Kent Hughes is keen to move a netminder.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s possible the Canadiens will move one of their three goaltenders at some point this season. For now, however, it doesn’t appear as though the Sabres will be a trade partner. They appear content for now to stick with their current goalies. If not the Sabres, perhaps another team will come calling if injuries or inconsistent play becomes an issue.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2023

by | Oct 30, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2023

The Oilers defeat the Flames in the Heritage Classic, an update on Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers snapped a four-game losing skid with a 5-2 victory over the Calgary Flames in the 2023 Heritage Classic before over 55,000 fans at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium.

Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane (NHL Images).

Evander Kane had a goal and two assists, Connor McDavid collected an assist in his return from injury while Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman each collected two points for the 2-5-1 Oilers. Nazem Kadri and A.J. Greer replied for the 2-6-1 Flames as they’ve dropped five straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a much-needed win for the Oilers as they hope to put their poor performance through October behind them. The Flames, meanwhile, continue to struggle as they’ve been outscored 20-6 over the past five games.

New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt scored two goals and collected an assist as his club held off the Minnesota Wild 4-3. Luke Hughes had two assists as the Devils improved to 5-2-1. Pat Maroon had a goal and an assist for the Wild as they slipped to 3-4-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Devils placed defenseman Colin Miller (lower body) on injured reserve and recalled center Justin Dowling from their AHL affiliate in Utica.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 23 saves for his first NHL shutout in a 4-0 win over the Colorado Avalanche (6-2-0). JJ Peterka, Casey Mittlestadt, Tyson Jost and Rasmus Dahlin were the goal scorers for the 4-5-0 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar left the game in the second period with an apparent leg injury when he was shoved from behind into the end boards behind his own net by Sabres forward Kyle Okposo. There was no penalty on the play. Makar returned in the third period and finished the game.

Earlier in the day, the Sabres placed goaltender Eric Comrie (lower body) on injured reserve as he’s expected to be sidelined for several weeks.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson and Evgeny Kuznetsov gave the Washington Capitals a 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks, who remain winless in nine games (0-8-1). Alex Ovechkin and John Carlsson each collected two assists while Darcy Kuemper kicked out 31 shots for the 4-3-1 Capitals. Luke Kunin scored for the Sharks.

HEADLINES

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy took part in his first light on-ice workout with the Lightning since undergoing surgery on a herniated disc in his back a month ago. He remains weeks away from returning to action.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The earliest Vasilevskiy might return to action is late November. Given how well backup Jonas Johansson has held the fort, he won’t have to try to accelerate his return.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting that the NHL is expected to hand down punishment to the Ottawa Senators this week regarding the club’s trade of Evgeni Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021.

At the time, the Knights thought that Dadonov lacked no-trade protection because it was believed that he didn’t submit his no-trade list to the Senators by July 1, 2021. He was dealt to the Golden Knights on July 28, which was allowed because they weren’t on his no-trade list.

However, it turned out that Dadonov’s list was still in effect. As a result, the Knights’ attempt to trade him a year later to the Anaheim Ducks was overturned by the league.

THE ATHLETIC: Ian Mendes writes that the Senators appeared to have been cleared of any wrongdoing following the NHL’s initial investigation into the matter in March 2022.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could end up costing the Senators one or two draft picks. It also might not endear general manager Pierre Dorion to the club’s new ownership.

CBS SPORTS: St. Louis Blues forward Alexei Toropchenko is sidelined with a lower-body injury.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 29, 2023

by | Oct 29, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 29, 2023

Could the Bruins pursue Patrick Kane? Will the Hurricanes find a replacement for the sidelined Brett Pesce? Could the Islanders pursue Shane Pinto? Check out the latest Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

BRUINS NOT EXPECTED TO PURSUE PATRICK KANE

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy cites an NHL source saying we shouldn’t expect the Bruins to get into the bidding for Patrick Kane. The 34-year-old unrestricted free-agent winger is expected to begin fielding offers next month from interested clubs as he moves toward the completion of rehabbing from offseason hip resurfacing.

Murphy’s source pointed out that the Bruins lack the cap space to sign Kane even if it were on a one-year, $3 million deal. He also noted that they have plenty of wingers and would have to move one out to make room for Kane, which would be difficult to do right now with so many teams pressed for cap room.

Free agent winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murphy also cited ESPN.com’s Emily Kaplan listing the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings as being considered serious contenders for Kane. Both clubs have plenty of cap room to sign the future Hall-of-Famer to a one-year deal. Time will tell if he ends up with one of them this season.

HURRICANES WON’T SEEK A REPLACEMENT FOR PESCE

NHL NETWORK: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman touched on what the Carolina Hurricanes might do with defenseman Brett Pesce sidelined for two to four weeks with a lower-body injury. It was originally feared that he could miss months or the entire season.

Given that shorter timeline, Friedman doesn’t expect they’ll go shopping for a replacement for Pesce. They’ve got extra defensemen who haven’t played that much this season so they’ll likely wait this out until Pesce returns.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tony DeAngelo and Jalen Chatfield will likely see more ice time while Pesce’s on the sidelines.

WOULD THE ISLANDERS BE INTERESTED IN PINTO?

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The following was written prior to Shane Pinto receiving a 41-game suspension last week for violating the NHL’s wagering rules.

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, a reader asked Arthur Staple if the New York Islanders might attempt to acquire center Shane Pinto. They cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculating that the Isles might be interested if the Senators decided to shop the restricted free-agent center.

Staple was doubtful that the Islanders could pull it off. He observed that they lack the cap space to sign the 22-year-old Pinto plus the Senators would probably want a first-rounder, a prospect and something off the Isles roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In the wake of Pinto’s suspension, the Senators issued statements indicating they would welcome him back once he’d served his punishment. The stalemate over his contract negotiations remains to be settled but some believe he’ll sign his qualifying offer in order to play out the rest of the season with the Sens.

Pinto’s value in the trade market likely took a hit from his suspension. I doubt the Islanders or any other club will attempt to pursue him once he returns to action.