NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 29, 2023

by | Mar 29, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 29, 2023

A five-point performance for the Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Flames and Predators gain ground for the final Western Conference wild-card berth, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews weighs in on his future, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: A five-point performance by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (one goal, four assists) powered the Edmonton Oilers to a 7-4 romp over the Vegas Golden Knights. Connor McDavid collected three assists while Leon Draisaitl had two points for the 43-23-9 Oilers (95 points) as they moved to within one point of the second-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division. Jonathan Marchessault tallied twice for the Golden Knights (46-22-6) as they hold first place in the Pacific with 98 points.

Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nugent-Hopkins is enjoying a career-best 96-point performance this season. He’s four points away from joining McDavid and Draisaitl in the 100-point club, which would be the first time an NHL team had at least three 100-point players in a season since the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins.

Speaking of the Kings, their 12-game points streak ended with a 2-1 loss to the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom made 33 saves while Andrew Mangiapane and Walker Duehr scored for the 34-26-15 Flames (83 points) as they moved within two points of the Winnipeg Jets for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Sean Durzi replied for the Kings (43-21-10) as they remain two points back of the Golden Knights with 96 points.

The Nashville Predators also kept pace in the race for the final Western wild-card spot by nipping the Boston Bruins 2-1, preventing the latter from clinching the Presidents’ Trophy for 2022-23. Juuse Saros kicked out 35 shots while Cody Glass and Cole Smith tallied for the Predators (37-28-6) as they sit one point behind the Flames. David Pastrnak tallied his 52nd goal of the season for the 57-12-5 Bruins, who sit atop the overall standings with 119 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators and Bruins wore Covenant School stickers on their helmets in support of the Nashville school that was attacked by a shooter on Monday.

Sidelined Bruins winger Taylor Hall is reportedly close to returning to the lineup. That could create a salary-cap headache for the Bruins as they lack the cap space to add him to the lineup.

Speaking of the Jets, they were blanked 3-0 by the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer picked up the shutout with a 41-save effort while Noah Gregor, Kevin Labanc and Martin Kaut scored for the 20-39-15 Sharks. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 27 shots for the Jets as they slipped to 41-31-3 and cling to that final Western wild-card berth with 85 points.

Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 31 shots to blank the Carolina Hurricanes 4-0. Brayden Point scored two goals and collected an assist while Steven Stamkos had a goal and two helpers for the Lightning, who improved to 43-26-6 and hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 92 points. The Hurricanes (47-17-9) remain in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 103 points.

The New York Rangers picked up their ninth win in their last 11 games with a 6-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko each scored for the 44-20-10 Rangers (98 points) as they sit two points back of the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metro Division. Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and an assist for the 23-43-7 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of Tarasenko, the Rangers clinching a playoff berth on Monday means the 2024 fourth-round pick they sent to the St. Louis Blues as part of the return for the winger upgrades to a third-rounder in 2024.

Turning to the Eastern Conference wild-card race, the Pittsburgh Penguins failed to widen their lead for the final spot by falling 7-4 to the Detroit Red Wings. David Perron tallied a hat trick while Dylan Larkin had a goal and two assists for the 32-32-9 Red Wings. Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell each collected two assists as the Penguins (36-28-10) had dropped six of their last eight games as they cling to that wild card berth with 82 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde was ejected from this game in the second period for arguing with an on-ice official after the Penguins tied the game 3-3 on a controversial power-play goal by Jeff Carter, who Lalonde believed interfered with goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic.

Before the game, the Penguins assigned defenseman Taylor Fedun to their AHL affiliate to make room for Jeff Petry, who returned to action after being sidelined for five games with an upper-body injury.

Dallas Stars netminder Jake Oettinger made 17 saves to backstop his club over the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. Joe Pavelski netted his 22nd goal of the season as the Stars (40-20-14) are tied with the Colorado Avalanche with 94 points, though the latter holds second place in the Central Division with a game in hand and four more wins. The Blackhawks fell to 24-44-6 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has resumed practicing with his teammates after recovering from the effects of long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome that sidelined him since Jan. 28. He’s hoping to return to action at some point before the end of the season.

Toews acknowledged those could be his final games with the Blackhawks as he faces an uncertain future. The 34-year-old center is an unrestricted free agent this summer but he acknowledged his illness could prevent him from continuing his playing career.

The St. Louis Blues blew a 5-2 lead to the Vancouver Canucks before winning the game 6-5 on an overtime goal by Jakub Vrana, who finished the game with two goals for the Blues. Quinn Hughes and Andrei Kuzmenko each tallied twice and Brock Boeser collected three points for the Canucks. Both clubs have records of 34-34-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After struggling the last two seasons with the Red Wings, Vrana appears reborn in St. Louis. He has eight goals and 10 points in 12 games with the Blues since joining them via trade at the March 3 deadline.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Morgan Frost scored two goals as his club held off the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Felix Sandstrom stopped 32 shots for the 29-32-12 Flyers, who eliminated the 30-39-6 Canadiens from playoff contention.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens forward Kirby Dach missed this game with an upper-body injury while a lower-body injury sidelined Flyers goalie Carter Hart. Both are believed to be day-to-day.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 28, 2023

by | Mar 28, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – March 28, 2023

More chatter linking the Jets’ Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Canadiens, the latest on the Flames’ Nazem Kadri, and the Capitals’ Evgeny Kuznetsov addresses recent rumors in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

MORE “DUBOIS TO THE CANADIENS” SPECULATION

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marc Dumont cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculating about Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois ending up with the Montreal Canadiens this summer.

Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois (NHL Images).

In his latest “32 Thoughts” podcast episode, Friedman pointed out Dubois is a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility “and we all know how he feels”, implying that he’ll likely join the Montreal Canadiens as a free agent in 2024 rather than re-sign with the Jets. He signed a one-year, $6 million contract last summer and is a restricted free agent again this summer.

Given the Jets’ struggles over the second half of this season, Friedman wonders if changes could be coming to their roster this summer. Trade rumors have linked Dubois to the Canadiens for months.

Friedman believes the Jets have spoken to the Canadiens off and on about Dubois for some time. He thinks they could be looking into seeing if a deal is possible whereby the Canadiens get him earlier while the Jets can get something for him.

Dumont points out that the Canadiens hold all the cards here if Dubois has made Montreal his prime destination. If the Habs were to inquire about a trade, it would come down to what the Jets would want in return. He considers it unlikely that Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes would part with significant assets for a player he could wait a year to sign.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens must also determine if Dubois actually fits into their long-term plans and if he’s worth the expense of a long and lucrative contract. He could help them accelerate their rebuild, and it would be a popular move among a number of Canadiens fans.

Nevertheless, I don’t see Hughes parting with a young core player and a top prospect as part of the return. After all, if Dubois has his sights set solely on joining the Canadiens, they can afford to wait until next summer to sign him without giving up any assets in a trade.

COULD THE FLAMES TRY TO TRADE NAZEM KADRI THIS SUMMER?

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Duhatschek noted that a reader asked him if the Calgary Flames should trade Nazem Kadri this offseason because he isn’t producing at last season’s levels and seem a poor fit with the Flames.

Duhatschek said the short answer on trading Kadri is “not yet.” That’s because what we’re seeing of the 32-year-old center this season is typical for most expensive free agents in the first season of their contract with their new clubs. They usually need a season to adjust and often perform better in the second season.

Further complicating things is Kadri has a full no-movement clause in his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Calgary has plenty of disappointment over the Flames’ performance that isn’t just limited to Kadri. Unless they hire a new general manager with an agenda to shake up the roster, I expect we’ll see him skating with the Flames next season.

KUZNETSOV DISMISSES TRADE RUMORS

Washington Capitals beat reporter Sammi Silber reported yesterday that Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov dismissed reports and rumors claiming he’d requested a trade through his agent.

“You know how this is. It’s just people trying to put whatever they want to get the likes and Instagram or Twitter, whatever,” said Kuznetsov. He added that he spoke to “those people” and asked them where the rumors were coming from.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2023

by | Mar 28, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2023

Oilers Stars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid reach scoring milestones, Matt Boldy nets his second hat trick of the month, the three stars of the week are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers nipped the Arizona Coyotes 5-4 as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins snapped a 4-4 tie in the third period. Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard each had a goal and an assist for the 42-23-9 Oilers as they hold third place in the Pacific Division with 93 points. Barrett Hayton and Mattias Macelli each scored two goals while Lawson Crouse collected three assists for the 27-36-13 Coyotes.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl became the fourth-fastest active player to reach 300 career goals. Teammate Connor McDavid collected his career-best 80th assist of the season and is the first player to reach 140 points in a season since Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr in 1995-96.

Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy collected his second hat trick of the month and his first natural one of his career in a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 35 shots as the Wild (43-22-9) hold a one-point lead over the Colorado Avalanche for first place in the Central Division with 95 points. Jaden Schwartz tallied for the Kraken as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 88 points.

The Colorado Avalanche remained one point back of the Wild by defeating the Anaheim Ducks 5-1. Nathan MacKinnon and Bowen Byram each had a goal and an assist for the 44-23-6 Avalanche. Doug Grant replied for the 23-41-10 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks center Trevor Zegras left this game with a lower-body injury in the second period. The Ducks were already playing without Troy Terry as he was out of this contest for personal reasons.

New York Islanders winger Kyle Palmieri tallied twice and collected an assist in a 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Ilya Sorokin stopped 30 shots as the Islanders improved to 38-28-9 and hold a three-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 85 points. Erik Haula replied for the Devils (46-20-8) as they remain three points back of the first-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division with 100 points.

The Ottawa Senators kept their playoff hopes alive while dealing a blow to the Florida Panthers with a 5-2 victory. Brady Tkachuk had a goal and an assist while Mads Sogaard turned aside 32 shots as the Senators (36-33-5) sit five points behind Pittsburgh with 77 points. Gustav Forsling scored both goals for the 36-31-7 Panthers as they remain three points behind the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers forward Sam Bennett missed his fourth straight game with an undisclosed injury.

A shootout goal by Michael Pezzetta lifted the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 upset of the Buffalo Sabres. Brendan Gallagher’s game-tying goal was also the 200th goal of his career for the 30-38-6 Canadiens. Rookie Lukas Rousek scored his first goal and collected his first assist in his first NHL game for the 35-31-7 Sabres, who set five points behind the Penguins for that final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pezzetta delighted Canadiens fans by riding his stick “Tiger Williams style” to celebrate his game-winner. The Sabres played without Tage Thompson as he’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Ilya Lybushkin was the only Sabre who declined to take part in the club’s Pride Night warmups.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t play on Monday night but both clubs clinched playoff berths. The Rangers secured their spot due to Monday’s losses by the Panthers and Sabres while the Leafs are in due to the Panthers’ loss.

Los Angeles Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson, Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki, and Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending March 26.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights set an NHL record following their win against the Edmonton Oilers by becoming the first team to win four straight games with four different goaltenders. Jiri Patera, Jonathan Quick, Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit gained those respective wins.

DETROIT FREE PRESS: Red Wings goaltender Ville Husso and forward Robby Fabbri are sidelined by injuries for the rest of the season.

TSN: Columbus Blue Jackets defensemen Nick Blankenburg and Erik Gudbranson and forward Mathieu Olivier are also done for the season due to injuries.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The front office changes continue for the Flyers as Dave Scott is stepping down as chairman of the club’s parent company (Comcast Spectacor) and governor of the franchise. Dan Hilferty will take over as Scott’s successor.

OTTAWA SUN: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said he’ll leave it up to the Senators’ new owner where, and if, they’ll build a new arena for the franchise. He stressed that the club won’t be leaving Ottawa. “If this team is going to move, the only move that will be permitted is to downtown,” he said. Bettman doesn’t want to back the new owner into a corner regarding a new arena.

The Senators signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Capital Commission to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats which is as close to the downtown core. However, Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe last week said it wasn’t the only possible site for an arena.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bettman also said there are six ownership groups bidding for the Senators. The new owner could be announced by late April at the earliest.

SPORTSNET: Hockey Hall of Famer Igor Larionov suggests Russia should withdraw from the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in order to negotiate directly with the NHL for the release of its players to represent their country in international tournaments. The IIHF has suspended Russia over its ongoing war with Ukraine.

TSN: Speaking of international competition, Hockey Canada has deemed all players from Canada’s 2018 World Junior Team will be ineligible to participate in the 2023 World Hockey Championship until an investigation into an alleged group sexual assault is completed.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 27, 2023

by | Mar 27, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – March 27, 2023

Speculation over Evgeny Kuznetsov’s and Anthony Mantha’s future with the Capitals, the latest on the Sharks’ Erik Karlsson plus possible off-season free-agent targets for the Canucks in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

UPDATE ON KUZNETSOV’S FUTURE IN WASHINGTON

THE ATHLETIC: Tarik El-Bashir cited a report out of Russia on Saturday claiming Evgeny Kuznetsov has requested a trade from the Washington Capitals. He cautions that such reports tend to be inconsistent when it comes to accuracy. Nevertheless, he expects Kuznetsov will be asked about it following practice on Monday.

Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov (NHL Images).

El-Bashir noted Kuznetsov’s name surfaced in the trade rumor mill in 2021. Nothing came of it and he enjoyed a bounce-back 78-point performance in 2021-22. This season, however, the 30-year-old center is struggling again with 53 points in 73 games and a team-worst plus-minus of minus-19.

If the Capitals are open to trading Kuznetsov in the offseason they’ll have a difficult time moving him. His struggles this season combined with his $7.8 million annual average value through 2024-25 and 10-team no-trade list will affect his future.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: El-Bashir also wrote about Kuznetsov’s uncertain future with the Capitals last week. If he has asked for a trade I don’t like their chances of moving him unless they’re willing to retain some salary, bundle him with a draft pick or a prospect, or take back a toxic contract in return.

MANTHA ALSO FACES UNCERTAINTY WITH THE CAPITALS

El-Bashir also noted Anthony Mantha’s on-ice difficulties this season has made his future with the club feel tenuous. The 28-year-old winger has 11 goals in 64 games, including just two thus far in 2023. He’s also been a healthy scratch several times this season.

Mantha’s future with the Capitals could depend on whether they bring back Peter Laviolette as head coach. Perhaps he’ll improve under a new bench boss.

El-Bashir doesn’t see the Capitals buying out Mantha this summer. He has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $5.7 million. Buying him out would count as $1.3 million against the cap for 2023-24 and $2.1 million for 2024-25.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mantha would also be difficult to move in a trade. He lacks no-trade protection and his cap hit is much lower than Kuznetsov’s but his performance this season won’t help his value in the trade market. They might have to keep him and hope for a bounce-back effort next season.

LATEST ON ERIK KARLSSON

THE ATHLETIC: Corey Masisak was asked in a recent mailbag segment if there was a scenario where Erik Karlsson remains with the San Jose Sharks beyond this offseason. He believes the issue that made the 32-year-old defenseman difficult to move this season (his expensive contract) will continue to hamper any effort by management to trade him this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Masisak acknowledged that teams will have more salary-cap flexibility in the offseason. Nevertheless, he’s correct that Karlsson’s contract will remain very difficult to move.

Karlsson’s $11.5 million annual cap hit through 2026-27 is too rich for most teams unless the Sharks retain a healthy chunk or they accept one or two salaried players in return. His no-movement clause also limits where they can peddle him.

WHO COULD THE CANUCKS TARGET IN THIS SUMMER’S FREE-AGENT MARKET?

CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal and Don Taylor recently discussed two possible free-agent targets for the Vancouver Canucks this summer.

Dhaliwal said the Canucks have made it clear they’ll be looking for a third-line center when the unrestricted free-agent market opens on July 1. He believes Ivan Barbashev of the Vegas Golden Knights is worth keeping an eye on.

Dhaliwal also believes the Canucks should pursue Los Angeles Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks could use Barbashev and Gavirkov. Whether they can land either guy remains to be seen. They will draw plenty of interest in this summer’s free agent market. Dhaliwal also acknowledged that the Canucks would have to shed some salary to make room for those players.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2023

by | Mar 27, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2023

A milestone game for the Bruins’ David Pastrnak, the Kings set a franchise record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak scored his 50th and 51st goals of the season in a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes overcame a 3-1 deficit to tie the game but the Bruins took it in a shootout on goals by Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk. The Bruins tied a franchise record with their 57th win of the season and sit first overall with 119 points. Sebastian Aho tallied his 33rd goal of the season for the Hurricanes (47-16-9) as they sit second overall with 103 points.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the first time Pastrnak has reached the 50-goal plateau. He’s the first Bruin to do so since Cam Neely in 1993-94 and the first player drafted and developed by the club to reach the milestone. Pastrnak also reached 600 career points.

The Los Angeles Kings extended their points streak to a franchise-record 12 games (10-0-2) with a five-goal first period to hold off the St. Louis Blues 7-6. Viktor Arvidsson and Adrian Kempe each scored twice while Drew Doughty netted a franchise record for defensemen with his 30th career game-winning goal for the Kings (43-20-10), who sit two points behind the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights with 96 points. Jordan Kyrou tallied twice for the 33-34-6 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings forward Blake Lizotte missed this game as he received a one-game suspension from the NHL department of player safety for cross-checking Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey in the face on Saturday. Morrissey received multiple stitches to his chin and lip.

Bruins forward A.J. Greer received a similar suspension for a similar infraction involving Montreal Canadiens forward Mike Hoffman, who also required stitches to close a gruesome cut on his chin.

One would assume the suspension in both incidents would’ve landed the offender more than one game for such a dangerous play. After all, hits to the head are supposed to be forbidden in today’s NHL, especially using the stick. It makes one wonder how seriously the NHL regards player safety when it hands down the equivalent of a slap on the wrist in these two cases.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares scored two goals in a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Joseph Woll made 23 saves for the win as the 44-20-9 Leafs sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 97 points. Tyson Barrie had a goal and an assist for the Predators (36-28-8) as they remain five points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators forward Matt Duchene left this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as week-to-week. This comes at a bad time for Nashville as they’ve dropped five of their last seven games. They’re already missing captain Roman Josi, who’s been sidelined for the past five games.

The Colorado Avalanche blew 2-0 and 3-2 leads before defeating the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 on a shootout goal by Valeri Nichushkin. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist for the 43-23-6 Avalanche (92 points) as they sit one point behind the first-place Minnesota Wild in the Central Division. Clayton Keller scored the tying goal for the 27-34-13 Coyotes.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored two third-period goals to double up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Brock Boeser had a goal and an assist for the 34-34-5 Canucks, who’ve won 10 of their last 12 games. Lukas Reichel and Connor Murphy replied for the 24-43-6 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has resumed skating after being sidelined since Jan. 28 battling long-COVID symptoms. He could rejoin his teammates in practice soon with an eye on getting in some games before the end of the season. Meanwhile, Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi left this game with a hip injury that’s been nagging him for most of this season.

HEADLINES

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens signed Harvard University winger Sean Farrell to a three-year entry-level contract. Chosen in the fourth round of the 2020 draft by the Canadiens, he’ll be joining the club for the remainder of this season.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed Harvard University winger Matt Coronato to a three-year entry-level deal. He’ll be joining the Flames for the rest of this season. They chose Coronato 13th overall in the 2021 draft by the Flames.

DAILY FACEOFF: Another Harvard University forward is making the leap to the NHL as Alex Laferriere is expected to sign an entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings and skate with them for the rest of this season. The Kings chose him in the third round of the 2020 draft.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Henry Thrun is another Harvard player heading to the big league as the defenseman signed a two-year entry-level deal with the Sharks. Chosen in the fourth round of the 2019 draft by the Anaheim Ducks, the Sharks acquired Thrun’s rights on Feb. 28 for a third-round pick in 2024.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If you’re wondering why so many Harvard University players are joining their NHL teams so quickly, it’s because their season ended when they were eliminated in the NCAA tournament on Friday.

Those players joined several others US college players who’ve recently joined their NHL teams. The Hockey News’ Tony Ferrari has a list of 10 intriguing entry-level signings.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 26, 2023

by | Mar 26, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 26, 2023

What does the future hold for Capitals coach Peter Laviolette and center Evgeny Kuznetsov? Will the Sabres seek a goaltending upgrade in the offseason? What is the latest on the Blackhawks? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

DO LAVIOLETTE AND KUZNETSOV STILL HAVE A FUTURE IN WASHINGTON?

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Tarik El-Bashir was asked if the Washington Capitals would bring back head coach Peter Laviolette next season. Laviolette, 58, is in the final season of a three-year contract.

El-Bashir doesn’t think Capitals management has reached a decision on Laviolette’s future. He wouldn’t be shocked if the club hired a replacement nor would he be surprised if they re-sign Laviolette. He noted that the Capitals play well under Laviolette when healthy but they’ve been a banged-up club this season. He also thinks it’s risky to trust the final three seasons of Alex Ovechkin’s career to a new head coach.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In December, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said the club wasn’t going to undergo a rebuild. It’ll be interesting to see what Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan has in store for his club this summer.

I suspect MacLellan’s looking at a quick turnaround following this season’s disappointing outcome. That could mean bringing back Laviolette on perhaps a two-year contract.

Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov (NHL Images).

Another reader asked El-Bashir if the Capitals would revisit trading Evgeny Kuznetsov, who was the subject of rumors a couple of years ago.

El-Bashir said the Capitals’ decision-makers are disappointed in Kuznetsov’s performance this season. They needed him to step up and he didn’t plus he struggled defensively all season.

Kuznetsov has two years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $7.8 million. El-Bashir wondered if management trusts the 31-year-old center to return to form and play with consistency and urgency.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those issues affecting Kuznetsov’s performance this season would also adversely affect his value in the trade market, especially with that hefty cap hit. He also carries a 10-team no-trade clause.

Trading Kuznetsov isn’t impossible but it would be difficult. The Capitals might have to retain some salary to make him enticing in the trade market, especially if the salary cap only rises by $1 million for next season.

WILL THE SABRES UPGRADE THEIR GOALTENDING?

THE ATHLETIC: Matthew Fairburn listed goaltending as one of the factors that contributed to the Buffalo Sabres’ recent slide in the standings. While the team defense deserves plenty of blame, they also weren’t getting the type of goaltending necessary to stay competitive in some games.

The Sabres knew entering this season that they had to limit the workload of 41-year-old Craig Anderson. As the playoffs came into view, Anderson became their best option to win so they increased his playing time, resulting in his struggling in some recent key games.

Eric Comrie was injured in November and has struggled since his return. Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen has shown a lack of consistency in his first full NHL season. They have promising Devon Levi but they need to start him only when he’s ready to play.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fairburn believes the Sabres need to find a more proven short-term starter until Levi is ready to take over. He doesn’t think it’s a good idea to put the full weight of the starter’s job on the youngster’s shoulders next season.

I agree with that assessment. Maybe Levi can rise to the challenge but they must ensure they’ve got a reliable veteran to share the duties and mentor him in the NHL game. As Fairburn noted, starting next season with Comrie and Luukkonen is just asking for a repeat of the same problems.

They could find some decent short-term options via free agency. Jonathan Quick, Semyon Varlamov, Joonas Korpisalo and Frederik Andersen could be available on short-term contracts.

RECENT BLACKHAWKS SPECULATION

CHICAGO DAILY HERALD: John Dietz wondered where Blackhawks goalie Alex Stalock will be playing next season. He’s been their best netminder this season going 9-11-1 with a 2.80 goals-against average and .915 save percentage with two shutouts.

Dietz considers it a no-brainer for the Blackhawks to make an offer. However, they’ve already got a glut of goalies for the next two seasons with Petr Mrazek, Arvid Soderblom, Jaxson Stauber and Drew Commesso. He also wondered if teams seeking a goalie might be scared off by Stalock’s injury history.

Ian Mitchell’s future with the Blackhawks could also be something worth watching. He’s gifted offensively but struggles in his own zone. However, he’s just 24 with 77 NHL games under his belt. The Hawks must be careful not to give up on him too soon as they did with Gustav Forsling only to watch him flourish elsewhere.