NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 20, 2023

by | Mar 20, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 20, 2023

Hat tricks for the Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel, the Devils’ Jesper Bratt and the Wild’s Matt Boldy plus a franchise record performance by the Rangers’ K’Andre Miller in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel tallied a hat trick in a 7-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Alex Pietrangelo collected four assists and Jiri Patera stopped 35 shots for the Golden Knights (43-21-6) as they sit on top of the Western Conference with 92 points. Patrik Laine and Kirill Marchenko each had two points for the 21-41-7 Blue Jackets.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen missed this game as he’s temporarily taken some time away from the team due to a death in the family. My condolences to Larsen and his family during this difficult time.

The New Jersey Devils overcame a 2-0 deficit to down the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2. Jesper Bratt scored his first career hat trick and his 100th career goal for the Devils (97 points), who improved to 45-18-7 and sit one point behind the first-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division. Nikita Kucherov scored to reach 100 points for the third time in his career as the Lightning (42-23-6) sit third in the Atlantic Division with 90 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Curtis Lazar missed this game with an undisclosed injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the Florida Panthers.

Speaking of hat tricks, Matt Boldy netted the second one of his young career in a 5-3 win over the Washington Capitals. Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 33 shots for the 40-22-8 Wild as they regained second place in the Central Division with 88 points. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored two goals and collected an assist but his club sank to 33-31-7. With 73 points, they’re five points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Washington center Evgeny Kuznetsov left this game with an apparent shoulder injury following a high hit from Wild defenseman Matt Dumba. There was no penalty on the play. The Capitals were also playing without starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin returned to action after missing 12 games with a lower-body injury.

The New York Rangers’ K’Andre Miller set a franchise record for most points by a defenseman in one period (four) with two goals and two assists as his club scored six first-period goals to thump the Nashville Predators 7-0. Artemi Panarin had three points and Jaroslav Halak made 22 saves for his first shutout of the season for the 41-19-10 Rangers, who sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 92 points. The Predators fell to 34-26-8 and remain five points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 76 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those six first-period goals were also a Rangers record for most goals in one period. Meanwhile, the Predators played without captain Roman Josi as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman kicked out 26 shots for his second straight shutout in a 7-0 romp over the Buffalo Sabres. Jake DeBrusk had a goal and three assists, Patrice Bergeron had three points and David Pastrnak netted his 48th goal of the season for the league-leading Bruins as they improved to 53-11-5 and 111 points. The Sabres fell to 33-30-6 and sit six points away from the final Eastern wild-card berth with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak is just two goals away from becoming the first Bruin to reach 50 in a season since Cam Neely in 1993-94. As for the Sabres, WGR 550’s Paul Hamilton indicates that they have the league’s second-worst record over their last 11 games, sitting 28th in goal scoring during that stretch while allowing a league-high 53 goals.

St. Louis Blues rookie goalie Joel Hofer made 33 saves to shut out the Winnipeg Jets 3-0. Kasperi Kapanen, Nathan Walker and Jakub Vrana scored for the 31-33-5 Blues. The Jets fell to 39-29-3 and cling to the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 81 points.

The Anaheim Ducks were officially eliminated from playoff contention as they fell 2-1 to the Vancouver Canucks. J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson scored for the 31-33-5 Canucks while Ryan Strome replied for the 23-37-10 Ducks.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 19, 2023

by | Mar 19, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 19, 2023

Is there a way the Oilers could acquire the Sharks’ Erik Karlsson in the offseason? What are the priorities facing Daniel Briere as the Flyers’ general manager? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

COULD THE OILERS LAND ERIK KARLSSON THIS SUMMER?

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Duhatschek believes where the San Jose Sharks go next will depend on what they do with Erik Karlsson.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

While the 32-year-old defenseman is enjoying a career year and was the subject of trade speculation, his $11.5 million average annual value through 2026-27 proved too difficult to move before the March 3 trade deadline. Given Karlsson’s age, Duhatschek doesn’t expect his contract will age well, making him harder to trade and more difficult to get actual value in return.

The Edmonton Oilers were the only club to seriously look into acquiring Karlsson. Duhatschek wondered if trading Jack Campbell and his $5 million AAV to the Sharks might make it possible for the Oilers to accommodate Karlsson’s contract. The Sharks are rebuilding and their goaltending hasn’t been great. Playing in San Jose might give Campbell the opportunity to turn his career around in a relatively stress-free environment.

Duhatschek proposed the Sharks retain around $2 million annually of Karlsson’s cap hit. The Oilers could then part with two or three young assets the Sharks would be looking for, such as Phillip Broberg and Xavier Bourgault.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bear in mind that Duhatschek is merely spitballing here. On its face, it seems like a sensible proposal.

Karlsson might be willing to join the Oilers and play with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, perhaps becoming the missing piece that finally puts them over the top. The Sharks would get most of Karlsson’s salary off their books and receive some long-term assets to help with their rebuild. They would also get a starting goalie in the short term who might regain his form playing for a rebuilding club where the spotlight won’t be as harsh.

However, this deal depends on whether the Sharks will retain some of Karlsson’s cap hit and their willingness to take the struggling Campbell off the Oilers’ hands. If the answer is no, we can forget about seeking Karlsson skating on the Edmonton blueline next season.

WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES FACING FLYERS GM DANIEL BRIERE?

THE SCORE: John Matisz recently looked at what could be the high-level priorities on the to-do list for Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere if he’s named their full-time GM following this season.

Matisz believes Briere must attempt to acquire another 2023 first-round draft pick or an early second-rounder. He suggested shopping defensemen Ivan Provorov and Travis Sanheim but felt peddling Carter Hart and Travis Konecny could be complicated and carry more downside.

Offloading the contracts of Kevin Hayes and Rasmus Ristolainen is another priority. Hayes is not head coach John Tortorella’s favorite player plus he’s a salary-dump candidate given his age and contract. Matisz admits trading Ristolainen and his $5.1 million AAV through 2026-27 would be challenging.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Briere last week indicated he’s committed to a rebuild but that doesn’t mean a roster fire sale. Hayes and Provorov seem the most likely to be moved. Sanheim could be peddled but I think he might fit into Briere’s long-term plans.

I agree with Matisz about the complications of moving Hart or Konecny. One or both could force the issue, especially Hart as he is a restricted free agent next year. However, they would be worth retaining if they want to be part of the solution.

Ristolainen lacks no-trade protection. However, I think there are only three ways Briere could move him and none of them are palatable. He can retain up to half of the blueliner’s cap hit, take back a toxic contract in return, or package him this summer with the Flyers’ first-round pick.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 19, 2023

by | Mar 19, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 19, 2023

The Oilers’ Connor McDavid reaches another scoring milestone, the Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews reportedly considering retirement, the Capitals’ John Carlson talks about his gruesome head injury and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had his fourth straight multi-point game (1 goal, two assists) in a 6-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Evander Kane tallied a hat trick while Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm each collected three assists for the 39-23-8 Oilers as they hold third place in the Pacific Division with 86 points. Jamie Oleksiak collected two assists for the Kraken (38-24-7) as they hold the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 83 points.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was McDavid’s 40th multi-point game, making him the sixth player in NHL history to reach that plateau. Meanwhile, Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer left the game with a non-COVID illness.

The Boston Bruins defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-2 to snap the latter’s 14-game points streak. Brad Marchand collected three assists, David Pastrnak scored his 47th goal of the season and Linus Ullmark stopped 29 shots for the Bruins (52-11-5) as they sit atop the overall standings with 109 points. Marcus Johansson has a goal and an assist for the 39-22-8 Wild as they slipped to third place in the Central Division with 86 points.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists and defenseman Cale Makar collected three points in a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Mikko Rantanen tallied his 46th goal of the season for the Avalanche (40-22-6) as they won their fifth straight game to move ahead of the Wild into second place in the Central with 86 points. Pius Suter replied for the 30-29-9 Red Wings.

The New York Rangers got a 33-save shutout by Igor Shesterkin as they thumped the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-0. Mika Zibanejad had a goal and two assists while Artemi Panarin tallied twice for the 40-19-10 Rangers as they sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 90 points. The Penguins (34-25-10) dropped their third straight game and slipped into the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 78 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins defensemen Jeff Petry and Jan Rutta missed this game with injuries.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin stopped 29 shots in a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Jean-Gabriel Pageau had a goal and an assist for the 36-27-8 Islanders as they hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 80 points. The Sharks fell to 19-37-14.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: San Jose goalie James Reimer became the latest NHL player to refuse to wear a Pride jersey during pregame warmups for his club’s Pride Night event. The Sharks also sent rookie winger William Eklund back to their AHL affiliate.

An overtime goal by Neal Pionk lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Nashville Predators 3-2. Nikolaj Ehlers and Josh Morrissey each had two points as the Jets improved to 39-28-3 (81 points) to hold the final Western Conference wild-card spot, sitting two points behind the Kraken. Juuse Saros made 31 saves for the Predators (34-25-8) as they sit five points back of the Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators captain Roman Josi left the game in the first period with an undisclosed injury. There was no post-game update regarding his condition.

A four-goal third period rallied the Florida Panthers to a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Sam Reinhart scored twice while Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe and Brandon Montour each collected two points as the 35-27-7 Panthers (77 points) moved within one point of the Penguins. Akira Schmid made 37 saves for the Devils (44-18-7) as they sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 95 points.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho scored in overtime to complete his hat trick and nip the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4. Martin Necas had two points as the Hurricanes moved to 45-15-8 and widen their lead over the Devils atop the Metropolitan Division with 98 points. Noah Cates, Tyson Foerster and Brendan Lemieux each had a goal and an assist for the 25-32-12 Flyers.

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on a shootout goal by Alex Kerfoot. Matt Murray kicked out 48 shots, Calle Jarnkrok tallied twice while Mitch Marner and John Tavares each had two points for the 42-18-9 Maple Leafs as they sit second in the Atlantic Division with 93 points. Brady Tkachuk scored two goals for the 33-31-5 Senators as they sit seven points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel had a hat trick in a 5-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev each had two assists for the Lightning (42-22-6) as they remain three points back of the Leafs with 90 points. Nick Suzuki had two assists for the 27-37-6 Canadiens, who played without defenseman Kaiden Guhle (lower-body injury) for this game.

Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson scored twice (including the winning goal) and collected an assist in a 6-5 overtime victory over the Calgary Flames. Jamie Benn had two assists for the 38-19-13 Stars as they sit in first place in the Central Division with 89 points. Rasmus Andersson had a goal and two assists for the Flames (31-24-15) as they sit four points behind the Jets for the final Western wild-card spot with 77 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames made Milan Lucic a healthy scratch for this game.

Shootout goals by Andrei Kuzmenko and J.T. Miller gave the Vancouver Canucks a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Elias Pettersson scored in the third period to tie the game for the 30-33-5 Canucks as they extend their points streak to nine games. The Kings (40-20-10) sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 90 points.

The Arizona Coyotes doubled up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Clayton Keller and Juuso Valimaki each had three points for the 27-31-11 Coyotes as they extended their points streak to eight games. The Blackhawks fell to 24-39-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A report out of Chicago cited sources claiming Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is seriously considering retirement after dealing with long-COVID symptoms and chronic immune response syndrome. He’s been out of the lineup dealing with those ailments since Jan. 28. The club still publicly remains hopeful that he’ll return to the lineup before the end of the season.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Sidelined Capitals defenseman John Carlson revealed that he suffered a fractured skull and a severed temporal artery when he was struck in the head by a slapshot during a Dec. 23 game against the Winnipeg Jets. The 33-year-old defenseman has only recently returned to skating with his teammates with a non-contact jersey. There is no exact date yet for his return.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 18, 2023

by | Mar 18, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – March 18, 2023

A look at some of this summer’s notable unrestricted free agents in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox recently examined where things stand with this summer’s top notable NHL unrestricted free agents. Here’s a look at some of the more interesting ones:

Patrick Kane, New York Rangers: He’ll have to take a significant pay cut if he wants to remain with the Rangers beyond this season. New York general manager Chris Drury would also have to make some hard decisions regarding restricted free agents such as K’Andre Miller, Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly shows the Rangers with $16.8 million in cap space with 13 roster players under contract for 2023-24. In addition to re-signing those key RFAs, the Blueshirts must re-sign or replace backup goaltender Jaroslav Halak. I don’t see Kane on Broadway beyond this season unless Drury parts ways with Chytil and Lafreniere or makes a significant cost-cutting trade elsewhere.

Ryan O’Reilly, Toronto Maple Leafs: O’Reilly may be the most coveted center in this summer’s UFA market. He’s quickly fit in with the Maple Leafs but his former club, the St. Louis Blues, hasn’t ruled out bringing him back this summer.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Ryan O’Reilly (NHL Images)

Fox speculates O’Reilly could point to Nazem Kadri’s $7 million average annual value with the Calgary Flames as a comparable. He wondered if the 32-year-old center would take a little less to stay in Toronto.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly earned $7.5 million annually on his current contract. The Leafs have $9 million in cap space for next season with 14 roster players under contract but they could get another $5.6 million in wiggle room if Jake Muzzin remains on long-term injury reserve.

That might leave enough to re-sign O’Reilly if he’s willing to accept $5 million annually. However, he might not get that opportunity if the Leafs make another first-round playoff exit.

Vladimir Tarasenko, New York Rangers: Given the Rangers’ cap limitations and the RFAs to be re-signed, Fox believes Tarasenko will be hitting the open market on July 1. He anticipates the 31-year-old winger will be among this summer’s most-pursued UFAs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No argument here.

Matt Dumba, Minnesota Wild: Dumba understands that his tenure with the cap-strapped Minnesota Wild is coming to an end. He was frequently subject to trade rumors with Edmonton, Vancouver and Ottawa kicking tires. However, Wild GM Bill Guerin refused to move Dumba unless he got a comparable return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dumba is completing a five-year, $30 million contract. The decline in his performance will affect his free-agent value. He’ll land with another NHL team but I’ll be surprised if he gets a similar contract this summer.

Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, Boston Bruins: Some sources close to the Bruins wouldn’t be surprised if Bergeron and Krejci returned for another season if this one doesn’t end with the Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I also wouldn’t be surprised. If they decide to return for one more season it’ll only be with the Bruins. Bergeron said last year it was Boston or retirement for him.

Krejci undoubtedly feels the same way. If he doesn’t re-sign with the Bruins, he’ll return to Czechia to finish his playing career.

Tyler Bertuzzi, Boston Bruins: He’s the type of power forward contenders would covet.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That will depend on Bertuzzi’s performance with the Bruins in his first-ever NHL postseason and if the oft-injured winger remains healthy.

Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh Penguins: The oft-injured goaltender’s future with the Penguins could depend on his performance in the playoffs. He’s never won an NHL postseason series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Another first-round exit and Jarry could be heading to the UFA market on July 1 regardless of whether he wants to remain a Penguin.

Michael Bunting, Toronto Maple Leafs: Fox wondered if the Leafs acquisition of Ryan O’Reilly would make re-signing Bunting less of a priority. He also noted that Leafs GM Kyle Dubas would want to see playoff improvement from his free agents.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubas might not be in any position to decide Bunting’s future or those of the Leafs’ other free agents if they fail to at least get past the opening round of the 2023 playoffs.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 18, 2023

by | Mar 18, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 18, 2023

Recaps of Friday’s games, more information on the Flyers’ recent management change, the Lightning induct Phil Esposito, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier into its Hall of Fame, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs became the fifth team to reach the 90-point mark by downing the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2. Zach Aston-Reese scored two goals while John Tavares, Morgan Rielly and Calle Jarnkrok each had two points as the Leafs improved to 41-18-9 and sit second in the Atlantic Division with 91 points. The 44-15-8 Hurricanes (96 points) have dropped three of their last four and remain one point up on the New Jersey Devils for the lead in the Metropolitan Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs forward Noel Acciari left the game in the first period after being struck in the jaw after a collision with Hurricanes winger Jesse Puljujarvi.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett (NHL Images)

Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett tallied his first NHL hat trick in a 5-2 upset of the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hart made 36 saves for the 25-32-11 Flyers. Victor Olofsson scored both goals for the Sabres (33-29-6) as they remain six points behind the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres are fading down the stretch, losing eight of their last 10 games. With 14 games remaining in their schedule and holding two games in hand over the Islanders, they cannot afford to lose more ground in the standings if they want to keep their fading playoff hopes alive.

The St. Louis Blues got two goals from Sammy Blais to beat the Washington Capitals 5-2. Joel Hofer stopped 32 shots in his first NHL game this season to pick up his second career win for the 30-33-5 Blues. The Capitals dropped to 33-30-7 (73 points) and sit five points back of the Islanders.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Scott Harrington scored two goals in a 7-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Ducks improved to 23-36-10 on the season. Patrik Laine had a goal and an assist for the 21-40-7 Blue Jackets.

HEADLINES

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Marcus Hayes reports sources indicated Flyers CEO Dave Scott did not consult the “Three Wise Men” – Bob Clarke, Paul Holmgren and Bill Barber – when he made the decision to fire Chuck Fletcher as general manager and hire Daniel Briere as interim GM.

Clarke, Holmgren and Barber are former Flyers players who went on to roles in management and coaching with the club for years before becoming senior advisors to the team. One league source said they wouldn’t have approved of Briere’s hiring.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Critics of the Flyers’ front office such as Hayes claim the franchise has been hampered in recent years by Clarke, Holmgren and Barber, accusing them of favoring people “who see the game through the same mottled, last-century lenses as they still see it.”

Clarke, Holmgren and Barber played key roles for the Flyers on the ice, behind the bench and in the front office, turning them into Stanley Cup champions in the 1970s and contenders from the 1980s through 2010. They are no longer in management and coaching roles but still wielded considerable influence over who was employed in those roles.

However, the Flyers are poised to miss the playoffs for the seventh time since 2012-13. It’s been apparent for some time that this club is struggling to adjust to a changing game that favors speed and skill.

Hiring Briere without first consulting Clarke, Holmgren and Barber signals what could be other significant changes in the Flyers’ front office. It’ll be interesting to see what transpires in the coming months.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki was fined $2,500.00 by the NHL department of player safety for cross-checking Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell on Thursday.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Canadiens, head coach Martin St. Louis revealed winger Jonathan Drouin missed a team meeting on Friday morning and will not be allowed to play in Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Speaking of St. Louis and the Lightning, the club honored him, Vincent Lecavalier and Phil Esposito as its first inductees into its Hall of Fame. Esposito was the Lightning’s founder in 1992 while St. Louis and Lecavalier became the team’s first stars, leading the Bolts to its first Stanley Cup in 2004.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Esposito, St. Louis and Lecavalier for their well-deserved honors.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings prized defenseman Simon Edvinsson will play his first NHL game today against the Colorado Avalanche.

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres signed top goalie prospect Devon Levi to a three-year entry-level contract.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 17, 2023

by | Mar 17, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – March 17, 2023

A look at some of this summer’s notable restricted free agents in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox recently examined where things stand for this summer’s noteworthy NHL restricted free agents. Here’s a look at some of the more interesting cases:

Pierre-Luc Dubois, Winnipeg Jets: Fox noted the “grand suspicion” that the 25-year-old Winnipeg Jets center is biding his time until his eligibility next summer for unrestricted free agent status when it’s believed he’ll sign with the Montreal Canadiens.

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

Fox felt Dubois’ future in Winnipeg would’ve been the subject of more speculation by the trade deadline had the Jets not been enjoying a bounce-back performance this season. Head coach Rick Bowness recently praised Dubois’ performance while expressing the hope that he’ll sign a long-term extension this summer with the Jets.

Dubois’ kept quiet on the matter. Fox believes he could get an average annual salary of $9 million on a long-term pact.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Dubois trade rumors died down after he signed his current one-year, $6 million deal last summer. However, the speculation never fully went away.

Given his strong performance this season, you can bet those rumors will ramp up again in the offseason unless he puts pen to paper and signs a lengthy extension with the Jets.

Timo Meier, New Jersey Devils: It’ll cost the Devils $10 million to qualify the 26-year-old winger’s right unless the two sides agree to a new contract before June 30. Fox indicates that Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald is making a long-term extension for Meier a priority, pointing out that the Devils have sufficient cap space next season to extend him.

Jesper Bratt, New Jersey Devils: Fox also observed that the 24-year-old winger is about to make the Devils pay after agreeing to a one-year, $5.45 million contract last summer. Like Dubois and Meier, he’s a year away from UFA eligibility. After tallying a career-high 73 points in 2021-22, he had 60 points in 68 games this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly shows the Devils have $35.6 million in cap space for 2023-24 with 11 players under contract. There’s enough to re-sign Meier and Bratt though it could eat up over $18 million combined. Fitzgerald must also decide if he’s willing to pay Meier and Bratt each more than Jack Hughes’ $8 million AAV. If he’s not, things could get very interesting in New Jersey this summer.

Alex DeBrincat, Ottawa Senators: Fox believes the 26-year-old winger holds all the leverage in contract negotiations with the Senators this summer. His AAV is $6.4 million but in actual salary, he’s earned $9 million this season. He’s also a year away from UFA eligibility. Contract talks will begin following the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox also noted that Senators GM Pierre Dorion is happy with DeBrincat’s performance this season. Nevertheless, the winger’s name surfaced occasionally in the rumor mill.

Considering the high price that Dorion paid to pry DeBrincat away from the Chicago Blackhawks last summer, a long-term extension worth around $9 million annually seems likely.

Others on Fox’s list included Montreal’s Cole Caufield, Anaheim’s Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras, Seattle’s Vince Dunn, the New York Rangers’ K’Andre Miller and Filip Chytil, Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard and Toronto’s Ilya Samsonov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those players rarely (if ever) appear regularly in media trade chatter during this season. There’s a chance that contract negotiation for some of them could become more contentious than expected. Nevertheless, I expect those in this group will all be re-signed by their current clubs before training camps open in September.