NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 6, 2023

by | Sep 6, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 6, 2023

Check out the latest on the Bruins’ Brad Marchand, Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour, Canucks blueliner Tyler Myers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Brad Marchand is considered among the candidates to replace retired center Patrice Bergeron as the Bruins’ captain. However, the 35-year-old winger believes the club has plenty of leadership regardless of who wears the captaincy.

Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand (NHL Images).

“You know we have always done it collectively as a group, so regardless of who wears it, it’s a collective thing,” said Marchand. “Even guys without letters step up”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchand is the longest-serving active member of the Bruins, having been with the club since 2009-10. Charlie McAvoy, David Pastrnak, Brandon Carlo and Hampus Lindholm have also been mentioned as candidates to succeed Bergeron as Bruins captain.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito provided an update on sidelined defenseman Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour. Both players are recovering from offseason shoulder surgeries.

Zito anticipates Ekblad and Montour will be back before the 2024 All-Star break in early February but he didn’t provide more specific timelines. “I think you are safe to say November to January is the range as long as they continue to progress in September and October.”

Of the two, Zito alluded to Montour returning to action before Ekblad.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers will find it challenging to remain a playoff contender this season without their top two defensemen during the opening weeks of the schedule.

SPORTSNET: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers and his family were forced to evacuate their lakefront home in British Columbus last month when embers from the West Kelowna wildfires jump Okanagan Lake.

Myers said the fire jumped close to his house on the east side of Okanagan Lake. He and his family spent a week in Vancouver before they were allowed to return home. “House is all good,” said Myers. “We got back and, you know, a lot of debris and ash everywhere as I’m sure there was around the whole city. But it was scary for sure.”

THE PROVINCE: Speaking of the Canucks, defenseman Tucker Poolman is not expected to attend training camp in Victoria later this month. The 30-year-old blueliner has been suffering from migraines since 2021-22 and played just three games last season. He could be sidelined for the entirety of the upcoming campaign.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Poolman is in the third season of a four-year contract with an average annual value of $2.5 million. He will likely be placed on long-term injury reserve if unable to play this season.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins signed winger Danton Heinen to a professional tryout offer (PTO).

DAILY FACEOFF: Forward Stefan Matteau is attending Columbus Blue Jackets training camp on a PTO.

Goaltender Jean-Francois Berube has signed a PTO with the Los Angeles Kings.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 5, 2023

by | Sep 5, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – September 5, 2023

Why didn’t the Bruins trade a goalie this summer? Could they pursue Jets center Mark Scheifele? Could Tomas Tatar end up with the Islanders? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST BRUINS SPECULATION

98.5 THE SPORT HUB: Ty Anderson offered up his thoughts on the Boston Bruins with training camps opening later this month. Despite an offseason that saw the departures of key talent such as Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, he believes the Bruins could still be competitive in the Atlantic Division this season.

Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (NHL Images)

Regarding why the Bruins didn’t trade a goaltender to address their needs at center, Anderson pointed out that Linus Ullmark had a no-trade clause that required his consent to be dealt to half the league. There was some scuttlebutt claiming that a team offered up a fair market offer for Ullmark. However, it would’ve meant “a corresponding trade that never happened” as well as Ullmark waiving his NTC.

Anderson thinks the Bruins weren’t keen to move Jeremy Swayman. There was a rumor claiming the 24-year-old netminder wanted a trade in order to be closer to his parents in Alaska. That speculation was “bogus” as Swayman’s parents no longer live in Alaska.

If the Bruins end up being a fringe playoff club by the trade deadline, Anderson hopes that they go into sell mode. Of their eight pending unrestricted free agents, only Jake DeBrusk should be considered an automatic re-signing. He believes the rest (including Milan Lucic, James van Riemsdyk, and Matt Grzelcyk) should be shopped as their value at the trade deadline could be higher than in September.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some interesting tidbits regarding Ullmark and Swayman. The Bruins appear determined to ride their goalie tandem this season as they try to cope with the loss of their top two centers.

The trade rumors surrounding Ullmark and Swayman have died down in recent weeks. Still, they could resurface at some point this season if the Bruins can’t adjust to the absences of Bergeron and Krejci.

Given Swayman’s eligibility as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer, they could be forced to choose between one or the other at some point. Much will depend on how both goalies perform this season.

I expect the Bruins will be sellers if they’re a borderline playoff club or out of postseason contention leading up to the trade deadline. As Anderson points out, the 2024 first-round pick they sent to the Detroit Red Wings last season for Tyler Bertuzzi is top-10 protected. A selloff of pending UFAs at the trade deadline, if they’re already out of contention, could ensure that they retain that pick, meaning the Wings get the 2025 pick.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy noted that the Bruins have been linked to Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele since Bergeron and then Krejic announced their retirements.

He cited Mark McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press suggesting Boston could make sense for the 30-year-old Scheifele, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. McIntyre wondered what the Bruins could offer up for the Jets, who would be interested in retooling their roster rather than rebuild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murphy questions if Scheifele would be a good fit with the Bruins given his reputation as difficult to coach. I have my doubts that the Bruins have sufficient depth in tradeable assets to make a competitive bid for him if he hits the trade block.

Even if they did land Scheifele, it remains to be seen if he would significantly improve the Bruins. It could work out well, providing them with the inside track to re-signing him. If not, they’ll end up squandering their precious few assets on a rental that didn’t work out.

COULD TATAR END UP WITH THE ISLANDERS?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Stefen Rosner noted there hasn’t been much news of late regarding Tomas Tatar. The 32-year-old winger is coming off a 48-point performance last season with the New Jersey Devils but remains available in this summer’s UFA market.

Rosner wonders if Tatar might already have a contract in hand with an NHL club but it hasn’t been officially announced yet. He points out that New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello has a reputation for such stealth signings during the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of the Tatar speculation had him linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins. So far, however, there’s no indication yet that he’s close to signing with them.

We can’t dismiss the possibility of a club like the Isles having already signed him but not announcing it until training camp begins. With training camps opening on Sep. 21, we’ll find out soon enough.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 5, 2023

by | Sep 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 5, 2023

Check out the latest on Kevin Hayes, Anton Khudobin, Tuukka Rask and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues head coach Craig Berube believes Kevin Hayes will bring experienced help at the center-ice position to his team. The 31-year-old forward was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers in July.

Berube noted that Hayes played well during his tenure with the New York Rangers, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. “He’s a good player with the puck, he makes plays,” said Berube. “Big, he’s got good size. When he was with the Rangers, he was killing penalties, he was a faceoff guy. He was really good at the dot. There’s a lot of upside there that he can really help us.”

St. Louis Blues center Kevin Hayes (NHL Images).

Hayes averaged 20 goals and 30 assists per 82 games during his four seasons with the Flyers. Despite a 54-point performance last season (including a team-leading 36 assists), he was a healthy scratch at times under coach John Tortorella and spent some time as a left wing. His production dropped to seven points in his final 28 games with the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues are hoping that Hayes will improve in St. Louis and bolster their depth at center after trading away Ryan O’Reilly last season. He carries a $7.1 million cap hit through 2025-26 but the Flyers retained half of that. The Blues only gave up a 2024 sixth-round pick to get him. This could turn into a steal for the Blues if Hayes regains the form that earned him that lucrative contract.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anton Khudobin signed a contract with Sokol Krasnoyarsk in Russia’s second-tier VHL. The 37-year-old goaltender spent most of last season with the AHL’s Texas Stars. Traded to the Chicago Blackhawks before the March 3 trade deadline, he made his last NHL appearance on March 23, giving up six goals on 28 shots.

Before that, Khudobin had a well-earned reputation as a reliable backup goaltender with the Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, and Dallas Stars. His most memorable performance occurred during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs as he backstopped the Stars to the Final.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Khudobin struggled following the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season. A nagging hip injury led to season-ending surgery in March 2022 requiring a six-month recovery period.

In 260 NHL games played, he had a regular-season record of 114 wins, 92 losses and 33 overtime losses with a 2.52 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage and 11 shutouts. He also had a record of 14-10-0 in 24 playoff starts with a 2.63 GAA, a .919 SP and one shutout.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Former Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask recently denied a long-standing rumor that he missed the last game of the 2015-16 season due to a hangover from drinking at a Boston pub the night before.

Rask was actually sidelined by a stomach virus and was replaced in that game by Jonas Gustavsson. The Bruins fell to the Ottawa Senators 6-1 and missed the playoffs.

In a recent interview with the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, Rask said that the rumor was started by a former bartender at the pub. The former Vezina Trophy winner said he was there five days beforehand but not the night before that crucial game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rask was among the NHL’s elite goaltenders during most of his tenure in Boston. He holds the Bruins’ record for career wins with 308, backstopping them to two Stanley Cup Finals and winning a Cup as Tim Thomas’ backup in 2011. Nevertheless, he never really got his just due from some Bruins fans during his 15-season NHL career.

LA HOCKEY INSIDER: The Los Angeles Kings enter this season with the second-lowest payroll invested in goaltending. They have three goalies with NHL experience in Cam Talbot, Pheonix Copley and David Rittich. It’s expected that Talbot and Copley will be their main tandem to start the seasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Goaltending is the Kings’ potential Achilles’ heel this season. Don’t be surprised if general manager Rob Blake goes shopping for an upgrade at some point if Talbot, Copley and Rittich struggle between the pipes.

DAILY FACEOFF: Highly-touted Philadelphia Flyers prospect Matvei Michkov was a healthy scratch from SKA St. Petersburg’s first two games in the new KHL season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some on social media are pointing to this as justification for why Michkov dropped to seventh overall in this year’s draft. That’s as may be but it’s still very early in the 18-year-old winger’s career. He won’t be making his NHL debut for three more seasons so there’s plenty of time for him to develop and improve as a professional in the KHL.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 4, 2023

by | Sep 4, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – September 4, 2023

Some of this summer’s notable short-term free-agent signings could get shopped by this season’s trade deadline. Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski recently listed several notable players on short-term contracts who could become bargaining chips by this season’s NHL trade deadline.

Jason Zucker topped Wyshynski’s list. The 31-year-old winger signed a one-year, $5.3 million contract. If he plays well, he could earn a contract extension with the Coyotes. At worst, he plays well enough to get shipped to a contender if the Coyotes retain a bit of salary.

Zucker wasn’t the only Coyote on a short deal this season who could become trade bait. Defenseman Matt Dumba (one-year, $3.9 million) and forward Alex Kerfoot (two years, $3.5 million average annual value) could also interest playoff contenders later this season.

Ottawa Senators winger Vladimir Tarasenko (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: All three could be on the move by the trade deadline if the Coyotes are in their usual spot near the bottom of the Western Conference standings.

Vladimir Tarasenko could be deadline trade bait if the Ottawa Senators season goes sideways. A six-time 30-plus goal scorer, the 31-year-old winger is on a one-year contract with a reasonable $5 million cap hit. He also carries a full no-trade clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A return to form by Tarasenko will make him among the most pursued players in the trade market if the Senators decide to move him by deadline day. His NTC will be a bit of an obstacle.

Corey Perry could also be of interest to playoff-bound clubs. The 38-year-old winger signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. His postseason play since 2020 will make him an enticing option for contenders seeking an agitating veteran leader with a decent scoring touch.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Wyshynski observed, the rebuilding Blackhawks can also pick up part of Perry’s cap hit. He lacks no-trade protection so he’ll likely draw lots of interest if he shows he still has something left in the tank this season.

Washington Capitals winger Max Pacioretty is another who could be on the move by the trade deadline. He’s recovering from a twice-torn Achilles tendon that limited him to just five games with the Carolina Hurricanes last season.

Because of his injuries, Pacioretty’s on a one-year deal paying $2 million in base salary plus $2 million in performance bonuses. A return to his 30-plus goal form could fetch a nice return for the Capitals if they drop out of contention by the trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pacioretty is expected to miss the start of this season and could be out for at least the first month. He won’t be moved if he helps the Capitals return to playoff contention. However, Wyshynski also observed that he carries a full no-movement clause.

Wyshynski noted the Boston Bruins don’t want to move Jeremy Swayman. The 24-year-old goaltender went through arbitration earlier this summer and was awarded a one-year, $3.475 million contract. He’ll become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer. Maybe the Bruins won’t want to commit to an expensive goalie tandem when they’ll have holes in their roster to address.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A lot will depend on how well Swayman and fellow Bruins netminder Linus Ullmark perform this season. Ullmark was mentioned as a trade candidate this summer but the Bruins intend to stick with both goalies for this season. If they fall out of playoff contention, however, they might decide to peddle one of them, especially if they can get a solid return. Swayman could prove to have more value in the trade market.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Marc Staal is another possible trade option. He’s on a one-year, $1.1 million contract. Detroit Red Wings blueliner Shayne Gostisbehere carries a more expensive $4.125 million on a one-year deal with a 10-team no-trade clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers aren’t expected to be a contender this season. It’s a good bet that Staal gets shopped if he plays well for them. Gostisbehere could also be peddled if the Wings fail to make the cut.

The Nashville Predators re-signed defenseman Dante Fabbro to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. His struggles last season generated some trade speculation prior to signing his new deal, including talk of reuniting with college coach Dan Quinn with the San Jose Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wyshynski wondered if new head coach Andrew Brunette and new GM Barry Trotz view the 25-year-old Fabbro differently than the previous regime. A bounce-back performance on his part could help the Predators return to playoff contention or turn him into a trade chip.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 4, 2023

by | Sep 4, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 4, 2023

The Stars’ Miro Heiskanen sets his sights on the Norris Trophy, the latest on the Capitals’ Max Pacioretty, Sheldon Keefe’s contract might not be a vote of confidence from Leafs management, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen has his sights set on winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy. “That’s one thing I really want to win,” he said. “I want to be the best defenseman in the NHL”.

Heiskanen, 24, finished seventh in voting for the Norris Trophy last season. He had a career-best 73 points in 79 games with the Stars while logging over 25 minutes of ice time per game. The Stars blueliner felt that he was able to contribute more offensively last season without sacrificing the defensive aspects of his game.

Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (NHL Images).

While Heiskanen wants to be recognized as the league’s top blueliner, he’s not losing sight of the ultimate goal. “I try to help my team win the Stanley Cup, but if there is a chance to win the Norris as well that would be great.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Heiskanen could be a finalist for the Norris this season and over the next several years. The Hockey News’ Carol Schram has him sitting second to Colorado’s Cale Makar among this season’s top-five Norris candidates.

CBS SPORTS: cited NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reporting that Washington Capitals winger Max Pacioretty is not expected to be available for the start of the upcoming season. He could miss the opening month or two of the Capitals’ schedule.

The 34-year-old winger suffered two Achilles tendons since last September, limiting him to just five games last season with the Carolina Hurricanes. He signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Capitals in July.

DAILY FACEOFF: Mike McKenna believes we shouldn’t view Sheldon Keefe’s recent two-year contract extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a vote of confidence from management.

McKenna believes Leafs general manager Brad Treliving did the right thing by extending Keefe’s contract. It lifts the pressure from Keefe’s shoulders and allows him to focus on his head coaching duties. However, there’s no certainty that he’ll complete the full tenure of his extension if the Leafs fail to improve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McKenna pointed out that the deep-pocketed Leafs can afford to eat that two-year extension if Treliving feels a change is needed behind the bench. In his view, Keefe remains on the hot seat this season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Stefen Rosner doesn’t anticipate the New York Islanders will go the professional tryout offer route to bolster their forward depth for the coming season. He pointed to GM Lou Lamoriello signing Julien Gauthier to a two-year, one-way contract as well as one-year, two-way deals for Karson Kuhlman and Brian Pinho earlier in the summer.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers arena will have a new name for the coming season. It will be called the Amerant Bank Arena.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m not one to pine for the so-called “good old days”, but I miss when arenas weren’t named for businesses or corporations. If you were an NHL fan in the 1970s, you knew who played at the Montreal Forum, Maple Leafs Gardens, the Olympia or The Spectrum. Today, you’d be hard-pressed to remember the names of half of the arenas because they change them so often to cash in on naming rights.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres are reportedly planning to limit the sale of individual game tickets to a certain geographic radius to make it more difficult for fans of nearby opposing teams (especially Toronto Maple Leafs followers) to have a significant presence at Key Bank Center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Previous attempts by the Sabres to limit the number of Leafs and Montreal Canadiens fans in their arena failed. I don’t expect they’ll have much success this time around.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Blackhawks forward Cole Guttman has fully recovered from the shoulder injury that cut short his 2022-23 season. He played 15 games for the Blackhawks last season and hopes to earn a full-time roster spot in training camp.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Former Minnesota North Stars defenseman Brad Maxwell died on Sunday at age 66 after battling an aggressive form of lung cancer.

Drafted seventh overall by the North Stars in the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft, Maxwell spent nearly eight seasons in Minnesota from 1977-78 until traded to the Quebec Nordiques during the 1984-85 season. His best season was in 1983-84 with 73 points in 78 games along with 225 PIMs.

Over the following two seasons, Maxwell played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers before returning to the North Stars to finish his playing career. Following his playing career, he ran a cabinet and construction business and also organized and played charity games with the North Stars alumni.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Maxwell’s family and friends as well as his former teammates and coaches.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – September 3, 2023

by | Sep 3, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – September 3, 2023

Check out the latest on Ducks goaltender John Gibson and Blues defenseman Colton Parayko in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

WHAT’S GOING ON WITH DUCKS GOALIE JOHN GIBSON?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Matt Levine observes that we’ve heard less and less about Ducks goaltender John Gibson since he reportedly wanted out of Anaheim earlier in the summer. It’s been dead quiet since, prompting Levine to suggest the 30-year-old netminder may have changed his mind after seeing some of management’s offseason moves.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (NHL Images).

Some of the Ducks’ veteran signings this summer suggest they want to get their rebuild started. Gibson would give them a legitimate option in goal so it’s hoped that he sticks around for the upcoming season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported in early July that Gibson asked management for a trade. The goalie’s agent swiftly and firmly denied that his client wanted to be moved.

Gibson has regularly surfaced in media trade chatter since last summer. As Levine observed, however, there’s been nothing about the netminder since his agent’s statement.

The Ducks could be working on a trade for Gibson. His stats have suffered over the past three seasons as the roster depth was depleted in front of him. His contract also remains a significant obstacle. He’s signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $6.4 million and a 10-team no-trade list.

It won’t be easy to move Gibson with all but a handful of clubs carrying less than $5 million in cap space to start the coming season. Unless the Ducks agree to retain a portion, the best opportunity to trade the veteran goalie could be next summer when the cap is projected to rise by at least $4 million for 2024-25.

THE BLUES COLTON PARAYKO HOPES TO QUIET TRADE RUMORS

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford reports Colton Parayko hopes to win back St. Louis Blues fans and quiet trade rumors. As the club has declined since winning the Stanley Cup in 2019, the 6’6”, 228-pounder has been criticized as a soft player who isn’t a No. 1 defenseman.

Parayko, 30, was the subject of trade rumors last season. However, nothing came of them because he has a full no-trade clause. He’s focused on the coming season with the belief it will be a better one for himself and the Blues.

Nevertheless, Parayko is aware that his no-trade clause won’t silence the media trade chatter. He said that his intent is to stay with the Blues and never heard anything about a trade from anyone “around here”, referring to the organization.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was talk that the St. Albert, Alberta native would only waive his NTC to join the Edmonton Oilers. Given the Oilers’ limited cap space and their addition last March of defenseman Mattias Ekholm, we shouldn’t expect to see him suiting up with the Oilers anytime soon.

Maybe Blues general manager Doug Armstrong was calling around last season to gauge potential interest in Parayko. Perhaps it was rival general managers calling to see if the big defenseman was available. Or maybe a pundit was musing about hypothetical trade scenarios involving the Blues and the rumor mill blew it up into Parayko being on the trade block.

Whatever the reason, Parayko isn’t going anywhere for the time being. That possibility will become more remote if the Blues rebound into playoff contenders this season.