NHL Rumor Mill – December 9, 2022

by | Dec 9, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – December 9, 2022

A look at several proposed trade destinations for Canucks winger Brock Boeser plus the latest Blackhawks speculation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

PROPOSED TRADE DESTINATIONS FOR BROCK BOESER

DAILY FACEOFF: Matt Larkin listed the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins as his proposed trade destinations for Brock Boeser. The Vancouver Canucks have allowed the 25-year-old winger’s agent to speak with other clubs about a potential trade.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (NHL Images).

Given the Canucks willingness to take on some salary, Larkin suggested the Stars offer up Denis Gurianov as he could use a fresh start. Boeser would be a good fit playing in his home state of Minnesota with the Wild but their limited cap space beyond this season could make that move difficult to pull off.

Boeser could fill the power-play trigger man role for the Devils, who have plenty of mid-range forwards (such as Andreas Johnsson and Miles Wood) they could offer up as part of the return. He could also be a consistent scoring threat for the Islanders, who could offer up Anthony Beauvillier.

The Rangers need a scoring winger and Boeser could be a more affordable option than the Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane. Larkin wondered if Canucks general manager Jim Rutherford might attempt to leverage his relationship with his former club into a deal for Boeser.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boeser’s $6.65 million annual salary through 2024-25 remains the major stumbling block in the path to a trade. Cap-strapped clubs like the Wild would have to get creative to acquire him, especially given the Canucks’ unwillingness to retain a portion of his salary.

I think the Islanders and Rangers could become serious suitors. Isles GM Lou Lamoriello tried in vain during the offseason to sign Johnny Gaudreau and Nazem Kadri and reportedly attempted to acquire Boeser’s teammate J.T. Miller during the first round of this year’s draft. The Rangers’ need for a reliable scoring right winger has been well-documented this season.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman wondered if the Washington Capitals will get into the bidding for Boeser. He suggested they offer up forward Anthony Mantha, pointing out his salary is slightly lesser than Boeser’s and he has one fewer year on his contract.

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos pondered the possibility of the Calgary Flames making a pitch for Boeser. He believes the Canucks will have difficulty moving him without withholding 20 to 30 percent of his contract. Kypreos wondered if the Flames would take on Boeser’s full contract in exchange for Milan Lucic’s expiring one.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mantha lacks no-trade protection but he also comes with a long injury history. Washington Hockey Now’s Sammi Silber doesn’t think the Capitals are in the market for a trade right now as they battle for a wild-card berth following a slow start to the season.

It will take more than Lucic to tempt the Canucks into trading Boeser to a division rival. I think the Flames would have to sweeten that package with a first-round pick and a top prospect to tempt Rutherford. Lucic is a Vancouver native but he could be reluctant to become a part of the Canucks’ drama this season.

LATEST ON THE BLACKHAWKS

THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers recently reported Patrick Kane intends to speak with his agent Pat Brisson and Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson about his future plans. The 34-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

The Blackhawks could shop Kane and fellow UFA Jonathan Toews but it doesn’t sound like the front office is convinced those two want to be traded. Management isn’t going to pressure them into making a decision. Of the two, the belief is Kane is the more likely to be moved.

Management would love to get high draft picks, even first-rounders, for pending UFA forwards Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou. However, the market isn’t there yet. A Western Conference executive believes Domi and Athanasiou could fetch third or fourth-round picks but acknowledged other teams could get desperate.

Other trade possibilities include pending UFAs Jack Johnson and Jujhar Khaira. Connor Murphy was mentioned but that seems unlikely as he has three seasons remaining on his contract.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Domi and Athanasiou topped Adam Proteau’s list of Blackhawks other than Kane and Toews who could become trade bait this season. He also included Murphy, Jason Dickinson and Seth Jones, though he considered the latter a long shot to be moved given his hefty contract and a full no-movement clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Davidson will be a seller this season but he’ll likely wait until closer to the March 3 trade deadline to maximize the value of his trade chips. We’ll likely know by January whether Kane and/or Toews will finish the season in Chicago or ask to be moved to a contender.

I agree that Domi and Athanasiou won’t fetch much beyond third-rounders right now. However, that value will rise as the deadline approaches, especially for Domi, who’s on pace for a 65-point performance this season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 9, 2022

by | Dec 9, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 9, 2022

Mitch Marner extends his points streak in the latest Leafs win, Johnny Gaudreau talks about his decision to leave Calgary for Columbus, the latest salary cap update for 2023-24 and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner extended his franchise-best points streak to 21 games as his club blanked the Los Angeles Kings 5-0. Marner scored his 11th goal of the season while Ilya Samsonov made 29 saves for the shutout as the Leafs (17-5-6) sit three points behind the league-leading Boston Bruins with 40 points. The Kings dropped to 14-11-4.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toronto defenseman T.J. Brodie returned to the lineup after missing 12 games with a strained oblique. However, forward Nick Robertson is expected to miss significant time after suffering a shoulder injury in the first period. The Leafs are on a roll, going 10-0-3 since dropping a 4-2 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 11.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point scored twice and Steven Stamkos picked up two assists in a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Stamkos extended his points streak to 12 games while Brian Elliott kicked out 34 shots. The Lightning improved to 16-9-1 while the Predators fall to 12-10-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning honored defenseman Ryan McDonagh with a video tribute. He spent five seasons with the Bolts before being traded to the Predators in the offseason.

Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois scored two goals and picked up an assist to defeat the St. Louis Blues by a score of 5-2. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 29 shots for the Jets (17-7-1) as they’ve won seven of their last 10 games. The Blues (12-15-0) have dropped seven of their last 10.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets sit in fifth place in the overall standings with 35 points. Defenseman Logan Stanley returned to action after being sidelined since Oct. 24 with a fractured foot. Jets forward Saku Maenalanen left this game with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Tyler Seguin lifted the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Miro Heiskanen tallied twice for the Stars (15-7-5), who sit in second place in the Central Division behind the Jets. The Senators sit in last place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 10-14-2.

The Florida Panthers defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-1. Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist while Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves as the Panthers improved to 13-10-4. The Red Wings sit at 13-8-5.

HEADLINES

THE SCORE: Johnny Gaudreau wants Calgary Flames fans to know that he didn’t string them or the team along before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets. “It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” said the former Flames winger. He said it ultimately came down to being able to play closer to home and spend more time with his family.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames were offering more money on a long-term team deal but Gaudreau left that cash on the table to accept a slightly lesser offer with the Blue Jackets.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the salary cap for 2023-24 will be the prime topic at next week’s NHL Board of Governors meetings. The cap could rise by $3.5 million or more over the current $82.5 million if the players repay their remaining cap debt from the pandemic to the owners by the season’s end. If they don’t finish paying it off, and a lot of observers believe they won’t, the cap will only rise by $1 million.

LeBrun and Darren Dreger said there could be a third option whereby the NHL Players Association ask the players if they want the cap to rise by between $2 million and $3 million for next season. From a player’s perspective, it must not impact escrow. So far, there’s been no discussions on that issue between the league and the PA but they’ll have to have that conversation before early summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see how they would work that out if the players are willing to find a way for a bigger bump in next season’s cap. LeBrun and Dreger didn’t indicate how the league and the PA could “massage the cap” in a way that won’t affect escrow payments.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Some good news for the injury-ravaged Avalanche as winger Valeri Nichushkin could return from ankle surgery for Friday’s game against the New York Rangers.

CBS SPORTS: John Klingberg will return to the Anaheim Ducks lineup Friday against the San Jose Sharks. He’s missed the last seven games with a lower-body injury.

AM NY: New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks forward Sam Lafferty is ready to return to action after missing the last six games with a back injury.

GOPHNX.COM: The Arizona Coyotes have loaned forward Dylan Guenther to Team Canada for the upcoming World Junior Championships.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 8, 2022

by | Dec 8, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – December 8, 2022

​Could the Blues shop Ryan O’Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko or Colton Parayko at the trade deadline? What teams could become suitors for the Canadiens’ Sean Monahan and what type of return could he fetch? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST BLUES SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford was asked plenty of questions about whether the Blues will become sellers by the March 3 trade deadline in his latest mailbag segments.

St. Louis Blues center Ryan O’Reilly (NHL Images).

Rutherford considers it doubtful that general manager Doug Armstrong will try to shake things up this month as he’s previously mentioned the difficulty of doing that in-season. He anticipates the Blues could wait until the trade deadline to get more for their tradeable assets.

He can see Armstrong re-signing Ryan O’Reilly and keeping him as a middle-six forward for the next couple of seasons but that depends on whether he prioritizes getting paid or staying put. If it’s the latter and the Blues are out of playoff contention by the deadline, he thinks O’Reilly will get shopped along with fellow pending free agent Vladimir Tarasenko for packages that include a first or a second-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given Tarasenko reportedly never rescinded the trade request he made in May 2021, I’d say he’s as good as gone by the deadline if the Blues are out of the playoff race by that point. I concur that O’Reilly’s status depends on how much he’s seeking on his next contract and for how long.

Rutherford believes there would be some interest around the league in Colton Parayko, who’s in the first season of an eight-year contract. However, he’s not sure the Blues want to move him in part because it would be difficult to replace him. If they were to move Parayko, it wouldn’t be for picks and prospects.

Asked about the possibility of shipping Parayko to Toronto for William Nylander, Rutherford cited a Toronto colleague dismissing that option. He cited Parayko’s age (29) and contract as sticking points plus the Leafs aren’t going to trade a productive player like Nylander who can help them win now.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Parayko’s annual cap hit is $6.5 million plus he has a full no-trade clause until 2028-29. I don’t see him going anywhere this season.

POTENTIAL SUITORS FOR MONAHAN

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marco D’Amico recently cited 98.5 FM Montreal’s Dany Dube saying there are a handful of teams around the NHL that could make use of Canadiens center Sean Monahan as a two-way secondary scorer. He believes the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche could consider the 29-year-old center as an attractive trade target.

D’Amico also pondered what Monahan might fetch the Canadiens if he’s peddled by the trade deadline. He pointed to the return the Winnipeg Jets got for Andrew Copp from the New York Rangers at last season’s deadline, which included a conditional second-round pick that became a first-rounder when the Rangers reached the 2022 Eastern Conference Final.

He also referred to the St. Louis Blues in 2018 getting a first-rounder in their package return from the Jets for Paul Stastny, as well as the first-rounder the Ottawa Senators got in a package return that year in a three-team trade that sent Derick Brassard to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve seen some folks scoff at the notion of the Canadiens getting a first-round pick for Monahan. They could be right. However, it’s worth remembering the Canadiens convinced the Calgary Flames to give up a first-round pick to take Monahan off their hands. They also got a first-round pick from the Florida Panthers at last season’s trade deadline for Ben Chiarot. Never underestimate desperation as a factor in the trade market.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 8, 2022

by | Dec 8, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 8, 2022

The Sabres’ Tage Thompson has a five-goal game, Oilers captain Connor McDavid is already halfway to 100 points this season, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin reaches another scoring milestone, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson scored five goals as his club crushed the Columbus Blue Jackets 9-4. Thompson tied an NHL record with four goals in the first period and tied a franchise record for the most goals in one game. Alex Tuch had four points while Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens each had three points as the Sabres improved to 12-13-1. Patrik Laine and Gustav Nyquist each tallied twice for the Blue Jackets as they fell to 8-15-2.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thompson’s six points on the night vaulted him into fourth place among this season’s top-10 scorers with 40 points. Dahlin, meanwhile, sits second among defensemen with 32 points. The Sabres currently lead the league in goals-per-game average (4.00) but their 3.69 goals-against per game is the fifth-highest. They’ll rise higher in the standings if they can improve the latter without sacrificing the former.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid became the player this season to reach the 50-point plateau in an 8-2 thrashing of the Arizona Coyotes. McDavid had two goals and two assists while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice and collected an assist for the 15-12-0 Oilers. Christian Fletcher collected two assists for the Coyotes (7-13-4) as they’re winless in their last six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi was held scoreless in this game. On Tuesday, the 24-year-old winger told a Finnish journalist that he’s not sure that he can be a scorer at the NHL level. “Twenty games in and I have one goal. It’s sad,” said Puljujarvi. “I’ve been thinking a lot about how to do things differently. Right now, I just don’t have the answer.”

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin now sits 99 goals behind Wayne Gretzky’s career record of 894 after tallying two empty-netters in a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Ovechkin had 795 career goals while his Capitals improved their record to 12-12-4. Kevin Hayes replied for Philadelphia (9-13-15). Flyers winger James van Riemsdyk returned to the lineup after missing the last 20 games with a broken index finger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers winger Travis Konecny took issue with how Ovechkin scored his second empty-netter and the two jostled along the boards. Following the game, Konecny explained that he thought the Capitals winger was deking the puck and putting it on his backhand. “Maybe it wasn’t as bad as I thought,” he said. Ovechkin shrugged off the incident. “They have character. They’re a good bunch of guys,” he said, chalking up Konecny’s actions to frustration over the Flyers’ loss.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin collected three assists to reach 600 career points as his club downed the Vegas Golden Knights 5-1. Mika Zibanejad scored twice and collected an assist while Igor Shesterkin stopped 25 shots for the Rangers (13-10-5). Jonathan Marchessault replied for the Golden Knights (19-8-1), who remain on top of the Western Conference with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo remains sidelined as he’s dealing with an illness in his family. There is no timetable for his return.

The Boston Bruins got a 23-save shutout from Linus Ullmark to blank the Colorado Avalanche 4-0. Taylor Hall scored twice as the Bruins (21-3-1) regained first place in the overall standings with the New Jersey Devils. Both clubs have 43 points but the Bruins hold a game in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins played well and deserved this win but I think this game (and the one the two clubs played on Dec. 3) would’ve been more closely contested if the Avalanche roster wasn’t depleted by injuries. Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Josh Manson, Artturi Lehkonen, Bo Byram and Evan Rodrigues are among the notables missing from their lineup for this contest.

The Calgary Flames improved their record to 13-10-3 with a 5-3 win over the Minnesota Wild. Tyler Toffoli scored twice while Elias Lindholm and Rasman Andersson each had three points. Minnesota winger Kirill Kaprizov scored for the seventh straight game while extending his points streak to 13 games. The Wild are 13-10-2 on the season.

An overtime goal by Elias Pettersson lifted the Vancouver Canucks over the San Jose Sharks by a score of 6-5. Dakota Joshua tallied twice for the Canucks as they reach .500 for the first time this season with a record of 12-12-3. Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture each collected two points for the 8-16-5 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks have won three straight games in overtime with Pettersson scoring the game-winner in two of those contests. With 27 points, they’re two points out of a wild-card berth in the Western Conference.

HEADLINES

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has missed the last six games battling pneumonia. He’s expected to return to action on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings.

TSN: The Seattle Kraken will release center Shane Wright to play for Team Canada at the upcoming World Junior Championship in Halifax and Moncton.

LA KINGS INSIDER: The Kings will loan defenseman Brandt Clarke to Canada’s WJC squad.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins prospect Sam Poulin is taking a leave of absence from the club’s AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for personal reasons.

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes have assigned defenseman Dylan Coghlan to the AHL affiliate in Chicago on a conditioning stint.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Blackhawks goaltending coach Jimmy Waite suggests deflections and tip-in are partly responsible for the rise in scoring and the decline in save percentage. The league’s 6.4 goals-per-game average is the highest since 1994 while the league save percentage (.904) is the lowest since 2006.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Waite pointed out that teams are driving to the net more and generating more traffic in front of goaltenders. However, I believe that’s just one factor contributing to the rise in goal scoring.

Players are faster and better skilled now. Smaller, quicker forwards and puck-moving defensemen are thriving. Flyers head coach John Tortorella recently pointed out that there’s an increase in young players and that’s resulting in more defensive mistakes.

The overall caliber of goaltending also seems to be in a decline, though it could also be attributable to players being more creative now with their shots and passing. Most goalies favor the “butterfly style” to take away the bottom of the net. In recent years, however, we’ve seen players shooting higher on goaltenders more often and also attempting more shots from difficult angles.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 7, 2022

by | Dec 7, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – December 7, 2022

Could the Oilers pursue Erik Karlsson? What’s the latest on Brock Boeser and Jakob Chychrun? Will the Avalanche make moves to bolster their injury-depleted roster? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD THE OILERS ATTEMPT TO ACQUIRE ERIK KARLSSON?

TSN: Darren Dreger reports defense remains an area of concern for the Edmonton Oilers. He said there’s some within the organization with an interest in Erik Karlsson though he admits it seems impossible for them to land the San Jose Sharks blueliner.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples considers landing Karlsson a long shot for Edmonton. The Sharks would have to retain half of his $11.5 million cap hit or get a third team involved in the deal to make it work. He guesses the Oilers would have to part with Tyson Barrie, Jesse Puljujarvi, two first-round picks (lottery protected) and Philip Broberg or Dylan Holloway.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s assuming Karlsson would waive his no-movement clause to come to Edmonton. Anything’s possible, I suppose, but I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for that to happen. Even if he does, I don’t think the Oilers can afford what will be a hefty asking price by the Sharks, who aren’t in any hurry to move him.

THE LATEST ON BROCK BOESER

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports teams are gauging whether they’ll get into the bidding for the Vancouver Canucks’ Brock Boeser. The 25-year-old winger’s contract is an issue as he’s signed through 2024-25 with an annual salary of $6.65 million.

The teams LeBrun have spoken with are interested in Boeser but lack the cap space for this season and next to take him on. One team is very interested if the Canucks are willing to retain salary, something they don’t seem keen on doing.

LeBrun still feels nothing is imminent. He believes it’ll take a lot of work to move Boeser between now and the March 3 trade deadline.

THE ATHLETIC: Harman Dayal examined why Boeser could be seen as a distressed trade asset. He believes teams could consider the winger as an oft-injured, one-dimensional player who doesn’t score consistently at even strength to justify his current contract.

Boeser’s youth, overall production and what could be an affordable asking price by the Canucks could make him intriguing for clubs in need of scoring depth. However, the term of his contract could become an issue.

Dayal wonders if the Canucks would be willing to take back an inefficient but modest contract rather than include a sweetener like a draft pick or prospect to make a Boeser deal more palatable to interested clubs.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Steve MacFarlane wondered whether the Flames could afford to acquire Boeser with expensive contracts for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar due to kick in next season. They’d have to shed salary to make the dollars fit. MacFarlane doubts the Canucks will want to trade Boeser to a division rival like Calgary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As I’ve noted before, there are only three teams (Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres) with the cap space to acquire Boeser’s full salary. The Ducks and Coyotes are rebuilding and Boeser might not fit into their plans. The Sabres have plenty of scoring punch but could use some reliable goaltending depth.

I’m not ruling out the possibility of Boeser getting moved by the March 3 trade deadline, especially if the Canucks are willing to retain some salary or take some salary back in a trade. However, this could be a move that occurs in the offseason when teams have more salary-cap flexibility.

AN UPDATE ON JAKOB CHYCHRUN

TSN: Darren Dreger reports interest in Jakob Chychrun is starting to pick up since the Arizona Coyotes defenseman returned to action two weeks ago. He’s looked good with three goals and three assists in seven games.

Dreger believes there’s still apprehension among interested clubs in paying the Coyotes’ high asking price. However, he thinks there are some teams starting to reach the point where they’re realizing they might have to pay up.

ESPN.COM: Emily Kaplan listed the Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames and Tampa Bay Lightning as potential suitors for Chychrun.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Senators have had talks with the Coyotes about Chychrun in the past but couldn’t reach a deal. The Senators face limited options in the trade market to shore up their blueline with Artem Zub sidelined again for several weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A Chychrun deal could take place in January or February. The longer he remains healthy and productive, the more likely someone will step up and meet the Coyotes’ asking price.

WILL THE AVALANCHE ATTEMPT TO BOLSTER THEIR BANGED-UP ROSTER?

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Colorado Avalanche suffered another blow with Nathan MacKinnon joining fellow Avs forwards Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Evan Rodrigues, and Artturi Lehkonen on the sidelines.

All of those players are expected to return this season so the Avalanche can’t go out and replace them on the salary cap. He thinks they’ll hang in there until closer to the March 3 trade deadline, when they’ll have some flexibility to make some additions.

THE JEFF MAREK SHOW (Stick tap to NHL Watcher): Elliotte Friedman suggested the Avs could in the short term pursue an affordable forward such as the Florida Panthers’ Chris Tierney. At some point, he anticipates “they will take a big swing” at someone like the Canucks’ Bo Horvat or the Chicago Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2022

by | Dec 7, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2022

The Leafs’ Mitch Marner extends his points streak while the Stars’ Jason Robertson’s comes to an end, the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon is sidelined for a lengthy period, an update on the Penguins’ Kris Letang, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner collected an assist to extend his points streak to 20 games in a 4-0 victory over the Dallas Stars. Matt Murray turned in a 44-save shutout while Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist as the Leafs improved their record to 16-5-6. The Stars’ Jason Robertson had his points streak end at 18 games as his club’s record falls to 14-7-5.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs defenseman Victor Mete left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored twice and Tristan Jarry kicked out 38 shots to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1. Bryan Rust had a goal and an assist for the 14-8-4 Penguins. Johnny Gaudreau scored for the Blue Jackets, who fall to 8-14-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some good news for the Penguins as defenseman Kris Letang skated yesterday morning in full gear for the first time since suffering a minor stroke last week. There’s still no timetable for his return.

The New Jersey Devils picked up their 10th home win of the season by blanking the Chicago Blackhawks 3-0. Vitek Vanecek got the shutout by stopping 24 saves while Dougie Hamilton led the way with a goal and two assists as the Devils (21-4-1) vaulted into first place in the overall standings with 43 points. The Blackhawks (7-14-4) sink to second-last in the overall standings with 18 points.

Detroit Red Wings goaltender Ville Husso made 44 saves, including 28 in the third period, as his club doubled up the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Andrew Copp and Filip Hronek each had two assists as the Wings improved to 13-7-5 while the Lightning (15-9-1) got goals from Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first game in Tampa Bay for former Lightning assistant coach Derek Lalonde, who was hired by the Wings as head coach during the offseason.

Winnipeg Jets forwards Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor each scored twice to down the Florida Panthers by a score of 5-2. Connor Hellebuyck picked up the win for the Jets (16-7-1) with a 39-save performance. The Panthers fell to 12-10-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets spoiled the homecoming of Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, who was returning to Winnipeg for the first time since stepping down as the Jets bench boss a year ago.

The St. Louis Blues ended a four-game losing skid with a 7-4 win over the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss made 36 saves and Noel Acciari scored twice as the Blues improved to 12-14-0. Zach Parise and Noah Dobson each had a goal and an assist for the 16-11-0 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues went into this game without Torey Krug and Pavel Buchnevich. Krug has an upper-body ailment while Buchnevich has a lower-body injury. No word yet as to how long they could be sidelined.

Two goals within seven seconds by Cole Caufield and Josh Anderson in the second period powered the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Jake Allen stopped 31 shots as the Canadiens improved to 13-11-2. Rookie Shane Wright tallied his first career NHL goal for the 15-7-3 Kraken.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar collected three assists and winger Viktor Arvidsson tallied twice to down the Ottawa Senators 5-2. Kings goalie Pheonix Copley stopped 31 shots for his first NHL win since 2019 as his club improved to 14-10-4. Tim Stutzle had two assists for the 10-14-1 Senators.

An overtime goal by Ryan Strome lifted the Anaheim Ducks over the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3. John Gibson made 34 saves for the Ducks (7-17-3) while Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 26 shots for the 14-6-6- Hurricanes.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DENVER POST: The injury-depleted Colorado Avalanche got more bad news yesterday as center Nathan MacKinnon will be sidelined for four weeks with an upper-body injury. The Avs are already missing Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Evan Rodrigues, Artturi Lehkonen, Josh Manson, Bo Byram, Darren Helm, Kurtis MacDermid, Jean-Luc Foudy and Shane Bowers.

CBC NEWS: Carey Price issued a statement yesterday saying he was aware of the anniversary of the 1989 Polytechnique Massacre in Montreal after the Canadiens claimed he was unaware of it. Price and the Canadiens were responding on Monday to a social media post by the goaltender supporting a guns rights group that recently used “POLY” as a promotional discount code.

Price’s initial social media post was in support of the group’s opposition to an upcoming Canadian government bill that could put restrictions on hunting rifles. He said he was unaware of the group’s use of the offensive promo code and didn’t support it.

On Tuesday, Price apologized for the timing of his original post. He said that he would never cause any intentional pain to victims of gun violence.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens really aren’t very good at handling controversial issues that arise involving one of their players. Rather than face the issue and address it honestly, they tried to give Price an out by denying his awareness of the Polytechnique Massacre and its upcoming anniversary. Not a good look for the storied franchise.