NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 2, 2022

by | Nov 2, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 2, 2022

Hat trick performances for the Oilers’ Evander Kane and the Sharks’ Erik Karlsson, a four-point night for the Bruins’ Hampus Lindholm, plus evaluations of the 32 franchises, the Senators seek new ownership, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers got a hat trick from Evander Kane as well as a five-point performance from Leon Draisaitl to defeat the Nashville Predators 7-4. Connor McDavid scored twice (including his league-leading 11th goal of the season) and added two assists as the Oilers improved their record to 7-3-0. Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists as the Predators fall to 3-6-1.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

Erik Karlsson’s first career NHL hat trick couldn’t prevent the San Jose Sharks from falling 6-5 in a shootout to the Anaheim Ducks. Karlsson’s third goal tied the game at 5 to force overtime and the shootout frame. Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry scored for the Ducks in the shootout as they raise their record to 3-6-1. Timo Meier also scored twice for the Sharks as they drop to 3-8-1.

An overtime goal by Hampus Lindholm capped a four-point night for the defenseman as the Boston Bruins overcame a 5-2 deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5. With a 9-1-0 record, the league-leading Bruins are off to their best start in franchise history. The Penguins, meanwhile, are winless (0-4-1) in their last five games and fall to 4-4-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly victory for the Bruins as goaltender Jeremy Swayman left the game in the third period with a possible left-knee injury while defenseman Derek Forbort suffered an upper-body injury in the first period.

The Tampa Bay Lightning downed the Ottawa Senators 4-3 on a third-period goal by Nikita Kucherov, who finished the night with three points. Brayden Point and Mikhail Sergachev each had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (6-4-0). The Senators (4-5-0) got goals from Claude Giroux, Mathieu Joseph and Dylan Gambrell. The latter was ejected for high-sticking Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak but he’s not expected to face supplemental discipline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning played without top defenseman Victor Hedman as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin made 19 saves to shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0 on an overtime goal by Chris Kreider. Flyers netminder Carter Hart made 35 saves as the Flyers are 5-2-2 in their first nine games. The Rangers (6-3-2) played without Vitali Kravtsov as the 22-year-old winger will be sidelined for at least a week with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Shea Theodore gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Alex Pietrangelo had three assists while Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights as they sit on top of the Western Conference with a 9-2-0 record. Dylan Strome had two assists for the 5-4-2 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Capitals announced winger Connor Brown underwent successful surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee. He’s expected to be out for six-to-eight months.

Minnesota Wild winger scored twice and Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 34 shots in a 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Nick Suzuki scored for the Canadiens (5-5-0) while the Wild’s record improves to 5-4-1.

The New York Islanders boosted their record to 6-4-0 by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1. Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist while Ilya Sorokin made 21 saves for the win. Blackhawks goalie Alex Stalock left the game in the first period following a collision with Isles winger Casey Cizikas. The Hawks record sits at 4-4-2.

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz scored twice and collected an assist in a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Defenseman Miro Heiskanen got two assists for the Stars (6-3-1) as he returned to the lineup after being sidelined for three games with an upper-body injury. Kevin Fiala and Arthur Kaliyev replied for the Kings, who fell to 6-6-0.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Daniel Sprong, Yanni Gourde and Matty Beniers lifted the Seattle Kraken (5-4-2) to a 5-4 upset of the Calgary Flames. Joey Daccord stopped 36 shots for the win. Tyler Toffoli and Elias Lindholm each had two points for the 5-3-0 Flames.

The New Jersey Devils got two-point performances from Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes and Yegor Sharangobvich to drop the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. Jesper Bratt picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 10 games. The Canucks got two goals from Bo Horvat as they fall to 2-6-2 while the Devils are 7-3-0. Canucks defensemen Quinn Hughes and Riley Stillman were activated off injured reserve for this game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Devils announced winger Ondrej Palat would be sidelined indefinitely after undergoing groin surgery on Tuesday.

Arizona Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka stopped 41 shots to backstop his club over the Florida Panthers 3-1. Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist for the Coyotes (3-5-1) as they picked up their first win at Mullett Arena. Colin White replied for the Panthers, who fell to 5-4-1.

HEADLINES

SPORTICO: The average NHL franchise is valued at $1.01 billion USD.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers are the NHL’s top-two clubs in franchise valuations entering 2022-23. The Leafs are valued at $2.12 billion while the Rangers come in at $2.01 billion. The Montreal Canadiens ($1.7 billion), Chicago Blackhawks ($1.44 billion) and Boston Bruins ($1.41 billion) round out the top five.

The Arizona Coyotes are the lowest-valued franchise at $465 million with the Florida Panthers the second-lowest at $595 million. The Columbus Blue Jackets ($600 million), Carolina Hurricanes ($615 million) and Buffalo Sabres ($636 million) complete the remaining bottom five clubs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise that five Original Six franchises dominate the franchise valuations given their respective markets and long histories in the league. I’m a bit surprised that the Hurricanes are among the bottom feeders given their improvement in recent years, sitting 13th overall in attendance last season. That’s likely due to their fan cost index being among the lowest in the league.

OTTAWA SUN: The Sportico report also indicated the Senators are going up for sale months after former owner Eugene Melnyk passed away. The current ownership has retained the services of a New York-based investment bank to facilitate the sale. League sources indicate the expectation is the franchise will remain in Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The current Senators ownership has a memorandum of understanding with the city of Ottawa to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats near downtown. The Sun reports they have until next September to get a lease in place for the land. A new ownership group should help to ensure the project goes forward.

Some skeptics will suggest new ownership could still move the Senators. That’s unlikely to happen because such a move must have NHL approval. Contrary to popular belief, league commissioner Gary Bettman prefers to keep franchises in their current locations. It was his efforts that led to Melnyk buying the team nearly 20 years ago, ensuring they would remain in Ottawa.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak and New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin are the NHL’s three stars for October 2022. Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto was named the month’s top rookie.

TSN: John Lu reports Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley will be sidelined for a couple of weeks with a slight fracture in his foot.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 1, 2022

by | Nov 1, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – November 1, 2022

The Leafs’ shaky start to this season is a growing concern to their followers. Could it lead to changes in the front office, behind the bench or to the roster? Read on for the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons believes the Maple Leafs 4-4-2 start to this season isn’t something to be taken lightly. He feels the club is heading toward an implosion that could lead to big changes depending on their upcoming performances against the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights.

Simmons puts the blame squarely on the performance of the Leafs players, especially during their losses to three of the worst teams in the league in Arizona, San Jose and Anaheim. He singled out core players Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander for not playing up to expectations.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

Simmons acknowledged the Leafs have a banged-up defense corps. Nevertheless, he believes their best players must improve while their worst need to get better. He also criticizes general manager Kyle Dubas for not providing head coach Sheldon Keefe with a roster suitable for success.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some of the Leafs defenders point out that they were 4-4-2 at the same point in 2021-22 and wound up with a franchise-best 115-point season. Others, however, point to the poor performance of their best players as one of the more concerning issues compared to this time last season.

The Leafs have questionable goaltending and a defense that when healthy isn’t deep enough to make them a serious Stanley Cup contender. Nevertheless, they have sufficient talent to be playing better than they currently are even with an injury-riddled blueline.

Maybe they’ll snap out of their current doldrums and turn things around during that upcoming stretch of games mentioned by Simmons. If they don’t, however, this situation could lead to a coaching change or a roster shakeup.

THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle suggests the Leafs could need a trade to snap out of their current tailspin. He reminds us that Dubas has had some success with in-season trades, pointing to the acquisitions of Jake Muzzin, Jack Campbell, Ilya Lyubushkin and Mark Giordano. With Muzzin on long-term injury reserve, it frees up a large chunk of his $5.6 million cap hit to put toward acquisitions.

Mirtle suggested Dubas could shop some of his underperforming players to free up more cap space. Justin Holl ($2 million), Pierre Engvall ($2.25 million), Alex Kerfoot ($3.5 million) or Nicolas Aube-Kubel ($1 million) could be trade candidates, with bigger names perhaps becoming available if the losing continues.

Given the Leafs need to address their puck-moving issues among their defensemen, Mirtle suggested Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun or Anaheim’s John Klingberg as possible options. Others included Columbus’ Vladislav Gavrikov, New Jersey’s Damon Severson or Arizona’s Shayne Gostisbehere.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs were reportedly interested in acquiring Ethan Bear from the Carolina Hurricanes but didn’t want to part with a draft pick. He wound up shipped last Friday to the Vancouver Canucks.

That indicates Dubas is looking around for help in the trade market. Finding a suitable return will be difficult at this point in the season given how many clubs have limited salary-cap space but it’s not impossible. However, it could require some creativity on his part, including parting with a quality draft pick or a promising prospect.

Mirtle acknowledged Chychrun’s injury history well as the Coyotes’ high asking price. Klingberg could be a more affordable option in terms of return and perhaps the Ducks would retain some of his $7 million cap hit for the right offer. However, Jamie Drysdale’s potentially season-ending shoulder injury could force the Ducks to hang onto Klingberg for a while.

Gostisbehere could be a possibility as he won’t cost nearly as much as Chychrun to get from the Coyotes. I don’t see the Blue Jackets parting with Gavrikov given his solid all-around play and value to their blueline. The Devils are off to a terrific start and aren’t under any pressure right now to move Severson.

THE JEFF MAREK SHOW (stick tap to NHL Watcher): Elliotte Friedman believes Auston Matthews will sign a contract extension with the Maple Leafs. He doesn’t necessarily believe it’ll be a long-term deal.

Friedman is concerned about things going off the rails. He doesn’t believe the 24-year-old center is currently unhappy but felt the Leafs have to “constantly take his temperature”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The earliest Matthews can sign with the Leafs is July 1, 2023. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent a year later. It’s interesting that Friedman believes he’d sign a short-term extension. Perhaps it would be a three-year deal taking him up to age 30.

Of course, as Friedman also points out, it will depend on whether Matthews is happy with the direction of the Leafs. If things do go off the rails, he could decide to test the market on July 1, 2024.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2022

by | Nov 1, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2022

The Sabres’ Tage Thompson has a six-point night, the Ducks’ Jamie Drysdale could be sidelined for the season, plus updates on Charlie McAvoy, T.J. Oshie, Jake Oettinger and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson tallied a hat trick and collected three assists to lead his club to an 8-3 drubbing of the Detroit Red Wings. Jeff Skinner collected three points, including his 300th career NHL goal, as the Sabres improved their record to 6-3-0. Dylan Larkin, David Perron and Olli Maatta replied for the Wings, whose record drops to 4-3-2.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE After tallying just three points in his first seven games of the season, Thompson now has nine points in his last two contests.

Shootout goals by Brent Burns and Andrei Svechnikov lifted the Carolina Hurricanes over the Washington Capitals 3-2. Svechnikov also scored the tying goal that sent the game into overtime and the shootout frame as the Hurricanes move to a 6-2-1 record while the Capitals drop to 5-4-1. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tallied his 785th career NHL goal.

The Los Angeles Kings improved to 6-5-0 by dropping the St. Louis Blues 5-1. Carl Grundstrom scored twice, Kevin Fiala had three assists and Jonathan Quick made 27 saves for the win. The Blues have lost five straight and fall to 3-5-0.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt and Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury are the league’s three stars for the week ending Oct. 30, 2022.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Bad news for the Anaheim Ducks as they announced Jamie Drysdale will require surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. The 20-year-old defenseman could miss the remainder of the season as his recovery period is four-to-six months.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A tough break for Drysdale as he was hoping to build upon his 32-point rookie performance last season. It’s also a big loss to the blueline of the rebuilding Ducks, who’ve stumbled from the gate this season with a 2-6-1 record.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Some good news for Charlie McAvoy as he’s resumed practice with his Bruins teammates. The 24-year-old defenseman is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and wasn’t expected to return to action until December 1. He’s ahead of schedule but isn’t going to play during their upcoming three-game road trip.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McAvoy could return by mid-November at the latest if he performs well in practice over the next week or two. He will provide a significant boost to their blueline, which has performed well in his absence. It will also force management to find a way to shed salary to make room within their salary cap payroll for his arrival.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Capitals winger T.J. Oshie is out indefinitely while defenseman John Carlson is day-to-day as both players are sidelined by lower-body injuries.

SPORTSNET: Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger will have his lower-body injury re-evaluated in a week’s time. The club cannot recall Anton Khudobin due to salary-cap issues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars addressed this by signing Matt Murray to a one-year entry-level contract. Murray, 24, played 11 games with their AHL affiliate, five of those this season. He is not to be confused with sidelined Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Matt Murray.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars rookie center Wyatt Johnston will be staying with the club for the season. The 19-year-old played his ninth game of the season on Saturday, raising questions as to whether the Stars would return him to his junior club before his 10th game for contract reasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, the first season of Johnston’s entry-level contract goes into effect when he plays his 10th game. Had the Stars returned him to the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, his ELC would’ve slid to next season.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins center Jeff Carter has been sidelined by a lower-body injury.

TWINCITIES.COM: Minnesota Wild forwards Marcus Foligno and Ryan Hartman suffered upper-body injuries during Sunday’s win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Golden Knights netminder Laurent Brossoit has been sent to their AHL affiliate for a conditioning stint. This is the next step in his return to the Golden Knights lineup as he recovers from offseason hip surgery.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 31, 2022

by | Oct 31, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 31, 2022

Would a coaching change or trade help the Leafs? What’s the latest on the Sharks following last week’s report claiming management is willing to entertain offers for most of their players? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO IMPROVE THE LEAFS?

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox wonders if a big trade or a coaching change can reverse the fortunes of the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs. They are 4-4-2 in October, including losses to rebuilding or struggling clubs like the Montreal Canadiens, Arizona Coyotes, San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe (NHL.com).

Head coach Sheldon Keefe seems to be running out of options to motivate his players. Fox blamed general manager Kyle Dubas for not providing Keefe with a better supporting cast for his core talent. He believes the Leafs as currently constructed should reach the playoffs but won’t scare anybody when they get there.

Fox also noted the Leafs lack “gritty, hard role players”. He pointed out they used to have such players in Nazem Kadri, Zach Hyman, Connor Brown, Ilya Lyubushkin and Mason Marchment but all were cut loose “due to economics or an inability to fit the vision.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some, including Leafs like Mitch Marner, pointed out they got off to a worse start last season and ended up with a franchise-record 115 points. That’s as may be but, as The Athletic’s James Mirtle pointed out, there are more Leafs performing poorly compared to the same time last season.

If the Leafs don’t turn it around in November there could be some changes coming. The most immediate could be replacing Keefe as head coach since they lack the cap space and available assets to make a significant trade that will reverse their fortunes. I agree with Fox that Dubas failed to provide the necessary assets to maintain a balanced roster. However, at this point, it seems like they might benefit from someone else behind the bench.

I’m not sure if adding gritty, hard role players is the answer. The Leafs still failed to win a playoff round with Kadri, Hyman, Brown, Lyubushkin and Marchment, though the latter barely saw enough playing time to make a difference during his short tenure in Toronto. Finding reliable goaltending and defensive depth might be better options.

LATEST ON THE SHARKS

THE ATHLETIC: Corey Masisak recently reported the San Jose Sharks players are shrugging off a report on Thursday by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun claiming GM Mike Grier is willing to entertain offers for almost everyone on the roster except perhaps for Tomas Hertl.

Masisak pointed out LeBrun didn’t say Grier intends to trade certain players. He also cited Sharks coach David Quinn saying every general manager around the league is probably talking to each other to gauge where they are at this point in the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Masisak doubts the trade speculation will go away despite the struggling Sharks’ recent wins. He also pointed out he’s got three veterans in Logan Couture, Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic carrying hefty contracts with no-movement clauses.

It may be a little early for Grier to start shopping players. He could be willing to listen to offers but it doesn’t mean he’s about to tear it all down and start a complete rebuild.

Nevertheless, Grier will likely become a seller if the Sharks are well out of playoff contention when the calendar flips to 2023. He will likely start shopping pending UFAs like James Reimer and Nick Bonino and perhaps test the trade market on pending RFA winger Timo Meier.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 31, 2022

by | Oct 31, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 31, 2022

Marc-Andre Fleury sets a league record, Artemi Panarin and Jesper Bratt maintain their hot starts to the season while Jack Eichel and Trevor Zegras are overtime heroes. Get the details in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Marc-Andre Fleury picked up his league-record 62nd shootout victory to backstop the Minnesota Wild (4-4-1) over the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3. Fleury made 23 saves in regulation and overtime, Matt Boldy scored twice in regulation while Kirill Kaprizov and Frederick Gaudreau tallied in the shootout. Alex Stalock made 32 saves for the Blackhawks (4-3-1).

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Blackhawks announced that defenseman Seth Jones is expected to be sidelined for three-to-four weeks with an injured right thumb. It’s a big blow to their defense corps as Jones averaged a team-leading 25:14 of ice time per game.

The New Jersey Devils lifted their record to 6-3-0 with a 7-1 drubbing of the Columbus Blue Jackets, dropping the latter’s record to 3-7-0. Jesper Bratt extended his season-opening points streak to nine games with a goal and an assist while Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes also had two points each. Elvis Merzlikins made 46 saves for the Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jackets have a league-worst goals-against per game of 4.40 but their netminders aren’t getting much help from their defense. They’ve given up the eighth-most shots-against per game (34.5) thus far. They’re also not getting much goal support as their 2.60 goals-per-game sits 28th

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists while Mika Zibanejad’s third-period goal snapped a 2-2 tie to nip the Arizona Coyotes 3-2. It’s Panarin’s third multi-point game thus far, sitting one behind Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid. Coyotes rookie Dylan Guenther collected two assists while goalie Connor Ingram made 36 saves. The Rangers improve to 5-3-2 while the Coyotes fall to 2-5-1.

An overtime goal by Trevor Zegras lifted the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-3 upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was Zegras’ second goal of the game while John Gibson kicked out 33 shots as the Ducks got their second win of the season (2-6-1). Leafs center Auston Matthews tallied his third goal of the season as his club’s record fell to 4-4-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Four of the Leafs losses this season have come against rebuilding teams (Ducks, Canadiens, Coyotes) or struggling ones (Sharks). They’re winless in their last four (0-2-2).

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel tallied in overtime to down the Winnipeg Jets 2-1. Mark Stone scored the tying goal for the Golden Knights (8-2-0) after Adam Lowry opened the scoring for the Jets as they drop to 5-3-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets got a point out of this thanks to a 46-save performance from Connor Hellebuyck.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Derian Hatcher and Bob Gainey were formally inducted Sunday into the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame. Hatcher was the Stars captain for nine seasons, including their 1999 Stanley Cup championship. Gainey spent 12 seasons as the Stars coach and general manager, building their Stanley Cup roster by acquiring Ed Belfour, Joe Nieuwendyk, Brett Hull and Sergei Zubov.

TSN: Speaking of the Stars, forward Ty Dellandrea was fined $2,333.33 by the NHL department of player safety for interference on New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin on Saturday.

GOPHNX.COM: Craig Morgan reports sources said the Tempe City Council will likely refer the Arizona Coyotes’ proposed arena and entertainment district to a referendum, leaving the decision up to Tempe voters. The referendum would be held sometime in 2023.










Tales of NHL Halloween Horror 2022

by | Oct 30, 2022

Tales of NHL Halloween Horror 2022

It’s Halloween again, folks, when kids prepare for trick or treating while we entertain ourselves with scary stories involving ghosts, ghouls, and other macabre creatures.

With the NHL finally returning to a normal regular-season calendar for the first time since 2019, it’s also a time when struggling teams face the horrifying prospect that their playoff dreams could be coming undone.

We start with the Vancouver Canucks, whose strong second-half performance after stumbling through the first two months of last season saw them remain in the playoff chase until the final week of the schedule. Any hope of building on that effort entering this season has quickly fallen apart after going winless in their first seven games.

The Canucks’ woes sparked grumbling among their followers, with one fan tossing a jersey on the ice in disgust during a loss at home to the Buffalo Sabres. It also sparked speculation over the future of head coach Bruce Boudreau, as well as reports of management warning some players that any changes could be with the roster rather than behind the bench.

Moving on to Columbus, the Blue Jackets made headlines this summer by signing superstar Johnny Gaudreau and re-signing winger Patrik Laine. Despite those moves, the Jackets have won just three of their first nine games.

The gifted but oft-injured Laine missed six games with an elbow injury. Gaudreau, meanwhile, has held up his end with eight points but it hasn’t been enough to improve his club’s anemic offense and porous goaltending.

In Nashville, the Predators kicked off the season with back-to-back wins over the San Jose Sharks in Prague. Since returning from their European excursion, they’ve managed just one win in their last seven contests.

Led by Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen, the Predators finished 13th last season in goals-per-game (3.20). As of Oct 29, they tumbled to 2.44 and 30th overall. Perhaps that jaunt overseas did more harm than good.

The Minnesota Wild enjoyed a franchise-best 113-point performance in 2021-22. Expectations were high that this season’s version could become a Stanley Cup contender. Instead, they’ve played sub-.500 hockey with a 3-4-1 record through their first eight games.

Inconsistent goaltending and defense were big issues early on. Veteran starter Marc-Andre Fleury was horrible in his first two games but has steadily improved since. The defense also got better after veterans Alex Goligoski and Jonas Brodin saw more playing time. Time will tell, however, whether these are signs of genuine improvement.

The St. Louis Blues were off to a fast start by winning their first three games. They’ve since dropped their last four, including blowing a 3-1 lead to the Montreal Canadiens in a 7-4 loss on Oct. 29.

A lack of discipline and focus has dogged the Blues in recent games. They’re taking undisciplined penalties and are making uncharacteristic mistakes with the puck that end up costing them on the scoreboard.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have also dropped four straight following a red-hot start that saw them tally six goals in each of their first four wins. Their offense has since dried up as they managed just one goal in each of their last three defeats.

Losing sniper Jake Guentzel to a head injury for four games certainly didn’t help, but a team with superstars such as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin managed just six goals during those four losses while giving up 16. Their special-team play was terrible during that stretch.

And then there’s the Toronto Maple Leafs. Entering this season with their fans hopeful of an end to their long Stanley Cup drought, they’ve lurched to a 4-4-1 record. Three of those losses came to lesser teams like the Canadiens, Arizona Coyotes and San Jose Sharks.

Led by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander, the Leafs are usually among the league’s highest-scoring teams. Thus far, their goals-per-game average of 2.67 ranks 28th overall. Matthews, the two-time Richard Trophy winner and last season’s Hart Trophy winner following his 60-goal performance, has just two goals thus far.

There’s enough time remaining in this season for these teams to reverse their sagging fortunes and climb up the standings. For some of them, however, what we’re seeing now could foreshadow what could become a disappointing outcome to this season.