NHL Rumor Mill – February 5, 2022

by | Feb 5, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – February 5, 2022

Check out the latest on the Bruins, Golden Knights and Ducks in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

ADDRESSING THE BRUINS’ ROSTER NEEDS

THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa believes the Boston Bruins’ most pressing need is for a second-line center for this season and perhaps beyond. He suggested the Philadelphia Flyers’ Claude Giroux could address the former while the Vancouver Canucks’ J.T. Miller would be a good candidate for the latter.

Shinzawa felt center Jack Studnicka could become a trade piece if he can rebuild his game and help the Bruins. Other teams have shown an interest in Studnick and defenseman Urho Vaakanainen, though there are questions about the latter’s ceiling and if he’s playoff ready. If the Bruins believe Vaakanainen is ready, Mike Reilly could be on the move, though Vaakanainen could fetch a better return.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Nick Goss believes a lack of defensive depth could be a fatal flaw for the Bruins as it was in recent postseason runs. He suggested targeting the Chicago Blackhawks’ Calvin de Haan, the Seattle Kraken’s Mark Giordano, the Detroit Red Wings’ Nick Leddy or the Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Giroux, Miller and Chychrun could prove to be out of the Bruins’ price range unless they’re willing to part with top prospect Fabian Lysell and that’s something they shouldn’t do. Leddy or de Haan could be more affordable options.

Giordano is somewhere in the middle. He probably won’t be as expensive as Giroux, Miller and Chychrun but will cost more than Leddy or de Haan. The Kraken could seek a first-round pick and a prospect.

LATEST ON THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS

NHL.COM: Dan Rosen was recently asked how the Vegas Golden Knights will clear salary-cap space for Jack Eichel’s contract when he’s finally healthy and ready to join their lineup. They currently have Eichel, defenseman Alec Martinez and forward Adam Brooks on injured reserve.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez (NHL Images)

If all three are activated they’ll have to start trading or waiving some depth players. If they’re still over the $81.5 million cap, they’ll have to move a more impactful player like Evgenii Dadonov or Reilly Smith, who each carry cap hits of $5 million.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: With the Golden Knights’ recent signing of Brayden McNabb to a three-year deal worth $2.85 million per season, Owen Krepps speculates they could look at shedding a defenseman to trim some payroll. He suggested Martinez could be the odd man out. While they re-signed the 34-year-old blueliner last summer, he’s been sidelined for all but 11 games this season. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights have managed well in his absence.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Martinez carries a $5.25 million annual average value. Moving him would spare them from shipping out Dadonov or Smith. However, his 16-team no-trade list for this season could complicate efforts to move him.

DUCKS POTENTIAL TRADE CANDIDATES

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman looked at the “to-do list” of new Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek. He believes winger Rickard Rakell is the most likely of the Anaheim Ducks’ three notable pending UFAs to get traded. The top question is whether Verbeek can allow Hampus Lindholm to walk if he doesn’t think he can re-sign him.

Josh Manson would also draw interest if they shop him. He’s been linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs but Friedman reports the Leafs are one of the teams on his no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see what Verbeek does as the trade deadline approaches. I think much will depend on where the Ducks in the standings by then. They last reached the playoffs in 2018. Like every club, their revenue has taken a hit by COVID-19 and a chance to get some postseason cash could be tempting. Those three could be retained as own rentals if they’re still in the thick of the Western Conference playoff chase.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 5, 2022

by | Feb 5, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 5, 2022

Results of the All-Star skills competition plus Commissioner Gary Bettman talks about Flames and Coyotes arenas, Canadian teams, the 2022 Draft and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.com: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman won the hardest shot competition at 103.2 mph while St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou was the fastest skater with a time of 13.550 at the 2022 NHL All-Star skills competition in Las Vegas on Friday night.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (NHL Images).

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho won the accuracy shooting in 10.937 seconds while Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell and Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy combined for nine consecutive saves in the Save Streak event.

Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski was the Las Vegas 21 in ’22 winner, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski won the Fountain Faceoff Challenge and Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo won the Breakaway Challenge.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With all due respect to Pietrangelo, Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras should’ve won the breakaway challenge for his blindfolded Dodgeball trick shot routine. Honorable mention to Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov for mimicking his idol, Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin.

A stick tap as well for former USA Women’s star Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson for finishing third in the Fountain Faceoff, which saw the participants attempting to hit targets while standing on an island in the Bellagio Fountain. At one point, she led by hitting all of her targets in 16.253 seconds.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman endorsed the Arizona Coyotes plan to temporarily play at a 5,000-seat venue at Arizona State University, provided the club secures commitment to building a new arena at Tempe. Bettman made the remarks during a press conference along with Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly prior to the skills competition yesterday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes would spend at least the next three seasons at the ASU facility while awaiting the building of their new venue. This season is the last for the Coyotes at the Gila River Arena after the city of Glendale announced it was terminating the club’s lease.

Bettman also approved of the Calgary Flames decision to skate away from a new arena deal with the city of Calgary but stressed the club remains committed to the city despite the collapse of the agreement. He believes the team’s ownership worked hard to get a deal done but felt the city pushed too hard to include additional costs that the team would have to pick up. Bettman believes the sooner both sides figure out how to get a new arena the better given the long-term cost of maintenance at the aging Saddledome.

The commissioner also raised the possibility of the 2022 NHL Draft moving from Montreal to another location if the city and the province of Quebec remain under strict COVID regulations. The draft is scheduled for July 7-8, 2022 at the Bell Centre.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bettman also indicated the slow reopening of Canadian NHL arenas has affected the revenue of the Canadian teams, prompting some of them to look into playing games at other locations where COVID restrictions on attendance aren’t as strict. So far, the league isn’t going that route but that could change depending on how long the current Canadian restrictions remain in place.

Bettman announced the Florida Panthers will host the 2023 NHL All-Star Game, the 2023 Winter Classic will be hosted by the Boston Bruins at Fenway Park while the 2023 NHL Stadium Series will feature the Carolina Hurricanes at Carter-Finley Stadium.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Bettman excused Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz for his “emotional moment” during a Wednesday townhall when he lashed out at two reporters who asked what measures the club had implemented to protect its players in the aftermath of an investigation into the sexual assault allegations by former player Kyle Beach against Brad Aldrich, the club’s former video coach.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wirtz’s “emotional moment” was a PR disaster that has his critics questioning whether he should remain in his role.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Speaking of the Blackhawks, they continued conducting interviews for the vacant position of general manager with Kyle Davidson and Eric Tulsky. Davidson is currently their interim GM while Tulsky is assistant GM with the Carolina Hurricanes.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman announced Shawn Horcoff has taken over as assistant GM. He replaces Pat Verbeek, who was hired as the new general manager of the Anaheim Ducks.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL’s David Schoen reports Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer said Jack Eichel will be cleared for contact drills following the All-Star break.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 4, 2022

by | Feb 4, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – February 4, 2022

Will the Flyers trade Claude Giroux? What are the latest Blues clues? Can the Avalanche afford to re-sign Nazem Kadri? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I underwent surgery on Thursday to repair tendon damage in my right wrist. I will attempt to provide daily updates to the site as usual during my 10-14 day convalescence but my usual comments on notable headlines and trade/free agent rumors could be shorter and fewer. Some of you will probably be thankful for that (insert wink emoji here). Anyway, please bear with me if uploads are a little later than usual over the next week or two.

Now, on to today’s rumors…

WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH GIROUX?

PHILLY.COM: Giana Han, Olivia Reiner and Gus Elvin recently broke down the Philadelphia Flyers roster. In their opinion, this club needs to do more than retool its roster but that could depend on what happens with captain Claude Giroux.

Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux (NHL Images).

Giroux is due to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The 34-year-old carries a full no-movement clause. Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher recently said it’s Giroux’s decision whether he wants to stay or go by the March 21 trade deadline.

A life-long Flyer, Giroux has indicated in the past his desire to finish his career in Philadelphia. Given the club’s current plight, however, the opportunity to play for a Stanley Cup contender could be hard to pass up. The Flyers would likely recoup a first-round pick and a top prospect for him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Giroux will draw lots of interest from playoff contenders if he agrees to waive his NMC before March 21. Daily Faceoff’s Mike McKenna suggested he could help the Calgary Flames as a second- or third-line center.

The club’s untouchables include goaltender Carter Hart, 21-year-olds Joel Farabee and Cam York, and veterans Sean Couturier and Ryan Ellis. Likely to return are Cam Atkinson, Scott Laughton, James van Riemsdyk and Kevin Hayes.

Ivan Provorov, Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim and Oskar Lindblom have had ups and downs over the past two seasons. They’re signed beyond this season and while they could be traded their youth and potential suggests they’ll be retained.

LATEST BLUES SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford was asked if St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko still wants to be traded in a recent mailbag segment. His understanding of the situation is it will be addressed in the offseason. It’s believed his request still stands but it makes little sense trading him now as he and the team are playing well.

Rutherford was also asked about the trade market for defensemen. He indicated the Blues have scouted Montreal Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot and Anaheim Ducks blueliner Hampus Lindholm. They’ve also faced Seattle Kraken rearguard Mark Giordano twice this season. Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun is also available but will be expensive to acquire.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tarasenko’s not going anywhere this season unless things go very wrong for the winger and the Blues before the trade deadline. It’ll be easier to move him this summer if he still wants to go because his actual salary for next season is $5.5 million.

Any attempt to acquire Chychrun could depend upon whether Tarasenko will still be with the Blues next season. The Coyotes winger carries an affordable $4.6 million annual cap hit but it could prove a tight fit squeezing him into their cap payroll if Tarasenko is still around.

CAN THE AVALANCHE AFFORD KADRI?

NBC SPORTS: James O’Brien wondered if the Colorado Avalanche will sign Nazem Kadri to a new contract before he becomes eligible for unrestricted free agent status this summer. The 31-year-old center is enjoying a career-best season thus far, sitting tied with Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for third place in the NHL scoring race with 60 points in 41 games.

O’Brien points out the Avalanche has over $26 million in cap space for next season. While they could squeeze in a big raise for him, they also have long-term considerations such as re-signing superstar Nathan MacKinnon before his contract expires in 2023. He expects Kadri will seek a big raise, pointing out he recently changed agents.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kadri will seek much more than the current $4.5 million annual cap hit on his current contract. Given his age, the Avs won’t want to pay too much or for too long. He’s likely going to hit the open market if his asking price is north of $6 million annually for more than four years.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 4, 2022

by | Feb 4, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 4, 2022

​The All-Star Skills participants are announced, more bad headlines for the Blackhawks, the Ducks name Pat Verbeek as their new general manager, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I underwent surgery on Thursday to repair tendon damage in my right wrist. I will attempt to provide daily updates to the site as usual during my 10-14 day convalescence but my usual comments on notable headlines and trade/free agent rumors could be shorter and fewer. Some of you will probably be thankful for that (insert wink emoji here.). Anyway, please bear with me if uploads are a little later than usual over the next week or two.

Now, on to today’s headlines…

NHL.COM: The participants in the 2022 NHL All-Star skill competitions were announced yesterday.

The 2022 NHL All-Star Skills competition takes place on Friday, Feb.4, 2022 (NHL.com).

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar and Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin are among those taking part in the Fastest Skater competition. Hardest shot participants include Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman and San Jose Sharks winger Timo Meier.

The Breakaway challenge features Chicago Blackhawks winger Alex DeBrincat and Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov. Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron and Calgary Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau will take part in the Accuracy Shooting. Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, Carolina Hurricanes netminder Frederik Andersen and Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros are among the participants in the Save Streak competition.

Two new events include the Fountain Faceoff at the famed Fountains of Bellagio where participants attempt to shoot pucks into five targets in the shortest period of time and the Las Vegas NHL 21 in ’22. That event is a twist on blackjack in which players will shoot at a rack of oversized playing cards hoping to reach 21 without going bust in the least amount of shots.

Florida Panthers winger Jonathan Huberdeau, Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux and Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone will take part in the Fountain Faceoff. Participants in the NHL 21 in ’22 event include Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Lightning captain Steven Stamkos and Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz and CEO Danny Wirtz released statements yesterday regarding the chairman berating two reporters during a Wednesday town hall. Rocky became upset with a question directed to Danny over what steps the franchise has taken to prevent a situation like 2010 from happening amid the Kyle Beach allegations.

Rocky apologized for his outburst and praised Danny and his staff for the work they have done to improve the culture and the team. Danny, meanwhile, elaborated on the steps his club has taken in implementing policies, programs and training regarding mental health, culture and investigating incidents of non-compliance.

SPORTSNET: Three more people are considering lawsuits against the Blackhawks related to the Brad Aldrich scandal. Aldrich was the former Blackhawks video coach who Beach alleged sexually assaulted him in 2010.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s going to take time to undo the damage Rocky Wirtz’s tantrum did to the Blackhawks’ efforts to move on in a positive way from the fallout of the investigation into Beach’s allegations. Critics are already questioning his fitness to lead the club.

TSN (via THE SCORE): Speaking of the Blackhawks, they will be interviewing Peter Chiarelli for the vacant post of general manager. Chiarelli won a Stanley Cup as GM of the Boston Bruins in 2011 but his subsequent tenure with the Edmonton Oilers was nowhere near as successful as the club struggled to reach the playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chiarelli will be just one of several candidates the Blackhawks will interview.

LOS ANGELES TIMES: The Anaheim Ducks officially introduced Pat Verbeek as their new general manager.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see what plans Verbeek has in store for the Ducks before the trade deadline and in the offseason. The rebuilding club has exceeded expectations and is in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference.

CBS SPORTS: Arizona Coyotes forward Johan Larsson underwent sports hernia surgery and will be sidelined for eight weeks.

TSN (via THE SCORE): Pierre LeBrun reports there’s a strong possibility the 2024 World Cup of Hockey takes place in February of that month rather than September. It would be the first to be staged in the middle of a season.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 3, 2022

by | Feb 3, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – February 3, 2022

Will the Canucks trade J.T. Miller or Conor Garland? What’s the latest Canadiens and Jets speculation? Find out in today’s NHL rumor mill.

THE LATEST ON MILLER AND GARLAND

THE PROVINCE: Ben Kuzma believes whether to trade or keep J.T. Miller is the biggest question facing the Vancouver Canucks’ new management. The 28-year-old forward is their leading scorer and is signed through 2022-23 with a palatable $5.25 million salary-cap hit. If he’s extended, it could be a long-term deal worth over $7 million per season.

Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller (NHL Images).

The versatile Miller is also drawing plenty of interest in the NHL trade market. He could be the first chip to play in a retool, rebuild or refresh of the roster. The New York Rangers and Boston Bruins are believed among the clubs linked to Miller.

Canucks president Jim Rutherford wants those trade offers early because his trade leverage could diminish if his club falters over the next month. Kuzma believes Rutherford could get a first-round pick, prime prospect and a center for Miller right now.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy cites an NHL pro scout telling him the Canucks love the Bruins’ top prospect Fabian Lysell. He believes that’s what it could take for them to acquire Conor Garland from Vancouver. The Bruins had an interest in Garland last summer before he was shipped to the Canucks by the Arizona Coyotes.

Murphy also noted the rumors tying the Bruins to Miller. He believes Lysell would also have to be part of the return for him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rutherford and his management staff aren’t under pressure to move Miller or Garland before the trade deadline. With both players under contract for next season, they have the luxury of waiting until the offseason if they don’t receive any suitable offers by deadline day.

However, they’ll seriously listen if the Bruins pitch Lysell as part of an offer for Miller or Garland. The Bruins prospect is enjoying a solid rookie season with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, leading them with 13 goals in 26 games and is tied for their points lead with 32.

UPDATES ON THE CANADIENS

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski wonders if Jeff Petry might be a good fit with the Penguins. He notes the 34-year-old Canadiens defenseman wants out of Montreal and is in the first year of a four-year contract with an annual average value of $6.25 million.

Colleague Jimmy Murphy reports the Canadiens’ asking price is a second-round pick and a top prospect. Kingerski suggests Petry could help improve the right side of the Penguins’ blueline as well as provide insurance in case Kris Letang departs this summer as a free agent. He proposed offering up their second-rounder and young defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens might listen to that offer, especially if they don’t have to retain salary or toss in a sweetener to get it done. Joseph, 22, was a fine puck-moving defenseman during his junior days with the Charlottetown Islanders and still has the potential to become a top-four NHL blueliner.

Cap Friendly indicates the Penguins will have $4 million in deadline cap space, enough to take on Petry’s remaining cap hit for this season. That’s assuming the Penguins aren’t on his no-trade list and they can fit Petry and Letang on their roster for next season, especially as they’ve also got Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust to re-sign or replace.

Of course, this is mere spitballing by Kingerski and myself. The Penguins could be considering different options leading up to the March 21 trade deadline while the Canadiens could get better offers from another NHL club.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli speculated winger Artturi Lehkonen could fetch a first-round pick if he and the Canadiens part ways. He said there are teams that view him as this year’s version of Blake Coleman or Barclay Goodrow, who helped the Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE JETS?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau believes changes are coming for the struggling Winnipeg Jets as they’ve failed to improve since Paul Maurice stepped down as head coach in December. Their defense has failed to make up for an offense that’s gone dry while goaltender Connor Hellebucyk isn’t his usual dominant self this season.

Proteau wonders if general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is the right person to be making the decisions that could bring about change. They’ve got over $71 million invested in 12 players for next season with Paul Stastny and Andrew Copp due to become unrestricted free agents while Pierre-Luc Dubois and Kristian Vesalainen are among their slew of restricted free agents.

The Jets have some talented players to hang onto. However, they need to determine what parts of their core they should consider shopping in the trade market.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: Mike McIntyre observed Jets center Mark Scheifele hasn’t been the same since getting suspended from last year’s playoffs for running Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans. He’s been a shell of himself this season, appearing disengaged and disinterested. Pierre-Luc Dubois has outplayed him this season and will get a significant raise this summer.

McIntyre wondered if a change of scenery might be in the best interest of Scheifele and the Jets. He’s two years away from becoming an unrestricted free agent and could still fetch a handsome return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trading Scheifele would certainly shake up the Jets roster and he would bring in a significant return. However, The Athletic’s Murat Ates doesn’t believe they should trade him simply because of one sub-par season.

Cheveldayoff could share Ates’ opinion about Scheifele. Nevertheless, he’ll have to do something in the offseason. He doesn’t have to blow up the roster but changes are needed for a club that’s been slowly declining since reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2018.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 3, 2022

by | Feb 3, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 3, 2022

Recaps of Wednesday’s action, Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz berates reporters during town hall event, Alex Ovechkin sidelined from the upcoming All-Star Game, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers blew an early 3-0 lead but recovered on two goals by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for a 5-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane also scored for the Oilers (49 points), who remain three points behind the Calgary Flames for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (NHL Images)

Speaking of the Flames, they maintained their lead over the Oilers by doubling up the Arizona Coyotes 4-2. Chris Tanev scored and collected three assists while Blake Coleman tallied twice. Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist for the Coyotes.

Los Angeles Kings center Phillip Danault netted two goals in a 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. The Kings are tied with the Anaheim Ducks with 55 points but sit in second place in the Pacific Division with a game in hand. Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi scored his 22nd goal of the season.

The Minnesota Wild got a 30-save shutout from goaltender Cam Talbot to blank the Chicago Blackhawks 5-0. Kevin Fiala extended his points streak to 12 games with a goal and an assist. The Wild sit in third place in the Central Division with 59 points.

Seattle Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer turned in a 19-save shutout in a 3-0 win over the New York Islanders. Mason Appleton and Jared McCann each had a goal and an assist.

HEADLINES

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz lost his temper during a town hall meeting yesterday when The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus asked him about the club’s work to protect their players in the aftermath of Kyle Beach’s sexual assault allegations.

“We’re not going to talk about Kyle Beach. We’re not going to talk about anything that happened. We’re moving on, “ said an obviously angered Wirtz. “What we’re doing today is our business. I don’t think it’s any of your business. You don’t work for the company. If somebody in the company asks that question, we’ll answer it.”

Asked the same question by another reporter, Wirtz angrily told them to “get off that subject.”

Wirtz later issued an apology to the reporters and the fans, saying his remarks “crossed the line.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can see Wirtz’s outbursts in this link. The Blackhawks’ chairman has been roundly condemned for his petulant remarks. Wirtz acted as though the investigation into Beach’s allegations was an annoyance to be forgotten instead of a very serious issue that still resonates among fans and media. He undid everything his club had done since the investigation concluded to assure the public that what happened to Beach will never happen to another player again.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports former NHL star Pat Verbeek is set to become the next general manager of the Anaheim Ducks. Verbeek spent 21 seasons as a player and has worked with Steve Yzerman as an assistant GM with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks could make the official announcement as early as today. Verbeek has had considerable experience working with one of the league’s best general managers. The Ducks interim GM, Martin Madden, was considered among the front-runners for the role. It’ll be interesting to see if he remains as their assistant GM.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will miss the upcoming NHL All-Star Game after being placed in COVID protocol yesterday. He will be replaced by teammate Tom Wilson while Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux will take over from Ovechkin as captain of the Metropolitan Division. Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault was also added to the All-Star Game roster.

The Columbus Blue Jackets report forward Eric Robinson will be sidelined for six weeks by a knee injury.

CBS SPORTS: The Florida Panthers have sent forward Noel Acciari to their AHL affiliate in Charlotte on a conditioning stint. He has yet to play this season due to an undisclosed injury.