NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 23, 2021

by | Dec 23, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 23, 2021

​The fallout from the NHL’s withdrawal from the 2020 Winter Olympics, questions over the league’s plans to address the current COVID outbreak among its teams, and more in today’s morning coffee headlines.

NOTE: The NHL expanded its annual holiday break to begin on Dec. 22 and ending on Dec. 26.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports NHL Players’ Association executive director Donald Fehr believes it’s a “real shame” NHL players will miss out on another Winter Olympics. However, he acknowledged the inevitability of Wednesday’s decision to withdraw from the Games due to the COVID-19 outbreaks around the NHL and the “profound disruption” to the league’s schedule.

While the decision was out of the players’ control, Fehr said they were devastated and frustrated by the news. He declined to say whether current or former players would still attempt to participate in the Olympics. There’s also no indication whether the Bejing Games would be postponed to 2023.

NBC SPORTS: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos and Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane are among the notable NHLers to lament the league’s decision to withdraw from the Games.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy reports the decision caused some internal strife with the NHLPA ranks. A player agent told Murphy the players he spoke to were “ticked off”. Murphy also cited Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck telling the Winnipeg media he believed the league’s COVID protocols were “a little overkill”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those players who are “ticked off” are likely in a minority. This wasn’t the NHL yanking the rug from beneath their Olympic aspirations for spite or a change of heart. The recent COVID wave and its effect upon the league’s schedule is the culprit.

This decision was based on the effect this wave could have on hockey-related revenue. Two weeks ago, league commissioner Gary Bettman projected revenue for 2021-22 could reach $5 billion, an increase over the initial projection of $4.8 billion earlier in the fall.

Rising COVID numbers around the league, however, threaten those projections. With 48 postponed games to be made up (and possibly more if the outbreaks are sufficiently contained), the league also risked being unable to complete a full 82-game schedule on time. Going to the Olympics would eat up three valuable weeks in February that can be put toward staging those postponed games.

Shortening the schedule isn’t an option here, especially for the players. They still have to repay the owners for the overage of their share of the HRR they collected last season. That’s because the salary cap was set artificially high to ensure teams could maintain their rosters. However, it didn’t reflect actual revenue.

Under Bettman’s recent projection, the players would pay that share back in two years’ time. Shortening the season to accommodate Olympic participation would see those HRR projections fall short, meaning it would take another year for the players to pay that money back. That also means continued marginal increases in the salary cap until such time as that debt to the owners has been repaid.

The players may be disappointed in not getting a shot at Olympic gold in February but they care more about their paychecks.

The NHL’s withdrawal from the Olympics also meant a change of management and coaching for Canada and the United States. St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has stepped down as GM of Team Canada while Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin did the same for Team USA.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Armstrong hands the reins over to Hockey Canada to find suitable staff to ice a Canadian team of amateurs and former NHL players at the Beijing Games. USA Hockey will also be finding replacements for Guerin and his staff.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports the NHL and NHLPA have discussed the potential reimplementation of the taxi squad and adoption of salary-cap exemptions for COVID-related roster issues for the remainder of this season.

Brooks believes ESPN is the reason why the 2022 All-Star Game remains a go in February. He also thinks the league and the PA will have to consider whether there will come a time to allow asymptomatic players who have tested positive to continue playing.

TSN: The NHL could consider rescheduling some of the Montreal Canadiens home games in January to later in the season if they cannot play in front of fans in their home arena.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The province of Quebec has banned fans from indoor sporting events until the end of January. The Canadiens would lose considerable revenue without fans at those games, in turn affecting the league’s hockey-related revenue for this season.

SPORTSNET: has a daily updated COVID tracker of all NHL teams. Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen and San Jose Sharks winger Evander Kane were the latest notable players to enter COVID protocol.

TSN: Salim Valji wonders if there’s a glimmer of hope of keeping the Calgary Flames arena deal alive. According to Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek, the club’s ownership walked away from its partnership with the city of Calgary over a projected $9.7 million increase in the projected cost of the $600 million project. However, Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation CEO John Bean claimed there were $19 million in additional infrastructure costs that he said were introduced after their July 2021 agreement, with the city seeking an additional $10 million in funding from CSEC.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Valji indicated Mayor Gondek said the city wasn’t closing the door on the deal. “We’re simply waiting for them to come back and say they found the money,” she said. By the sound of things, CSEC isn’t going to come up with it.

Still, this could be simply public posturing by Flames ownership to put the squeeze on the city. Perhaps league commissioner Bettman will get involved to sort things out if this drags on.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 22, 2021

by | Dec 22, 2021

NHL Rumor Mill – December 22, 2021

​The latest on the Penguins and Stars plus an update on Jakub Chychrun in today’s NHL rumor mill.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski observes the solid performance of Evan Rodrigues this season could force Penguins coach Mike Sullivan to rethink his lineup when everyone is fully healthy. The versatile 28-year-old forward has 10 goals and 23 points in 30 games as he’s thriving with the extra ice time while filling in for sidelined teammates.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jason Zucker (NHL Images).

Kingerski wondered if Rodrigue’s play could make Jason Zucker expendable. The 29-year-old left winger has 11 points in 30 games. He also noted contract talks between the Penguins and pending free agent Bryan Rust have been shelved for the time being.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zucker’s been a disappointment for the Penguins since his acquisition from the Minnesota Wild midway through the 2019-20 campaign. A leg injury hampered his performance last season but even when healthy he’s had difficulty finding the back of the net.

Moving Zucker, however, won’t be easy. He’s signed through 2022-23 with a $5.5 million annual cap hit and a 10-team no-trade clause plus he’s earning $6.25 million in actual salary this season. His declining production won’t help his trade value.

As for Rust, I don’t see the Penguins shopping him while they’re in the playoff hunt. They’ll keep him as an “own rental” and risk his departure via free agency next summer. Rodrigues is also a UFA but he’d be a more affordable re-signing for the Penguins and could become Rust’s permanent replacement after this season.

SPORTSNET: In his latest “32 Thoughts”, Elliotte Friedman observed Tyler Seguin’s relief when he scored in the Dallas Stars 7-4 win over the Minnesota Wild on Monday. “The stress is on in Dallas,” said Friedman. “Change is coming if the Stars don’t surge over the second half of the season.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: What form could those changes take? The obvious would be shopping pending unrestricted free agents such as John Klingberg, Alexander Radulov, Joe Pavelski and Braden Holtby at the trade deadline.

Maybe restricted free agent winger Denis Gurianov also hits the trade block. Perhaps they try to shed the hefty contracts of Seguin and Jamie Benn in the offseason. Maybe they give head coach Rick Bowness his walking papers.

One thing I don’t see them doing is parting with younger talent such as Miro Heiskanen, Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Jake Oettinger. Those four will likely form the nucleus of a new core in Dallas.

Friedman also said he thought Edmonton would make perfect sense as a destination for Jakob Chychrun. However, sources said it’s very unlikely the 23-year-old Arizona Coyotes defenseman will be heading to the Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman said the same thing earlier this week on his “32 Thoughts” podcast. He didn’t elaborate as to why but I suspect the Oilers’ limited cap space and the talk of the Coyotes setting a “massive” asking price for Chychrun are the reasons.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2021

by | Dec 22, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2021

The NHL & NHLPA withdraw from the 2022 Winter Olympics, the Lightning beat the Golden Knights in the final game before the extended holiday break, the Flames ownership walks away from its arena deal, and more in today’s morning coffee headlines.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Multiple reports indicate the NHL and NHL Players Association intend to withdraw from the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing amid concerns over rising COVID-19 cases among NHL clubs which forced the postponement of a number of games. A formal announcement, however, has yet to be made.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the delay in the announcement is the PA had to do its own internal process involving a number of calls to players. The league and PA also have to talk to the International Olympic Committee before it becomes official.

**UPDATE** 

The NHL and NHLPA officially announced this morning they will not send players to the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

The adverse effect upon the NHL schedule by the recent COVID outbreak is the reason behind the decision. LeBrun indicated the league scheduler is already at work to determine how to make up those postponed games and fill dates during that three-week period in February that was scheduled for the Olympic break.

Chris Johnston indicates there is no ability for individual players to take a leave of absence in February to participate in the Games. He also said this decision will not affect the 2022 All-Star Game scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Withdrawing from the Olympics is a disappointment for the players who would’ve been selected to represent their countries and for hockey fans looking forward to the tournament. Nevertheless, the league and the PA had no choice.

Those postponed games have to be made up in a timely fashion without derailing the schedule or pushing it further into the spring, which would’ve meant another postseason going deep into the summer. Neither side has any intention of shortening the schedule because that would adversely affect hockey-related revenue.

NHL.COM: Steven Stamkos scored the winning goal as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in the only game remaining on the schedule before the NHL’s extended holiday break that takes effect today and runs to Dec. 26.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).

Stamkos’ goal was his 65th game-winner, surpassing Martin St. Louis for the most in Lightning history. Golden Knights winger Mark Stone scored twice but left the game in the second period after tweaking a previous injury.

The Lightning played without head coach Jon Cooper, who entered COVID protocol before the games. Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and winger Evgenii Dadonov also entered the protocol yesterday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet has a full list of players and coaches currently in COVID protocol that is updated daily.

CALGARY SUN: The owners of the Flames released a statement yesterday indicating they’re walking away from its multimillion-dollar plan with the city of Calgary to replace the aging Saddledome. Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corps cited the growing price tag of the planned new arena, which would’ve been built under a cost-sharing agreement with the city.

The sticking point is reportedly less than $10 million (1.5 percent of the projected $634 million) for infrastructure and climate change mitigation that the city is asking the Flames ownership to pick up.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This seems like a squabble over a pittance when factoring in the total cost of the arena plan. The Flames will reportedly continue to use the Saddledome but they can’t stay there forever.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman got involved in smoothing things over when the plans for constructing Rogers Place in Edmonton threatened to derail several years ago. Perhaps he’ll have to do the same in Calgary.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: Boston Bruins defenseman Jakub Zboril will miss the remainder of this season with a torn ACL in his right knee. He underwent surgery last week.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek could be sidelined for a while. He was spotted wearing a sling on his arm following an injury suffered during their 7-4 loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday.

SPORTSNET: The province of Alberta has announced restrictions on the capacity for sporting events that limits attendance at Flames and Oilers home games to 50 percent. Those restrictions also apply to the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships in Edmonton and Red Deer.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the World Juniors, Montreal Canadiens prospect Kaiden Guhle was named captain of Team Canada while Ottawa Senators prospect Jake Sanderson will captain Team USA.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 21, 2021

by | Dec 21, 2021

NHL Rumor Mill – December 21, 2021

​Could the Oilers or Bruins have an interest in Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun? What moves could be in store for the Ducks by the trade deadline? Find out in today’s NHL rumor mill.

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman discussed the potential availability of Jakob Chychrun during Monday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast. Friedman said he’s spoken with a couple of people who don’t believe the Edmonton Oilers aren’t in it for the 23-year-old Arizona Coyotes defenseman. Marek and Friedman agreed he’d be a great fit with the Oilers but the latter said not to put money on the Oilers acquiring Chychrun.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Limited cap space could be one reason. Cap Friendly shows the Oilers sitting over $7 million above the $81.5 million ceiling because of several players on long-term injury reserve. Another could be the Coyotes’ steep asking price. There could also be a concern over Chychrun’s knee injuries earlier in his career.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Joe Haggerty believes the Bruins also need a top-four left-side rearguard capable of playing big minutes. He thinks Chychrun would address that need plus he’s cost-controlled carrying an affordable $4.6 million annual salary-cap hit for the next three seasons. The Coyotes’ asking price, however, could prove too expensive for the Bruins in terms of draft picks and cheap young talent.

Nevertheless, Haggerty took a stab at a couple of proposals. One was Matt Grzelcyk or Brandon Carlo and Jack Studnicka plus a first-round pick and a second-rounder as a “starting-off point” in trade conversations. Another was Jake DeBrusk, Urho Vaakanainen and a pair of draft picks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t think the Bruins have sufficient depth in tempting trade assets to outbid other clubs for Chychrun. It doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try if they have an interest, but I wouldn’t expect to see him pulling on a Bruins jersey anytime soon.

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Eric Stephens was asked if the Anaheim Ducks will be buyers or sellers by the March 21 trade deadline. He felt the longer the Ducks keep playing as well as they have thus far, the less likely they’ll want to break up a winning hand.

Stephens believes pending unrestricted free agents like defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson and winger Rikard Rakell will have value in the trade market given their current play. However, it would be difficult to ship them out when the Ducks have put themselves in position for a playoff run.

If the Ducks intend to re-sign those players, Stephens suggested Lindholm would have the most value, followed by Manson and Rakell.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks could become sellers if they collapse during the second half of the schedule leading up to the trade deadline. If they’re still in the thick of the playoff race, however, I think they’ll hang onto Lindholm, Manson and Rakell as “own rentals” and push for a playoff spot. They can attempt to re-sign them in the offseason before the free-agent market opens on July 13.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 21, 2021

by | Dec 21, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 21, 2021

The NHL and NHLPA agree to begin its holiday break on Wednesday as COVID cases continue to spread among the teams, the three stars of the week are revealed, an update on the Coyotes arena dispute, and more in today’s morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: The league and the NHL Players Association agreed to commence its holiday break on Wednesday, Dec. 22, as COVID cases continue to spread among its 32 teams.

The two remaining games on the schedule will be played today as the Washington Capitals face off against the Philadelphia Flyers and the Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Vegas Golden Knights.

Players will report back to their teams on Sunday, Dec. 26, for testing, practice and/or travel only. No individual in a team’s traveling party shall enter team facilities (other than for testing purposes) until they have a negative test result.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The rapid spread of the coronavirus and the resultant multiple game postponements left the league and the PA with no choice but to commence its holiday break two days earlier than planned. The hope is it will slow the spread and allow players emerging from mandatory 10-day quarantine more time to return to their respective lineups.

This move casts further doubt over the NHL’s participation in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. An announcement is expected in the coming days.

SPORTSNET: provides a daily updated list of players currently in COVID protocol and the number of games postponed.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames reopened their practice facility yesterday after a third straight day without a positive COVID test. The club was the hardest hit by the latest wave with 19 players, three coaches and 10 support staff in COVID protocol.

NHL.COM: Jamie Benn and Miro Heiskanen each had a goal and an assist as the Dallas Stars downed the Minnesota Wild 7-4 in the only game on Monday’s schedule as the other four were postponed. Kiril Kaprizov had a goal and two assists for the Wild, who’ve lost four straight games.

Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin, St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko, and Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 19, 2021.

SPORTSNET: cites reports indicating the Arizona Coyotes met the deadline for paying the remainder of its outstanding bills (totaling $930K) with the city of Glendale. The city council had threatened to lock the club out of Gila River Arena for the remainder of the season unless it paid off its outstanding debts for this year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes will remain in Gila River Arena for the remainder of 2021-22. However, the city of Glendale announced it will not renew its lease with the club following this season.

The Coyotes have submitted a bid to build a new arena in Tempe, Arizona. Assuming they receive approval it will take several years before they’ll be ready to move into the new venue. It’s believed the club is exploring local alternatives.

THE SCORE: cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting that the Buffalo Sabres sought a high asking price from the Anaheim Ducks for Jack Eichel. He said the Sabres wanted Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale and two first-rounders but the Ducks didn’t want to give up that much. Eichel was subsequently traded to the Vegas Golden Knights for forward Alex Tuch, prospect Peyton Krebs, a first-round pick and a second-rounder.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make. Zegras and Drysdale are two promising youngsters playing key roles in the Ducks’ surprising improvement this season.

TSN: The Los Angeles Kings placed defenseman Alex Edler (left ankle fracture) and Sean Walker on long-term injury reserve and called up center Quinton Byfield.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins defenseman Jacob Zboril recently underwent knee surgery. He’s been sidelined since Dec. 2 and there’s no word as to how long he’ll be on the shelf.

NHL.COM’s Dave Stubbs reports former NHL goaltender Curt Ridley has passed away at age 70. He played 104 games over six seasons from 1974-75 to 1980-81 with the New York Ranger, Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Ridley’s family, friends and former teammates.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 20, 2021

by | Dec 20, 2021

NHL Rumor Mill – December 20, 2021

Check out the latest on Marc-Andre Fleury and Jakob Chychrun in today’s NHL rumor mill.

NOTE: The NHL’s holiday roster freeze begins at 11:59 PM EST on Sunday, Dec. 19 and lifts at 12:01 am EST on Tuesday, Dec. 28.

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Scott Powers said it’s too early to tell if goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will be interested in returning with the Chicago Blackhawks after this season. The club’s performance over the rest of the season will be a determining factor. He also indicated there haven’t been any contract talks with Fleury’s backup Kevin Lankinen.

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

Powers expects Blackhawks interim general manager Kyle Davidson won’t have any restrictions if the club becomes a seller by the March 21 trade deadline. Fleury, Calvin de Haan, Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik could become trade candidates.

Based on his play, Fleury would be their best trade chip but his 10-team no-trade clause could affect what they get in return. Powers suggests it could be a second- or a third-round pick depending on the team and whether they re-sign him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury’s value could be higher than that if he maintains his current level of play. Never underestimate the willingness of NHL general managers to succumb to auction fever leading up to the trade deadline.

It’ll be interesting to see how his situation shakes out over the remainder of this season. The 37-year-old netminder is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and carries a $7 million annual average value on his current deal.

It’s hard to imagine Fleury sticking with the Blackhawks if they’re still in rebuild mode. He could want one more shot at winning a Stanley Cup and he won’t get that opportunity in Chicago.

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox is curious over why Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun has surfaced in recent trade speculation. The club is reportedly gauging interest in the 23-year-old big-minute blueliner who also carries a cap-friendly $4.6 million annual average value through 2024-25.

With the rental market thin on top-four defensemen, Fox believes Chychrun would jump to the top of the trade class. Nevertheless, he’s puzzled that the Coyotes aren’t trying to build around the blueliner. He wondered if it’s because of concern over his injury history or unhappiness with his play.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perhaps Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong envisions Chychrun will depart via free agency by the time the club is ready to emerge from their rebuild and wants to move him while his value remains high. Maybe Armstrong’s received some calls and he’s seeing if there’s a club willing to pay what is reportedly said to be a massive asking price. Whatever the reason, Chychrun’s name will likely remain a fixture in the rumor mill for the remainder of the season.