NHL Rumor Mill – November 1, 2021

by | Nov 1, 2021

NHL Rumor Mill – November 1, 2021

​A look at the potential cost for the Golden Knights to acquire Jack Eichel, plus the latest Oilers speculation in today’s NHL rumor mill.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Owen Krepps cites recent rumors claiming the Vegas Golden Knights are closing in on acquiring Jack Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres. Noting the Golden Knights have some salary-cap relief due to several long-term injury reserve designations, Krepps speculates general manager Kelly McCrimmon could spend it on the 25-year-old Sabres center.

Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel (NHL Images).

It’s believed the Sabres’ asking price is “at least four pieces, including a first-round pick, top prospect, top-six forward, and NHL defenseman under 25-year-old old.”

Krepps suggested it could cost the Golden Knights one, maybe two first-round picks, with their 2022 first-rounder certain to go to the Sabres. Shea Theodore or Nic Hague could fit the bill as the under-25 defenseman. He took note of the Golden Knights’ recent addition of blueliner Ben Hutton and their re-signing Zach Whitecloud to a long-term extension.

Reilly Smith and Alex Tuch make sense one of the forwards, with Tuch best fitting the description for a top-six forward in the right age group. The Sabres have the cap space to afford Tuch’s $4.75 million annual average value. Smith’s status as an unrestricted free agent next summer is a detractor. The Sabres could also be eyeing promising center Peyton Krebs.

Krepps noted rumors suggesting the Golden Knights are getting competition for Eichel from the Calgary Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An Eichel trade seemed imminent entering the weekend as reports of trade discussions between the Golden Knights and Sabres heated up. A deal has yet to materialize but perhaps that will take place at some point this week.

The Golden Knights must be careful not to give up too much roster depth lest it jeopardize their playoff hopes for next spring. Max Pacioretty (LTIR) and Mark Stone (currently on injured reserve) will return to the lineup at some point this season. They’ll also have to ensure they move sufficient cap room in the deal to absorb Eichel’s $10 million annual cap hit and still have enough for when Pacioretty and Tuch (assuming he’s not part of the trade) return to action.

I’ve noted the Flames’ rumored interest in Eichel but I don’t think they have the depth in tradeable assets to acquire him.

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Daniel Nugent-Bowman was asked if the Edmonton Oilers will stick with their goaltending tandem of Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen for the playoffs or if general manager Ken Holland will seek a netminder before the trade deadline.

Holland says he believes in his goaltending. However, Nugent-Bowman pointed out the Oilers GM attempted to sign Jacob Markstrom in 2020 and tried to acquire Darcy Kuemper from the Arizona Coyotes before the Colorado Avalanche got him. He thinks Holland could consider an upgrade.

Nugent-Bowman noted two readers mentioned the Chicago Blackhawks’ Marc-Andre Fleury and the Anaheim Ducks’ John Gibson as trade options. Fleury’s in the final year of his contract with a 10-team no-trade list. It wouldn’t be surprising if he wanted to finish the season elsewhere given the mess the Blackhawks are in. Gibson is younger than Fleury, has five more seasons remaining on his contract at an annual average value of $6.4 million, plus a 10-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nugent-Bowman speculated it shouldn’t cost the Oilers much to acquire Fleury given his age (37 this month) and contract status. Gibson, on the other hand, could cost as much as four assets. The Oilers would have to move out pending UFA Koskinen to make this work. Much will depend, of course, on the performance of the current tandem, where the Oilers sit in the standings and whether they’re on the no-trade lists of Fleury and Gibson.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2021

by | Nov 1, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2021

​The Hurricanes remain perfect, Ryan Getzlaf becomes the Ducks’ all-time scoring leader and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes remain the NHL’s only undefeated teams by nipping the Arizona Coyotes 2-1. The Hurricanes extend their franchise-best season-opening win streak to eight straight games (8-0-0) Brett Pesce’s power-play goal late in the third period snapped a 1-1 tie. The Coyotes still seek their first win of the season with a league-worst 0-8-1 record.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Not to belittle the Hurricanes’ impressive start but they feasted on rebuilding clubs (Coyotes), struggling teams (Leafs, Bruins, Islanders) and god-awful ones (Canadiens, Blackhawks) in October. They’ll face a tougher test in November with the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals on the calendar.

Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf (NHL Images).

Ryan Getzlaf collected an assist on Troy Terry’s game-winning goal to become the Anaheim Ducks’ all-time leading scorer (989 points) as his club doubled up the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. Adam Henrique, Kevin Shattenkirk and Cam Fowler each collected two points. Before the games, the Ducks placed Jakob Silfverberg on COVID protocol and announced Rickard Rakell is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

The floundering Canadiens are off to their worst start (2-8-0) since 1941-42. Cedric Paquette was ejected from this game for boarding Ducks center Trevor Zegras. The Habs also announced forward Mathieu Perreault has been sidelined with an eye injury for two-three weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Getzlaf on his achievement. He’s now just 11 points away from reaching the 1,000-point milestone. As for the Canadiens, they have no excuses for their poor performance. Yes, they’re missing Carey Price and Shea Weber while their depth at center remains an issue, but they lack the effort that got them to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

The New York Rangers (6-2-1) picked up their fifth straight road victory by dropping the Seattle Kraken 3-1. Igor Shesterkin made 31 saves for the win, Adam Fox snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period and Barclay Goodrow had a goal and an assist. Jordan Eberle tallied for the Kraken.

Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist as the Los Angeles Kings overcame a 2-0 deficit to squeak past the Buffalo Sabres 3-2. Jonathan Quick (22 saves) picked up his first win of the season. Before the game, the Kings placed Viktor Arvidsson and Gabriel Vilardi in COVID protocol.

The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on a shootout goal by Jakub Voracek. Joonas Korpisalo kicked out 36 shots in regulation and overtime for the Jackets while Patrik Laine had a goal and an assist. P.K. Subban collected two assists for the Devils.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Kyle Beach and his lawyer will be meeting with the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. Beach filed a lawsuit against the club over their handling of the sexual assault allegations against former video coach Bradley Aldrich in 2010. Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz instructed the club’s lawyers to see if they can reach “a fair resolution consistent with the totality of the circumstances.” The Blackhawks filed a motion last week to dismiss Beach’s case but the club indicated it was simply a procedural move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks’ motion could be a requirement in order to reach a settlement with Beach. We’ll see how things transpire in the coming weeks.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins placed defenseman Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel in COVID protocol.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues did the same with goaltender Ville Husso.

THE SCORE: Minnesota Wild forward Brandon Duhaime won’t face supplemental discipline for cross-checking Colorado Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram on Saturday. He received a five-minute major penalty and a 10-minute game misconduct.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Speaking of the Wild, prospect Marco Rossi is thankful to be alive and playing hockey again after complications from COVID-19 earlier this year threatened his career and his life.

 










Blackhawks “Dynasty” Forever Tarnished

by | Oct 31, 2021

Blackhawks “Dynasty” Forever Tarnished

​On June 10, 2010, one of the longest Stanley Cup droughts in NHL history came to an end. An overtime goal by Patrick Kane against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final gave the Chicago Blackhawks their first championship since 1961.

It was the start of several dominant years for the Blackhawks. Over the following five seasons, the Blackhawks would win two more Stanley Cups. Kane, team captain Jonathan Toews and defenseman Duncan Keith established themselves as respected NHL superstars. Head coach Joel Quenneville burnished his resume as one of the league’s top bench bosses. General manager Stan Bowman was praised for his ability to maintain his championship roster.

Stanley Cup dynasties – teams that win three-or-more consecutive Stanley Cups – are rarities in the NHL’s salary-cap world. As a result, some observers considered the Blackhawks’ three championships in six years the closest thing to a Cup dynasty in today’s game.

Eleven years after that first Cup, that “dynasty” is forever tarnished by a scandal set in motion three weeks before Kane’s winning goal.

A small group of senior team executives, including Bowman and Quenneville, reached the fateful decision to cover up allegations of sexual assault made by winger Kyle Beach against video coach Bradley Aldrich.

They decided not to take any action against Aldrich until after the Stanley Cup Final so as not to risk the matter becoming a distraction for the players. After their celebrations with the Cup in Chicago had quieted down, the club gave Aldrich a choice of stepping down or facing an internal investigation.

That reference helped Aldrich get a job with USA Hockey and an assistant coaching job with a high school in Houghton, Michigan. Three years later, Aldrich was sentenced to nine months in jail on a fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct charge for his alleged involvement with a male student between the age of 16 and 18. The student filed a lawsuit against the Blackhawks earlier this year for providing a positive employment letter to Aldrich even though they knew he was a sexual predator.

Thanks to the courage of Beach and the student known as “John Doe 2” in stepping forward to tell their stories, aided by the dogged investigative journalism of TSN’s Rick Westhead and The Athletic’s Katie Strang, the Blackhawks were forced to conduct an independent investigation.

The resulting report, released to the public last week, was damning.

Bowman stepped down as general manager while another club official was relieved of his duties. Quenneville, who’d moved on to coach the Florida Panthers, resigned from that job following a meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

None of the players on the 2010 Blackhawks roster were mentioned in the report. Kane, Toews, Keith (now with the Edmonton Oilers) and others denied knowledge of the allegations. Beach, in his emotional interview with Westhead a day after the report was released, believed everyone in the dressing room knew. His story was supported by the testimony of former teammates Nick Boynton and Brent Sopel when they spoke with investigators this summer.

Only two players (Boynton and Sopel) along with former associate coach John Torchetti and former skills coach Paul Vincent, supported Beach and testified to investigators on his behalf. Nearly everyone else on that 2009-10 roster is facing scrutiny from fans and the media over what they did or didn’t do at the time the allegations were raised.

Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff was the Blackhawks assistant GM at the time and took part in that fateful meeting before the 2010 Cup Final. Though he was cleared of any wrongdoing in a subsequent meeting with Bettman, he still faces calls for an apology to Beach from fans and pundits and a further explanation of his actions while with the Blackhawks.

Despite their denials, the reputations of the Blackhawks stars have suffered a significant blow. Assuming they had no knowledge of the incident at the time, they’re facing questions over when they did find out, how much they knew and why they didn’t do more to try and help Beach. The tone-deaf defense of Bowman by Kane and Toews following his dismissal was not a good look for either star.

The fallout isn’t just limited to the Blackhawks. NHLPA director Donald Fehr is feeling the heat from the player executive and rank-and-file members for his apparent inaction when Beach and his agent informed the PA of the allegations.

For Blackhawks fans, this is a devastating gut punch. The club they love and support, an Original Six franchise considered the epitome of a successful franchise in the salary-cap era, has been brought low by a handful of men who did nothing to protect a frightened young player from a sexual predator. It could take years for the Blackhawks to rebuild their standing and regain the full trust of their fans and win back those they lost from this sordid scandal

Bowman and Quenneville will probably never work in the NHL again. Kane, Toews, Keith and other players had nothing to do with how their club handled the allegations but they’ll face lingering doubts in the court of public opinion.

All of that pales in comparison to the hell Kyle Beach went through for 11 years. He was ostracized by the Blackhawks, even reportedly mocked by several teammates. He continued his playing career away from the NHL. Somehow, he found the determination to carry on every day despite his terrible burden and the courage to fight back with limited support despite the Blackhawks’ efforts to discredit him.

As more than one observer noted, Beach show more bravery and integrity than those who failed him.

Six men made a fateful decision that did immeasurable harm to Beach and another young man. That decision would eventually damage their own reputations and careers, in some cases beyond repair. It cost them their jobs, tarnished a once-great franchise, cast a dark cloud over the lives and careers of their franchise players, and stained the league’s brand.

All because they put winning a championship over doing the right thing.

That’s the dark legacy of the Blackhawks “dynasty.”










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 31, 2021

by | Oct 31, 2021

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 31, 2021

​Check out the latest on Vladimir Tarasenko and Jack Eichel plus some recent Senators speculation in the Sunday NHL rumor roundup.

SPORTSNET: On Friday, Rory Boylen reported Vladimir Tarasenko still wants a trade despite a hot start to this season by himself and the club. He cited The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford telling Jeff Marek that the 29-year-old winger’s desire remains the same, though he understands it could take time for a deal to take place.

St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko (NHL Images).

“He realizes this may not happen soon,” Rutherford told Marek. “It may not happen this year, it could happen next offseason, or maybe (Blues general manager) Doug Armstrong never finds the right deal for Vladimir Tarasenko and he plays out the last two years of his contract.”

Boylen observes that the contract is a sticking point. Tarasenko carries an annual average value of $7.5 million, which would be difficult to move right now. There’s also concern over Tarasenko’s recent shoulder surgeries.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There were teams linked to Tarasenko during the offseason that could be monitoring his performance this season. Whether they’ll revisit their rumored interest remains to be seen.

The better Tarasenko plays the more his value in the trade market rises. However, Armstrong won’t trade him if the Blues are in playoff contention this season unless he gets an offer too good to refuse. He’ll entertain offers if his club is out of the postseason chase by the March 21 trade deadline.

Tarasenko’s contract remains a significant issue. His annual cap hit is $7.5 million but he’s earning $9.5 million this season in actual salary. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tarasenko traded next summer when his actual salary for 2022-23 drops to $5.5 million.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Steve Macfarlane cast doubt on recent speculation linking the Flames to Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel. He points out the club’s addition last season of head coach Darryl Sutter indicates rebuilding is not their plan. That suggests they’re not about to give up players in a trade that would significantly hurt their chances of competing this season while they await Eichel’s recovery from disc replacement surgery.

Macfarlane also points to the Flames’ salary-cap constraints plus the Sabres’ high asking price as other key stumbling blocks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t doubt Flames GM Brad Treliving looked into acquiring Eichel. Perhaps he still has a serious interest in the Sabres center.

As Macfarlane noted, however, they’re not going to gut the team if they still hope to be a playoff contender this season. They’re off to a good start thus far (6-1-1) which takes the pressure off Treliving to shake things up. Making the cap dollars fit would also be difficult.

Recent rumors have the Golden Knights and Sabres trying to work out a deal. I don’t think the Flames are in the running here.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch recently reported Senators GM Pierre Dorion is still looking around for help at forward. He has assets with 11 picks in next year’s draft if he wants to do something. Last Sunday, Dorion acquired center Dylan Gambrell from the San Jose Sharks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 31, 2021

by | Oct 31, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 31, 2021

​Recaps of Saturday’s action, commissioner Gary Bettman speaks with Kyle Beach, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: A shootout goal by Charlie Coyle gave the Boston Bruins a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers, snapping the latter’s season-opening eight-game win streak. Coyle also opened the scoring. Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy tied the game with a third-period power-play goal and teammate Taylor Hall collected his 600th career point. Anthony Duclair and Aleksander Barkov tallied for the Panthers, who played without Sam Bennett as he is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog (NHL Images).

The Colorado Avalanche beat the Minnesota Wild 4-1 as captain Gabriel Landeskog led the way with two goals and two assists. Nathan MacKinnon, Erik Johnson and JT Compher each had two points. The Wild have dropped three of their last four contests. Following the game, MacKinnon called on the league to take action against the Wild’s Brandon Duhaime for a dangerous hit on Avs defenseman Bowen Byram.

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 20 saves to pick up his third shutout in his last four starts to blank the Philadelphia Flyers 4-0. Sean Monahan, Elias Lindholm and Rasmus Andersson each collected two points. The Flames extend their record to 6-1-1.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares had a goal and two assists to lead his club over the Detroit Red Wings 5-4. Leafs goalie Petr Mrazek made 27 saves after missing six games with a groin injury. Jake Muzzin and Alexander Kerfoot each had a goal and an assist for the Leafs. Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno also each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings.

Connor McDavid collected an assist to extend his season-opening points streak to seven games as the Edmonton Oilers held off the Vancouver Canucks 2-1. Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins collected his league-leading 10th assist. Warren Foegele and Leon Draisaitl scored for the Oilers while the Canucks’ Brock Boeser netted his club’s only goal.

The New Jersey Devils spoiled the season debut of Sidney Crosby by doubling up the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2. Jesper Bratt snapped a 2-2 tie with a penalty shot late in the third period and teammate Andreas Johnsson netted two goals. Crosby returned to the lineup following offseason wrist surgery.

Timo Meier scored in overtime as the depleted San Jose Sharks nipped the Winnipeg Jets 2-1. Seven Sharks players (including Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic) and head coach Bob Boughner missed the game after testing positive for COVID-19.

Shootout goals by Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi lifted the Nashville Predators over the New York Islanders 3-2. Predators goalie Juuse Saros made 34 saves while Tanner Jeannot tallied twice.

The Los Angeles Kings snapped a six-game winless skid with a 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Alex Iafallo scored twice and collected an assist. The hapless Habs are now 2-7-0 on the season. Following the game, they held a 20-minute players-only meeting followed by a visit by general manager Marc Bergevin.

Torey Krug scored the only goal as the St. Louis Blues nipped the Chicago Blackhawks 1-0. Jordan Binnington kicked out 25 shots for the shutout while Blackhawks goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made 36 saves. The Blackhawks are off to a franchise-worst 0-7-2 start.

HEADLINES

TSN: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke with Kyle Beach yesterday about how the league can better protect its players after Beach came forward last week saying he was sexually assaulted by the Chicago Blackhawks former video coach in 2010. Bettman offered his sincere regrets to Beach and offered the league’s help with psychological services for him and his family.

NHLPA director Donald Fehr also met with Beach yesterday in a separate conference call. They covered the league’s substance abuse and behavioral health program, which didn’t follow up when Beach reported what happened. The NHLPA executive board is meeting on Monday to discuss what happened to Beach.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets will soon face a decision with Cole Sillinger. The promising young forward has already played seven games, leaving the Jackets two more games to decide if they’ll keep him for the remainder of the season or return him to junior. Doing the latter means the first season of his entry-level contract will be deferred to next season.

TSN: The Vegas Golden Knights claimed Michael Amadio off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

THE TENNESSEAN: Long-time Nashville Predators broadcaster Terry Crisp announced he will retire after this season. The former NHL player and coach spent 16 seasons as an in-game analyst before moving to pregame and postgame shows.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 30, 2021

by | Oct 30, 2021

NHL Rumor Mill – October 30, 2021

​The Sabres could finally be close to trading Jack Eichel. Find out the potential trade partners in today’s NHL rumor mill.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports trade discussions between the Buffalo Sabres and Vegas Golden Knights regarding Jack Eichel have been heating up over the last couple of days. Appearing on the Jeff Marek show on Friday, Friedman said he believes the Golden Knights have done their due diligence regarding Eichel’s medical status and would allow him to undergo the disc replacement procedure he seeks.

Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel (NHL Images).

THE ATHLETIC’s Jesse Granger took to Twitter Thursday speculating Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore would be an attractive piece for the Sabres in a hypothetical Eichel trade. He suggested that could be why the Golden Knights re-signed blueliner Zach Whitecloud earlier this week to a six-year contract extension.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Ed Graney took note of recent speculation linking the Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks to Eichel. He wondered how the Knights can make it work financially or whether a third team might need to get involved.

Eichel carries a $10 million annual salary-cap hit through 2025-26, meaning Vegas will have to move some heavy salary to take him on. Once he comes off long-term injury reserve later in the season following his surgery, Max Pacioretty and Alex Tuch will also have come off LTIR by then.

Graney added the Sabres are reportedly asking for something along the lines of multiple draft picks and a top prospect and a defenseman and a forward. Nevertheless, he feels Eichel could be worth it to address Vegas’ need for a first-line center.

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens doesn’t see the Anaheim Ducks parting with promising center Trevor Zegras or defenseman Jamie Drysdale for Eichel. He points out they have the cap space to take on Eichel’s contract. He doesn’t dismiss the possibility of someone like Mason McTavish, Maxime Comtois or Troy Terry being part of the return for the Sabres but isn’t sure the Ducks would part with their 2022 first-round pick.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski reports the Golden Knights could have competition for Eichel. “Don’t sleep on Calgary or Colorado,” said one source.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be very interesting to see how the Golden Knights fit Eichel’s annual average value within their cap payroll for this season and the long term. Cap Friendly shows them sitting above the $81.5 million by over $5.8 million with Pacioretty and Tuch on LTIR. Eichel would obviously go on LTIR during his surgery and recovery but they still have to sort out the dollars when he’s ready to return to action.

Perhaps that involves moving out someone like Theodore ($5.2 million AAV), though that move could weaken their blueline depth. Do they try to move Reilly Smith and his $5 million for this season? His UFA status next summer won’t be enticing for the rebuilding Sabres. Convince Jonathan Marchessault to accept a trade to Buffalo if they’re on his no-trade list? Swing a deal with another team as a third-party broker willing to absorb a big chunk of Eichel’s cap hit?

The Ducks seem like the better destination. They have the cap space, the depth in draft picks and prospects, and their status as a rebuilding club means Eichel’s absence from the lineup during his recovery won’t adversely affect them this season. However, they might not be as keen to chase the high-salaried Eichel as the Golden Knights.

As for the Flames and Avalanche, I wouldn’t rule anything out but they seem to have a weaker hand than the Golden Knights and Ducks. I would be more surprised if Eichel landed with one of them.

Whatever the outcome, here’s hoping there’s a resolution coming soon. Eichel needs surgery to resume his playing career. It should be with a team willing to let him have the procedure he deems best.