NHL Playoffs: Flyers Can Send Canadiens Packing in Game 5
NHL Playoffs: Flyers Can Send Canadiens Packing in Game 5
NHL Rumor Mill – August 19, 2020
NHL Rumor Mill – August 19, 2020
Trade speculation continues to percolate about the Penguins, plus the latest on the Sabres and Blackhawks in today’s NHL rumor mill.
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: In a recent mailbag segment, Dan Kingerski was asked which member of the Pittsburgh Penguins was likely to be traded. He considers goalie Matt Murray the most likely candidate, suggesting he might be packaged with defenseman Jack Johnson but they wouldn’t get much in return.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (NHL Images).
Kingerski also didn’t rule out the possibility of Kris Letang being moved, despite general manager Jim Rutherford’s insistence he’d keep his veteran core intact. However, he hasn’t heard any trade talk or speculation. He also suggested they might move Patric Hornqvist if they got a decent offer but not as a salary dump.
TRIBLIVE.COM: Mark Madden said he wouldn’t be surprised if the Penguins moved Bryan Rust, who’s coming off a career-high 27-goal performance. He also believes they’d like to move Hornqvist’s contract. He’s got three years left on his contract with over $15 million in total salary remaining.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Everyone expects Murray will be traded in the offseason, but his injury history and inconsistency will affect his trade value. He’s also a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.
Interested clubs might prefer Murray was under contract before acquiring him. That could mean getting permission from the Penguins to talk contract with his agent before making a trade. I don’t believe anyone will be interested in taking Johnson in that deal unless an additional sweetener was added, but I doubt even that would be tempting to a rival GM.
Letang’s age (33), contract ($7.25 million through 2021-22), limited no-trade clause, and injury history should ensure he remains in Pittsburgh. Hornqvist might entice clubs seeking an experienced, gritty veteran forward, but his contract could be a turn-off in a flat-cap year. According to Cap Friendly, he also has a full no-trade clause.
Rust could be the easiest to move. The 28-year-old winger carries a cap-friendly $3.5 million annual average value through 2021-22 and lacks no-trade protection. Despite his career year, however, rival general managers could be leery of acquiring him if they feel he won’t replicate those stats away from Evgeni Malkin.
THE BUFFALO NEWS: In a recent mailbag segment, Lance Lysowski was asked which defenseman the Sabres will trade in the offseason. Lysowski believed Brandon Montour as the likely candidate as he struggled to fit into coach Ralph Kruger’s system. The 26-year-old blueliner is a restricted free agent.
Lysowski doubts Montour will fetch anything like the first-round pick the Sabres gave up to acquire him from the Anaheim Ducks. However, trading him would free up cap space and could help them land a valuable forward.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was speculation the Sabres might not qualify Montour’s rights, but GM Kevyn Adams quickly dismissed that possibility. Adams could try to swap Montour for a forward. Failing that, he could move him for a draft pick or prospect and use the money that would’ve gone toward re-signing him for a forward via free agency or the trade market.
NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Charlie Roumeliotis observed the Blackhawks have a lot of holes to repair on their roster, especially on defense. He noted they gave up the most even-strength scoring chances on a per-60 minute basis for the second straight year but were bailed out by their goaltending. He feels fixing that issue should once again be their priority.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: As always, limited salary-cap space will hamper GM Stan Bowman’s efforts. Cap Friendly indicates they’ve got over $74 million invested in 19 players, with Corey Crawford, Dylan Strome, and Calder Trophy finalist Dominik Kubalik to re-sign. Bowman will likely prioritize getting Crawford and Kubalik under contract but could be forced to shop Strome or a salaried player to free up cap room for some defensive help.
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 19, 2020
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 19, 2020
The Golden Knights eliminate the Blackhawks, the Capitals stave off elimination by the Isles, the Flyers and Stars are on the verge of advancing, and the hockey world mourns Dale Hawerchuk in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Alex Tuch’s third-period goal snapped a 3-3 tie as the Vegas Golden Knights edged the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 to win Game 5 and their opening-round series. The Golden Knights overcame 2-0 and 3-2 deficit. Max Pacioretty had a goal and an assist for Vegas, who face the Western Conference’s lowest-remaining seed in the next round.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A well-earned series victory by the Golden Knights over a plucky, but over-matched Blackhawks club. Vegas dominated the play through most of this series and probably would’ve swept it if not for Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford, who likely earned a new contract with the Hawks following his strong postseason play.
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).
The Washington Capitals avoided being swept by the New York Islanders as they rallied from a 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 win in Game 4 of their first-round series. Evgeny Kuznetsov sparked the comeback by cutting the deficit to 2-1, setting the stage for Alex Ovechkin’s game-tying and game-winning goals. Isles winger Cal Clutterbuck left the game in the second period following a low hit by Capitals defenseman Radko Gudas. An update on his condition is expected today.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Isles seemed to have this game in the bag after taking a 2-0 lead into the second period, but their energy sagged as the desperate Capitals fought back, dominating the Isles at even strength. It’ll be interesting to see if the Caps can maintain that energy in Game 5 on Thursday.
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart become the second-youngest goaltender in NHL history to post back-to-back playoff shutouts as he and his teammates blanked the Montreal Canadiens 2-0 in Game 4 of their first-round series. Hart made 29 saves while Michael Raffl and Philippe Myers scored.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow this link for my take of Game 4. The Flyers lead the series 3-1 and can wrap things up tonight in Game 5.
The Dallas Stars took a 3-2 series lead over the Calgary Flames by hanging on for a 2-1 victory in Game 5. John Klingberg’s third-period goal held up as the winner while Anton Khudobin made 28 saves.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars have done a good job stifling the Flames’ top scorers. Johnny Gaudreau has just three points (two of those in one game) while Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm have been limited to two assists each. The Flames also miss feisty sidelined winger Matthew Tkachuk.
HEADLINES
WINNIPEG SUN: Dale Hawerchuk passed away at age 57 from stomach cancer. The Hall-of-Famer spent 16 seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, and Philadelphia Flyers, amassing 518 goals and 1,409 points in 1,188 games. It was with the Jets that he had his best seasons, with six 100-plus point seasons in nine years in Winnipeg, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1981-82. He also played for Team Canada in their memorable 1987 Canada Cup series with the Soviet Union. Hawerchuk went on to coach the OHL’s Barrie Colts from 2010-11 until his illness forced him to step down in 2019.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Hawerchuk’s family and friends. He was overshadowed during his prime by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, but he was among the NHL’s top centers during the 1980s, as well as the Jets’ franchise player.
STLTODAY.COM: Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko has returned to St. Louis to have his surgically-repaired left shoulder reevaluated. He won’t return for the remainder of his club’s series against the Vancouver Canucks and could be sidelined even longer.
NBC SPORTS BOSTON: There’s a chance Bruins winger David Pastrnak could suit up for today’s Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s been sidelined with an undisclosed injury since Game 1.
Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said F Conor Garland did not practice today and his status for Game 5 is uncertain. Same thing for F Nick Schmaltz, who has not played in this postseason.
— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) August 18, 2020
NHL Playoffs: Flyers Blank Canadiens To Take 3-1 Series Lead
NHL Playoffs: Flyers Blank Canadiens To Take 3-1 Series Lead
NHL Playoffs: Flyers Look to Widen Lead Over Canadiens in Game 4
NHL Playoffs: Flyers Look to Widen Lead Over Canadiens in Game 4
NHL Rumor Mill – August 18, 2020
NHL Rumor Mill – August 18, 2020
A look at off-season questions for several teams eliminated during the qualifying round, plus the latest on the Ottawa Senators in today’s NHL rumor mill.
SPORTSNET: Rory Boylen examined one big off-season question for each club eliminated during the qualifying round. Among the noteworthy:
What kind of return could Kaspari Kapanen fetch for the Toronto Maple Leafs? (NHL Images)
Regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boylen asked what kind of defenseman they’ll add. Given the flat cap and the free-agent pool would be difficult to wade into, Boylen suggested the trade market could be their best option. He wonders if Kaspari Kapanen or Alex Kerfoot become trade bait, and what type of return they might fetch.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kapanen or Kerfoot at best could bring a second-pairing right-side defenseman. They won’t bring in a top-pairing guy unless they’re packaged with a first-round pick and/or a top prospect, and they’ll have to target a team in need of shedding salary.
Whoever becomes the Florida Panthers’ next general manager has a lot of work to do. The defense is a problem area, plus they have to decide what to do with free agent wingers Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Hoffman. Boylen wonders if they’ll be replaced by rookies if ownership decides to cut payroll.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Things are a mess with the Panthers. We can’t really get a bead on their intentions until they’ve hired a new GM.
The Winnipeg Jets need more size on their blueline. Boylen wonders if GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will try to address that issue.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets have over $65 million invested in next year’s payroll and all their core players under contract. There’s room to make an addition or two, but a bigger move would require shipping out a notable player as part of the return. However, he could get more cap flexibility if sidelined center Bryan Little is placed on LTIR next season.
Boylen noted Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin was dissatisfied with his goaltending. He mused about whether Guerin will promote promising Kaapo Kahkonen or explore the free-agent market.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild’s current goalie tandem of Devan Dubnyk and Alex Stalock is under contract for next season. One of them would have to be moved to make room for Kahkonen or someone else. Dubnyk ($4.333 million AAV for 2020-21) has a 19-team list of preferred trade destinations, but his performance this season remains a stumbling block. Stalock’s cap hit ($785K annually through 2021-22) could be the easiest to move.
OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Senators owner Eugene Melnyk rejected rumors suggesting his club might offer up the third- and fifth overall picks to the New York Rangers for the first-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, calling the notion “nonsensical.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers would probably reject that offer anyway. It could take a significant pitch to pry that pick away from them.