NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 20, 2023

by | Jun 20, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 20, 2023

The latest on Adin Hill, Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta, some possible candidates for the 2023 Hall of Fame class, plus updates on Conor Bedard and Matvei Michkov in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports Vegas Golden Knights playoff hero Adin Hill would like to remain with the club he backstopped to the Stanley Cup. The 27-year-old goaltender is due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (NHL Images).

“We’re obviously going to give it the big college try to get him signed in Vegas,” said agent Gerry Johansson. Hill is completing a two-year, $4.35 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly shows the Golden Knights with around $3 million in projected cap space for 2023-24. They’ll get an extra $5 million in wiggle room if goalie Robin Lehner remains on long-term injury reserve for next season.

LeBrun also reports the Carolina Hurricanes are in negotiations with pending free-agent goaltenders Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon and general manager Don Waddell indicated they wanted to keep their roster intact for another shot at winning the Stanley Cup next season. They also have promising Pyotr Kochetkov but LeBrun noted he has one more season of waiver exemption.

TORONTO SUN: Lance Hornby believes the only shoo-in for the Hockey Hall of Fame’s class of 2023 is Henrik Lundqvist. That could open up an opportunity for long-overlooked candidates such as Alexander Mogilny and Curtis Joseph.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Other notables former NHLers who might get a shot this year include Henrik Zetterberg, Pierre Turgeon, Keith Tkachuk, Rod Brind’Amour, Sergei Gonchar, Butch Goring and Tom Barrasso.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Connor Bedard has been named the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Player of the Year for 2023. The 18-year-old center of the WHL’s Regina Pats is expected to be chosen first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the upcoming NHL Draft.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Intrigue continues to swirl about KHL winger Matvei Michkov. A source close to the teams selecting in the top 10 of this year’s NHL Draft said that the Washington Capitals have “seriously aimed” to choose the young Russian with the eighth overall pick if he’s still available by that point.

Michkov is under contract for the next three seasons with KHL club SKA St. Petersburg. He was told not to speak with NHL teams who have asked to meet him. That sparked speculation that he’s trying to manipulate the draft to maneuver his way down to the rankings to play for a certain team. It’s assumed that the club could be the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t know about manipulating the draft but I will commend Michkov for drawing some media attention toward himself in the lead-up to the draft.

GOPHNX.COM: Craig Morgan cites multiple sources claiming the Arizona Coyotes are mulling several sites for a new arena in the Phoenix area. The potential locations are in Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale and on Salt River-Maricopa Indian Community land.

SPORTSNET: Former NHL player Mike Peca will be joining the New York Rangers’ coaching staff. He’s spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Rochester Americans.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Former Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green will reportedly be hired by the New Jersey Devils as an associate coach. He’ll replace Andrew Brunette, who was recently hired as head coach by the Nashville Predators.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins signed goaltender Brandon Bussi to a one-year, two-way contract for 2023-24. The salary at the NHL level is $775K.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bussi’s new contract could stoke recent rumors suggesting the cap-strapped Bruins could trade Linus Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman to free up cap room for other signings.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 19, 2023

by | Jun 19, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 19, 2023

Oddsmakers don’t favor the Golden Knights’ chances of repeating as Stanley Cup champs, Valeri Nichushkin is expected to rejoin the Avalanche, the latest notable draft news and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee headlines.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Oddsmakers aren’t bullish on the Golden Knights’ chances of repeating as Stanley Cup champions. Vegas Insider has the Colorado Avalanche as the favorite to win the Cup in 2024 while the Golden Knights have the sixth-best odds, tied with the Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone raises the Stanley Cup (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You don’t need oddsmakers to tell you how difficult it is in today’s NHL to repeat as Stanley Cup champions or for a defending champ to return to the Final.

Since 1990, only three teams – the Pittsburgh Penguins (1991 and 1992, 2016 and 2017), Detroit Red Wings (1997 and 1998) and Tampa Bay Lightning (2020 and 2021) repeated as Cup champions.

The Penguins and Red Wings faced off in the 2008 and 2009 Finals, with the Wings winning in 2008 and the Penguins the following season.

The Lightning reached the Final in three straight years (2020 to 2022), becoming the first team to do so since the Edmonton Oilers (1983 to 1985).

THE DENVER POST: Sources claim Valeri Nichushkin is expected to rejoin the Colorado Avalanche for 2023-24. The 28-year-old winger left the team before Game 3 of the Avalanche’s first-round series against the Seattle Kraken following an incident involving an intoxicated woman in his Seattle hotel room.

There was no criminal investigation of the incident and Nichushkin is not being investigated by the league. The winger has been out of sight since returning to Denver following the incident while the Avalanche have declined to comment.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nichushkin and the Avalanche will have to face questions from the media about this incident at some point before the start of next season. It remains to be seen how forthcoming they’ll be about this situation.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen admitted he’s received several calls from clubs wondering if he’s willing to trade his first-round pick (third overall) in the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft.

Kekalainen said none of the offers he’s received have convinced him to part with the pick. “I’m 99.9 percent sure that we won’t be trading the pick.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There were also reports last week of the Montreal Canadiens contacting the Anaheim Ducks (second overall) and San Jose Sharks (fourth overall) to gauge their willingness to trade their picks. Perhaps they were among those who contacted Kekalainen about his pick.

One of those clubs could be convinced to move their selection for the right price. Given how rarely those picks are traded, however, I’ll be surprised if any of them are moved between now and the opening round on June 28.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Russian prospect Matvei Michkov avoided meeting with NHL teams and didn’t meet with them after KHL games this season. A gifted offensive winger, the 18-year-old Michkov is considered among the top prospects in this year’s draft and could be among the top-five picks.

Kevin Allen writes that Michkov’s actions have prompted speculation that he’s trying to manipulate the selection process to get to a specific team.

Allen thinks he could be angling to be chosen by the Washington Capitals (eighth overall) for an opportunity to play with Russian superstar Alex Ovechkin.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Michkov also didn’t attend the NHL Draft Combine earlier this month. His agent claims his client will be in attendance at the upcoming NHL Draft.

Rumored character issues plus his lengthy KHL contract could prompt some teams to skip on Michkov, possibly making him available to lower-seeded clubs in the first round.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery admitted he didn’t read his players well during their stunning first-round loss to the underdog Florida Panthers. After rewatching the games, Montgomery said he could tell that the Bruins weren’t anywhere close to playing with the same tempo as they did during their record-breaking regular season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Overconfidence plus injuries to some key players seemed to play a role in the Bruins’ demise against the determined Panthers. After setting the records for most wins (65) and points (135) in the regular season, Boston seemed to have Florida on the ropes after taking a commanding 3-1 series lead.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald disputed the notion that he believes in a salary hierarchy. This comes after he re-signed winger Jesper Bratt to an eight-year extension with an average annual value of $7.87 million, coming in just under center Jack Hughes’ $8 million AAV.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, Timo Meier’s AAV on his next contract could be higher than Hughes’ if he and the Devils agree to a new deal.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 18, 2023

by | Jun 18, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 18, 2023

The Golden Knights celebrate their Stanley Cup win on the Las Vegas Strip, the Panthers believe their playoff run signals better days ahead, the Senators new owner will meet with Daniel Alfredsson, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL/LAS VEGAS SUN: The Vegas Golden Knights celebrated their Stanley Cup win with a parade on Las Vegas’ famous Strip and a rally at Toshiba Plaza on Saturday. Tens of thousands of fans turned out to watch the parade while at least 7,000 fans jammed the plaza.

Vegas Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup parade (NHL.com).

Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault and center William Karlsson were among several players who spoke to the fans during the rally.

THE SCORE: Josh Gold-Smith has clips of the best moments from the Golden Knights Stanley Cup parade.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Despite the disappointment of failing to win the Stanley Cup, the Florida Panthers believe their 2023 playoff run points to a bright future for the franchise. “We can build on this, and we’ll only get better,” said captain Aleksander Barkov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Returning to the Stanley Cup Final is a difficult task. Few teams in the salary cap era are able to maintain a Cup-contending roster.

Salary-cap constraints this season led to the depletion of a Panthers roster that won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2021-22. Management will have more room to maneuver for next season with around $10 million in cap space with all their core players under contract for 2023-23. They’ll likely invest that money in attempting to shore up the supporting cast to match the depth of clubs like the Cup champion Golden Knights.

OTTAWA SUN: Michael Andlauer, the prospective new owner of the Senators, is preparing to meet this week with Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Sens Hall-of-Famer Daniel Alfredsson. He and Sutcliffe are expected to discuss a new arena in the city while his discussions with Alfredsson will be about bringing him into the organization in a possible front-office role.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The discussions with the mayor will likely focus on the size of the arena project and possible locations. Alfredsson, meanwhile, seeks what the report calls a “meaningful” hockey operations role.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Future Hall-of-Fame goaltender Henrik Lundqvist debut his “Open Heart” documentary last week at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film follows Lundqvist, his family and his team members following his open heart surgery and recovery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow this link to see a trailer of Lundqvist’s documentary.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Dawson Mercer has a year remaining on his entry-level contract but Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald hopes to sign the 21-year-old forward to a long-term extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mercer followed up a solid 2021-22 NHL debut (17 goals and 42 points in 82 games) with a 27-goal, 56-point performance in his sophomore season while skating on the Devils’ second line. Given his upside, it’s no wonder Fitzgerald wants to lock the young forward into a lengthy deal before his value rises even higher.

Whether Mercer and his agent will agree remains to be seen. His development projects to a 70-point season in 2023-24 skating alongside Jack Hughes and Timo Meier. Meanwhile, first-line right wing Jesper Bratt just got an eight-year deal worth an average annual salary of over $7.8 million after reaching 73 points for the second straight season.

Mercer won’t get that much but his agent could make the case for a new contract worth between $6 million and $7 million. His camp could also push for a three-year deal so he can cash in again well before his UFA eligibility.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Former Flyers star Simon Gagne has taken over as the new general manager of the Memorial Cup champion Quebec Remparts. He was their assistant coach under head coach and GM Patrick Roy, who recently stepped down from both roles.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 17, 2023

by | Jun 17, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 17, 2023

The Canucks buy out Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Timo Meier seeks a long-term deal with the Devils, the Leafs will discuss a contract extension with head coach Sheldon Keefe, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE PROVINCE/CAP FRIENDLY: The Vancouver Canucks are buying out the contract of defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

The Canucks acquired Ekman-Larsson from the Arizona Coyotes in 2021. He had four seasons remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $8.25 million. Vancouver was carrying $7.26 million while the Coyotes retained the remainder. The buyout will affect the salary-cap payrolls of both clubs for the next eight seasons.

Vancouver Canucks buy out Oliver Ekman-Larsson (NHL Images).

This move was made to free up much-needed cap space for the Canucks, who were sitting above next season’s projected $83.5 million salary cap. It provides $7.1 million in cap room this summer and $4.9 million in 2024-25.

They’ll face a cap hit of over $4.7 million annually in 2025-26 and 2026-27 before dropping to over $2.1 million annually over the remaining four years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks had no choice. They had to create cap room to become cap compliant at the start of next season and to improve their roster after missing the playoffs over the past three years. They obviously couldn’t find any takers for Ekman-Larsson in the trade market because of his contract and the decline in his performance over the past few years. He now becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The Coyotes’ cap hit isn’t as harsh. It’s $20K in 2023-24 and $320K in 2024-25, rising to $650K in 2025-26 and 2026-27 and dropping to $290K for the final four years. However, they lose one of their three retained salary slots over the eight-year period of the buyout.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: NHL teams can only have three contracts with salary retained on their books at any one time. The Coyotes now have two slots remaining.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils filed to take Timo Meier to arbitration but the club could soon have an agreement on a new contract with the 26-year-old winger. General manager Tom Fitzgerald indicated that Meier has instructed his agent to negotiate an eight-year contract with the Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils filed for arbitration to set a date to reach an agreement with Meier on a new contract rather than have it drag out throughout the offseason. The move also prevents the winger from signing his qualifying offer and prevents a rival team from swooping in with an offer sheet.

This report indicates there’s a mutual desire to get a long-term contract done. Fitzgerald indicated both sides are in constant communication.

The arbitration period is from late July into early August. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if the two sides hammer out a new deal by the end of this month.

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs and head coach Sheldon Keefe are expected to discuss a contract extension later this summer. Keefe’s current contract expires at the end of 2023-24.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: So much for Keefe losing his job. It appears the only significant shakeup for the Leafs this summer took place in the management office.

Keefe and Brad Treliving, the Leafs new general manager, are currently interviewing candidates to replace former assistant coach Spencer Carbery, who’s now the head coach of the Washington Capitals.

YAHOO! SPORTS: cited NHL insider Chris Johnston reporting the Leafs are unlikely to re-sign pending unrestricted free agents Michael Bunting, Alex Kerfoot and Justin Holl.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bunting is the most notable of this trio after exceeding expectations on a two-year deal worth $1.9 million. He’s evidently priced himself out of Toronto.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: It appears the Red Wings are unlikely to re-sign any of their pending UFAs. They reportedly made contract offers to Pius Suter and Alex Chiasson but both players passed on those offers.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers re-signed defenseman Zac Jones to a one-year, two-way contract worth $800K in the first season and $825 K in 2024-25.

SPORTS MEDIA WATCH: Game 5 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights was the least-watched Game 5 in 29 years. That game was the Cup-clincher for the Golden Knights as they won the series in five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Critics of the NHL’s expansion into non-traditional markets have pounced on this as proof that hockey fans don’t want to see Stanley Cup Finals involving Sun Belt teams. UFC president Dana White believes it’s because the league is run by “old dumb f**king people who have no idea what’s going on” when it comes to marketing their product.

White’s salty assessment of NHL marketing isn’t without its merits. However, the ratings for Game 1 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final saw an increase of 11 percent compared to the average Cup Final viewership from 2017-21 and was the second-most watched Stanley Cup Final game ever on cable.

I’d argue that the low ratings for Game 5 had more to do with how lopsided this series became as the Golden Knights dominated the underdog Panthers. Three of their five wins were by a margin of at least three goals, with Game 5 a 9-3 blowout in which Vegas was up 6-1 by the end of the second period.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 16, 2023

by | Jun 16, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 16, 2023

The Devils sign Jesper Bratt to an eight-year deal but will take Timo Meier to arbitration, the Senators also elect arbitration for Alex DeBrincat, Jarome Iginla returns to the Flames and John LeClair to the Flyers. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils re-signed Jesper Bratt to an eight-year, $63 million contract on Thursday. The average annual value is $7.87 million.

New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bratt was slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights on July 1. He is completing a one-year contract worth $5.45 million. The cap hit also keeps him below Jack Hughes’ $8 million AAV, which leads all Devils forwards.

The 24-year-old winger’s new contract is front-loaded. He’ll earn $10 million in actual salary next season, declining gradually down to $6 million in 2030-31. He also gets a full no-movement clause from 2024-25 to 2027-28, after which it becomes a 15-team no-trade clause with his no-movement preventing him from being sent to the minors.

It’s a significant investment in Bratt by the Devils. He earned this raise with back-to-back 73-point performances. With their Stanley Cup window opening, they obviously consider the winger to be a key part of their future. It will be money well-invested if Bratt maintains that level of production through most of this contract.

The Devils also filed team-elected arbitration with Timo Meier. They had hoped to get the 26-year-old winger signed up for the same term as Bratt but he seeks more money.

Meier was acquired from the San Jose Sharks before the March trade deadline. The Sharks reportedly went over $9 million annually in their efforts to re-sign him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This report suggests that taking Meier to arbitration is a way of buying time as the two sides continue to negotiate a new contract. The date for his hearing will be sometime in July or August but both sides could hammer out an agreement on a deal before then.

Meier is coming off a four-year contract with an AAV of $6 million. However, he earned $10 million in actual salary, which is what it would’ve cost the Devils to qualify his rights. In the worst-case scenario, the team-elected arbitration would reduce that qualifying offer to $8.5 million as one-year arbitration awards can be at 85 percent of the QO.

This move also ensures Meier won’t receive an offer sheet. Given how high his qualifying offer amount would’ve been, it’s doubtful that any club would’ve attempted to go that route.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators are taking winger Alex DeBrincat to team-elected arbitration. If the two sides fail to reach an agreement on a new contract, the arbitration award would be 85 percent of his $9 million qualifying offer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: DeBrincat, 25, earned $6.4 million annually on his current contract but $9 million in actual salary this season. The report also indicates the Senators are actively shopping him and would prefer to get a deal done before July 1.

If they’re unable to move him, getting him signed to a one-year deal at $7.65 million provides them with cap flexibility to add another player. It would also perhaps make him more enticing as a trade candidate.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Jarome Iginla has returned to the Flames as the special advisor to general manager Craig Conroy. The all-time franchise leader in scoring and games played, the popular former captain was traded by the Flames to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2013.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Iginla spent 16 of his 20 NHL seasons in Calgary. He retired as a player in 2018 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.

It was long assumed that Iginla might one day return to the Flames in a front-office role. Conroy said he and his former teammate used to talk about one day working together in the NHL.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers yesterday announced John LeClair is returning to the club as a special advisor of hockey operations. He spent 10 seasons with the Flyers from 1994-95 to 2003-04, scoring 333 goals and 310 assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeClair was part of the Flyers’ famed “Legion of Doom” line alongside Eric Lindros and Mikael Renberg. He’s among their single-season leaders in goals (51) and career leaders in goals and points (643).

LeClair joins general manager Daniel Briere, president of hockey operations Keith Jones and special advisor to hockey ops Patrick Sharp among former Flyers recently hired to front-office roles.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad will undergo shoulder surgery that could keep him out of training camp in September. He expects to be ready to go by the time the regular season begins in October.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekblad is the second Panthers blueliner undergoing shoulder surgery. However, he’s expected to be ready to return in time for the start of training camp.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars traded forward Fredrik Olofsson’s rights to the Colorado Avalanche for future considerations. They also re-signed goaltender Matt Murray to a one-year, two-way contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No, not that Matt Murray, Leafs fans…

NHL.COM: The order of selection for all seven rounds of the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft has been released. Round one begins on June 28 with the following six rounds on June 29.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bear in mind that this list could be revised if there are trades involving 2023 draft picks leading up to June 28.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Tampa Bay Lightning are reportedly set to sell a minority stake of their franchise to private equity group Arctos Sports Partners for a record $1.4 billion.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Last fall, Forbes indicated that 14 of the NHL’s 32 teams were valued at $1 billion or higher, with the Lightning sitting 14th at $1 billion. Selling their minority stake for more than its estimated value will have a ripple effect on the value of the other NHL franchises.

ESPN.COM: Las Vegas police arrested a man who threatened to carry out a mass shooting at T-Mobile Arena just four hours before Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final was played there.

Court records indicate the man has arrests in Las Vegas on various charges stretching back to 2014. He was also arrested last October on a felony charge of threatening an act of terrorism or mass destruction.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 15, 2023

by | Jun 15, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 15, 2023

Updates on the Golden Knights and Panthers following the Stanley Cup Final, Jason Spezza joins the Penguins, the Blue Jackets hire Niklas Backstrom, Henri Richard posthumously diagnosed with CTE and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP FINAL WRAPUP

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo celebrated his club’s Stanley Cup victory with his four-year-old daughter Evelyn. He revealed that he was ready to give up his playing career six months ago as Evelyn battled encephalitis in November, stripping her of her motor skills.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (NHL Images).

Pietrangelo took time off from the Golden Knights to be with Evelyn for however long it took for her recovery. Fortunately, she responded well to treatment and he returned to the Golden Knights in Dec. 17 following a nine-game absence.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will take months before Evelyn has fully recuperated but she appears to be well on her way toward a complete recovery.

DAILY FACEOFF: Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault received 13 of 18 first-place votes for the Conn Smythe Trophy from the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA). Teammate Jack Eichel received the other five votes.

LAS VEGAS SUN: The Golden Knights Stanley Cup parade and rally will take place on Las Vegas Boulevard (aka The Strip) on Saturday, June 17 at 7 pm local time.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers are disappointed over the way their playoff run ended but they’re determined to become Stanley Cup champions. “We want to be that group that celebrates,” said Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov. “I want to say we’ll be back here and we’ll lift the Cup. We will get back to work with this same group and it’ll be fun again.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Salary-cap constraints and the upcoming free-agent market will put a dent into the Panthers roster. The series with Vegas revealed their need to bolster their depth (especially their defense corps) but the roster core remains intact for 2023-24. That will provide a solid group for management to build around but it could take time before they’re back in the Cup Final.

It was also revealed that forward Sam Bennett was playing hurt in the postseason, joining Matthew Tkachuk, Aaron Ekblad, Brandon Montour and Radko Gudas among their walking wounded. Forward Eetu Luostarinen missed the Stanley Cup Final with a lower-leg injury.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported Montour played with a torn labrum in his shoulder that required surgery. He could be sidelined for three months.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Montour undergoes surgery in June he could be recovered before the start of the season in October.

IN OTHER NEWS…

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins named Jason Spezza as their new assistant general manager. Spezza spent last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a special assistant to then-general manager Kyle Dubas, who is now the Penguins’ president of hockey operations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I doubt anyone’s surprised that Spezza followed Dubas to Pittsburgh. He resigned from his position with the Leafs following Dubas’ firing as general manager.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets officially named former NHL goaltender Niklas Backstrom as their new goaltending coach. His priority will be to help starting goaltender Elvis Merzlikins bounce back from a disastrous performance in 2022-23. He must also help in the development of promising Daniil Tarasov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise here. Backstrom was rumored to become the Jackets’ new goalie coach for the past several days.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens star Henri Richard was posthumously diagnosed with advanced CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a degenerative brain disease associated with concussions and repeated head trauma.

Richard played 20 seasons with the Canadiens and won 11 Stanley Cups. He’s the 16th of 17 deceased players found to have CTE, including Bob Probert, Stan Mikita and Ralph Backstrom.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has maintained that there is no proven link between playing competitive hockey and long-term brain trauma.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Don’t expect Richard’s posthumous CTE diagnosis to change Bettman’s tune. Doing so would open up the league to lawsuits from the families of those deceased players and from living players whose careers were ended by concussion-related injuries.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Hockey Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek traveled to war-torn Ukraine at the country’s request. “I went to support Ukraine and Ukrainian hockey,” said Hasek. “So it can be played this year and next winter so that new halls can be built.” He’s calling on the NHL to help Ukraine rebuild its hockey infrastructure following the end of the current conflict.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The St. Louis Blues hired former NHL defenseman Mike Weber as an assistant coach and Michael Babcock as skills coach. Weber spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. Babcock (son of veteran NHL coach Mike Babcock) was a development coach with the Ottawa Senators.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Ethan Bear will undergo shoulder surgery this month. It’s believed his recovery could be four-to-five months. Bear is slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers made qualifying offers to five players, including Noah Cates, Morgan Frost and Cam York.

TSN: The NHL’s first contract buyout window opens on June 15 and runs through June 30 at 5 pm ET.

PUCK PEDIA: The arbitration walk-away number will remain at $4,538,958. Teams can walk away from any arbitration ruling above that rate.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Tickets are on sale for the 2024 NHL Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Jan. 1, 2024.