NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 7, 2022

by | Oct 7, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 7, 2022

Recaps of Thursday’s preseason action, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman weighs in on Hockey Canada scandal as more sponsors withdraw support for the organization, and more in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.

PRESEASON GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Claude Giroux’s third-period goal stood as the game-winner as the Ottawa Senators held off the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in the Kraft Hockeyville game in Gander, NL. Tim Stutzle led the way with a goal and two assists for the Senators.

Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle (NHL Images).

The New York Islanders downed the New Jersey Devils 5-2. Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty and Noah Dobson each had a goal and an assist while Semyon Varlamov made 26 saves.

A third-period power-play goal by Brandon Montour lifted the Florida Panthers over the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 38 saves in a losing cause while defenseman Mikhail Sergachev left the game in the first period with an undisclosed injury.

The Columbus Blue Jackets thumped the St. Louis Blues 7-0. Andrew Peeke collected four assists while Daniil Tarasov turned in a 24-save shutout.

Mats Zuccarello, Marco Rossi and Sam Steel each had a goal and an assist to give the Minnesota Wild a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Reilly Smith scored twice and collected an assist in a 6-4 win against the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Eichel and Mark Stone each collected two assists. Kings defenseman Sean Durzi had a goal and two assists.

HEADLINES

MONTREAL GAZETTE: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman weighed in on Hockey Canada’s ongoing scandal over its handling of sexual assault allegations involving players of Canada’s 2003 and 2018 World Junior teams and its refusal to implement a change in its leadership.

“I think the response from Hockey Canada certainly needs work”, said Bettman, who was in Gander for the game between the Senators and Canadiens. “I’m not sure I fully understand why they’re responding the way they are.”

Bettman said he was very disappointed at the current state of affairs with Hockey Canada. The league is conducting its own investigation into the situation. The commissioner wouldn’t speculate on what might happen to those junior players who could have been involved in the alleged sexual assaults who are now playing in the NHL. He indicated that will be determined once he’s received and read the final report.

THE GLOBE & MAIL: Hockey Canada continues to lose support from corporate sponsors. Esso, Canadian Tire, Sobeys and Chevrolet Canada joined Tim Hortons, Scotiabank and Telus in withdrawing support for men’s hockey for 2022-23, with Canadian Tire permanently taking away its support.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Hockey Nova Scotia joined Hockey Quebec and the Ontario Hockey Federation in formally suspending fees it pays to Hockey Canada. “Until our values at Hockey Nova Scotia are reflected by Hockey Canada’s senior leadership, we simply cannot support hockey’s national governing body,” the organization said in a statement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hockey Manitoba has called for the resignation of Hockey Canada’s senior leadership but Hockey Canada still stubbornly refuses to heed those calls. It’s growing more costly for the organization and could lead to its total downfall and potential replacement with a new national governing body.

NHL.COM’s Dave McCarthy reports Anaheim Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said that Trevor Zegras is expected to join his teammates in a full practice on Friday. The 21-year-old center has been sidelined since suffering an injury during a preseason game on Monday.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov and winger T.J. Oshie are listed as day-to-day with injuries.

THE ATHLETIC: Montreal Canadiens winger Paul Byron could end up on long-term injury reserve due to an ongoing hip injury. The 33-year-old is in the final season of his contract with an average annual value of $3.4 million.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers released winger Jake Virtanen from his professional tryout offer.

They also announced former Oilers defenseman Steve Staios has been hired as a special advisor with a focus on prospect development. Staios was president and general manager of the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, who won the OHL championship in 2022.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames released forwards Sonny Milano and Cody Eakin from their professional tryout offers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 6, 2022

by | Oct 6, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 6, 2022

Recaps of Wednesday’s preseason games, Hockey Canada faces growing criticism as sponsors distance themselves from the organization, the Stars sign Jason Robertson to a four-year contract, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I underwent surgery on Oct. 5 to repair damaged tendons in my left hand. It was similar to the procedure I had in February. As a result, it could take a little longer to post my daily updates over the next few days. Please bear with me. As always, I appreciate your support.

RECAPS OF PRESEASON GAMES

NHL.COM: A third-period goal by Mike Reilly broke a 4-4 tie as the Boston Bruins nipped the New York Rangers 5-4. Bruins forwards David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha each had a goal and two assists. Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko both scored twice for the Rangers.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

The Washington Capitals doubled up the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 on third-period goals by Connor Brown and Alex Ovechkin. It was a costly win for the Capitals as winger T.J. Oshie left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We could hear an update on Oshie’s status later today after he’s been reevaluated by the Capitals’ medical staff.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender David Rittich made 37 saves to backstop his club to a 5-0 shutout of the Calgary Flames. Kyle Connor scored twice and Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and two assists.

Third-period goals by Logan O’Connor and Mikko Rantanen lifted the Colorado Avalanche over the Dallas Stars 2-1. Alexandar Georgiev got the win with a 32-save performance.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored two third-period goals (including the game-winner) in a 5-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Canucks captain Bo Horvat collected three assists. Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist.

SPONSORS AND TWO PROVINCES WITHDRAW SUPPORT FROM HOCKEY CANADA.

CBC.CA: Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said it “boggles the mind” that Hockey Canada continues to defend its leadership amid ongoing accusations of its mishandling of sexual assault allegations against a number of junior hockey players.

“Parents across the country are losing faith or have lost faith in Hockey Canada,” said Trudeau. “Certainly, politicians here in Ottawa have lost in Hockey Canada.”

Canada’s sports minister Pascale St-Onge believed mass resignations by Hockey Canada’s leadership are necessary to restore trust in the organization. If they continue to dig in its heels, she called upon Hockey Canada’s voting members to clean house.

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Hockey Quebec and the Ontario Hockey Federation are pulling their support from Hockey Canada and moving to withhold registration fees from the national federation. Meanwhile, Tim Hortons, Telus and Scotiabank announced Wednesday that they will be suspending their sponsorship of men’s hockey for the 2022-23 season.

TSN: Rick Westhead reports a group of Hockey Canada’s sponsors is discussing the possibility of permanently suspending their business relationships with the national sports organization, using the “reputational damage” clauses in their contracts.

THE ATHLETIC: Ken Volden, a senior executive at TSN, acknowledged that the network’s business operations have been affected by its coverage of the Hockey Canada scandal. However, the network will continue to pursue the story.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The ongoing damage to Hockey Canada worsens the longer it continues to keep its head in the sand. Suppose the outcry by politicians and the public won’t force the organization to implement change in its leadership. In that case, the withdrawal of funding by the provinces and major corporate sponsors should do it.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars signed winger Jason Robertson to a four-year, $31 million contract. The average annual value is $7.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson gets a hefty raise over his entry-level AAV of $894K. He earned it by becoming one of the Stars’ top players. He was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2020-21 with 45 points in 51 games and tallied 41 goals and 79 points as a sophomore last season.

This deal also sets up the 23-year-old for a more lucrative payday on a longer-term contract. He’ll earn $9.3 million in actual salary in the final year of this deal, meaning it’ll cost the Stars that much to qualify his rights.

Speaking of the Stars, goaltender Anton Khudobin has a clean bill of health after recovering from off-season hip surgery. He could be showcased for a trade or placed on waivers and demoted to their AHL affiliate Texas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Scott Wedgewood has nailed down the backup role behind young starter Jake Oettinger.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki and teammates Joel Armia and Emil Heineman are listed as day-to-day with upper-body injuries. The Canadiens also announced the signing of 2021 first-round pick Logan Mailloux to an entry-level contract. He will spend the coming season with his junior team in London, Ontario.

The Columbus Blue Jackets released center Victor Rask from his professional tryout offer.

THE SCORE: Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis isn’t ruling out Shane Wright playing the full season in the NHL. The 18-year-old center was considered the top prospect heading into the 2022 draft but was selected fourth overall by the Kraken.

DAILY FACEOFF: The NHL department of player safety fined Arizona Coyotes forward Michael Carone $2,027.23 for roughing Vegas Golden Knights forward Gage Quinney in a preseason game on Tuesday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 5, 2022

by | Oct 5, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 5, 2022

Recaps of Tuesday’s preseason games, reaction to Mathew Barzal’s contract extension with the Islanders, Sidney Crosby relieved over the Penguins retaining Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PRESEASON RECAPS

NHL.COM: Goaltender Adin Hill made 50 saves to backstop the Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Hill made 26 saves in the second period.

Anaheim Ducks forward Derek Grant scored and collected three assists to lead his club past the Los Angeles Kings 5-4.

The Ottawa Senators held off the Montreal Canadiens 5-4. Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat each had a goal and an assist. Nick Suzuki collected two assists for the Canadiens.

St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and an assist as his club doubled up the Minnesota Wild 4-2.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson had a “Gordie Howe hat trick” (goal, assist, fight) to down the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2. Hurricanes defenseman Dylan Coghlan left the game with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Noah Dobson lifted the New York Islanders to a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Josh Bailey had a goal and two assists for the Isles.

New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (NHL Images).

The San Jose Sharks defeated Eisbaren Berlin 3-1 in the NHL Global Series Challenge in Berlin.

HEADLINES

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The New York Islanders signed Mathew Barzal on Tuesday to an eight-year, $73.2 million contract extension. Cap Friendly indicates the 25-year-old center’s new deal begins in 2023-24 and carries an average annual value of $9.15 million. It also comes with a 22-team no-trade list beginning in 2024-25.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a significant raise for Barzal, who is in the final season of a three-year deal with an AAV of $7 million. It ensures he’ll spend his playing prime with the Islanders.

Barzal was thrilled to be staying with the Islanders. “I love it here. I genuinely do,” he said, praising management, his teammates, the club’s new arena and the city as well. “There’s really no other place I’d rather be,” said Barzal.

His new contract raised concern over the effect it’ll have on the Islanders’ salary-cap payroll. Some observers feel they overpaid for his services.

The Islanders will feel the pinch in 2023-24. The salary cap is only rising by $1 million to $83.5 million and they already have $73.4 million invested in 17 players. However, the cap is projected to rise to $87.5 million in 2024-25 and $92 million by 2025-26. The Isles currently have $54.1 invested in 11 players for ’24-’25 and $36.6 million committed to seven players for ’25-’26. Barzal’s contract still takes a big chunk out of their cap payroll but it should be easier to carry it if the cap reaches or exceeds those forecasted levels.

Barzal’s new contract will also have an effect on comparable players such as Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and carries a $6.1 million annual cap hit on his current deal.

ESPN.COM: Sidney Crosby is relieved the Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed long-time teammates and core players Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang during the summer. The Penguins captain admitted he was concerned one or both would test the free-agent market.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich will undergo shoulder surgery and is expected to be sidelined for six months.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks released defenseman Danny DeKeyser from his professional tryout offer and placed goaltender Collin Delia on waivers.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: A strong training camp earned Canadiens prospect Owen Beck a three-year entry-level contract. The 18-year-old center was selected in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft. He’s expected to be returned to his OHL team for this season.

TORONTO SUN: Long-time Boston Bruins scout Bob Tindall passed away in Toronto at age 86. Glen Murray, Don Sweeney, Andrew Raycroft and Kevyn Adams were among those he scouted who would be drafted by the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Tindall’s family, friends and the Bruins organization.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 4, 2022

by | Oct 4, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 4, 2022

Recaps of Monday’s noteworthy preseason games, Flames coach praises Jonathan Huberdeau, Senators goalie Cam Talbot sidelined, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PRESEASON GAMES RECAP

NHL.COM: Roman Josi scored two goals to lead the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 victory over SC Bern in the NHL Global Series Challenge in Switzerland on Monday.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers rookie Dylan Holloway collected a hat trick to lead his club over the Vancouver Canucks 7-2. Warren Foegele tallied twice and Zach Hyman had a three-point game.

The Carolina Hurricanes thumped the Columbus Blue Jackets 8-1. Martin Necas led the way with two goals and two assists while Derick Brassard and Brent Burns each collected three points. Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce left the game with a lower-body injury.

William Nylander and Alex Kerfoot each scored two goals as the Toronto Maple Leafs romped to a 5-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Vitek Vanecek kicked out 24 shots to shut out the Boston Bruins 1-0. Tomas Tatar tallied the only goal.

The Pittsburgh Penguins nipped the Detroit Red Wings 3-2. Casey DeSmith picked up the win with a 36-save performance.

Colorado Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen scored twice in a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Avs goalie Pavel Francouz made 38 stops.

Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves as the Calgary Flames downed the Seattle Kraken 4-1.

HEADLINES

CALGARY SUN: Flames head coach Darryl Sutter had high praise for Jonathan Huberdeau. He called the 29-year-old left winger “probably the best passer that this team has had in maybe ever.” Sutter compared his playmaking to that of Hall-of-Famer Denis Savard. Huberdeau was acquired from the Florida Panthers in July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That also seemed like a bit of a shot against Johnny Gaudreau, who departed the Flames in July for the Columbus Blue Jackets as a free agent. Gaudreau sits fifth on the Flames’ all-time assist list with 399.

Speaking of the Flames, they claimed forward Radim Zohorna off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators goaltending depth suffered a blow as Cam Talbot will be sidelined five-to-seven weeks with a suspected broken rib. The 35-year-old netminder suffered the injury during a recent practice. Senators general manager Pierre Dorion claimed goalie Magnus Hellberg off waivers from the Seattle Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Talbot was supposed to share the goaltending duties with Anton Forsberg for this season. Hellberg has just five games of NHL experience since 2013-14.

TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets released winger James Neal from his professional tryout contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 35-year-old Neal has 269 goals and 559 points in 869 career NHL games. However, he saw limited playing time over the past two seasons and missed 15 games in 2021-22 with an upper-body injury. This could be the end of his NHL career if no other club takes an interest in him.

GOPHNX.COM: Nick Schmaltz is among three Arizona Coyotes players listed as day-to-day with lower-body injuries. Speaking of the Coyotes, ARIZONA SPORTS reports they’ve hired Kurtis Foster and Jeff Shantz as player development coaches.

CBS SPORTS: Vegas Golden Knights forward William Carrier remains sidelined with an upper-body injury suffered during Sunday’s preseason game against the Avalanche.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Seattle Kraken signed winger Daniel Sprong to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level.

ESPN.COM: The NHL is debuting digitally enhance dasherboards (DEDs) this season. It is a digital replacement of camera-visible arena dasherboard ads within local, national and international NHL game broadcasts. It will allow broadcasts to erase ads on all boards visible to TV cameras and replace them with their own advertisements.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move is part of the NHL’s push to expand its revenue streams. In an interview with Sports Business Journal, league commissioner Gary Bettman said the potential revenue growth from DEDs will be in the tens of millions and could reach hundreds of millions over time.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers are donating all proceeds from ticket sales to their Thursday preseason game against the Tampa Bay Lightning to the ongoing Hurricane Ian relief efforts.

STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues announced they’re establishing a Hall of Fame to honor and pay tribute to the legends of the franchise. Eight former players – Al MacInnis, Bob Gassoff, Bob Plager, Barclay Plager, Brian Sutter, Brett Hull, Bernie Federko and Chris Pronger – will be automatically inducted.

THE GLOBE & MAIL: Several years after Hockey Canada drew on player registration fees to set up a fund to cover sexual assault claims and other lawsuits, it channeled a significant portion of those fees into a second multi-million dollar fund for similar purposes. Hockey Canada did not disclose this fund during testimony before a Parliamentary committee this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: How much longer will this Hockey Canada shit show roll on before its’ leadership is finally brought to account? How much more toxic does the culture have to get? How many more people have to be hurt? How much more money must be poured into secret accounts to cover the legal costs of lawsuits? How much more damage must be done to an organization supposedly dedicated to growing the game of hockey in Canada? How much more trust must be eroded? What more does it take?










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 3, 2022

by | Oct 3, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 3, 2022

Recaps of Sunday’s preseason games, Bruins winger Taylor Hall sidelined longer than expected, Jaromir Jagr could be hanging up his skates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

PRESEASON GAMES RECAP

NHL.COM: The Minnesota Wild blanked the Chicago Blackhawks 3-0. Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 12 stops to shut out his former team. Blackhawks netminder Petr Mrazek made 30 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mrazek is hoping a new stretching routine will improve his flexibility and reduce his injury risk. He’s been frequently sidelined over the past two seasons.

The Blackhawks also learned yesterday that Boris Katchouk will miss four-to-six weeks with a sprained left ankle. The 24-year-old winger suffered the injury during Saturday’s preseason contest against the Detroit Red Wings.

New York Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield tallied what proved to be the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game marked John Tortorella’s first of the preseason behind the Flyers bench. He’d spent the previous four contests observing his club’s performance from the coaches box. I daresay Tortorella isn’t too pleased with what he’s seen thus far. The Flyers have won just once in their five preseason contests and scored just five goals.

Boston Bruins winger Taylor Hall (NHL Images).

Jonathan Quick made 24 saves to backstop the Los Angeles Kings to a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Urho Vaakanainen could soon return to the Ducks lineup. The 23-year-old defenseman was stretchered from the ice after crashing into the end boards during Friday’s preseason game against the San Jose Sharks. He was taken to a hospital for observation but was released on the same night.

HEADLINES

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins winger Taylor Hall is listed as week-to-week after suffering an upper-body injury during Saturday’s preseason game against the Flyers. Rookie winger Fabian Lysell also left that game and is listed as day-to-day.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall could miss the start of the season next week. The Bruins will also be without Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk as they are still recovering from offseason surgeries.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Brian Hedger tweeted that Blues Jackets forward Gustav Nyquist is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

TORONTO STAR: Maple Leafs goaltenders Matt Murray and Erik Kallgren wore specialized goggles during training yesterday. They are designed to reduce their peripheral vision as a puck-tracking technique.

THE MERCURY NEWS: The San Jose Sharks left veterans Alexander Barabonov and Markus Nutivaara behind as they traveled to Czechia for their season-opening games against the Nashville Predators. Injuries sideline both players and questionable to join their teammates for those upcoming games.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning returned to Tampa Bay to resume training camp. They moved camp to Nashville last week ahead of Hurricane Ian which battered Florida.

DAILY FACEOFF: Jaromir Jagr is mulling retirement from hockey. The 50-year-old forward has spent the past five seasons playing for the Kladno Knights in Czechia. He also owns the club and helped them play their way into Czechia’s top league.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jagr’s last NHL season was in 2017-18 with the Calgary Flames before being loaned to Kladno midway through that campaign. He’s one of the greatest players in hockey history but hasn’t been elected into the Hall of Fame because he’s still maintained his playing career.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2022

by | Oct 2, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2022

Recapping notable news from Saturday’s preseason games, the Canadiens sign Jake Allen to a contract extension, the Jets unveil a statue of Dale Hawerchuk, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PRESEASON HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTABLE HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Alex DeBrincat scored twice, including the winner in overtime, as the Ottawa Senators overcame a 4-2 deficit to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4. Those goals were DeBrincat’s first with the Senators since being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in July.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen (NHL Images).

Speaking of the Canadiens, they signed Jake Allen to a two-year contract extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates Allen is also getting a pay raise, going from an average annual value of $2.875 million to $3.85 million. He also gets a seven-team no-trade list for 2023-24 and a three-team no-trade for 2024-25.

Allen told reporters he’s happy to stay with the Canadiens and help them with their rebuilding program. He sees himself as a mentor to goalies Cayden Primeau and Sam Montembeault.

And speaking of the Senators, goaltender Cam Talbot missed this game with an undisclosed injury. He’s listed as day-to-day and isn’t expected to be sidelined for long.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets unveiled a statue honoring the late Hall-of-Famer Dale Hawerchuk prior to Saturday’s preseason game against the Edmonton Oilers. Hawerchuk was drafted by the original Jets in 1981 and spent nine seasons with the club, becoming one of the greatest players in franchise history. He died of stomach cancer in 2020.

Two goals by Brent Burns (including the game-winner) enabled the Carolina Hurricanes to nip the Florida Panthers 4-3. Burns was acquired from the San Jose Sharks in July.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Taylor Hall and Fabian Lysell suffered minor injuries during the Boston Bruins’ 4-0 preseason victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. They’re expected to be sidelined for only one or two days.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: As for the Flyers, their injury woes continue as goaltender Felix Sandstrom left the game with a lower-body injury. Starter Carter Hart is currently out with an injury but is expected to be ready for the Flyers’ season-opener on Oct. 13.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Jeff Carter and Teddy Blueger remain listed as day-to-day with injuries suffered scrimmages last week.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Carolina Hurricanes signed Calvin de Haan to a one-year, one-way, $850K contract. The 31-year-old defenseman had been in camp on a professional tryout offer.

Nathan Beaulieu’s PTO with the Anaheim Ducks earned the 29-year-old blueliner a one-year, one-way deal worth $850K.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken unveiled Buoy, a blue scraggly sea-troll as their new mascot.

NHL.COM: Dominik Zrim is among several new hirings by the San Jose Sharks. Zrim founded the website CapFriendly in 2015 and becomes the Sharks’ director of salary cap management/CBA compliance.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations, Dominik, and good luck with your new job.