NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 25, 2022

by | Aug 25, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 25, 2022

The World Cup of Hockey is expected to return in 2024, the salary cap could significantly rise after 2023-24, Phil Kessel signs with the Golden Knights, and much more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the league and the NHL Players Association are moving forward with plans to stage the World Cup of Hockey in 2024. The intent is to hold the tournament during a 17-day window in February 2024 featuring at least eight nations with games played in North America and Europe.

Daly indicated the plan is to play a preliminary round pool in Europe and a preliminary round in North America, with the semifinals and the final held in a North American city.

There is uncertainty over Russia’s participation in the tournament. The NHL has suspended all business operations with that country over its invasion of Ukraine. That’s in alignment with the International Ice Hockey Federation suspending Russia from all international tournaments until further notice.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL’s decision not to participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics due to COVID-19 concerns pretty much guaranteed a World Cup of Hockey for 2024 thanks to the extension to the collective bargaining agreement. The NHL is also expected to participate in the 2026 Olympics.

It’s interesting that the league is willing to shutter its operations in midseason for a World Cup. One of the main reasons why they stayed out of the 2018 Olympics was the supposed unhappiness among team owners over “lost revenue” from a two-week pause in February for the Olympics every four years. It’s a different story for a league-run international tournament where they get the bulk of the revenue.

ESPN.COM: Speaking of Russian players, Daly said the league isn’t anticipating that they’ll have any difficulty obtaining work visas for the coming season. Russian players reapplying for visas encountered some difficulties earlier this season. Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov was twice denied entry to the United States before successfully returning earlier this month.

Several European players played without work visas last season after the NHL worked out an exemption with the U.S. Government due to the pandemic.

SPORTSNET: Daly also believes the NHL salary cap will significantly increase following the 2023-24 season. That will be a year earlier than previous forecasts. He said revenue projections for the coming season are very solid. The salary cap rose by just $1 million to $82.5 million for 2022-23

Vegas Golden Knights sign winger Phil Kessel (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The cap was artificially set at $81.5 million for the past two seasons due to revenue losses caused by the pandemic. It is to rise by $1 million again in 2023-24 and was supposed to rise by another $1 million in 2024-25 until the players paid back their share of hockey-related revenue through escrow.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights signed Phil Kessel to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. The 34-year-old winger played the past three seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, netting 44 assists and 52 points last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights needed some offensive depth among their top-six wingers after trading away Max Pacioretty and Evgenii Dadonov this summer in cost-cutting moves. Kessel could end up skating alongside first-line center Jack Eichel. He also needs just eight more games to set the NHL’s Ironman record, currently held by Keith Yandle with 980 games.

NHL.COM: Timo Meier said he hasn’t held contract extension talks yet with San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier. The 25-year-old winger is a year away from restricted free agent status.

Meier said he’s focused on preparing for the upcoming season. He looks forward to meeting with Grier and new Sharks head coach David Quinn when he returns to San Jose for training camp next month.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Re-signing Meier should be Grier’s priority if he’s retooling the roster rather than rebuilding it. The winger enjoyed a career-best performance last season with 35 goals and 76 points in 77 games.

Meier’s earning an annual average value of $6 million but his actual salary is $10 million. That’s what it will cost the Sharks to qualify his rights next summer unless the two sides can reach an agreement on a new contract at an AAV below $10 million before then.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Alexandre Texier will not be joining the Blue Jackets for the coming season as per the advice of the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program. He will not be paid his $1.525 million NHL salary for 2022-23 and it won’t count against the club’s salary cap. Texier will be permitted to sign a one-year contract with a European team for this season.

Texier was granted an indefinite leave of absence from the Blue Jackets last March after being sidelined by a fractured finger in January. In a statement, he indicated that he’s experienced personal issues and challenges that require him to be close to his family. He expressed his appreciation to the Blue Jackets and their fans for their support and empathy.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Texier receives the help he needs and can maintain his playing career either in the NHL or in Europe.

NEW YORK POST: Islanders defenseman Sebastian Aho was arrested on Aug. 13 in Sweden for drunk driving and had his license suspended as a result. Aho blew .03 on the breathalyzer, putting him over the .02 limit. He was fined 40,000 Swedish Krona.

The incident occurred at 10:30 am after Aho and his wife had visited friends the night before. His agent, Claude Lemieux, said his client was surprised he was still over the limit by the next morning and is very sorry about the mistake.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 24, 2022

by | Aug 24, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 24, 2022

The Hurricanes sign Paul Stastny, the Islanders make some depth signings, the Coyotes’ new arena gets a name and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes signed Paul Stastny to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. The 36-year-old forward scored 21 goals and 45 points in 71 games last season with the Winnipeg Jets. He also gets a $500K performance bonus if the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup.

Carolina Hurricanes sign free agent Paul Stastny (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stastny signing is meant to offset the absence of Max Pacioretty, who is sidelined until February recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. The signing raised some questions over whether Jesperi Kotkaniemi will be knocked out of the second-line center position.

Stastny can play center or left wing. With Pacioretty on the shelf, he could be projected to fill the left wing spot on the second or third line. He can also slide into the second-line center position if Kotkaniemi struggles in that role in the coming season.

DAILY FACEOFF: One day after re-signing Noah Dobson, Alexander Romanov and Kieffer Bellows, the New York Islanders made four depth signings on Tuesday. Defensemen Dennis Cholowski and Paul LaDue and forward Arnaud Durandeau each signed two-year, two-way contracts while forward Hudson Fasching signed a one-year, two-way deal.

ARIZONA SPORTS: Arizona State University announced its new 5,000-seat arena will be called Mullett Arena. The venue is also the temporary home of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The venue is named in honor of the Mullett family, who have been long-time supporters of ASU’s hockey program. Nevertheless, this news drew plenty of jokes on social media referencing early-90’s style hockey hair.

NJ.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning forward and New Jersey native Ross Colton recently said it would be cool to one day play for the Devils. He loves being in Tampa Bay and playing for the Lightning but said he grew up as a die-hard Devils fan.

“I understand it’s a business and whatnot. But down the road if I could throw on the (Devils) jersey one day, that would be awesome,” said Colton.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Colton could get that opportunity in two years’ time. That’s when he’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent unless he signs an extension with the Lightning. His current contract expires next summer when he’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights and a year away from UFA eligibility.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks signed restricted forward Noah Gregor to a one-year, one-way contract worth $950K. He will be eligible for arbitration next summer.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Tickets for the 2023 Winter Classic between the Penguins and Boston Bruins at Fenway Park on Jan. 2 go on sale today.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 23, 2022

by | Aug 23, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 23, 2022

Ryan Ellis could miss the start of the Flyers’ season, the Islanders re-sign Noah Dobson, Alexander Romanov and Kieffer Bellows, an update on David Pastrnak and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ryan Ellis could miss the start of the coming season. A “multilayered issue” involving the “complex of the whole pelvic region” limited him to just four games last season.

“If you’re asking me right now, I doubt it,” said Flyers head coach John Tortorella when asked if Ellis will be ready to play. They start their season on Oct. 13 against the New Jersey Devils but Tortorella didn’t think the 31-year-old defenseman will be ready when they open training camp on Sept. 21.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ryan Ellis (NHL Images).

Tortorella indicated he’s had several conversations with Ellis. He said it’s been an “up and down process” for the blueliner.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ellis was acquired from the Nashville Predators last summer and was expected to skate on the right side of the Flyers’ first defense pairing alongside Ivan Provorov. His absence last season was a key factor in the club missing the 2022 playoffs.

Cap Friendly shows Ellis is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $6.25 million. They’re above the $82.5 million cap by $2.53 million but will get cap relief by placing Ellis on long-term injury reserve to start the season.

This also explains why the Flyers signed Tony DeAngelo to a two-year contract last month. We’ll have to wait and see if general manager Chuck Fletcher has any other moves planned before the coming season. That could depend on how long Ellis is sidelined.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The New York Islanders announced new contracts for restricted free agents Noah Dobson, Alexander Romanov and Kieffer Bellows.

Dobson, 22, got a three-year deal with an AAV of $4 million. The 22-year-old Romanov also got a three-year deal. His annual cap hit is $2.5 million. Bellows, 24, got a one-year, $1.2 million contract.

The trio will be restricted free agents at the end of their respective contracts. These deals leave the Islanders with $3.485 million in cap space for the upcoming season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I wasn’t surprised by what Romanov and Bellows got. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently suggested that Dobson’s new contract would be a high dollar amount but it’s actually quite reasonable for a young defenseman coming off a 51-point performance.

Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello explained that he wanted to see a bit more from Dobson before committing to a long-term deal. In other words, a more lucrative contract awaits the young rearguard at the end of his current deal if he builds on last season’s breakout effort.

SPORTSNET: Lamoriello also defended what was considered to be a quiet offseason on his part. Earlier this summer, he had promised to be as active as possible to bolster the Islanders’ offense. They were linked to free agents Johnny Gaudreau and Nazem Kadri but both forwards were signed elsewhere. Lamoriello was rumored to be interested in acquiring J.T. Miller but the Vancouver Canucks aren’t in a rush to move the 29-year-old center.

Regarding trades, Lamoriello explained he wouldn’t have received in return what he would’ve had to give up to make his club a better team. He’ll continue to explore the late-summer trade market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s doubtful Lamoriello will find a return that will significantly improve his club’s offense heading into this season. He’s going to bet on new head coach Lane Lambert finding a way to improve the Isles’ production with the current core players. I expect young wingers Anthony Beauvillier and Oliver Wahlstrom will be placed in roles where they’ll get more opportunities to score.

The Islanders have a projected $16 million in trade deadline cap space for the coming season. Barring any other moves, Lamoriello could have sufficient cap room to add a rental scorer by late February if his club is in playoff contention.

NEWSDAY’s Andrew Gross reported Lamoriello said he’s had no contract talks with UFA defensemen Zdeno Chara and Andy Greene. They are not currently under consideration for defense roles with the Isles.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: David Pastrnak’s contract extension talks with the Bruins are currently on hold but the 26-year-old winger isn’t concerned.

In an interview with Czechia media outlet Blesk, Pastrnak acknowledged Bruins GM Don Sweeney had a lot on his plate this summer negotiating new one-year contracts for Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Pastrnak has a year remaining on his contract and is focused now on physically preparing for the upcoming season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sweeney will probably sit down with Pastrnak and/or his agent at some point during training camp to continue their negotiations.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 22, 2022

by | Aug 22, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 22, 2022

The legacy of Carey Price, Nicklas Backstrom opens up about his hip injury, Nazem Kadri expectation for the Flames, and an update on Anton Khudobin in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

DAILY FACEOFF: Matt Larkin believes Carey Price will retire as a legend if he’s unable to play again. The 35-year-old Montreal Canadiens goaltender is expected to miss the upcoming season due to a chronic knee injury that threatens to end his playing career.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price (NHL Images).

Price is the Canadiens’ goaltending franchise leader with 712 games played, 361 wins, shot against (21,059), saves (19,304) and minutes played (42,005). He’s also fifth all-time with a .917 save percentage, eighth in goals-against average (2.51) and third in shutouts with 49.

Larkin suggests Price could be a first-ballot inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In his prime (2013-14 to 2016-17), he won the Hart Trophy, Vezina Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award with a .928 save percentage during that time. He also backstopped Canada to Olympic gold in 2012 and the World Cup of Hockey in 2016. Larkin suggests Price belongs alongside Hall-of-Famers such as Bobby Orr, Cam Neely, Pavel Bure, Eric Lindros and Peter Forsberg whose careers were cut short by injuries.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Price’s playing career is over I believe he will be remembered as the greatest goaltender in Canadiens history to never win the Stanley Cup. He backstopped them to the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals and carried an underdog Habs roster to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

Price never had the luxury of a star-studded roster in front of him. Only one of his teammates (Alexei Kovalev) reached 80 points during his career and none of them reached 40 goals in a season. Nevertheless, he made his teams better with his play.

He was highly respected around the league among his peers. Larkin pointed out that Price topped the NHLPA player poll as best goalie or hardest to score against during its first three seasons starting in 2017-18 when he was past his prime. Larkin also cited Price’s charity work and efforts to help break down barriers to mental health.

I’m not sure that Price will get into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Still, I think he will be voted in one day and probably won’t have to wait very long following his retirement for that honor.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom told a Swedish sports magazine that the pain from his injured hip was so severe it was affecting his daily life. He revealed he has difficulty walking, playing with his children, putting on socks and tying his shoes.

Backstrom, 34, underwent hip surgery in 2015 but has been dealing with chronic hip pain for years. He was limited to just 47 games last season and admitted to a loss of mobility, speed and balance.

Having undergone hip resurfacing surgery in June, Backstrom faces a long road of rehab and recovery. The procedure has ended the careers of several athletes, including former NHLer Ryan Kesler. There’s no timetable for Backstrom’s return to action.

Backstrom said his quality of life has improved since the surgery. He’s not giving up on resuming his playing career.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Backstrom can make a full recovery and return to the game he loves. At least he’s no longer experiencing pain in his daily life.

Capitals management has indicated Backstrom’s intent to return at some point in the coming season. If he does it’ll likely be closer to the end of the regular-season schedule.

CALGARY SUN: Nazem Kadri’s decision to sign with the Flames last week is a major compliment to general manager Brad Treliving’s efforts to salvage the off-season. Despite the departure of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, Treliving brought in Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Treliving’s blockbuster trade of Tkachuk for Huberdeau and Weegar salvaged what could’ve been a disastrous offseason for Calgary following the departure of Gaudreau and Tkachuk’s unwillingness to sign a contract extension. That move helped convince Kadri to sign with the Flames. Kadri, Huberdeau and Weegar should keep the Flames among the top teams in the Western Conference.

NHL.COM: Anton Khudobin is expected to be ready to participate in the Dallas Stars’ training camp next month. The hero of the Stars’ run to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final, the 36-year-old goalie underwent hip surgery in March after struggling through nine games last season. Khudobin has a year remaining on his contract with an annual salary-cap hit of $3.3 million.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 21, 2022

by | Aug 21, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 21, 2022

Canada defeats Finland in overtime to win gold at the 2022 World Junior Championship, Nathan MacKinnon enjoys his day with the Stanley Cup in Halifax, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Columbus Blue Jackets center Kent Johnson lifted Canada over Finland 3-2 in the Gold Medal Game at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton. It’s Canada’s 19th tournament championship and its first since 2020.

Anaheim Ducks center Nathan McTavish (NHL Images).

Canada took a 2-0 lead in the game on goals by Joshua Roy (Montreal Canadiens) and William Dufour (New York Islanders) with Mason McTavish (Anaheim Ducks) collecting assists on both. McTavish also saved the game for Canada in overtime by blocking a shot at the goal line, setting the stage for Johnson’s game-winner.

Finland rallied to force the extra frame on goals by Aleksi Heimosalmi (Carolina Hurricanes) and Joakim Kemell (Nashville Predators). They take home the silver medal for its 17th top-three finish in tournament history.

In the consolation game earlier in the day, Sweden won the bronze medal with a 3-1 victory over Czechia. Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt made 27 saves while teammates Fabian Lysell (Boston Bruins), Isak Rosen (Buffalo Sabres) and Linus Sjodin (Sabres) scored for Sweden.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McTavish was named the tournament’s most valuable player and the top forward. Wallstedt was named the top goaltender and Finland’s Kasper Puutio was the top defenseman. McTavish also topped The Hockey News‘ ranking of the tournament’s top-20 players.

TSN: Nathan MacKinnon celebrated his day with the Stanley Cup with a parade through downtown Halifax. The 26-year-old Colorado Avalanche superstar is a native of Cole Harbour, part of the Halifax municipality. It’s also the home of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. MacKinnon spent two seasons with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads before joining the Avalanche in 2013-14.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As MacKinnon observed in an interview, returning to Halifax with the Stanley Cup brings his playing career full circle. In his final season with the Mooseheads, he helped them win the QMJHL’s Presidents’ Cup and the Memorial Cup.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Philadelphia Flyers rank at the bottom of The Athletic’s fan confidence level survey. The Flyers had the fourth-most entries (1,000) by fans upset over the team’s direction and management’s inability to deliver on its promise earlier this year of an “aggressive retool”. The Flyers received a D-minus ranking in roster building, cap management, drafting and development, trades, free agency and vision.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers’ only significant addition this summer was hiring John Tortorella as head coach.

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes extended its affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals through the 2022-23 season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 20, 2022

by | Aug 20, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 20, 2022

The breakdown of Nazem Kadri’s new contract, Kyle Turris has retired, recent coaching moves and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

PUCK PEDIA: The breakdown of Nazem Kadri’s seven-year, $49 million contract ($7 million annual average value) is as follows:

First four seasons (2022-23 to 2025-26): $4.5 million base salary, $2.5 million signing bonus, full no-movement clause,

Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (NHL Images).

Season 5 (2026-27): $6 million base salary, $1 million signing bonus, 13-team no-trade list,

Final two seasons (2027-28 and 2028-29): $7 million base salary, 13-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: For those wondering why the base salary is so high in the final seasons, it will make it easier to buy out those years. As per Cap Friendly, at two-thirds the remaining value over twice the remaining term, it would break down as $2.33 million against the Flames’ cap for four years.

TSN: Kyle Turris is retiring as an NHL player and is joining the Coquitlam Express of the British Columbia Hockey League as a special advisor to the general manager and player development coach. The 34-year-old New Westminster, BC, native spent 14 seasons in the NHL from 2007-08 to 2021-22 with the Arizona Coyotes, Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers. In 776 NHL games, Turris scored 168 goals and 257 assists for 425 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A versatile forward who could play center or wing, Turris’ best seasons were with the Senators from 2013-14 to 2016-17, scoring 24-plus goals and 55-or-more points three times. He also had a 51-point campaign split between the Senators and Predators in 2017-18. Injuries, however, contributed to the decline of his play over his final four NHL seasons. Best wishes to Turris in his future endeavors.

NHL.COM: The New Jersey Devils named Sergei Brylin as an assistant coach. He’s spent the past nine seasons as an assistant and associate coach with their AHL affiliates. Before that, he played 13 seasons with the Devils, winning three Stanley Cups before retiring from the NHL in 2008.

The Pittsburgh Penguins promoted Todd Reirden to associate coach and signed him to a two-year contract extension. He oversees the club’s defensive group and power-play unit.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tucker Poolman has been training and skating this offseason working his way back to game shape while hoping to avoid a recurrence of the concussion symptoms that limited him to just 40 games last season.

TORONTO STAR: TSN played a big role in making the World Junior Championship a hot commodity. Thanks to its reporting (primarily by Rick Westhead) into Hockey Canada’s handling of alleged sexual assaults involving players from Canada’s 2003 and 2018 junior teams, the network has also contributed to the poor ratings for this summer’s WJC currently held in Edmonton.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Several other factors have also contributed to the low ratings and poor attendance at this year’s World Juniors. It’s being held in the summer instead of its usual Christmas holiday period after being postponed last December by a COVID-19 outbreak. Ticket prices are reportedly very expensive, and there’s been little promotion of the tournament. However, there’s no question the Hockey Canada scandal has taken a toll on viewership and attendance.

The 2023 World Juniors will be held during its usual Christmas holiday period in Moncton, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. It’ll be interesting to see if the factors affecting the current tournament in Edmonton will carry over, especially if Hockey Canada leadership continues to drag its feet addressing the fallout from the ongoing investigations into those scandals.