NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 22, 2024

by | Aug 22, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 22, 2024

Golden Knights captain Mark Stone believes people want to see his team fail, plus updates on Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko, Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin, Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone believes his team’s Stanley Cup window remains open despite the offseason departures of key players like Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone (NHL Images).

“As I’m older I realize that people are going to put a bullseye on our back because they want to see us fail,” said Stone. “We haven’t failed too much in our history. People want to see the Golden Knights crash and burn…I think the foundation we build doesn’t really allow for that to happen. So, I’m feeling confident.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights’ critics want them to fail because they’ve been successful quickly. They’ve been labeled “cheaters” for using long-term injury reserve for cap space over the last two years to add players to their roster for the playoffs.

I understand the envy, especially from those enduring years or decades of their own teams’ mediocrity and failure. However, smart management was behind the Golden Knights’ success from day one. It’s not their fault if some rival clubs are lacking in that department.

Accusing the Golden Knight of “cheating” is sour grapes. Every team is allowed to utilize LTIR. People hate when another club uses it to their advantage but it’s perfectly fine when your club uses it. Perhaps the LTIR rules will be amended to apply to the postseason in the next round of collective bargaining but the Golden Knights did nothing wrong by following the current CBA rules.

Nevertheless, the Golden Knights’ critics could still get their wish this season. Their expensive high-risks moves have mostly panned out, but this year it cost them some core players. Management has gutted their prospect pipeline trading away future assets for immediate help. They’re pressed against the cap this season, giving them little wiggle room to address roster issues as they arise, posing a serious challenge for management.

THE PROVINCE: InGoal Magazine’s Kevin Woodley told Sportsnet 650 that he doesn’t expect Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko will be ready for training camp next month. Woodley also believes Demko underwent some surgical procedure this summer.

Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre reported the Canucks expect Demko to be ready for the start of the season. However, the club remains silent on his condition. Demko injured his knee early in the 2024 playoffs and didn’t return, though reports claimed he was close to returning to action when the Canucks were eliminated from the second round by the Edmonton Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speculation will persist about Demko’s status until Canucks management formally addresses it. Training camp opens in mid-September.

TSN: Speaking of the Canucks, they promoted Marko Torenius as their new goaltending coach. He was the development and goaltending coach of their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford. Ian Clark, their previous head goalie coach and director of goaltender, asked for a new position within the organization. He’s now a goalie scout and development coach.

RG.ORG: Daria Tuboltseva interviewed New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin. His contract extension negotiations were among their topics of discussion.

Shesterkin said his agent is talking with Rangers general manager Chris Drury. “I can’t say anything else. For me, the most important thing now is preparing for the season and being 100 percent ready mentally and physically,” he said. “An exciting season is ahead, and the agent will discuss the contract.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shesterkin’s answer is the standard one coming from the camps of other big stars eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next summer. They include Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, and Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers announced Jeff Malcolm has been promoted as their full-time goaltending coach. Malcolm spent the past three years as goalie coach of their AHL affiliate in Hartford. He replaced Benoit Allaire, who is scaling back his duties and remains as their director of goaltending.

THE SCORE: Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky is pleased with the club’s acquisition of winger Patrik Laine. He thinks Montreal will be a great place for the 26-year-old winger to restart his career.

TVA SPORTS: Speaking of Slafkovsky, the Canadiens are preventing him from participating in his native Slovakia’s Olympic qualifiers because of a slight back discomfort. The injury isn’t serious but the club isn’t taking any chances as their decision is considered a preventative measure.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A breakout performance is anticipated for Slafkovsky following last season’s 20-goal, 50-point output. The Canadiens are hoping to take a big step forward in their rebuilding this season and Slafkovsky and Laine are expected to play significant roles.

TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets signed restricted free agent Cole Sillinger to a two-year, $4.5 million contract. The average annual value is $2.25 million.

THE ATHLETIC: Kevin Kurz recently cited a source claiming Philadelphia Flyers goalie prospect Alexei Kolosov would prefer to be loaned to KHL team Dinamo Minsk this season. The 22-year-old Kolosov believes staying in the KHL will be better for his development.

However, the Flyers aren’t interested in doing that or terminating his contract. He has two years remaining on his contract and technically cannot play in the KHL without their consent. They expect Kolosov to play for the AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 21, 2024

by | Aug 21, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 21, 2024

The Flyers intend to terminate Ryan Johansen’s contract, the Kraken signed Matty Beniers to a seven-year contract, concerns are raised over Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko’s readiness for this season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers announced Tuesday they were placing center Ryan Johansen on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract due to a “material breach.”

Johansen, 32, was acquired by the Flyers from the Colorado Avalanche on March 6. He was placed on waivers to be sent to their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley. However, he missed the remainder of the season with a hip injury despite playing his final game with the Avs two days before the trade.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Ryan Johansen (NHL Images).

Kurt Overhardt, Johansen’s agent, released a statement claiming his client has a severe hockey injury and is scheduled for surgery. He indicated his client has been working “in good faith” with the club, its medical staff, and authorized third-party physicians.

Calling the Flyers’ move “disappointing,”, Overhardt stated he’s been in contact with the NHL Players’ Association to defend his client and his rights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Johansen camp intends to contest the contract termination by filing a grievance. This will drag out for several weeks before a decision is reached.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Flyers’ termination of Johansen’s contract could create additional salary cap space for the Nashville Predators. They retained half his $8 million contract when they traded him to the Colorado Avalanche last summer.

Johansen is in the final year of his eight-year contract. If a mediator rules in favor of the Flyers, it will clear $4 million from the Predators’ books for 2024-25.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken signed Matty Beniers to a seven-year, $50 million contract. Beniers, 21, was a restricted free agent. The average annual value is $7.142 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Beniers won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2022-23 with 24 goals and 57 points in 80 games, helping the Kraken reach the playoffs in their NHL second season. However, he followed up with a disappointing sophomore performance, netting 37 points in 77 games.

The Kraken are betting that Beniers’ 20-point slide last season was merely a blip in his development.

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston reports the lack of offseason news about Thatcher Demko has raised media speculation over the health of the Vancouver Canucks goaltender,

Demko, 28, played in Game 1 of the Canucks’ first-round series before being sidelined by a lower-body injury. He missed the remainder of that series and the entirety of their second-round matchup with the Edmonton Oilers but was reportedly close to returning to action before that series ended.

On July 1, Canucks GM Patrik Allvin claimed Demko would be ready for training camp. However, CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal reported Tuesday that the netminder is progressing but there’s no timetable for when he’ll be 100 percent healthy.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnston suggested the Canucks could end this speculation by publishing a statement about Demko’s health. Meanwhile, Dhaliwal speculated they might “continue to poke around the goalie market again” seeking insurance between the pipes.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said limited salary cap space was why his club opted not to match the offer sheets signed last week by Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway with the St. Louis Blues.

Bowman said the decision wasn’t reflective of Broberg and Holloway but rather concerns over the club’s short and long-term salary cap flexibility. The Oilers must ensure they have sufficient cap space to re-sign Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard next summer and Connor McDavid in 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Over the weekend, the Oilers acquired winger Vasily Podkolzin from the Canucks and shipped defenseman Cody Ceci to San Jose for blueliner Ty Emberson. Those moves were to address the imminent departures of Broberg and Holloway.

SPORTSNET: Blues GM Doug Armstrong dismissed the belief that he wouldn’t have signed Broberg and Holloway to offer sheets if his friend Ken Holland remained as Oilers general manager.

Armstrong claimed that was the furthest from the truth. “Honestly, I’d do it to my mother if she was managing the Oilers.”

He also laughed off the notion that there was an agreement among general managers not to target each other’s players with offer sheets. “I’ve read what people are writing – if there is a GM code not to do offer sheets, nobody emailed it to me.” He added that offer sheets are a tool everyone uses, “and should use.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: General managers rarely share their true intentions about trades or player signings with friendly pundits. Most trades and free-agent signings take place that media insiders never see coming.

Offer sheet signings are few and far between in the salary cap era. Most general managers prefer not to use that tool as Armstrong suggests. There could be more efforts to go that route but restricted free agents seem to favor negotiating with their clubs.

TSN: At the same time it was confirmed the Oilers wouldn’t match the offer sheets for Broberg and Holloway, the Blues traded prospect defenseman Paul Fischer and a 2028 third-round pick to the Oilers for future considerations.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Golden Knights signed free-agent forward Tanner Pearson to a professional tryout offer. An 11-season NHL veteran, the 32-year-old winger had 13 points in 54 games last season with the Montreal Canadiens.

CBC.CA: Allan Andrews, the founder of Andrews Hockey School in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, passed away on Monday at age 83.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon. Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand, and former NHL star (and PEI native) Brad Richards are among the graduates of Andrews Hockey School.

Following the news of Andrews’ death, Crosby and Richards praised the impact he and his hockey school had on their lives and careers.

Andrews was awarded the Order of Canada in 2017 and inducted into the PEI Hall of Fame in 2021.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My sincere condolences to Andrews’ family, friends, colleagues, and the staff and alumni of his hockey school.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 20, 2024

by | Aug 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 20, 2024

The fallout from the Canadiens acquiring Patrik Laine from the Blue Jackets, the Oilers decline to match the Blues’ offer sheets for Broberg and Holloway, Predators goalie Yaroslav Askarov requests a trade, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan believes the Canadiens acquisition of Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets is a low-risk move that could be a big reward. The Jackets sent the 26-year-old winger and a 2026 second-round pick to the Canadiens on Monday in return for defenseman Jordan Harris.

The Canadiens needed more scoring to become a playoff team. Laine is a former 44-goal scorer with two years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $8.7 million. However, he’s struggled with consistency and injuries in recent years.

Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said he spoke with Laine before making the trade. He believes the winger is mentally in a good place and is energized and excited about playing in Montreal. He also spoke with people who knew Laine from his days with the Winnipeg Jets.

Laine’s cap hit makes him the Canadiens’ highest-paid player. However, the fact that he only has two years left on his deal factored into their decision to acquire him.

Montreal Canadiens acquired winger Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Aug. 19. (NHL Images).

Hughes believes Laine’s potential success in Montreal lies not with how many goals he scores but by his ability to contribute and help the team. He also hopes that he’ll help their younger players.

The Canadiens felt they could afford to part with the 24-year-old Harris. They have considerable depth in young left-shot defensemen. Harris was a healthy scratch from eight games last season.

SPORTSNET: Laine said he’s been cleared to skate after having an operation to address a shoulder injury suffered last season. He claims his shot is as powerful as ever. He declined to explain why he wanted to leave the Blue Jackets but said he’s excited about a fresh start in Montreal, adding he’s “always enjoyed the spotlight.”

Laine indicated he wasn’t enjoying himself off the ice, which affected his on-ice performance. Since seeking help for his mental health earlier this year through the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, he’s now happier than ever away from the rink and working hard to prepare for the coming season.

TVA SPORTS: Laine said he wasn’t just content to be a 30-goal scorer again. “I want to be a 40 or 50-goal scorer again. I’ve done it before. It wasn’t by accident,” he said.

RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico reports the Canadiens took on the full value of Laine’s cap hit, putting them above the $88 million salary cap by $1.85 million.

They can get cap relief by placing permanently sidelined goalie Carey Price and his $10.5 million cap hit on long-term injury reserve. However, they’re not doing it immediately because they’re allowed to be above the cap by 10 percent in the offseason. By placing Price on LTIR after the start of the season, they’ll leverage the full benefit of the cap relief.

D’Amico noted the Canadiens could make a trade to shed salary. Another player could suffer an injury that delays the inevitable, or they could play musical chairs with their roster to start the season. He cited sources suggesting the third option is currently their best choice.

Under that scenario, they could place sidelined forward Raphael Harvey-Pinard ($1.1 million) on LTIR and demote youngsters like Jayden Struble and Joshua Roy to their AHL affiliate in Laval. That would make them cap-compliant to start the season with a 20-man roster. They could then place Price on LTIR and recall the necessary reinforcements to fill out their roster to 23 men.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Brian Hedger reports Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell released a statement on the Laine trade.

“We want players that want to be Blue Jackets and Patrik made it clear that he thought a change of scenery was best for him,” said Waddell. “We were able to acquire a good young player in Jordan Harris while maintaining financial flexibility in this deal, which was very important to us. We wish Patrik all the best.”

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reports it was only last weekend when the Canadiens’ talks with the Blue Jackets about Laine took hold, but they quickly turned serious. The Habs were the only team that didn’t ask the Blue Jackets to retain part of Laine’s cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can read my take on the trade here.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers declined to match the offer sheets from the St. Louis Blues for defenseman Philip Broberg and winger Dylan Holloway. 

The Oilers received a second-round pick from the Blues as compensation for Broberg and a third-rounder for Holloway. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was assumed the Oilers acquiring Vasily Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks and shipping out defenseman Cody Ceci to the San Jose Sharks for blueliner Ty Emberson was setting the stage to clear cap room to match one or both offers. TSN’s Ryan Ryshaug reports they would’ve boxed themselves in quite badly with the salary cap had they matched both offers. They want to keep some salary cap flexibility for new contracts for Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard.

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: Clay Brewer cited ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reporting Predators top prospect goaltender Yaroslav Askarov informed the club he will not report to their AHL affiliate in Milwaukee. The 22-year-old also requested a trade.

The move comes nearly two months after the Predators signed Juuse Saros to an eight-year contract extension. That makes the starter’s job unlikely for Askarov in the near future. That’s a role he and his agent believe he should have sooner rather than later.

THE TENNESSEAN: Alex Daugherty reports that Predators GM Barry Trotz is aware of Weekes’ report but expects Askarov to report to training camp next month. The goaltender’s agent declined to comment.

If Askarov is demanding a trade, Trotz should consider acting on it. With Saros locked in on his long-term deal, getting the most out of Askarov as a trade asset would be ideal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s believed Trotz was getting trade inquiries about Askarov during the draft weekend in June. Those calls could start up again soon if they haven’t already. If Askarov isn’t traded before training camp opens next month he could refuse to report and stage a holdout until moved.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins made nine new front-office moves yesterday. Among them was assistant general manager Jason Spezza’s promotion to GM of their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Special assistant Amanda Kessel was named manager of minor hockey operations and assistant GM of their AHL affiliate. She’ll also oversee their ECHL affiliate in Wheeling.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Cody Ceci said he’s excited to join the rebuilding Sharks. On Sunday, he was traded by the Edmonton Oilers in a cost-cutting move. He believes he can play a leadership role for promising youngsters like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. 

PUCKPEDIA: Ty Emberson was part of the return to the Oilers in the Ceci trade. If he plays 50 games this season, he’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer. If he plays less than that, he becomes a Group 6 UFA.










Blue Jackets Trade Patrik Laine To The Canadiens

by | Aug 19, 2024

Blue Jackets Trade Patrik Laine To The Canadiens

The Columbus Blue Jackets traded winger Patrik Laine and a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris.

There was no salary retention by the Blue Jackets. The Canadiens take on Laine’s full $8.7 million average annual cap hit through 2025-26.

Columbus Blue Jackets trade winger Patrik Laine to the Montreal Canadiens. (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: So much for the recent assumptions (including mine) suggesting a Laine trade might not occur until around Christmas at the earliest. To be fair, those were based on Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell suggesting it could take that long during a round of interviews late last week.

This is a calculated gamble by Canadiens GM Kent Hughes. Laine was a 44-goal scorer in his sophomore season (2017-18) with the Winnipeg Jets but he’s struggled with injuries and consistency during his tenure with the Blue Jackets. He entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in January for mental health reasons and remained there until late last month.

The 26-year-old winger could be a welcome boost to the Canadiens’ offense if he can stay healthy and regain his scoring touch. His cap hit takes a big chunk from their payroll and could be an expensive mistake cap-wise. Still, the Habs only carry his contract for two seasons.

Laine was unhappy with the Blues Jackets and wanted out of Columbus. He gets a chance at a fresh start in Montreal but will face considerable pressure playing in one of hockey’s biggest and most passionate markets. How well he adjusts will have ramifications for the Canadiens’ scoring punch in the short term and Laine’s career overall.

Harris, 24, was a third-round pick of the Canadiens in 2018. The young puck-moving defenseman spent the past two seasons with the Habs. The expected additions of Lane Hutson and Logan Mailloux to their defense corps this season made Harris the odd man out. He should get a better opportunity to earn more playing time with the Blue Jackets.

Waddell wanted to make a hockey trade when he started peddling Laine last month. He gets a young NHL player and sheds the entirety of Laine’s contract, leaving the Jackets with over $18 million in cap space for this season with 22 of his 23 active roster players under contract. That gives Waddell plenty of room to make other moves this season if necessary.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 19, 2024

by | Aug 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 19, 2024

Taylor Hall hopes to be a difference-maker for the Blackhawks, the Oilers trade Cody Ceci to the Sharks and acquire Vasily Podkolzin from the Canucks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Taylor Hall hopes to be a difference-maker this season for the Blackhawks after missing most of last season recovering from ACL surgery on his right knee.

The Blackhawks acquired Hall last summer from the Boston Bruins to ease the offensive burden for rookie center Connor Bedard. However, the 33-year-old winger was in only 10 games before undergoing surgery in November.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall (NHL Images).

Now recovered, Hall is confident he can be “a solid contributor” to the Blackhawks, citing his offseason preparations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall is also in the final year of his contract. A solid bounce-back effort could make him a valuable trade chip for the Blackhawks at the trade deadline, and bolster his stock in next summer’s free-agent market.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers traded defenseman Cody Ceci and a 2025 third-round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Ty Emberson.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks traded winger Vasily Podkolzin to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ceci, 30 is in the final season of his contract with a cap hit of $3.25 million. The 24-year-old Emberson is on a one-year, $950K contract.

Podkolzin is signed through 2025-26 with an annual cap hit of $1 million. Chosen 10th overall by the Canucks in the 2019 NHL Draft, Podkolzin had a promising NHL debut with 14 goals and 26 points in 79 games during the 2021-22 season. However, he struggled in the next two seasons, in part because the Canucks went through three head coaches during that time.

These moves created a stir among Oilers followers. Their club has until Tuesday to match the offers sheets signed by defenseman Philip Broberg and winger Dylan Holloway with the St. Louis Blues.

Puckpedia indicates these moves mean the Oilers can match both offer sheets if Evander Kane undergoes surgery and is placed on long-term injury reserve. However, they’ll have to make a trade once Kane comes off LTIR to become cap-compliant. If they match Broberg but not Holloway, they won’t have to make another trade once Kane comes off LTIR.

Ceci’s departure and the acquisition of Podkolzin suggest they’re retaining Broberg and parting ways with Holloway. We’ll find out for sure by no later than Tuesday.

THE SCORE: San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky looks forward to seeing competition among top prospects Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith as they attempt to land full-time roster spots in training camp next month.

Celebrini, 18, was the first-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Smith, 19, was selected fourth overall in the 2023 draft. Both centers are expected to play significant roles for the rebuilding Sharks.

Sharks general manager Mike Grier said his plan is for Celebrini and Smith to play their natural center position rather than move them to the wing.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini and Smith could become contenders for the Calder Memorial Trophy if things pan out as hoped for the Sharks this season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins won’t be playing for his native Latvia in their upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament for personal reasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Merzlikins could be focused on preparing for the upcoming NHL season. He’s coming off a tumultuous campaign with the Blue Jackets, at one point asking to be traded before withdrawing the request. The 30-year-old netminder will be trying to establish himself as the Blue Jackets starting goaltender.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Lance Lysowski examines the Sabres’ blueline depth to determine who their defense pairings could be this season.

He expects new head coach Lindy Ruff to pair top blueliner Rasmus Dahlin with Mattias Samuelsson. Bowen Byram and Owen Power could be their second pairing, leaving Henri Jokiharju, Connor Clifton, Jacob Bryson and Dennis Gilbert jockeying for the third pairing.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 18, 2024

by | Aug 18, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 18, 2024

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog remains focused on returning for the start of this season, Alex Nedeljkovic looks forward to another season with the Penguins, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: In an interview with NHL.com, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said team captain Gabriel Landeskog is trying to return near the start of this season.

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog (NHL Images).

Landeskog, 31, hasn’t played since Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. He’s been sidelined by two knee surgeries.

Bednar also indicated that forward Artturi Lehkonen could miss the start of the season following offseason shoulder surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bednar said Landeskog’s potential return would boost the Avalanche roster. How effective he’ll be after missing two seasons recovering from knee surgeries remains to be seen.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Alex Nedeljkovic is happy to return with the Pittsburgh Penguins and looks forward to sharing the goaltending duties again with Tristan Jarry.

Nedeljkovic, 28, took over from a slumping Jarry as the Penguins’ starting goalie late in the season, keeping his club in the playoff race with a record of 8-1-3, a 3.05 goals-against average, and a .898 save percentage. He finished the season with a record of 18-7-7, a 2.97 GAA, and a .902 save percentage.

Eligible for unrestricted free agent status on July 1, Nedeljkovic instead signed a two-year contract extension in June.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins need consistency between the pipes to reach the playoffs this season. They’re putting their faith in two goalies with reputations as streaky performers.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly signed free-agent defenseman Jani Hakanpaa to a two-year contract but have not officially announced it.

Hakanpaa, 32, is reportedly dealing with a career-threatening knee injury. He believes he can still play but not everyone involved agrees.

Last week, Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said they were “working through that” and hope to get to it “sooner rather than later.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As I mentioned last week, the definitive answer could come when the Leafs players undergo training camp medicals in mid-September.

BOSTON HERALD: Bruins forward John Beecher enters his sophomore season hoping to build on his rookie campaign.

Beecher, 23 had an up-and-down 2023-24, at one point spending almost two months with the Bruins AHL affiliate in Providence. However, he returned to the Bruins in March and played well down the stretch and in the postseason.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals could bring back their black Screaming Eagle jersey for their 50th anniversary this season.