NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 3, 2023

by | Aug 3, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 3, 2023

David Krejci is expected to retire, Ryan Ellis’ career is likely over, Troy Terry agrees to a seven-year contract with the Ducks, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines. 

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: David Krejci could follow Patrice Bergeron into retirement. A source told Jimmy Murphy that the 37-year-old Boston Bruins center could soon hang up his skates, though he could play for the Czechia National Team in 2024.

Boston Bruins center David Krejci (NHL Images).

Murphy’s source claims Krejci will announce his NHL retirement very soon but is keeping it low-key as he left the Bruins in 2021-22 to play in his native country. He was coaxed into returning to Boston last season, finishing with 56 points in 70 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Krejci may also be giving the Bruins organization an opportunity to catch its breath after dealing with Bergeron’s recent decision to call it a career. Management probably already knows what he has in mind as their offseason roster moves have been made as though Krejci and Bergeron wouldn’t be back.

THE SCORE: Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy believes Brad Marchand has what it takes to replace Bergeron as Boston’s captain. Cassidy, who coached Marchand and the Bruins for six seasons until his firing in June 2022, told “The Cam & Strick Podcast” that he thinks the 35-year-old winger would be “a great leader in terms of leading by example, will to win, been there done it.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cassidy also thinks that Marchand’s biggest challenge if named the Bruins captain will be learning how to deal with younger players given the high expectations he sets for himself and his teammates.

We still don’t know who the Bruins will tap as Bergeron’s successor. They could go with Marchand or perhaps opt for someone younger such as David Pastrnak or Charlie McAvoy.

NHL.COM: Keith Jones, the Philadelphia Flyers president of hockey operations, said defenseman Ryan Ellis’ playing career could be over due to a torn psoas muscle. “It’s a tough time. It’s a very, really difficult time. I’m very sympathetic to what he’s gone through,” said Jones, whose own NHL career was ended by a knee injury in 2000.

Jones had some good news regarding forwards Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson. Both players missed last season due to injuries but are expected to join their teammates when training camp opens next month.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ellis’ ongoing absence leaves a gaping hole on the Flyers’ blueline that could take years to adequately address. However, the potential returns of Couturier and Atkinson to their forward lines should make them a more competitive club this season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Anaheim Ducks avoided salary arbitration with Troy Terry as the two sides agreed to a seven-year, $49 million contract with an average annual value of $7 million. The contract also comes with a 10-team no-trade clause starting in 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Terry led the Ducks in scoring (67 points) during his 2021-22 breakout season and was second in scoring last season with 61 points despite missing 12 games to injury and the birth of his first child. With the NHL salary cap projected to significantly rise in the coming years, Terry’s contract could prove to be an affordable investment for the Ducks if he maintains his current level of production.

The Ducks’ focus now shifts to re-signing Terry’s linemate Trevor Zegras. He’s coming off his entry-level contract and could seek a more lucrative long-term deal.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Ducks also got some bad news yesterday as center Isac Lundestrom is expected to be sidelined for six months with a torn Achilles suffered during training in Sweden. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could send the Ducks into the free-agent market in search of an experienced penalty-killing center on an affordable one-year contract.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins avoided arbitration with Drew O’Connor, signing the winger to a two-year contract with a $925K AAV.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: And with that, the 2023 NHL arbitration cases are completed. The settlement of O’Connor’s case will open up a 48-hour window for the Penguins to buy out a contract. I’ll have more about that in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets signed Rasmus Kupari to a two-year, $2 million contract worth an AAV of $1 million. The 23-year-old forward was among the three players that the Jets received from the Los Angeles Kings in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade in June.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL winger Josh Ho-Sang is reportedly considering retirement. A first-round pick of the New York Islanders (28th overall) in the 2014 Draft, Ho-Sang spent parts of three seasons with the Islanders between 2016-17 and 2018-19.

Ho-Sang, 27, played one game last season with KHL team Ufa Salavat Yulayev before being sidelined by a significant injury, returning for four playoff games. In 2021-22, he had 35 points in 47 games for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and played for Canada’s 2022 Olympic Team with three points in five games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 2, 2023

by | Aug 2, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 2, 2023

The latest contract signings and arbitration updates, Vladimir Tarasenko happy to join the Senators, the Kraken removes BookTok content over comments made toward Alex Wennberg and his wife, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman was awarded a one-year contract worth $3.47 million following his arbitration hearing on Sunday. Swayman had sought $4.8 million while the Bruins countered with $2 million.

The Bruins avoided arbitration with forward Trent Frederic as the two sides agreed to a two-year, $4.6 million contract with an average annual value of $2.3 million. Frederic was scheduled to have an arbitration hearing on Tuesday.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The new contracts for Swayman and Frederic leave the Bruins with less than $430K of salary cap space for 2023-24 with 22 players under contract. That will likely continue to stoke speculation of the Bruins perhaps making a cost-cutting trade to bolster their depth at center for the coming season.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers avoided an arbitration hearing on Tuesday with Ryan McLeod by signing the center to a two-year contract with an AAV of $2.1 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers now have $3.5 million in cap space with restricted free-agent defenseman Evan Bouchard to sign. It could leave them with sufficient wiggle room to get him under contract on a short-term deal for around $3 million per season.

Bouchard, 23, is coming off his entry-level contract and lacks arbitration rights. He could receive an offer sheet from another club but that seems a remote possibility at this stage given how many clubs lack sufficient cap space to go that route this summer.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Rangers avoided arbitration with minor-league defenseman Brandon Scanlin as the two sides agreed to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As per Cap Friendly, only two players remain on the arbitration schedule. Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry’s hearing is slated for today (Aug. 2) while Pittsburgh Penguins forward Drew O’Connor’s is on Aug. 4.

OTTAWA SUN: Vladimir Tarasenko said he is looking forward to playing with the Senators this season. He signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the club last Thursday.

Speaking from his Florida home, the 31-year-old winger said he had several signing options in free agency. He was convinced the Senators were the right choice after speaking with general manager Pierre Dorion, head coach D.J. Smith and several Senators players.

“It’s an exciting young group of players,” said Tarasenko. “I spoke to guys before we signed and it sounds like guys want to win. We just decided that it was the best deal for one year for us.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicated Tarasenko’s new agents called the club saying it would be a done deal if they included a full no-movement clause in his contract, which they did. That clause ensures Tarasenko cannot be demoted to the minors without his approval. He’ll also have total control over potential destinations if the Senators decide to move him before the March trade deadline.

ESPN.COM: The Seattle Kraken removed TikTok videos marketed to the hockey BookTok community. The move comes following statements by forward Alex Wennberg and his wife Felicia speaking out against what they called “vile comments” that sexualized and harassed him and his family for months.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche announced that Steve Konowalchuk has been named the Associate Head Coach of the Colorado Eagles, their AHL affiliate.

Former Avalanche forward Carl Soderberg announced his retirement at age 37. He played 597 games over nine NHL seasons (2012-13 to 2020-21) with the Avalanche, Boston Bruins, Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks, netting 110 goals and 297 points along with 14 points in 45 career NHL playoff games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 1, 2023

by | Aug 1, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 1, 2023

The Wild avoid arbitration with Filip Gustavsson, the Ducks and Troy Terry are far apart in their arbitration filings, and the Kraken’s Alex Wennberg calls out vile social media comments made against himself and his family. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: The Minnesota Wild avoided arbitration with goaltender Filip Gustavsson as the two sides reached an agreement on a three-year, $11.25 million contract. The average annual value is $3.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gustavsson’s arbitration hearing was scheduled for Aug. 4. The 25-year-old goalie is getting over $3 million per season more than what he was making on his previous contract. He earned it with a career-best performance in 2022-23, outplaying veteran Marc-Andre Fleury with a record of 22-9-7 in 39 games played with a 2.10 goals-against average, a .931 save percentage and three shutouts.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (NHL Images).

The Wild will likely start the season with Gustavsson as their 1-A netminder and Fleury as their 1-B. If the former carries over his strong 2022-23 play into this season, it won’t be surprising if the latter ends up getting fewer starts as he’s shifted into a backup role. Fleury turns 39 in November and is in the final season of his contract.

THE SCORE: The Anaheim Ducks and Troy Terry are far apart in their arbitration filings. The Ducks are seeking $4.5 million on a one-year contract while the winger seeks $8 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Terry enjoyed a breakout performance in 2021-22, leading the rebuilding Ducks with 37 goals and 67 points. His production dipped a bit last season with 23 goals and 61 points but he missed 12 games to injury and the birth of his first child.

Terry’s earned a raise over the $1.45 million annual cap hit of his last contract but it’s doubtful he’ll get $8 million. His agent probably filed that amount knowing that arbiters tend to settle on a middle-ground total.

CAP FRIENDLY: Terry’s arbitration hearing is scheduled for Aug. 2.

Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic’s hearing is slated for today.

Edmonton Oilers center Ryan McLeod, Pittsburgh Penguins winger Drew O’Connor and New York Rangers defenseman Brandon Scanlin’s hearings are scheduled for Aug. 4.

YAHOO! SPORTS: Seattle Kraken forward Alex Wennberg and his wife have called out the “BookTok” TikTok community over vile comments that have sexualized and harassed the player and his family for months.

Wennberg issued a statement noting that he’s been media trained to “bite my tongue and leave it”. However, he felt he had to speak up after people posted what he called “vile comments” on his wife’s Instagram account and on photos of the couple’s child.

He expressed his support of the BookTok community writing books and fiction about hockey but felt the aggressive language about real-life players crossed the line.

Felicia Weeren, Wennberg’s wife, recently called out the community for comments toward her husband that were sexually predatory and harassing. Wennberg and Weeren pointed out that some fans went so far as to direct message players with crass remarks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A player and his family should not be subject to harassment by so-called “fans” on social media. It remains to be seen if Wennberg’s statement will put a stop to the comments directed toward him and his family. The Kraken hasn’t publicly indicated what they intend to do regarding this issue.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils signed defenseman Kevin Bahl to a two-year contract extension worth an AAV of $1.05 million.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with forward Jesse Ylonen. The 23-year-old will earn $750K at the NHL level.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs inked winger Nick Abruzzese to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins have promoted Amanda Kessel to the role of special assistant to president of hockey operations and general manager. Kessel is the younger sister of former Penguins winger Phil Kessel. She is also one of the most prolific players in the history of the U.S. Women’s National Team.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks will honor team owner Rocky Wirtz with two public ceremonies on Aug. 9 at the United Center. Wirtz passed away last week at age 70 following a brief illness. A private ceremony will be held on Aug. 8.

THE ATHLETIC: The Wirtz Corporation is purchasing the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 31, 2023

by | Jul 31, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 31, 2023

An update on Robin Lehner’s future with the Golden Knights, the Coyotes avoid arbitration with Jack McBain, the Bruins and Trent Frederic could be heading to arbitration and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: Jesse Granger believes the Vegas Golden Knights signing goaltender Adin Hill to a new contract worth an average annual value of $4.9 million speaks volumes about Robin Lehner’s status for 2023-24. The 32-year-old netminder missed all of last season recovering from double hip surgery and shoulder surgery.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner (NHL Images).

With Lehner on long-term injury reserve, the Golden Knights are comfortably under the $83.5 million salary cap. If he came off LTIR, however, it would push them over the cap. Lehner is signed through 2024-25 with an AAV of $5 million.

A buyout is off the table. If the Golden Knights wish to shed his contract via trade, they’ll likely have to include other assets in the deal.

Given Hill’s new contract and the uncertainty over Lehner’s health, Granger believes the most likely scenario is the netminder remains on LTIR for this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Granger acknowledged the possibility of Lehner showing up for training camp in September much further along in his recovery than believed. For now, however, it appears the Golden Knights are proceeding as though that’s not going to happen.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes avoided arbitration with center Jack McBain by reaching an agreement on a two-year contract with an AAV of $1.6 million.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting the Bruins and Trent Frederic are $1.5 million apart in their arbitration filings. The club seeks a two-year contract worth $1.4 million annually while Frederic seeks a one-year deal worth $2.9 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Frederic’s arbitration hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 1. Meanwhile, Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman’s case was heard by an arbiter on Sunday. A decision is expected within 48 hours.

CANUCKS ARMY: David Quadrelli cited Vancouver Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal reporting that Ilya Mikheyev recently resumed skating for the first time since suffering an ACL injury in January. The Canucks forward is expected to be ready for the 2023-24 season.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Philadelphia Flyers and the NHL have submitted that goalie Ivan Fedotov’s contract should be tolled as he missed last season due to military service in Russia. The International Ice Hockey Federation is considering whether his contract with the Flyers or KHL club CSKA Moscow is currently valid and binding.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fedotov signed a contract with Philadelphia last year but wound up drafted into the Russian military. If the NHL prevails, he will play for the Flyers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines and Rumors – July 30, 2023

by | Jul 30, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines and Rumors – July 30, 2023

Highlights from a recent interview with NHLPA director Marty Walsh plus the latest on Erik Karlsson, Vladimir Tarasenko and the Jets in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines and Rumors.

MORNING COFFEE HEADLINES

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski interviewed the NHL Player Association’s new executive director Marty Walsh regarding a variety of topics facing PA and the league. Among the highlights:

Walsh is concerned over whether the NHL’s revenue growth is commensurate with the revenues the league is generating. He also wonders if that growth will put the league’s top stars closer to the salaries of comparable stars in other sports leagues or if it will “unsqueeze” the salaries of veterans whose earnings suffer as a result of salary-cap constraints.

“I’m not being critical, but team franchise wealth is certainly growing at a disproportionate rate compared to what the players are making,” Walsh told Wyshynski. He pointed out there will be more teams that will be worth $1 billion USD within a couple of years, and soon there will be teams worth $2 billion USD.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Walsh acknowledged the flattened salary cap since 2020-21 brought about by COVID-19 has affected player contracts. That’s because of the memorandum of understanding extending the CBA to 2026 where the players agreed to a fixed escrow rate. However, that created an imbalance in the 50-50 revenue split leaving an escrow debt to the owners that the players had to repay.

That debt will be fully repaid at the end of 2023-24 when the salary cap is projected to significantly rise by at least $4 million over the current rate of $83.5 million. It could exceed $92 million by 2025-26.

Walsh is also focusing on creating opportunities for players within the current salary-cap system. He would like them to do more “domestically and internationally” to create more relationships and partnerships to grow the game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, do more to generate more revenue and that will translate into a higher salary cap and thus more money for the players.

There are concerns on the players’ side that the owners will attempt to put the current 50-50 split in league revenue on the table in the next round of collective bargaining when the current agreement expires in 2026. Walsh, however, doesn’t see the benefit for the owners to attempt to change it, believing it’s better for the league to maintain stability.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some team owners could entertain the notion of tipping more of the revenue share in their favor. However, it will be NHL commissioner Gary Bettman who’ll decide if that’s something the owners’ side will fight for in negotiations. He could agree with Walsh that the current split is working fine for both sides.

Walsh also said he’s working with Bettman and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) regarding NHL participation in the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy. He also indicated that the players are keen to participate in the next World Cup of Hockey, which he said is a priority for the PA and the NHL. They would also like to find a way to have the league’s Russian players participate in the World Cup “in some credible way.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The COVID-19 pandemic prevent NHL players from participating in the 2022 Winter Olympics and pushed the World Cup ahead to a potential tournament in February 2025. Nevertheless, it’s been seven years since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, which was the last international tournament with NHL participation.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

Walsh said he hasn’t had conversations yet with the NHL regarding a possible expansion of the regular-season schedule and the playoffs. He also believes there soon needs to be clarity regarding the Arizona Coyotes’ arena situation. Despite the recent ban on specialty warm-up jerseys, Walsh believes there’s an opportunity to revisit this issue down the road.

SUNDAY NHL RUMOR ROUNDUP

THE ATHLETIC: Rob Rossi recently noted that the Pittsburgh Penguins is the only club among those reportedly interested in San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson that hasn’t made a major roster move over the past two weeks.

The Carolina Hurricanes added defenseman Tony DeAngelo and re-signed Sebastian Aho to the largest contract in franchise history. The Toronto Maple Leafs placed oft-injured goaltender Matt Murray on long-term injury reserve, perhaps for the entirety of the 2023-24 season. The Seattle Kraken signed blueliner Vince Dunn to a four-year deal.

Rossi acknowledged those moves might not eliminate those clubs from the Karlsson sweepstakes. However, he also thinks the Penguins’ recent lack of activity hints they could know something about the three-time Norris Trophy winner’s situation that nobody else does.

Noting the upcoming arbitration hearing for Penguins forward Drew O’Connor, Rossi indicated that the club will have a 48-hour window to buy out a contract beginning 72 hours after a ruling or a settlement with O’Connor.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My theory is Penguins hockey ops president (and acting general manager) Kyle Dubas will buy out a contract, perhaps that of winger Mikael Granlund. Cap Friendly indicates it will provide the Penguins with over $4.1 million in cap space for the coming season, which could prove invaluable in pulling off what is expected to be a complicated trade to acquire Karlsson.

BALLY SPORTS MIDWEST’s Andy Strickland reported Vladimir Tarasenko had a four-year offer from the Ottawa Senators worth $5.5 million annually earlier in free agency. The 31-year-old winger also received one-year offers worth $5.25 million from the Hurricanes and Sharks.

THE ATHLETIC’s Jeremy Rutherford tweeted that the Florida Panthers also made an offer for Tarasenko.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tarasenko signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Senators last Thursday.

WINNIPEG SUN: Scott Billeck recently weighed in on the Jets’ logjam on defense. He doesn’t expect the club to move out a veteran such as Nate Schmidt or Neal Pionk to make room for younger defensemen such as Logan Stanley, Ville Heinola, Kyle Capobianco and Declan Chisholm. That won’t help the club develop those blueliners but it won’t help the Jets in their current “win-now” mode to trade a veteran rearguard.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That could change if the Jets are out of playoff contention by midseason.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 29, 2023

by | Jul 29, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 29, 2023

The Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman and the Coyotes’ Jack McBain could be heading to arbitration. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

BOSTON HERALD: The Bruins and goaltender Jeremy Swayman are $2.8 million apart as their scheduled arbitration hearing on Sunday approaches. In their pre-filings on Friday, the Bruins offered $2 million while the Swayman camp seeks $4.8 million.

GOPHNX.COM: cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting that the Arizona Coyotes and Jack McBain could also be heading to arbitration on Sunday. The Coyotes are offering up two years at $1.2 million while McBain seeks one year at $2.25 million.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The two sides in both cases can still negotiate up until their hearing commences. After that, negotiations cease and they await the arbiter’s decision, which will likely settle somewhere in the middle.

CAPFRIENDLY: The remainder of the arbitration schedule is as follows:

Trent Frederic, Boston Bruins: Aug. 1

Troy Terry, Anaheim Ducks: Aug. 2

Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild; Ryan McLeod, Edmonton Oilers; Drew O’Connor, Pittsburgh Penguins; Brandon Scanlin, New York Rangers: Aug. 4.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres signed 2023 first-round pick Zach Benson to a three-year entry-level contract. The 18-year-old winger was chosen 13th overall.

TSN: Veteran defenseman Patrik Nemeth has signed a two-year contract with SC Bern of Switzerland’s National League. Nemeth, 31, spent 10 seasons in the NHL, netting 70 points in 504 games with the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and Arizona Coyotes.