NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 5, 2024

by | Sep 5, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 5, 2024

The Blue Jackets and Flames honor the Gaudreau brothers with candlelight vigils, Torey Krug talks about his upcoming ankle surgery, the latest on the Senators, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets held a candlelight vigil outside Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Wednesday to remember Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who were killed by a drunk driver last Thursday in New Jersey.

Johnny, 31, joined the Blue Jackets as a free agent in 2022.

Over 1,000 fans gathered to pay their respects. They heard emotional words and memories from Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell, captain Boone Jenner, alternate captain Erik Gudbranson and center Cole Sillinger.

CALGARY SUN: Thousands of fans gather outside Calgary’s Saddledome on Wednesday to honor the Gaudreau brothers. Johnny began his NHL career with the Flames and spent nearly nine seasons with them. Flames GM Craig Conroy, captain Mikael Backlund, and team legend Lanny McDonald shared their memories of Gaudreau with the crowd.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The vigils cap an emotional week in both cities. Fans outside both arenas set up makeshift memorials over the past week. They will remain in place for the time being. At some point, both clubs will likely implement some form of permanent tribute to the brothers.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues defenseman Torey Krug met with the local media yesterday regarding his season-ending ankle surgery and its effect on his playing career.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug (NHL Images).

Krug was diagnosed earlier this summer with pre-arthritic changes in his left ankle related to an injury suffered during the 2018 playoffs. He later experienced arthritis but was able to treat the issue with non-surgical means until this year when the pain persisted.

The 33-year-old defenseman hopes the surgery will allow him to lead a normal life. However, he became emotional when discussing the possibility it could end his playing career, forcing him to pause at one point for several seconds to compose himself.

The surgery will fuse the subtalar joint that involves side-to-side movement of the foot, limiting Krug’s range of motion in that area. He could also experience pain in the nearby ankle or midfoot joints following surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Krug makes a full recovery from this surgery.

SPORTSNET: Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios is not pushing Linus Ullmark to sign a new contract.

The Senators acquired Ullmark from the Boston Bruins in June. Staios said the club wants the 30-year-old goaltender to settle in and get comfortable in the community before opening contract talks.

Ullmark carries a $5 million cap hit this season. The 2023 Vezina Trophy winner is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: How well Ullmark’s new team performs this season will also factor in his negotiations. Senators fans have been waiting for this rebuilding club’s emergence as a playoff contender since 2021-22.

Poor goaltending factored into their inability to achieve that goal which was why they acquired Ullmark. A strong performance by him and his new teammates could finally lead to that much-anticipated breakout performance. That could entice Ullmark to stick around beyond this season.

Staios also said oft-injured forward Josh Norris is trending toward being a full participant in training camp. The 24-year-old Norris underwent his third surgery on his left shoulder after reinjuring it in March. Staios indicated Norris is ahead of where he was in his recovery compared to this time last year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A healthy and productive Norris will also be a key factor for the Senators this season.

OTTAWA SUN: Talks are heating up again between the Senators and the National Capital Commission regarding the potential construction of a new arena at LeBreton Flats in downtown Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: These negotiations have been going on for several years. So far, there’s no indication a deal is coming anytime soon.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings and Lucas Raymond are no closer to agreement on a new contract. Raymond’s agent indicated the two sides have yet to reach common ground for the framework of a new deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings’ training camp opens in two weeks. Both sides will want to avoid this carrying over into training camp.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks top prospect Macklin Celebrini will be living with former Sharks great Joe Thornton for the coming season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini was the first-overall pick in this year’s draft. He’ll learn a lot from Thornton, who was chosen first overall by the Boston Bruins in 1997 and understands the expectations that come with that honor.

THE SCORE: Former Senator and Chicago Blackhawks forward Dominik Kubalik is returning to Swiss club HC Ambri Piotta. The 29-year-old forward spent the past five seasons with the Blackhawks and Senators, tallying 93 goals and 176 points in 357 career games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kubalik had a promising debut in 2019-20 with 30 goals and 46 points in 68 games but was never able to replicate that performance over the remainder of his NHL career.

SPORTSNET: Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mattias Norlinder could return to Swedish club MoDo if the fans want him to. The club lacks funds to offer Norlinder a contract and has created a crowdfunding campaign to address the issue.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 4, 2024

by | Sep 4, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 4, 2024

The Blue Jackets and Flames to hold candlelight vigils for the Gaudreau brothers, plus the latest on Leon Draisaitl, Brad Marchand, Torey Krug, Thatcher Demko, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: The Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames announced they will hold candlelight vigils on Wednesday evening to honor the lives of Johnny and Matthew Goudreau after the brothers were killed by a drunk driver last Thursday.

The Flames ceremony will be at 8 pm MT/10 pm ET at the west stairs of the Scotiabank Saddledome. The club will stream the candlelight vigil on the Flames website, app, and the team’s social media channels.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau (NHL Images).

The Blue Jackets vigil will be held outside Nationwide Arena starting at 7:30 pm ET/5:30 pm MT.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens winger Cole Caufield will start wearing jersey number 13 in honor of Johnny Gaudreau, who wore the same number for most of his NHL career.

Caufield, 23, called Gaudreau his hero on an Instagram post following the winger’s death last Thursday. On Tuesday, Caufield issued another Instagram post explaining the number change, praising Gaudreau as an inspiration and trailblazer for smaller players with dreams of playing in the NHL.

The Canadiens winger was Gaudreau’s teammate on Team USA at the 2024 IIHF World Championship.

TSN: Donations continue to pour in to support Matthew Gaudreau’s widow Madeline, who is pregnant with the couple’s first child, due in December. A GoFundMe set up by Madeline’s sister raised more than $560K as of 7 pm ET on Tuesday.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Leon Draisaitl said it was difficult to imagine himself wearing a different jersey or walking away from the Oilers. On Tuesday, the 28-year-old superstar signed an eight-year, $112 million contract extension.

Draisaitl said he saw himself as an Oiler for life. He stated that he felt at home in Edmonton, believes the club is building something special and wants to be part of it.

THE ATHLETIC: Daniel Nugent-Bowman believes Draisaitl’s new contract ensures the Oilers can keep their Stanley Cup window open. He expects this improves the club’s odds of signing team captain Connor McDavid, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2026.

Nugent-Bowman pointed out the Oilers are the oldest team in the NHL with little draft capital and a depleted prospect pool. He considers it imperative that they win the Stanley Cup with their current group before they reach what he calls “Pittsburgh Penguins territory.”

He also noted the expected high cost of re-signing McDavid and emerging star Evan Bouchard would put the Oilers among the teams with top-heavy rosters forced to fill out its roster depth with young prospects or inexpensive veterans.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was expensive to re-sign Draisaitl and it will be costly to keep McDavid and Bouchard in the fold. That’s the cost of being in “win-now” mode when many of your best players are in their late twenties and early thirties.

The Oilers are betting they can win the Cup or at least remain a serious contender during the first half of Draisaitl’s new contract (and McDavid’s, too) before age inevitably takes its toll on their veteran roster.

A rising salary cap in the coming years should help the Oilers offset some of the big salary-cap crunch coming their way. Like the Penguins, however, management will eventually find it challenging to maintain a Cup contender as age and injuries catch up with their expensive stars.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Bruins captain Brad Marchand revealed he underwent three surgeries during the offseason to address nagging injuries that plagued him throughout last season.

Marchand, 36, said he played through a torn elbow tendon through most of last season. He also underwent groin and abdominal surgeries to repair a sports hernia that he suffered late in the season.

The Bruins captain indicated the surgeries limited his offseason training. He’s hoping to be ready for the start of his club’s training camp on Sep. 18 or shortly thereafter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That would explain the decline in Marchand’s production last season. Nevertheless, he finished with 29 goals and 67 points in 82 games.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues defenseman Torey Krug will miss the upcoming 2024-25 season due to surgery on his left ankle.

Krug, 33, was diagnosed with pre-arthritic changes in the ankle earlier this summer. He was attempting to rehabilitate the ankle through non-surgical means.

The Blues could turn to Nick Leddy or Ryan Suter joining their top-four defense.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could also open up an opportunity for a younger blueliner to move up in the pecking order on their defense corps.

THE PROVINCE: CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal reported yesterday that Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko has resumed skating and working out on the ice.

Recent reports speculated Demko, 28, could miss training camp and the start of the Canucks’ season as he continued to rehab an offseason medical procedure tied to his playoff-ending knee injury this spring.

Canucks training camp opens on Sep. 19.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demko could still miss some or all of training camp. Nevertheless, Dhaliwal’s report is the first positive news about the goalie’s condition in weeks.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Flames have invited free-agent defenseman Tyson Barrie to training camp on a professional tryout offer (PTO).

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to invite former Florida Panthers forward Steven Lorentz to camp on a PTO.

RG.ORG: Vladimir Bure, father of former NHL players Pavel and Valeri Bure, passed away in Miami at age 73 on Tuesday. He was the former conditioning coach of the New Jersey Devils and won two Stanley Cups with them in 2000 and 2003.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the Bure family and the Devils organization.










Edmonton Oilers Sign Leon Draisaitl To An Eight-Year Contract Extension

by | Sep 3, 2024

Edmonton Oilers Sign Leon Draisaitl To An Eight-Year Contract Extension

The Edmonton Oilers signed Leon Draisaitl today to an eight-year, $112-million contract extension with an average annual value of $14 million.

Draisaitl, 28, is entering the final season of his current eight-year contract with an AAV of $8.5 million, considered one of the best bargain deals in the league given his accomplishments over that period.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

Since Draisaitl’s superstar breakout season in 2018-19, he sits second to teammate Connor McDavid in total points (643), second to Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews in goals (272) and is tied with New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin with 371 total assists.

Drasaitl won the Hart Memorial Trophy, the Art Ross Trophy, and the Ted Lindsay Award in 2019-20. He and McDavid give the Oilers a lethal one-two scoring punch, turning them into Stanley Cup contenders entering 2024-25.

Draisaitl’s new contract will make him the NHL highest-paid player when it goes into effect on July 1, 2025, eclipsing Matthews’ $13.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Everyone knew Draisaitl would seek top dollar on his next deal and everyone knew the Oilers would pay to keep him in Edmonton.

Some observers expected Draisaitl would seek more, perhaps between $15 million and $16 million annually. The $14 million AAV is approximately where most experts believed it would be.

Draisaitl has earned that hefty salary, though his new deal will grow more burdensome for the Oilers over the final four years when he’ll be in his mid-to-late 30s when a player’s skills inevitably deteriorate. The Oilers’ front office believes it’s worth it to re-sign their second-best player, especially when they’re in “win-now” mode and he’s still in his playing prime.

This signing should also be an encouraging sign for McDavid. He’s eligible for UFA status in July 2026. Seeing the Oilers open the vault for Draisaitl sends the message that they’re willing to invest in their top players. It’s also a sign that they’re serious about pursuing the Stanley Cup.

It should dispel any concerns from Oilers fans that McDavid will depart in 2026. Keeping Draisaitl in the fold will encourage their captain to stay in Edmonton.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2024

by | Sep 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2024

Brad Marchand’s future with the Bruins, early contenders for the Calder Trophy, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Ken Campbell points out Brad Marchand’s future with the Boston Bruins has been overshadowed by the recent speculation about teammate Jeremy Swayman’s contract negotiations.

Marchand is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He’ll be 37 by then but could still have value if he scores 30 goals and maintains his effective, pesky style of play.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand (NHL Images).

Once the Swayman saga is resolved, Campbell expects Bruins management to shift their focus to Marchand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchand earns an average annual value of $6.125 million on a contract he signed in Sept. 2016 following his then-career-best performance of 37 goals and 61 points.

The Bruins got great value from this deal as Marchand exceeded 30 goals four times and 80-plus points five times, including a career-high 100 points in 2018-19. He became an invaluable core player and became the team captain last fall following Patrice Bergeron’s retirement.

Marchand’s production declined over the past two seasons with back-to-back 67-point performances, though he narrowly missed the 30-goal plateau last season, finishing with 29. Still, he should remain a high-value target in next summer’s free-agent market if he and the Bruins fail to agree to an extension.

There will undoubtedly be mutual interest between the two sides in getting a contract extension done before next July. It’s unlikely Marchand will hit the open market but we can’t dismiss the possibility.

DAILY FACEOFF: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini tops Steven Ellis’ list of this season’s top five early Calder Memorial Trophy candidates.

Celebrini’s teammate Will Smith is also on Ellis’ list, followed by Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier, Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov, and Dallas Stars winger Logan Stankoven.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This season’s race for Rookie of the Year honors could be intriguing.

A gifted young forward, Celebrini is the early favorite because he was chosen first overall in this year’s draft. Smith isn’t as well known as the others on this list but Ellis points out that he’s a proven winner, especially at the international level.

Gauthier garnered headlines last season when his refusal to play for the Philadelphia Flyers led to his midseason trade to the Ducks. Michkov is a much-hyped Russian prospect. Stankoven has a leg up on the others given his 24 regular-season games and 19 postseason contests in 2023-24.

SPORTSNET: Meredith Gaudreau, the wife of Johnny Gaudreau, thanked the city of Calgary and the Flames for the memorial outside the Saddledome honoring her late husband.

“Thank you, Calgary,” Gaudreau wrote on his Instagram page. “This is amazing. But I’m not surprised. The best people ever.”

Johnny Gaudreau played most of his career with the Flames before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022. He and his brother Matthew were killed by a drunk driver last Thursday.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Jaromir Jagr left a heartfelt message for Gaudreau on his Instagram account. The two were teammates in Calgary for 22 games in 2017-18, with Gaudreau assisting on what proved to be Jagr’s only goal with the Flames and his final NHL goal.

DETROIT HOCKEY NEWS: Former Red Wings winger Filip Zadina signed a two-year contract with HC Davos in Switzerland. The 24-year-old was chosen sixth overall by the Red Wings in the 2018 draft but struggled to establish himself as a scoring forward with the Wings and San Jose Sharks.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: A recent report out of Russia claimed a KHL team looked into signing former Flyers goaltender Carter Hart before deciding to stick with their current goalies.

Hart is among five players awaiting trial on sexual assault charges stemming from his alleged involvement in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case. He has not played since January and became an unrestricted free agent after the Flyers declined to qualify his rights.

Hart’s co-defendants Michael McLeod and Dillon Dube signed one-year contracts with KHL teams this summer.

THE ATHLETIC: Former Minnesota Wild forward Stephane Veilleux, 42, is on the road to recovery following a life-threatening car crash on June 19.

Veilleux’s vehicle was struck by a teenager driving a Toyota Highland that ran a stop sign and T-boned his Nissan Rogue. He’s been in a halo vest to immobilize his neck to allow his C1 vertebrae to heal.

The former Wild forward is grateful to the team, his former teammates, his best friend, his community, and his ex-wife for their assistance during his recovery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Veilleux for a complete recovery.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 2, 2024

by | Sep 2, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 2, 2024

Clayton Keller looks forward to Utah’s upcoming season, Patrik Laine arrives in Montreal, Dylan Holloway talks about the Oilers’ reaction to his offer sheet from the Blues, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

ALLCITY NETWORK: Craig Morgan reports Clayton Keller believes Utah Hockey Club’s offseason additions will push his team in the right direction.

After relocating from Arizona to Utah in the spring, the club bolstered its blueline by acquiring Mikhail Sergachev, John Marino and Ian Cole.

Utah Hockey Club forward Clayton Keller (NHL Images)

“All the guys that we traded for and signed are great players and guys that have won Stanley Cups or been in those high-pressure situations,” said Keller. He believes his team is ready to take the next step and wants to win. “I think we’re a fun team to watch.”

The 26-year-old winger looks forward to showing what he can do in postseason competition. “I’ve had some decent seasons, but I haven’t really proven anything really. When you really make the noise is in the playoffs; when you’re in those high-pressure situations.

Keller’s father, Bryan, dismissed rumors claiming his son was upset over moving from Arizona to Utah and wanted a trade. “That’s 100 percent BS”, he said, adding his son “can’t wait” for this season after seeing the excitement and support for the team in their new home state.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Keller was his club’s best player over the past three seasons and should continue in the role for the foreseeable future. Utah’s crop of emerging young talent combined with their recent veteran additions should make them a better club this season. Nevertheless, Keller will be looked on to lead the way.

TVA SPORTS: Patrik Laine arrived in Montreal last week to begin skating with his new teammates before training camp starts in mid-September. The Canadiens acquired the 26-year-old winger from the Columbus Blue Jackets last month. He will wear jersey No. 92.

RG.ORG: Speaking of the Canadiens, an opportunity to get a second-round pick from the New Jersey Devils could be dashed because of the conditions in the Jake Allen trade between the two clubs in March.

The conditions state that the 2025 third-round pick the Devils owe the Canadiens would become a second-rounder if Allen plays in at least 40 games this season and the Devils (or another team he’s traded to) qualify for the playoffs.

However, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald indicated his club intends to lean heavily on offseason acquisition Jacob Markstrom as their starting goaltender. It’s unlikely that Allen will reach the 40-game plateau backing up Markstrom.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples cited former Oilers winger Dylan Holloway claiming his former club was aware of the St. Louis Blues’ intention to sign him and teammate Philip Broberg to offer sheets well before the pair received them.

Appearing on the “Hockey Sense” podcast, Holloway said his camp was trying to get a deal done with the Oilers and wasn’t asking for “anything crazy at all.” He claims they explained to management that an offer sheet was an option but was still hoping to stay in Edmonton. He said it was “weird” how the Oilers handled it, leaving him no choice but to accept the offer.

Holloway said it was bittersweet leaving Edmonton and doesn’t expect to get a warm reception from Oilers fans when he comes to town with the Blues. However, he said his former teammates understood his decision.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers management hoped no rival club would exploit their salary-cap constraints by signing Holloway and Broberg. They gambled and lost.

THE PROVINCE: Latvia national team goalie coach Arturs Irbe said Arturs Silovs should be fully recovered from his knee inflammation soon enough and ready to start the 2024-25 season with the Vancouver Canucks. Irbe said the inflammation was caused by Silovs overtraining in preparation for joining Latvia for their Olympic qualifier.

OLYMPICS.COM: Speaking of Latvia’s men’s team, they qualified for the 2026 Winter Olympics along with Denmark and Slovakia.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mikko Koskinen has officially retired as a player to pursue a new career as a player agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Koskinen, 36, was drafted by the New York Islanders in 2009 and played four games with them in 2010-11. He spent six seasons in the KHL from 2013-14 to 2017-18 until joining the Oilers in 2018-19, where he spent four seasons before finishing his career in Switzerland.

Koskinen’s NHL record was 85-60-13 in 168 games with a career goals-against average of 3.01, a save percentage of .906 and six shutouts.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 1, 2024

by | Sep 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 1, 2024

The Carolina Hurricanes re-sign Seth Jarvis, Meredith Gaudreau posts a tribute to her late husband Johnny Gaudreau, the Bruins sign Tyler Johnson to a PTO contract, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli broke the news on Saturday that the Carolina Hurricanes signed restricted free agent winger Seth Jarvis to an eight-year, $63.2 million contract.

Jarvis’ new contract is structured in a way that Seravalli suggests “may be important business” for the NHL’s other 31 teams. It will have a lower annual salary-cap hit than the typical average annual value (AAV) because the 22-year-old winger was willing to defer salary,

Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis (NHL Images).

Instead of Jarvis’ AAV being $7.9 million, it will be $7.5 million, a savings of $400K per season. There is a deferred signing bonus payment scheduled for July 1, 2032, one day after his contract expires on June 30, 2032.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: PuckPedia shows the AAV at just over $7.42 million.

According to Seravalli, that payment is technically scheduled for Year 9 of the eight-year contract, meaning there is no Year 9 cap charge to the Hurricanes. The cap hit for the Hurricanes throughout the eight-year deal is charges on what is actually paid out during that time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seravalli goes into greater detail on this subject and I recommend following the above link. He also suggests other NHL clubs could follow suit to reduce the AAV on future major signings.

TSN’s Chris Johnston pointed out that deferred payments have been part of the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) since 2005. However, they’ve been seldom used because players typically prefer getting as much money upfront as possible.

Johnston also explains that deferred salary deals lower the cap hit because of the present value of the money calculation. The Year 9 money that Jarvis is paid in 2033 won’t be worth the same value as it is today.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The effect of this could be felt on contract negotiations involving the league’s biggest stars. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Edmonton Oilers attempted to convince Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid to defer salary on their next contracts. The Toronto Maple Leafs could try to do the same with Mitch Marner.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Meredith Gaudreau posted a tribute on Instagram to her late husband Johnny Gaudreau. The 31-year-old Columbus Blue Jackets winger and his brother Matthew were killed on Thursday while cycling when they were struck from behind by a drunk driver.

“Thank you for the best years of my life,” Meredith Gaudreau wrote on Instagram. “Despite losing you, I am the luckiest girl in the world to have been yours. I love you so much. You were perfect. Some days it felt too good to be true. I love every single thing about you. 

“You are my forever and I can’t wait to be with you again. I love you so much forever and ever.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tributes continued to pour in for the Gaudreaus around the sports world on Saturday. Sports teams across the US and Canada held moments of silence for the brothers. Hockey sticks and Gatorade were left in tribute to them near the New Jersey road where they died.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins signed unrestricted free agent forward Tyler Johnson to a professional tryout offer. The 34-year-old spent the past three seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. A 12-year NHL veteran, he broke into the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning, helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021.

UTAH HOCKEY CLUB announced via “X” that they’ve signed defenseman Robert Bortuzzo to a one-year, two-way contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: PuckPedia indicates the AAV is $775K at the NHL level. Bortuzzo, 35, is a 13-year NHL veteran who split last season between the St. Louis Blues and New York Islanders. He won a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols reports on Aug. 30 that Devils defenseman Simon Nemec was injured on Friday playing for Slovakia in their Olympic qualifier against Hungary. Team doctors said nothing was broken or dislocated and Nemec would undergo further tests on Saturday.

NHL.COM: The league released its US national TV broadcasting schedule on Thursday.

It commences on Oct. 9 with the Florida Panthers raising their 2023-24 Stanley Cup banner before their season-opener against the Boston Bruins. The night also sees the debut of the Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City in their season-opener against the Chicago Blackhawks.