NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 6, 2024

by | Sep 6, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 6, 2024

Oilers captain Connor McDavid talks about his offseason, Alex Ovechkin prepares for his 20th season with the Capitals, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid revealed he adjusted his summer training schedule to account for his club’s shorter offseason following the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

McDavid, 27, was also motivated to change his offseason training following the Oilers’ poor start last season.

“I went with a little bit of a different strategy this summer,” said McDavid. “In years past, it’s just been very heavy volume. Very go, go, go. Throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks.”

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

McDavid admitted he felt fatigued at the start of last season following a long summer of heavy training. That contributed to a 2-9-1 start to the season for the Oilers before rebounding following a coaching change.

The Oilers captain said he took some time off the ice this summer though he continued his off-ice workouts. He resumed skating in August and feels good heading toward training camp.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is in his playing prime but what worked for him in his offseason regimen several years ago isn’t as effective now. The human body changes as it ages and athletes must adjust accordingly.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Alex Ovechkin has returned to the United States to prepare for the upcoming season with the Washington Capitals.

Entering his 20th NHL season, the 38-year-old Ovechkin is 42 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. Following a slow start last season, the Capitals captain finished with 31 goals, marking the 18th time he’d reached the 30-goal plateau.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Age is catching up with Ovechkin. Nevertheless, a better start could improve his chances of breaking Gretzky’s record this season.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The funeral of Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew has been scheduled for 12 pm on Monday in Philadelphia. The Gaudreaus were killed by a drunk driver last Thursday.

NEW YORK POST: Former Rangers defenseman Marc Staal has retired as an active player, rejoining the Rangers as a player development coach.

Chosen in the first round of the 2005 NHL Draft (12th overall) by the Rangers, Staal spent 13 seasons with the Rangers (2007-08 to 2019-20). He spent the following four seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, and Philadelphia Flyers.

Staal had 53 goals and 234 points in 1,136 regular-season games and 20 points in 128 playoff contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicated that Staal overcame multiple concussions and played the last 11 years of his 17-season NHL career without vision in his right eye after being struck by a puck in 2012-13. He wore a visor after that and never missed a game because of his eye or vision.

THE SCORE: Long-time NHL defenseman Alex Goligoski also hung up his skates on Thursday.

A second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2004 draft, Goligoski spent 17 seasons in the NHL from 2007-08 to 2023-24. He scored 87 goals and collected 388 assists for 475 career regular-season points with the Penguins, Dallas Stars, Arizona Coyotes and Minnesota Wild. He also had 21 points in 47 playoff games. He won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2008-09.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils invited defenseman Jakub Zboril and goaltender Michael Hutchinson to training camp on professional tryout offers (PTOs).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils also denied a rumor claiming they were bringing Milan Lucic to camp on a PTO. “Categorically untrue. His situation lies with the league. We haven’t and couldn’t sign him to a PTO.”

Lucic entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program following his arrest last fall for a domestic incident. He needs clearance from the league to resume his career but has not yet been cleared by league doctors to exit the program.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Anaheim Ducks prospect forward Beckett Sennecke suffered a broken foot during offseason training and will miss the next six to eight weeks. Sennecke, 18, was chosen third overall by the Ducks in this year’s draft.

The Ducks also signed goaltender Oskar Dansk to a one-year, two-way contract. The former Vegas Golden Knights netminder spent the past two seasons with the Calgary Flames AHL affiliate.

TSN: A London, Ontario court is hearing legal arguments in the sexual assault case of five former players of Canada’s 2018 World Junior Hockey team.

Dillon Dube, Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were charged earlier this year in connection with an alleged sexual assault at a hotel in 2018.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Former NHL defenseman Larry Trader died Thursday at age 61. Trader played 91 games in the NHL with the Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens from 1982-83 to 1987-88, scoring five goals and 18 points. He also won a Calder Cup with the AHL’s Adirondack Red Wings in 1985-86 and a Spengler Cup for Canada in 1986-87.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Trader’s family, friends and former teammates.

US HOCKEY HALL OF FAME: Former NHL players Matt Cullen and Kevin Stevens are among the inductees in the Class of 2024. The induction ceremony will be held on Dec. 4, 2024, in Pittsburgh.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Cullen and Stevens for this great honor.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 1, 2024

by | Jul 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 1, 2024

The free-agent market opens at noon ET. Before the signing frenzy begins, check out the latest recent notable signings, contract buyouts and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

REINHART, GUENTZEL, KANE AMONG EARLY CONTRACT SIGNINGS

SPORTSNET: Sam Reinhart and the Florida Panthers have agreed to an eight-year contract before the midnight ET deadline for eight-year extensions. Financial terms weren’t disclosed but will be officially announced on July 1.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently speculated the average annual value would be $9 million. We’ll find out later today if that’s the case but it wouldn’t be surprising. It would give Reinhart the third-highest AAV among Panthers skaters, behind Aleksander Barkov ($10 million) and Matthew Tkachuk ($9.5 million).

Jake Guentzel and the Tampa Bay Lightning agreed to a new contract on Sunday just hours after his rights were traded to the Lightning by the Carolina Hurricanes. Terms were unknown but will be officially announced later on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Guentzel signing likely means the end of Steven Stamkos’ 16-season career with the Lightning. Stamkos’ agent indicated that his client is heading to free agency.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings and Patrick Kane agreed to a one-year contract. It comes with a $4 million base salary and $2.5 million in bonuses.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 35-year-old Kane enjoyed a bounce-back season with the Red Wings after undergoing a hip resurfacing procedure last June. It’s rumored the New York Rangers were interested in bringing Kane back for another season but wouldn’t go as high as the Wings with the base salary.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs reached an agreement with Max Domi on a four-year contract with an AAV of $3.75 million. It contains a $3.5 million signing bonus in the first year and a 13-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An affordable signing for Toronto. After a slow start, Domi fit in well with the Leafs last season, netting 47 points in 80 games.

The Leafs also re-signed Timothy Liljegren to a two-year contract with an AAV of $3 million. The 25-year-old defenseman was slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Leafs are reportedly close to signing Chris Tanev to a multi-year contract worth an annual salary-cap hit of $5 million. They acquired the signing rights to the 34-year-old defenseman from the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

SPORTSNET: The Utah Hockey Club and Sean Durzi agreed to a four-year contract extension with an annual salary cap hit of $6 million. The 25-year-old defenseman averaged over 23 minutes of ice time while leading his club’s blueliners with 41 points.

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: The Predators are close to signing defenseman Alexandre Carrier to a new contract. Terms were not disclosed.

MARCHESSAULT, BERTUZZI, KYLINGTON HEADED TO MARKET

LAS VEGAS SUN: Jonathan Marchessault is heading to free agency. The 33-year-old winger was unable to reach a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchessault was among the few original members of the Golden Knights (aka “The Golden Misfits”) on their roster last season. The 33-year-old winger is their franchise scoring leader and won the Conn Smythe Trophy leading them to the Stanley Cup last year. He’ll draw plenty of attention in the free-agent market with Reinhart, Guentzel and Kane off the board.

TORONTO SUN: Tyler Bertuzzi is moving on and won’t be signing with the Maple Leafs. The 29-year-old forward completed a one-year, $5.5 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like Domi, Bertuzzi had a slow start with the Leafs last season but finished strong with 21 goals and 43 points. He shouldn’t have any difficulty finding a new club willing to pay him a multi-year deal for around $5.5 million.

TSN’s Salim Nadim Valji reports defenseman Oliver Kylington, 27, is heading to free agency.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kylington was a Masterton Trophy nominee last season after returning to action following two seasons dealing with mental health issues.

NOTABLE CONTRACT BUYOUTS

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers placed Jack Campbell on unconditional waivers Sunday before buying out the remaining three years of his contract. The 32-year-old goaltender carried an AAV of $5 million. The buyout will count as $1.1 million against the Oilers’ cap payroll this season, $2.3 million in 2025-26, $2.6 million in 2026-27, dropping to $1.5 million for each of the remaining three years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Campbell was signed two years ago to fill the Oilers’ starting goaltender role. Inconsistent play in 2022-23 cost him that job to Stuart Skinner. He spent most of last season with the Oilers AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. It remains to be seen if the 32-year-old netminder lands with another NHL club this summer.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets placed defenseman Nate Schmidt on unconditional waivers on Sunday before buying out the remaining year of his contract. The 32-year-old had a cap hit of $5.95 million for 2024-25. This buyout will count as $2.716 million against the Jets’ cap payroll this season and $1.616 million in 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some folks expressed surprise on social media that the Jets didn’t trade Schmidt, retaining salary in the deal. There may have been no market for him.

IN OTHER NEWS…

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens traded defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic to the New Jersey Devils for a 2026 fourth-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens appear to be making room for one of their promising young blueliners for this season. This move also clears over $766K from their cap payroll.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson has informed management he has no intention of signing with the club and has requested a trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson is completing his entry-level contract. The 22-year-old winger is the younger brother of Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson. He’s struggled to crack the Leafs lineup full-time partly because of injuries.

Robertson lacks arbitration rights so his only leverage is to refuse to sign until traded. We’ll see if the Leafs find a new home for him this summer or engage in a contract standoff.

THE SCORE: Four of the five players involved in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal were not tendered qualifying offers yesterday. Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Michael McLeod will become unrestricted free agents today.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A trial date for their case has not yet been set. Don’t expect those players to receive any contract offers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 30, 2024

by | Jun 30, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 30, 2024

Aftermath of the 2024 Draft, Steven Stamkos is heading to free agency, the Sabres will buy out Jeff Skinner, reaction to several notable trades at the draft including Mikhail Sergachev, Kevin Hayes and Chris Tanev, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

**UPDATE** The Carolina Hurricanes trade Jake Guentzel’s signing rights to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. 

AFTERMATH OF THE 2024 NHL DRAFT

NHL.COM: Saturday saw the completion of the 2024 NHL Draft as the 32 teams made their selections in rounds two through seven.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can see the complete list of picks by following the above link. FloHockey’s Chris Peters breaks down the selections by teams and grades how they did at the draft table.

Among the noteworthy selections on Saturday were those projected to be potential first-overall picks entering this draft who wound up being chosen in the second round.

They included winger Igor Chernyshov of KHL club Moscow Dynamo being chosen 33rd overall by the San Jose Sharks, Brandon Wheat Kings defenseman Charlie Elick selected 36th by the Columbus Blue Jackets, Medicine Hat Tigers winger Andrew Basha picked 41st by the Calgary Flames, Prince Albert Raiders winger Ryder Ritchie going 45th overall with the Minnesota Wild, and winger Nikita Artamonov of KHL club Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod going to the Carolina Hurricanes and 50th overall.

One of the notable stories of the first round on Friday was Jarome Iginla’s son Tij being chosen sixth overall by the Utah Hockey Club. On Saturday, another former NHL team captain’s son took a big step toward the NHL as the Montreal Canadiens selected center Aatos Koivu of TPS Jr in Finland in the third round (70th overall). His father, Saku Koivu, played 13 seasons for the Canadiens and served as their captain from 1999-2000 to 2008-09.

SPORTSNET: Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos appears headed to free agency on Monday. Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois and Stamkos’ agent Don Meehan independently confirmed their respective positions hadn’t changed despite two noteworthy cost-cutting trades by the Lightning during the draft.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos’ 16 seasons with the Lightning will end when free agency begins on Monday at noon ET barring a last-minute breakthrough. The 34-year-old winger will attract plenty of interest on the open market. He’s already been linked to the Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators, and New York Rangers.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres announced they’ve begun buying out the final three years of Jeff Skinner’s contract. They will pay two-thirds of the remaining $22 million on his contract, which will count against their salary-cap payroll for the next six years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicates it will give the Sabres $31 million in cap room for 2024-25. They could use some of it in this summer’s trade and free-agent markets.

NHL.COM: The Utah Hockey Club has shifted from rebuilding to ramping up their roster by acquiring defensemen Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning and John Marino from the New Jersey Devils.

SPORTSNET: The Tampa Bay Lightning freed up over $11 million in salary-cap space by trading Sergachev to Utah and winger Tanner Jeannot to the Los Angeles Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning got a solid return for Sergachev, acquiring defenseman JJ Moser, promising young center Conor Geekie and two draft picks. They didn’t fare as well with Jeannot. They got back a 2024 fourth-rounder and a 2025 second-rounder in a move that was a straightforward salary dump. They shipped defenseman Cal Foote, a conditional 2025 first-rounder, a 2024 second-rounder, and three picks in 2023 to the Predators for Jeannot before the 2023 NHL trade deadline.

The Sergachev trade was partly because BriseBois reacquired aging blueliner Ryan McDonagh and his full $6.75 million cap hit from the Predators.

Jeannot was not a good fit with the Lightning last season. The Kings hope he can regain his form and provides some additional grit and scoring to their lineup.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs acquired the signing rights to Chris Tanev. They have until noon ET on Monday to agree to a new contract before the 34-year-old defenseman becomes an unrestricted free agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicates the Leafs could be interested in adding another pending UFA defenseman like Nikita Zadorov, Oliver Ekman-Larsson or Matt Roy.

STLTODAY.COM: Trading Kevin Hayes to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday freed up an additional $3.571 million, giving the Blues about $15.5 million in cap space for next season. It also means they’ll have to add another center as they’re a little thin at that position.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford suggested clearing Hayes from their books could help the Blues sign Pavel Buchnevich to a contract extension. The 29-year-old winger is a year away from UFA eligibility.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski suggests Hayes should improve the Penguins in the faceoff circle. He could skate on the second line with Evgeny Malkin or play a down-line role at center.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Logan Thompson learned an hour before an autograph signing at Sphere in Las Vegas that the Golden Knights had traded him to the Washington Capitals. Thompson said he had reached the stage in his career where he wanted to prove himself as a No. 1 goalie but felt it wouldn’t happen with Adin Hill holding that position with the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thompson could’ve blown off the autograph session but did it anyway despite the awkward timing of his trade. A classy move on his part.

The Golden Knights acquired another goaltender when they got Akira Schmid (along with forward Alexander Holtz) from the New Jersey Devils. Schmid will likely serve as their third goalie as management considers other options to find a suitable backup for Hill.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS’ Ken Wiebe reports on “X” that Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff indicated Rutger McGroarty won’t attend the club’s prospect development camp next week.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A difference in opinion between the Jets and McGroarty over his path to the NHL has the Jets listening to trade offers for the promising young forward.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The NHL won’t change the qualifying offer rules for the five players involved in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal. That includes Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If those five players don’t receive qualifying offers by 5 pm ET on June 30, they will become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Utah Hockey Club signed defenseman Juuso Valimaki to a two-year contract extension.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders are parting ways with assistant coach Doug Houda, who ran their defense and power play. His replacement will be named on Monday.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Former Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz is returning to the organization in an as-yet undefined role. Francouz hasn’t officially retired as a player but said in April that injuries have ended his playing career.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 12, 2024

by | Jun 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 12, 2024

The latest on the Oilers and Panthers, the fallout from the Capitals’ purchase of Cap Friendly, the latest assistant coach hirings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP NOTEBOOK

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers are putting on a brave face despite being down 2-0 to the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. “It’s supposed to be hard and I’m excited to see what our group is made of,” said team captain Connor McDavid. “I’m excited to see us fight through adversity and I’m looking forward to people doubting us again.”

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

The Oilers have had to overcome adversity during the regular season and in this postseason. They sank to 31st overall in November, were on the verge of elimination in their second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks, and were down 2-1 to the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final.

McDavid’s bold words aside, the Oilers face a daunting challenge getting back into this series after the Panthers shut down their vaunted offense in the first two games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Game 3 on Thursday could be the most consequential of this Stanley Cup Final.

If the Oilers win, they’re back in the series and have a chance to tie it in Game 4, building momentum that could carry them to the franchise’s first Cup since 1990.

Should they lose Game 3, however, they face long odds of overcoming a 0-3 deficit. Only four clubs have done that in NHL playoff history and only one (the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs) has done it in the Stanley Cup Final.

TSN: Oilers star Leon Draisaitl avoided supplemental discipline for his high hit on Aleksander Barkov in Game 2 that forced the Panthers captain from the game.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said Tuesday that Barkov “wasn’t worse” but will undergo a full assessment on Wednesday. Maurice suggested his captain could play in Game 3 if he continues to progress.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl left his feet and struck Barkov in the jaw. It was an uncharacteristic hit by the Oilers star. Nevertheless, he likely would’ve received postgame discipline from the league had the incident occurred during a regular-season game.

SPORTSNET: Oilers forward Sam Carrick was fined $2.2K for slashing Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL’s department of player safety called it “slashing” because they can’t find a formal phrase for “nut shot”.

TORONTO SUN: profiles some of the notable stories in the new book “My Day With The Cup” by author/sportscaster Jim Lang. It profiles stories from many subjects (mostly since 1995) describing their “short and sweet” designated day with hockey’s holy grail. Most stories are about spending time with family and friends that run the gamut from heartwarming to hilarious.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve got this one on my Kindle wish list and look forward to making it part of my vacation reading later this summer.

TSN: A survey by the market research company Leger found that 58 percent of Canadians polled aren’t paying close attention to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. 35 percent aren’t following the series at all while 24 percent said they wouldn’t follow it closely.

Fifty-eight percent of Albertans are the most likely following the series because of the Oilers. 53 percent of Atlantic Canadians are also following the series, 42 percent in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are interested with 70 percent of Quebecers being the most disinterested.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There is no such thing as “Canada’s Team” when it comes to winning the Stanley Cup. Most Canadian hockey fans prefer to support their favorite team, which for some isn’t Canadian-based. Here in Atlantic Canada, for example, there are a lot of Boston Bruins fans.

The number of Canadian hockey fans interested in the Stanley Cup Final would be higher if the Toronto Maple Leafs or Montreal Canadiens were among the participants. They’re Original Six teams with over a century of hockey history and widespread support throughout Canada.

FALLOUT FROM THE CAPITALS’ PURCHASE OF CAP FRIENDLY

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman offered further insight into why the Washington Capitals purchased the popular Cap Friendly website and why the site won’t remain public following the completion of the sale on July 5. (Stick tap to Sammi Silber for this report).

Friedman said the Capitals purchased Cap Friendly for internal reasons rather than profit. It was cheaper to buy it rather than hire people and invest time and resources in building a hockey salary database.

According to Friedman, the Capitals couldn’t keep the site public even if they wanted to. The NHL frowns on the existence of such sites, even though they should be doing it themselves. “They consider it propriety information,” he said. Nevertheless, he explained some teams are scrambling to find an alternative once Cap Friendly goes dark.

Silber believes alternative salary-cap sites such as Puck Pedia and Sportrac will receive more attention going forward.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Jonathan Bailey cited Friedman listing several teams he believes have backup plans when Cap Friendly goes offline. “Seattle…New Jersey, Carolina, I heard Chicago…Islanders…Toronto…Columbus, and Pittsburgh.”

TORONTO STAR: Bruce Arthur believes the NHL’s unwillingness to make player salary information available on their website shows how the league’s brain trust is out of touch with today’s hockey fans.

Arthur cited league commissioner Gary Bettman’s comments in 2015 dismissing the notion of the league running a salary-cap website, expressing his belief that fans weren’t that interested. The popularity of Cap Friendly and its predecessor CapGeek suggests otherwise.

Because of the NHL’s hard salary cap, fans want to know how their favorite teams spend their money. The media also uses that information to write better-informed pieces about the NHL.

“Allowing high-information fans and media to understand the league leads to more and better conversation about the league,” writes Arthur. “That’s good for the game, too.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is what happens when dinosaurs run your professional sports league. The NHL is still controlled by an old-boy network whose ideology remains rooted in the previous century. They take their fans for granted, refusing to believe they’re interested in salary information despite all the contrary evidence.

The NHL may prefer salary information be kept private, but they have themselves to blame for the fans’ desire to know more about it. They killed an entire season to implement their hard cap system. As Arthur pointed out, how your favorite team spends its salary-cap payroll each year is integral to how well they can compete. Fans naturally want to know if their teams can afford to acquire or retain players.

IN OTHER NEWS…

CALGARY SUN: The Flames hired former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen as an assistant coach.

NHL.COM: Former Chicago Blackhawks bench boss Jeremy Colliton joins the New Jersey Devils as an assistant coach.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins are reportedly hiring David Quinn as an assistant coach. He spent the past two seasons as head coach of the San Jose Sharks. Before that, Quinn spent three seasons as the New York Rangers’ bench boss.

TSN: The sexual assault case of five former members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior team is set to return to court on Aug. 13 to potentially set a date for trial.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 29, 2024

by | Feb 29, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 29, 2024

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, the Flames trade Chris Tanev to the Stars, the Canucks are reportedly making progress in contract talks with Elias Pettersson, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers become the first team to reach 40 wins this season by defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1. Artemi Panarin scored twice and collected an assist, Chris Kreider tallied his 30th goal of the season and Igor Shesterkin made 30 saves for the 40-17-3 Rangers as they took over first place in the overall standings with 83 points. Cole Sillinger replied for the 19-29-10 Blue Jackets.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Vancouver Canucks also have 83 points but the Rangers have two more wins plus a game in hand.

An overtime goal by Connor McDavid lifted the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Zach Hyman scored twice (including his 40th of the season) as the Oilers overcame a 2-0 deficit. With a record of 35-20-2, the Oilers hold third place in the Pacific Division with 72 points. Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich scored for the 30-26-3 Blues (63 points) as they sit five points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hyman has a six-game goal streak and is within range of the vaunted 50-goal plateau. McDavid has points in nine straight games but his goal was his first in 11 games. Nevertheless, he’s third in the scoring race with 94 points, four behind Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (98 points) and nine back of Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (103).

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The Calgary Flames traded defenseman Chris Tanev to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday evening in a three-team trade involving the New Jersey Devils.

In return, the Flames received defense prospect Artem Grushnikov, the Stars’ 2024 second-round pick and a conditional third-rounder in 2026. If the Stars don’t advance to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the Flames won’t receive that third-round pick. The Devils, meanwhile, receive Dallas’ fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft.

Tanev carries a salary-cap hit of $4.5 million. The Flames retained 50 percent ($2.25 million) while the Devils received 50 percent of what remained ($1.125 million).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pundits and bloggers believe the Stars are the big winners of this deal as they received the best defensive blueliner in the trade market. Adding Tanev shores up their depth on the right side of their blueline as they hope to stage a run for the Stanley Cup this season.

Reaction was mixed over what Calgary received in this deal. It was rumored Flames general manager Craig Conroy was pushing for a first-round pick. He said he was happy to get the 20-year-old Grushnikov, who plays a similar game as Tanev and could develop into a reliable top-four shutdown rearguard.

The acquisition of Tanev should help the Stars this season. Time will tell if it works out over the long term for the Flames.

DAILY FACEOFF: Sources told Frank Seravalli that the Vancouver Canucks have made “significant progress” in efforts to sign Elias Pettersson to a long-term contract extension. It’s believed to be an eight-year deal that could be finalized in the coming days. It’s expected to exceed an average annual value of $10 million.

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston reports his sources have kept mum on this issue and no other media outlets are verifying that a deal is close for Pettersson. He also noted this runs counter to the 25-year-old center’s previous stance that he preferred to leave the negotiations until the end of the season, something he told Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre before Seravalli’s report.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll have more about Pettersson’s contract situation in today’s Rumors update. Interestingly, this story breaks following recent media speculation suggesting the Canucks were receiving calls from other clubs inquiring about Pettersson’s status. Maybe the source is someone from the Pettersson camp, the Canucks’ front office, or one of the teams that called about Pettersson.

SPORTSNET: The Minnesota Wild won’t ask Marc-Andre Fleury to waive his no-movement clause before the March 8 trade deadline. Elliotte Friedman reports the Wild won’t be moving the 39-year-old goaltender and are happy to keep him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury recently told reporters he didn’t want to be traded as he hoped to help the Wild reach the playoffs. This decision indicates the Wild are going for it. They’re six points out of a wild-card berth but have won seven of their last 10 games.

TSN: San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture dismissed recent rumors regarding his future with the club. Sidelined by a lower-body injury that has limited him to six games this season, Couture insisted he doesn’t want to play for another team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Couture is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $8 million and a three-team trade list. Even if he were healthy and productive, moving that contract during the season would be challenging.

THE MERCURY NEWS: Speaking of the Sharks, they placed goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (lower body) on injured reserve.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers placed goaltender Cal Petersen on waives and recalled Felix Sandstrom. The move comes after Petersen gave up seven goals in a 7-6 loss on Sunday to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

THE GLOBE & MAIL: The five former members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior hockey team who have been charged with sexual assault will face trial by jury in a London, Ontario court. It will be several months before a trial date is set.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 6, 2024

by | Feb 6, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 6, 2024

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week are revealed, Hall-of-Famer Lanny McDonald is in hospital following a cardiac event, and David Pastrnak weighs in on the NHL’s 4 Nations Faceoff tournament. Get the details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Alexis Lafreniere lifted the New York Rangers to a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Artemi Panarin scored the tying goal for the Rangers (31-16-3) as they hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 65 points. Nathan MacKinnon scored for the 32-14-4 Avalanche as he moved into a tie with Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov for first place in the scoring race with 85 points. The Avs extended their points streak to 14 games, holding first place in the Central Division with 68 points.

New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere (NHL Images).

The New York Islanders nipped the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on a late goal by former Leaf Pierre Engvall. Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves for the 21-17-12 Islanders (54 points) as they snapped a three-game winless skid (0-2-1) to sit four points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. John Tavares had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs (25-15-8) as they hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 58 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Defensemen Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock returned to action for the Islanders after missing several games due to injury. Meanwhile, Leafs forward David Kampf is out for a week with an undisclosed injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid and Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat were the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 4.

SPORTSNET: Hall-of-Famer Lanny McDonald is in a Calgary hospital after suffering a cardiac event Sunday after returning from the 2024 NHL All-Star weekend in Toronto. He said he owes his life to two quick-thinking nurses who were catching their flights at the Calgary airport but stopped to attend to him. In the stress of the moment, his wife didn’t get their names.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping McDonald has a quick recovery and learns the names of those nurses so he can thank them properly.

THE SCORE: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak is no fan of next year’s 4 Nations Faceoff tournament. Scheduled for Feb. 2025, the nine-day tournament features only Canada, the United States, Finland and Sweden.

Pastrnak, who’s from Czechia, isn’t pleased that his country was excluded from the tournament. “It’s a huge disappointment…Definitely not happy about it,” he told Boston.com’s Conor Ryan. He said he understood that it was a quick turnaround and the league probably didn’t have enough time to expand the tournament.

Nevertheless, Pastrnak said he’s not going to watch that tournament, putting his focus on representing Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t blame Pastrnak for feeling slighted. It’s a slap in the face to NHL players from smaller hockey-playing nations like Czechia, Germany, Slovakia and others. The league could’ve addressed this by having a Team Europe comprised of NHL players from those countries as they did during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov has entered the NHL-NHLPA player assistance program and will be away from the team indefinitely. The 31-year-old’s production has declined over the past two seasons and he’s struggled with consistency.

TSN: London, Ontario police yesterday confirmed charges against five former players of Canada’s 2018 World Junior team.

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart, Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube, New Jersey Devils forward Michael McLeod and defenseman Cal Foote and unsigned Ottawa Senators winger Alex Formenton were each charged with one count of sexual assault stemming from an alleged incident following a Hockey Canada event in London in June 2018. McLeod also faced an additional charge of sexual assault for “being a party to the offense.”

The case is set to return to court on April 30.

THE ATHLETIC: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the Flyers, Flames and Devils will receive salary-cap relief for those players during their indefinite leaves of absence to deal with these legal proceedings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could be within the realm of the collective bargaining agreement and not something arbitrarily decided by the league.

OTTAWA SUN: Former Senators head coach D.J. Smith will join the Los Angeles Kings as an assistant coach to interim bench boss Jim Hiller for the remainder of the season. Smith was fired on Dec. 18 after over four seasons with the Senators.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Tampa Bay Lightning are getting several injured players back. Forwards Tanner Jeannot and Austin Watson and defensemen Mikhail Sergachev, Erik Cernak and Haydn Fleury participated in practice on Monday.

TORONTO SUN: Matthew Spezza, the younger brother of former NHL star Jason Spezza, died over the weekend from an accidental overdose. Now an assistant general manager with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jason issued a statement yesterday confirming the news and asking for his family’s privacy to be respected during this difficult time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My sincere condolences to the Spezza family.