NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2025

by | Feb 13, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2025

Canada defeats Sweden in the opening game of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the World Cup of Hockey will return in 2028, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

CANADA BEATS SWEDEN TO OPEN THE 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Mitch Marner lifted Canada to a 4-3 victory over Sweden in the opening game of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Sidney Crosby collected three assists, including the set-up for Marner’s winning goal during the 3-on-3 overtime period before a sellout crowd of 21, 105 fans.

Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby (NHL.com).

Canada took a 2-0 first-period lead on goals by Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Marchand. Jonas Brodin got Sweden on the board in the second but Mark Stone restored Canada’s two-goal lead.

The Swedes rallied in the third period on goals by Adrian Kempe and Joel Eriksson Ek.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby’s three-point performance earned him “Player of the Game” honors. He joined Mario Lemieux and Bobby Hull as the only players from any country in an NHL international tournament to record a multipoint game at age 37 or older.

SPORTSNET: Canada’s defense corps received a blow as blueliner Shea Theodore suffered an upper-body injury following a clean hit along the boards from Kempe early in the second period. He’s been sidelined for the tournament.

Elliotte Friedman reports Travis Sanheim will replace Theodore for Saturday’s game against the United States. Canada will be allowed to put a defenseman or two “on notice” in case another blueliner suffers an injury. That player would join their lineup when the tournament shifts to Boston.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sanheim and center Sam Bennett were healthy scratches against Sweden.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The NHL and NHL Players’ Association announced the World Cup of Hockey will return in February 2028. The last World Cup was held in 2016. Games are expected to be played in North America and Europe with at least eight teams and is expected to include only teams from individual countries.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No Team North America of 23-and-young stars or Team Europe made up of stars from small European nations. That’s a shame, those teams helped make the 2016 World Cup more enjoyable.

RG.ORG: Jim Biringer reports New York Islanders center Brock Nelson considers his participation with Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off as a mental break where he can focus on the tournament.

The 33-year-old center is the subject of increasing speculation over his future with the Islanders. Unless he signs a contract extension, he will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, prompting conjecture suggesting he could be traded if he remains unsigned by the March 7 trade deadline.

Nelson is leaving that to his agent and Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello. He believes everything will work itself out, praising Lamoriello while stressing there’s plenty of time to get a deal done. He wants to do what’s best for himself and his family but also understands the Islanders’ legacy and what it would mean to finish his career with them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some pundits believe Nelson has been evasive or seems reluctant to sign an extension. Biringer thinks neither Nelson nor the Islanders want his time on Long Island to end just yet. With the trade deadline on the horizon, we won’t have to wait long to find out.

NEW YORK POST: Team USA has a stall for the late Johnny Gaudreau’s uniform. The Columbus Blue Jackets star and his brother Matthew were killed by an alleged drunk driver last August.

“Everybody knows Johnny would be here right now,” said Team USA forward Vincent Trocheck. “Everyone loved him. It’s nice to have a piece of him here. We know he’s here with us in spirit. Just trying to honor him as best we can.”

Team USA also invited Gaudreau’s father, Guy, to participate in their Thursday practice session.

DAILY FACEOFF: Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine hopes the 4 Nations Face-Off will provide an opportunity to get his season back on track. The 26-year-old is part of Finland’s lineup. Laine started strong when he returned from injury in December with 12 goals and 18 points in 20 games but was held scoreless in his last eight games.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken captain Jordan Eberle was assigned to their AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley on a conditioning stint. The 34-year-old winger has been sidelined since Nov. 14 with a pelvis injury. Eberle recently resumed practicing with the Kraken before the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Islanders winger Anthony Duclair’s charitable foundation opened what is believed to be the first public synthetic ice rink in Florida on Wednesday. The city of Lauderdale Lakes declared Wednesday as “Anthony Duclair Day”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Duclair started the project during his tenure with the Florida Panthers. He now makes his home at Lauderdale Lakes.

THE ATHLETIC: Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Cayden Lindstrom could miss the remainder of this season. He’s recovering from back surgery in November and skated for the first time last week at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena.

Lindstrom was chosen fourth overall by the Blue Jackets in last year’s draft. Multiple sources confirm several college programs, including Ohio State, have spoken to him about moving from the WHL to college hockey. That would mean less wear and tear for Lindstrom, allowing for more practice and workout time for his recovery.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 12, 2025

by | Feb 12, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – February 12, 2025

Could there be some trade activity during the 4 Nations Face-Off? What’s the latest on Brayden Schenn, Brock Nelson, Brad Marchand, Jeff Skinner and Jared McCann? Who are the Senators’ trade targets? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD THERE BE SOME TRADES DURING THE 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman isn’t ruling out the possibility of some trade activity during the 4 Nations Face-Off. The league has paused its schedule from Feb. 10-21 to accommodate the tournament.

During Monday’s “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Friedman said he believes some players have been told by their teams or their agents that they think there could be some action. The players don’t return to practice until Feb. 18, and there’s a feeling that “some guys will not return to where they are.”

Friedman cited the lack of a roster freeze during this period. He also pointed out that Linus Ullmark was traded last year on the same day as Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. He doesn’t believe there’s been any direction from the league against making trades, but they might prefer that those moves be kept away from game days during the tournament.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chris Johnston of The Athletic recently reported a sense around the league that no one wanted to take the spotlight off the tournament by making trades. We’ll find out soon enough.

BRAYDEN SCHENN LINKED TO THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Hannah Kirkell cited a report by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman earlier this week suggesting the Vegas Golden Knights as a destination for Brayden Schenn.

St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn (NHL Images).

Friedman indicated St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong isn’t happy with his club’s performance and is unafraid to make big moves. He noted there would be a lot of interest in the 33-year-old Schenn but the Blues would set a big asking price for him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schenn is signed through 2027-28 with an average annual value of $6.5 million and has a full no-trade clause for this season. Assuming he’d accept a trade to Vegas, the Golden Knights lack sufficient cap space to acquire him.

That hasn’t stopped Golden Knights management from making bold moves in the past. However, their salary cap constraints and limited trade capital could make it difficult to win a bidding war for Schenn.

BROCK NELSON UNDECIDED ABOUT CONTRACT EXTENSION

NEW YORK POST: Ethan Sears reports Brock Nelson’s comments about a potential contract extension with the Islanders will do little to dampen trade speculation swirling around him. The 33-year-old center is eligible for unrestricted free-agent status on July 1.

Nelson is interested in an extension but said there are many factors to consider, such as what’s best for him, his family, and the team. He praised Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello, adding his agent has a great relationship with him.

Sears cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently reported Nelson’s agent will continue contract discussions with Lamoriello during the 4 Nations Face-Off. However, there’s a risk Nelson will depart as a free agent on July 1 if there isn’t an extension in place by the March 7 trade deadline.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Russ Macias suggested several contract-extension scenarios for Nelson. One is a two-year, $14 million offer, another is three years at $21 million and four years at $24 million. There’s also a seven-year, $35 million paying him $5 million annually.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nelson sits atop most pundits’ trade boards as the player most likely to be moved by March 7. Lamoriello declined to discuss his plans for the trade deadline with the media, saying his focus was on his team’s efforts to make the playoffs.

A lot will depend on the Isles’ performance in the two weeks between the resumption of the regular-season schedule on Feb. 22 and the deadline on March 7.

The long-term option suggested by Macias would provide the Isles with the most salary-cap flexibility while providing Nelson with the most security. However, it will become a cap headache in the final years when his performance inevitably declines.

MARCHAND DISMISSES TRADE RUMORS

THE SCORE: Kayla Douglas reports Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand isn’t worried about his name popping up in recent trade rumors. “That’s just fans having fun with it all,” he said during an appearance on the “What Chaos!” podcast.

Marchand acknowledged his pending UFA status and the Bruins’ struggles this season have stoked speculation about his future in Boston. He said he tries not to pay attention to it.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The conjecture will increase if Marchand remains unsigned when the calendar flips to March.

OILERS NOT SHOPPING JEFF SKINNER

THE ATHLETIC: Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman told Daniel Nugent-Bowman that he doesn’t intend to trade Jeff Skinner. The 32-year-old winger signed a one-year, $3 million contract last summer with the Oilers.

Skinner has struggled at times this season with 10 goals and 20 points in 49 games. Bowman cited the winger’s positive attitude and willingness to work through his difficulties, adding that he’s shown improvement in recent games.

KRAKEN COULD MAKE MCCANN AVAILABLE

SPORTSNET: Jacob Stoller reported hearing the Seattle Kraken could make Jared McCann available at the trade deadline. He noted the 28-year-old is a versatile scoring forward who can also play center and kill penalties.

McCann is signed through 2026-27 with an AAV of $5 million. Stoller believes he’d make a lot of sense for the Winnipeg Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McCann has 42 points in 57 games this season, leading the Kraken in scoring as he’s done in their three previous seasons. Shopping him would be a big move by GM Ron Francis, signaling he’s starting a major roster overhaul. He would draw plenty of interest around the league, increasing the likelihood of fetching a significant return for the Kraken.

LATEST ON THE SENATORS

OTTAWA CITIZEN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Senators are believed to be interested in Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato and Kraken forward Brandon Tanev. Another trade option could be Gustav Nyquist of the Nashville Predators.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2025

by | Feb 11, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2025

The three stars of the week, updates on Sidney Crosby and Mikko Rantanen ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel, Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko, and Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 9, 2025.

Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby (NHL.com).

  TSN: Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby declared himself good to go for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. The status of the 37-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins center was in question after he suffered an upper-body injury last week. He was skating on a line with Mark Stone and Nathan MacKinnon during Canada’s practice on Monday.

SPORTSNET: Finland forward Mikko Rantanen is joining his compatriots in Montreal for the upcoming tournament. The 28-year-old Carolina Hurricanes winger missed Saturday’s game against the Utah Hockey Club with a lower-body injury.

TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews was centering a line with Tampa Bay Lightning winger Jake Guentzel and New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes during Team USA’s practice on Monday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jesse Puljujarvi signed a tryout agreement with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL). Puljujarvi cleared unconditional waivers and agreed with the Penguins to terminate his NHL contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Checkers are the AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers. Whether this tryout leads to him landing a role with the defending Stanley Cup champions remains to be seen.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators claimed Andreas Englund off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings.

SPORTSNET: Loui Eriksson announced his retirement on Monday. The winger spent 16 NHL seasons with the Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, and Arizona Coyotes from 2006-07 to 2021-22, tallying 253 goals and 360 assists for 613 points in 1,050 regular-season games and 14 points in 44 postseason contests. His best performances were with the Stars, exceeding 70 points in three straight seasons from 2009-10 to 2011-12.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former Toronto Maple Leafs PA announcer Paul Morris passed away at age 86. He was with the Leafs from 1961 to 1999, calling 1,585 consecutive games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Morris’ low-key announcing style was an iconic part of the experience at Maple Leaf Gardens – my condolences to his family, friends, and the Leafs organization.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 10, 2025

by | Feb 10, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 10, 2025

Recapping Sunday’s games before the 4 Nations Face-Off Break, the latest on Quinn Hughes and Rasmus Ristolainen, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: A shootout goal by Nick Schmaltz lifted the Utah Hockey Club to a 5-4 upset of the Washington Capitals. Utah had a 4-2 lead heading into the third period but Capitals forwards Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson tied the game to force overtime and the shootout rounds. Dylan Guenther, Jack McBain and Josh Doan each had a goal and an assist and Karel Vejmelka made 30 saves for the win. Wilson had two goals and an assist and Alex Ovechkin collected three assists for the Capitals, who sit atop the Eastern Conference with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vejmelka relieved Connor Ingram after the latter left the game in the first period after suffering an upper-body injury when he stopped an Ovechkin slap shot. Wilson is on pace for a career-best performance. The Capitals winger has matched his career high for goals (24) and is 10 points from his career-best 52 points in 2021-22.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman (NHL Images).

The Tampa Bay Lightning held off the Montreal Canadiens 5-3. Victor Hedman and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and an assist while Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 32 shots for the Lightning, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 66 points. Brendan Gallagher scored twice for the Canadiens, who are 1-7-1 in their last nine.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov was a late scratch with an upper-body injury. Sam Montembault replaced Jakub Dobes in the Canadiens’ net after the latter gave up three goals on eight shots. Montembault stopped 11 of 12 shots.

LATEST 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF NEWS

NHL.COM: The schedule for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off is as follows:

Feb. 12: Canada vs Sweden (8 PM ET),

Feb. 13: United States vs Finland (8 PM ET),

Feb. 15: Finland vs Sweden (1 PM ET), Canada vs United States (8 PM ET).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those games will be held at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Feb. 17: Canada vs Finland (1 PM ET), Sweden vs United States (8 PM ET),

Feb. 20: Championship Game (8 PM ET).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those games will be held at TD Garden in Boston.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes will not be playing for the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off due to an oblique injury.

TSN: Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson will replace Hughes on the United States roster.

DAILY FACEOFF: Senators defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo will replace Philadelphia Flyers blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen on Team Finland. Ristolainen is out with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The status of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby could be clarified as early as Monday. Crosby is the captain of Team Canada and traveled to Montreal but he’s still nursing an injured left arm.

Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings replaced Alex Pietrangelo on Canada’s blueline. The Vegas Golden Knights defenseman recently announced he wouldn’t attend the tournament to treat a nagging ailment.

New York Rangers defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju were named as injury replacements for Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen and Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jani Hakanpaa on Team Finland.

Penguins winger Rickard Rakell and Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson are injury replacements for Golden Knights forward William Karlsson and New Jersey Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators signed defenseman Adam Wilsby to a two-year, $1.55 million contract extension. The average annual value is $775K and is a two-way deal in the first season and a one-way deal in the second.

DAILY FACEOFF: Washington Capitals prospect Cam Allen was charged with drunk driving, among other charges, following a single-vehicle collision in London, Ontario.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 4, 2025

by | Feb 4, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – February 4, 2025

Will trades be allowed during the 4 Nations Face-Off? What’s the latest on the Stars, Panthers, Flyers, Penguins, Blue Jackets and Canadiens? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

NO ROSTER RESTRICTIONS DURING 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston reports there won’t be a roster freeze on the NHL’s 32 teams during the upcoming break (Feb. 10-21) for the league’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

Technically, that means the teams can still make trades. However, Johnston spoke with “multiple team executives” who expect any deals discussed during that period won’t occur until after the tournament.

This is the first international tournament involving active NHL players in eight years. No one wants to take the spotlight away from that.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trade activity heated up recently with several trades involving notable stars like Mikko Rantanen and J.T. Miller. Similar moves could be made leading up to the 4 Nations break. Johnston believes there could be a flurry of moves in the two weeks between the end of the tournament and the March 7 trade deadline.

THE LATEST ON THE STARS, PANTHERS, FLYERS AND PENGUINS

SPORTSNET: During Monday’s “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman speculated the Dallas Stars could look to add to their defense corps. It’ll depend on how long it takes top defenseman Miro Heiskanen to recover from his knee injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars made a significant move over the weekend, acquiring center Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci from the San Jose Sharks.

Friedman also reported that teams are wary of the Florida Panthers. They don’t have much salary-cap room or trade capital but they could find a way to add a right-shot defenseman.

Turning to the Flyers, Friedman thinks they’re clearing cap room to go “big-game hunting” in the offseason after shipping out forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to Calgary last week. He suggested the significant rise in next season’s salary cap could have the Flyers angling for an offer sheet.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The St. Louis Blues’ bold signings of Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg from the Edmonton Oilers last summer could motivate teams with a lot of cap room to target restricted free agents on cap-strapped clubs.

Josh Yohe of The Athletic believes the Pittsburgh Penguins might not be finished making moves after shipping Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

Yohe listed Anthony Beauvillier, Kevin Hayes, Blake Lizotte and Noel Acciari as depth forwards they could be willing to move by March 7.

There could also be interest in winger Rickard Rakell. However, Yohe writes the Penguins aren’t eager to move him.

UPDATES ON THE BLUE JACKETS AND CANADIENS

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline recently noted the Columbus Blue Jackets were linked to Elias Pettersson before the Vancouver Canucks traded J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers on Friday. However, they were never seriously involved in trade discussions for the 26-year-old Pettersson, who is likely staying put now that Miller has been traded. They don’t want to impede young centers like Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Spencer Lazary speculates the Blue Jackets might hit the trade market for someone to replace Kirill Marchenko. The 24-year-old winger is sidelined indefinitely with a broken jaw.

Lazary suggested Scott Laughton of the Flyers and Ryan Strome of the Anaheim Ducks as trade targets. He also acknowledged they might have to look within their organization for help.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Losing Marchenko was a big blow to the Blue Jackets’ offense. He won’t be easy to replace.

The Flyers are reluctant to move Laughton, but if they peddle him, the Jackets will be bidding with several contenders for his services.

Strome is third among Ducks scorers with 30 points and has two years remaining on his contract. They’re rebuilding but they don’t seem in a rush to trade him.

TVA SPORTS: The Montreal Canadiens’ five-game losing skid (0-4-1) prompted Jean-Charlies Lajoie to call for management to become sellers in the trade market. He believes their playoff hopes are dashed and should start shopping pending UFAs like Jake Evans, Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak and David Savard for the best possible returns.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens GM Kent Hughes will likely evaluate his club’s performance leading up to the 4 Nations break. If the Habs haven’t pulled out of their current tailspin by then, Lajoie could get his wish following the tournament.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 31, 2025

by | Jan 31, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 31, 2025

Recaps of Thursday’s games, the Flyers and Flames make a multi-player trade, the 4 Nations Face-Off captains are unveiled, the Oilers reveal their Quarter-Century Team, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 19 saves to shut out the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 in what is likely to be his final game at the Bell Centre. Liam Ohgren, Marco Rossi, Devin Shore and Frederick Gaudreau were the goalscorers as the Wild picked up their third straight win to move ahead of the Dallas Stars into second place in the Central Division with 66 points. Jakub Dobes made 23 saves in his first regulation loss (5-1-1) as the Canadiens(53 points) are 0-3-1 in their last four games and sit four points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury, 40, is expected to retire at the end of this season. He received a standing ovation from Montreal fans and the Canadiens lined up following the game to shake his hand. The shutout was his 76th, tying him with Tony Esposito and Ed Belfour for 10th all time. 

The Ottawa Senators got an overtime goal from Thomas Chabot on his birthday to nip the Washington Capitals 5-4. Josh Norris scored on a penalty shot and collected two assists and Claude Giroux reached the 1,100-point milestone as the Senators sit third in the Atlantic Division with 58 points. Washington captain Alex Ovechkin had a goal and two assists to move within 19 goals of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s goal record of 894. The Capitals are in first place in the Eastern Conference with 74 points, one behind the league-leading Winnipeg Jets.

Speaking of the Jets, they tallied four unanswered third-period goals in a 6-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. Mark Scheifele tallied twice and Connor Hellebuyck made 27 saves as Winnipeg picked up their fifth straight win. Brad Marchand and Elias Lindholm replied for the Bruins (56 points), who dropped one point behind the Blue Jackets in the Eastern wild-card race.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy returned to action after missing seven games with an upper-body injury. Jets center Morgan Barron missed this game as he’s week to week due to an upper-body injury.

As for the Blue Jackets, they downed the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 on an overtime goal by Cole Sillinger. Adam Fantilli also scored for the Blue Jackets, who’ve won three of their last four, two of them in overtime. Tomas Hertl scored his 20th goal to extend his points streak to 11 games as the Golden Knights sit second in the Pacific Division with 68 points.

Detroit Red Wings goalie Alex Lyon kicked out 45 shots to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 3-2. Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin tallied in the shootout rounds as the Wings overcame a 2-0 deficit to pick up their fourth straight win. Leon Draisaitl netted his league-leading 36th goal as the Oilers three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings (55 points) are two points back of the Blue Jackets in the Eastern wild-card race. Meanwhile, Edmonton (68 points) holds first place in the Pacific Division with a game in hand over the Golden Knights. John Klingberg was held scoreless in his season debut with the Oilers.

Mikko Rantanen scored his first goal with the Carolina Hurricanes and Jaccob Slavin tallied the game-winner in a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Seth Jarvis got his 20th of the season as the Hurricanes extended their points streak to seven games (6-0-1) and sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 68 points. Connor Bedard and Ilya Mikheyev scored for the Blackhawks.

Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy turned in a 28-save shutout to blank the Los Angeles Kings 3-0. Brandon Hagel scored two goals and collected an assist for the Lightning, who ended a two-game losing skid and hold the first Eastern wild card with 57 points. The Kings have dropped four straight (0-3-1) and have one win in their last seven contests. They hold third place in the Pacific Division with 58 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning backup Jonas Johansson missed this game as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

The New York Islanders defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 as goalie Ilya Sorokin stopped 23 saves for his third shutout. Rookie Marc Gatcomb scored his first NHL goal as the red-hot Isles (53 points) won their sixth straight game, sitting four points behind the Blues Jackets in the Eastern wild-card chase. The Flyers have lost four of their last five game, sitting five points back of the Jackets.

Calgary Flames forward Matt Coronato scored twice and set up another to lead his club over the Anaheim Ducks 4-1. Dustin Wolf made 30 saves for the Flames as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 57 points. Frank Vatrano scored for the Ducks as their three-game win streak is over.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames and Flyers were involved in a multi-player trade last night. Calgary traded Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, a second-round pick in the 2025 draft and a 2028 seventh-rounder to Philadelphia for forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. Read on for further analysis in the Headlines below.

The Seattle Kraken defeated the San Jose Sharks 6-2. Brandon Montour scored two goals and Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two assists for the Kraken. Carl Grunstrom and Tyler Toffoli replied for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans and Sharks forward Alex Wennberg missed this game as they’re day-to-day with upper-body injuries.

HEADLINES

CALGARY SUN: Morgan Frost is considered the focal point of last night’s trade between the Flames and Flyers. Flames general manager Craig Conroy made no secret of his search for a center. Adding the 25-year-old Frost and the 24-year-old Joel Farabee is seen as building for the future while providing an immediate boost to their roster.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Frost and Farabee were former first-round picks who didn’t pan out as hoped with the Flyers. Kuzmenko turns 29 next week and is a pending unrestricted free-agent winger who is struggling to regain his scoring touch. Pelletier, 23, is a pending restricted free-agent winger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are retooling for the future but they’re also battling for a wild-card spot. This move addresses both issues and could prove to be a winning move for Conroy if Frost and Farabee flourish in Calgary.

Kuzmenko could be flipped by the March 7 trade deadline by the rebuilding Flyers for another draft pick. Pelletier is a former first-rounder who struggled to crack the Flames lineup. He’ll have a better opportunity in Philadelphia to become a full-time NHLer and reach his full potential with his new club.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The captains for the 4 Nations Face-Off were announced yesterday by the NHL. Canada’s captain will be Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews will lead Team USA, Sweden will be captained by Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, and Finland by Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No shocking surprises here.

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers unveiled their Quarter-Century Team on Thursday.

Forwards Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, defensemen Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse, and goaltender Dwayne Roloson comprised the First Team.

The Second Team featured forwards Ryan Smyth, Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky, defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Jason Smith, and goalie Tommy Salo.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen is listed as week-to-week with a knee injury and will not play for Finland in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off.

DAILY FACEOFF: Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov played in his 1,000th NHL regular-season game on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Panthers, they placed defenseman Adam Boqvist on waivers.

THE SCORE: Utah Hockey Club removed one of the finalists for its new team name and resurrected another. They dropped Wasatch in favor of Outlaws, joining Mammoth and their current name among the three candidates being voted on by Utah fans.

TSN: Former goaltender, NHL executive and TSN radio personality Shawn Simpson passed away on Wednesday at age 56. Simpson was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the 1986 NHL draft and spent three seasons with their then-AHL affiliate in Baltimore. He went on to work with the Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs as a team executive before joining TSN radio in Ottawa in 2012 until 2023.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Simpson’s family, friends, teammates and co-workers.