NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 15, 2025

by | Jan 15, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 15, 2025

The Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski’s home points streak puts him in elite company, Canadiens rookie Lane Hutson extends his lead in the rookie points race, the Bruins reveal their Quarter-Century Team, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski scored twice to extend his home points streak to 17 games in a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko scored in a shootout as the Blue Jackets won their fifth straight game. Bobby Brinks and Owen Tippett replied for the Flyers as their two-game win streak ended.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Werenski’s streak puts him in elite company among NHL defensemen. He joins Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, Phil Housley, Brian Leetch, Ray Bourque and John Van Boxmeer with the longest home points streaks (17-plus games). Orr remains the all-time leader with 25 games. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets (48 points) hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson collected three assists to widen his lead in the rookie scoring race as his club downed the Utah Hockey Club 5-3. Kirby Dach scored twice and Cole Caufield tallied the winning goal for the Canadiens, who’ve won 10 of their last 13 games (10-2-1) and sit two points behind the Blue Jackets. Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz each collected two assists for Utah as they’ve dropped four of their last five games (1-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson leads all rookies with 35 points, four points ahead of Matvei Michkov of the Philadelphia Flyers and Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks.

Canadiens winger Emil Heineman was struck by a car while walking in Salt Lake City and will be sidelined for three to four weeks recovering from his injuries. Meanwhile, Utah HC activated John Marino off injured reserve for this game. The 27-year-old defenseman was making his season debut with Utah after recovering from back surgery. He was acquired from the New Jersey Devils last June.

The Nashville Predators won their 1,000th game with a 5-3 upset of the Vegas Golden Knights. Steven Stamkos scored twice and collected an assist and Jonathan Marchessault got an assist in his first game against his former team since signing with the Predators last summer. Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev collected his first NHL hat trick as his club has dropped three of its last four games.

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson made 19 saves to shut out the Anaheim Ducks 3-0, extending their points streak to eight games (5-0-3). Brandon Duhaime, John Carlson, and Ethen Frank were the goalscorers for the Capitals as they hold first place in the overall standings with 63 points. The Ducks have dropped four of their last five contests (1-3-1).

A natural hat trick by Kyle Connor within a 6:38 span in the first period carried the Winnipeg Jet to a 6-1 romp over the Vancouver Canucks. Connor also collected an assist while Gabriel Vilardi collected three helpers. Nils Hoglander scored for the struggling Canucks as they’ve lost five of their last six contests (1-3-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets also have 63 points but the Capitals hold a game in hand. Meanwhile, the Canucks (48 points) remain one point behind the Calgary Flames, who hold the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

Speaking of the Flames, they dropped a 2-1 decision to the St. Louis Blues. Radek Faksa broke a 1-1 tie midway through the third period and Jordan Binnington stopped 26 shots as the Blues sit three points behind the Flames and two behind the Canucks. Kevin Bahl scored for the Flames.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon collected two assists to reach his league-leading 70th point as his team rallied from a 2-1 deficit to nip the New York Rangers 3-2. Artturi Lehkonen scored with 1:13 remaining in regulation and Devon Toews tallied the winning goal in overtime for the Avalanche. Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom scored for the Rangers, extending their points streak to five games (3-0-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers activated Chris Kreider (upper body) off injured reserve for this game. Blueshirts center Filip Chytil returned to action after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury.

The Boston Bruins built an early 4-0 lead on their way to a 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightnings. David Pastrnak scored his 20th goal of the season and collected two assists and Jeremy Swayman kicked out 43 shots as the Bruins won their second straight game. Connor Geekie and Victor Hedman scored for the Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning center Brayden Point was scratched from this game for missing a team meeting earlier in the day. Meanwhile, the Bruins placed defenseman Charlie McAvoy and center Mark Kastelic on injured reserve, blueliner Hampus Lindholm on long-term injury reserve, and recalled center Matthew Poitras and defenseman Michael Callahan from their AHL affiliate in Providence.

Dallas Stars forwards Matt Duchene and Logan Stankoven each had three points to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Jake Oettinger turned aside 27 shots for the Stars, who’ve won eight of their last nine contests. Auston Matthews scored for the Leafs, who were booed off the ice by their fans following this game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Roope Hintz left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update about his condition.

Shootout goals by Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell gave the Florida Panthers a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Jesper Boqvist scored in regulation for the Panthers while Nico Hischier tallied his 20th of the season for the Devils.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Marilainen made 24 saves for his second shutout in three games in a 2-0 win over the New York Islanders. Adam Gaudette and Artem Zub scored for the Senators, who’ve won three straight and sit one point out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Marcus Hogberg stopped 25 shots for the Islanders as their three-game win streak is over.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot left this game in the first period after being struck in the face by a shot from Islanders blueliner Adam Pelech. He was ruled out of the rest of this game for precautionary reasons.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Jamie Oleksiak, Eeli Tovanen and Kaapo Kakko lifted the Seattle Kraken over the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2. Philip Tomasino and Bryan Rust scored for the Penguins, who have one win in their last eight (1-4-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins activated Evgeni Malkin from injured reserve after missing four games with an upper-body injury and sent winger Jesse Puljujarvi to their AHL affiliate in Wilke-Barre/Scranton. The Penguins also released a statement indicating Malkin’s home was burglarized on Saturday and his three Stanley Cup rings were stolen.

The San Jose Sharks clipped the Detroit Red Wings 6-3, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. William Eklund and Tyler Toffoli each had a goal and two assists for the Sharks while Vladimir Tarasenko tallied twice for the Red Wings, who also lost forward Tyler Motte in the second period to an upper-body injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins revealed their Quarter-Century Team on Tuesday.

Forward Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and Brad Marchand, defensemen Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy, and goaltender Tim Thomas comprised the First Team.

Forwards Joe Thornton, David Pastrnak and Milan Lucic, defensemen Torey Krug and Dennis Seidenberg, and goaltender Tuukka Rask made up the Second Team.

The schedule for the 4 Nations Face-Off and the full team rosters were released on Tuesday. The series will be held from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston with teams of NHL players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.

Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe was fined $5,000.00 by the department of player safety for slew-footing Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid during Monday’s game between the two teams.

SPORTSNET: Former NHL defenseman Tony DeAngelo’s contract with KHL club SKA Saint Petersburg was terminated for family reasons.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 8, 2024

by | Dec 8, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 8, 2024

A milestone game for Kings captain Anze Kopitar, Paul Maurice becomes the Panthers’ winningest coach, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings picked up their fifth straight win by taming the Minnesota Wild 4-1. Trevor Moore scored two goals and Adrian Kempe a goal and an assist for the Kings while Yakov Trenin replied for the Wild.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone game for Kings captain Anze Kopitar as he played in his 1,400th regular-season NHL game. The franchise leader in games played, the 37-year-old Kopitar needs 66 points to surpass Marcel Dionne (1,307 points) for most points by a Kings player. He’s their leading scorer this season with 31 points in 27 games.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk tallied two goals to defeat the San Jose Sharks 3-1, making Paul Maurice the winningest coach in franchise history with 111 wins. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov also scored and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 shots. Sharks goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood kicked out 49 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk has been red hot offensively of late, with 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in his last six games.

The Washington Capitals overcame a 2-0 deficit to double up the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. Tom Wilson scored twice in the third period and Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (19-6-2), who sit in first place in the overall standings with 40 points. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield had a goal and an assist and sits among the league leaders with 17 goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wilson was struck on the left cheek by a shot from teammate Jakob Chychrun in the first period but remained in the game, icing his cheek on the bench between shifts. Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle returned to the lineup after missing the previous game due to illness.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele snapped a 2-2 tie in a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Kyle Connor and Mason Appleton each had two points for the Jets as they became the first team to reach 20 wins this season (20-8-0). Alex Vlasic and Alec Martinez replied for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Martinez left the game after being struck in the face by a puck in the third period. Earlier in the game, Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek left the game with a lower-body injury. Interim coach Anders Sorensen said Mrazek will be sidelined “for a little bit.”

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 with Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust each getting a goal and an assist. Tristan Jarry made 25 saves for the Penguins, who’ve won five of their last six contests. Mitch Marner and William Nylander scored for the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Despite their sub-.500 record (.483), the Penguins (28 points) are jockeying with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Flyers for the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Penguins forward Philip Tomasino missed this contest with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, the Leafs activated Max Pacioretty off injured reserve and placed defenseman Jake McCabe on IR.

An overtime goal by Pavel Zacha lifted the Boston Bruins over the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 for their fourth straight victory. Trent Frederic tallied twice and Brad Marchand netted the tying goal. Rookie Matvei Michkov scored twice for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers coach John Tortorella benched winger Travis Konecny in the third period. “He was pulled by the (concussion) spotter, and then I stopped playing him,” said Tortorella, claiming Konecny was “undisciplined.” The move came after the Flyers forward took an interference penalty against Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues, spoiling the return of former Oilers Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to Edmonton. Leon Draisaitl had two assists and Zach Hyman scored as the Oilers picked up their fifth win their last six games. Holloway and Jake Neighbours scored for the Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holloway and Broberg signed offer sheets with the Blues this summer.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar scored the winning goal as his club nipped the Detroit Red Wings 2-1. Valeri Nichushkin also scored and Alexandar Georgiev turned aside 29 shots for the win. Lucas Raymond scored for the Red Wings, who’ve lost five straight.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche forward Ross Colton returned to action after missing 17 games with a broken foot. The Avs also placed winger Jonathan Drouin (upper body) on injured reserve.

The Utah Hockey Club scored five straight goals to beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2, handing the latter their sixth straight defeat (0-4-2). Michael Kesselring had a goal and an assist and Karel Vejmelka made 23 saves. Sabres rookie Tyson Kozak scored his first NHL goal.

New York Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau had a goal and two assists as his club held off the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3. Isles forwards Bo Horvat and Maxim Tsyplakov each had a goal and an assist. Andrei Svechnikov scored two goals for the Hurricanes, who’ve lost four of their last five games.

The Ottawa Senators got a 37-save performance from Linus Ullmark in a 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators. Claude Giroux scored what proved to be the winning goal and Tim Stutzle collected two assists. Fedor Svechkov replied for the Predators, who are winless in their last seven (0-4-3).

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers officially finalized Igor Shesterkin’s eight-year, $92-million contract extension on Saturday. The deal begins next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The average annual value is $11.5 million. Shesterkin will earn over $15 million in actual salary in the deal’s first two years. He’ll earn $9.5 million in actual salary over the remaining four years. It also comes with a full no-movement clause for the duration of the contract.

THE SCORE: The Rangers will take time to name a new captain after trading Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Mark Scheifele, Zach Hyman and MacKenzie Weegar are among the potential injury replacement players for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February.

NEW YORK POST: Tony DeAngelo is at peace playing in the KHL knowing that his NHL career is probably over. The 29-year-old defenseman spent eight seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, Rangers, Hurricanes and Flyers but couldn’t find a new NHL club this summer as a free agent. He signed with KHL club SKA St. Petersburg.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 5, 2024

by | Dec 5, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 5, 2024

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, the rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews scored two third-period goals to lead his club to a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. William Nylander scored what proved to be the winning goal and Mitch Marner collected three assists. Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Jankowski scored for the Predators, who are winless in five straight games (0-2-3).

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Tennessean’s Alex Daugherty indicates the Predators are on pace for their worst season in franchise history. “Winning” the offseason by signing three of the summer’s top unrestricted free agents (Marchessault, Steven Stamkos and Brady Skjei) hasn’t translated into wins on the ice thus far.

The Boston Bruins got two goals each from Brad Marchand and Morgan Geekie to double up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. David Pastrnak collected two assists for the Bruins as they extended their win streak to three games. Alex Vlasic and Jason Dickinson replied for the Blackhawks, who’ve dropped four straight.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore tallied twice in a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl and Victor Olofsson each collected two assists. Jackson LaCombe scored the Ducks’ only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks forward Trevor Zegras left the game early in the second period after injuring his left leg. He had surgery on his left ankle after breaking it in Nashville last year. Zegras will undergo further tests today.

Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler returned to action after missing a month with an upper-body injury. Before the game, they placed blueliner Urho Vaakanainen (upper body) was placed on injured reserve.

The Los Angeles Kings erased a 2-0 deficit to nip the Dallas Stars 3-2. Warren Foegele tallied the winning goal and also collected an assist on Tanner Jeannot’s goal which started the comeback. Joel Edmundson also scored and David Rittich stopped 26 shots for the Kings’ fourth straight victory. Wyatt Johnston and Mason Marchment scored for the Stars as their three-game win streak was ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Stars announced Tyler Seguin will undergo surgery on his left hip this week and will be sidelined for four to six months. The 32-year-old forward had 20 points in 19 games this season.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off were announced on Wednesday. The tournament will be held Feb. 12-20 at the Bell Centre in Montreal and TD Garden in Boston.

Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby and Cale Makar headline the roster for Team Canada.

Team USA features brothers Brady and Matthew Tkachuk and Jack and Quinn Hughes.

William Nylander, Filip Forsberg and Victor Hedman are among the notable stars skating for Team Sweden.

Team Finland will be led by Aleksander Barkov, Mikko Rantanen and Sebastian Aho.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the links above for the full rosters of each club.

Team USA must be considered the favorite to win this tournament. Deep at every position, they will be the dominant club in this series.

Canada has plenty of offensive punch but their goaltending is the weakest among the four teams and their blueline isn’t as deep as the Americans.

The Swedes have solid defensive depth and good goaltending but lack the firepower of the Americans and Canadians.

Finland is strong at the center position and could steal some games if goaltender Juuse Saros rises to the occasion. However, they lack the overall depth of the other three clubs.

As always, predictions are for gypsies and this tournament could have a much different outcome. Nevertheless, I anticipate the Americans will emerge victorious.

TSN: The Minnesota Wild announced defenseman Jonas Brodin (upper-body injury), center Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body) and winger Mats Zuccarello (lower body) are listed as week-to-week. Forward Jakub Lauko (lower body) is day-to-day.

CALGARY SUN: Flames forward Justin Kirkland underwent season-ending knee surgery on Wednesday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club prospect Tij Iginla underwent successful hip surgery but will miss the remainder of the WHL season. A center with the Kelowna Rockets, the 18-year-old Iginla was chosen sixth overall by Utah in the 2024 NHL Draft. He has 32 points in 21 games this season.

TSN: Discussions between the NHL and NHL Players’ Association over a new collective bargaining agreement will begin in February 2025. The current CBA expires in September 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league and the PA have a contentious history in CBA talks. However, there’s a different vibe this time with hockey-related revenues growing and no serious issues derailing negotiations. It’s a positive sign that they’re opening talks so early, setting up the possibility of an agreement on a new CBA before the expiration of the current one.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 10, 2024

by | Nov 10, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 10, 2024

The Jets set an early-season wins record, Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of the all-time goal record continues, Nathan MacKinnon takes over the scoring lead with a multipoint game, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets are the first team in NHL history to win 14 of their first 15 games with a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Vladislav Namestnikov and Alex Iafallo each had a goal and an assist and Cole Perfetti collected two assists for the 14-1-0 Jets, who sit atop the overall standings with 28 points. Roope Hintz replied for the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets goaltender Connor Hellebucyk set a franchise record for the longest shutout streak (191:47), which ended late in the third period when Hintz scored.

Alex Ovechkin scored two goals to lead the Washington Capitals to an 8-1 rout of the St. Louis Blues. Connor McMichael also scored two goals, Dylan Strome had three assists and Jakob Chychrun had a goal and an assist as he returned to action after missing the last five games with an upper-body injury. Scott Perunovich scored for the Blues, who gave up five goals in the third period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin has 10 goals in 14 games and 863 for his career. He needs 32 to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. The Capitals placed forward Sonny Milano on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and three assists to lead his club over the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4, snapping the latter’s eight-game win streak. Mikko Rantanen tallied twice and picked up an assist as the Avalanche overcame 2-0 and 3-2 deficits. Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook scored two goals and picked up an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon moved past Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (27 points) into first place in the scoring race with 29 points.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists as his club cruised to a 7-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Connor Brown scored two goals and Mattias Janmark collected three assists for the Oilers. Canucks forward Elias Pettersson had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks played without winger Brock Boeser as he remains sidelined with a suspected concussion. There is no timetable for his return.

A shootout goal by Evan Rodrigues gave the Florida Panthers a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Rodrigues also picked up two assists in regulation while netminder Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 34 shots in regulation and overtime as the Panthers picked up their seventh straight victory. Scott Laughton had two assists for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. Teammate Samuel Ersson made 28 saves as he returned to action following a two-game absence with a lower-body injury.

Nashville Predators netminder Juuse Saros had a 26-save shutout to blank the Utah Hockey Club 4-0. Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault each tallied two goals as the Predators ended a three-game losing skid. Utah has only three wins in their last 10 games (3-5-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators placed defenseman Dante Fabbro on waivers before this game. He’s been the subject of recent trade speculation. I’ll have more in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-1, handing the latter their sixth straight defeat (0-5-1). Leafs winger Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to eight games. Brendan Gallagher scored his seventh of the season for the floundering Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs winger Max Pacioretty left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury following a collision with Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson. He’s listed as day-to-day.

The rebuilding Canadiens hoped to improve when this season began but that optimism has now evaporated. Management is reportedly shopping around for a defenseman and a gritty forward but deals are difficult to find at this time of year. Head coach Martin St. Louis is safe from losing his job but he might benefit from a better staff of assistant coaches, particularly those with goaltending and defense expertise.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes scored in overtime as his club rallied from a 3-1 deficit to nip the New York Islanders 4-3. Hughes finished the game with two goals and an assist while teammate Dougie Hamilton had three helpers. Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin stopped 29 shots while Simon Holmstrom had a goal and an assist.

The New York Rangers got 37 saves from goalie Jonathan Quick to shut out the Detroit Red Wings 4-0. Rangers winger Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist while Chris Kreider, Jimmy Vesey and Reilly Smith also found the back of the net. The Red Wings have lost two straight games.

Los Angeles Kings winger Warren Foegele had a goal and an assist as his club beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe each had two assists for the Kings. Dmitri Voronkov and Ivan Provorov each netted their first goals of the season for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings placed forward Alex Turcotte on injured reserve before this game. He missed their previous two games with an upper-body injury.

The Buffalo Sabres blew a 2-0 lead but a shootout goal by JJ Peterka gave them a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. Tage Thompson tallied his 10th goal of the season and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen kicked out 24 shots for the Sabres’ third straight win. Matt Coronato and Mikael Backlund replied for the Flames.

An overtime goal by Brady Tkachuk gave the Ottawa Senators a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark made 14 saves for the win over his former team. Pavel Zacha and Brad Marchand scored for the Bruins.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the NHL will reveal the full rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off on Dec. 4. The tournament will take place from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston and replaces the 2025 All-Star Game.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins recalled goaltender Tristan Jarry from his conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. They also assigned forward Matt Nieto to their affiliate for conditioning.

ROTOWIRE: Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn is expected to remain sidelined for another three weeks as he recovers from an upper-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame as an influencer on Saturday. Former NHLers Pekka Rinne and Jussi Jokinen were among the inductees in the player category.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 29, 2024

by | Jun 29, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 29, 2024

Highlights from the first round of the 2024 Draft, and the latest on Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Sam Reinhart, Sidney Crosby, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FIRST ROUND OF THE 2024 NHL DRAFT

NHL.COM: The San Jose Sharks selected Macklin Celebrini with the first-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft at Sphere in Las Vegas on Friday evening. You can see the full list of first-round picks by following the link provided.

Macklin Celebrini (right) poses with Joe Thornton after being chosen first overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2024 NHL Draft (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise here. Celebrini was the consensus top player among prospect evaluators. Sharks general manager Mike Grier has recently mentioned the Boston University center among his top prospects. Celebrini and promising Will Smith should give the Sharks a solid one-two punch at center in the coming years.

The Anaheim Ducks selected Oshawa Generals winger Beckett Sennecke third overall. He projects to be a top-six winger alongside one of the Ducks’ promising young centers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This one was a surprise as most evaluators expected Sennecke to be chosen in the middle of this round. However, a strong second half and postseason bolstered his stock. The Ducks are loaded with young centers like Leo Carlsson, Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish. Sennecke could one day line up alongside one of them.

Russian winger Ivan Demidov was chosen fifth overall by the Montreal Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens fans were angry about their club passing over Matvei Michkov in the first round of last year’s draft but they should be pleased with this choice. Demidov was projected to go second overall by many evaluators. However, the Chicago Blackhawks took defenseman Artyom Levshunov with that pick, the Ducks chose Beckett Sennecke and the Columbus Blue Jackets went with center Cayden Lindstrom.

The 18-year-old Russian winger has been compared to Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov. If he develops as projected, the Canadiens could have a scoring superstar on their hands.

The Utah Hockey Club selected Tij Iginla with the sixth overall pick, the first since the teams relocated from Arizona this spring.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Iginla is the son of Hall-of-Famer Jarome Iginla and is a goalscorer like his father. A versatile forward, Iginla can play center or on the wing. He faces heightened expectations because of his famous dad but has the potential to become an NHL star in his own right.

University of Denver defenseman Zeev Buium was chosen 12th overall by the Minnesota Wild. They traded up from 13th overall with the Buffalo Sabres to land him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This year’s draft was notable for a crop of high-quality defense prospects including Buium, Levshunov, Carter Yakemchuk (chosen seventh by the Ottawa Senators), Zayne Parekh (ninth overall, Calgary Flames), Anton Silayev (10th, New Jersey Devils), and Sam Dickinson (taken 11th by the Sharks).

I expected Buium to be chosen among the top 10. He helped Denver win the Frozen Four tournament and was part of Team USA’s gold-medal squad at the 2024 World Juniors. This pick could end up becoming a steal for the Wild.

The New York Islanders selected Cole Eiserman of the USNTDP with the 20th overall pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Concerns about Eiserman’s defensive play sent the young scoring winger’s stock tumbling. However, this could work out well for the Islanders as they attempt to restock their depleted prospect pool. Eiserman broke Cole Caufield’s record for most goals in a USNTDP career. This kid has the potential to become an NHL scorer.

History was made in this draft as two Norwegians were chosen in the opening round for the first time. The Detroit Red Wings selected winger Michael Brandsegg-Nygard with the 15th overall pick while the Ducks chose defenseman Stian Stolberg at No. 23.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I love it when players from smaller hockey nations get chosen in the opening round of the NHL Draft. It shows how much the game is growing internationally.

Several notable prospects projected to go in the first round remain available heading into Day 2 of the draft on Saturday beginning at 11:30 am ET. They include KHL forward Igor Chernyshow, Prince Albert Raiders forward Ryder Ritchie, Medicine Hat Tigers winger Andrew Basha, Swedish defenseman Leo Sahlin Wallenius, and Brandon Wheat Kings defenseman Charlie Elick.

HEADLINES

TAMPA BAY TIMES: After 16 seasons, Steven Stamkos could be leaving the Lightning. General manager Julien BriseBois said Friday morning he’s uncertain if a deal can be done to keep the 34-year-old winger from heading to the free-agent market on Monday.

The issue is limited salary-cap space. The Lightning have 18 players under contract for 2024-25 with $5.335 million in cap space. That alone isn’t enough to re-sign Stamkos, let alone fill out the rest of the roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports Stamkos’ agent said his client is heading to market on July 1. It will be remembered that he appeared to be going to market in 2016 before signing an eight-year extension at the last minute. That doesn’t seem likely this time unless the Bolts free up sufficient cap space to make it happen.

BriseBois seems more optimistic about signing Victor Hedman to a contract extension. The 33-year-old defenseman has a year remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $7.875 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Stamkos departs, it will be interesting to see how that affects the Lightning’s efforts to re-sign Hedman.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: George Richards cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Panthers could have a deal in place to re-sign Sam Reinhart. It’s expected to be worth $9 million annually and would have to be announced on June 30 if it’s to be for a maximum of eight years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Negotiations between the Reinhart camp and Panthers management have been ongoing for months. The 28-year-old winger has repeatedly expressed his wish to remain in Florida. It appears he’ll get his wish, taking one of the biggest names off this summer’s free-agent market.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Sidney Crosby indicated preliminary contract extension discussions with Penguins management have begun. The 36-year-old Penguins captain has one year remaining on his contract. He declined to elaborate but said they’ve had some conversations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby’s not going anywhere. He’ll likely get a four-year deal for around his current annual cap hit of $8.7 million and finish his career as a Penguin.

NHL.COM: The initial 24 players for the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face Off were announced on Friday.

Penguins center Sidney Crosby, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand, and Lightning forward Brayden Point make up the first six of Canada’s roster.

Team USA’s first six players include Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox, and Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy.

Sweden’s first six include the Lightning’s Victor Hedman, Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander, Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg, New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad, Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson and Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling.

Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen, Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho, Predators goaltender Juuse Saros, and Dallas Stars defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell are Finland’s first six players.

The rest of the rosters will be announced between Nov. 29 and Dec. 2. The tournament will be held in Montreal and Boston from Feb. 12-20, 2025.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers will buy out the final year of Cam Atkinson’s contract. 

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov will head to free agency on July 1.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers signed backup goaltender Calvin Pickard to a two-year contract extension with an AAV of $1 million.

STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues acquired Alexandre Texier from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2025 fourth-round pick. The Blue signed the 24-year-old forward to a two-year contract with an AAV of $2.1 million.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 9, 2024

by | Jun 9, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 9, 2024

The Panthers shut out the Oilers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, highlights from Gary Bettman’s latest “State of the League” press conference, and updates on Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP FINAL – GAME 1 RECAP

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers drew first blood in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final by blanking the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 in Game 1. Sergei Bobrovsky turned in a 32-save shutout, Carter Verhaeghe opened the scoring with his 10th goal of the postseason, and Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov collected two assists.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bobrovsky flat-out stole this game for the Panthers, especially in the first period when they were outshot 13-4 and out-chanced 8-3 at five-on-five. The 35-year-old became the oldest goaltender in Stanley Cup Final history to record a shutout.

Edmonton controlled the play for most of this game, garnering plenty of quality scoring opportunities. At times, the ice seemed tilted in the Panthers’ zone as the Oilers pressed but couldn’t beat Bobrovsky.

Almost all of Edmonton’s quality scoring chances were to the bottom part of the net but Bobrovsky shut that area down. Hockey Night in Canada noted that most of the goals scored against him in this postseason were high glove or high blocker. The Oilers will have to work on that for the rest of this series.

Florida made the most of their few quality scoring chances but the Oilers would’ve won this game if Bobrovsky hadn’t been on top of his game. Expect a better effort defensively by the Panthers going forward in this series.

This game will likely be the last time in this series that the Oilers pair up defensemen Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci. They had been separated during the Western Conference Final but were reunited for this contest. They were on the ice for the first two Panthers goals.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM GARY BETTMAN’S LATEST “STATE OF THE LEAGUE” ADDRESS

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun highlighted the key points from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s latest “State of the League” press conference before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The league and the NHLPA announced the salary cap for 2024-25 will rise to $88 million, an increase of $4.5 million and the biggest jump in the cap since 2019. The cap had been flattened from 2020-21 to 2023-24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.

Bettman predicted the cap will continue to rise in the coming years, anticipating robust growth in the salary cap.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The cap was projected to increase by $4.2 million to $87.7 million. Both sides agreed to round it up to $88 million, which is welcome news for cap-strapped clubs as well as players slated to become free agents on July 1.

More details were revealed regarding the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament in 2025 involving Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.

The league and NHLPA announced it will be held from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston instead of the All-Star Game. The four countries will play each other twice in Montreal before moving to Boston for the final game of the round-robin and the championship game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow this link for further details on tournament scheduling.

Bettman said there is nothing new regarding expansion despite rumors of putting clubs in Atlanta and Houston and a possible return to Arizona. He acknowledged that the league continues to deal with expressions of interest, noting at least half a dozen cities are interested in the NHL product.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I believe we’ll see NHL franchises in Atlanta and Houston by the end of this decade at the latest. A return to Arizona depends on whether former Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo can secure funding to build an NHL arena in the Phoenix area.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said he’s received feedback from many (but not all) NHL general managers regarding possible changes to long-term injury reserve rules. Under the current system, the salary cap doesn’t count during the postseason. While there is some appetite for change, Daly said it would have to be negotiated with the PA during the next round of collective bargaining in 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL cannot adjust the current LTIR rules without the agreement of the NHLPA. I daresay we’ll see it tweaked in the next CBA.

Bettman and Daly were asked if the league had any advice for teams with players charged in the 2018 Team Canada sexual assault case regarding qualifying offers to retain their rights by June 30. The commissioner said it will be up to the individual clubs to decide if they’ll qualify those players based on the current rules outlined in the CBA.

The players involved are Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils, and Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Alex Formenton of the Ottawa Senators was also charged. He’s on the Senators’ reserve list because they qualified his rights in 2022. He spent the past two seasons playing in Switzerland.

Bettman stated that former Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman and former head coach Joel Quenneville remain ineligible to apply for jobs in the NHL. This is a result of their failure to react responsibly in connection with the Kyle Beach sexual assault case. He said both have reached out seeking an opportunity to return, but it’s something he has to consider.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas isn’t providing any details or updates regarding contract extension talks with captain Sidney Crosby. “We want to keep that as quiet as possible and go through it,” he said, adding that this was being done out of respect for Crosby and what he means to the organization.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I predict Crosby will re-sign with the Penguins before training camp opens in September.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson recently shot down any possibility of a reunion with Patrick Kane. He indicated that he was happy to see the former Blackhawks winger had a good year with the Detroit Red Wings. However, he doesn’t foresee them bringing him back to Chicago.