NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 26, 2024

by | Oct 26, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 26, 2024

Recaps of Friday’s games, the Rangers sign Alexis Lafreniere to a contract extension, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights overcame a 4-3 deficit with three unanswered third-period goals to defeat the Ottawa Senators 6-4. Keegan Kolesar scored the winning goal, Ivan Barbashev tallied twice and Alex Pietrangelo collected three assists for the Golden Knights. Adam Gaudette scored two goals and Drake Batherson and Claude Giroux had a goal and an assist for the Senators.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barbashev is having a terrific start for the Golden Knights. He’s 10th in the NHL points race with 11 while his seven goals put him among the top five.

The Golden Knights could have a key player back for Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks. William Karlsson is expected to make his season debut after being sidelined by an undisclosed injury.

Linus Ullmark returned to the Senators net after being sidelined by a muscle strain for nearly two weeks, giving up five goals on 27 shots. He blamed himself for allowing the Golden Knights’ tying and winning goals.

An overtime goal by Bo Horvat lifted the New York Islanders to a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri each had a goal and an assist and Ilya Sorokin stopped 32 shots for the Islanders. Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist for the Devils, who have dropped four games in a row.

The Nashville Predators overcame a 2-0 deficit to nip the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2. Filip Forsberg, Gustav Nyquist and Brady Skjei scored for the Predators. Craig Smith and Connor Bedard tallied for the Blackhawks.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner stopped 27 shots to shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0. Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm each had two points and Viktor Arvidsson collected three assists for the Oilers. Joel Blomqvist kicked out 46 shots for the Penguins, who’ve lost four in a row.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The score would’ve been more lopsided in Edmonton’s favor if not for Blomqvist, who was let down by his teammates’ porous defensive game. The Oilers outshot the Penguins 19-5 in the first period and 20-12 in the second but only had a 2-0 lead heading into the third before Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ekholm put this game away.

HEADLINES

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed right winger Alexis Lafreniere to a seven-year, $52.15 million contract extension with an average annual value of $7.45 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lafreniere, 23, is in the final season of a two-year bridge contract worth an AAV of $2.325 million. PuckPedia has the full breakdown of the deal, including an eight-team no-trade list starting in the third season for the remainder of the contract.

Lafreniere had a breakout performance last season with 28 goals and 57 points in 82 games. He’s started this season at a point-per-game pace.

The Rangers have locked up a young core player for the prime of his career to a contract that could become a steal for them over the long term.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club winger Kailer Yamamoto and Boston Bruins forward Riley Tufte were placed on waivers Friday.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames sent forward Matt Coronato to their AHL affiliate as they prepare for the return of sidelined forwards Sam Honzek and Yegor Sharangovich.

YAHOO SPORTS: Defenseman Calen Addison signed an AHL contract with the Henderson Silver Knights, the farm team of the Vegas Golden Knights. Addison, 24, has 50 points in 152 NHL games with the Minnesota Wild and San Jose Sharks.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 2, 2024

by | Sep 2, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – September 2, 2024

The latest on the remaining notable unrestricted free agents in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox recently listed several noteworthy players still available in this summer’s unrestricted free-agent market.

Fox noted Tyler Johnson signed a professional tryout offer (PTO) with the Boston Bruins. He believes the versatile 32-year-old forward has a legitimate shot of adding to the Bruins’ depth at center this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Much depends on the outcome of Boston’s contract negotiations with restricted free-agent goaltender Jeremy Swayman. The Bruins have just over $8.6 million in cap space but most of that will go to Swayman.

Former Nashville Predators defenseman Tyson Barrie (NHL Images)

Three teams are believed to be interested in former San Jose Sharks winger Filip Zadina. The Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs are said to be among them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zadina could make his decision by this week. It’s believed his agent is trying to get him a PTO.

A lack of available young defensemen could make Calen Addison, 24, enticing to teams seeking a right-shot blueliner. Fox noted the Edmonton Oilers could have an opening.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Recent speculation suggests the Oilers are considering more experienced options. Read on…

Fox speculates John Klingberg could land a PTO or short-term offer once he’s fully healthy. The 32-year-old underwent season-ending hip surgery last December.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s been nothing new in the rumor mill about Klingberg. That doesn’t mean he isn’t talking to teams. We’ll find out soon enough if a team will take a chance on him.

Recent speculation suggests the Oilers could consider bringing back Tyson Barrie.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: They’ve also been linked to puck-moving blueliner Tony DeAngelo and former Oiler Justin Schultz.

Veteran left winger Max Pacioretty has been tied to the Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks and New York Rangers in the rumor mill.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Detroit Red Wings have also been mentioned as a possible destination for Pacioretty.

Wingers James van Riemsdyk and Kevin Labanc also remain available.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No word yet on whether either forward is close to signing a PTO or a contract with an NHL club.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – August 11, 2024

by | Aug 11, 2024

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – August 11, 2024

A look at the best players still available in the unrestricted free-agent market in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

DAILY FACEOFF: Hunter Crowther recently looked at the top five wingers and defensemen still available among this summer’s crops of unrestricted free agents (UFAs).

The top five wingers include James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Johnson, Kevin Labanc, Mike Hoffman and Max Pacioretty.

Former Boston Bruins winger James van Riemsdyk (NHL.com).

Crowther believes the 35-year-old van Riemsdyk could still have value in a limited third or fourth-line role. Injuries and inconsistency plagued the 34-year-old Johnson but he also played for a bad Chicago Blackhawks club.

Labanc, 28, and the 34-year-old Hoffman saw their production affected by playing for the rebuilding San Jose Sharks.

When healthy, the 35-year-old Pacioretty can play a decent two-way game and contribute to the second power-play unit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Age and/or injuries have affected these forwards. Labanc should be in his playing prime but his production tumbled from his career-best 56-points performance in 2018-19 skating with a more talented Sharks team. He was a frequent healthy scratch last season, seeing action in just 46 games.

Crowther listed Tyson Barrie, Justin Schultz, Marco Scandella, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Calen Addison as his top five remaining UFA defensemen.

Barrie, 33, was a frequent healthy scratch with the Nashville Predators last season. However, he could get a one-year contract from a club looking for a right-shot, puck-moving defenseman who can help their power play.

The 34-year-old Schultz has Stanley Cup experience but his performance has declined, logging the worst plus-minus on the Seattle Kraken last season despite seeing third-pairing minutes. Scandella, also 34, also had difficulties in a third-pairing role with the St. Louis Blues last season.

Shattenkirk’s game is also in decline. He’s no longer the dynamic offensive blueliner he was earlier in his career. Addison, 24, was a once-promising defenseman who bounced from the Minnesota Wild to the San Jose Sharks, who opted not to qualify his rights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barrie could still have some value playing sheltered minutes if he’s paired with a good stay-at-home defender. Addison might have value as a reclamation project.

Schultz, Scandella and Shattenkirk are all now past their prime. They might have to consider professional tryout offers to secure an NHL contract this season or look overseas to continue their playing careers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 25, 2024

by | Jun 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 25, 2024

The Panthers are the 2024 Stanley Cup champions, Oilers captain Connor McDavid named playoff MVP, selections for the 2024 Hall of Fame class are to be made today, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

FLORIDA PANTHERS ARE 2024 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions for the first time in franchise history.

Sam Reinhart snapped a 1-1 tie in the second period as the Panthers held off the Edmonton Oilers for a 2-1 victory in Game 7. Carter Verhaeghe also scored for the Panthers and Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves for the win. Mattias Janmark replied for the Oilers, who had overcome a 3-0 series deficit to force the seventh and deciding game.

The Florida Panthers are 2024 Stanley Cup Champions (NHL.com).

Panthers center Aleksander Barkov became the first Finnish captain in NHL history to lead his team to the Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the Panthers on winning the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. They faced adversity in this series, becoming the first team in 79 years to blow a 3-0 series lead in the final. However, when it mattered most, they regained their focus, shutting down the Oilers with a solid defensive effort.

This is a historic moment for the Panthers. It wasn’t long ago they were considered a laughingstock, overshadowed by their rivals in Tampa Bay and regularly near the bottom of the league in terms of the standings and attendance. They’ve now emerged from the Lightning’s shadow as a league powerhouse in their own right.

Fun fact: since 2020, a Florida-based team has played in the Stanley Cup Final, winning hockey’s holy grail three times.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice ended 25 years of futility with the first Stanley Cup championship of his long coaching career. Following the game, he gave a shout out to his former club, the Winnipeg Jets. “If I could have one more thing, it would be for the Winnipeg Jets to win the next Stanley Cup.”

Meanwhile, Oilers captain Connor McDavid was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. McDavid led all postseason scorers with 42 points, becoming only the third player in Stanley Cup playoff history to exceed the 40-point plateau. McDavid also set a single postseason record with 34 assists. He is the sixth player on a losing team to win the Smythe and the first since 2003.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid received criticism on social media for not accepting the award. He was crushed by his club’s loss in Game 7 after rallying back from a 3-0 deficit. The Oilers captain spoke with the media following the game, acknowledging the honor but still coming to grips with the game’s outcome.

This was a heartbreaking end to the Oilers’ Stanley Cup dream. They will try to follow the example of the Panthers, who were thumped by the Vegas Golden Knights in last year’s Final but returned to win it all this year.

IN OTHER NEWS…

The Boston Bruins traded goaltender Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators before the start of Game 7. You can read the details and my take here.

NHL.COM: Former Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk is among the first-time candidates for the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2024. Others include Patrick Marleau, Shea Weber, Pekka Rinne, and Ryan Miller.

The vote will take place on Tuesday morning with the results to be announced in the afternoon.

ARIZONA SPORTS: Alex Meruelo is reportedly walking away from ownership of the Coyotes with no plans to pursue a future arena. This comes after a land auction the Coyotes expected to win as the first step toward building a new arena was canceled last week.

The team was sold to a group led by Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith in April and moved to Utah. A condition of the sale was that Meruelo would have an opportunity to bring an expansion franchise back to Arizona if a new NHL arena could be constructed within the next five years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Meruelo is out the dream of bringing the NHL back to Arizona goes with him unless someone else steps up and succeeds in getting a new arena constructed.

BOSTON HERALD: The Bruins signed goaltender Brandon Bussi to a one-year, two-way contract with a cap hit of $775K.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This signing was made before the Bruins traded Ullmark to Ottawa for Joonas Korpisalo. He’ll be spending next season in the minors unless the Bruins trade Korpisalo.

THE MERCURY NEWS: San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier said his club was not tendering a qualifying offer to Calen Addison. The 24-year-old defenseman will be eligible for unrestricted free-agent status on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Addison was once considered a promising puckmoving defenseman. He could become a reclamation project for another club seeking affordable blueline depth.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Hershey Bears won the AHL’s Calder Cup for the second straight year with a 5-4 overtime victory over Coachella Valley in Game 6. Hendrix Lapierre was named playoff MVP.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the Bears on becoming back-to-back Calder Cup champions.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 9, 2023

by | Nov 9, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 9, 2023

Anze Kopitar reaches a milestone goal as his Kings extend their road wins streak, a four-point night for the Senators’ Tim Stutzle, and the Wild make two trades. Get the details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar scored his 400th career goal as his club beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 to extend their season-opening road win streak to seven games. Kopitar and Adrian Kempe each had a goal and an assist while Cam Talbot made 37 saves as the Kings improved to 8-2-2. William Karlsson scored for the Golden Knights (11-2-1) as they’ve lost two straight but remain on top of the overall standings with 23 points.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings are road warriors but they’ve won only once (1-2-2) on home ice. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights were without center Chandler Stephenson as he is sidelined with an upper-body injury. He’s expected to miss one more game.

The Ottawa Senators defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3. Tim Stutzle had a goal and three assists, Claude Giroux and Dominik Kubalik each tallied twice and Mathieu Joseph collected three assists for the 5-6-0 Senators. William Nylander had a goal and an assist to extend his season-opening points streak to 13 games but his Leafs dropped to 6-5-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators were short three regular defensemen for this game with Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub and Erik Brannstrom sidelined. However, it was the Leafs who struggled defensively in this contest.

An overtime goal by Sam Reinhart lifted the Florida Panthers to a 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, Evan Rodrigues and Oliver Ekman-Larsson each had a goal and an assist as the Panthers improved to 7-4-1. Anthony Mantha tallied two goals for the 5-4-2 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Capitals, they placed center Nicklas Backstrom (hip) on long-term injury reserve. He’s taken time away from the team and isn’t expected to return to action this season.

HEADLINES

STARTRIBUNE.COM: The Minnesota Wild made two trades on Wednesday. They shipped defenseman Calen Addison to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for winger Adam Raska and a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. They also acquired defenseman Zach Bogosian from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bogosian is in the final season of a three-year contract with an average annual value of $850K while Addison is on a one-year deal worth $825K.

The Wild wanted an experienced physical presence on their blueline. They traded away Addison to free up room and salary-cap dollars to take on the 33-year-old Bogosian, who appeared in just four games this season with the Lightning. Raska is a 22-year-old winger with eight games of NHL experience who is likely heading to the Wild’s AHL affiliate.

Addison could use a fresh start after struggling with the Wild over the past two years. The 23-year-old blueliner should get plenty of opportunities to get his NHL career back on track in San Jose.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken winger Jordan Eberle suffered a deep cut from a skate blade to the upper part of his leg during practice on Wednesday. General manager Ron Francis said Eberle appeared to avoid serious injury but was taken to a hospital for an MRI to determine if there was any tendon damage. The Kraken have called up Shane Wright as an emergency replacement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Francis believes Eberle “dodged a bullet” but they won’t know for certain until they get the results of the MRI. An update on his condition could be released today.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick joined starter Igor Shesterkin on the “day-to-day” list. They’ve recalled netminders Louis Domingue and Dylan Garland.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers are being cautious with Shesterkin and Quick, who have experienced “soreness” from recent play. Shesterkin participated in an optional practice on Wednesday so he could be ready for their matchup tonight with the Wild.

NHL.COM: League commissioner Gary Bettman has upheld the four-game suspension of Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Bruins, forward Morgan Geekie is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Defenseman Derek Forbort (undisclosed) remains questionable for Thursday’s contest with the New York Islanders.

TSN: Edmonton Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell cleared waivers yesterday and has been sent to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. The Oilers are expected to recall netminder Calvin Pickard.

DAILY FACEOFF: Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton was fined $5,000.00 by the department of player safety for crosschecking New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier on Tuesday.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott is expected to miss some time with an undisclosed injury.

CBS SPORTS: San Jose Sharks defenseman Jacob MacDonald could be out for at least a week with an undisclosed injury.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins placed forward Andreas Johnsson on waivers to terminate his contract. Johnsson, 28, is expected to return to his native Sweden.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnsson tallied a career-best 20 goals and 43 points with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018-19 but never regained those heights again.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 20, 2023

by | Sep 20, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 20, 2023

The Blues name their new captain, the latest on Flyers forwards Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson, the Canadiens and Canucks make a trade on the eve of the start of training camps, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STLTODAY.COM: Brayden Schenn was named as the 24th captain in St. Louis Blues history. The club made the announcement yesterday. Schenn, 32, spent the past six seasons with the Blues and was an alternate captain for the past three campaigns. He’s under contract for five more seasons.

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

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I doubt that anyone was surprised that Schenn got the nod for the captaincy. A durable, versatile and reliable forward, he’s reached or exceeded 50 points five times over the past six seasons. Schenn’s been in a leadership role with the Blues for several seasons so this was probably an easy choice for the club.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson are good to go when training camp opens on Thursday. The two veteran forwards missed all of last season due to injuries. Both players were scrimmaging with teammates prior to the start of camp.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s good news for the Flyers’ forward depth as they approach this season. It will also provide Briere with an opportunity to evaluate the performances of Couturier and Atkinson to determine their place and role in the club’s rebuilding process.

TSN: The Montreal Canadiens traded goaltender Casey DeSmith to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday evening in exchange for winger Tanner Pearson and a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins last month as part of the three-team Erik Karlsson trade, DeSmith wasn’t expected to start this season with the Canadiens.

Pearson is a veteran middle-six winger who’s in the final season of his contract and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He could become a bargaining chip for the rebuilding Habs by the March 8 trade deadline if he’s fully recovered from the hand injury that ended his 2022-23 campaign and plays well this season.

The Canucks, meanwhile, get a reliable backup for starting goalie Thatcher Demko while freeing up much-needed cap space. This move should also make them salary-cap compliant to start the season. Like Pearson, DeSmith is slated to become a UFA next July. Perhaps a solid performance will earn him a contract extension with the Canucks.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild signed Calen Addison to a one-year contract worth $825K.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coming off his entry-level contract and an inconsistent rookie season, Addison had no leverage with the cap-strapped Wild. The 23-year-old defenseman will need a better effort in his sophomore campaign to garner a better contract next summer when he’ll have arbitration rights.

TSN: The Senators re-signed forward Egor Sokolov to a one-year, two-way contract. He’ll earn $775K at the NHL level.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators are reportedly no closer to signing restricted free-agent center Shane Pinto as they report for training camp today. It’ll be interesting to see how long these negotiations go on. The 22-year-old Pinto has also surfaced in recent trade rumors but reports out of Ottawa claim the two sides are still working toward a new contract.

TSN: cited a report in The Athletic indicating the Chicago Blackhawks will not be naming a captain for this season. The club parted ways this summer with long-time captain Jonathan Toews.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report noted that Seth Jones was keen to become the next Blackhawks captain. His performance this season could determine if he lands the role next season.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Detroit Red Wings have invited forward Artem Anisimov and goaltender Michael Hutchinson to training camp on professional tryout offers. Anisimov, 35, last played in the NHL in 2020-21 with the Ottawa Senators while the 33-year-old Hutchinson played 16 games last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets.