The Kraken defeat the Golden Knights in the 2024 Winter Classic, the three stars of the week, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines
NHL.COM: The Seattle Kraken got a 35-save performance from goaltender Joey Daccord to blank the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in the 2024 NHL Discover Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. A sellout crowd of 47, 313 fans saw Daccord pick up the first-ever shutout in Winter Classic history.
Eeli Tolvanen, Will Borgen and Yanni Gourde were the goal scorers as the Kraken picked up their fifth straight win, extending their points streak to a franchise-record nine games (7-0-2). Logan Thompson made 24 saves for the Golden Knights.
With the win, the Kraken improved to 15-14-9 (39 points) and sit one point behind the Arizona Coyotes for the final Western Conference playoff berth. With a record of 22-11-5, the Golden Knights sit third overall in the Western Conference with 49 points.
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho, New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin and New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 31, 2023.
STARTRIBUNE.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov and goaltender Filip Gustavsson are both sidelined for at least a week. Kaprizov suffered an upper-body injury on Saturday and Gustavsson had a lower-body injury.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild will have to make do without their leading scorer (Kaprizov) and their starting goaltender (Gustavsson) as they face the Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets this week.
CBS SPORTS: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Haydn Fleury (hand) has been placed on long-term injury reserve.
DAILY FACEOFF: New York shut out Toronto 4-0 in the inaugural game of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). Ella Shelton scored the first goal in league history during the first period. Third-period goals by Alex Carpenter, Jill Saulnier and Kayla Vespa secured the win for New York.
The game was held at Toronto’s Mattamy Athletic Centre (formerly Maple Leaf Gardens) in front of a sellout crowd of 2,537 fans. The fans remained until the game ended and gave both clubs a standing ovation.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping the PWHL has a long and productive future. Women’s hockey needs to have a thriving professional league.
The number 600 was an important milestone for Connor McDavid and Erik Karlsson, a hat trick performance for Artemi Panarin, another multi-point game for Sebastian Aho, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist in his 600th career game as his club downed the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on a shootout goal by Derek Ryan. Stuart Skinner stopped 26 shots in regulation and overtime for the 17-15-1 Oilers as they’ve won four straight games. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist as the Kings (20-8-5) picked up a point and sit third in the Pacific Division with 45 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has 274 multi-point games, which is the third-most through 600 games in NHL history. He sits behind Wayne Gretzky (407) and Mario Lemieux (353).
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson collected his 600th career assist as his club doubled up the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist while Sidney Crosby tallied his 20th goal of the season for the 17-13-4 Penguins, who sit two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 38 points. Robert Thomas and Kasperi Kapanen replied for the Blues (18-17-1), who are three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 37 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Karlsson reached the 600-point plateau in 954 games, ranking eighth all-time among NHL defensemen for the fewest games to reach that number. Bobby Orr tops the list with 608 games.
New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin tallied a hat trick in a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Vincent Trocheck had a goal and three assists for the Rangers (25-9-1), who moved into sole possession of first place in the overall standings with 51 points. Nikita Kucherov netted his 25th goal of the season for the 17-15-5 Lightning (39 points) as they slipped one point out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panarin sits third in the NHL points races with 50. He’s nine points behind the league-leading Kucherov (59), who sits second among the league’s leading goal scorers.
The Carolina Hurricanes nipped the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Sebastian Aho had his third-straight game with at least three points with one goal and two assists as the Hurricanes improved to 20-13-4, vaulting over the idle Philadelphia Flyers into second place in the Metropolitan Division with 44 points. Max Domi collected two assists for the 17-10-1 Leafs as they cling to third place in the Atlantic Division with 41 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Former Leaf Michael Bunting scored against his former team in this contest while his teammate Jesper Fast left the game with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Leafs winger William Nylander’s points streak ended at 13 games.
Winnipeg Jets winger Nino Niederreiter scored twice as his club held off the Minnesota Wild by a score of 4-2, extending their points streak to seven games. Connor Hellebuyck kicked out 34 shots for the 21-9-4 Jets (46 points) as they sit one point behind the first-place Colorado Avalanche in the Central Division. Ryan Hartman and Matt Boldy scored for the 16-14-4 Wild (36 points) as they slipped to four points out of a Western wild-card berth.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild also lost goaltender Filip Gustavsson and winger Kirill Kaprizov to injuries during this contest. There was no postgame update regarding their statuses.
The Boston Bruins netted four goals in the second period to defeat the New Jersey Devils 5-2. David Pastrnak and Kevin Shattenkirk each scored twice while Linus Ullmark turned aside 31 shots for the 21-7-6 Bruins, who side in first place in the Atlantic Division with 48 points. Nico Hischier and Luke Hughes scored for the Devils (19-14-2) as they slipped behind the Washington Capitals for the final Eastern wild-card spot with 40 points.
Speaking of the Capitals, they dropped a 3-2 shootout decision to the Nashville Predators. Ryan O’Reilly netted the winning goal while Yaroslav Askarov stopped 26 shots for his first NHL win for the 20-16-1 Predators, who vaulted over the idle Arizona Coyotes into the first Western wild-card spot with 41 points. Beck Malenstyn and Alex Ovechkin scored for the Capitals (17-11-6) as they overcame a 2-0 deficit, picking up a point as they cling to the final Eastern wild-card berth with 40 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals appeared to have won this game in the dying seconds of the third period on what would’ve been Ovechkin’s second goal of the game. However, it was overturned due to goaltender interference.
The Florida Panthers picked up their fourth straight win by defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-1. Eetu Luostarinen scored twice while Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers (22-12-2) as they sit second in the Atlantic Division with 46 points. Cole Caufield scored for the Canadiens as they slipped to 15-15-5 on the season.
An overtime goal by Jeff Skinner gave the Buffalo Sabres a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Owen Power collected two assists for the 15-18-4 Sabres. Danill Tarasov made 39 saves for the 12-18-8 Blue Jackets.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blue Jackets placed forward Sean Kuraly (chest) on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 23. Meanwhile, Sabres prospect Matt Savoie underwent an MRI Saturday for a lower-body injury and could miss the remainder of the 2024 World Junior Championship.
IN OTHER NEWS…
THE ATHLETIC: Flyers head coach John Tortorella became the eighth coach in NHL history to reach 1,500 games during Friday’s matchup against the Seattle Kraken. He’s the first American-born coach to reach that plateau.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Tortorella on this achievement as well as reaching 10th all-time in wins (723) earlier this week.
NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders yesterday placed defenseman Ryan Pulock (lower body) on long-term injury reserve retroactive to Dec. 7. With Adam Pelech also on LTIR, the Islanders have $9.95 million in LTIR cap space.
The Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho achieves a franchise first in his club’s win over the Canadiens, a milestone game for Flyers coach John Tortorella, the latest injury updates, the Capitals finally sign Ethan Bear, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho collected four assists and Andrei Svechnikov tallied a hat trick in a 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Brent Burns set up three goals and Jesper Fast scored twice as the Hurricanes improved to 19-13-4 to move into third place in the Metropolitan Division with 42 points. Mitchell Stephens, Mike Matheson and Josh Anderson scored for the Canadiens as they slipped to 15-14-5.
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Aho became the first player in Hurricanes/Whalers history to collect four points in consecutive games and the first player in the NHL to do so since Jeremy Roenick on Nov. 25-26, 1999.
A three-goal second period powered the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Joel Farabee had a goal and an assist while Samuel Ersson made 18 saves before leaving the game early in the third period with an undisclosed injury. The Flyers improved to 19-11-4 and hold second place in the Metro Division with 42 points. Teddy Blueger scored for the 23-10-3 Canucks as they remain in first place in the Western Conference with 49 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone game for Flyers head coach John Tortorella as he moved into 10th place on the all-time wins list for NHL coaches with 723. The Flyers have the same number of points as the Hurricanes but sit ahead of them with two games in hand.
The Vegas Golden Knights snapped a four-game losing skid by holding off the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 3-2. Logan Thompson stopped 32 shots while Jack Eichel, Michael Amadio and William Karlsson scored for the Golden Knights (22-10-5) move into a tie with the Vancouver Canucks with 49 points. Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist while Trevor Moore also scored for the Kings (20-8-4) as they remain in third place in the Pacific Division with 44 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks still hold first in the West with one more victory as well as a game in hand.
A four-goal first period and 25 saves by goaltender Stuart Skinner gave the Edmonton Oilers a 5-0 shutout over the San Jose Sharks. Zach Hyman tallied his 20th of the season as the Oilers improved to 16-15-1. Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 17 of 18 shots in relief of Magnus Chrona for the 9-24-3 Sharks.
HEADLINES
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is out with an undisclosed leg injury on a week-to-week basis.
SPORTSNET: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano returns to action on Friday against the Blue Jackets after missing a month with a broken finger.
CBS SPORTS: Nashville Predators blueliner Tyson Barrie is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
THE SCORE: The Washington Capitals officially signed Ethan Bear on Thursday to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.0625 million. The 26-year-old defenseman is returning to action following offseason shoulder surgery.
TSN: The Buffalo Sabres placed center Tage Thompson on their non-roster list as he is dealing with a personal issue.
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils sent goaltender Akira Schmid to their AHL affiliate in Utica after recalling Nico Daws. They’re hoping Schmid can regain his rhythm after struggling this season.
DAILY FACEOFF: Detroit Red Wings goalie Michael Hutchison and Sabres forward Tyson Jost hit the waiver wire on Thursday.
Nikolai Khabibulin is returning to action as the 50-year-old goaltender signed a one-year deal with the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. His last professional game was on Nov. 16, 2013, with the Chicago Blackhawks.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL defenseman Cody Franson has been hired as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Iowa Wild.
THE SEATTLE TIMES: A lawsuit alleges the Kraken violated the Seattle Metropolitans trademark with their Winter Classic jerseys.
A record-setting performance by the Penguins’ Kris Letang, the Coyotes stage a four-goal comeback win over the Avalanche, Connor Bedard snipes an overtime winner for the Blackhawks, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines
NHL.COM: Kris Letang enjoyed a record-setting performance as his Pittsburgh Penguins crushed the New York Islanders 7-0. Five of Letang’s six assists came in the second period, which is a record for the most points in one period by an NHL defenseman. Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel each scored two goals while Marcus Pettersson collected four assists for the 16-13-4 Penguins (36 points), who sit three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. The Islanders (16-9-9) sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 40 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Letang also became the seventh defenseman in league history to record six assists in a game, joining such luminaries as Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, Pat Stapleton and Gary Suter. Malkin also surpassed Sergei Fedorov for the second-most goals scored by a Russian NHL player with 484.
The Arizona Coyotes overcame a 4-0 deficit to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 on an overtime goal by Jack McBain. Sean Durzi had a goal and three assists for the Coyotes (18-14-2) as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 38 points. Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen each had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche (21-11-3) as they sit in first place in the Central Division with 45 points. MacKinnon’s point streak sits at 19 games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a dozen times this season: don’t sleep on the Coyotes. They’ll bite you if you do. This is a club loaded with blossoming talent that has made steady improvement under head coach Andre Tourigny. One of those good young players is defenseman JJ Moser, who remains sidelined with an upper-body injury but is expected to return to action soon.
Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard became the third-youngest player in NHL history to score a regular-season overtime goal in a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. The 18-year-old Bedard also scored in regulation while goaltender Petr Mrazek stopped 37 shots for the 11-22-1 Blackhawks. Morgan Barron replied for the 20-9-4 Jets, who sit one point behind the Avalanche in the Central standings.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: You know, I think this Bedard kid’s gonna have a long and productive career (insert winky face emoji here).
The Carolina Hurricanes downed the Nashville Predators 5-2. Center Sebastian Aho had a goal and three assists to surpass the 500-point career milestone while Pyotr Kochetkov made 35 saves as the Hurricanes improved to 18-13-4 and hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 40 points. Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and an assist for the 19-16-0 Predators as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 38 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Aho is the fourth player in Hurricanes history to reach the 500-point plateau, joining Ron Francis (1,175), Eric Staal (775) and Kevin Dineen (544).
New York Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller had two goals and an assist in a 5-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. Mika Zibanejad collected two assists in his 800th career NHL game as the Rangers (24-8-1) moved past the idle Vancouver Canucks into first place in the overall standings with 49 points. Anthony Mantha scored for the 17-10-5 Capitals as they cling to the final Eastern wild-card spot with 39 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers captain Jacob Trouba left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury. An update on his status is expected on Thursday.
An overtime goal by Timo Meier lifted the New Jersey Devils over the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. Dawson Mercer had a goal and two assists while Luke Hughes tied the game late in the third period for the Devils (18-13-2) with a spectacular end-to-end rush. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 31 shots for the 11-18-7 Blue Jackets.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils (38 points) are now one point out of an Eastern wild-card spot. They did so without forward Curtis Lazar as he’s listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski left the game with a lower-body injury following a collision with Devils winger Ondrej Palat.
The Florida Panthers nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 3-2. Sam Reinhart scored twice while Aleksander Barkov collected three assists for the 20-12-2 Panthers as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 42 points. Nikita Kucherov and Michael Eyssimont scored for the Lightning (17-14-5) as they sit behind the Capitals in the Eastern standings with the latter holding four games in hand.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov remains the league’s leading scorer with 58 points but the Avs’ Nathan MacKinnon has cut his lead to two points.
Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson tallied twice as his club overcame a 2-0 deficit in a 4-2 upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joonas Korpisalo kicked out 34 shots while Brady Tkachuk picked up his 300th career NHL point for the 13-17-0 Senators. William Nylander picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 12 games as the Leafs (17-9-6) sit third in the Atlantic Division with 40 points.
The Boston Bruins snapped a four-game losing skid with a 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Charlie Coyle netted two goals for the 20-7-6 Bruins as they sit second in the Eastern Conference with 46 points. Erik Johnson scored for the 14-18-4 Sabres, who were playing without Tage Thompson as he was absent from the club for personal reasons.
A four-goal third period carried the Minnesota Wild over the Detroit Red Wings 6-3. Marcus Johansson scored twice and collected an assist for the Wild (16-13-4) as they picked up their fourth straight win and sit two points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 36 points. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist for the slumping Red Wings (16-15-4) as they sit three points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 36 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Patrick Kane has been among the few bright spots for the Wings during their current slide. He scored in this game to extend his points streak to five games and now has 11 points in as many games, showing no ill effects thus far from his offseason hip resurfacing procedure.
St. Louis Blues goalie Joel Hofer made a career-high 39 saves in a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Jake Neighbours and Marco Scandella scored for the 18-15-1 Blues (37 points) as they’ve won three straight to move within a point of a Western Conference wild-card spot. Jason Robertson replied for the 20-9-4 Stars as they slipped to third place in the Central Division with 44 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars and Jets have identical records but the Jets have more regulation wins with 18.
The Seattle Kraken nipped the Calgary Flames 2-1. Goalie Chris Driedger stopped 37 shots in his first NHL game since May 1, 2022, while Alex Wennberg and Kailer Yamamoto scored for the 13-14-9 Kraken as they extended their points streak to seven games. Nazem Kadri replied for the 14-16-5 Flames.
A four-goal first period gave the Anaheim Ducks a 5-2 upset win over the Vegas Golden Knights. John Gibson made 30 saves while Brett Leason scored twice for the 13-21-0 Ducks while Mark Stone and Alec Martinez replied for the 21-10-5 Golden Knights, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 47 points.
The Los Angeles Kings beat the San Jose Sharks 5-1. Adrian Kempe scored twice for the Kings (20-7-4) as they sit third in the Pacific Division with 44 points. Fabian Zetterlund scored his 10th over the season for the 9-23-3 Sharks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks goalie Mackenzie Blackwood missed this game with an illness while teammate Jacob MacDonald (lower body) was placed on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov returned to action after missing five games with a lower-body injury.
Recaps of Tuesday’s games include Leon Draisaitl setting an Oilers record, the Avalanche tying a league record, plus the Canucks and Penguins making a trade. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman each had four points as the Edmonton Oilers picked up their first win of the season with a 6-1 drubbing of the Nashville Predators. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had three points, Connor McDavid, Warren Foegele and Evan Bouchard each had two points while Jack Campbell kicked out 42 shots for the win. Tommy Novak netted the Predators’s only goal.
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl’s two goals came on the powerplay, giving him the franchise record for career tallies on the man advantage with 128. Meanwhile, the Predators held a video tribute to Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm as he returned to Nashville for the first time since being traded to Edmonton last season.
The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-1. Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin were among the goal scorers for the Avalanche while Alexandar Georgiev got the win with a 37-save performance. Kailer Yamamoto replied for the Kraken, who are winless (0-3-1) in their first four games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche tied the league record for consecutive regular-season road wins (14) stretching back to last season.
Vegas Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault scored in the shootout to lift his club to a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. William Karlsson and Kaeden Korczak each had a goal and an assist while Adin Hill got the win by stopping 24 shots. Craig Smith and Joe Pavelski replied for the Stars while Jake Oettinger made 32 saves.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights are red-hot to start the season with a league-leading four straight wins. Stars center Roope Hintz made his season debut after being sidelined by an upper-body injury.
The Minnesota Wild scored three power-play goals and tallied twice shorthanded to thump the Montreal Canadiens 5-2. Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello each had three points, Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice and Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves for the Wild. Tanner Pearson and Alex Newhook replied for the Canadiens, who lost defenseman Kaiden Guhle to an upper-body injury in the second period.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, the Canadiens announced that center Kirby Dach (knee injury) is done for the season. Meanwhile, the 38-year-old Fleury soaked up the atmosphere as he played what was likely his final game in Montreal as he faces potential retirement at the end of this season. Speaking of the Wild, defenseman Alex Goligoski missed this game with a lower-body injury.
Former Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois scored his first goal of the season with the Los Angeles Kings in a 5-1 victory over his former club. Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore each had three points for the Kings. Mark Scheifele replied for the Jets, who lost forward (and former King) Gabriel Vilardi to a lower-body injury in the first period following a hit by Blake Lizotte.
The Buffalo Sabres blew a 2-0 lead but nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on an overtime goal by Dylan Cozens. Zemgus Girgensons and Jeff Skinner also scored while Devon Levi stopped 21 shots for the Sabres as they picked up their first win of the season. Brandon Hagel tallied both Lightning goals as Jonas Johansson made 28 saves.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Steven Stamkos missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury. Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left this game in the third period with an upper-body injury while winger Victor Olofsson was a healthy scratch.
Four unanswered third-period goals lifted the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Seth Jarvis tallied twice for the Hurricanes while Tomas Hertl collected two assists for the Sharks as they remain winless (0-2-1) in their first three games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho missed this contest with an upper-body injury. Goaltender Frederik Andersen was pulled early in the first period for precautionary reasons when he appeared dazed after being struck in the mask by a shot. He was replaced by Antti Raanta.
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart turned in a 25-save performance to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 2-0. Flyers center Sean Couturier scored his first goal for the first time since missing all of last season due to back surgery. Thatcher Demko turned aside 40 shots for the Canucks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Canucks traded minor leaguers Jack Rathbone and Karel Plasek to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Mark Friedman and forward Ty Glover. The addition of Friedman brings more size and experience to the Canucks blueline. The Canucks also placed defenseman Guillaume Brisebois on long-term injury reserve.
The New York Islanders blanked the Arizona Coyotes 1-0. Mathew Barzal tallied the game’s only goal while Ilya Sorokin made 14 saves for the shutout. Karel Vejmelka kicked out 33 shots for the Coyotes.
The Hurricanes intend to be busy in this summer’s trade market, some proposed targets for the Avalanche to boost their forward lines, and some trade targets for the Blackhawks in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
HURRICANES TO BE BUSY IN THIS SUMMER’S TRADE MARKET
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Luke DeCock reports Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell intends to go the trade route this summer rather than through free agency to bolster his roster for next season.
“I think the trade route is something we’re going to explore very heavily before free agency,” said Waddell during his end-of-season media availability yesterday. He indicated he’d like to boost the Hurricanes’ scoring but would also like to add some size to his roster.
“We’d like to get a little heavier, if possible,” said Waddell. He’s also hoping for a bounce-back performance from winger Teuvo Teravainen and for young players like Seth Jarvis to continue their improvement.
Waddell indicated there’s still no timeline for when pending free agent Max Pacioretty will return to action following his second torn Achilles. While they’re interested in bringing back the 34-year-old winger, he said they “have to make sure we don’t get caught counting on something that isn’t there.”
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (NHL Images)
DeCock also reported that Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon has made re-signing center Sebastian Aho to a long-term contract extension “a top, top priority.” Dundon said he’d like to get Aho signed as soon as possible. Aho is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July.
Dundon also believes it’s possible to bring back captain Jordan Staal. He anticipates it’ll be done quickly. “We want to keep him here.” The Hurricanes captain is also open to bringing back pending UFA goalies Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta, pointing out that Pyotr Kochetkov remains waiver-exempt next season.
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports Waddell wasted little time reaching out to Aho’s agent to get the ball rolling on contract extension talks. LeBrun also noted there’s little bitterness between the Hurricanes’ front office and Aho over the latter signing that five-year, $42.295 million offer sheet from the Montreal Canadiens that was quickly matched by the Canes.
LeBrun believes Aho wants to stay with the Hurricanes. He speculates they’d like to keep the average annual value of his next contract under $9.5 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes want to keep their roster as intact as possible for another shot at a Cup run next year after finishing this season with the second-best record (111 points) in franchise history. Despite being swept by the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final, they point to how close each game was in that series and how it could’ve gone their way had they caught some puck luck.
The Hurricanes might have to front-load Aho’s contract to keep it around $9.5 million. I anticipate it’ll cost them closer to $10 million annually on a seven- or eight-year deal to keep him in the fold.
It sounds like they’re also going to let Pacioretty go to market on July 1. Given his age and recent injury history, he’d had to accept a one-year deal with a substantial pay cut to stay in Carolina.
The Hurricanes have over $24 million in cap space for 2023-24. They can afford to bring back Staal, Andersen and Raanta and still have sufficient cap room to add a scorer. Waddell could target clubs looking to shed salary without taking too much back in return.
PROPOSED TRADE TARGETS FOR THE AVALANCHE
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau observed the Colorado Avalanche will get $7 million in cap relief with captain Gabriel Landeskog sidelined for next season recovering from knee surgery. With $20.3 million in cap room, he proposed five targets to boost their forward lines.
If the Avs look to free agency, Proteau suggested bringing back Ryan O’Reilly to provide the grit and experience they need for a deep playoff run. He anticipated O’Reilly could cost between $4 million and $5 million annually. He also suggested pending UFA winger Vladimir Tarasenko would be a good fit on their second line. So could Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jason Zucker if he tests the market.
Proteau also suggested the New Jersey Devils’ Timo Meier or the Vancouver Canucks Brock Boeser. Meier is a restricted free agent who might become available via an offer sheet though the Devils could match it. The Canucks, meanwhile, are looking to shed salary but also need help in the blueline. Proteau suggested offering up Samuel Girard in exchange for Boeser.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see how the Avalanche proceed this summer. Their priority remains a second-line center but they could also look at adding a short-term replacement on left wing for the sidelined Landeskog.
O’Reilly or Tarasenko might be possible but it depends on what they’re seeking on their next contracts. There’s been some speculation suggesting O’Reilly might return to the Blues on a short-term deal for around what Proteau was proposing.
Meier will be far too expensive if he becomes available via trade or offer sheet. Boeser for Girard would address the Canucks and Avs’ respective needs. However, Canucks management seems to be leaning toward retaining Boeser while shipping out someone else to garner some cap relief.
PROPOSED TRADE TARGETS FOR THE BLACKHAWKS
THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers recently listed several trade targets for the Chicago Blackhawks if they wish to weaponize their cap space for 2023-24. They might be able to land some first-round picks or quality prospects by targeting cap-strapped teams carrying unwanted contracts.
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The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
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