NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2024

by | Dec 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2024

Recaps of Wednesday’s games and the latest on Kirill Kaprizov, Tom Wilson and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators winger Drake Batherson had a four-point night, including a natural hat trick, to lead his club to a 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Batherson also tallied his 100th NHL goal. Linus Ullmark made 31 saves while teammates Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle each had two points as the Senators have won three of their last four games. Cutter Gauthier scored and John Gibson stopped 29 shots for the Ducks, who’ve lost four straight (0-3-1).

Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The win gives the Senators 28 points (13-13-2), putting them within two points of a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

The New York Rangers nipped the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in the battle of two struggling clubs. Mika Zibanejad netted his 300th career regular-season goal and Adam Fox had a goal and two assists for the Rangers, who picked up their third win in their last 11 games. Owen Power and Tage Thompson replied for the Sabres, who have lost eight straight games (0-5-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres were in third place in the Atlantic Division before their losing skid began. If the Montreal Canadiens defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, the Sabres will drop into last place in the Eastern Conference.

Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff is pushing every button trying to snap his club out of its funk. He benched defenseman Owen Power and forward JJ Peterka for parts of this game. Power’s turnover in the first period led to Zibanejad’s goal, earning him a seat on the bench for the rest of the period.

The win leaves the Rangers (31 points) holding the first wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Defenseman K’Andre Miller left the game in the third period with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update on his condition.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold is committed to getting franchise superstar Kirill Kaprizov signed to a contract extension.

“Well, it’s a priority,” said Leipold. He indicated the 27-year-old winger is “a big part of our future.” Leipold said he’s discussed Kaprizov’s next contract with general manager Bill Guerin as they try to figure out what the salary cap is going to be. “It’s an important part of our strategic plan to get him signed for as long as we can.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov is signed through 2025-26 with an average annual value of $9 million. He can sign an extension with the Wild on July 1, 2025.

Kaprizov is jockeying for the NHL scoring lead, making him an early favorite to win the Hart Memorial Trophy, something no Wild player has ever done. If he takes home the Hart, the cost of signing him will rise considerably, making him one of the league’s highest-paid stars.

Leipold and Guerin will want to know next season’s salary cap as that will give them a better idea of what it could be in 2026-27, the first season of Kaprizov’s next contract.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman projected the cap could rise by five percent to $92.4 million in 2025-26 as mandated in the CBA. He hinted it could go beyond that if the league and the NHL Players’ Association agree to increase it beyond the five percent limit. The higher the cap rises for next season, the higher it’ll go in 2026-27, giving the Wild more room to accommodate Kaprizov’s next contract.

SPORTSNET: Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson suffered a small fracture to his sinus cavity during Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. He went briefly to the locker room but returned and finished the game. His face swelled up and got worse on the flight back to Washington. However, he returned to practice on Wednesday wearing a bubble mask.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Columbus Blue Jackets placed forward Yegor Chinakhov (upper body) on injured reserve and recalled goaltender Jet Greaves from their AHL affiliate in Cleveland.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Jets forward David Gustafsson suffered a concussion after taking a punch to the jaw from Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic on Tuesday. He missed practice on Wednesday and is in concussion protocol.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs placed forward Alex Nylander on waivers. The younger brother of Leafs star William Nylander has no points in five games seeing limited playing time.

NHL.COM: David Bonderman, who led the ownership group that brought the Seattle Kraken into existence, passed away on Wednesday at 82.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 23, 2024

by | Nov 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 23, 2024

Recaps of Friday’s games, Blackhawks star Connor Bedard struggles to end his goalless streak, a unique honor for Joe Thornton, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1, securing the second-most wins through 20 games of a season in NHL history (17-3-0). Jets winger Kyle Connor had a “Gordie Howe hat trick,” scoring a goal, collecting an assist, and earning a fighting major following a scrap with Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. Michael Bunting scored for the struggling Penguins, who’ve dropped seven of their last nine games (2-4-3).

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor (NHL Images).

An overtime goal by rookie forward Jiri Kulich lifted the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Alex Tuch and Owen Power each had two points for the Sabres, who overcame a 2-0 deficit. The Ducks got goals from Drew Helleson and Isac Lundestrom and a 30-save performance from John Gibson as their three-game win streak ended.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Chicago Blackhawks sophomore center Connor Bedard is struggling to snap out of an 11-game goalless streak. His last goal was on Oct. 26 against the Dallas Stars. The 19-year-old center collected six assists during that stretch with five coming in two games.

“It’s been a tough stretch, and you just feel like you don’t have it or whatever, and you lose a bit of confidence and it just kind of goes on,” said Bedard, adding he could “name 100 things” when asked the reason behind his goal drought.

Bedard admitted he’s felt frustrated during this stretch. “I just don’t feel like I’m really doing anything. So just keep chipping away at it, I guess, and hopefully find my game again.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard’s comments raised concerns among Blackhawks observers, who called on management and the coaching staff to address their young star’s frustration.

The Blackhawks surrounded Bedard with veteran forwards like Tyler Bertuzzi, Taylor Hall, and Teuvo Teravainen to take some of the burden off their franchise player as they rebuild around him. However, their production is down this season. Younger forwards Philipp Kurashev and Lukas Reichel are also struggling to score.

Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson has been criticized in recent weeks for his handling of the roster. If things don’t improve soon, management could face pressure to shake things up behind the bench.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The city of San Jose has named Nov. 23 “Joe Thornton Day” ahead of the Sharks’ retiring his No. 19 before their game against the Buffalo Sabres. Thornton will join former teammate Patrick Marleau as the second player to have his number retired by the Sharks.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken captain Jordan Eberle will be sidelined for at least three months following pelvic surgery on Thursday. He was injured during a Nov. 14 game against the Blackhawks.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Golden Knights signed forward Brett Howden to a five-year, $12.5 million contract extension. The average annual value is $2.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Howden, 26, earns $1.9 million this season and was slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July. He might’ve earned more elsewhere via free agency but opted for the long-term security. This benefits the Golden Knights as it’s a marginal raise over his AAV, fitting comfortably within their cap payroll over the next five seasons.

THE SCORE: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies for Sunday’s game against the Utah Hockey Club. He suffered an upper-body injury during Thursday’s game against the Golden Knights following a hit from Zach Whitecloud. Head coach Craig Berube said Knies is improving but offered no timetable for his return.

TORONTO SUN: Speaking of the Leafs, they signed Alex Nylander to a one-year, one-way $775K contract and recalled him from their AHL affiliate. In a corresponding move, they placed Knies on injured reserve. Alex is the younger brother of Leafs star William Nylander.

ROTOWIRE: Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York is slated to come off injured reserve and return to the lineup on Saturday against Chicago. He’s been sidelined by an upper-body injury since Oct. 24.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 29, 2024

by | Jul 29, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 29, 2024

Alex Ovechkin is dealing with an offseason injury, the Blue Jackets sign Kirill Marchensko, Ryan Lomberg looks forward to reuniting with Jonathan Huberdeau in Calgary, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sammi Silber cited a report out of Russia indicating Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is dealing with a minor knee injury. It’s not considered serious and he’s expected to begin ramping up his offseason training soon in preparation for his 20th NHL season.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images)

Silber noted that Ovechkin missed a handful of games last season with a lower-body injury, but it’s unclear if it’s related to his current ailment.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier this offseason, Ovechkin said he intended to change his training after getting off to a slow start last season. His production was down compared to previous years but he still tallied 30 goals, marking the 18th time he’s reached that plateau.

With 853 career NHL goals, the 38-year-old Ovechkin is 42 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. He could do it this season with a better start and a healthier season.

SPORTSNET: The Columbus Blue Jackets avoided arbitration with winger Kirill Marchenko, reaching an agreement on a three-year, $11.85 million contract. Marchenko, 23, is coming off back-to-back 20-plus goal seasons. He’ll earn an average annual value of $3.85 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchenko was among the few bright spots in a forgettable season for the Blue Jackets, leading the club with 23 goals and sitting third with 42 points.

Marchenko recently said he hadn’t received a contract offer from the Blue Jackets, sparking some speculation he might become available. That’s not the case as he remains part of their rebuilding process.

Only two scheduled hearings remain. New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren’s is slated for Aug. 2 and Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas’ is Aug. 4.

Of the 14 players who filed for arbitration, only one required an arbitrator to settle. Nashville Predators defenseman Spencer Stastney was awarded a two-year, $1.675 million contract on July 24.

THE SCORE: Ryan Lomberg looks forward to reuniting with former Florida Panthers teammate Jonathan Huberdeau. He signed a two-year contract earlier this month with the Calgary Flames.

Lomberg is confident that Huberdeau will regain his high-scoring form. “There’s no doubt he’s one of the best players in the league,” he said, praising Huberdeau’s “world-class” skills. “There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s gonna get back to the level he was at.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Huberdeau’s production has significantly declined since arriving in Calgary in 2022. He had a career-high 115 points in 2021-22 but managed 55 points in 2022-23 and 52 points last season with a Flames team undergoing a significant roster shakeup.

TSN: The AHL’s Toronto Marlies signed forward Alex Nylander to a one-year AHL contract. Nylander, 26, is the younger brother of Leafs star William Nylander. Drafted eighth overall in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres, he has 25 goals and 49 points in 121 career NHL games. The Marlies are the Leafs’ AHL affiliate.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings promoted Aaron Kahn as assistant general manager and director of hockey operations.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 1, 2023

by | May 1, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 1, 2023

The Panthers upset the Bruins and the Kraken stun the Avalanche to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Details and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers shocked the hockey world by defeating the Boston Bruins 4-3 to win Game 7 of their best-of-seven first-round series. Carter Verhaeghe tallied the winning goal in overtime, Brandon Montour scored twice and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 33 shots as the Panthers advanced to face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round with Game 1 starting Tuesday night in Toronto. David Krejci had a goal and two assists for the Bruins, who had won the Presidents’ Trophy with a record-setting 65 wins and 135 points in the regular season.

Florida Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: According to Sportsnet, the 43-point difference between the first-overall Bruins and the Panthers in the regular-season standings marks the biggest upset in Stanley Cup Playoffs history in a best-of-seven format.

The Bruins appeared to have this series locked up after taking a 3-1 lead in games. The Panthers, however, never gave up.

Switching to Bobrovsky following Game 4 helped to change the course of the series. “Bob” doesn’t have the best career playoff record but he was the goaltender for the Columbus Blue Jackets when they swept the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019 so he’s had some experience facing a heavily-favored Presidents’ Trophy winner.

This was a team effort by the Panthers but Montour and Matthew Tkachuk stood out for me in this series. Their timely production made the difference in this series as the Bruins struggled to contain them.

Tkachuk called this a legacy win for the Panthers. It’s certainly something to build on after struggling to reach the playoffs following a franchise-best regular season performance in 2021-22.

The Bruins, meanwhile, were in shock over the reversal of fortune in this series. Despite a stacked roster coming off a record-setting season, they failed to close the deal and seemed helpless to halt the change of momentum in the series.

This may have been the final NHL season for centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Bergeron skated with a herniated disc in his back suffered during the end of the regular season which caused him to miss the first four games of this series. He said he’ll take some time before deciding whether he’ll return next season.

Krejci, meanwhile, missed three games in this series with an upper-body injury. He skated last season in Czechia and could return there for good following this season.

Speaking of stunning upsets, there will be a new Stanley Cup champion this year after the Seattle Kraken beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in Game 7 of their first-round series. Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice and Philipp Grubauer made 33 saves as the Kraken picked up their first playoff series win in franchise history. Mikko Rantanen replied for the Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a major upset as most observers (including myself) gave the Kraken little chance of beating the Avalanche. Their hard work paid off with a well-earned series victory. They pulled it off with a steady defensive system, solid goaltending by Grubauer, and spreading their scoring throughout their lineup.

Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen stepped up and did everything they could to carry their team over the finish line in this series. However, top defenseman Cale Makar appeared hampered by injury while other Avs struggled with consistency and possible injuries of their own.

Like the Panthers, the Kraken will have little time to savor this victory. They face off against the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of their second-round series on Tuesday in Dallas.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The league released its schedule for Games 1 and 2 of the second round. As previously mentioned, the series between the Leafs and Panthers as well as the Kraken and Stars begin on Tuesday, May 2. The Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights will square off starting on Wednesday, May 3 as will the Carolina Hurricanes and the winner of the New Jersey Devils/New York Rangers series.

NEW YORK POST: Speaking of the Devils-Rangers series, New Jersey head coach Lindy Ruff won’t reveal whether it’ll be Akira Schmid or Vitek Vanecek starting in goal for tonight’s series-deciding Game 7. Schmid took over from Vanecek after Game 2 and won three straight but was lit up in a 5-2 loss in Game 6.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff confirmed Rick Bowness will return as head coach next season. Bowness’ scathing remarks about his players’ performance following their first-round elimination by the Golden Knights prompted speculation about his future.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bowness’ status is no longer a topic of conjecture but that won’t allay rumors of potential lineup changes this summer.

LA KINGS INSIDER: Kings captain Anze Kopitar hopes to spend the remainder of his NHL career with Los Angeles. He will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Kings general manager Rob Blake is quite keen to discuss a contract extension for Kopitar.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins recently signed forward Alex Nylander to a one-year, one-way contract extension worth $775K.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 6, 2022

by | Jan 6, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 6, 2022

​The Penguins get their ninth straight win after making a minor trade, the Leafs hand the slumping Oilers another loss, plus the latest COVID updates and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAMES RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins picked up their ninth straight win by overcoming a 3-1 deficit to defeat the St. Louis Blues 5-3. Bryan Rust scored twice and set up another while Sidney Crosby and Evan Rodrigues each had a goal and an assist. Brayden Schenn also had a goal and an assist for the Blues. Earlier in the day, the Penguins made a minor trade by shipping Sam Lafferty to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Alex Nylander.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins were apparently concerned about losing Lafferty via waivers as they attempt to make room for Evgeni Malkin’s return. By trading him to the Blackhawks they get an asset in return who is exempt from waivers this season.

Nylander, 23, is the younger brother of Toronto Maple Leafs winger Wiliam Nylander. A former first-round pick (eighth overall) with the Buffalo Sabres in 2016, he’s struggled to play up to lofty expectations. He missed all of last season with a knee injury and has spent this season in the minors. He’s expected to be sent to the Penguins’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Speaking of the Maple Leafs, they doubled up the Edmonton Oilers 4-2, handing the latter their fifth straight loss. Ilya Mikheyev broke a 2-2 tie in the third period and Alex Kerfoot put the game away with an empty-netter. The Oilers played without Connor McDavid, who entered COVID protocol yesterday.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: McDavid, teammate Tyson Barrie and Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson were among the latest players to enter COVID protocol.

NHL.COM: The league has postponed three more home games involving Canadian clubs. Those games are the Jan. 15 contest between the New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens, the Jan. 17 matchup between the Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Jan. 18 games between the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers.

TSN: The NHL and 20 of its teams are suing five of their insurance providers over rejected COVID-19 claims citing losses of $1 billion. The suit was filed in California last June.

THE SCORE: Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mikko Koskinen doesn’t appreciate bearing the brunt of the criticism from head coach Dave Tippett and the media for the club’s struggles. “It’s not nice being thrown under the bus,” he told a Finnish media outlet. “I have to be better, but at the same time, we scored seven goals in my last six losses. I can’t score goals.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Koskinen’s shaky goaltending is a factor in the Oilers’ recent swoon but he has a good point about the lack of goal production he’s received of late.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens yesterday announced the hiring of Chantal Machabee as their new vice-president of communications. She’s spent the past 32 years with the Quebec-based sports network RDS covering the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Machabee’s hiring was met with universal acclaim by her peers throughout the NHL media. She was a pioneer for women hoping to break into sports media.

TVA SPORTS: Speaking of the Canadiens, they’re currently meeting with potential candidates for the role of general manager. Among them is Patrick Roy and they’re expected to meet with him at the end of this week.

SPORTSNET: Eric Staal’s agent said his client is interested in playing for Team Canada at the Beijing Winter Olympics next month.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Arizona Coyotes announced a sports betting partnership with SaharaBets.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 11, 2021

by | Oct 11, 2021

NHL Rumor Mill – October 11, 2021

The fallout from the Rangers re-signing Mika Zibanejad plus the latest on the Senators and Blackhawks in today’s NHL rumor mill.

NBC SPORTS: James O’Brien considers the New York Rangers out of the Jack Eichel trade market with their signing of Mika Zibanejad yesterday to an eight-year extension worth $8.5 million per season.

New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (NHL Images).

O’Brien suggests the Rangers do have some salary-cap challenges ahead. 2021 Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox becomes a restricted free agent next summer. In addition to Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider, Igor Shesterkin and Barclay Goodrow take up a considerable chunk of their salary-cap payroll for 2022-23.

Fox could be eyeing a deal comparable to the $9 million AAV Cale Makar signed this summer with the Colorado Avalanche. Promising winger Kaapo Kakko is also slated for RFA status next summer.

NEW YORK POST: Before the Zibanejad signing, Larry Brooks was skeptical of the Rangers acquiring Eichel. On Oct. 9, he suggested the only way the Blueshirts could afford Eichel and Zibanejad was if the Buffalo Sabres absorbed 40 to 50 percent of the 24-year-old center’s $10 million annual cap hit.

Brooks dismissed the likelihood of Sabres owner Terry Pegula agreeing to that. He believed Pegula would prefer shipping Eichel anywhere else but the Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers aren’t acquiring Jack Eichel unless Zibanejad’s new contract is part of some elaborate “sign-and-trade” deal by general manager Chris Drury. Otherwise, they’ll have to shed $10 million in cap space to fit Eichel’s cap hit within their payroll. Doing that would weaken their depth.

Cap Friendly shows the Rangers with over $62 million invested in 16 players for 2022-23 with Fox, Kakko, Alexandar Georgiev and Ryan Strome among their notable free agents. Fox and Kakko are coming off their entry-level contracts and lack arbitration rights. Georgiev has arbitration rights while Strome is a UFA.

I don’t see the Rangers taking the hard-line with Fox. He’ll get at least $9 million, maybe more after winning the Norris Trophy last season. That will push the Rangers’ cap payroll to over $71 million with $11 million remaining for the others. They can likely afford most of them but it could be expensive to find a suitable replacement for Strome if he hits the open market.

OTTAWA SUN: Ken Warren believes Senators GM Pierre Dorion will take a close look at the waiver wire to see if he can add another center with Colin White on injured reserve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: He could also go the trade route for help, perhaps by targeting a cap-strapped club.

THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers reports the Chicago Blackhawks don’t have to worry about losing Alex Nylander through waivers. He’d been previously designated as waiver-eligible but Cap Friendly now indicates he’s exempt because he was sidelined throughout last season. He still needs another pro season or 53 NHL games to be waiver-eligible.