NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 27, 2023

by | May 27, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 27, 2023

The latest on the Golden Knights and Stars ahead of Game 5 of the Western Conference Final plus updates on Jordan Staal, Frederik Andersen and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Vegas Golden Knights can advance to the Stanley Cup Final with a victory tonight over the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final. The Golden Knights hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

LAS VEGAS SUN: The Golden Knights intend to heighten their focus on shutting down Jason Robertson. After scoring just twice through the first two rounders, the 23-year-old Stars winger has four goals in the Conference Final, including two in Game 4 as his club avoided being swept from the series.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was the Stars’ best players like Robertson rising to the occasion in Game 4 (other than Jamie Benn, who’s serving a two-game suspension) that sent this series back to Las Vegas for Game 5. They’ll need a similar or better effort to force a Game 6.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars winger Evgenii Dadonov did not travel with his teammates to Las Vegas for Game 5. He suffered a lower-body injury in Game 3 that sidelined him for Game 4. Stars coach Peter DeBoer no longer classified Dadonov as day-to-day but expects that he will return later in the postseason.

TSN: Jordan Staal said he has no plans to play for another NHL club and hopes to return next season with the Carolina Hurricanes. The long-time Hurricanes captain is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 coming off a 10-year, $60 million contract.

NHL.COM Hurricanes reporter Walt Ruff tweeted that Frederik Andersen is also keen to return to Carolina next season. Like Staal, the 33-year-old goaltender is a UFA on July 1. “My priority is to get back here,” said Andersen. “We believe in this group that we can do something special next year.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think the Hurricanes intend on bringing back Staal and Andersen provided they’re willing to accept pay cuts on short-term deals. We’ll see how things pan out for them in the coming weeks.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports the list of potential general manager candidates to be interviewed by the Toronto Maple Leafs is expected to include Jason Botterill, Marc Bergevin, Brad Treliving and Peter Chiarelli.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs president Brendan Shanahan recently indicated he’s seeking someone with experience for the job. Some pundits consider Treliving to be the front-runner.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman saying that Fenway Sports Group (owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins) is giving former Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas this weekend to mull over whether he wants the job of Penguins GM.

Meanwhile, THE HOCKEY NEWS’ Nick Horwat cited TSN’s Chris Johnston saying Dubas is “98 percent he’s going to be taking a job there”, meaning Pittsburgh.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the Memorial Day long weekend in the United States. That means Dubas’ answer could come on Tuesday at the earliest.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: A strong performance by Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault has carried Canada into the semi-final against Latvia at the 2023 IIHF World Championship. He’s allowed just six goals on 118 shots in the five games he’s played thus far with a 1.19 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That performance could also help Montembeault’s case if he’s looking for a contract extension from the Habs. He will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2023-24.










NHL Rumor Mill – May 26, 2023

by | May 26, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – May 26, 2023

More speculation and suggestions for the Hurricanes plus the latest on the Blackhawks in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT SHOULD THE HURRICANES DO DURING THE OFFSEASON?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Following the Carolina Hurricanes’ elimination from the Eastern Conference Final, Adam Proteau examined three areas they must address during the offseason.

Proteau believes the Hurricanes need to get bigger and better on their forward lines. He suggested perhaps Boston’s Tyler Bertuzzi and/or Philadelphia’s James van Riemsdyk, who are both slated to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

Addressing the goaltending is another area to address. Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta are also UFAs on July 1 while promising Pyotr Kochetkov has just 27 games of NHL experience under his belt. He also believes they shouldn’t touch their defense corps.

DAILY FACEOFF: Matt Larkin believes the Hurricanes should trade for a superstar “no matter the cost”. While they play a strong team game under head coach Rod Brind’Amour, they haven’t had a 40-goal scorer, a 90-point scorer or a player among the top-15 in scoring over the past five seasons.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov (NHL Images).

Larkin noted the Hurricanes attempted to acquire Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames prior to his getting traded last summer to the Panthers. They also pushed hard to get Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks before he was shipped to the New Jersey Devils before the March trade deadline.

Could Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell be willing to do the same this summer? Larkin wondered if he’d part with players like Andrei Svechnikov or Brett Pesce or Seth Jarvis if someone like Toronto’s Mitch Marner became available in the trade market.

THE ATHLETIC: Cory Lavalette also wondered about the notable Hurricanes such as Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen who are a year away from UFA status.

Lavalette anticipates they’ll find a way to re-sign Aho but Teravainen’s future is more uncertain. Given his struggles this season, he could be on his way out.

Martin Necas had a breakout performance this season and is heading into the final season of his bridge deal. Lavalette wonders if the Hurricanes will be willing to commit to Necas long-term. If not, his value in the trade market will never be higher while his cap hit ($3 million) is so low.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes have over $24 million in cap space for next season with 17 active roster players under contract. Sorting out the goaltending will be a priority but it shouldn’t eat up much cap space if they bring back Andersen on a short-term deal given the limited depth in this summer’s trade and free-agent markets.

Adding a superstar is easier said than done. Yes, the Panthers landed Matthew Tkachuk last summer in a blockbuster move. However, such deals are rare, expensive and risky. The Hurricanes have the assets in terms of young players, prospects and cap space to pull it off. Whether they can find an available superstar this summer remains to be seen. Their willingness to get into a bidding war to land one is also up for debate.

LATEST ON THE BLACKHAWKS

THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers recently brought us up to speed on what he’s hearing about the Chicago Blackhawks’ offseason plans.

For starters, don’t expect a major draft surprise from the Blackhawks regarding the first-overall pick. They’re definitely using it to select top prospect Connor Bedard.

The Blackhawks aren’t optimistic about moving up in the draft order with the first-rounder (19th overall) they got from the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Vancouver Canucks (11th overall) might make the most sense given their need to shed salary for next season. Powers wondered if the Canucks would be enticed to part with that pick if the Blackhawks offered to take on one of the contracts they’re trying to move by bundling the Lightning’s pick along with a second-rounder.

Powers indicated the Blackhawks are willing to listen to offers from clubs trying to offload contracts if it’ll bring them a high draft pick and/or a quality prospect. He also noted that they intend to keep their free-agent signings to short-term deals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson wasted little time establishing a reputation as a wheeler-dealer during last year’s draft. Lacking a first-round pick entering that draft, he emerged with three of them which he used to select Kevin Korchinski, Frank Nazar and Sam Rinzel.

Don’t be surprised if Davidson finds a way to move up in the draft order by weaponizing his salary-cap space.










NHL Rumor Mill – May 25, 2023

by | May 25, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – May 25, 2023

A look at what could be next for the Hurricanes after falling in the Eastern Conference Final, some possible trade destinations for Connor Hellebuyck and the latest Bruins speculation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE HURRICANES?

ESPN.COM: Kristen Shilton looks at what the offseason might hold for the Carolina Hurricanes after getting swept from the Eastern Conference Final by the Florida Panthers.

The Hurricanes must address their goaltending as Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta are eligible to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Rookie Pyotr Kochetkov likely isn’t ready yet to become a full-time starter. They’ll either re-sign Andersen or Raanta to pair with Kochetkov or scour the market for another veteran, which will take up a hefty chunk of cap space.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andersen and Raanta play well when healthy but both have had their injury woes in recent years. Still, they could opt to retain one or the other on affordable short-term contracts given the limited goalie options in this summer’s trade and free-agent markets.

Scoring depth was an issue this season. Max Pacioretty was supposed to help them address that issue. However, he missed most of this season to injuries and is also a UFA on July 1 along with Paul Stastny, Jesper Fast and captain Jordan Staal. Jesse Puljujarvi is a restricted free agent but his potential remains uncertain.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pacioretty probably won’t be back given the uncertainty of his health after back-to-back Achilles’ injuries. Puljujarvi was a failed short-term experiment whose NHL career is probably hanging by a thread after another disappointing season.

Staal will likely return on a short-term deal worth considerably less than the $6 million average annual value of his last contract. Stastny and Fast might have to make way for young players, especially if they decide to look for another scorer through a trade or free agency.

PROPOSED TRADE DESTINATIONS FOR CONNOR HELLEBUYCK

THE ATHLETIC: Shayna Goldman looked at seven clubs that could (and should) be interested in Connor Hellebucyk.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).

Winner of the Vezina Trophy in 2019 and a finalist this season, the 29-year-old Winnipeg Jets goaltender is a year away from UFA eligibility. He could be traded this summer if unable to reach an agreement with the Jets on a contract extension.

The Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils are the top two clubs on Goldman’s list. They’re followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Vegas Golden Knights, Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Goldman goes into detail as to why each club could and should find Hellebuyck a worthwhile trade target.

My two cents: Hellebuyck would be a terrific addition to any of these clubs if he’s willing to sign a contract extension. Otherwise, he won’t fetch the type of return the Jets would want if they put him on the market. There will be teams interested in him but they could be reluctant to give up too much for an elite goalie who could depart as a free agent next summer.

The Sabres and Devils carry plenty of cap room and can afford him next season and beyond. The Penguins could make it work for 2023-24 but it could get tricky after that. Maybe the Senators can swing it if they pass on re-signing Alex DeBrincat.

As for the rest, they can’t afford his cap hit unless they move out a lot of salary first.

LATEST BRUINS SPECULATION

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy wondered if the Bruins and Edmonton Oilers could become offseason trade partners. He noted that the Bruins need centers given the uncertainty over the futures of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci while the Oilers need defensemen.

Murphy cited an NHL source claiming the Oilers “might move” center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins this summer and they’re seeking a defenseman as part of the return. However, Murphy is skeptical about that one given the Bruins’ limited cap space for next season. He wondered if a more affordable bottom-six option from the Oilers such as Ryan McLeod might be available.

Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk could become a trade candidate. However, Murphy doesn’t see the cap-strapped Oilers taking on his $3.6 million cap hit for next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murphy’s source should brush up on Nugent-Hopkin’s contract. He took a pay cut to stay in Edmonton on an eight-year deal. The 30-year-old center also has a full no-movement clause. There’s no indication he wants out of Edmonton or that the Oilers want to move him.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2023

by | Apr 28, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2023

The Golden Knights eliminate the Jets, the Lightning stay alive against the Leafs while the Devils are on the verge of eliminating the Rangers. Details and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights are the first team to advance to the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 5 of their best-of-seven series. Mark Stone had a goal and two assists, Chandler Stephenson scored two goals and former Jets backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit made 29 saves for the win. The Golden Knights await the winner of the Edmonton Oilers-Los Angeles Kings series.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A well-deserved series win for the Golden Knights, especially over the last two games after defeating the Jets with an overtime victory in Game 3. Vegas forward Phil Kessel was scratched to make room for returning winger William Carrier. It’s the first game Kessel’s missed since 2009 but doesn’t affect his NHL Ironman record as that involves consecutive regular-season games.

Jets head coach Rick Bowness was furious with his club’s performance in this series and during the season. He vented his displeasure during a short press conference following the game, criticizing his players for a lack of pushback and pride. “I’m so disappointed and disgusted right now,” said Bowness.

Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers made his series debut in this contest after being sidelined since Apr. 11 with an upper-body injury but was held scoreless.

Changes could be coming for the Jets roster this summer. I’ll have more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

The Tampa Bay Lightning stayed alive in their series with the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 4-2 win in Game 5 of their opening-round series. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 28 shots, Anthony Cirelli and Michael Eyssimont each had a goal and an assist and Nick Paul scored the game-winner for the Lightning. Morgan Rielly and Auston Matthews tallied for the Maple Leafs, who hold a 3-2 lead in the series as it returns to Tampa Bay for Game 6 on Saturday night.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eyssimont replaced Tanner Jeannot, who was sidelined with an undisclosed injury.

Leafs fans can be forgiven if a feeling of dread is creeping in right now. After all, their club was in a similar position two years ago against the Montreal Canadiens but went on to lose that series in seven games. I still believe the Leafs will win this one but if they lose Game 6 they could be in big trouble given their recent history.

The Lightning lacks the depth that carried them to three straight Stanley Cup Finals but they served up a reminder in this contest that they still have enough talent and heart to battle back. They’re not going to go quietly and they don’t want to be eliminated on home ice. Game 6 should be a dandy.

New Jersey Devils rookie goalie Akira Schmid turned in a 23-save shutout to blank the New York Rangers 4-0 in Game 5 of their first-round series. Erik Haula netted two goals and an assist while Dawson Mercer had a goal and an assist as the Devils hold a 3-2 series lead and can wrap things up in New York on Saturday night.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers are in trouble as the Devils have seized the momentum by overcoming an 0-2 series deficit to find themselves on the verge of advancing to the second round.

They’ve done it by effectively neutralizing the Rangers’ star-studded offense, especially their power play. Schmid has played a big role in that since taking over as the Devils’ starter in Game 3, allowing just two goals on 82 shots to pick up three straight wins.

PLAYOFF HEADLINES

THE DENVER POST: A Seattle police department report revealed a woman was found so intoxicated in Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin’s hotel room on Saturday that a team doctor called an ambulance to take her to a hospital.

Nichushkin didn’t play Game 3 of the Avs’ first-round series with the Seattle Kraken later that day and hasn’t been with the team since the incident. A club spokesman declined to comment on whether Nichushkin’s absence to connected to the incident but said the winger is currently not with the team.

The Avalanche previously said Nichushkin was away from the club for “personal reasons.” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said his ongoing absence isn’t disciplinary and not related to legal issues, adding the team has been in contact with him. Bednar offered no timeline as to when Nichushkin might return to the lineup.

A Seattle Police Department spokesperson said there is no criminal investigation stemming from this incident. A Denver Police Department lieutenant who travels with the Avalanche told Seattle police that there were “no reports of any criminal interactions.”

TWINCITIES.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov is confident he’ll break out of his four-game scoring slump against the Dallas Stars in Game 6 tonight in Minnesota. The Stars lead the series 3-2.

TSN: There’s a chance that Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen could make his debut in this postseason tonight against the New York Islanders. He’d been sidelined from the first five games due to illness and an undisclosed injury. The Hurricanes hold a 3-2 series lead over the Islanders and could wrap things up with a win tonight.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins center David Krejci traveled with his team to Florida and hasn’t been ruled out of playing in Game 6 against the Panthers tonight. The Bruins hold a 3-2 series lead.

LA KINGS INSIDER: Kings forward Blake Lizotte could be ready to return to the lineup for Game 6 of their first-round series with the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. He’s been sidelined since Game 2 with a lower-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2023

by | Jan 27, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2023

The Lightning match a franchise home win streak, the Sabres’ Owen Power sets a franchise record for rookie defensemen, the Canucks re-sign Andrei Kuzmenko, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning matched a franchise record with their 11th straight home win by nipping the Boston Bruins 3-2, snapping the latter’s six-game win streak. Victor Hedman broke a 2-2 tie in the third period while Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point each had three points for the 31-15-1 Lightning, who hold third place in the Atlantic Division. Brad Marchand and Pavel Zacha replied for the Bruins (38-6-4), who sit atop the overall standings with 80 points.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power (NHL Images)

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power scored for the third straight game in a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each had two points for the 26-19-3 Sabres, who’ve won five straight contests and moved within two points of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 55 points. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 33 shots for the Jets (31-18-1), who sit in second place in the Western Conference with 63 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Power became the first Sabres rookie defenseman to record a goal streak of three games.

Speaking of the Penguins, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Washington Capitals on shootout goals by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. Alex Ovechkin tallied his 32nd goal while Darcy Kuemper made 35 saves for the Capitals (26-19-6), who hold a one-point lead over the Penguins for the first Eastern wild-card spot with 58 points. Casey DeSmith stopped 43 shots for the 24-15-9 Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals winger Tom Wilson missed this game with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Mats Zuccarello lifted the Minnesota Wild over the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 3-2. Matt Boldy scored twice and collected an assist for the Wild (26-17-4) as they vaulted back into third place in the Central Division with 56 points. The Flyers slipped to 20-21-9 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers forward Wade Allison left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury while Zack MacEwen suffered an upper-body injury from his fight with Wild winger Marcus Foligno. Wild center Ryan Hartman was a healthy scratch from this game.

Anaheim Ducks winger Frank Vatrano tallied a hat trick to upset the Colorado Avalanche 5-3, ending the latter’s six-game win streak. John Gibson kicked out 41 shots for the 15-29-5 Ducks. Mikko Rantanen scored twice for the Avalanche 26-18-3 as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 55 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar collected an assist as he returned to the lineup after missing four games with an upper-body injury.

The Calgary Flames missed an opportunity to surpass the Avalanche for that wild-card berth as they were upset 5-1 by the Chicago Blackhawks. Rookie goalie Jaxon Stauber made 34 saves to win his second straight NHL start for the 15-28-4 Blackhawks. The Flames (23-17-9) have 55 points but the Avs hold two games in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews missed this game with a non-COVID-related illness.

Nashville Predators forward Matt Duchene had a goal and an assist in the third period in a 6-4 win over the New Jersey Devils to end the latter’s eight-game points streak. Juuse Saros turned aside 34 shots for the Predators (24-18-6) as they moved within one point of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 54 points. Devils center Jack Hughes collected two points as the 31-13-4 Devils remain two points behind the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with 66 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Predators announced that defenseman Alexandre Carrier will be sidelined for four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury.

The Arizona Coyotes (16-28-5) got a natural hat trick from Nick Schmaltz and a 33-save shutout from Karel Vejmelka to blank the St. Louis Blues 5-0. The Blues dropped to 23-23-3 and sit six points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Robert Thomas left this game with a lower-body injury. Coyotes forwards Matias Maccelli and Lawson Crouse returned to the lineup after being sidelined by injuries. However, the club announced before this game that defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere will miss four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury. That could affect management’s efforts to trade the pending free agent before the March 3 trade deadline.

An overtime goal by Robby Fabbri gave the Detroit Red Wings a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Moritz Seider had three assists for the Wings as they improved to 21-18-8 to keep their slim playoff hopes alive with 50 points. The Canadiens (20-25-4) got two goals from Rafael Harvey-Pinard but also lost defenseman Joel Edmundson to a lower-body injury. 

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks re-signed winger Andrei Kuzmenko to a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $5. 5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I predicted this in yesterday’s Rumor Mill as reports emerged Kuzmenko’s camp sought a two-year bridge deal worth between $5 million and $6 million. The 26-year-old rookie winger has 21 goals and 43 points in 47 games with the Canucks this season as he’s played well alongside center Elias Pettersson.

The signing disappoints those who believe the struggling Canucks should trade Kuzmenko for draft picks and prospects while his value was high. However, that would’ve meant rebuilding and that’s something the Canucks don’t do. This signing is also considered another indication that the club will move pending free agent center Bo Horvat before the March 3 trade deadline.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen reportedly avoided serious injury when he left Wednesday’s game against the Dallas Stars with an upper-body injury.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed defenseman Ben Harpur to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $787, 500.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 26, 2023

by | Jan 26, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 26, 2023

The Leafs, Hurricanes and Blues Jackets each collect 3-2 overtime wins, the surging Kraken take over first place in the Pacific Division, the Avalanche and Sharks make a four-player trade, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner scored 19 seconds into overtime in a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers after teammate Timothy Liljegren tied it late in the third period. The Leafs improved their record to 30-11-8 and are tied with the Carolina Hurricanes with 68 points. Filip Chytil tallied twice for the 26-14-8 Rangers as they sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 60 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they got an overtime goal from Martin Necas to beat the Dallas Stars by a score of 3-2. Sebastian Aho scored his 200th career NHL goal as they extended their points streak to six games. The Hurricanes (30-9-8) sit second overall in the overall standings with two games in hand over the Maple Leafs. Jason Robertson scored his 33rd goal of the season for the 28-13-9 Stars as they hold a two-point lead over the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Western Conference with 65 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen left this game following the first period with an upper-body injury. There was no post-game update as to the severity of his injury. He was activated off long-term injury reserve on Jan. 11 after missing over two months with a lower-body injury.

The Columbus Blue Jackets also picked up 3-2 overtime victory by downing the Edmonton Oilers thanks to Kent Johnson’s winning goal. Joonas Korpisalo made 34 saves as the Blue Jackets improved to 15-30-3 on the season. Zach Hyman tallied his 25th goal of the season for the 27-18-4 Oilers, who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 58 points.

Seattle Kraken winger Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice and Jared McCann collected three points to crush the Vancouver Canucks 6-1 and move into first place in the Pacific Division with 61 points. It was the first loss for Rick Tocchet since taking over as Vancouver’s head coach on Sunday. The Canucks slipped to 19-26-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken rookie Matty Beniers left the game with an upper-body injury. No update was provided as to his condition.

The Ottawa Senators got goals by Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux to hold off the New York Islanders 2-1, handing the latter their sixth straight loss. Brock Nelson replied for the Islanders (23-22-5) as they sit five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 51 points. The Senators improved to 21-23-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello shouldered the blame for his club’s struggles this season. He also expressed confidence in his coaching staff. Meanwhile, Senators goaltender Cam Talbot left the game midway through the second period with a leg injury. The club is expected to have an update on his condition on Thursday.

HEADLINES

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW/SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Colorado Avalanche acquired defenseman Ryan Merkley and forward Matt Nieto from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Jacob MacDonald and forward Martin Kaut.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nieto previously played for Colorado from 2016-17 to 2019-20 and is being brought in to improve the Avalanche’s penalty kill. Merkley and Kaut are two young players in need of a fresh start after struggling to stick with their former clubs. Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now believes MacDonald’s inclusion in this swap suggests sidelined defensemen Bowen Byram and Josh Manson could be returning to the Avs’ lineup soon.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry will be sidelined with an undisclosed injury until after the upcoming All-Star break. The club recalled goalie Dustin Tokarski.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Flames defenseman Chris Tanev (upper-body injury) is also sidelined until the All-Star break.

ARIZONA SPORTS: Coyotes signed defenseman Juuso Valimaki to a one-year contract extension worth $1 million. He was also fined $4,189.19 by the NHL department of player safety for slashing Anaheim Ducks forward Max Jones.