NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 17, 2025

by | May 17, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 17, 2025

The Maple Leafs avoided elimination and forced Game 7 with the Panthers, Stars captain Jamie Benn fined, the Oilers could get two sidelined players back for the Western Conference Final, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs staved off elimination with a 2-0 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 6 of their second-round series.

Joseph Woll had a 22-save shutout, Auston Matthews scored the game-winner, and Max Pacioretty netted the insurance goal for the Leafs. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 15 shots for the Panthers.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

The series returns to Toronto for the seventh and deciding game on Sunday, May 18, at 7:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given up for dead by their fans and pundits following their disastrous 6-1 loss in Game 5, this was a solid bounce-back performance by the Leafs.

Matthews (who appears to be hampered by an undisclosed injury) scored the biggest goal of his career, Woll shook off his horrible Game 5 outing, and Pacioretty continues to enjoy a strong comeback from an injury-hampered regular season.

The Leafs put up their best defensive effort of the postseason in this contest, effectively stifling the Panthers’ offensive attack.

Having avoided elimination in Florida, the Leafs return home facing their seventh Game 7, needing to snap a six-game losing skid in those situations to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

The Leafs could go into that contest without power forward Matthew Knies. The 22-year-old winger suffered an undisclosed injury in Game 6.

This will be one of the most consequential games in franchise history. A loss will mean the end of the “Core Four Era” of the Maple Leafs, ensuring the departures of Mitch Marner and John Tavares via free agency on July 1. It could also start the clock ticking on Matthews’ departure when his four-year contract expires in 2028.

TSN: Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn was fined $5,000.00 for roughing Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele in Game 5 of their second-round series on Thursday. Game 6 of their series is on Saturday in Dallas at 8 pm ET, with the Stars holding a 3-2 series lead.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm and backup goaltender Calvin Pickard will not play in Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Final. However, the two sidelined players are expected to return to action later in that series. The Oilers await the winner of the Jets-Stars series.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: As his contract with the Washington Capitals expires, Nicklas Backstrom will resume his playing career where it began. The 37-year-old center reportedly signed with Brynas IF of the Swedish Hockey League. Backstrom has been sidelined since October 2023 amid chronic hip issues.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Capitals, they signed prospect defenseman Ryan Chesley to a three-year entry-level contract. They chose him in the second round (37th) of the 2022 NHL Draft.

RG.ORG: Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov has praise for his former head coach John Tortorella. He considered Tortorella the best coach he could’ve had for his first NHL season. Michkov acknowledged they occasionally disagreed, but insisted they had a great relationship, adding he was grateful for what Tortorella taught him.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov is a finalist for KHL Rookie of the Year. The 19-year-old winger had 19 goals and 30 assists for 49 points in 65 games with SKA St. Petersburg. He joined the Canadiens late this season, collecting two points in two games, and two assists in five playoff contests.

THE SCORE: The Minnesota Wild signed prospect forward Danila Yurov to a three-year, entry-level contract. He was chosen 24th overall in the 2022 Draft.

TSN: The judge in the trial of five former members of Canada’s 2018 Junior team dismissed the jury after a juror complained that defense lawyers were acting unprofessionally. This came three weeks after a juror’s complaint about one of the defense lawyers led to a mistrial.

The trial will continue before a judge alone.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 13, 2024

by | May 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 13, 2024

The Panthers push the Bruins to the brink of elimination, the Canucks regain the lead in their series with the Oilers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers overcame a 2-0 deficit to nip the Boston Bruins 3-2 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven second-round series. The Panthers got a controversial game-tying goal from Sam Bennett after he cross-checked Bruins center Charlie Coyle into goalie Jeremy Swayman. The Bruins challenged for goaltender interference but the goal was upheld. Nearly four minutes later, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov scored the winning goal. David Pastrnak and Brandon Carlo scored for the Bruins.

The series returns to Florida for Game 5 on Tuesday, May 14 at 7 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bennett was already Public Enemy No. 1 among the Bruins and their fans for his questionable hit on Brad Marchand in Game 3 that sidelined the Boston captain from this contest. There was no immediate explanation from the league as to why Bennett’s goal was allowed to stand.

Boston’s lack of offense in this series has put them on the verge of elimination. Since the Bruins’ 5-1 victory in Game 1, the Panthers have limited them to two goals or less over the past three games. If they don’t address this by Game 5, they’ll be emptying their lockers by Thursday.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (NHL Images).

Two-goal performances by Brock Boeser and Elias Lindholm and a 42-save effort by Arturs Silovs gave the Vancouver Canucks a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of their second-round series. Boeser also collected an assist to finish the night with three points. Mattias Ekholm, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard replied for the Oilers. Game 4 is on Tuesday at 9:30 PM EDT with the Canucks holding a 2-1 lead in the series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers outshot the Canucks 36-7 during the second and third periods but Silovs’ strong goaltender enabled his club to hold off the Oilers. Lindholm’s goal late in the second made the difference after Draisaitl cut the lead to 3-2 earlier in the frame.

Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner gave up four goals on 15 shots and was replaced by Calvin Pickard for the third period. That’s raised criticism over Skinner’s performance in this series and questions about whether Pickard will get the start in Game 4.

Canucks defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Carson Soucy could face supplemental discipline for cross-checking Oilers captain Connor McDavid at the end of the game. Zadorov hit McDavid from behind while Soucy nailed the Oilers star in the face. Soucy got a two-minute minor with no time left on the clock. McDavid appeared to be unhurt following the incident.

Oilers forward Adam Henrique missed Game 3 with a nagging ankle injury. He missed Game 1 but returned to action in the following game.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

NEW YORK POST: The Carolina Hurricanes have yet to decide if Frederik Andersen or Pyotr Kochetkov will get the start for Game 5 of their second-round series against the New York Rangers on Monday. Andersen played in three of the last four games but gave up a soft goal to tie Game 4 before Brady Skjei scored to give the Canes a 3-2 victory. The Rangers hold a 3-1 lead in this series and can wrap it up tonight.

The Rangers, meanwhile, are hopeful that center Filip Chytil will play in Game 5 after being sidelined from the previous game by an illness. Chytil skated in Game 3 in his first game since suffering a suspected concussion in November.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Nicklas Backstrom denied false reports out of Sweden claiming the Washington Capitals center was not really injured but instead refused to play because of a “big schism” with head coach Spencer Carberry.

Backstrom, 36, appeared in eight games this season before taking an indefinite leave of absence related to his hip resurfacing procedure in June 2022.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Backstrom’s hip condition is well-documented. If healthy, he is contractually bound to play. Refusal to do so would violate the terms of his deal. The Capitals wouldn’t grant him a leave of absence because of a supposed dispute with the coach.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The International Ice Hockey Federation announced sanctions on Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov, his former KHL team CSKA Moscow, and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation for their roles in disregarding the contract he originally signed with the Flyers last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This won’t affect Fedotov’s new contract with the Flyers after CSKA released him from their deal earlier this year. He will be banned from playing in IIHF-sanctioned events for three years.










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 – November 7, 2023

by | Nov 7, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 7, 2023

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week are revealed, and the latest on Frederik Andersen, Nicklas Backstrom, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Jack Hughes and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Vancouver Canucks extended their points streak to eight games by dumping the Edmonton Oilers 6-2. Quinn Hughes had a goal and three assists, Brock Boeser scored twice and Thatcher Demko kicked out 40 shots for the Canucks (9-2-1) as they sit second overall in the Western Conference with 19 points. Mattias Ekholm and Leon Draisaitl replied for the 2-8-1 Oilers, who sit second-last in the conference with five points.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is not where most observers expected to see these two teams in the standings when this season began. The Canucks are off to their best start in years while the Oilers are enduring one of their worst.

Edmonton’s struggles, however, are garnering more attention than the Canucks’ early-season success. The Oilers’ growing frustration was apparent as Draisaitl received a 10-minute misconduct in the third period while head coach Jay Woodcroft was ejected later in the period for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Oilers’ difficulties are also generating speculation about possible changes. I’ll have more in today’s Rumors update.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman stopped 35 shots while rookies John Beecher and Mason Lohrei netted their first NHL goals in a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars. Brad Marchand tallied the game-winner as his Eastern Conference-leading Bruins (21 points) held on to improve their record to 10-1-1. Wyatt Johnston and Joe Pavelski scored for the 7-3-1 Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars forwards Matt Duchene and Radek Faksa missed this game as they’re still recovering from upper-body injuries. Both are considered day-to-day.

An overtime goal by Calle Jarnkrok lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-5. Jarnkrok and Auston Matthews each scored twice, Mitch Marner had a goal and three assists and Matthew Knies had three points for the 6-4-2 Leafs, who overcame a 4-1 deficit after Joseph Woll replaced Ilya Samsonov in goal. Nikita Kucherov had two goals and two assists and Victor Hedman collected three points for the Lightning as they dropped to 5-3-4.

The Florida Panthers nipped the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 on an overtime goal by Carter Verhaeghe. Sam Reinhart had two assists and Aleksander Barkov also scored for the 6-4-1 Panthers. The Blue Jackets (4-5-3) overcame a 3-0 deficit as Spencer Martin made 34 saves after Elvis Merzlikins got the hook for giving up three goals on 11 shots.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, Los Angeles Kings goaltender Cam Talbot and Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish are the three stars for the week ending Nov. 5.

CAROLINA HOCKEY NOW: Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen is out indefinitely after a medical exam discovered a blood clotting issue that requires treatment. The club issued a statement indicating there is no timetable for his return but they are confident he’ll make a full recovery.

The Hurricanes also signed goaltender Jaroslav Halak to a professional tryout offer and recalled netminder Pyotr Kochetkov from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Andersen completely recovers and resumes his playing career.

TSN: Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said it’s unlikely Nicklas Backstrom will play again this season. The 35-year-old center stepped away from the team last week citing ongoing issues with his surgically-repaired left hip. Backstrom is expected to go on long-term injury reserve soon.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I hope I’m wrong but I believe Backstrom’s playing career is over. No NHL player has successfully returned to form following a hip resurfacing procedure.

TSN: Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper said starting goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is on track to return to action later this month. Vasilevskiy underwent lower back surgery in late September and is expected back soon after American Thanksgiving on Nov. 23.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning have made do thus far with backup Jonas Johansson filling in for Vasilevskiy. Nevertheless, they’ll be looking forward to his return between the pipes as they attempt to stage another run for the Stanley Cup this season.

DAILY FACEOFF: It’s been confirmed that New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes injured his right shoulder when he exited Friday’s game against the St. Louis Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes is listed as week-to-week with some observers indicating he could be sidelined for three-to-four weeks. His condition is unrelated to the upper-body injury that he suffered during the playoffs.

MLIVE.COM: Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin (upper body) is questionable for Tuesday’s game against the New York Rangers. Winger Robby Fabbri is expected to return from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for the past 10 games.

CBS SPORTS: New York Islanders center Bo Horvat is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Penguins forward Jeff Carter has accepted that he’ll be in and out of the lineup this season. He was a healthy scratch on Saturday against the San Jose Sharks for the first time in his NHL career.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 38-year-old Carter has had a long, productive NHL career but his performance has been in decline over the past two years. He indicated that he’s not going to be a “grumpy old guy” about his situation and will continue to support his teammates when he’s not playing.

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier held a meeting with his players to address the club’s woeful 0-10-1 start to this season. Grier acknowledged he expected growing pains for his rebuilding roster but found their effort in their last two games (in which they gave up 10 goals in each contest) to be “unacceptable”.

Grier told the press that everyone on the team (including himself) had to be accountable for this situation. He refused to lay all the blame on the shoulders of head coach David Quinn. The Sharks GM indicated he’d been evaluating the club’s performance in the coming weeks, adding that changes could be coming if things didn’t improve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s little that Quinn can do with the gutted roster he was given for this season. Trading away Erik Karlsson and Timo Meier last season took away two talented core players plus they’ve been missing the skills and experience of sidelined captain Logan Couture.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 2, 2023

by | Nov 2, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 2, 2023

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom stepping away for health reasons, the latest on the Senators and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry had a hat trick and collected an assist in a 4-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Rookie Leo Carlsson netted his third goal while Lukas Dostal made 35 saves for the 6-4-0 Ducks. Lawson Crouse tallied twice while rookie Logan Cooley netted his first career NHL goal as the Coyotes slipped to 4-4-1.

Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks netminder John Gibson missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2. Tage Thompson had a goal and two assists, rookie winger Brandon Biro tallied his first two NHL goals and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 38 shots as the Sabres improved to 5-5-0. Joel Farabee and Cam Atkinson replied for the 4-5-1 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers goaltender Carter Hart left the game with a mid-body injury in the first period after giving up two goals on five shots. Backup Samuel Ersson allowed two goals on nine shots. There was no postgame update on Hart’s condition.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger kicked out 43 shots to hold off the Calgary Flames 4-3, handing the latter their sixth straight loss (2-7-1). Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist for the Stars as they improved to 6-1-0. Flames rookie Connor Zary scored in his first NHL game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars forward Radek Faksa missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The Flames’ ongoing slump continues to generate speculation about their pending free agents. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumors update.

The Colorado Avalanche rolled to a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist while Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each had two assists for the 7-2-0 Avalanche. Robert Thomas replied for the Blues as they dropped to 3-4-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche forwards Jonathan Drouin and Tomas Tatar were healthy scratches for this contest.

HEADLINES

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Nicklas Backstrom is stepping away from the team due to ongoing issues related to his hip. The 35-year-old Washington Capitals center underwent hip resurfacing in June 2022 and appeared in 39 games last season. He played just eight games this season with one assist. It remains uncertain if he’ll return to the team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Backstrom is one of the greatest players in Capitals history. He’s their all-time assist leader (762) and sits second in games played (1,105) and in points with 1,033.

However, Backstrom’s on-ice career could be over. Players who’ve undergone this procedure such as Ed Jovanovski and Carl Hagelin struggled to return to form while Ryan Kesler never played again.

It also raises questions over how effective Patrick Kane will be once he returns to action. The 34-year-old free-agent winger continues to rehab from his resurfacing procedure and is expected to begin fielding offers from interested clubs later this month.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators owner Michael Andlauer was not pleased with his club having to forfeit a first-round draft pick over the club’s role in the Evgenii Dadonov trade to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021 and the subsequent invalidated trade that would’ve sent Dadonov from the Golden Knights to the Anaheim Ducks in 2022.

During the press conference yesterday, Andlauer indicated that he was aware there was a grievance against the team during the due diligence process before purchasing the club this summer. “It was basically, from the seller’s standpoint, really a non-issue,” said Andlauer. “I don’t know if a first-rounder is a non-issue to you guys, but it is (an issue) to me.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andlauer said he received a 73-page report from the league that he acknowledged indicated the Senators’ actions at that time were “negligent in nature”, adding that the club deserved to be punished.

The problem, however, is the league waited until after Andlauer purchased the Senators before delivering its sentence. It gives the impression that they wanted to ensure that this didn’t jeopardize the sale or risk Andlauer reducing or withdrawing his $950 million bid.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Potential candidates to replace fired Senators GM Pierre Dorion include former Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli, Tampa Bay Lightning director of hockey operations Mathieu Darche and Carolina Hurricanes assistant GM Eric Tulsky. They could also consider promoting assistant GM Ryan Bowness or president of hockey ops (and current interim GM) Steve Staios could take over on a full-time basis.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Former Senators star and current Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM Jason Spezza has also been suggested as a candidate.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of Andlauer, following the sale of his 10 percent stake in the Canadiens, the club’ new valuation is now at a league-record $2.5 billion.

NHL.COM: New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson and Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak were the league’s three stars for October 2023 while Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal was named rookie of the month.

TSN: Former NHL star Joe Thornton will join Flames assistant GM Brad Pascall in handling the management duties and the assembly of Canada’s roster for this year’s Spengler Cup tournament.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could be a stepping stone for Thornton toward a new career in NHL management.

YAHOO! SPORTS: Former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser has transitioned to working as a real estate agent. DeKeyser, 33, spent 10 seasons in the NHL (all with the Red Wings) before injuries cut short his playing career.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 5, 2023

by | Jan 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 5, 2023

Kirill Kaprizov leads the Wild over the Lightning, the Red Wings make some roster moves, the 2023 Winter Classic ratings improve over last season’s, plus updates on Nicklas Backstrom, Max Pacioretty and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored twice and Calen Addison had a three-point performance in a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kaprizov has 22 goals on the season as the Wild (22-13-2) move to within three points of the second-place Winnipeg Jets in the Central Division with 46 points. The Lightning (24-12-1, 49 points) remain four points back of the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. The Lightning’s Brayden Point also tallied his 22nd goal of the season.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-1. Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton and Alexander Holtz each had a goal and an assist for the Devils (24-11-3), who hold a three-point lead over the New York Rangers for second place in the Metropolitan Division with 51 points. Lucas Raymond replied for the Red Wings, who fell to 16-13-7 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri made his season debut since suffering a lower-body injury last March. Jakub Vrana cleared waivers and was assigned to the AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids while goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic was assigned to Grand Rapids on a conditioning stint.

No surprise that Vrana cleared waivers. With a large number of teams carrying less than $3 million in salary-cap space, there were no takers for his $5.25 million annual cap hit through 2023-24.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson turned in a 35-save shutout to upset the Dallas Stars 2-0. Mason McTavish scored and collected an assist on Adam Henrique’s goal as the Ducks sit with a record of 11-24-4. The Stars (23-11-6, 52 points) remain two points behind the Western Conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: 1.8 million viewers tuned in on Jan. 2 to watch the Boston Bruins down the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in the 2023 NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park. That’s up 31 percent over the 2022 event.

ESPN.COM: The NHL has revamped its All-Star Game selection process to make it more inclusive for fans. The league’s hockey operations department has selected the first 32 All-Stars (one from each team), leaving the fans to vote for the rest.

THE ATHLETIC: Nickas Backstrom and Tom Wilson are close to making their season debuts for the Washington Capitals. Backstrom has been recovering from hip resurfacing in June while Wilson underwent surgery on his right knee in May.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals will have to free up cap room when Backstrom and his $9.2 million AAV come off long-term injury reserve. They could put defenseman John Carlson ($8 million) on LTIR as he’s sidelined indefinitely with a facial injury suffered on Dec. 23.

SPORTSNET: Max Pacioretty could soon make his season debut with the Carolina Hurricanes as the club activated him off LTIR. The 34-year-old winger has been sidelined since suffering a torn Achilles during offseason training.

DAILY FACEOFF: Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk reportedly suffered a fractured fibula. It’s uncertain if he suffered the injury during the Winter Classic (when he scored both goals for the Bruins) or sometime afterward.

PHILLY.COM: The Flyers activated goaltender Carter Hart from injured reserve. He’d been sidelined with a concussion since Dec. 23.

OTTAWA SUN: Cam Talbot is willing to re-sign with the Senators. The 35-year-old goaltender is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He’s interested in signing a contract extension but indicated there haven’t been any formal discussions yet.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That conversation might not happen until the end of the season. Much will depend on how the Senators end the season and if Pierre Dorion remains general manager under the club’s new ownership. It’s expected the team will have a new owner in place sometime in March.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed winger Jimmy Vesey to a two-year, $1.6 million contract extension. The average annual value is $800K.