NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 18, 2023

by | Feb 18, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 18, 2023

The Maple Leafs acquire Ryan O’Reilly in a three-team trade, Connor McDavid reaches the 100-point plateau again, Patrick Kane reaches a scoring milestone, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

MAPLE LEAFS ACQUIRE RYAN O’REILLY

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues in a three-team trade involving the Minnesota Wild.

“The Blues received the rights to forward prospect Josh Pillar from the Wild for O’Reilly, then traded him and Acciari to the Maple Leafs for Toronto’s first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Ottawa Senators’ third-round pick this year, Toronto’s second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and forwards Mikhail Abramov and Adam Gaudette.

Minnesota received Toronto’s fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.”

CAP FRIENDLY: The Blues retained 50 percent of O’Reilly’s $7.5 million cap hit with the Wild and Leafs each taking on 25 percent.

The St. Louis Blues ship Ryan O’Reilly to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a three-team trade (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Of the previous moves made by Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas leading up to the annual trade deadline, this one is the biggest. O’Reilly was among this season’s top trade candidates. The 32-year-old center is a former winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy the Selke Trophy and the Lady Byng Trophy. He is considered among the league’s elite two-way forwards despite the decline in his production this season and a broken foot that sidelined him for nearly six weeks.

I admire the creativity of Dubas and his capologist in finding a way to land a notable player despite carrying limited cap space. It’s the second time he’s gone the three-team trade route, with his previous effort being the 2021 acquisition of Nick Foligno.

Leafs fans will be hoping that the O’Reilly deal has better results than the Foligno trade. So will Dubas, whose future as Leafs GM could be determined by his club’s performance over the remainder of this season and in the playoffs.

O’Reilly should help the Leafs at both ends of the rink. Acciari, meanwhile, is a good bottom-six winger who should help their penalty kill. However, I remain concerned about their blueline and goaltending depth in their quest to get over the postseason hump.

The Blues roster rebuild (retool?) continues just over a week after they shipped Vladimir Taransenko to the New York Rangers. They now have three first-round picks and two third-rounders in this year’s draft as well as two second-round selections and two fourth-rounders in the 2024 draft. The Blues also receive a veteran depth forward in Gaudette for the rest of this season plus a young center in Abramov who might have a future in St. Louis.

Wild GM Bill Guerin used his cap space to buy himself a fourth-round pick. He still has over $12.8 million in projected trade deadline cap room to make other deals before the March 3 deadline.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected two assists to become the first player this season to reach 100 points in a 5-4 shootout loss to the New York Rangers. Alexis Lafreniere tallied the game-winner and Chris Kreider scored twice in regulation as the Rangers overcame a 4-1 deficit. Winners of seven straight, the Rangers (33-14-8) sit one point behind the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division with 74 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has now reached the 100-point mark six times in eight years. It’s also the fifth time he’s been the first player in a season to reach that plateau, sitting behind Mario Lemieux and Phil Esposito (six teams each) and Wayne Gretzky (nine times).

The Oilers activated winger Kailer Yamamoto off injured reserve. Rather than trade or waive Jesse Puljujarvi as many observers anticipated to make room for Yamamoto, they instead loaned Dylan Holloway and Vincent Desharnais to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane scored two goals as his club rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Ottawa Senators 4-3 on an overtime goal by Andreas Athanasiou. Max Domi and Jake McCabe each had two assists for the 17-32-5 Blackhawks. Brady Tkachuk and Claude Giroux scored for the Senators (26-24-4) as they sit seven points behind the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 56 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane moved into third place among American-born NHL players with 1,217 points. He’s now 15 points behind Phil Housley for second overall but he has a long way to go yet to catch Mike Modano, who is 157 points ahead with 1,374.

Before the game, former Senator Chris Neil was honored by having his number 25 raised to the rafters in the Canadian Tire Centre. Neil is the third player in modern Senators history to have his number retired, joining Daniel Alfredsson and Chris Phillips.

Speaking of the Islanders, they overcame a 4-3 deficit on third-period goals by Brock Nelson and Zach Parise to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4. Ilya Sorokin kicked out 40 shots while Nelson and Anders Lee each scored two goals as the Islanders (28-23-7) vaulted over the Washington Capitals into the final Eastern wild-card spot with 63 points. Rickard Rakell tallied twice for the Penguins (27-18-9), who also have 63 points but sit in the first wild-card berth with four games in hand over the Isles.

The Minnesota Wild dimmed the Dallas Stars 2-1 on shootout goals by Frederick Gaudreau and Matt Boldy. Filip Gustavsson stopped 29 shots while Mats Zuccarello scored in regulation for the 29-21-5 Wild as they hold a two-point lead over the Calgary Flames for the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 63 points. Jamie Benn scored in regulation for the Stars (30-14-12) as they remain on top of the Western Conference with 72 points.

IN OTHER NEWS…

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau said critical comments made on Twitter by his agent aimed at the club’s recent struggles didn’t represent his opinion about the club or head coach Darryl Sutter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Huberdeau’s agent is Allan Walsh, who created a stir during the 2020 playoffs with a tweet insinuating that client Marc-Andre Fleury was being stabbed in the back by head coach Peter DeBoer. Fleury was the starting goalie for the Vegas Golden Knights while DeBoer was their head coach.

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs moved goaltender Matt Murray to long-term injury reserve following the acquisition of Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari. Once third-string goaltender Joseph Woll is ready to return to the AHL, the Leafs will have enough room to activate Murray and his $4.6 million salary when he’s healthy again.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks placed winger Tanner Pearson on LTIR with a season-ending hand injury suffered on Nov. 9.

GOPHNX.COM’s Craig Morgan tweeted that Arizona Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere could return to the lineup on Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Gostisbehere’s been sidelined since Jan. 24 with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gostisbehere’s return will be watched closely by playoff contenders seeking an experienced puck-moving defenseman.

NJ.COM’s Ryan Novozinsky tweeted that the Devils sending Alexander Holtz to their AHL affiliate to the minors isn’t in anticipation of a trade but to give the young forward some game play.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holtz has only appeared in 19 games this season and doesn’t see much ice time when he does play. I’ve mentioned him as a possible trade chip if they intend to pursue a notable winger such as San Jose’s Timo Meier at the trade deadline.

THE ATHLETIC: Nashville Predators 2021 first-round pick Zachary L’Heureux received a 10-game suspension by the QMJHL for poking at a fan with a stick following a Feb. 8 game.

Former NHL referee Tim Peel is accused of berating teenage youth hockey officials following a Jan. 15 game at St. Peters (Missouri) Rec-Plex.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2023

by | Feb 11, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2023

Penguins star Evgeni Malkin reaches a points milestone, Vladimir Tarasenko scored in his Rangers debut, the latest on Patrick Kane and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin collected two assists to become the third player in franchise history to reach 1,200 career points in a 6-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Pierre-Olivier Joseph scored twice and collected an assist as the Penguins (26-16-9) vaulted over the Washington Capitals into the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 61 points. Mason McTavish had a goal and an assist for the Ducks as they dropped to 17-30-6.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Ducks placed winger Troy Terry (upper body) on injured reserve.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored in his debut with the New York Rangers as they picked up their fourth straight win by down the Seattle Kraken 6-3. Vincent Trocheck, Kaapo Kakko and Ryan Lindgren each had a goal and an assist for the Rangers, who improved to 30-14-8 (68 points) and sit four points behind the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division. Oliver Bjorkstrand and Vince Dunn each had two points for the 29-18-5 Kraken as they dropped their third straight game and slipped to third place in the Pacific Division with 63 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As expected, Tarasenko skated on the Rangers’ top line alongside Mika Zibanejad (who also scored in this contest) and Artemi Panarin (one assist). He indicated that he received no contract offer from the Blues prior to the trade to the Rangers.

Meanwhile, the Kraken and the Edmonton Oilers have identical records. However, the latter moved into second place in the Pacific with 27 regulation wins.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov turned in a 30-save shutout in a 3-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. John Tavares scored twice for the 32-13-8 Leafs (72 points) as they widened their lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning for second place in the Atlantic Division by four points. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 38 shots for the Blue Jackets (15-33-4) as they remain mired at the bottom of the overall standings.

An overtime goal by Caleb Jones lifted the Chicago Blackhawks over the Arizona Coyotes by a score of 4-3. Andreas Athanasiou had a goal and two assists for the 16-29-5 Blackhawks. Coyotes forward Clayton Keller also had a goal and two assists as his club dropped to 17-30-6.

HEADLINES

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane wasn’t pleased when he heard that the Rangers acquired Vladimir Tarasenko on Thursday. “It’s not like the happiest I’ve been to hear about a trade,” he said. Kane indicated the Rangers were a team he was interested in if he was going to be traded.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane’s comments are an indication that he’s leaning toward accepting a trade before the March 3 deadline. He and teammate Jonathan Toews are reportedly supposed to make a decision by mid-February whether they’ll waive their no-movement clauses. It sounds like Kane already has a list of preferred trade destinations with the Rangers probably at the top.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond could miss Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks after suffering a lower-body injury during practice on Friday. Defenseman Jake Walman is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning defenseman Ian Cole was fined $5,000.00 by the NHL department of player safety for kneeing Colorado Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano during Thursday’s game.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens re-signed defenseman Jordan Harris to a two-year, $2.8 million contract extension. The average annual value is $1.4 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some Canadiens followers went on social media suggesting this was more than what Harris deserved. Perhaps they initially confused that $2.8 million as his new annual cap hit. On his current two-year contract (entry-level), the 22-year-old blueliner is earning an AAV of $842,500 (not counting performance bonuses). $1.4 million is a reasonable raise.

LA HOCKEY NOW: The Kings signed goalie Pheonix Copley to a one-year, $1.5 million contract extension.

TSN: The Florida Panthers signed defenseman Josh Mahura to a one-year, one-way contract extension. Cap Friendly indicates his new deal is worth $925K.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 10, 2023

by | Feb 10, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – February 10, 2023

What’s next for the Blues and Rangers following the Tarasenko trade? How does that move affect the trade market for Patrick Kane? What’s the latest on Timo Meier and Tyler Bertuzzi? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE BLUES AND RANGERS?

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: Jim Thomas reports Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said the franchise has reached the end of an era by trading winger Vladimir Tarasenko to the New York Rangers on Thursday.

Armstrong didn’t rule out making other moves if they make sense leading up to the March 3 trade deadline. He also wants to see how his players respond in the coming weeks to the Tarasenko trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The status of Blues forwards Ryan O’Reilly, Ivan Barbashev and Noel Acciari remains uncertain. Like Tarasenko, the trio are slated to become unrestricted free agents on July 1 and have been the subject of growing trade speculation as the trade deadline draws near.

TSN’s Darren Dreger believes the trade market is heating up for Barbashev. He’ll also be watching to see what happens with O’Reilly when he returns to action later this month. Dreger isn’t ruling out the possibility of O’Reilly re-signing with the Blues.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports Rangers GM Chris Drury might not be done dealing after acquiring Tarasenko. They’ll have around $1.6 million in cap space once Libor Hajek either clears waivers today or is claimed by another club before noon ET. Brooks speculates Drury could look at bolstering the fourth line or the defense before deadline day.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

HOW WILL THE TARASENKO TRADE AFFECT THE MARKET FOR PATRICK KANE?

THE ATHLETIC: Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers looked at potential trade destinations for Patrick Kane following the Rangers’ acquisition of Tarasenko yesterday. The Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars were among their suggested options, provided the Blackhawks retain half of the 34-year-old winger’s $10.5 million cap hit. They also didn’t rule out the possibility of a third team getting involved to broker a deal and spread the cap dollars around.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Charlie Roumeliotis noted a report by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan that the Rangers felt the asking prices for Patrick Kane and San Jose Sharks winger Timo Meier were too high. They also had some concerns over Kane’s reported hip injury but Roumeliotis felt that was overblown, pointing out it’s an ailment that the winger’s been dealing with for years. He believes the decline in Kane’s production this season is due to the Blackhawks’ deplete lineup.

TSN: Chris Johnston believes the odds of Kane leaving Chicago by the trade deadline got slimmer with the Rangers’ acquisition of Tarasenko. He pointed out there’s only a small handful of teams that the winger considers acceptable trade destinations and the Rangers were thought to be among them.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Ben Pope believes the return that the Blues got for Tarasenko throws cold water on the possibility of the Blackhawks getting a first-round pick and a top prospect for Kane. He also noted that Jonathan Toews’ recent illness could affect his value in the trade market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane and Toews are reportedly supposed to make their decision by mid-February on whether to waive their no-movement clauses. It’ll be interesting to see if the Tarasenko trade prompts Blackhawks management to press Kane for a decision before then.

Pope speculated that Western Conference clubs like the Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights are still “theoretically logical fits for Kane”. However, he also thinks the Tarasenko return may have set the market for the Blackhawks star.

THE LATEST ON TIMO MEIER

TSN: Pierre LeBrun believes the Tarasenko trade could increase the chances of the San Jose Sharks trading winger Timo Meier before the trade deadline. If an extension is to be part of a trade, LeBrun believes this will have to be done a few days before March 3.

There’s also sufficient interest in Meier that the Sharks have a good idea of his value in the trade market. LeBrun said the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes remain very keen on the Sharks winger but there is interest from other clubs as well. He thinks a Meier trade will take place before March 3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Tarasenko trade will encourage clubs with an interest in Meier to move more quickly now. Sharks GM Mike Grier could be hoping for a bidding war as that’ll dive up the potential return.

The Devils have the depth in promising young assets to tempt the Sharks. The Hurricanes have sufficient trade deadline cap space to take his entire cap hit off the Sharks’ books for the remainder of this season.

RED WINGS GETTING CALLS ABOUT BERTUZZI

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Detroit Red Wings are getting calls on Tyler Bertuzzi. The 27-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He’s struggled through injuries this season but reached 30 goals last season. Dreger said Wings GM Steve Yzerman is weighing his options to decide if the Wings are better off trading Bertuzzi or signing him to an extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think Bertuzzi’s going to be traded. Yzerman’s main focus seems to be on getting pending UFA center Dylan Larkin under contract.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 7, 2023

by | Feb 7, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – February 7, 2023

What’s the latest on Patrick Kane? Could the Bruins acquire Timo Meier? Will the Canadiens move Josh Anderson? Could the Penguins use their first-round pick as a trade chip? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST ON PATRICK KANE

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Ben Pope reports the Blackhawks and Patrick Kane are preparing for all possible trade scenarios with the trade deadline less than a month away.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Kane is aware that several teams have reached out to his agent to express interest in acquiring him. He admitted there are “definitely possibilities out there that are intriguing and could be exciting.” However, he has not yet decided if he’ll waive his no-movement clause.

Some contenders are believed to be concerned over Kane’s lower-body injury. However, the 34-year-old winger dismissed those worries. Meanwhile, Blackhawks management is preparing for “every potential scenario, large to small,” said team CEO Danny Wirtz.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It appears both sides are approaching this situation cautiously. Kane and Jonathan Toews are expected to meet with Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson in mid-Feburary to discuss their respective futures.

Both players could waive their respective NMCs. Perhaps only one of them will do so. Both of them could decide to finish the season in Chicago and explore their options in this summer’s free-agent market.

Teams with an interest in Kane will want assurances that his lower-body injury won’t impede his performance over the remainder of the season. It could also affect whatever return the Blackhawks receive if they find a suitable trade destination for him.

COULD THE BRUINS BE INTERESTED IN TIMO MEIER?

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Joe Haggerty believes there’s only one scenario where the Bruins acquire San Jose Sharks winger Timo Meier and that’s if winger David Pastrnak decides to test this summer’s free-agent market.

Meier, 26, is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights who’s a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility. His current annual cap hit is $6 million but he’s earning $10 million in actual salary, which is what it would cost to qualify his rights by June 30 unless he and his team agree to a new contract before then.

Acquiring Meier would also mean clearing some salary to make room for him in the current lineup. Haggerty believes that would mean moving out a forward like Charlie Coyle or Jake DeBrusk, or a defenseman such as Brandon Carlo or Matt Grzelcyk.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Haggerty pointed out, it seems unlikely that Pastrnak will be going to market based on his comments during the All-Star weekend over his contract situation. He anticipates the Bruins superstar will be staying in Boston on an eight-year, $88 million extension.

IS A JOSH ANDERSON TRADE LIKELY BEFORE THE DEADLINE?

SPORTSNET: In a recent mailbag segment, Eric Engels was asked if there was any truth to a recent report that the Montreal Canadiens don’t want to trade winger Josh Anderson. He believes the more accurate portrayal of how general manager Ken Hughes feels about trading or not trading Anderson would be to say that he’s not actively shopping the winger.

Engels doesn’t see Anderson as an untouchable. He believes Hughes would move the winger for the right price, such as a package offer of a 2023 first-round pick, a good prospect and a roster player on an expiring contract. The acquiring club would also have to take on Anderson’s full $5.5 million cap hit.

He also raised the possibility that Hughes could see Anderson as a potential bargaining chip if there was a possibility of acquiring center Pierre-Luc Dubois this summer if he’s unwilling to sign a long-term deal with the Winnipeg Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I believe the report being referred to here was TSN’s Darren Dreger last week saying Anderson wasn’t in play despite the Canadiens getting calls from other clubs. Dreger said the same thing as Engels: Hughes isn’t shopping him but could move him if he gets an offer too good to refuse.

Some of you might wonder why Engels believes the Canadiens would want an NHL player on an expiring contract in the deal. I think it would be to try and flip that player to another club at the deadline for another asset.

As for using Anderson to acquire Dubois, I concur with Engels that the winger on his own wouldn’t be enough to land the Jets center. They’ll have to add a first-round pick and a top prospect into the mix.

As Engels also pointed out, if the Canadiens really want Dubois and he wants to join the Habs, they only need to wait until the summer of 2024 when he becomes a UFA. Signing him will be expensive but they won’t have to part with any other assets to get him.

PENGUINS GM NOT PARTING WITH FIRST-ROUND PICK

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski reports Penguins GM Ron Hextall will not trade his 2023 first-round pick to move out some salary or in a straight-up deal. He said conversations have picked up in the trade market but he has not been asked for his first-rounder.

With limited salary-cap space, Hextall is in the market to improve his third forward line. Kingerski speculates he could be seeking a third-line center.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 6, 2023

by | Feb 6, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – February 6, 2023

Check out the latest on Jonathan Toews and Kevin Hayes, possible Blues trade candidates and a look at the goalie market in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SUGGESTED DESTINATIONS FOR JONATHAN TOEWS

THE ATHLETIC: Shayna Goldman recently listed the Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals and Dallas Stars as six teams who should be in the mix for Jonathan Toews.

Goldman acknowledged Toews has yet to decide if he’ll waive his no-movement clause before the March 3 trade deadline. She also noted the decline in the 34-year-old center’s performance but suggested that could be due to the depleted Blackhawks roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toews and teammate Patrick Kane are expected to meet with Blackhawks management by the middle of this month to discuss their futures. Toews should draw interest around the league if he agrees to waive his no-movement clause, though the remainder of his $10.5 million cap hit will require some creativity for the aforementioned clubs to acquire him.

The Avalanche and Hurricanes both need a reliable second-line center while the Jets and Stars could be in the market for a top-six forward. The Oilers and Capitals, on the other hand, are believed seeking blue-line depth. That will take them out of the market for Toews.

Philadelphia Flyers center Kevin Hayes (NHL Images).

IS THERE INTEREST IN KEVIN HAYES?

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Sam Carchidi cited Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen recently reported that there is an NHL club showing interest in Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes and wants to move him back to center. The 30-year-old has been playing mostly on left wing this season and has 15 goals and 45 points in 50 games this season.

Carchidi points out that Hayes has three more years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $7.1 million. He also has a 12-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Allen and Carchidi didn’t indicate which team is interested in Hayes. His partial no-trade clause could be a sticking point but his annual cap hit is the bigger obstacle.

The interested club could prefer the Flyers retain part of Hayes’ cap hit. I don’t think Philadelphia general manager Chuck Fletcher would want that retained salary on his books as dead cap space for three years.

POTENTIAL BLUES TRADE CANDIDATES

SPORTSNET: Ken Wiebe looked at potential St. Louis Blues trade candidates if they become sellers leading up to the March 3 deadline. He noted that GM Doug Armstrong isn’t afraid to make difficult or occasionally unpopular decisions.

Wiebe believes decisions are coming soon for pending unrestricted free agents such as Ryan O’Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, Ivan Barbashev, Noel Acciari, Tyler Pitlick, Josh Leivo, Niko Mikkola and Thomas Greiss. However, he also wondered if Armstrong would consider moving some of his core players with term remaining on their contracts. Whether there will trade discussions regarding defenseman Colton Parayko or winger Pavel Buchnevich remains to be seen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wiebe pointed out that not all of those Blues pending UFAs could hit the trade block. Some of them, including O’Reilly, could be re-signed. As for players like Parayko and Buchnevich, Armstrong could retain them with an eye on building up a new core around Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas. Still, he could listen if a club comes calling with an interesting offer.

A THIN GOALIE MARKET

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon recently examined a rather thin trade market for goaltenders as deadline day approaches. Those who could draw some trade buzz include the Arizona Coyotes’ Karel Vejmelka, Columbus Blue Jackets Joonas Korpisalo, San Jose Sharks James Reimer, Ottawa Senators Cam Talbot and the Vancouver Canucks’ Thatcher Demko.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demko popped up in the rumor mill after Bo Horvat got traded but I don’t believe the Canucks are willing to go that far. They’re talking about retooling rather than rebuilding and they’ll need an affordable starter ($5 million annually through 2025-26).

I realize there is some concern about Demko’s shaky play earlier this season before he was sidelined on Dec. 1 with a leg/hip injury. Still, trading him would be an extreme reaction on the Canucks’ part and an admission that they’re doing more than just retooling.

Vejmelka keeps coming up in the rumor mill because he carries an affordable $2.75 million cap hit through 2024-25 and put up decent numbers this season on the woeful Coyotes until January. Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong could listen to offers but I’m skeptical that he’ll trade Vejmelka.

Korpisalo, Reimer and Talbot seem more likely trade candidates given their UFA statuses this summer. Of those three, I think Reimer is the one who’ll be on the move. Talbot’s banged up and teams passed on Korpisalo at last year’s deadline.










Bobby Hull 1939-2023

by | Jan 30, 2023

Bobby Hull 1939-2023

Hall of Famer Bobby Hull passed away on Jan. 30, 2023. He was 84.

Hull spent 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks from 1957-58 to 1971-72, becoming one of the greatest scorers in NHL history.

Ruggedly handsome with a megawatt smile and a muscular physique from years of farm labor while growing up near Belleville, Ontario, Hull was nicknamed “The Golden Jet” for his blonde hair, blazing speed and booming shot. He was the NHL’s biggest star through most of the 1960s until Bobby Orr’s ascension to superstardom toward the end of that decade.

Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull (NHL.com).

His breakout season was in 1959-60 when he won his first Art Ross Trophy with 39 goals and 81 points in 70 games and was named to the First All-Star Team. The following season, he helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup. He would also lead them to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1962, 1965 and 1971.

From 1961-62 to 1971-72, Hull took home the Art Ross twice more (1961-62, 1965-66), was a two-time winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy (1964-65, 1965-66), and was the winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1964-65.

During that period, he led the league in goals six times, including four years in a row from 1965-66 to 1968-69. He was also named to the First All-Star Team nine times and the Second Team twice.

Hull had his first 50-goal season in 1961-62. He became the first player to score over 50 goals in 1965-66 with 54. He reached 52 the following season and broke his own record with 58 in 1968-69, which stood until Phil Esposito’s 76-goal performance in 1970-71.

In 1972, Hull made history by leaving the Blackhawks following a contract dispute to sign a $1 million deal with the Winnipeg Jets of the upstart World Hockey Association. A number of NHL stars quickly followed Hull to the rival league, which led to a significant, long-overdue increase in player salaries.

Hull’s presence gave the WHA respectability and helped ensure its survival until it was taken over by the NHL at the end of the 1978-79 season. He paid a price for jumping to the rival league as he was barred by the NHL from playing for Canada in the 1972 Summit Series with the Soviet Union. He would play for a team of WHA stars in an eight-game series with the Soviets in 1974 and was the only WHA player on Team Canada in the 1976 Canada Cup.

During his tenure with the WHA, Hull was named to the First All-Star Team three times and the Second Team twice. He was the league’s MVP in 1972-73 and 1974-75, scoring a league-leading 77 goals in ’74-’75.

After retiring in 1979, Hull returned to the NHL with the Jets in 1979-80, playing 18 games until traded to the Hartford Whalers where he skated for nine more before retiring again. He attempted a comeback with the New York Rangers in 1981 for five exhibition games before hanging up his skates for good.

Hull finished his NHL career with 604 goals and 1,153 points in 1,036 games. He also tallied 303 goals and 638 points in 411 WHA games. He and his son, Hall-of-Famer Brett Hull, are the only father and son in NHL history to each score 600 or more career NHL goals.

Hull had a reputation during his playing days for being kind and generous to his fans, often keeping the team bus waiting while he patiently signed autographs. However, there was a dark side to his private life that has cast a dark shadow over his career.

In the book “The Devil and Bobby Hull”, sportswriter Gare Joyce chronicled not only Hull’s hockey accomplishments but also his alcohol abuse and the physical and mental abuse of two of his three wives. His daughter, Michelle, works with battered women as a result of witnessing her father abusing her mother. He also made racist remarks during an interview with a Russian news outlet in 1998 that he subsequently denied.

Hull leaves behind a mixed legacy. On the ice, he was a great player who still holds the Blackhawks’ single-season goal record (58) and the all-time goals record (604). However, his behavior off the ice and unrepentant attitude over his transgressions tarnished his once golden reputation.

My condolences to his family, friends and former teammates.