NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 30, 2022

by | Aug 30, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 30, 2022

The latest on Jack Eichel, Eric Staal and Jakub Vrana, the Golden Knights acquire Adin Hill from the Sharks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Jack Eichel is healthy and looking forward to a better performance in his first full season with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (NHL Images).

The 25-year-old center was traded to the Golden Knights last November after disagreeing with the Buffalo Sabres over which surgery to undergo for a herniated disk in his neck. He underwent artificial disk replacement following the trade, made his debut with the Golden Knights on Feb. 16 and played the final six weeks of the season with a non-displaced thumb fracture.

Eichel said he’s looking forward to returning to form. “I just want to get back to being that dynamic force that I was before I got hurt and I know I’ll be there,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eichel finished with 14 goals and 25 points in 34 games despite coming off a lengthy layoff from his surgery and being hampered by his thumb injury. When healthy, he’s proven he’s an 80-point player and could reach or exceed that plateau with the Golden Knights. If he does, it gives them a good shot at reaching the 2023 playoffs.

Eric Staal is hoping to play his way back into the NHL with a professional tryout offer with the Florida Panthers. The 37-year-old forward last played in 2020-21 with the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens.

Staal played five games last season on a PTO with the AHL’s Iowa Wild and was captain of Team Canada at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. He’ll be joining younger brother Marc Staal at Panthers training camp. Marc signed a one-year contract with the club in July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staal might not make the cut on a deep Panthers club. However, a strong training camp and preseason effort could help him land a one-year contract with another club.

This is probably Staal’s last chance to earn a roster spot with an NHL club. He’s had a long and productive career and is among the greatest players in Carolina Hurricanes history. However, his best years are now well behind him.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of players looking forward to a bounce-back performance following an injury-shortened season, Jakub Vrana believes the Detroit Red Wings could be a playoff club in 2022-23.

Vrana, 26, missed most of last season recovering from shoulder surgery. He’s now fully healthy and excited over the Red Wings’ off-season additions. “In my opinion, we have strengthened enough, so there is a better chance for the playoffs,” said Vrana. “We will definitely go all out.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vrana was limited to 13 goals and 19 points in 26 games last season. His lengthy absence contributed to the Red Wings missing the 2022 postseason. A healthy season from him combined with a solid performance from their off-season additions and their promising youngsters should make the Wings a playoff contender.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks traded goaltender Adin Hill to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Vegas’ fourth-round pick in 2024.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: So much for Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon’s recent remark about going with Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit as his goalie tandem to start the season. Brossoit is coming off hip surgery so perhaps he’s not fully recovered. If he has, McCrimmon probably wants to ensure he’s got sufficient experienced depth among his goalies.

As for the Sharks, this move enables them to go with a tandem of the promising Kaapo Kahkonen backed up by veteran James Reimer for the coming season. It also sheds Hill’s $2.175 million cap hit, giving the Sharks some extra wiggle room under the cap.

Speaking of the Sharks, they re-signed winger Jonah Gadjovich to a one-year, two-way contract. He’ll earn $750K at the NHL level.

THE ATHLETIC: The Chicago Blackhawks last week announced the hiring of Patrick Sharp and Troy Murray as the team’s TV color analysts. They’ll replace Ed Olczyk, who left the job after 16 years to join the Seattle Kraken in a similar role.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 25, 2022

by | Aug 25, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – August 25, 2022

Could the Leafs make a pitch for Patrick Kane? What’s the latest on the Canadiens? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD THE LEAFS PURSUE PATRICK KANE?

TORONTO STAR: Damien Cox observes that Patrick Kane has become the latest contestant in the annual “Will he be a Leaf or won’t he?” speculation that grips Toronto sports fans. The 33-year-old Chicago Blackhawks winger is due to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Cox noted that there have been “reports” claiming the Leafs and Blackhawks have discussed Kane. Paul Bissonnette of the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast believes Kane will be playing with the Leafs this season. It’s uncertain whether he or fellow long-time Blackhawks star Jonathan Toews want to be part of the club’s rebuilding plans.

The Edmonton Oilers might also be keen on Kane. They won two playoff rounds last season so they might be closer to taking a title run than the Leafs.

Cox pointed out the Leafs lack blue-chip prospects and they aren’t loaded with draft picks over the next three years. Meanwhile, folks in Edmonton are envisioning a package deal for Kane revolving around winger Jesse Puljujarvi.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s easy to tell we’re in the dog days of the NHL offseason. The UFA market is depleted of prime talent and the trade market has been mostly quiet for the past month. It’s only natural that some observers are turning to speculation over where next summer’s biggest potential free agents could end up by the trade deadline.

I’m also guilty of playing this guessing game about Kane and other notable members of the 2023 UFA class. I believe the New York Rangers could be in the best position to acquire him if he agrees to be moved between now and the 2023 trade deadline.

The Blueshirts are a team on the rise but could need scoring depth at right wing if Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko fail to improve this season. They don’t have a lot of projected trade deadline cap space but they do have more than the Leafs or Oilers. The Rangers also have more depth in promising prospects to tempt the Blackhawks.

Anyway, that’s my choice. I could be wrong but so what? It’s the dog days of summer and we’ve gotta have something to talk about until training camp starts next month.

LATEST ON THE CANADIENS

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marco D’Amico expects the Canadiens will have around $4.4 million in cap relief to work with once Carey Price and his $10.5 million cap hit is moved to long-term injury reserve for the coming season. That could provide them some flexibility to re-sign center Kirby Dach and perhaps make another move.

Once Dach is signed, the Canadiens will have 15 forwards under NHL contracts for the coming season without counting first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky or other promising prospects. D’Amico anticipates they could move Christian Dvorak, Mike Hoffman or Joel Armia to free up a roster spot and some additional salary to perhaps add a right-side defenseman. He speculates they could make that move before the season opens in October.

Dvorak could be the odd man out at center following the additions of Dach and Sean Monahan. The Habs would be seeking a young right-shot blueliner or a veteran on a short-term deal along with some futures.

D’Amico cites sources suggesting the trade market isn’t optimal for Dvorak right now. If the Canadiens remain patient, however, his value could improve.

SPECTOR’ S NOTE: Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has proven to be a savvy wheeler-dealer in his short time playing the trade market. He’s shipped out veterans who no longer fit into his club’s long-term plans for promising youngsters and quality draft picks. If he is shopping Dvorak, he’ll wait for the right moment and the right return just as he did with some of his earlier deals.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 24, 2022

by | Aug 24, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – August 24, 2022

Would it make sense for the Oilers to pursue a Patrick Kane trade? What would it cost the Senators to acquire Jakob Chychrun from the Coyotes? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WOULD A PATRICK KANE TRADE MAKE SENSE FOR THE OILERS?

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples cited NHL insider John Shannon’s belief that the Oilers have bigger priorities than trying to acquire Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Shannon told Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now that goal scoring won’t be an issue for the Oilers. He felt adding a defenseman could help put them over the top this season.

Stauffer felt it could cost the Oilers a winger like Jesse Puljujarvi or Warren Foegele (to make the cap dollars work) along with their 2023 first-round pick and several prospects to land Kane. Shannon is against trading a first-rounder, even if it’s a low one as the expectation is the Oilers’ pick will be between 25 and 32.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The notion of the Oilers pursuing a trade for Kane has become a hot topic of late in the rumor mill. That’s because there hasn’t been much else to talk about since Nazem Kadri signed with the Flames last week.

The Oilers are currently over the $82.5 million salary cap but have Oscar Klefbom and Mike Smith expected to go on long-term injury reserve for the coming season. However, they’ll be pressed for space and cannot accrue cap room over the course of the season while sitting above the ceiling with two players on LTIR.

They lack sufficient cap space to take on Kane’s contract even if the Blackhawks agree to retain half of his $10.5 million cap hit for this season. Oilers general manager Ken Holland would have to get a third team involved to spread the cap hit around.

Reports out of Chicago suggest Kane and long-time teammate Jonathan Toews haven’t requested trades nor have they been approached by Blackhawks management to waive their no-movement clause. They’re expected to be given the time and opportunity to decide their fates for the coming season.

Assuming Kane would agree to waive his NMC, it probably won’t happen until close to the 2023 trade deadline. He might not agree to do so to come to Edmonton. Even if he did, the asking price could be far more than the Oilers can afford.

WHAT WOULD IT COST THE SENATORS TO ACQUIRE CHYCHRUN?

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Ian Mendes was asked whether the Ottawa Senators are still interested in Jakob Chychrun and what it might cost to acquire the Arizona Coyotes defenseman.

Mendes believes the Senators are still interested in the 24-year-old Chychrun. He carries an affordable $4.6 million cap hit with three years remaining on his contract. Mendes cited Brent Wallace recently reporting the Coyotes are seeking two first-round picks plus a prospect in return. They might also seek a goalie and could be willing to take defenseman Nikita Zaitsev off the Senators’ hands.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mendes felt the asking price of two first-round picks was pretty steep for Chychrun. “If I were Ottawa, I would be willing to part with a 2023 lottery-protected first-round pick, a 2025 first-round pick and one other asset for Chychrun,” writes Mendes.

Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong has been patient in gauging Chychrun’s value in the trade market. With the blueliner under contract through 2024-25, he can bide his time and wait for the right offer. If the Senators won’t meet it, he’ll wait for another club to pony up.

Chychrun could be moved before the start of the coming season. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still with the Coyotes when their schedule opens in October.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 22, 2022

by | Aug 22, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – August 22, 2022

What would it take for the Oilers to acquire Patrick Kane? Will Paul Stastny return to the Jets or sign elsewhere? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT WOULD IT COST THE OILERS TO LAND PATRICK KANE?

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Kurt Leavins speculates Patrick Kane could consider playing alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Drasaitl with the Oilers to be more enticing than his present situation with the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Leavins suggests it will cost “a player, a #1 pick and a good prospect, plus-plus” to acquire Kane as a rental player no matter where he goes. Sorting out the salary-cap dollars would also be an issue. The 34-year-old Blackhawks winger carries a $10.5 million cap hit for the coming season and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The real question for Leavins is whether Kane (an American) would be willing to come to Edmonton for even just one season. He pointed out the Blackhawks star has the same agent as Oilers’ Kailer Yamamoto and Cody Ceci.

OILERS NATION: Jason Gregor considers Kane’s contract “very easy” to trade, pointing out he’s only earning $2.9 million in actual salary for the coming season. The Blackhawks would have to retain 50 percent of his $10.5 million cap hit in a trade.

Gregor believes the Oilers can’t afford to acquire the remaining 50 percent. He believes they’d have to get a third team involved, pointing out the Arizona Coyotes are “always willing to take on money for draft picks”.

Under that scenario, the Oilers would only take on $2.65 million of his cap hit and $725K in actual salary. Gregor speculates it would cost the Oilers a late-round pick and a second-tier prospect to the Coyotes to make it work.

As for what the Blackhawks would want from the Oilers, he suggests Jesse Puljujarvi or Warren Foegele would have to head to Chicago to make the cap work for Edmonton. He wonders if a first-round pick, a second-rounder and Puljujarvi would be enough, assuming Kane would accept a trade to the Oilers.

THE BOSTON GLOBE: Matt Porter wondered if a first-round pick, a prospect, winger Kailer Yamamoto and “overpaid defenseman Tyson Barrie” would get it done.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane alongside McDavid or Draisaitl would give the Oilers two devastating forward lines that could power them to the Stanley Cup. Acquiring him, however, won’t be easy.

Reports out of Chicago claim Kane has not requested a trade and isn’t in any rush to leave the Blackhawks. He and Jonathan Toews could see how this season shakes out before deciding if they want to be traded to a potential Stanley Cup contender.

A Kane trade could happen before the start of this season. However, I think it’s more likely to occur closer to the trade deadline. That will ramp up the bidding and also give Kane and the Blackhawks a clearer picture of the potential markets for his services

The Oilers wouldn’t be the only team interested in Kane if he becomes available in the trade market. The New York Rangers, for example, need an experienced right wing among their top-six scorers. If Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko fail to break out this season, the Blueshirts could be in a good position to win a bidding war for Kane.

WHERE WILL STASTNY GO?

SPORTSNET: In a recent mailbag segment, Ken Wiebe was asked by a reader if Paul Stastny was coming back to the Jets and if not, why?

Wiebe thinks the door is not officially closed for a return to the Jets but feels it’s increasingly likely the 36-year-old center will move on. He believes Stastny wants to get his name on the Stanley Cup, suggesting a return to the Colorado Avalanche (where his NHL career began) makes a lot of sense given Stastny’s hockey sense and versatility.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 17, 2022

by | Aug 17, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 17, 2022

The NHL and NHLPA release their COVID protocol for 2022-23, Wayne Gretzky has been hit with a $10 million lawsuit, Jets center Mark Scheifele clarifies his end-of-season comments and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: The NHL and NHLPA released their COVID-19 protocol for 2022-23. There’s little change from last season’s protocol.

Testing will only happen for asymptomatic players and those crossing the Canada-US border. Those who test positive must isolate for five days if asymptomatic and 10 days if experiencing symptoms. Unvaccinated players remain unable to cross the border.

The NHL can postpone, reschedule or cancel games and events due to a COVD-19 outbreak if it poses a health risk to players and others.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi and Edmonton Oilers forward Josh Archibald were the only two unvaccinated NHL players by the end of last season. Archibald, now with the Pittsburgh Penguins, received a medical exemption in May. The travel restriction for the coming season would only apply to Bertuzzi unless he gets vaccinated or receives a medical exemption.

NEW YORK POST: cites TMZ reporting Hall-of-Famer Wayne Gretzky has been hit with a $10 million lawsuit accusing him of lying about losing 35 pounds after using a weight-loss gum for two months.

TSN: Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele downplayed speculation about his future based on his end-of-season comments in May. He pointed out that he prefaced those remarks by professing his love of playing in Winnipeg and his desire to remain with the Jets. Scheifele claims his comment about thinking about his career and what was best for him after the club missed the playoffs was misconstrued by the media.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (NHL Images).

“I was confident I was coming back until I saw all the media headlines and then all of a sudden it’s I’m getting traded and who knows where I’m going and all that stuff,” said Scheifele.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff played down Scheifele’s comments last spring. He said the exit interview between the two went well, dismissing Scheifele’s remarks as an emotional reaction to missing the playoffs.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft said Darnell Nurse and Leon Draisaitl are progressing well recovering from injuries suffered during the 2022 playoffs. Both are currently working out and Woodcroft expects they’ll be ready for training camp next summer.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks signed Jack Johnson to a one-year contract worth $950K. The 35-year-old defenseman played for the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche last season, appearing in 74 regular-season games and 13 playoff contests.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Former NHL forward Cedric Paquette has signed a one-year contract with KHL club Dinamo Minsk in Belarus.

CAP FRIENDLY: indicates Derek Stepan has signed a professional tryout offer with the Carolina Hurricanes.

SALTWIRE: One of the two arenas at Summerside’s Credit Union Place was named in honor of New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Gallant for this well-deserved honor by his hometown. Gallant is among the best-known hockey men from Prince Edward Island. He started his playing career in Summerside’s minor hockey program and went on to play 11 seasons in the NHL from 1984-85 to 1994-95.

Since 2014-15, Gallant has become one of the league’s top coaches. He won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2017-18 and guided the Vegas Golden Knights to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final. He took over behind the Rangers’ bench last season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 13, 2022

by | Aug 13, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 13, 2022

The latest on J.T. Miller, how David Krejci’s return to the Bruins helps Taylor Hall, the Blackhawks sign their final two RFAs, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

VANCOUVER HOCKEY NOW: Canucks star J.T. Miller wants to stay in Vancouver but he isn’t sure that’s going to happen. Appearing on John Scott’s “Dropping The Gloves” podcast, the 29-year-old forward said he wants a new contract with the Canucks but he understands if it’s not meant to be.

Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller (NHL Images).

Miller is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. “Trust me, I’d like to have a deal done in Vancouver and be there, but I have to respect everybody’s vision and if it doesn’t line up, it kind of is-what-it-is,” said Miller. He also indicated that the two sides aren’t as close in contract talks as they’d like to be.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Miller will be 30 by the time his current contract expires. It could cost up to $9 million per season on a seven-year deal to keep him in Vancouver.

If Miller was between 25 and 28 years old perhaps he’d have that contract extension by now. However, there’s a legitimate concern that his performance will decline once he reaches his mid-30s, which would turn that contract into a salary-cap burden for the Canucks.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Much of the linemate talk about David Krejci’s return to the Bruins is focused on David Pastrnak but left wing Taylor Hall could benefit more from the 36-year-old center’s NHL comeback.

Joining the Bruins late in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, Hall had 14 points in 16 regular-season games skating alongside Krejci on the second line. He had 20 goals last season with Charlie Coyle and Erik Haula as his center. Hall could reach 30 in the coming season with Krejci as his linemate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins could have two potent scoring lines with Krejci centering Hall and Pastrnak while Patrice Bergeron returns to the first-line center position with Jake DeBrusk on right wing and Brad Marchand on the left side once he returns from offseason surgery by late November.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: The Blackhawks signed their last two restricted free agents in Caleb Jones and Philipp Kurashev. Jones agreed to a one-year, $1.35 million contract while Kurashev inked a one-year deal worth $750K.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly shows the Blackhawks have all their roster players under contract for the coming season with $8.49 million in projected salary-cap space when the regular season begins in October.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks announced Scott Gordon and Ryan Warsofsky as their new assistant coaches. Thomas Speer is their new goalie coach while Nick Gialdini will be their video coach.