NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2023

by | Mar 25, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2023

The Sabres keep their playoff hopes alive, the Avalanche move up in the Central Division, Coyotes minority owner is suspended after arrest for strangulation charge, US President Joe Biden makes a playful dig at the Maple Leafs, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres kept their playoff hopes alive with a 5-4 upset of the New Jersey Devils. Alex Tuch scored two goals and collected an assist for the 34-31-6 Sabres (74 points), who sit six points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Jack Hughes also had two goals and an assist for the Devils (45-19-8) as remain two points behind the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with 98 points.

Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar each had a goal and two assists to defeat the Arizona Coyotes 3-1. The Avalanche improved to 42-23-6 (90 points) and sit one point behind the second-place Minnesota Wild in the Central Division. Clayton Keller scored his 35th goal of the season for the 27-34-12 Coyotes, who were officially eliminated from playoff contentions.

An overtime goal by Boone Jenner lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 5-4 upset win over the New York Islanders. Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and an assist while Kent Johnson scored a lacrosse-style “Michigan” goal for the 23-41-7 Blue Jackets. Brock Nelson tallied twice for the Islanders 37-27-9, who hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 83 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Blue Jackets announced winger Patrik Laine will be sidelined for two to four weeks with a triceps strain suffered during practice on Thursday.

HEADLINES

ARIZONA SPORTS: Coyotes minority owner Andrew Barroway has been suspended indefinitely by the NHL following his arrest on Thursday night in Aspen, Colorado, on a felony strangulation charge. He also faces a misdemeanor third-degree assault charge.

Barroway posted bond on Friday and is under a court order not to have any contact with his wife unless it involves their children.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barroway was the Coyotes’ majority owner from 2014 to 2019 before selling 95 percent of the team to current owner Alex Meruelo. The club issued a statement on Friday indicating they were aware of the allegations against Barroway and are working with the league to gather more information before issuing an appropriate response.

SPORTSNET: US president Joe Biden took a playful dig at the Toronto Maple Leafs during his address in the Canadian House of Commons on Friday.

“I have to say, I like your teams except the Leafs,” said Biden, drawing a standing ovation from many House of Commons members.

“I’ll tell you why. They beat the Flyers back in January, that’s why. I married a Philly girl (Jill Biden). If I didn’t say that, I’d be sleeping alone and fellas, I like you but not that much,” he said, drawing laughter from the parliamentarians and their guests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I thought it was a good-natured, funny remark by Biden. Unlike previous presidents, he’s a hockey fan and has been following the Flyers for years. I was a little surprised by how many parliamentarians stood and cheered. It just goes to show how many House members are fans of the other six Canadian clubs.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Logan Thompson, Reilly Smith and Alec Martinez will be unavailable for the final game of the Golden Knights’ Western Canada road trip. Thompson and Smith returned to Las Vegas for injury maintenance while Martinez is away for personal reasons.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins forward A.J. Greer received a one-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for cross-checking Montreal Canadiens winger Mike Hoffman in the face on Thursday night.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hoffman’s face was carved up by Greer’s stick. The Canadiens winger wasn’t pleased about the Bruins forward getting only one game for his actions.

Hoffman noted he received a two-game suspension earlier in his career for cross-checking an opponent in the back of the head. However, Greer only got one game for an intentional cross-check to the face.

Hoffman deserved his two-game suspension because hits to the head are dangerous and the league is supposedly trying to eliminate that from the game. He’s right, however, to be upset with the inconsistency over the way the league hands down its punishments.

Greer’s hit was more egregious and deliberate, striking an opponent in the face. The last time I checked, the face was part of the head. And yet, he gets the equivalent of a slap on the wrist.

The department of player safety has received increasing criticism from fans on social media and from pundits over its puzzling rulings. However, the league’s brain trust continues to defend and support it. Hoffman’s comments won’t change things.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: With goaltender Ville Husso listed as day-to-day, the Red Wings recalled netminder Alex Nedeljkovic from their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Canucks re-signed defenseman Christian Wolanin to a two-year, two-way contract.

THE PROVINCE: Speaking of the Canucks, their long-time TV color commentator John Garrett will be retiring from their regional broadcasts at the end of this season. He’s been in the role since 2002. A former NHL goaltender in the late-1970s and early-1980s, he began his broadcasting career in 1986 on Hockey Night in Canada and moved to Sportsnet in 1998.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s the end of an era for Canucks broadcasting. Love him or hate him, Garrett was always entertaining. Best wishes for an enjoyable retirement.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 22, 2023

by | Mar 22, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – March 22, 2023

The latest speculation on Alex DeBrincat’s next contract, an update on possible suitors for the Senators and the latest on the Blue Jackets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE SENATORS

TSN’s Shawn Simpson guesses Alex DeBrincat could be skating with the Ottawa Senators next season on his $9 million qualifying offer.

Ottawa Senators winger Alex DeBrincat (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: DeBrincat is a restricted free agent his summer with arbitration rights who’s also a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility. His average annual value is $6.4 million but his actual salary this season is $9 million, which is what it’ll cost the Senators to qualify his rights.

The Senators gave up three draft picks (including their 2022 first-rounder) to acquire DeBrincat last summer. General manager Pierre Dorion indicated last month that they’ll see how things go over the remainder of the season. Teams had called about DeBrincat before the March 3 trade deadline but Dorion had no interest in moving the 25-year-old left winger.

It’s believed Senators’ management wants to wait until the new ownership is in place before opening contract discussions with DeBrincat. I think Dorion wants to re-sign him before the June 30th deadline for qualifying offers but his hands are tied until the new owner takes over. If that hasn’t been sorted out before that deadline, Dorion might not have much choice but to qualify DeBrincat for next season and work on an extension beyond 2023-24.

Speaking of the sale of the Senators…

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports six potential suitors for the Senators will be in town this week to get a first-hand look at the city and the team’s operation. Meanwhile, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly are expected to attend Monday’s game between the Senators and Florida Panthers at Canadian Tire Centre and meet with Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe along with officials from the National Capital Commission.

The six interested parties are believed to be Markham-based developer The Remington Group, billionaire Michael Andlauer, Toronto-based Harlo Capital, Los Angeles-based producer Neko Sparks, developer Rocco Tullio and Graeme Rouston, the owner of The Hockey News.

UPDATE ON THE BLUE JACKETS

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline recently reported the Columbus Blue Jackets moved winger Patrik Laine to center on the first line with Johnny Gaudreau and Kirill Marchenko and bumped center Boone Jenner down to their second line. They could maintain this experiment for what remains of the regular season.

Portzline believes the Blue Jackets could have “a dramatically different look at center ice next season” even if Laine returns to the wing. Checking-line center Dmitry Voronkov is expected to make the jump to the NHL after spending his development years in Russia. Portzline also noted they’re hopeful of landing one of the franchise centers at the top of this summer’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jackets are currently at the bottom of the NHL standings, giving them the best odds of winning this year’s draft lottery if they’re still in that position by season’s end.

Connor Bedard of the WHL’s Regina Pats is the top prize and could be ready to make the jump right away into the NHL. Other promising options include the University of Michigan’s Adam Fantilli and versatile Swedish Hockey League forward Leo Carlsson.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 22, 2023

by | Mar 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 22, 2023

Alex Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky to claim a scoring record, the Hurricanes and Stars remain on top of their respective divisions, Jonathan Quick reaches a goaltending milestone and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin surpassed Wayne Gretzky for the most 40-goal seasons in a 7-6 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ovechkin has now reached the 40-goal plateau a record 13 times in his NHL career but his Capitals dropped to 33-31-8 (74 points) and sit five points behind the Florida Panthers for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Jack Roslovic scored twice, including the game-winner, for the 22-41-7 Blue Jackets.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 10 games left in the Capitals’ schedule, Ovechkin has a shot at reaching 50 goals for a record 10th season.

A three-goal third period lifted the Carolina Hurricanes over the New York Rangers 3-2 with Teuvo Teravainen tallying the winning goal late in the third period. The Hurricanes (46-15-8)  became the second team this season to reach 100 points and sit two ahead of the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Metropolitan Division. The 41-20-10 Rangers got a 36-save performance by Igor Shesterkin but remain in third place in the Metro with 92 points.

The Dallas Stars dropped a 5-4 decision to the Seattle Kraken as Adam Larsson scored the game-winner in overtime. Brandon Tanev tallied twice and collected an assist for the Kraken (39-24-7) as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 85 points. Stars captain Jamie Benn had a goal and two assists as his club rose to 38-19-14 to maintain their hold on first place in the Central Division with 90 points.

An overtime goal by Matt Boldy carried the Minnesota Wild over the New Jersey Devils 2-1. Filip Gustavsson kicked out a career-high 47 shots as the Wild (41-22-8) sit second in the Central with 90 points on the basis of regulation wins. Timo Meier netted his 35th goal of the season for the 45-18-8 Devils (98 points), who sit two points back of the first-place Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division.

The league-leading Boston Bruins nipped the Ottawa Senators 2-1 with Linus Ullmark stopping 40 shots for the win. David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk scored for the 54-11-5 Bruins (113 points) while Dylan Gambrell scored for the 34-32-5 Senators (73 points) as they sit six points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Bruins announced defenseman Derek Forbort will be sidelined by a lower-body injury for the remainder of the regular season.

Speaking of the final Eastern wild-card spot, the Florida Panthers (36-28-7) failed to widen the gap between them and the teams chasing them after dropping a 6-3 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers. Travis Sanheim tallied two goals and Carter Hart made 41 saves for the 26-32-12 Flyers. Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour each had two points for the Panthers (79 points), who remain one up on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The New York Islanders improved to 37-27-8 by thumping the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-2 to widen their lead over the Panthers for the first Eastern wild-card berth with 82 points. Cal Clutterbuck scored twice and chipped in an assist for the Islanders. Mitch Marner tallied his 27th goal of the season for the Leafs (42-19-9) as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 93 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders center Brock Nelson left the game in the first period following a hit by Leafs forward Noel Acciari. There was no immediate update on his condition.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Jonathan Quick (31 saves) took over second place for most wins among American-born goaltenders (375) by backstopping his club over the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. The Golden Knights (44-21-6) hold first place in the Pacific Division with 94 points. J.T. Miller scored twice and added an assist while Quinn Hughes set a franchise single-season assist record for defensemen (61) as they fell to 31-34-5 on the season.

Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 29 shots in a 2-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Nikolaj Ehlers and Adam Lowry scored for the Jets (40-29-3) as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 83 points. Barrett Hayton tallied for the 27-33-11 Coyotes.

The Calgary Flames kept pace with the Jets by dropping the Anaheim Ducks 5-1. Tyler Toffoli had three assists for the 32-25-11 Flames (79 points) as they remain four back of the Jets. Frank Vatrano scored for the 23-38-10 Ducks. Flames defenseman Chris Tanev missed this game with an upper-body injury. 

Montreal Canadiens netminder Sam Montembeault stopped 31 shots as his club upset the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. Nick Suzuki had two assists and Kirby Dach scored in his return to action for the 28-37-6 Canadiens after missing 16 games with a lower-body injury. Brayden Point netted his 44th goal of the season for the Lightning (42-24-6) as they remain three points back of the Leafs in the Atlantic Division with 90 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The good news for the depleted Canadiens is Dach and Brendan Gallagher returning to the lineup following lengthy injuries. The bad news is winger Josh Anderson left the game with an ankle injury and is expected to miss their next game while defenseman Kaiden Guhle is done for the season with a high-ankle sprain suffered last week against the Panthers.

The Nashville Predators snapped a three-game skid with a 7-3 drubbing of the Buffalo Sabres. Luke Evangelista scored twice and added two assists while Matt Duchene scored twice for the Predators (35-26-8) as they are five points behind the Jets with 78 points. Tage Thompson scored his 43rd of the season while Jeff Skinner netted his 30th for the 33-31-6 Sabres (72 points) as they remain seven points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

A shootout goal by Lucas Raymond gave the Detroit Red Wings a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Filip Zadina and Alex Chiasson scored for the 31-30-9 Wings, who sit eight points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth. Marco Scandella and Robert Bortuzzo replied for the 31-33-6 Blues.

IN OTHER NEWS…

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche signed head coach Jared Bednar to a three-year contract extension. He’s led the Avs to five straight playoff appearances, two consecutive division titles and the 2022 Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a well-deserved extension for Bednar, who took over this club during the lowest period in its history after Patrick Roy quit as head coach before the 2016-17 season. Their rise among the league’s elite over the past five seasons is in part due to his coaching.

TSN: The NHL announced Fanatics will take over as its’ on-ice jersey provider beginning in 2024-25, taking over from Adidas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That move reportedly isn’t sitting well with hockey fans familiar with Fanatics products.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 21, 2023

by | Mar 21, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – March 21, 2023

Some possible blueline targets for the Blue Jackets and a look at how the Sabres’ Mattias Samuelsson and the Kings’ Mikey Anderson set the market for defensive defensemen in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

POSSIBLE DEFENSE TRADE TARGETS FOR THE BLUE JACKETS

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline believes the Columbus Blue Jackets will be in the market for “a left-shot defenseman who can average 18 minutes per game, is strong defensively and kill penalties.” In other words, someone to replace Vladislav Gavrikov, who they traded to the Los Angeles Kings at the trade deadline.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Ryan Graves (NHL Images)

Portzline suggested the Boston Bruins’ Dmitry Orlov, New Jersey Devils’ Ryan Graves, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Brian Dumoulin or Dmitri Kulikov, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Ian Cole or even perhaps Gavrikov as potential free-agent targets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Portzline listed his pros and cons of each defenseman. In my opinion, Orlov or Graves would be the best options. Gavrikov, too, if he doesn’t find any lucrative offers via free agency. Cole, Dumoulin and Kulikov are aging with the latter two hampered by injuries in recent years.

A NEW MARKET FOR DEFENSIVE BLUELINERS?

DAILY FACEOFF: Scott Maxwell believes the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings created a new market for defensive defensemen in Mattias Samuelsson and Mikey Anderson when they signed them last fall to long-term contract extensions.

On Sept. 10, the Kings signed Anderson, 23, to an eight-year contract with an average annual cap hit of $4.125 million. A month later, the Sabres inked the 23-year-old Samuelsson to a seven-year deal with an AAV of $4.285 million.

Maxwell believes these two are examples of how defensive blueliners have evolved over the past decade into better all-around rearguards. He noted that teams often failed to recognize the value of such defensemen until later in their careers.

There is risk involved for the Sabres and Kings investing in Samuelsson and Anderson based on their limited NHL careers thus far. However, they’re confident in their evaluations of both players that they’re willing to invest long-term in them on affordable contracts during their playing prime.

Maxwell suggested Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York could fit the same mold.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Granted, this isn’t a trade or free-agent rumor but I think Maxwell’s on to something here. Eyebrows were raised briefly when Anderson and Samuelsson signed those contracts but they’ve since been forgotten as the focus shifted to other free-agent stories over the course of the season.

There is always a risk involved for a team to invest long-term dollars in any promising player who hasn’t yet reached their projected potential. If it works, however, the Sabres and Kings will each have a very good defensive blueliner on a cost-effective contract until they reach their early-30s.

Other general managers could attempt similar moves with comparable defensemen during this summer. It could be worth following York’s contract negotiations with the Flyers to see if they do the same thing.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 15, 2023

by | Mar 15, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 15, 2023

The Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl reaches 100 points on the season, the Penguins’Jake Guentzel reaches a career milestone, plus the latest on the Leafs’ Auston Matthews, the Hurricanes’ Andrei Svechnikov and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl scored twice to become the second player this season to reach 100 points in a 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and an assist as the Oilers improved to 37-23-8 to vault over the Seattle Kraken into third place in the Pacific Division with 82 points. Tim Stutzle tallied twice for the 33-30-4 Senators (70 points), who’ve dropped three straight and remain six points behind the New York Islanders (76 points) for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid now leads all active players for most points in a season with 129. Meanwhile, Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot and winger Mathieu Joseph missed this game due to injuries.

The Montreal Canadiens (27-35-6) snapped a seven-game winless skid by upsetting the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-4 on third-period goals by Anthony Richard and Josh Anderson. Jake Guentzel scored twice and collected an assist to reach 400 career points for the 34-23-10 Penguins (78 points) as they remain two points over the Islanders for the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot. They played without defenseman Dmitry Kulikov as he’s week-to-week with an undisclosed injury.

Speaking of the Islanders, they dropped a 5-2 decision to the Los Angeles Kings, who blew the game open with a four-goal second period. Joonas Korpisalo made 28 saves and Vladislav Gavrikov collected two assists for the Kings (39-20-9) as they sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 87 points. Ryan Pulock had two assists for the 34-27-8 Islanders.

The New York Rangers defeated the Washington Capitals 5-3. Mika Zibanejad scored twice and Patrick Kane scored his first goal on home ice as a Ranger. With a record of 38-19-10, the Rangers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 86 points. Injuries sidelined Alex Ovechkin and Sonny Milano for this game as the Capitals (32-29-7) remain five points behind the Islanders in the chase for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils, who lost their grip on first place in the Metropolitan Division. Despite the absence of sidelined captain Steven Stamkos, the Lightning (40-22-6) moved within two points of the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division with 86 points. Damon Severson replied for the 44-17-6 Devils (94 points) as they fell two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they got two goals and an assist by Jesperi Kotkaniemi as they downed the Winnipeg Jets 5-3. With a record of 44-14-8, the Hurricanes sit in second place in the overall standings with 96 points. The Jets (38-27-3) hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Hurricanes announced winger Andrei Svechnikov will undergo season-ending surgery on his right ACL on Thursday. His absence will be keenly felt among their top-six scorers over the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey remains sidelined by an injury.

The Nashville Predators improved to 34-28-9 and moved within four points of the Jets by holding off the Detroit Red Wings 2-1. Juuse Saros made 28 saves while Kiefer Sherwood and Tommy Novak scored for the Predators, who played without sidelined defenseman Ryan McDonagh. Alex Chiasson replied for the 30-28-9 Red Wings.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Jonathan Quick (27 saves) picked up his fourth straight win since joining the club in a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Jonathan Marchessault had a goal and two assists while Ivan Barbashev tallied twice for the Golden Knights (42-20-6) as they hold first place in the Western Conference with 90 points. The Flyers sank to 24-32-11.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sidelined Flyers Sean Couturier took part in his first morning skate with the club this season after being sidelined by his second back surgery. His plan is to return to action for a handful of games before the end of the season.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Taylor Raddysh scored his first career hat trick to lead his club to a 6-3 upset of the Boston Bruins. Boris Katchouk had a goal and two assists for the Blackhawks as they improved to 23-38-6, though they lost goalie Petr Mrazek in the second period with his third groin injury of the season. Hampus Lindholm had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (50-11-5) as they remain comfortably atop the overall standings with 105 points.

The Vancouver Canucks collected their fifth straight win by upsetting the Dallas Stars 5-2. Brock Boeser had three assists for the 29-32-5 Canucks while Jamie Benn and Miro Heiskanen each had two points for the 37-18-13 Stars, who played without sidelined winger Mason Marchment in this game. The Stars are in first place in the Central Division with 87 points.

An overtime goal by Travis Boyd gave the Arizona Coyotes a 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames. Clayton Keller scored twice, including his 31st goal of the season for the 25-31-11 Coyotes. Jonathan Huberdeau scored the tying goal for the 30-24-14 Flames (74 points) as they sit five points out of the final Western wild-card spot.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau scored twice (including the winner in overtime) and collected three assists in a 6-5 victory over the San Jose Sharks to officially eliminate the latter from playoff contention. The Blue Jackets sit at 21-38-7 on the season and sit last in the overall standings. Logan Couture had a goal and two assists for the 19-36-13 Sharks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE ATHLETIC: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews revealed he’s been nursing a hand injury that has hampered his performance this season. However, he claims it’s feeling a lot better now.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s good news for the Leafs as they head down the stretch toward what will be a crucial postseason for this team.

SPORTSNET: Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said he’s expecting Ryan O’Reilly to return before the playoffs. He’s been sidelined with a broken finger since March 4 and underwent surgery on March 7 with a recovery timeline of four weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That would mean returning by April 7 but it’s possible O’Reilly might not be good to go until the first game of the playoffs.

TSN: Speaking of broken fingers, Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a big loss for the Avalanche. Lehkonen is fourth among Avalanche scorers with a career-best performance of 20 goals and 49 points in 62 games.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Diamond Sports Group, which owns the Bally Sports regional network in the United States, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday. The company released a statement indicating it expects to continue operations during the bankruptcy process and that the coverage of games would not be affected. That coverage includes 12 NHL teams.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 12, 2023

by | Mar 12, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 12, 2023

Speculation over the futures of Kevin Hayes, Carter Hart and Ivan Provorov with the rebuilding Flyers in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek repeated his earlier report of conversations between the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets regarding Flyers forward Kevin Hayes. Given the Flyers’ recent change in management and anticipated rebuild, he expects those talks with the Jackets about Hayes to pick up again closer to the 2023 Draft in late June.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hayes’ contract ($7.14 average annual value through 2025-26) was difficult to move during a season with a flattened salary cap. Despite his 12-team no-trade clause, the 30-year-old center might be easier to trade between late June and early July when clubs have more cap space to work with.

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart (NHL Images)

The Blue Jackets have a longstanding need for skilled centers. Cap Friendly shows they have a projected $18.3 million in cap space for 2023-24 with 17 players under contract and all their core players signed for next season. They have room to take on Hayes but could still ask the Flyers to retain part of his cap hit or take back some salary in return.

Marek also wondered about Carter Hart’s future with the Flyers given the emergence of goaltender Samuel Ersson, who’s been up and down this season between the big club and their AHL affiliate.

Hart has a year remaining on his contract but the Flyers can extend him this summer. However, if they’re going to go through a rebuild, Marek wondered what Hart could fetch on the trade market and if the 24-year-old netminder wants to spend the best seasons of his career with a rebuilding Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hart was supposed to be the franchise goalie the Flyers have been lacking since Ron Hextall’s glory days in the late-1980s. He showed plenty of promise in his first two NHL seasons, including out-dueling Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price in the 2020 playoffs. However, he struggled the following season and has had to deal with a depleted team in front of him since 2021-22.

Hart carries an affordable $3.9 million cap hit and lacks no-trade protection. He’ll also be eligible for salary arbitration.

Given Hart’s age and potential, the Flyers shouldn’t have any trouble finding suitors this summer if they decide to tear it all down or if he’s reluctant to be part of a long rebuild process. As Marek suggested, Hart’s situation will be something worth watching in the offseason.

Marek also briefly wondered about Ivan Provorov’s future in Philadelphia.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Provorov surfaced in the rumor mill during the weeks leading up to the March 3 trade deadline. He’s signed through 2024-25 with an AAV of $6.75 million and lacks no-trade protection.

Like Hayes, moving his salary during a season with a flattened salary cap was difficult to do. Perhaps they’ll have better luck in the offseason provided they’re willing to consider moving him.