NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2022

by | Oct 24, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2022

Recaps of Sunday’s games plus the latest on Gabriel Landeskog, Tyler Seguin, Phil Kessel and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Detroit Red Wings extended their season-opening points streak to five games (3-0-2) by downing the Anaheim Ducks 5-1. Dominik Kubalik had a goal and two assists while Ville Husso made 32 saves for the win. Trevor Zegras scored the Ducks’ only goal as they finished their road trip 0-4-1.

Detroit Red Wings forward Dominik Kubalik (NHL Images).

Third-period goals by Tyler Johnson and Jason Dickinson lifted the Chicago Blackhawks to a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Johnson scored twice while Patrick Kane and Seth Jones each had two assists for the Blackhawks (3-2-0) as they staged their third straight comeback win. Jared McCann had a goal and an assist for the Kraken (2-3-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek missed this game with a groin strain and was placed on injured reserve.

A third-period goal by Ryan Lomberg enabled the Florida Panthers to hold off the New York Islanders 3-2. Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen also scored for the Panthers (4-1-1) while Anders Lee tallied twice for the Islanders, who drop to 2-4-0.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov made 30 saves for his first NHL win as he backstopped his club to a 5-1 victory over the New York Rangers. Jakub Voracek, Jack Roslovic and Liam Foudy each collected two assists for the Jackets (3-4-0). Artemi Panarin scored to extend his season-opening points streak to six games as the Rangers are 3-2-1 over the stretch.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers center Filip Chytil left the game in the first period about being elbowed in the head by Blue Jackets forward Cole Sillinger. He’s listed as day-to-day.

San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer turned in a 30-save shutout to blank the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. Erik Karlsson scored what proved to be the game-winner for the Sharks (2-6-0) while Flyers winger James van Riemsdyk left the game in the first period with an injured hand after blocking a shot. The Flyers are 4-2-0 under head coach John Tortorella.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tortorella wasn’t pleased with the performance of his leading scorers Kevin Hayes and Travis Konecny in this contest. He sent a message by benching them for the entire third period.

HEADLINES

THE DENVER POST: The Colorado Avalanche will be without team captain Gabriel Landeskog for the next three months as he recovers from knee surgery. They’re turning to leadership by committee to fill the void left by Landeskog’s absence.

NHL.COM: Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin admitted he thought about retirement in January 2021 as he was recovering from hip surgery. “I looked over at my friend and said, ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to play anymore,’” he told Mike Zeisberger. He added that he didn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel at the time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seguin would return to play three games late in the 2020-21 season and skated in 81 last season. The 30-year-old current has five points in as many games this season and shows no lingering ill effects from his surgery.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights winger Phil Kessel is set to tie the NHL’s Ironman record for consecutive games played (989) held by Keith Yandle when he skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night. The 35-year-old Kessel can break the record on Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s fitting that Kessel will tie the record against the Leafs in Toronto, where he played six seasons from 2009-10 to 2014-15.

CBS SPORTS: The Los Angeles Kings placed forward Alex Iafallo (lower-body injury) on long-term injury reserve.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Teddy Blueger (undisclosed injury) was placed on LTIR retroactive to Oct. 11.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki is resting at home and suffered no major injuries after crashing awkwardly into the boards during Saturday’s game against the Flyers. Borowiecki was stretchered from the ice and sent to a hospital for observation.

WGR 550: With defensemen Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju sidelined, the Buffalo Sabres have called up Kale Clague.

Former NHL defenseman Michal Kempny has signed with Czechia club HC Sparta for the next two seasons. His contract with the Seattle Kraken was terminated by mutual agreement after he cleared unconditional waivers last week.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 23, 2022

by | Oct 23, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 23, 2022

Recaps of a busy Saturday featured a franchise-record hat trick for Joe Pavelski, Rasmus Dahlin extending his season-opening goal-scoring streak and a career milestone for Predators GM David Poile. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Joe Pavelski tallied a hat trick and added an assist to lead the Dallas Stars to a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Pavelski set a franchise record by eclipsing Brett Hull to become the oldest player to score a hat trick. Jake Oettinger kicked out 32 shots for the win.

Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pavelski is an ageless wonder, tying for the team points lead with seven. Meanwhile, Canadiens rookie Juraj Slafkovsky missed this game with an upper-body injury.

Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-3. Danton Heinen scored twice for the high-scoring Penguins, who have scored six goals in each of their four wins this season. Jack Roslovic had a goal and an assist for the Jackets.

The Buffalo Sabres Rasmus Dahlin extended his record-setting season-opening goal streak for defensemen to five games as his club rolled to a 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Victor Olofsson scored twice and added an assist for the Sabres, who’ve won four of their first five games. The Canucks (0-4-2) played without Quinn Hughes as the defenseman is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jim Rutherford, the Canucks president of hockey operations, wasn’t pleased with his struggling club’s performance. In a post-game interview with Sportsnet, he refused to use the club’s early-season injuries as an excuse and called out his players to “play within a stronger structure”, adding the team’s problems started in training camp and carried over into this season.

An overtime goal by Taylor Hall lifted the Boston Bruins over the Minnesota Wild 4-3. Hall finished with three points while David Pastrnak and David Krejci each had two points for the Bruins. Marc-Andre Fleury made 39 saves for the Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins honored former captain Zdeno Chara in a pregame ceremony. Chara recently announced his retirement after 24 NHL seasons, 14 of those with the Bruins. The Wild, meanwhile, placed winger Jordan Greenway (upper body) on injured reserve before the game.

The New Jersey Devils got goals from Yegor Sherangovich and Dawson Mercer to hold off the San Jose Sharks 2-1. Kevin Labanc scored for the Sharks, who drop to 1-6-0 to start the season.

Goaltender Jordan Binnington had a 23-save shutout backstopping the St. Louis Blues over the Edmonton Oilers 2-0. Torey Krug and Justin Faulk were the goal scorers as the Blues have won their first three games of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews collected three assists and John Tavares scored two goals in a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Ilya Samsonov made 30 saves for the win while Wayne Simmonds collected an assist in his season debut.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets placed winger Nikolaj Ehlers on IR with an undisclosed injury suffered on Oct. 17.

Brady Tkachuk scored two goals and Shane Pinto extended his goal streak to four games as the Ottawa Senators tamed the Arizona Coyotes 6-2. It was a costly win for the Senators as Josh Norris left the game in the third period with an upper-body injury and will undergo an MRI.

Washington Capitals forward Marcus Johansson broke a 3-3 tie to give his club a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Dmitry Orlov had three assists for the Capitals while Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson had a goal and two assists.

The Tampa Bay Lightning downed the New York Islanders 5-3. Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul each had a goal and an assist while Brian Elliott picked up his first win of the season with 32 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak missed this game with an upper-body injury but is expected to return to the lineup for their next game on Tuesday. Islanders winger Josh Bailey was a healthy scratch.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Joel Farabee had a goal and two assists in a 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators. This game was the 3,000th as a general manager for Nashville’s David Poile, becoming the first GM in NHL history to reach that milestone.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was a scary moment in the game when Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki was stretchered from the ice after an awkward collision with the boards. The team announced that Borowiecki was conscious and had full movement of his extremities but was transported to a hospital for further observation.

A third-period goal by Valeri Nichushkin proved to be the game-winner as the Colorado Avalanche held off the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 3-2. Alexandar Georgiev made 33 stops for the Avalanche. Jack Eichel and Mark Stone each had two assists for the Golden Knights.

Tyler Toffoli’s overtime goal gave the Calgary Flames a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Toffoli finished the night with two points while Jacob Markstrom got the win with 25 saves.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 23, 2022

by | Feb 23, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 23, 2022

Zdeno Chara reaches a milestone, the Predators drop the Panthers, Patrik Laine extends his points streak as his Blue Jackets upset the Leafs, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Zdeno Chara tied Chris Chelios for most games played by an NHL defenseman (1,651) as his New York Islanders sunk the Seattle Kraken 5-2. Zach Parise scored two goals and collected an assist for the Islanders while Chara collected an assist while logging 20:15 of ice time. The Kraken has dropped five straight games.

New York Islanders defenseman Zdeno Chara (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chara can break the record when the Islanders face off against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.

The Nashville Predators scored three straight third-period goals to overcome a 4-3 deficit and defeat the Florida Panthers 6-4, snapping the latter’s nine-game home winning streak. Tanner Jeannot scored twice, Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists and Roman Josi netted a goal and picked up an assist as the Predators (62 points) hold a three-point lead over the Los Angeles Kings for the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Jonathan Huberdeau and Sam Reinhart each finished the night with two points for the Panthers, who sit atop the Eastern Conference with 75 points.

Patrik Laine scored twice, including the game-winner in overtime, to extend his points streak to 10 games as the Columbus Blue Jackets upset the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3. Auston Matthews had a goal and two assists for the Leafs, who are 0-2-1 in their last three contests but remain in third place in the Atlantic Division with 68 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers are raising concerns about the Leafs’ goaltending as Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek gave up 15 goals over the last three games. However, they haven’t been helped by their teammates’ sloppy defensive play around their net. It’s an ongoing issue that could get worse with Jake Muzzin in concussion protocol for the second time this season. That’s sparking speculation the Leafs could go shopping for help if Muzzin ends up on long-term injury reserve. I’ll have more about that in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington made 25 saves for his first win since Jan. 9 as he backstopped his club to a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Ivan Barbashev had a goal and an assist and Vladimir Tarasenko potted the winning goal. With 66 points, the Blues moved one point ahead of the Minnesota Wild into second place in the Central Division.

Speaking of the Wild, they were upset by the Ottawa Senators 4-3. Thomas Chabot scored twice for the Senators (including the winning goal) and collected an assist while Anton Forsberg got the win with a 40-save performance.

A shootout goal by Trevor Zegras lifted the Anaheim Ducks over the San Jose Sharks 4-3. Rickard Rakell scored twice, including the game-tying goal, as the Ducks sit just outside the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 59 points. Brent Burns had a three-point performance and Logan Couture scored twice for the Sharks, who sit nine points behind the Ducks and Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Keep an eye on the Sharks as the trade deadline approaches if they don’t gain any ground in the playoff chase. They’re getting closer to becoming sellers and that will stoke rumors over the fate of pending free agent center Tomas Hertl’s future in San Jose.

HEADLINES

TSN: Arizona Coyotes winger Andrew Ladd will miss the next four-to-six weeks with a lower-body injury.

NHL.COM: Speaking of the Coyotes, they made a minor trade with the Boston Bruins by shipping them the rights to college defenseman Michael Callahan in exchange for a seventh-round pick in 2024.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong has been busy in the trade market. This was the third trade he’s made since Feb. 19, acquiring Nick Ritchie from the Leafs and also shipping goalie Carter Hutton to Toronto.

THE ATHLETIC: Former Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray has reportedly joined the Calgary Flames as a scout.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murray resigned from the Ducks last fall amid reports he’d mistreated his employees. He indicated at the time of his resignation that he was entering an alcohol abuse program. Here’s hoping he got the help he needed and gets his career back on track.

CBS SPORTS: The Philadelphia Flyers placed forward Derick Brassard (hip) on injured reserve.

Nashville Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

THE DETROIT NEWS: Former Red Wings defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov has joined opponents of Michigan’s 2019 auto no-fault insurance law in criticizing a fee cut that would slash payments to medical providers almost in half. Konstantinov was left permanently disabled following a limousine crash in 1997. He stands to lose the round-the-clock care he’s received at home for near 25 years.

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NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 16, 2022

by | Feb 16, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 16, 2022

​Milestone performances for Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin and much more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby tallied his 500th career NHL goal while teammate Kris Letang scored in overtime in a 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Crosby joins Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin as the second active player to reach the 500-goal plateau and the second in Penguins history. Crosby and Letang finished the night with a goal and an assist as the Penguins move into second place in the Eastern Conference with 70 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The next active player in reach of 500 goals is Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos with 462.

Speaking of Ovechkin, he scored twice in a 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators to reach the 30-goal mark for the 16th time in his career, sitting second to Hall-of-Famer Mike Gartner (17 seasons). Capitals coach Peter Laviolette picked up his 700th career win as the Capitals (63 points) opened a five-point lead over the Boston Bruins for the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. With 60 points, the Predators dropped to the first Western Conference wild-card berth.

Meanwhile, the Bruins dropped a 2-1 decision to the New York Rangers as K’Andre Miller netted the winner in the ninth round of the shootout. Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin made 31 saves in regulation and overtime as his club sits third in the Metropolitan Division with 66 points.

The Tampa Bay Lightning scored five straight goals to overcome a 3-1 deficit and down the New Jersey Devils 6-3. Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, Pat Maroon and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare each had a goal and an assist for the Lightning, who take over first place in the Eastern Conference with 70 points due to a game in hand over the Penguins. Devils rookie Dawson Mercer had a goal and two assists.

Joe Pavelski scored twice and set up two others to lead the Dallas Stars over the Colorado Avalanche 4-1, snapping the latter’s 19-game points streak. Teammate Tyler Seguin had a goal and two assists as the Stars (54 points) moved within one point of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. The Avalanche, meanwhile, remains atop the overall standings with 72 points.

Speaking of that wild-card berth, the Los Angeles Kings dropped into that spot after falling 5-2 to the Edmonton Oilers. Connor McDavid and Evander Kane each had a goal and an assist while teammate Kailer Yamamoto netted the winning goal by snapping a 2-2 tie. Both teams have 55 points but the Oilers moved into third place in the Pacific Division with a game in hand. The Oilers have won three straight under new head coach Jay Woodcroft.

Tyler Toffoli scored in his first game with the Calgary Flames in a 6-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Flames acquired Toffoli on Monday. Elias Lindholm had a goal and an assist as Calgary has won seven straight to take over first place in the Pacific Division with 60 points.

St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and collected an assist to beat the Ottawa Senators 5-2. Robert Thomas had a goal and two assists while Pavel Buchnevich picked up three assists. The Blues hold third place in the Central Division with 61 points.

The Buffalo Sabres got two goals by Victor Olofsson in a 6-3 win over the New York Islanders. Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs each had two points for the Sabres. Kyle Palmieri scored twice for the Islanders.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

THE SCORE: Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot missed Tuesday’s game against the Blues as he remains sore from a hit by Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson on Sunday.

TSN: The Nashville Predators signed defenseman Mark Borowiecki to a one-year, $900K contract extension.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks will return to full capacity at Rogers Arena on Saturday against the Anaheim Ducks as provincial indoor restrictions are eased this week.










List of Notable NHL UFA Signings – October 9, 2020

by | Oct 9, 2020

List of Notable NHL UFA Signings – October 9, 2020

8:30 pm ET: St. Louis Blues sign Torey Krug to a seven-year, $45.5 million contract.

7 pm ET: Toronto Maple Leafs sign T.J. Brodie to a four-year contract ($5 million AAV).

4 pm to 5 pm ET: Calgary Flames sign Jacob Markstrom to a six-year, $36-million contract.

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3 pm to 4 pm ET: Anaheim Ducks sign Kevin Shattenkirk to a three-year contract ($3.9 million AAV)

Washington Capitals sign defenseman Justin Schultz to a two-year, $8 million contract.

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2 pm to 3 pm ET: Florida Panthers sign Alexander Wennberg to a one-year $2.25 million contract.

New York Rangers sign Jack Johnson to a one-year, $1-million contract.

Nashville Predators sign Mark Borowiecki to a two-year, $4-million contract.

In other contract news, the Ottawa Senators sign Matt Murray to a four-year contract with an annual average value of $6.25 million. The Senators acquired Murray, a restricted free agent, on Wednesday from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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1 pm to 2 pm ET: Vancouver Canucks sign Braden Holtby to a two-year deal ($4.3 million AAV)

Minnesota Wild sign goaltender Cam Talbot to a three-year, $11-million contract.

Dallas Stars sign Anton Khudobin to a three-year contract ($3.5 million AAV)

Edmonton Oilers sign center Kyle Turris to a two-year contract ($1.65 million AAV)

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12 pm to 1 pm ET:  Washington Capitals sign goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

Toronto Maple Leafs sign winger Wayne Simmonds to a one-year, $1.5-million contract with a full no-movement clause.

Detroit Red Wings sign winger Bobby Ryan to a one-year, $1-million contract.

Winger Pat Maroon (two years, $900K AAV) and defenseman Luke Schenn (one year, $800K) are returning with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Florida Panthers sign defenseman Radko Gudas to a three-year contract ($2.5 million AAV).

In other news, the Tampa Bay Lightning placed winger Tyler Johnson on waivers. He has four years remaining on his contract with a $5 million annual cap hit and a full no-trade clause.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson will remain with the Arizona Coyotes. His deadline to be traded to either Boston or Vancouver came and went without a deal.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 12, 2020

by | Sep 12, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – September 12, 2020

The latest on the Leafs, Canucks and Blues in today’s NHL rumor mill.

LEAFS

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan reports the Maple Leafs haven’t been actively shopping goaltender Frederik Andersen, but it behooves general manager Kyle Dubas to listen to offers. A high number of goalies potentially available via the trade and free-agent markets could affect Dubas’ final decision on Andersen. Koshan expects Andersen will still be a Leaf when next season opens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: So do I unless Dubas can find a replacement who’s as good or better than Andersen.

Michael Traikos believes the Leafs shouldn’t waste their time pursuing an expensive defenseman such as St. Louis’ Alex Pietrangelo. Instead, he suggests signing a more affordable physical option like Mark Borowiecki, who’s heading to the free-agent market after several seasons with the Ottawa Senators. While Borowiecki isn’t the right-shot blueliner the Leafs seek, he would add a much-needed element of toughness to their roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Dubas can’t find that top-pairing right-side rearguard, he might be forced to consider one or two affordable depth alternatives. Someone like Borowiecki could be among those options depending on how much cap space Dubas can free up.

SPORTSNET: Florida’s Aaron Ekblad, Minnesota’s Matt Dumba, St. Louis’ Colton Parayko, Buffalo’s Rasmus Ristolainen and Vancouver’s Troy Stecher are among Luke Fox’s list of 15 intriguing blueline trade targets for the Leafs.

Anaheim’s Josh Manson, Carolina’s Brett Pesce, Arizona’s Niklas Hjalmarsson, Columbus’ David Savard and Minnesota’s Jonas Brodin are also on Fox’s list. The remainder includes Nashville’s Mattias Ekholm, Chicago’s Connor Murphy, Florida’s MacKenzie Weegar and Edmonton’s Adam Larsson and Matt Benning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I doubt Ekblad, Dumba, Parayko and Pesce are available. Ristolainen was rumored to be on the trade block a year ago but Sabres coach Ralph Krueger loves his game so he’s probably off the market. Manson’s a possibility but the Ducks will want a good scoring forward (preferably a center) in return. Ditto the Wild with Brodin and the Blue Jackets with Savard. 

The Coyotes could try to move Hjalmarsson in a cost-cutting deal provided he waives his no-movement clause. The asking price for Ekholm could also be a scoring forward. Stecher is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights and could hit the trade block if the Canucks can’t afford to re-sign him.

Larsson, Benning and Murphy have surfaced in offseason trade chatter. The Panthers could cut some payroll but I think they want to re-sign Weegar.

Rory Boylen, meanwhile, wondered if Dubas might flip his recently-acquired first-round pick (15th overall) to upgrade the defense corps, seek out further salary-slicing deals that would involve moving a mid-level contract like Alexander Kerfoot ($3.5 million), Andreas Johnsson ($3.4 million) and Pierre Engvall ($1.2 million), or explore options for Andersen’s replacement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I won’t be surprised if Dubas flips that first-rounder in a deal for a top-four defenseman. They want to win right now and already have enough youth on the roster.

CANUCKS

SPORTSNET: Iain MacIntyre reports Tyler Toffoli’s willingness to re-sign with the Vancouver Canucks creates another salary-cap headache for GM Jim Benning. Toffoli, 28, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on Oct. 9, along with goaltender Jacob Markstrom and defenseman Chris Tanev. Toffoli earned an annual average value of $4.6 million on his current contract and his next deal could be worth between $5-$6 million annually.

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston reports Tanev also wants to re-sign with the Canucks. Unless the club can free up some salary-cap space, keeping the 30-year-old defenseman won’t be easy. Benning remains hopeful of re-signing the long-time Canucks blueliner. Johnston urges caution, pointing out a decade of wear-and-tear have taken a tool upon Tanev’s performance.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnston points out the Canucks have $15 million in cap space. Unless Benning can shed a salary or two, there won’t be enough room to re-sign Markstrom, Toffoli and Tanev. Even then, Tanev would be the odd man out. The combined cost of re-signing Markstrom and Toffoli could be at least $11 million.

Toffoli won’t lack for suitors if he hits the open market. In a recent mailbag segment, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz suggests he’d be a good target for the San Jose Sharks.

BLUES

THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): In a recent mailbag segment, Jeremy Rutherford reported a source claimed the St. Louis Blues offered Alex Pietrangelo a five-year deal worth close to $7 million than $8 million annually. It’s believed the 30-year-old defenseman isn’t happy with the offers he’s received.

It’s believed Pietrangelo could settle for something between $8-$9 million. Rutherford expects negotiations to continue, but sources say if Pietrangelo’s wife wasn’t from St. Louis and they hadn’t started their family there he might’ve already told the Blues he’s moving on.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Pietrangelo won’t come down from his asking price the Blues must shed more salary to re-sign him or bid him farewell. Plenty of time remains until the free-agent market opens on Oct. 9 to hammer out an agreement.

Rutherford acknowledged the trade chatter about Vince Dunn, but he believes the Blues want to keep him. He’s a restricted free agent without arbitration rights, giving the club control over his contract. Barring a holdout, they could re-sign him for next season between $2.5 – $3 million. Maybe they trade him if they cannot re-sign him beyond 2020-21.

Rutherford also expects the Blues will do everything they can to re-sign winger Jaden Schwartz, but if Pietrangelo re-signs, he could become a cap casualty. He’s got a year left on his contract with an AAV of $5.35 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rutherford also touched on the possibility of the Blues getting $7.5 million in cap relief next season if Vladimir Tarasenko is on long-term injury reserve throughout the season. He’s projected for reevaluation of his surgically-repaired shoulder in December or January, but could be sidelined longer. Right now, there’s no certainty he’ll be out for the entire season.