NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 12, 2024

by | Sep 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 12, 2024

Key dates for the upcoming season, the latest injury updates, contract signings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

KEY DATES FOR THE NHL’S 2024-25 SEASON

SPORTSNET: The NHL released several key dates for the 2024-25 season.

Oct. 1: NHL Board of Governors meeting (New York)
Oct. 4-5: NHL Global Series in Prague (Sabres vs. Devils)
Oct. 8: Opening night
Oct. 22: NHL Frozen Frenzy: All 32 teams in action
Nov. 1-2: NHL Global Series in Tampere, Finland (Stars vs. Panthers)
Dec. 9-10: NHL Board of Governors meeting
Feb. 10-21: Season paused for 4 Nations Face-Off
March 7: Trade deadline (3 p.m. ET)
April 17: Final day of the regular season
April 19: Stanley Cup Playoffs begin
June 23: Last possible day for Stanley Cup Playoffs

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 4 Nations Face-Off pushes the playoff schedule later into the calendar. Expect the same thing for 2025-26 when the league shuts down for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The league’s annual holiday roster freeze will be Dec. 20 to 27.

The dates for the 2025 Draft Lottery, the NHL Awards, and the NHL Draft will likely be announced at some point next year. The best guess for the Awards is June 26 with the draft being held on June 28-29. Free agency will begin as usual on July 1.

INJURY UPDATES

CBS SPORTS: Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse continues to be hampered by an undisclosed injury suffered last season. Nurse, 29, could miss the start of training camp and the Oilers’ first preseason game but is expected to be ready for their season opener next month.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen took part in a recent skate with several teammates. He seems fully recovered from his season-ending triceps injury. He was sidelined on Feb. 10 and underwent surgery on Apr. 18.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks rookie Artyom Levshunov injured his right foot and is unavailable for the 2024 Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase in St. Louis.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (NHL Images).

ALL CITY NETWORK’s Craig Morgan reports Utah HC prospect Tij Iginla is listed as day-to-day after being evaluated for a lower-body injury.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins prospect Tanner Howe suffered a facial injury and is listed as day-to-day. He’s been scratched from the upcoming Prospects Challenge in Buffalo.

CONTRACT SIGNINGS

TSN: Max Pacioretty signed a professional tryout offer (PTO) with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 35-year-old left winger is expected to sign with the club before the start of the upcoming season.

TORONTO SUN: The Leafs also signed defenseman Jani Hakanpaa. The 32-year-old former Dallas Stars defender agreed to a one-year deal worth $1.47 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hakanpaa originally signed with the Leafs on July 1 but the deal was never formally announced or went on the Leafs’ salary cap amid concerns over a knee injury. This deal is shorter but the amount is reportedly close to the original’s average annual value.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former Seattle Kraken winger Kailer Yamamoto signed a PTO with Utah HC.

The Anaheim Ducks are bringing defensemen Boris Katchouk, Mark Pysyk, and Gustav Lindstrom to training camp on PTO contracts.

Defenseman Madison Bowey is reportedly signing a PTO with the New York Rangers. He spent last season in the KHL.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Pierre-Marc Bellemare is returning to the Avalanche on a PTO. The 39-year-old center played for the Avs from 2019-20 to 2020-21.

IN OTHER NEWS

WINNIPEG SUN: Cole Perfetti remains hopeful of having a new contract in place with the Jets before training camp opens next week.

“Our side is working on a deal with them,” said the 22-year-old center. “We’re obviously positive something’s going to get done. Our groups are working hard together to figure something out. At this point, I want to be there.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s been speculation whether another club might sign Perfetti to an offer sheet. His remarks suggest he hasn’t received one and doesn’t seem interested in an offer from another club.

TVA SPORTS: The Montreal Canadiens will honor former captain Shea Weber in a pregame ceremony at the Bell Centre on Nov. 16.

Weber was acquired by the Canadiens from the Nashville Predators in 2016 and was team captain from 2018 to 2021.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries ended Weber’s playing career following the 2021 playoffs. He hasn’t officially retired but remains on permanent long-term injury reserve (LTIR) until his contract expires in 2026. The Canadiens traded his contract to the Arizona Coyotes (now the Utah Hockey Club) on Feb 22, 2023.

RG.ORG: Speaking of the Canadiens, prospect goaltender Jacob Fowler is learning French in anticipation of playing for Montreal one day. A high-profile prospect, the 19-year-old Fowler will return with the NCAA’s Boston College Eagles this season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2023

by | Sep 3, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2023

Check out the latest on Devils’ winger Jesper Bratt, Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi, Canucks winger Tanner Pearson and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Jesper Bratt recently explained to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman that he used the pressure of his two short-term contracts as motivation to justify that he was worthy of a long-term deal.

New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt (NHL Images).

“I liked going into the summer pressuring myself a little more,” said Bratt. “Okay, I have to prove myself. I gotta work harder, I gotta show them how good I am.”

The result was back-to-back 73-point campaigns for Bratt, including breaking the 30-goal plateau last season for the first time. Earlier this summer, the 25-year-old winger signed an eight-year, $63-million contract ($7.875 million average annual value).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bratt acknowledged his new challenge will be justifying his lucrative new contract. He’ll have little difficulty doing that if he remains a 30-goal, 70-plus-point winger.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi arrived in Winnipeg last week to begin preparation for training camp later this month. Acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in June as part of the Pierre-Luc Dubois, the 24-year-old Vilardi claimed to be unaware of the club’s soap opera over the past two seasons over a perceived lack of accountability and leadership among the players.

Vilardi claimed he was surprised to find out that the Jets didn’t have a captain last season. “I thought Mark Scheifele was the captain. I don’t even know. That gives you my answer,” he said, going on to say that he uses that line often.

“I’m here to play hockey. That’s my job. From what I’ve seen so far, Winnipeg isn’t that bad. We’ll see the winter.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vilardi was the key piece in the four-asset return that the Jets received from the Kings for Dubois. He’s coming off a career-best performance of 24 goals and 41 points in 63 games. His performance this season could play a crucial role in the Jets’ playoff hopes for this season.

VANCOUVER HOCKEY NOW: Rob Simpson reports Canucks winger Tanner Pearson feels he’s 100 percent recovered from the hand injury that limited him to just 14 games last season. That could create a salary-cap crunch for the Canucks, who are currently some $4.4 million over the $83.5 million cap. Pearson, 31, carries a $3.25 million AAV for the coming season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pearson was mentioned earlier this year as a potential trade candidate if he was ready to return for the start of this season. Those rumors could surface again if he is indeed good to go for 2023-24.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Senators and Shane Pinto aren’t close to a new contract. However, it’s hoped the restricted free agent center will be signed soon. NHL training camps open on Sept. 21.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pinto, 22, completed his entry-level contract last season. It was his first full NHL campaign and he showed promise with 20 goals and 35 points in 83 games. The Senators, however, are bumping up against the cap.

The Senators can exceed the cap by 10 percent until the start of the season when they must be cap compliant. Signing Pinto will mean clearing some cap space via demotions and/or trade.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers president Keith Jones said his club was getting close to a new contract for Morgan Frost. The 24-year-old center completed his ELC last season. He had 19 goals and 46 points in 81 games in 2022-23. “Morgan’s an important player for us in the future. That will work itself out,” said Jones.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Speaking of the Flyers, 2023 first-round pick Matvei Michkov was a healthy scratch for SKA St. Peterburg’s KHL season-opening on Saturday. Chosen seventh overall by the Flyers, the 18-year-old winger is considered one of Russia’s top hockey prospects.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This news caused a bit of a stir yesterday on hockey Twitter..er, sorry, “X”. A scoring winger, Michkov was apparently scratched because of his defensive play.

I wouldn’t put too much stock into Michkov getting benched unless this becomes a trend over the course of this KHL season. He’s under contract with SKA St. Petersburg through 2025-26. There’s plenty of time for this kid to develop his game before joining the Flyers, provided his KHL club will let him go.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sammi Silber reports former NHL defenseman Madison Bowey has signed with KHL club Dynamo Minsk.

SPECTOR’S NOTE Bowey’s last NHL season was in 2021-22 with the Vancouver Canucks, playing two games with them and spending the rest of the season with their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford. He spent last season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 29, 2021

by | Jan 29, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 29, 2021

​Recaps from another busy night of action and more in the NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Patrice Bergeron scored two goals as the Boston Bruins defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 to sweep their two-game series. The Bruins have now won four in a row. Boston defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was forced to leave the game with a lower-body injury.

New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere (NHL Images).

2020 first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere’s first career NHL goal came in overtime as the New York Rangers snapped their five-game winless skid by downing the Buffalo Sabres 3-2. Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist for the Rangers while Sabres winger Sam Reinhart also had a goal and an assist.

The Philadelphia Flyers swept their two-game series with the New Jersey Devils with a 3-1 victory. Goaltender Carter Hart made 33 saves for the win while teammate Claude Giroux netted his first goal of the season.

John Carlson scored the game-winner as the Washington Capitals overcame a 3-0 deficit to beat the New York Islanders 6-3. Conor Sheary scored twice and Zdeno Chara tallied his first goal with the Capitals as they extended their points streak to eight games. Islanders captain Anders Lee played his 500th career NHL game while teammate Josh Bailey (872 games) tied Clark Gillies for fourth on the Islanders all-time list.

The Carolina Hurricanes nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 1-0 on an overtime goal by Martin Necas. It was the Hurricanes’ first game since Jan. 18 after several players wound up on the club’s COVID-19 protocol list.

A shootout goal by Alexandre Texier lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Florida Panthers 3-2, snapping the latter’s three-game win streak. Max Domi and Mikko Koivu each tallied their first goals with the Jackets.

The Montreal Canadiens remain unbeaten in regulation (5-0-2) after doubling up the Calgary Flames 4-2 in their first home game of the season. Tyler Toffoli tallied a shorthanded goal while Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jonathan Drouin each had two assists.

A three-goal first period powered the Minnesota Wild over the Los Angeles Kings 5-3. Marcus Johansson had a goal and an assist while teammate Kevin Fiala was ejected for boarding Kings defenseman Matt Roy, who left the game and was still being evaluated by the game’s end. Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty each had two points for the Kings.

The Dallas Stars are 4-0-0 to start the season after defeating the Detroit Red Wings 7-3. Goaltender Jake Oettinger made 20 saves for his first career NHL victory. Miro Heiskanen and Denis Gurianov each had three-point performances for the Stars. Wings goalie Jonathan Bernier left the game in the second period following a collision with teammate Anthony Mantha.

Philipp Grubauer’s 21-save shutout performance backstopped the Colorado Avalanche over the San Jose Sharks 3-0. Nazem Kadri scored twice for the Avalanche.

The Arizona Coyotes nipped the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 thanks to a two-goal performance by Christian Dvorak.

Braden Holtby turned aside 36 shots to give the Vancouver Canucks a 4-1 victory over the slumping Ottawa Senators to sweep their three-game series. Brock Boeser scored twice and set up another for the Canucks. The Senators have dropped seven straight games.

Auston Matthews snapped a 3-3 tie with a power-play goal as the Toronto Maple Leafs held on for a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Jason Spezza had a goal and an assist for the Leafs while Leon Draisaitl scored twice for the Oilers. The Leafs have won four straight games.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Vegas Golden Knights game against the St. Louis Blues was postponed due to some recent positive COVID-19 tests within the organization. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was added to their COVID-19 protocol list.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks signed defenseman Madison Bowey to a one-year, two-way contract.

THE DETROIT NEWS: Former Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard officially announced his retirement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reports of Howard’s retirement plans circulated last week. He spent his entire NHL career with the Wings. Best of luck to him and his family in their future endeavors.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 20, 2020

by | Oct 20, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – October 20, 2020

The latest on Kyle Palmieri, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Erik Haula in today’s NHL rumor mill.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the New Jersey Devils haven’t been shopping winger Kyle Palmieri, who’s a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility. His agent said there have only been preliminary contact discussions.

New Jersey Devils winger Kyle Palmieri (NHL Images).

LeBrun believes Palmieri wants to sign a contract extension. He’s entering the final season of a four-year deal with a $4.65-million cap hit. Brendan Gallagher’s new contract with the Montreal Canadiens (six years, $6.5 million AAV) could be of interest.

If an extension cannot be worked out, LeBrun speculates Palmieri could be moved by next season’s trade deadline.

Corey Masisak speculates Palmieri might’ve expected to receive a deal comparable to Philadelphia’s James van Riemsdyk (five years, $35 million) before the pandemic. That seems less likely now, as Masisak pointed to Evgenii Dadonov getting a three-year, $15 million deal with the Ottawa Senators and Tyler Toffoli inking a four-year, $17 million contract with the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Palmieri wants to stay with the Devils and I believe they want to keep him. They could offer up a four-year deal worth around $5.5 million per season. He might prefer a shorter-term in hopes of a more lucrative deal in a year or two with the market being what it is, or perhaps a long-term term at around $5 million annually.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Kurt Leavins recently reported there are “lots of indications” the Oilers are pursuing a contract extension for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He believes they have plenty of room to do this properly even if the cap doesn’t go up for 2021-22.

Leavins also suggests the Oilers consider signing former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Madison Bowey to add a veteran right-side rearguard to their blue line. He argues the Oilers could find sufficient cap space to sign Bowey and re-sign Ethan Bear by placing Oscar Klefbom on long-term injury reserve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates the Oilers have $51.9 million invested in 11 players for 2021-22. Re-signing Nugent-Hopkins could cost $7.5 million annually. Given the ongoing economic uncertainty, perhaps they could convince him to accept a slight raise over his current $6 million per season (say, $6.5 million?) for the security of a long-term extension.

THE ATHLETIC: LeBrun reported agent Jay Grossman, who represents free-agent center Erik Haula, said he’s spoken with 10-12 teams that have a legitimate interest in his client. Haula’s coming off a three-year deal worth $2.75 million annually. He also has an injury history but Grossman said he’s fully healthy now.

LeBrun believes it’s probably best for Haula to be patient and see if those interested clubs that currently can’t sign him perhaps make a trade that frees up some cap space. He wondered if the Vegas Golden Knights might be willing to reach out to Haula if they can clear some cap room.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Haula will need to be very patient. It appears most teams now are hoping to out-wait players like him in hope of signing them to bargain contracts.