NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 24, 2024

by | Jul 24, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 24, 2024

The latest on the Flyers’ Sean Couturier, the Penguins’ Kevin Hayes, and the Jets’ Cole Perfetti, some arbitration dates are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier faces a make-or-break season. The 31-year-old Flyers captain played a full season in 2023-24 after missing a season and a half to back surgery but struggled to regain his form, finishing with 38 points in 74 games. Couturier was also a healthy scratch late in the season.

Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It can sometimes take a full season for a player to bounce back from a serious surgery. Couturier could return to his Selke Trophy form this season and silence the concerns about his future. His contract is partly behind those worries, entering the third season of an eight-year deal with an average annual value of $7.75 million.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins forward Kevin Hayes intends to use his trade from the St. Louis Blues as motivation while he awaits his role with his new club. Hayes, 32, said he didn’t really find a role with the Blues, making it difficult to play his best hockey.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins acquired Hayes to replace the aging Jeff Carter as their third-line center, which was greeted with criticism citing Hayes’ age and struggles last season with the Blues. How well he adjusts will contribute to the outcome of the Penguins’ season.

WINNIPEG SUN: Cole Perfetti’s role this season with the Jets could determine the length of his next contract. The 22-year-old restricted free-agent forward is believed to have talked with new head coach Scott Arniel regarding his role with the team, which could sway whether he signs a long-term deal. Perfetti could see top-six minutes and power-play time under Arniel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Former Jets head coach Rick Bowness seemed to lose confidence in Perfetti last season. He could break out this season with a more robust role under Arniel.

PUCKPEDIA: released the salary arbitration dates for Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (July 29), Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko (July 31), New York Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom (Aug. 1) and Carolina Hurricanes winger Martin Necas (Aug. 4).

New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren also has an upcoming arbitration hearing date.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Arthur Staple recently reported Lindgren’s hearing is scheduled for Aug. 2.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs avoided arbitration with forward Connor Dewar as the two sides agreed to a one-year, $1.18 million contract.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Buffalo Sabres won’t be facing Beck Malenstyn in arbitration, signing the 26-year-old winger to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.35 million.

NHL.COM: The Utah Hockey Club signed Cole Beaudoin to a three-year entry-level contract. Beaudoin, 18, was selected 24th overall by Utah in the 2024 NHL Draft.

TSN: Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas and Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois were named to Canada’s management team for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and the 2026 Men’s Olympic hockey team.

THE ATHLETIC: A tax ruling involving Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares could make it difficult for Canadian NHL teams to sign free agents.

The report indicates a key reason behind Tavares’ signing with the Leafs was the belief a provision in the Canada-US Tax Treaty commonly used by professional athletes would allow him to pay lower taxes on his initial $15 million signing bonus.

However, the Canada Revenue Agency claims he owes over $6.8 million (plus another $1.2 million in interest) on that signing bonus. Tavares is disputing the CRA’s assessment, the outcome of which could have a far-reaching effect on Canadian teams trying to lure players north of the border.

This stems from where Tavares’ principal residence was in 2018. He was a US tax resident that year. However, a person is considered a resident of Canada for tax purposes if they spend 183 days in the country.

The issue centers on whether Tavares’s bonus with the Leafs that year was employment income or an inducement to sign the contract. If the CRA is successful, it will reframe how the provision of bonuses is applied.

The CRA is also scrutinizing the use of Retirement Compensation Agreements (RCAs) by Canadian teams to reduce the tax burden on non-resident players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve shortened this to provide the main highlights. If you have a subscription to The Athletic, I recommend reading the piece for the full details. This case could take a couple of years before a decision is reached.

Higher taxes are one reason why Canadian teams have had difficulty signing top free-agent talent. A ruling against Tavares will mean those clubs must pay more to entice free agents to sign with them. It will also mean they must pay more to retain their best players.

Canadian teams will likely turn to the NHL to address this situation If this becomes a significant impediment for them. They’re unlikely to go to the Canadian government. An attempt to find a federal and provincial solution to help those clubs dealing with a historically low Canadian dollar in 1999 didn’t poll well with Canadians. It was abandoned following disagreements between the provinces and the federal government over the breakdown of the funding.

That forced the NHL to implement a revenue-sharing scheme for Canadian teams which stayed in place until the 2005 CBA was implemented.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 8, 2024

by | Jul 8, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 8, 2024

Sidney Crosby and the Penguins could be close to a contract extension, plus the latest on the Leafs, Red Wings, Lightning and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: Rob Rossi cites sources claiming Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins are closing in on a contract extension. Both sides are confident a deal will be agreed upon and formalized soon.

Crosby, who turns 37 in August, remains intent on finishing his career with the Penguins, despite missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

The full details of Crosby’s new contract are unknown. Previous reports suggested it could be a three-year deal with an average annual value of $10 million. It will require a “35-plus” designation, which prevents a team from front-loading a contract that is at least two years in length or delaying a signing bonus to or after the second season.

Crosby’s current average annual value is $8.7 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Confirmation of Crosby’s new contract could come this week, maybe as early as today. Some observers raised eyebrows last week when July 1 came and went with no sign of a deal. Sometimes, reaching an agreement on a new contract takes a little longer than expected.

The “35-plus” designation also means the Penguins won’t garner any cap relief if they were to buy out that new contract.

TORONTO STAR: Bruce Arthur and Dave Feschuk examine what’s gone wrong for the Maple Leafs under team president Brendan Shanahan. “The Shanaplan” invested heavily in the “Core Four” of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander.

The Leafs’ regular season record is exemplary, boasting a .636 win percentage since 2016-17 which is the NHL’s third-highest. No team has scored more goals (2,117) and they have the third-best power play percentage (24.1) over that time.

It’s a different in the playoffs. They ranked last in goals (150) among 16 playoff teams that have played over 40 postseason games during that period. They’re 15th among those clubs in power-play percentage (16.9).

No one doubts the individual skills of the “Core Four”, it’s the combination that has been less than the sum of its parts. Their defenders point to the Leafs’ lack of a true starting goaltender or a proven No. 1 defenseman or depth scoring. The counterpoint is those four could’ve taken a little less money, leaving more to address those issues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Of all those signings, the Tavares deal is the one that hurt the most. Again, I’m not making Tavares the scapegoat. The Leafs pursued him and offered him $11 million annually for seven years. He didn’t force them to sign him to that contract and I don’t blame him for taking the opportunity to play for his hometown club.

The Leafs were coming off a season (2017-18) with the third-best regular-season offense (3.29 goals per game) in the league when they signed Tavares. There was no reason to pursue a scoring center when their pressing needs at the time were right-side blueline depth and reliable playoff goaltending.

That $11 million could’ve and should’ve been put toward addressing those needs. I said it before and after they signed Tavares. That contract handcuffed their efforts to bolster their depth elsewhere in the lineup.

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons wonders what happened to Steve Yzerman’s golden touch that built the Tampa Bay Lightning into a Stanley Cup champion. Since becoming general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, that club has missed the playoffs five straight years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve been wondering about that as well. Granted, Yzerman took over a mess in Detroit. He faced a similar scenario when he became the Lightning’s GM but he had Hall-of-Famer Martin St. Louis and future Hall-of-Famers Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman to build around.

Nevertheless, Yzerman drafted or acquired most of the players who formed the core of the Lightning’s back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. So far, he hasn’t had the same level of success with the Red Wings.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Eduardo A. Encina believes Lightning GM Julien BriseBois’ recent difficult decisions make the Lightning his team and could define his legacy. They include letting franchise player Steven Stamkos depart as a free agent and trading defenseman Mikhail Sergachev.

BriseBois inherited the roster core that went on to win Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 from former GM Steve Yzerman, even though he was Yzerman’s right-hand man. Salary-cap constraints forced him to make tough choices that will shape the direction of this team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: BriseBois and the Lightning benefited from the lack of a state tax in retaining many of those core players. Nevertheless, a flattened salary cap over the previous four seasons forced him to trade or cut loose some complementary players important to the Bolts’ success.

Encina points out that BriseBois is banking on Jake Guentzel replacing Stamkos, J.J. Moser filling Sergachev’s skates on the blueline and promising center Conor Geekie meeting expectations. If those gambles pan out, he’ll look like a genius. If not, they could eventually lead to his dismissal.

THE SCORE: Speaking of Mikhail Sergachev, he said he was in shock when he learned the Lightning had traded him to the Utah Hockey Club. However, he’s looking forward to a leadership role with an up-and-coming franchise.

“Talking to my agent, talking to some players, and talking to (Utah forward Clayton) Keller, everybody said great things about Utah and the new franchise,” said Sergachev. “It’s pretty amazing, honestly. “The whole setup, the city. I’m very excited. It’s a big opportunity for me to prove myself, be a leader. I’m looking forward to it.”

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi is focusing more on the mental side of the game as part of his offseason training. He still works out five days a week, but his primary focus is mental exercise and meditation.

“The more you take care of your mental side, the better you are as a person and as a hockey player,” said Josi.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers signed defenseman Egor Zamula to a two-year with an AAV of $1.7 million.

 










NHL Rumor Mill – February 21, 2022

by | Feb 21, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – February 21, 2022

​Will the Lightning or Wild make moves at the trade deadline? Which Sharks could become trade candidates? Find out in today’s NHL rumor mill.

WILL LIGHTNING OR WILD BECOME TRADE DEADLINE BUYERS?

THE ATHLETIC: Joe Smith recently examined whether the Tampa Bay Lightning will make any moves by the March 21 trade deadline. General manager Julien BriseBois indicated nothing was off the table if a move could be made to improve their chances of winning the Stanley Cup for the third straight year.

Complicating things, however, is the fact that the Lightning has no cap space for this season and very little for next season. Making additions would mean subtracting someone from their roster and they’ve already got some very good value contracts. They also like the additions they made last summer in Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Corey Perry and Zach Bogosian.

If BriseBois makes a move, Smith believes it’ll be for depth players along the lines of his acquisitions of Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow two years ago. He thinks the Bolts GM would part with multiple high picks if it means landing an impact player, especially one who could become a replacement for pending unrestricted free agent winger Ondrej Palat.

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: BriseBois could be a buyer if one or more of his players carrying a significant cap hit winds up on long-term injury reserve for the remainder of the regular season. While that worked to their advantage last season when Nikita Kucherov missed the entire 2020-21 regular season recovering from hip surgery, they might not get a similar opportunity again. If he makes an addition, it’ll be an affordable depth player. The Lightning still has a very talented roster that could make a run for a third Cup.

Pierre LeBrun last week reported Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin is remaining patient and examining his options as the trade deadline approaches. He’d prefer to retain his draft picks because he’s still building up the club’s prospect pipeline. His club’s lofty position in the Western Conference standings also allows him to take time to evaluate his roster’s needs.

Guerin downplayed the notion his club needs depth at center. He’s also reluctant to tinker too much with the Wild’s tight team chemistry. It’s possible he trades for a depth forward than a high-end piece like Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux, Dallas’ Joe Pavelski or San Jose’s Tomas Hertl.

The Wild GM also has to keep in mind the cap constraints he faces after this season as a result of buying out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter last summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’d still keep an eye on the Wild, especially if they start to wobble over the next few weeks. Still, there won’t be much reason to make a big addition if they continue playing well leading up to March 21.

LATEST ON THE SHARKS

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: Sheng Peng examines which San Jose Sharks players could become trade candidates (besides Tomas Hertl) if the club becomes a seller by the March trade deadline. They could include Andrew Cogliano, Nick Bonino, James Reimer, Matt Nieto and Alexander Barabanov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Peng spoke with two NHL scouts and a league executive about the possible returns for those players. It appears they would fetch third-to-fifth-round picks. Bonino, Nieto and Reimer each have a year remaining on their contracts.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 29, 2021

by | Sep 29, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 29, 2021

Evander Kane facing another league investigation, the Lightning sign GM Julien BriseBois to a new contract, plus the latest on Auston Matthews, MacKenzie Blackwood and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

SPORTSNET: San Jose Sharks winger Evander Kane faces another investigation by the NHL, this time for a possible violation of the league’s COVID-19 protocols. The details being investigated are currently unknown.

San Jose Sharks winger Evander Kane (NHL Images).

The 30-year-old Kane is also facing a league investigation regarding his behavior toward his estranged wife, Anna. Earlier this month, the NHL cleared Kane of allegations by Anna claiming he gambled on league games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane and the Sharks reached an agreement last week that he would not attend training camp until further notice.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning signed general manager Julien BriseBois to a contract extension. The terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. BriseBois helped to build the Lightning into consecutive Stanley Cup champions in 2020 and 2021.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: BriseBois played a key role in building the Lightning into consecutive Cup champions. He was assistant GM from 2010 to 2018, developing current Lightning players such as Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Ondrej Palat and Anthony Cirelli while GM of their AHL affiliate in Syracuse. As Lightning GM, he acquired Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow, who played key roles in the Bolts’ recent championships.

TORONTO STAR: Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews has returned to practice following offseason wrist surgery. He’s expected to return to the lineup in time for their season-opener on Oct. 13.

ESPN.COM: New Jersey Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood said he’s currently unvaccinated, leaving open the possibility he could still get the vaccine at some point. “I have a couple of health concerns and health reasons why I’m working through it a little slower. I wanted to check off a couple of boxes, and not rush to do it,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackwood faces missing his club’s road games in Canada if he remains unvaccinated throughout this season.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Former Oilers defenseman Adam Larsson revealed he signed with the Seattle Kraken in July for family reasons rather than financial ones. His father, Robert Larsson, passed away three years ago while visiting his son in Edmonton. He said he felt he had to leave for his personal well-being and a fresh start.

NEW YORK POST: Once-promising defenseman Libor Hajek has slid down the Rangers’ blueline depth chart, surpassed by K’Andre Miller, Patrik Nemeth and Zac Jones. His chance of sticking with the Blueshirts out of training camp could be in peril. He could get plucked off waivers by a rival club if assigned to the Rangers’ AHL affiliate.










The Tampa Bay Lightning Are Flying Under The NHL Radar This Season

by | Feb 10, 2020

The Tampa Bay Lightning Are Flying Under The NHL Radar This Season