NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 22, 2023

by | Nov 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 22, 2023

The lack of games on Tuesday explained, Blue Jackets star Patrik Laine embarrassed by being a healthy scratch, Milan Lucic enters the Players’ Assistance Program, plus the latest injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: The upcoming American Thanksgiving was the reason why there were no NHL games scheduled on Tuesday.

Only three arenas were available (Calgary, Vancouver and Arizona) and with more American teams requesting home games for Thanksgiving week, that took Calgary and Vancouver out of the equation. Arizona, meanwhile, didn’t wish to play back-to-back games as they face the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday.

Also, the four teams that recently participated in the NHL Global Series in Sweden (Minnesota, Detroit, Ottawa and Toronto) were unavailable.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine (NHL Images).

The schedule resumes on Wednesday with 14 games on the card.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine wasn’t pleased about being a healthy scratch for the first time in his NHL career on Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers. “It’s probably, over my career, the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to me,” said Laine, adding he’s focused on playing.

Head coach Pascal Vincent said embarrassing Laine wasn’t his intention when he scratched him from the lineup and acknowledged his unhappiness over the decision. “There is never a reason behind our decisions to embarrass any of our people. Ever.”

Laine will be back in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laine is trying to return to form after missing nine games due to a concussion. Injuries have hampered his performance since joining the Blue Jackets in January 2021.

Laine isn’t the only reason why the Blue Jackets have dropped nine straight games and find themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. There’s plenty of blame to go around.

Nevertheless, Laine’s overall play hasn’t been up to expectations as one of the team’s biggest and highest-paid stars. He may be feeling embarrassed about being scratched but how it affects his game is what matters right now assuming that he’s fully recovered from his latest injury. They need him at his best to keep their fading playoff hopes alive.

TSN: Speaking of the Blue Jackets, defenseman Damon Severson will miss six weeks with an oblique injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Boston Bruins winger Milan Lucic will be entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Meanwhile, he entered a plea of not guilty to one count of assault and battery on a family member in Boston Municipal Court on Tuesday and was released on his recognizance. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Jan. 19.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell has been placed on long-term injury reserve with an undisclosed injury. Defenseman Chad Ruhwedel has been sidelined on a week-by-week basis with an undisclosed ailment and placed on injured reserve while winger Bryan Rust is being evaluated for an unspecified injury. Defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph (lower body) remains on injured reserve.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer is being evaluated for an “undisclosed physical setback.” Chris Driedger could be an emergency backup for Wednesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Nashville Predators center Cody Glass was placed on injured reserve and is considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens defenseman Jordan Harris will be sidelined indefinitely with a lower-body injury. Forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard will miss six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury.

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander was fined $2,864.00 by the department of player safety for slew-footing San Jose Sharks forward Kevin Labanc.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils named Sergei Brylin as the second inductee into their Ring of Honor. A pregame ceremony will be held on Saturday, Jan. 20. Brylin joins Dr. John J. McMullen, the Devils’ first own who brought the team to New Jersey.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 20, 2022

by | Aug 20, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 20, 2022

The breakdown of Nazem Kadri’s new contract, Kyle Turris has retired, recent coaching moves and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

PUCK PEDIA: The breakdown of Nazem Kadri’s seven-year, $49 million contract ($7 million annual average value) is as follows:

First four seasons (2022-23 to 2025-26): $4.5 million base salary, $2.5 million signing bonus, full no-movement clause,

Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (NHL Images).

Season 5 (2026-27): $6 million base salary, $1 million signing bonus, 13-team no-trade list,

Final two seasons (2027-28 and 2028-29): $7 million base salary, 13-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: For those wondering why the base salary is so high in the final seasons, it will make it easier to buy out those years. As per Cap Friendly, at two-thirds the remaining value over twice the remaining term, it would break down as $2.33 million against the Flames’ cap for four years.

TSN: Kyle Turris is retiring as an NHL player and is joining the Coquitlam Express of the British Columbia Hockey League as a special advisor to the general manager and player development coach. The 34-year-old New Westminster, BC, native spent 14 seasons in the NHL from 2007-08 to 2021-22 with the Arizona Coyotes, Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers. In 776 NHL games, Turris scored 168 goals and 257 assists for 425 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A versatile forward who could play center or wing, Turris’ best seasons were with the Senators from 2013-14 to 2016-17, scoring 24-plus goals and 55-or-more points three times. He also had a 51-point campaign split between the Senators and Predators in 2017-18. Injuries, however, contributed to the decline of his play over his final four NHL seasons. Best wishes to Turris in his future endeavors.

NHL.COM: The New Jersey Devils named Sergei Brylin as an assistant coach. He’s spent the past nine seasons as an assistant and associate coach with their AHL affiliates. Before that, he played 13 seasons with the Devils, winning three Stanley Cups before retiring from the NHL in 2008.

The Pittsburgh Penguins promoted Todd Reirden to associate coach and signed him to a two-year contract extension. He oversees the club’s defensive group and power-play unit.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tucker Poolman has been training and skating this offseason working his way back to game shape while hoping to avoid a recurrence of the concussion symptoms that limited him to just 40 games last season.

TORONTO STAR: TSN played a big role in making the World Junior Championship a hot commodity. Thanks to its reporting (primarily by Rick Westhead) into Hockey Canada’s handling of alleged sexual assaults involving players from Canada’s 2003 and 2018 junior teams, the network has also contributed to the poor ratings for this summer’s WJC currently held in Edmonton.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Several other factors have also contributed to the low ratings and poor attendance at this year’s World Juniors. It’s being held in the summer instead of its usual Christmas holiday period after being postponed last December by a COVID-19 outbreak. Ticket prices are reportedly very expensive, and there’s been little promotion of the tournament. However, there’s no question the Hockey Canada scandal has taken a toll on viewership and attendance.

The 2023 World Juniors will be held during its usual Christmas holiday period in Moncton, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. It’ll be interesting to see if the factors affecting the current tournament in Edmonton will carry over, especially if Hockey Canada leadership continues to drag its feet addressing the fallout from the ongoing investigations into those scandals.