NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2023

by | Nov 29, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2023

Recaps of Tuesday’s games, the Blackhawks’ move to terminate Corey Perry’s contract and acquire Anthony Beauvillier from the Canucks, injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid continued his torrid scoring pace with a goal and two assists in a 5-4 shootout victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins netted the winning goal for the 8-12-1 Oilers as they’ve picked up three straight victories. The Golden Knights (14-5-4) picked up a point to retake first place in the overall standings (32 points) but they’ve managed just three wins in their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was McDavid’s third straight multi-point game. It’s not a coincidence that the Oilers have improved of late as a result.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (NHL Images).

The Vancouver Canucks got two goals from Brock Boeser and 30 saves from Thatcher Demko to down the Anaheim Ducks 3-1. Boeser now leads the league with 17 goals as the Canucks (15-7-1) sit one point back of the Golden Knights in the standings. Ryan Strome replied for the struggling Ducks (9-13-0) as they’ve dropped seven straight games.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger kicked out 27 shots to shut out the Winnipeg Jets 2-0. Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin were the goal scorers as the Stars (28 points) rose to 13-5-2 on the season. Connor Hellebuyck made 19 stops for the 12-7-2 Jets as they sit two points behind the second-place Stars in the Central Division.

The Nashville Predators nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 to pick up their sixth straight win. Michael McCarron scored twice while Filip Forsberg potted the winner in overtime as the Predators improved to 11-10-0 and moved into the second wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 22 points. Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust scored for the Penguins as they overcame a 2-0 deficit to force the overtime period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Penguins placed defenseman Will Butcher on waivers and released blueliner Mark Pysyk from his professional tryout offer.

The Minnesota Wild picked up their first win in John Hynes’ first game as their new head coach by beating the St. Louis Blues 3-1. Filip Gustavsson made 23 saves for his first victory since Oct. 24 while Frederic Gaudreau’s first goal of the season proved to be the game-winner for the 6-10-4 Wild. Colton Parayko had the only goal for the 11-9-1 Blues.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Curtis Lazar rallied the New Jersey Devils over the New York Islanders 5-4. Hughes finished the night with a goal and two assists for the Devils as they improved their record to 10-9-1. Islanders center Mathew Barzal also had a goal and two assists as his club dropped to 8-7-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton did not play in the third period with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update as to his status.

The Toronto Maple Leafs nipped the Florida Panthers 2-1 on a shootout goal by Noah Gregor, who also scored their only goal in regulation. Joseph Woll made 38 saves for the 11-6-3 Maple Leafs. Kevin Stenlund tallied for the 13-7-2 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers appeared to win this contest on a shootout goal by Evan Rodrigues but a video review determined that he touched the puck after shooting it, which is not allowed in the shootout. It was a costly win for the Leafs as defenseman Mark Giordano left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury. He’s expected to miss some time as a result.

Two-point performances by Michael Bunting and Sebastian Aho gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 28 shots for the Hurricanes (13-8-0). Travis Konecny replied for the 11-10-1 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Flyers announced that forward Noah Cates will be sidelined for six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury.

Arizona Coyotes winger Michael Carcone scored twice and Connor Ingram made 30 saves to upset the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1. With the win, the Coyotes improved to 10-9-2 (22 points) and sit behind the Predators for the final Western wild-card spot. Brayden Point scored for the 10-8-5 Lightning.

The Chicago Blackhawks got a 33-save performance by Petr Mrazek to hold off the Seattle Kraken 4-3. MacKenzie Entwistle scored what proved to be the winning goal for the Blackhawks (7-13-0) while Matty Beniers had a goal and an assist for the 8-10-5 Kraken, who also lost winger Jaden Schwartz to a lower-body injury in the third period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was overshadowed by the Blackhawks’ announcing earlier in the day that they had placed veteran winger Corey Perry on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. Speaking of which…

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said the decision to release Corey Perry from his contract was a “workplace decision” but he declined to disclose the specifics about the incident.

Davidson did say that the situation didn’t involve any other Blackhawks players or their families, calling any suggestion to the contrary “disgusting.” He said the club first learned of the incident last Wednesday prior to a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The decision was made at that time to pull Perry from the lineup while an internal investigation was conducted. According to Davidson, the results of that investigation indicated he engaged in “conduct that is unacceptable, and in violation of his Standard Player’s Contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe working environments.”

Perry, 38, was on a one-year, $4 million contract. The NHL Players Association is reviewing the matter and has 60 days from when the contract is terminated to file a grievance.

ESPN.COM: A source told Emily Kaplan that Perry traveled with the Blackhawks to Columbus last Tuesday, a day before the game, and an incident occurred that day involving a team employee.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks did the right thing by attempting to address this issue with Perry immediately upon learning of the incident and launching an immediate investigation. However, they could’ve done a better job with their statements regarding his absence leading up to Davidson’s press conference.

The Blackhawks management insisted that Perry’s removal was a “team decision” but offered no other details. That was likely because they didn’t want to risk compromising the investigation. Perry’s agent attempted to address this by saying his client was dealing with a personal matter and asked that his privacy be respected.

Unfortunately, the conflicting messages raised more questions about Perry’s absence. It also resulted in baseless and salacious speculation on social media that may have caused unnecessary emotional distress to those who were the subject of such mean-spirited rumors.

THE PROVINCE: Speaking of the Blackhawks, the Vancouver Canucks traded winger Anthony Beauvillier to Chicago in exchange for a 2024 fifth-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Acquired last January as part of the Bo Horvat trade with the New York Islanders, the 26-year-old Beauvillier struggled in Vancouver. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent and carries a $4.15 million cap hit for this season.

The Canucks didn’t get much of a return for Beauvillier. Nevertheless, this move clears his cap hit from their books, giving them room to add a defenseman or another scoring forward.

Meanwhile, Beauvillier will get an opportunity to improve his game with the rebuilding Blackhawks. They were short two wingers with Perry’s contract termination and Taylor Hall sidelined with a season-ending knee injury.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers yesterday placed Kaapo Kakko (lower body) and Filip Chytil (upper body) on long-term injury reserve.

TSN: The Buffalo Sabres assigned goaltender Devon Levi to their AHL affiliate in Rochester.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Levi showed promise in a handful of late-season games in 2022-23. However, he’s really struggled this season to play up to expectations. Meanwhile, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has emerged as the Sabres’ starter this season.

NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators forward Zack MacEwen was fined $2,018.23 by the department of player safety for unsportsmanlike conduct during Monday’s game against the Florida Panthers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 24, 2022

by | Jul 24, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 24, 2022

The aftermath of the Matthew Tkachuk trade plus the latest contract signings and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: Eric Francis reports Matthew Tkachuk explained his refusal to sign a long-term contract with the Calgary Flames. At the time, the 24-year-old winger was a restricted free agent who was a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility.

Calgary Flames traded winger Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers on July 22. (NHL Images).

Tkachuk indicated he knew when he inked his previous contract in 2019 that there was a chance that it would be time to leave when the deal was over. He said there wasn’t any single reason behind his decision.

He explained that he wanted to re-evaluate where he was at that point in his career. The winger stated that he didn’t know what his choice would be until after he spoke with several teams.

His decision forced the club to trade him on Friday night to the Florida Panthers in a multi-player deal that sent winger Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to the Flames. He agreed to an eight-year deal worth $9.5 million per season with the Panthers.

Tkachuk indicated it wasn’t an easy decision, dismissing speculation that he was motivated by the recent departure of former linemate Johnny Gaudreau to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He said he was sad to be leaving Calgary, insisting that he enjoyed living and playing there. He explained why he choose the Panthers, saying he was drawn to their competitiveness and their prospects for success in the future.

CALGARY SUN: Flames general manager Brad Treliving said the offer he received from the Florida Panthers for Matthew Tkachuk was the best deal available “by a long shot.”

Treliving made the trade after Tkachuk informed the Flames that he wasn’t interested in signing a long-term contract. Huberdeau and Weegar are slated to become unrestricted free agents next summer.

The Flames GM said it was important for everyone to take a breather after everything that’s happened before moving on to the next round of challenges. That includes attempting to re-sign Huberdeau and Weegar.

Treliving also he was “pissed off” about the media narrative that suggests Calgary isn’t a good place to live and play for NHL players. He praised the community and defended his club, insisting that it will be competing every year to be a Stanley Cup contender.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk was a restricted free agent and within his rights under the rules of the collective bargaining agreement to determine where he wanted to play. Informing the Flames that he wouldn’t sign beyond the coming season gave him considerable leverage to force a trade wherever he wanted to go.

Treliving got the best deal he could under the circumstances. In the short term, it should keep the Flames competitive for 2022-23 despite the absence of Gaudreau. Whether it works out over the long term depends on whether Huberdeau and Weegar are willing to sign contract extensions.

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings signed forwards Gabriel Vilardi and Jaret Anderson-Dolan to contract extensions. Vilardi’s is a one-year, one-way deal worth an annual average value of $825K. Anderson-Dolan’s is a one-year, two-way deal worth $750K at the NHL level.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: The Bruins signed center Jack Studnicka to a two-year, two-way contract extension with an average annual salary of $762,500 at the NHL level.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars signed defenseman Will Butcher to a one-year, two-way deal worth an AAV of $750K.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: The Blackhawks recently announced new initiatives to help educate the public about the cultures of Native peoples.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 29, 2021

by | Jul 29, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 29, 2021

Catching up on some notable late trades and free-agent signings, including the Avalanche acquiring Darcy Kuemper, plus a look at the notable free-agents still available in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes traded goaltender Darcy Kuemper to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Conor Timmins, a first-round pick in 2022 and a conditional third-round pick in 2024.

Arizona Coyotes trade goaltender Darcy Kuemper to the Colorado Avalanche (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche needed a suitable replacement for Philipp Grubauer after he signed with the Seattle Kraken yesterday. They had to move quickly as several teams had some interest in Kuemper. That’s why Avs general manager Joe Sakic paid such a steep price to get him.

In the short term, the 31-year-old Kuemper should offset Grubauer’s absence provided he can stay healthy. He’s been sidelined in recent seasons by a variety of injuries and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong, meanwhile, is doing a superb job trimming payroll while laying the groundwork to restock his prospect pipeline. Timmins is a promising young defenseman who could be a good fit on this rebuilding team. The Coyotes now have two first-round picks and five second-rounders in next year’s draft. They could get more when Armstrong starts shopping some of his pending unrestricted free agents at next year’s trade deadline.

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: The Capitals reacquired goaltender Vitek Vanecek from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. The Kraken selected Vanecek during last week’s expansion draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Getting back Vanecek maintains the Capitals’ goalie tandem from last season. His reacquisition spares them from shopping for a backup goalie that would’ve cost more than Vanecek’s $716, 667 salary-cap hit.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins traded goaltender Dan Vladar to the Calgary Flames for a 2022 third-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The signing of Linus Ullmark and the emergence of Jeremy Swayman made Vladar the odd man out among the Bruins goaltenders, especially if they bring back Tuukka Rask next year following his recovery from hip surgery.

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres signed veteran goaltenders Craig Anderson and Aaron Dell to one-year contracts.

SPORTSNET: The Sabres also acquired defenseman Will Butcher and a 2022 fifth-round pick from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for future considerations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I published a list yesterday of most of the notable free-agent signings and trades. You can read my take on yesterday’s top-10 signings here.

SI.COM/THE HOCKEY NEWS: David Krejci, Kyle Palmieri and Brandon Saad are among the best players still available in the free-agent market. Others include Tomas Tatar and Zach Parise.

THE SCORE: Josh Wegman ranks the winners and losers from the opening day of free agency.

TSN: Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is hopeful of returning to action in 2021-22 once he receives medical clearance to do so. The 39-year-old goaltender signed last season with the Washington Capitals but heart surgery sidelined him for the entire campaign.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There will be interest in Lundqvist if he’s cleared to resume playing. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets a contract with a playoff contender.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators signed head coach D.J. Smith to a two-year contract extension.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 12, 2021

by | Jul 12, 2021

NHL Rumor Mill – July 12, 2021

Some proposed trade destinations for Vladimir Tarasenko and some recent Devils speculation in today’s NHL rumor mill.

WHERE COULD TARASENKO GO?

NBC SPORTS: Adam Gretz looked at several teams that he believes should pursue a trade for Vladimir Tarasenko. The 29-year-old St. Louis Blues winger has requested a trade, reportedly in part because of his unhappiness over the club’s treatment of an ongoing shoulder injury.

St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko (NHL Images).

Gretz suggests the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Seattle Kraken and Nashville Predators should be calling. He believes the Rangers have the cap space and could be a good fit alongside Artemi Panarin on their top line. The Oilers should avoid pursuing aging defenseman Duncan Keith in favor of adding another impact player to provide more scoring depth.

The Devils have cap space and they need a scoring winger. The Kraken also have plenty of cap dollars and Tarasenko could quickly help them become competitive. The Predators need scoring though Gretz acknowledged the cap hit could get tricky.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The complication for the Rangers is how Tarasenko’s $7.5 million annual average value for the next two seasons would affect their efforts to re-sign first-line center Mika Zibanejad or find a suitable replacement. The Oilers have a greater need to improve their blueline and their goaltending so I don’t see them getting into the bidding for Tarasenko.

The Devils could be a good fit provided they’re on Tarasenko’s list of preferred trade destinations. If he wants to go to a contender he won’t be interested in joining an expansion club because there’s no certainty the Kraken will emulate the Vegas Golden Knights’ success. I don’t think the Predators can afford to add Tarasenko without shedding Matt Duchene’s contract.

Gretz considers the Columbus Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins and New York Islanders as long shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tarasenko can’t help the Jackets’ need for a first-line center. I agree with Gretz that the Bruins won’t be able to add another scorer if they’re focused on re-signing Taylor Hall, Tuukka Rask and David Krejci. He also pointed out the Islanders would need to make several moves to fit Tarasenko under their salary cap.

DEVILS SHOPPING DEFENSEMEN?

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy recently reported New Jersey Devils general manager is working on reshaping his defense corps. Multiple sources claim they’re gauging interest in P.K. Subban and are listening on Will Butcher.

Subban and Butcher are a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility. Blueliners Matt Tennyson, Ryan Murray and Connor Carrick become UFAs on July 28. Murphy wonders if Fitzgerald will try to sign away Adam Pelech from the New York Islanders with an offer sheet.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Subban isn’t the offensive star he once was but has remade himself into a more defensively responsible blueliner. The Devils will have to absorb part of his $9 million annual salary-cap hit or take back another hefty contract to facilitate a trade. Butcher has good puck-moving skills but his stats have declined since his promising 44-point debut in 2017-18.

The Devils have over $35 million in projected cap space for 2021-22. Fitzgerald has the room to sign Pelech or another club’s restricted free agent defenseman to an offer sheet. However, that doesn’t mean anyone he targets will sign. Offer sheets rarely occur and the last player successfully signed away was Dustin Penner in 2007.










NHL Injury Outlook: Is Anyone Safe Now?

by | Mar 10, 2020

NHL Injury Outlook: Is Anyone Safe Now?

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 6, 2020

by | Mar 6, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 6, 2020

Mika Zibanejad lights up the Capitals, the Flyers keep rising in the Metro, the Wild and Blackhawks surge into playoff contention and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Mika Zibanejad scored five goals, including the winner in overtime, as the New York Rangers edged the Washington Capitals 6-5. Artemi Panarin and Tony DeAngelo each had three points for the Blueshirts. Zibanejad tied the club record for most goals in a single game. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored twice to move into a tie for the goal-scoring lead with 47 goals. With the win, the surging Rangers (76 points) are two points behind the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. The slumping Capitals, meanwhile, move into a tie with the Philadelphia Flyers for first in the Metropolitan Division with 87 points.

New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad tallied five goals in a 6-5 win over the Washington Capitals (Photo via NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers are in a good position to overtake the Isles and the stumbling Columbus Blue Jackets. They must now be taken seriously as a playoff contender. The Capitals, on the other hand, appear to be in trouble. As per The Washington Post, a lack of cohesive team player (especially on defense) has led to a record of 14-15-2 since Dec. 23.

Meanwhile, the Flyers picked up their eighth straight victory by downing the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. Earlier in the day, however, the Flyers learned winger James van Riemsdyk will be sidelined four-to-six weeks with an injured hand. The struggling Hurricanes (75 points) slipped three points out of playoff contention in the Eastern Conference. They also learned defenseman Brett Pesce is out for the season following shoulder surgery. His expected recovery period is four-to-six weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: While the Capitals flounder, the Flyers are poised to take over first place in the Metro. They’ve been red hot in 2020, showing no sign of slowing. The Hurricanes are really struggling with goaltenders James Reimer and Petr Mrazek sidelined since late February. If they don’t return to action soon, the Canes’ playoff hopes could be dashed.

The Ottawa Senators spoiled the return of former Senator Jean-Gabriel Pageau by hanging on to defeat the New York Islanders 4-3. Pageau was dealt by the Sens to the Isles at last Monday’s trade deadline. The loss leaves the Islanders (78 points) clinging to the final Eastern wild-card spot. They’ve won just two of their last 11 contests.

An overtime goal by Torey Krug carried the Boston Bruins over the Florida Panthers 2-1. It was the Bruins’ fourth consecutive victory while the Panthers dropped their eighth straight home game. The Bruins sit atop the overall standings with 98 points, while the Panthers (74 points) sit four points out of a playoff spot in the East.

The Tampa Bay Lightning blanked the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. Andrei Vasilevskiy kicked out 32 shots for the shutout while Victor Hedman tallied twice. The Bolts sit second in the Atlantic Division with 89 points. Before the game, Canadiens winger Tomas Tatar returned to Montreal for evaluation of an upper-body injury.

Patric Hornqvist scored twice and Evgeni Malkin collected two assists as the Pittsburgh Penguins doubled up the Buffalo Sabres 4-2, handing the latter their fifth straight defeat. The Pens have won two straight and sit third in the Metro with 84 points.

Zach Parise extended his goal streak to four games and Alex Stalock made 30 stops as the Minnesota Wild nipped the San Jose Sharks 3-2. With 75 points, the Wild leaped over four other clubs into the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A month ago, the Wild seemed done like dinner, especially after winger Jason Zucker was traded to Pittsburgh on Feb. 10. Since then, the Wild have won eight of their last 12 games and put themselves into the middle of the Western Conference playoff race.

The Nashville Predators got a 33-save shutout from Juuse Saros to blank the Dallas Stars 2-0. Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene were the goal scorers. The Stars (82 points) remain in third place in the Central Division while the Predators (74 points) moved into a four-way tie with the Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, and Arizona Coyotes for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. The Canucks hold the spot due to games in hand.

Alex DeBrincat scored twice to lead the Chicago Blackhawks over the Edmonton Oilers 4-3. Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane also netted his 30th goal of the season. Chicago (74 points) are four points out of playoff contention in the West, while the Oilers (80 points) remain two back of the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division.

Shootout goals by Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe gave the Los Angeles Kings a 1-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick made 36 saves while the Leafs’ Frederik Andersen made 30. The Leafs (79 points) picked up a point and sit third in the Atlantic Division.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NJ.COM: Devils defenseman Will Butcher underwent season-ending surgery to repair ruptured ligaments in his right thumb.

TSN: The NHL Players Association canceled its April meeting with player agents because of the spread of the coronavirus.

NEW YORK POST: Former NHL player Matthew Barnaby was arrested on assault and public intoxication charges at a Nashville bar early Thursday morning.