NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 12, 2024

by | Jan 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 12, 2024

The Jets, Oilers, Panthers, and Kraken extend their win streaks, the Hurricanes extend their points streak and the Sharks end their long losing skid. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Third-period goals by Gabriel Vilardi and Nikolaj Ehlers lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1, extending their points streak to 14 games while setting a franchise record with their eighth straight win. The Jets (28-9-4) remain in first place in the overall standings with 60 points. Connor Murphy scored for the 12-28-2 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets center Mark Scheifele left this game in the second period with a lower-body injury. Earlier in the day, Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said he’s opened contract extension talks with pending unrestricted free agents Dylan DeMelo and Brenden Dillon.

The Edmonton Oilers tied a franchise record with their ninth straight win by downing the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on an overtime goal by Darnell Nurse. Zach Hyman had a goal and an assist for the 22-15-1 Oilers as they moved into the first NHL wild-card berth with 45 points. Alex Lyon kicked out 44 shots for the Red Wings (20-16-5) as they sit two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 45 points.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

An overtime power-play goal by Sam Reinhart gave the Florida Panthers a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, extending their win streak to nine games. Reinhart finished with two points while Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves for the 27-12-2 Panthers, who sit second in the Atlantic Division with 56 points. Cam Talbot stopped 37 shots for the 20-10-8 Kings as they’ve won just twice in their last 10 games and sit third in the Pacific Division with 48 points.

The Seattle Kraken extended their win streak to eight games and their points streak to 12 games by dropping the Washington Capitals 4-1. Joey Daccord turned aside 25 shots to extend his win streak to seven games and points streak to 11 games as the Kraken (18-14-9) sit just outside the final Western wild-card berth with 45 points. Max Pacioretty scored his first goal of the season for the Capitals (19-14-6) as they sit three points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 44 points.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks. The Hurricanes extended their points streak to seven games (23-13-5) and sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 51 points. John Gibson made 20 saves for the 14-26-1 Ducks before leaving this game following the second period with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson wasn’t the only goalie to leave this game early as the Hurricanes’ Pyotr Kochetkov departed midway through the second period with an undisclosed injury following a collision with Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom.

Earlier in the day, the Ducks announced forward Trevor Zegras was sidelined for six to eight weeks with a broken left ankle while defenseman Pavel Mintyukov would be out for six weeks with a separated shoulder. The pair suffered those injuries during Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators.

The San Jose Sharks ended a 12-game losing skid by beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Mackenzie Blackwood got the win with a 33-save performance for the 10-29-3 Sharks while Sam Montembeault stopped 32 shots for the 17-18-6 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The score flattered the Canadiens as the Sharks dominated them through most of this game.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored in overtime for a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pettersson had two goals and collected two assists while Brock Boeser tallied twice for the 28-11-3 Canucks (59 points) as they sit one point behind the league-leading Jets. Sidney Crosby scored two goals for the 20-15-5 Penguins (45 points), who are two points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins winger Reilly Smith left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury following a big hit by Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

Speaking of four-point performances, Mathew Barzal had a goal and three assists as the New York Islanders nipped the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3. Barzal netted the winning goal in overtime while Noah Dobson collected four assists for the 19-12-10 Islanders (48 points) as they sit third in the Metropolitan Division. Auston Matthews scored twice to extend his league lead in that category to 33 as his Maple Leafs (21-10-8) sit third in the Atlantic Division with 50 points.

A hat trick by Jordan Kyrou powered the St. Louis Blues to a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers. Jordan Binnington made 40 saves while Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and two assists for the 21-18-1 Blues (43 points) as they sit two points out of the final Western wild-card berth. Mika Zibanejad was sidelined by illness as his Rangers (26-12-4) sit in first place in the Metropolitan Divison with 54 points.

Speaking of hat tricks, Yegor Sharangovich’s three goals lifted the Calgary Flames over the Arizona Coyotes 6-2. Blake Coleman had a goal and two assists while Jacob Markstrom stopped 32 shots for the 19-18-5 Flames (43 points) as they’re also two points out of the final Western wild-card spot. Clayton Keller netted his 15th goal of the season for the Coyotes as they slipped to 20-18-2 and sit three points out of the final Western wildcard spot.

An overtime goal by Alex Pietrangelo gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist while Logan Thompson turned aside 32 shots for the 24-13-5 Golden Knights as they sit second in the Pacific Division with 53 points. Matt Grzelcyk scored for the 24-8-9 Bruins (57 points) who sit third in the overall standings but have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Bruins announced defenseman Brandon Carlo (upper body) was placed on injured reserve while goalie Linus Ullmark and forward Matthew Poitras are listed as day-to-day.

The Tampa Bay Lightning blew a 3-1 lead but would defeat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on an overtime goal by Darren Raddysh. Luke Glendening tallied twice and Nikita Kucherov collected two assists for his league-leading 69th point for the 21-17-5 Lightning as they hold the final Eastern wild-card spot with 47 points. Dawson Mercer, Jesper Bratt and Nathan Bastian scored for the Devils (21-15-3) as they sit behind the Lightning with 45 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored two goals in a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators, handing the latter their fifth straight loss. Claude Giroux netted two goals for the Senators, who also lost goaltender Anton Forsberg in the first period to a groin injury. The Sabres improved to 18-20-4 while the Senators are 14-23-0 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Sabres announced winger Jeff Skinner is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 31, 2023

by | Jan 31, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – January 31, 2023

Do the Islanders have more to do after acquiring Bo Horvat? Will this trade spur the Bruins and Capitals to go shopping in the trade market? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE FALLOUT FROM THE BO HORVAT TRADE

THE ATHLETIC: Following the New York Islanders’ acquisition of Bo Horvat yesterday, Kevin Kurz felt they have more to do if they hope to contend for the Stanley Cup this season. He believes the move doesn’t resolve their depth issue, especially after trading Anthony Beauvillier and Aatu Raty to bring in Horvat.

Vancouver Canucks trade Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders (NHL Images).

Kurz points out that Oliver Wahlstrom remains sidelined with an injured knee since Dec. 27 while Cal Clutterbuck is listed as out indefinitely. With approximately $9 million in trade deadline cap space, the Islanders have room to add another forward, particularly one that goes to the front of the net.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly shows the Islanders currently carry $11.3 million in accrued cap space by deadline day. That could fluctuate depending on potential call-ups or demotions but they should still have sufficient room to make another addition if necessary.

Finding sufficient trade assets to add another noteworthy player could become a problem for the Islanders. They’ve traded away their 2023 first-rounder and their third-rounder could end up belonging to the Coyotes as part of the conditions of shipping Andrew Ladd to Arizona in 2021.

In the Horvat deal, they also included one of their better prospects in Raty. Potential trade partners could ask for William Dufour or Calle Odelius.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Nick Goss noted the Bruins were rumored to be interested in Horvat before he was shipped to the Islanders. He believes they need another goal-scorer on the wings or a middle-six center with a left-hand shot.

Options could include Arizona Coyotes center Nick Bjugstad, Columbus Blue Jackets Gustav Nyquist, St. Louis Blues forward Ivan Barbashev, and Chicago Blackhawks forward Max Domi.

THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa included those players in his list of trade targets for the Bruins. He also mentioned the Blue Jackets’ Jack Roslovic and the Blues’ Ryan O’Reilly along with the Detroit Red Wings’ Oskar Sundqvist, San Jose Sharks Kevin Labanc and the Florida Panthers’ Colin White.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Apart from O’Reilly, the aforementioned players would be affordable trade options in terms of salary and return for the Bruins, who currently have $4 million in projected deadline cap space. That cap space could shrink substantially when winger Jake DeBrusk comes off LTIR later this season.

The Bruins will probably have to get creative to acquire O’Reilly. That could involve getting a third team involved to broker the deal and spread O’Reilly’s $7.5 million cap hit around.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Bruins, Jimmy Murphy cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculating the Bruins could add to their left defense. However, he considers it highly unlikely that they’ll part with DeBrusk or right-shot defenseman Brandon Carlo.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Sammi Silber doesn’t expect the Capitals to follow the Islanders’ example and swing a major trade for an impact forward. She pointed out they could have 14 healthy forwards when they return from the All-Star break.

The Capitals have little space to work with unless they intend to move a forward like Anthony Mantha or Lars Eller. Silber noted that the trade value isn’t high for those two as they’ve been struggling to produce.

Silber doesn’t see the Capitals chasing a big-ticket forward. Instead, they need someone like the Montreal Canadiens’ Joel Edmundson or the LA Kings’ Matt Roy to provide a solid presence and leadership on the blueline.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – January 29, 2023

by | Jan 29, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – January 29, 2023

Could the Devils be a destination for Vladimir Tarasenko? Would the Bruins have to part with Brandon Carlo or Jake DeBrusk to acquire Bo Horvat? What’s the latest on the Oilers, Senators and Kraken? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

LATEST “32 THOUGHTS” RUMORS

SPORTSNET (stick tap to NHL Watcher): During Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast, Elliotte Friedman reported the New Jersey Devils had previously spoken to the St. Louis Blues about winger Vladimir Tarasenko. When the Blues were trying to acquire Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames last summer, one thing they had to do was figure out how to trade Tarasenko. He wasn’t going to accept a trade to Calgary so trading him to New Jersey was discussed.

St, Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald is in the market for a scoring winger and has been linked to the San Jose Sharks’ Tim Meier. Unlike Meier, who is a restricted free agent this summer, Tarasenko is due to become an unrestricted free agent. Fitzgerald’s preference could be acquiring someone like Meier who fits within his club’s long-term plans rather than a rental player such as Tarasenko.

Friedman believes the Edmonton Oilers are among the teams with interest in Arizona Coyotes center Nick Bjugstad. He carries an affordable $900K contract this season, has scored 11 goals thus far this season and is among the shootout leaders with three goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There are a lot of notable stars who could be available leading up to this year’s trade deadline. However, there will be more of a market for decent, affordable veterans like Bjugstad given the high number of contenders with limited cap space.

Jeff Marek reports there hasn’t been much progress in contract talks between the Seattle Kraken and defenseman Carson Soucy, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. They may have to decide if they’ll keep him for a playoff run and risk losing him for nothing or shopping him before the March 3 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken GM Ron Francis would have to find a suitable replacement for Soucy if he trades him. It wouldn’t surprise me if he retains the veteran blueliner as an “own rental” for the playoffs.

Marek also reports some teams seeking goaltending depth for the playoffs are interested in Dallas Stars netminder Anton Khudobin. He’s healthy and currently playing for the Stars’ AHL affiliate. His $3.33 million cap hit ($3.75 million in actual salary) could be a sticking point.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars will have accrued over $2.7 million in cap space by the March 3 trade deadline. They could retain part of Khudobin’s salary to facilitate a deal but I think their preference is to get the entirety of that cap hit off their books to create room for any playoff rentals of their own.

HORVAT COULD COST BRUINS CARLO OR DEBRUSK IN A TRADE PACKAGE

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy cited a source claiming the Vancouver Canucks have always liked Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo and winger Jake DeBrusk. One of those players would likely have to be packaged with a first-round pick and a top prospect if the Bruins hope to acquire Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think the Canucks can do better than a package from the Bruins with Carlo or DeBrusk as the centerpiece. Carlo’s injury history should be a big red flag as should DeBrusk’s inconsistent offense.

OILERS SHOULD AVOID EDMUNDSON, SAYS LARAQUE

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples cited former Oiler Georges Laraque telling Oilers Now on Friday that the club should avoid acquiring Joel Edmundson. He claims the 29-year-old Montreal Canadiens’ blueliner has a herniated problem with his back that has hampered his performance.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Edmundson’s been frequently linked to the Oilers in the rumor mill. However, that doesn’t mean they’re going to acquire him to bolster the left side of their blueline. If they are interested they’ll want to see his medical records before signing off on a trade.

LATEST ON THE SENATORS

OTTAWA SUN: Ken Warren recently examined the Senators’ restricted and unrestricted free agents as the club’s playoff hopes fade.

Warren observed it would cost the Senators $9 million to qualify RFA winger Alex DeBrincat. If a team offered up an extremely talented young defenseman the Senators might bite on a deal. However, the best option appears to be waiting until the offseason and seeing if the club’s new ownership is willing to pay him a lucrative long-term deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll be surprised if the Senators trade DeBrincat considering what they gave up last summer to acquire him. Never say never if they get an irresistible offer but I think they intend to re-sign him.

He believes the chances of pending UFA goaltender Cam Talbot re-signing with the Senators appear less likely than they did three weeks ago.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Talbot’s struggles during this month before his recent injury could have the Senators considering other goaltending options for next season.

Warren felt that Austin Watson would be moved if someone offered up a late-round pick. Dylan Gambrell will likely be moving on at season’s end. A two or three-year bridge deal for Shane Pinto this summer makes the most sense.

It would be an intriguing call for the Senators if a club comes calling for blueliner Travis Hamonic at the trade deadline. Defenseman Nick Holden could also be moved by deadline day if there’s interest. It might finally be time for the Sens to move on from rearguard Erik Brannstrom.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators have been very patient with Brannstrom but I don’t see any significant signs of improvement in his game. He is what he is and the Sens will have to accept that and move on.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 24, 2023

by | Jan 24, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – January 24, 2023

More speculation linking the Jets’ Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Canadiens, the Canucks haven’t given up on re-signing Bo Horvat, plus the latest on Vladimir Tarasenko and David Pastrnak in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

MORE “DUBOIS TO MONTREAL” SPECULATION

SPORTSNET: During a Jan. 17 appearance on “Tim and Friends”, NHL insider Nick Kypreos expressed his belief that Pierre-Luc Dubois doesn’t have a long-term future with the Winnipeg Jets.

The 24-year-old center is slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1 with arbitration rights and will also be a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility. He was repeatedly linked last summer to the Montreal Canadiens before signing a one-year, $6 million deal with the Jets.

Kypreos didn’t rule out the possibility of Dubois joining the Canadiens this summer. “He is not staying in Winnipeg long term,” said Kypreos. “There is nothing that can change his mind from what I’m hearing”.

Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois (NHL Images).

According to Kypreos, the Jets’ surprisingly strong performance this season is the only reason Dubois isn’t on insiders lists of candidates to be moved at the trade deadline. He doesn’t believe there’s anything that could change Dubois’ mind even if the Jets were to win the Stanley Cup this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubois’ agent raised eyebrows last summer saying his client wouldn’t mind playing for the Canadiens one day. The center downplayed the rumors tying him to the Canadiens last summer and did so again last week when the Jets played the Habs in Montreal.

Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness recently sang Dubois’ praises, adding he’d do everything he could to convince him to sign a long-term contract. There’s no indication thus far that Jets management has engaged in contract extension talks with the Dubois camp.

The Canadiens, of course, haven’t mentioned any interest in Dubois because they’d run afoul of the league’s anti-tampering rules. His addition would accelerate the Habs’ rebuild but they could be leery of investing in a big-ticket player at this early stage of the process. If there were interested, they could balk at the cost of trading for him and then inking him to an expensive new contract.

It’s clear the “Dubois to the Canadiens” speculation isn’t going away as long as uncertainty remains about his future in Winnipeg.

AN UPDATE ON BO HORVAT

CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal of the “Donnie and Dhali” show reports it is believed the Vancouver Canucks are still looking at ways to keep Bo Horvat “as tough as that may be”.

Horvat is eligible for unrestricted free-agent status on July 1. The 27-year-old center has become a fixture in the rumor mill since rejecting a contract offer from the Canucks weeks ago.

Dhaliwal said they want to see how things work between Horvat and new head coach Rick Tocchet. They can only sign Horvat or Andrei Kuzmenko but not both and so far no offer has been made to Kuzmenko.

“Can they send one final offer Horvat’s way?” asked Dhaliwal, who nodded and said the two sides did talk over the weekend. He firmly believes the Canucks won’t give the Horvat camp permission to talk with other teams as they don’t want to lose leverage in negotiations.

Dhaliwal suggested keeping an eye on Brandon Carlo if the Boston Bruins came calling about Horvat. “Right-shot D, 25 years old, that’s who I would ask for. Brandon Carlo,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dhaliwal stressed there is no confirmation the Bruins have an interest in Horvat. The Canucks need blueline depth but Carlo’s injury history should be a concern.

Media consensus believes Horvat’s a goner. As always, however, it’s worth remembering that this season was supposed to be J.T. Miller’s last with the Canucks before he was signed to a long-term contract extension.

LATEST ON TARASENKO AND PASTRNAK

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford believes trade-deadline talk involving the St. Louis Blues should pick up once Vladimir Tarasenko returns from a hand injury later this month. The 31-year-old winger is slated to become a UFA on July 1.

Rutherford believes Tarasenko’s return will become a showcase of whether he can prove he’s healthy and can help playoff contenders. He has a full no-trade clause so it remains to be seen if he’ll waive it to go to a contender or ride out the season in St. Louis and hit the open market in July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rutherford wondered if the Carolina Hurricanes would be interested in Tarasenko after losing Max Pacioretty to injury for the rest of the season. They have nearly identical average annual values with Pacioretty earning $7 million and Tarasenko $7.5 million.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman claiming the Boston Bruins and winger David Pastrnak are getting closer to a contract extension. He believes the two sides are meeting almost every day.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins aren’t going to let Pastrnak hit the open market in July. He’s going to stay in Boston on an eight-year contract. It’s just a question of how much the average annual value breaks down.

Pastrnak is a former Richard Trophy winner who is jockeying with Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for the goal-scoring crown this season. He sits fifth in total goals (251) since 2016-17. I expect he’ll get around $12 million annually. That’s the going rate for goal scorers of his caliber.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 25, 2022

by | Oct 25, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 25, 2022

Milestones reached by Alex Ovechkin, Phil Kessel, and Shane Pinto, the Canucks’ winless streak continues, the three stars of the week are revealed, Carey Price talks publicly about his future, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored what proved to be the winning goal in a 6-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Ovechkin moves past Gordie Howe into second place on the all-time game-winning goals list with 122. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren got the win with a 38-save performance while Devils netminder Mackenzie Blackwood got the hook after giving up five goals on 18 shots.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jaromir Jagr is the all-time leader in NHL game-winning goals with 135. The Capitals are 4-3-0 while the Devils drop to 3-3-0.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Phil Kessel tied the NHL’s Ironman record by appearing in his 989th consecutive game as his club downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1. Kessel also picked an assist on the Golden Knights’ game-opening goal. Chandler Stephenson and Michael Amadio scored in the third period to give Vegas the win.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kessel appeared to have scored his 400th career goal in this game but it was overturned as offside by a coach’s challenge. Leafs captain John Tavares briefly left the game after being struck in the leg by a shot but returned and finished the contest. The Golden Knights improved to 5-2-0 while the Leafs are 4-3-0.

Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto set a franchise rookie record during a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. Pinto scored to extend his goal streak to five games while teammate Brady Tkachuk scored and collected an assist. Stars forward Denis Gurianov was a healthy scratch. The Senators’ record is now 4-2-0 while the Stars are 4-1-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators backup Magnus Hellberg made 29 saves as starter Anton Forsberg sat out this game with an undisclosed injury. Before this game, they learned center Josh Norris could be sidelined for at least two weeks with an injured shoulder.

The Vancouver Canucks’ winless streak extended to 0-5-2 as they fell 3-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes(4-1-1). Third-period goals by Sebastian Aho and Jesper Fast snapped a 1-1 tie while J.T. Miller scored twice for the Canucks and teammate Thatcher Demko made 36 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The score flatter the Canucks as they were dominated by the Hurricanes for most of this game. They managed just 16 shots on goal while Demko was peppered by the Canes. The loss capped a lousy day for the Canucks as they learned defenseman Quinn Hughes is week-to-week with a lower-body injury while winger Brock Boeser is day-to-day with an undisclosed ailment.

Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists to rally the Edmonton Oilers from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3. Evander Kane, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers while Penguins Rickard Rakell and Jason Zucker each had two points. The Oilers improved to 3-3-0 while the Penguins are 4-1-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers captain Connor McDavid left the game after crashing awkwardly into the Penguins’ net but would return to action.

Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves to shut out the St. Louis Blues 4-0, handing the latter their first loss of the season (3-1-0). Mark Scheifele tallied what proved to be the game-winning goal as his club improved to 3-3-0. Jets head coach Rick Bowness sat out this game as he’s still feeling the after-effects of his bout with COVID-19. 

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk and New Jersey Devils goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Oct. 23, 2022.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens goaltender Carey Price said he has no plans to retire despite a career-threatening knee injury that is expected to sideline him for the entirety of this season.

The 35-year-old netminder admitted it’s been an emotional roller coaster to go from the 2021 Stanley Cup Final to where he is today. He acknowledged the possibility of undergoing another surgery but knows it has a 50 percent success rate and could come with risks to his quality of life away from the game. Price is signed through 2025-26 with an average annual value of $10.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Price revealed the possibility of another surgery to The Athletic’s Arpon Basu but this is the first time he’s spoken publicly about it. He hasn’t given up hope of resuming his career but he seems fully aware that it could be a long shot.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Speaking of the Canadiens, rookie winger Juraj Slafkovsky is considered day-to-day after undergoing tests for an upper-body injury.

THE ATHLETIC: Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo is getting close to returning to the lineup after suffering the fifth concussion of his career during an Oct. 15th game against the Arizona Coyotes. He indicated that his vision went black in one of his eyes and he couldn’t follow the play following the hit so he went to the locker room where he was diagnosed with a concussion.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carlo is aware of the risk of accumulating concussions but insists he still feels very good from a hockey aspect. Nevertheless, he’s reached a worrying level of concern with these injuries that could become career-threatening.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers center Filip Chytil will miss the next four games with a suspected concussion.

TSN: Tyler Ennis has signed with SC Bern of the Swiss National League. The 33-year-old forward scored 144 goals and 202 assists in 700 games over 13 NHL seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 16, 2022

by | Oct 16, 2022

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 16, 2022

Is there a deal to be had between the Coyotes and Senators for Jakob Chychrun? Could the Bruins shop one of their left-side defensemen? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports sidelined defenseman Jakob Chychrun is scheduled to join the club later this week to at least skate with his teammates. However, there remains no firm timeline for his return to action.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

The Ottawa Senators have been linked to Chychrun in the rumor mill. However, Friedman cites multiple sources claiming there currently isn’t a path for a deal between the two clubs, though that might change once he resumes skating.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chychrun has requested a trade and Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong is willing to accommodate him. However, until he’s back playing and remains healthy and productive, he’ll likely remain with the Coyotes for a while.

As always, the combination of the Coyotes’ high asking price and Chychrun’s injury history makes it difficult for the club to ship him to the Senators or any other interested team.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy reports the Bruins will have five left-side defensemen once Matt Grzelcyk returns from injury in the near future. He noted that Bruins GM Don Sweeney intends to keep an open mind regarding moving one of those blueliners to clear some salary-cap space or to provide depth should injuries occur.

Mike Reilly appears the likely trade candidate. He cleared waivers last week and sources claimed the Bruins were shopping him prior to putting him on waivers. The fact he went unclaimed was due to so many teams possessing insufficient cap space to take on his $3 million cap hit.

Murphy also mentioned some speculation suggesting the Bruins might shop right-side rearguard Brandon Carlo if he doesn’t round into everything they’ve envisioned. One scout said to Murphy he wouldn’t be surprised if Sweeney shopped Carlo for “a big going-for-it move” at the March 3 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sweeney could attempt to move Reilly in a cost-cutting deal once Brad Marchand or Charlie McAvoy come off long-term injured reserve later this season. Perhaps by that point, there will be interested clubs that have accrued sufficient cap space to take him on.

Carlo suffered what looked like another head/concussion injury during last night’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. Given his concussion history, that could adversely affect his trade value if he’s sidelined again for any length of time.