NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 8, 2023

by | Nov 8, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 8, 2023

The Sharks get their first win of the season, Rangers winger Artemi Panarin extends his points streak, Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau gets benched, the Oilers place Jack Campbell on waivers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The San Jose Sharks ended their 11-game season-opening winless skid by holding off the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1. Anthony Duclair and William Eklund scored while Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 38 shots for the 1-10-1 Sharks. Joel Farabee replied for the Flyers as they dropped to 5-7-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackwood was the hero for the Sharks with a stellar performance in this game. It’s just the third game that they managed to score more than once. Meanwhile, Sean Couturier returned to the Flyers lineup after missing the last two games with a lower-body injury while Morgan Frost was a healthy scratch.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist to extend his season-opening points streak to 12 games as his club clipped the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 5-3. Vincent Trocheck scored twice while Chris Kreider and Erik Gustafsson each had two points as the Rangers (9-2-1) lead the Metropolitan Division with 19 points. Michael Rasmussen, Klim Kostin and Andrew Copp scored for the Red Wings as they slipped to 7-5-1.

The Calgary Flames scored four straight goals to double up the Nashville Predators 4-2. Nazem Kadi and Yegor Sherangovich each had two points for the 4-7-1 Flames while Michael McCarron and Kiefer Sherwood tallied for the 5-7-0 Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The surprise of the night was Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau getting benched for the entire third period as his teammates staged their comeback win. Flames coach Ryan Huska said he made the move because he felt Huberdeau had an off-night.

Huberdeau has been struggling since last season to regain the high-scoring form that earned him an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $10.5 million. Whether this move lights a fire under him remains to be seen.

An overtime goal by Martin Necas lifted the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Tony DeAngelo and Brady Skjei also scored for the Hurricanes as they improved to 8-5-0. Alex Tuch and Rasmus Dahlin replied for the 6-6-1 Sabres.

The Colorado Avalanche remain unbeaten at home (4-0-0) after defeating the New Jersey Devils 6-3 to move into first place in the Central Division with 16 points. Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar each had three points and Nathan MacKinnon and Miles Wood both had two points for the 8-3-0 Avalanche. Tyler Toffoli and Dougie Hamilton each had two points for the 7-4-1 Devils.

A four-goal first period powered the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 5-3. Nick Paul tallied two goals while Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman each collected two points for the Lightning (6-3-4). Canadiens goalie Jake Allen was replaced by Sam Montembeault after giving up four goals on nine shots as the Habs sank to 5-5-2 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A tough outing for Allen, who was the club’s Molson Cup recipient as their top star in October. Meanwhile, Lightning forward Conor Sheary left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

Third-period goals by Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek gave the Minnesota Wild a 4-2 win over the New York Islanders. Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 shots as the Wild improved to 5-5-2. Noah Dobson and Oliver Wahlstrom replied for the Islanders as they dropped to 5-3-3.

The Winnipeg Jets got two goals from Kyle Connor to beat the St. Louis Blues 5-2. Connor and Mark Scheifele each finished with three points while Alex Iafallo collected four assists for the 6-4-2 Jets. Robert Thomas and Brayden Schenn scored for the Blues as they fell to 5-5-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Part of the return to Winnipeg in the June trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Kings, Iafallo has fit in well with the Jets. He’s third among their scoring leaders with 10 points in 12 games.

A shootout goal by Nick Bjugstad lifted the Arizona Coyotes to a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz each had two points in regulation while Connor Ingram made 35 saves for the 6-5-1 Coyotes. Matty Beniers and Eeli Tolvanen each had two points for the Kraken (4-6-3).

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltenders Tristan Jarry and Magnus Hellberg combined for 32 saves to shut out the Anaheim Ducks 2-0. Radim Zohorna and Sidney Crosby were the goal scorers as the Penguins improved to 5-6-0. John Gibson made 34 saves for the Ducks (7-5-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jarry left this game in the third period with a head injury as he suffered a cut over his right eye. There was no update on his condition following the game.

IN OTHER NEWS…

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers yesterday placed goaltender Jack Campbell on waivers to assign him to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. They’re expected to call up Calvin Pickard to back up Stuart Skinner.

Campbell, 31, is in the second season of his five-year, $25-million contract. He’s struggled since last season to establish himself as their starter. The Oilers are dead last in the NHL in save percentage this season with Campbell (.873) having one win in five starts while Skinner (.856) has one win in six starts.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No one is claiming Campbell and his contract off waivers. The Oilers will have to hope that this stint in the AHL helps him regain his form and confidence. They will only get $1.15 million in cap relief by sending him to the minors. 

This move has also sparked speculation that more changes could be coming for the struggling Oilers. I’ll have more on this in today’s Rumors update.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 4, 2023

by | Nov 4, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 4, 2023

The Devils fall to the Blues and lose Jack Hughes, the Flyers defeat the Sabres, Sidney Crosby approaches another milestone, and the Rangers get bad news on Adam Fox and Filip Chytil. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: St. Louis Blues center Kevin Hayes scored his first two goals of the season in a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Hayes finished the night with three points while Jordan Binnington made 33 saves for the Blues, who improved their record to 4-4-1. Curtis Lazar replied for the Devils (6-3-1), who lost scoring leader Jack Hughes to an upper-body injury in the first period when he lost his balance and crashed into the boards behind the Blues net.

St. Louis Blues center Kevin Hayes (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes played one more shift and left the game before the end of the first period. Following the game, Devils coach Lindy Ruff said the 22-year-old center would be reevaluated on Saturday.

Three first-period goals carried the Philadelphia Flyers over the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 5-1. Travis Konecny scored his ninth of the season to move into a tie for the NHL goal-scoring lead with Detroit’s Alex DeBrincat and Anaheim’s Frank Vatrano. Bobby Brink and Joel Farabee each collected two points for the 5-5-1 Flyers. Henri Jokiharju scored for the Sabres as they dropped to 5-6-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers goaltender Carter Hart (mid-body) and center Sean Couturier (lower body) missed this game and are listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left this game with a lower-body injury.

Both clubs are off to surprising starts this season. The Flyers were expected to be near the bottom of the standings while the Sabres were considered a playoff contender. There’s still a long way to go in this season for both clubs but it’s safe to say that the Flyers have exceeded expectations thus far while the Sabres have not met theirs.

HEADLINES

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will be appearing in his 1,200th career NHL game when his club faces off on Saturday against the San Jose Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby is already the Penguins’ all-time leader in games played. He will tie Owen Nolan for 127th overall on the league’s all-time list.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers placed defenseman Adam Fox on long-term injury reserve with a lower-body injury. Fox was sidelined by a leg-on-leg hit from Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho on Thursday. They also placed center Filip Chytil on injured reserve with an upper-body injury that occurred during the same game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those are significant losses for the Rangers. Fox is their top defenseman while Chytil centered their third line. The absence of former Norris Trophy winner Fox hurts the most given his workload as their blueline linchpin.

CBS SPORTS: Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He’s already missed the first seven games of this season due to an injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anaheim Ducks head coach Greg Cronin was fined $25,000.00 by the NHL “for unprofessional conduct directed at the officials” during Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

TSN 1200: Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub will remain sidelined for at least the next two games as he continues to recover from a concussion.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers sent defenseman Philip Broberg to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Broberg struggled to play up to expectations this season and lost his spot on the Oilers’ blueline to Vincent Desharnais.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 17, 2023

by | Oct 17, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 17, 2023

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the opening week of the season, injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: A 34-save performance by Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom carried his club to a 4-1 upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs, snapping Auston Matthews’ season-opening hat-trick streak at two games. Corey Perry snapped a 1-1 tie, Andreas Athanasiou collected two assists and rookie Connor Bedard had his points streak end at three games. John Tavares replied for the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Full marks to the Blackhawks for a solid team game against the Leafs. The latter’s sloppy defense in this contest proved costly, especially on Perry’s game-winning goal.

The Detroit Red Wings got a 23-save shutout from James Reimer to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0. Shayne Gostisbehere scored what proved to be the winning goal. Spencer Martin stopped 28 shots for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings raised some eyebrows by making Jeff Petry a healthy scratch. They acquired the 35-year-old defenseman from the Montreal Canadiens in August. Meanwhile, Wings forward Robby Fabbri missed this game with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart scored twice as his club held off the New Jersey Devils by a score of 4-3. Matthew Tkachuk collected two assists as the Panthers jumped to a 4-0 lead. The Devils made it interesting with three unanswered goals in the third period with Jesper Bratt collecting a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers head coach Paul Maurice moved into third place on the NHL’s all-time games coached list at 1,769. Speaking of the Panthers, they placed forward Sam Bennett on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

Timo Meier was benched in the third period by Devils coach Lindy Ruff along with Curtis Lazar and John Marino with Ruff singling out Meier’s undisciplined play. Devils forward Tomas Nosek (day-to-day) missed this game with a lower-body injury.

A shootout goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov gave the Washington Capitals a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames, giving Spencer Carbery his first win as an NHL head coach. Former Flames winger Matthew Phillips collected a goal and an assist against his old club as the Capitals overcame a 2-0 deficit. Adam Ruzicka and Dillon Dube each had a goal and an assist for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals winger Anthony Mantha was a healthy scratch from this game.

The New York Rangers nipped the Arizona Coyotes 2-1. Vincent Trocheck snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period while Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves for the win. Chris Kreider also scored for the Rangers while Clayton Keller replied for the Coyotes.

HEADLINES

Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson and Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin were the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Oct. 15.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens center Kirby Dach suffered a “significant injury” during Saturday’s win over the Blackhawks and will be sidelined for an extended period of time. He suffered the injury when he was checked into the Chicago bench by Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Eric Engels said he’s heard Dach tore his ACL and MCL in his knee. The club is doing more tests before making a more detailing announcement regarding his status but Engels suggests it could put the young forward’s season at risk. Offseason acquisition Alex Newhook could replace Dach as the Canadien’s second-line center.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken forward Brandon Tanev is expected to be sidelined for four-to-six weeks with a lower-body injury suffered during the season-opener against the Vegas Golden Knights.

DAILY FACEOFF: Minnesota Wild forward Matthew Boldy is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered during Saturday’s loss to the Maple Leafs.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers center Sean Couturier missed practice on Monday. He played in their first two games of the season which was the first time he’d played since being sidelined by a back injury in Dec. 2021. Head coach John Tortorella said his absence was not due to his back but that he was “banged up.”

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Flyers, they officially unveiled their new arena upgrades for Wells Fargo Center that cost the club an estimated $400 million.

CBS SPORTS: San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic won’t play Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes due to a lower-body injury.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield is day-to-day with a lower-body injury suspected to be his left ankle.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 26, 2023

by | Sep 26, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 26, 2023

A roundup of Monday’s preseason action, the Blue Jackets hire Mark Recchi as an assistant coach, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Calgary Flames and Seattle Kraken picked up wins in their split-squad matchups. One Flames squad got a 3-2 shootout victory while the other Kraken squad picked up a 5-3 victory.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames also lost forward Jakob Pelletier in their 5-3 defeat when he left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury after being boarded by the Kraken’s Marian Studenic, who received a five-minute major and a game misconduct. Pelletier was helped from the ice and will be evaluated today.

SEATTLE TIMES: Coachella Valley Firebirds assistant coach Jessica Campbell was behind the Kraken bench as part of the coaching staff in their 3-2 loss to the Flames.

She is the first female to coach full-time in the AHL. In this game, she became the second woman to be part of the coaching staff for an NHL contest.

Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) coach Kori Cheverie was the first as she made a guest coaching stint behind the bench for the Pittsburgh Penguins in Montreal on Sunday.

Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier (NHL Images).

In split-squad action, the New Jersey Devils doubled up the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 with Jack Hughes leading the way with a goal and two assists while Jesper Bratt collected three assists in a 6-0 drubbing of the Philadelphia Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sean Couturier played his first game in over 21 months following two back surgeries. While he didn’t collect any points, the 30-year-old center won 10 of 18 faceoffs and logged over 18 minutes of ice time.

Flyers winger Cam Atkinson was expected to play in this contest but was scratched due to soreness from a lower-body injury.

The Florida Panthers also won both of their split-squad games. Oliver Ekman-Larsson picked up three assists in a 5-0 victory over the Nashville Predators while Sam Bennett had a goal and two assists in their 5-2 win over the other Predators squad.

Jakob Chychrun scored twice, including the winner in overtime, as the Ottawa Senators nipped the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Laurent Brossoit kicked out 26 shots to shut out the Edmonton Oilers 5-0.

Ryan Johansen scored in his debut with the Colorado Avalanche in a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud left the game with an upper-body injury in the first period. He will be reevaluated today.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets hired Mark Recchi as an assistant coach as he’ll work with their forwards and coordinate their power play. The Hall-of-Famer spent six seasons as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Western Hockey League (WHL) has suspended Wenatchee Wild head coach Kevin Constantine pending an investigation into alleged violations of league rules. Constantine was a head coach with the San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils from 1993 to 2002.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 20, 2023

by | Sep 20, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 20, 2023

The Blues name their new captain, the latest on Flyers forwards Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson, the Canadiens and Canucks make a trade on the eve of the start of training camps, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STLTODAY.COM: Brayden Schenn was named as the 24th captain in St. Louis Blues history. The club made the announcement yesterday. Schenn, 32, spent the past six seasons with the Blues and was an alternate captain for the past three campaigns. He’s under contract for five more seasons.

St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I doubt that anyone was surprised that Schenn got the nod for the captaincy. A durable, versatile and reliable forward, he’s reached or exceeded 50 points five times over the past six seasons. Schenn’s been in a leadership role with the Blues for several seasons so this was probably an easy choice for the club.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson are good to go when training camp opens on Thursday. The two veteran forwards missed all of last season due to injuries. Both players were scrimmaging with teammates prior to the start of camp.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s good news for the Flyers’ forward depth as they approach this season. It will also provide Briere with an opportunity to evaluate the performances of Couturier and Atkinson to determine their place and role in the club’s rebuilding process.

TSN: The Montreal Canadiens traded goaltender Casey DeSmith to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday evening in exchange for winger Tanner Pearson and a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins last month as part of the three-team Erik Karlsson trade, DeSmith wasn’t expected to start this season with the Canadiens.

Pearson is a veteran middle-six winger who’s in the final season of his contract and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He could become a bargaining chip for the rebuilding Habs by the March 8 trade deadline if he’s fully recovered from the hand injury that ended his 2022-23 campaign and plays well this season.

The Canucks, meanwhile, get a reliable backup for starting goalie Thatcher Demko while freeing up much-needed cap space. This move should also make them salary-cap compliant to start the season. Like Pearson, DeSmith is slated to become a UFA next July. Perhaps a solid performance will earn him a contract extension with the Canucks.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild signed Calen Addison to a one-year contract worth $825K.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coming off his entry-level contract and an inconsistent rookie season, Addison had no leverage with the cap-strapped Wild. The 23-year-old defenseman will need a better effort in his sophomore campaign to garner a better contract next summer when he’ll have arbitration rights.

TSN: The Senators re-signed forward Egor Sokolov to a one-year, two-way contract. He’ll earn $775K at the NHL level.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators are reportedly no closer to signing restricted free-agent center Shane Pinto as they report for training camp today. It’ll be interesting to see how long these negotiations go on. The 22-year-old Pinto has also surfaced in recent trade rumors but reports out of Ottawa claim the two sides are still working toward a new contract.

TSN: cited a report in The Athletic indicating the Chicago Blackhawks will not be naming a captain for this season. The club parted ways this summer with long-time captain Jonathan Toews.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report noted that Seth Jones was keen to become the next Blackhawks captain. His performance this season could determine if he lands the role next season.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Detroit Red Wings have invited forward Artem Anisimov and goaltender Michael Hutchinson to training camp on professional tryout offers. Anisimov, 35, last played in the NHL in 2020-21 with the Ottawa Senators while the 33-year-old Hutchinson played 16 games last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 24, 2023

by | Aug 24, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – August 24, 2023

A look at some of the Metropolitan Division teams plus some PTO options for the Penguins in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

QUESTIONS FOR SOME METROPOLITAN DIVISION TEAMS

SPORTSNET: Earlier this week, Ryan Dixon looked at the biggest questions facing each team in the Metropolitan Division. Some of them involve possible trade scenarios.

The Carolina Hurricanes, for example, must decide if they’re willing to go through this season without a contract extension for Brett Pesce. They could flip him for a scoring forward but Dixon thinks they could ride it out with the 28-year-old defenseman given their status as a Stanley Cup contender.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was speculation earlier this summer that the Hurricanes were willing to consider trading Pesce if they couldn’t get him under contract before the start of this season. Their offseason additions of Dmitry Orlov and Tony DeAngelo served to fuel those rumors. If they don’t find a suitable trade offer, however, they could stick with Pesce for the coming season.

Dixon also wondered whether the New Jersey Devils will take a run at landing a reliable starting goaltender such as the Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck. He also mentioned the possibility of the Boston Bruins moving one of their goalies in pursuit of a center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils were linked to Hellebuyck in the rumor mill through late June and early July. It’s said that they weren’t willing to meet the 30-year-old goalie’s $9 million average annual value on a new contract beyond this season. As for the Bruins, they’re sticking with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. They see having a solid goalie tandem as their best bet to reach the playoffs this season.

If center Sean Couturier is fully healthy, Dixon mused over what his future might be and if it would be with the Philadelphia Flyers. The 30-year-old former Selke Trophy winner was sidelined by a back injury since Dec. 2021 but is expected to be in training camp next month. Perhaps the Flyers put Couturier on the trade block if he regains his form though his hefty contract could make that an impossibility.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Couturier’s contract is a major obstacle in the path toward a trade. He carries an AAV of $7.75 million through 2029-30 with a full no-movement clause.

Finally, Dixon pondered the fates of Washington Capitals forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov and Anthony Mantha. He wondered if a trade of one or both forwards was possible given their miserable performances last season. He suggested the prospect of moving Kuznetsov if the Capitals were willing to retain part of his $7.8 million AAV through 2024-25.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If there were any chance of moving either guy it would’ve happened by now. The Nashville Predators were reportedly interested in Kuznetsov before free agency started on July 1 but that seems to have waned following their signing of center Ryan O’Reilly.

SOME SUGGESTED PTO TARGETS FOR THE PENGUINS.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski recently suggested several players the Penguins should consider as possible targets for professional tryout offers.

One name of note is former Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes winger Jesse Puljujarvi, suggesting the opportunity to play with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin might be a selling point. Other targets include defensemen Mark Pysyk and Slater Koekkoek.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Puljujarvi is recovering from offseason hip surgery and is expected to be unavailable until later this fall. Kingerski noted that Koekkoek stepped away from the game last season to deal with unbearable anxiety. He hasn’t announced if he’s ready to resume his career.

Pysyk might be the best bet on his list. He missed last season recovering from a torn Achilles but could be ready to return to action for 2023-24.