NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2024

by | Apr 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2024

The Kings tie their series with the Oilers, the Bruins regain the lead over the Leafs, and the Golden Knights widen their lead over the Stars. Get the details plus the latest news from around the league in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar scored his first playoff overtime goal since 2012 in a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, tying their opening-round best-of-seven series at a game apiece. Kopitar also collected two assists and Adrian Kempe tallied twice for the Kings. Oilers forward Dylan Holloway scored his first two NHL playoff goals. The series moves to Los Angeles for the next two games with Game 3 slated for Friday, Apr. 26 at 10:30 pm EDT.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings recovered well from their 7-4 blowout loss in Game 1, reminding everyone that this series could be another slog like the last two between these clubs. The 36-year-old Kopitar set franchise records with his third playoff overtime goal and was the club’s oldest player to score an overtime postseason goal.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand scored the winning and insurance goals to lead his club over the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2, taking a 2-1 lead in their first-round series. Trent Frederic and Jake DeBrusk also scored and Jeremy Swayman stopped 28 shots for the Bruins. Matthew Knies and Tyler Bertuzzi replied for the Leafs. Game 4 is in Toronto on Saturday, Apr. 27 at 8 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe claimed Marchand was getting favorable calls from the referees. This is the same Brad Marchand who is the most suspended player in NHL history, whose reputation rarely sees him get the benefit of the doubt from on-ice officials.

Keefe is justified to be upset over Marchand getting away with a blatant trip on Tyler Bertuzzi leading to Frederic’s game-tying goal. The officiating was lousy in this game. However, the Leafs have themselves to blame for this loss. They failed to score with five power-play opportunities while the Bruins went two for three with the man advantage. Toronto goaltender Ilya Samsonov was shaky in this game after a solid effort in Game 2.

The Vegas Golden Knights expanded their series lead to 2-0 over the Dallas Stars with a 3-1 victory in Game 2 of their first-round series. Jonathan Marchessault, Noah Hanifin and Jack Eichel were the goal scorers and Logan Thompson stopped 20 shots for the Golden Knights. Jason Robertson scored for the Stars. The series moves to Las Vegas for the next two games with Game 3 on Saturday at 10:30 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The good news for the Stars was they scored the opening goal, something that’s been an issue for them throughout this season. The bad news is the Golden Knights rallied back while neutralizing the Stars’ offense.

Stars forwards Mason Marchment and Radek Faksa left the game with injuries in the third period. Golden Knights defenseman Nic Hague missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce is expected to miss the remainder of his club’s first-round series with the New York Islanders. He suffered a non-contact lower-body injury in Game 2 on Monday. The Hurricanes hold a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round series.

NEW YORK POST: Speaking of the Islanders, Ilya Sorokin will replace Semyon Varlamov in goal for Game 3 on Thursday.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers center Sam Bennett (hand injury) will miss Games 3 and 4 of his club’s series with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s expected to be sidelined for a week.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks fired head coach David Quinn on Wednesday. He had a record of 41-98-25 in two seasons with the rebuilding Sharks after 96-87-25 with the New York Rangers from 2018 to 2021.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks went 19-54-9 this season but that’s not on Quinn. The roster was gutted during the offseason and further depleted by injuries to core players Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl, with the latter traded to the Golden Knights at the trade deadline.

Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News included former NHL bench bosses Craig Berube, Dean Evason, Gerard Gallant and Jay Woodcroft among his possible candidates to replace Quinn.

NHL.COM: Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek indicated his club could name a new captain for next season. The position has been vacant since Ryan Getzlaf’s retirement in 2022.

THE SALT LAKE CITY TRIBUNE: A capacity crowd at the Delta Center welcomed former Arizona Coyotes players, coaches and management as they were welcomed to Salt Lake City for the first time. The Coyotes are moving to Utah and will play in the Delta Center starting next season.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators still hope to make a deal with Ottawa’s National Capital Commission to build a new downtown arena at LeBreton Flats. However, hurdles remain for both sides to get a deal done.

Negotiations are ongoing between the two sides. The Senators are concerned about room for public parking on the site. They also hope to have space for an arena district with bars and restaurants.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Al Shaver, the play-by-play voice of the Minnesota North Stars from the club’s inception in 1967-68 until their relocation to Dallas in 1993, died on Monday at age 96.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Shaver’s family, friends, colleagues, and North Stars fans who enjoyed his coverage of their team.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 24, 2024

by | Apr 24, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 24, 2024

The Panthers and Rangers take 2-0 series leads while the Avalanche and Predators tie their first-round series. Get the details and the latest on the other playoff clubs and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Carter Verhaeghe lifted the Florida Panthers to a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of their best-of-seven opening-round series. Sam Bennett and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored for the Panthers, who hold a 2-0 series lead. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 34 shots and Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos replied for the Lightning. The series shifts to Tampa Bay for Games 3 and 4 with Game 3 on Thursday, Apr. 25 at 7 pm ET.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made an acrobatic stop on a backhander by Lightning defenseman Matt Dumba that could be considered an early favorite for “save of the playoffs.”

Bennett left this game in the second period after being struck in the hand by a slapshot from teammate Brandon Montour. There was no update on his condition following the game.

New York Rangers forwards Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck each had a goal and an assist as their club held off the Washington Capitals 4-3 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. Tom Wilson had a goal and an assist for the Capitals while teammate Alex Ovechkin was held without a point for the second straight game. The series moves to Washington for Games 3 and 4 with the third game set for Friday, Apr. 26 at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Special teams made the difference in this game as the Rangers got power-play goals from Zibanejad and Jack Roslovic and a shorthanded tally by K’Andre Miller. Meanwhile, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said he felt Ovechkin was struggling to get scoring chances in part because of the Rangers’ shot blocks.

A four-goal second period carried the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-2 victory in Game 2 of their series with the Winnipeg Jets, tying their opening-round series at a game apiece. Miles Wood, Artturi Lehkonen, Zach Parise and Josh Manson were the second-period goal scorers while goaltender Alexandar Georgiev made 28 saves. David Gustafsson and Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets. Games 3 and 4 will be held in Denver with Game 3 on Friday at 10 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was redemption for Georgiev following his brutal performance in Game 1. The Jets did themselves no favors with their sloppy defensive play in the second period.

The Nashville Predators tied their first-round series with the Vancouver Canucks at one apiece with a 4-1 win. Filip Forsberg and former Canuck Anthony Beauvilier each had a goal and an assist for the Predators while Nikita Zadrov scored for the Canucks. The series heads to Nashville for Games 3 and 4 with the third game starting at 7:30 pm on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Casey DeSmith suited up for Vancouver as starting goalie Thatcher Demko is out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury. Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said it is unrelated to the knee injury that sidelined Demko for 14 games this season. Nevertheless, the Canucks will be without their starting goalie for perhaps the remainder of this series.

Demko wasn’t the only Canuck on the shelf for this game. Defenseman Tyler Myers is sidelined with the flu.

DeSmith wasn’t to blame for the Canucks loss in this game. His teammates went 0-4 on the power play, had 32 shots blocked and missed the net 31 times.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe hinted it was possible William Nylander might return to action in Game 3 against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday in Toronto. The 27-year-old winger missed the first two games of this series with an undisclosed injury as the club has kept mum on his condition.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Bruins, defenseman Andrew Peeke is week-to-week with an upper-body injury (finger) suffered during Game 2 against the Leafs. The Bruins recalled defenseman Mason Lohrei from their AHL affiliate in Providence.

IN OTHER NEWS…

GOPHNX.COM: Craig Morgan reports Alex Meruelo has a steep hill to climb to convince anyone he should remain as owner of the Arizona Coyotes.

Public opinion of Meruelo in Arizona is at an all-time low. His method of operation has burned many bridges with local politicians, business leaders and community leaders. There is skepticism he can get a new arena built to meet the league’s five-year timeline to bring back the Coyotes as an expansion franchise.

Morgan also reported that Meruelo must reactive the franchise at least 18 months before the end of that five-year window. He can do it earlier but the new arena must be at least 50 percent completed at the time he reactivates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I recommend reading Morgan’s report. He details the number of issues dogging Meruelo that raise questions about his efforts to construct a new arena and bring the NHL back to Arizona and his suitability as an NHL owner.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Remy Mastey looks at the potential consequences if Meruelo fails to meet the league’s timeline for arena construction.

Meruelo still technically owns the Coyotes as part of the recent agreement that relocates the franchise to Salt Lake City. The team is considered inactive until Meruelo gets a new NHL-suitable arena within five years.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Craig Morgan that the NHL will not entertain competing bids for the Coyotes as long as Meruelo owns the rights. Once he no longer does, Arizona would become like any other expansion team.

Muruel intends to bid on a parcel of land for his new arena project at an auction on June 27. If he loses that auction he could have other options but it would be a significant setback for his plans.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports a record 11 NHL teams will carry salary-cap overages into 2024-25. Multiple teams are expected to carry over more than $2 million in penalties.

Some overages were pre-planned as the clubs knew the salary cap would significantly rise for next season. Other overages are due to younger players reaching their performance bonuses this season.

The Edmonton Oilers top the list with projected overage penalties of $3.45 million, followed by the Dallas Stars ($2.595 million) and the Washington Capitals ($2.252 million).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Click the link provided for the complete list. The flattened cap for this season put some of those teams into this bind regarding those players reaching their performance bonuses.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils forward Timo Meier underwent voluntary arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder yesterday. He’s expected to make a full recovery and be available for the start of the Devils’ training camp in September.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers signed goaltender Ivan Fedotov to a two-year, $6.5 million contract extension. He appeared in three games with the Flyers this season after finally being allowed to leave the KHL to pursue his NHL career.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL winger Jakub Voracek announced his retirement on Tuesday. The 34-year-old winger was in the final season of his contract but didn’t play due to concussion issues.

Voracek spent 15 seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers, scoring 223 goals and 583 assists for 806 points in 1,058 regular-season games. He also had 28 points in 49 playoff contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Voracek’s contract was traded last year to the Coyotes. He returned to Czechia and has taken up coaching there.

TORONTO SUN: Former Maple Leafs goaltender Ed Chadwick has passed away at age 90. He spent five seasons with the Leafs from 1955-56 to 1961-62, including back-to-back 70-game seasons. In 184 career games, he had a record of 57 wins, 92 losses and 35 ties with a 2.94 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. From 1982 to 2001, he was a scout with the Edmonton Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Chadwick’s family, friends and former teammates.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 23, 2024

by | Apr 23, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – April 23, 2024

A roundup of recent speculation involving the 16 non-playoff clubs in today’s NHL Rumor Roundup.

ESPN.COM: Kristen Shilton and Ryan S. Clark recently looked at what went wrong for the 16 NHL teams eliminated from playoff contention and their potential plans to address their problems in the offseason.

The Anaheim Ducks will have a projected salary cap space of $34 million next season. They could use some of that to strengthen their core.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks are a young team with promising talent but could use some seasoned depth to help them.

Looking at the former Arizona Coyotes who are moving to Utah, they could use their salary-cap space to replicate what they did in free agency last summer. Part of that was parlaying their cap space into trades with cap-strapped clubs while signing UFAs to one-year contracts knowing they can move them if necessary at the trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: General manager Bill Armstrong had to go that route last summer because he was dealing with an owner who gave him a shoestring budget. His club’s new owner, Ryan Smith, could be willing to spend to the cap this summer. That could enable Armstrong to pursue more talented players who could improve the club’s long-term fortunes.

Turning to the Buffalo Sabres, there’s a critical need for veteran depth, and consistent players at that.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres GM Kevyn Adams could look at adding a scoring forward after his club’s production declined this season. It’ll be interesting to see how their hiring Lindy Ruff as their head coach affects Adams’ plans.

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom (NHL Images).

The Calgary Flames have eight picks in the first four rounds of this year’s draft. They could use those picks to strengthen their farm system or to acquire some veteran help. It depends on how management approaches things.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames GM Craig Conroy insists he’s retooling rather than rebuilding his roster. He could use some of those picks to bolster his prospect pool and others as trade bait to add a veteran or two.

The Chicago Blackhawks are another team with draft capital to use as trade bait to bring in some immediate help. They have five picks in their first two rounds and seven in the first three of this year’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks are rebuilding but management has indicated they want to take steps forward next season. That could include signing one or two veteran free agents to provide additional depth in experience and leadership for their young players. It could also include going the trade route as well.

Hiring a new general manager is the priority for the Columbus Blue Jackets. That new GM must decide if the Jackets will pursue a full rebuild or attempt to build around their core of young talent. They’ll also have to decide what to do with Elvis Merzlikins, who could use a change of scenery after making noises about requesting a trade in January.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Merzlikins has three years left on his contract with an average annual value of $5.4 million and a 10-team no-trade clause. The Jackets will have to retain some salary to move him.

Goaltending is an issue the Detroit Red Wings must address. Ville Husso and Alex Lyons each have a year left on their contracts. Shilton wondered if GM Steve Yzerman might attempt to trade Husso and target someone else to work with Lyon.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Several notable goaltenders such as Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom, the Boston Bruins’ Linus Ullmark and the Nashville Predators’ Juuse Saros could be available in this summer’s trade market. Maybe Yzerman will take a stab at acquiring one of them.

Buying out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter continues to hamper the Minnesota Wild’s efforts to build up their roster. They have limited cap space for next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Clark wrote this anticipating goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury would depart as an unrestricted free agent with Jesper Wallstedt replacing him. Fleury’s re-signing has instead sparked speculation over Filip Gustavsson’s future in Minnesota.

The Montreal Canadiens are expected to be busy at this year’s draft. They had 12 picks (including two first-rounders) that they can use to continue restocking their prospect pipeline or as trade bait for players who will have a more immediate impact.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has acknowledged his club’s need for more scoring forwards. It wouldn’t be surprising if he used one of his two first-rounders packaged with one of his many promising defensemen to address that issue.

Goaltending is among the New Jersey Devils’ major needs. They need a wide search for someone with a veteran pedigree as their starting goaltender.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: GM Tom Fitzgerald acquired seasoned backup Jake Allen at the trade deadline. He made no secret of his intent to pursue a high-quality starter. Markstrom, Ullmark and Saros will be high on his list of offseason trade targets.

Speaking of goaltending, that’s also an area the Ottawa Senators must address. Shilton also wondered if they’ll trade Thomas Chabot or Jakob Chychrun this summer. Both are left-shot defensemen and the Senators need right-shot depth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It appears the Senators intend to return with their goalie tandem of Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg, hoping they’ll improve in the offseason. Chychrun could be moved instead of Chabot given the latter’s long-term contract.

The Philadelphia Flyers could also look at improving their goaltending. Most of their improvements could come from within their system.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyer GM Daniel Briere said last year that he’s rebuilding his roster. He is sticking with that long-term plan despite his club exceeding expectations this season. Briere is open to hockey trades that make sense for his club. However, it doesn’t sound like he’s interested in pursuing big-ticket free agents or making a blockbuster move.

Turning to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Shilton wondered what they’d do with their goalie tandem of Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic. Jarry struggled down the stretch and was supplanted by Nedeljkovic. She also believes the Penguins have no choice but to get younger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After this was published, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas and head coach Mike Sullivan gave Jarry a vote of confidence as their starter. It also appears Nedeljkovic will depart as a UFA on July 1.

The San Jose Sharks have a projected cap space of $38 million next season. That should allow this rebuilding club the flexibility to address their weak points. They could opt to sign veterans on one-year contracts that they can flip for draft picks at the trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: GM Mike Grier acknowledged this season was a low point for his club and they don’t want to go through that again. The rebuild will continue but they need to add some veterans who can help their young players develop and improve.

As for the Seattle Kraken, the cost of re-signing forward Matty Beniers could affect their offseason plans. They could use some of their cap space to bolster their scoring.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: GM Ron Francis acknowledged the decline in his club’s production this season. Improvement could come from within if Beniers and Andre Burakovsky have bounce-back seasons. Still, Francis could shop around in this summer’s trade and free-agent markets for a scoring forward.

Salary cap space was an issue last summer for the St. Louis Blues. They carry four defensemen with no-trade clauses. There’s also the discussion of whether they can get Pavel Buchnevich signed to a contract extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues have a projected $15.4 million available next season with 17 active roster players under contract. Blueliners Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko, Torey Krug and Nick Leddy eat up $23 million of their cap space and all have no-trade clauses. GM Doug Armstrong attempted to trade Krug last summer to the Flyers but the defensemen spiked the deal. It’ll be interesting to see if he tries moving one of those rearguards again this summer.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 20, 2024

by | Apr 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 20, 2024

The opening round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs begins today, the latest on the Coyotes’ move to Utah, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

PLAYOFF NOTES

NHL.COM: The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin today with the New York Islanders facing off against the Carolina Hurricanes (5 pm ET) in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series. At 8 pm ET, the Toronto Maple Leafs meet the Boston Bruins to start their series.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson returns to action after missing the final three games of the regular season with an upper-body injury. However, forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

TSN: Maple Leafs forwards William Nylander and Bobby McMann were absent from Friday’s practice. Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said Nylander (undisclosed) and McMann (lower-body injury) are “possibilities” for Game 1 against the Bruins.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Keefe also said Leafs general manager Brad Treliving told him there will be no daily injury updates during the playoffs.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad will return to action in Game 1 of his club’s first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He missed the last six games of the Panthers’ regular-season schedule. The two clubs face off on Sunday at 12:30 PM ET.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche backup goaltender Pavel Francouz officially announced his retirement on Friday. The 33-year-old missed the entire season following surgery on his adductors last summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Francouz was with the Avalanche for six seasons but injuries limited him to just four seasons on the ice. He played 73 regular-season games with 64 games saved, finishing with a record of 44-21-6, a 2.49 goals-against average, .919 save percentage and four shutouts. He saw action in 13 playoff games with a record of 8-4 with a 3.01 GAA, .899 SP and two shutouts. Francouz helped the Avalanche win the 2022 Stanley Cup.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Utah franchise owner Ryan Smith announced about 22,700 deposits have been made for season tickets during Friday’s press conference at Delta Center in Salt Lake City announcing the relocation of the Arizona Coyotes. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league was thrilled with the demand for season tickets for the Utah franchise.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Bettman also had to sit through what Remy Mastey described as a bizarre press conference with Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo, who attempted to explain his plans to bring an NHL expansion team back to Arizona within the next five years.

Meruelo appeared nervous and unprepared for the press conference. At one point, he said he didn’t like the media as an explanation for why he hasn’t spoken publicly about the Coyotes over the past year. Bettman sometimes clarified Meruelo’s remarks, jumping in occasionally to answer questions directed at the Coyotes owner.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Meruelo has five years to construct a state-of-the-art NHL arena to receive an expansion franchise. He must win an auction on June 27 (which he mistakenly said was June 29 during the press conference) for a parcel of land near Scottsdale where he intends to build this arena.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas revealed defenseman Kris Letang was dealing with multiple injuries, one of which could be serious enough to require surgery. Forward Matt Nieto and defenseman John Ludvig also suffered injuries that could require surgery in the offseason.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale could also go under the knife after saying he played injured through most of this season.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Flyers, Ryan Johansen’s playing career could be over. The 31-year-old center played 63 games this season with the Colorado Avalanche until traded to the Flyers on March 6. He’s been sidelined with an undisclosed ailment. Flyers GM Daniel Briere doesn’t expect him to be back, saying Johansen doesn’t think he can play hockey.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johansen’s situation has been shrouded in mystery. That’s prompted speculation that he doesn’t want to play under Flyers head coach John Tortorella due to their contentious relationship during their days with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Johansen hasn’t spoken publicly about the situation. It was obvious that his play had declined this season. Neither he nor the Avalanche mentioned an injury before the trade. It appears the Avs weren’t aware of his condition.

Johansen has one year left on his contract. If medically unfit to play, the Flyers could place him on long-term injury reserve at the start of next season.

STARTRIBUNE: Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber said he played the final two months of the regular season with fractured ribs. The 21-year-old blueliner is considered a candidate to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Faber finished the season sitting sixth among all NHL skaters in ice time per game (24:58), blocked the second-most shots among the Wild (150), quarterbacked their power play and finished tied for second among rookie scorers with 47 points.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said he’d like to sign Shayne Gostisbehere to a new contract. The 31-year-old puckmoving defenseman had 56 points with the Wings this season. Yzerman called him “a valuable player for how we’re set up on the back end.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings are Gostisbehere’s fourth NHL team since 2020-21. It appears “The Ghost Bear” might be settling down for a spell in Motown.

TSN: Interim Ottawa Senators head coach Jacques Martin is moving to an advisor role with the club.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Senators, general manager Steve Staios said he doesn’t expect to buy out any of his players this summer.

SPORTSNET: Former NHL star Jaromir Jagr became the oldest professional hockey player on Thursday when he skated for his club Kladno at age 52 years and 63 days. Gordie Howe was the previous record holder when he finished his NHL career in 1980 with the Hartford Whalers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 19, 2024

by | Apr 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 19, 2024

The Oilers and Kings have another first-round series, the Golden Knights face the Stars in the opening round, the Board of Governors approves the relocation of the Coyotes to Salt Lake City, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings clinched third place in the Pacific Division following a 5-4 overtime victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Adrian Kempe tallied the game-winner, Viktor Arvidsson scored twice and Quinton Byfield netted his 20th goal of the season for the 44-27-11 Kings (99 points), who’ll face the Edmonton Oilers in the opening round for the third straight year.

The Vegas Golden Knights dropped a 4-1 decision to the Anaheim Ducks to finish in the final wildcard in the Western Conference. Jack Eichel scored his 31st of the season for the 45-29-8 Golden Knights (98 points) as they’ll meet the Dallas Stars in the first round. Ducks winger Frank Vatrano scored a hat trick to finish the season with a career-high 37 goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Promising Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier collected an assist in his first NHL game.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon picked up two assists to set the franchise single-season scoring record (140 points) in a 5-1 victory over the Oilers. Valeri Nichushkin scored two goals and Mikko Rantanen netted his 42nd of the season. The Oilers scratched Connor McDavid and Leon Draistaitl to rest them for the upcoming playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avs’ previous single-season points record was 139 points set by Peter Stastny in 1981-82 when the franchise was called the Quebec Nordiques.

The Winnipeg Jets ended the regular season with their eighth straight win by doubling up the Vancouver Canucks 4-2. Cole Perfetti scored twice for the Jets while Canucks winger Conor Garland potted his 20th goal of the season. The Jets will face the Avalanche in the first round of the upcoming playoffs while the Canucks square off against the Nashville Predators.

Seattle Kraken winger Yanni Gourde scored two shorthanded goals in a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild. Kirill Kaprizov scored his 46th of the season for the Wild.

The Calgary Flames defeated the San Jose Sharks 5-1. Flames forward Blake Coleman reached the 30-goal plateau for the first time while teammate MacKenzie Weegar had his first 20-goal season. Fabian Zetterlund scored his 24th of the season for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: And with that, the 2023-24 regular season is over. The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Saturday, Apr. 20 with the New York Islander facing off against the Carolina Hurricanes while the Toronto Maple Leafs travel to Boston to meet the Bruins. You can see the updated first-round schedule here.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The league’s Board of Governors unanimously approved the relocation of the Arizona Coyotes to Salt Lake City, Utah. The board also approved a plan that renders the Coyotes franchise inactive, with a right to reactivate if owner Alex Meruelo has fully constructed a new, state-of-the-art facility appropriate for an NHL franchise within five years.

Effective at closing, the Coyotes franchise will transfer the totality of its existing hockey assets, including its full reserve list, roster of players and draft picks, and its hockey operations department to the Utah franchise.

Ryan Smith, the owner of Smith Entertainment Group and owner of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, is now the owner of the Utah franchise. While located in Salt Lake City, the club will be named after the state. Smith indicated the team will take time to determine its name, logos and colors.

DAILY FACEOFF: Smith said the Utah franchise has already sold over 11,000 season-ticket deposits in their first few hours on the market.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Coyotes franchise and its history and brand remain in Meruelo’s hands for the next five years. After speaking with governors around the league, LeBrun and colleague Darren Dreger said few have confidence that Meruelo can get that arena built.

The NHL still wants a franchise in Arizona. However, LeBrun isn’t sure it’ll be with Meruelo as the owner.

LeBrun also reported Smith won’t rush to decide on a team nickname. They’re looking for fan reaction and have hired a firm to look into branding. Smith is willing to start next season without a team nickname if that’s how long is needed to find an appropriate one.

Travis Yost explains why an NHL team will work in Salt Lake City. The city only has a quarter of a million residents but the county is five times that size while neighboring Utah County is a 30-minute drive from downtown Salt Lake City. That’s a total population base of nearly 2 million.

Yost also noted Salt Lake City and Utah are booming economically plus its tourism market draws a lot of winter sports enthusiasts. He also pointed out Salt Lake City is expected to win the bid for the 2034 Olympic Winter Games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Salt Lake City still needs a proper NHL-caliber arena but it’s expected that a state-funded one will be built soon to accommodate Olympic hockey and Smith’s Utah franchise.

The success of the NHL in Utah will depend on how much Smith is willing to invest in making this team a winner. It’ll also rely on how well-managed the franchise will be. The shine could come off this Utah franchise if they spend years as a pretender rather than a contender.

Current general manager Bill Armstrong was doing a good job rebuilding the Coyotes with affordable young talent on a shoestring budget. However, they need an infusion of talented veterans who can mentor those youngsters and turn the club into a perennial playoff team.

Armstrong could find some of that talent in the free-agent market if Smith is willing to spend to the salary cap. If he has the cap room, he can draw on his considerable depth in draft picks and prospects for trade bait to land a veteran star or two.

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov finished the season with a league-leading 144 points to win the Art Ross Trophy for the second time since 2018-19.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews won his third Maurice Richard Trophy as this season’s goal-scoring leader with 69 goals. He and Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin are the only players to win that award at least three times.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck earned his first career William M. Jennings Trophy as the netminder who played at least 25 games for the team that allowed the fewest goals.

SPORTSNET: The final odds for the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery are confirmed. The San Jose Sharks have the best odds (25.5 percent) while the Buffalo Sabres have the lowest odds (3.0 percent). Click the link provided for the complete list.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said he intends to meet at some point with general manager Kyle Dubas to discuss a contract extension. He has one year remaining on his current deal and his future has become the source of media speculation.

Crosby didn’t indicate how many more years he intends to play. In the shorter term, he’s uncertain if he’ll suit up for Canada in next month’s World Championships in Czechia.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby has plenty of time to sign an extension with the Penguins. He and Dubas will likely want that sorted out before the start of next season to avoid the situation becoming an unnecessary distraction.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen underwent surgery to repair a torn triceps muscle two months following his injury. He’ll require three months of rehab and recovery but is expected to be ready for training camp in September.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some are questioning why it took so long for Ristolainen to have surgery and why the Flyers provided no updates on his condition until now.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 18, 2024

by | Apr 18, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 18, 2024

The Coyotes win their final game in Arizona, Nikita Kucherov reaches 100 assists, the Stars clinch first in the Western Conference, the Canucks will face the Predators in the first round, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Arizona Coyotes won their final game before relocating to Salt Lake City by defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2. Dylan Guenther had a goal and an assist and Connor Ingram made 28 saves as the Coyotes received a standing ovation at the end of the game from 4,600 fans at the sold-out Mullett Arena in Tempe. Warren Foegele tallied his 20th goal of the season for the Oilers, who are still waiting to find out who their opponent will be in the first round of the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a bittersweet game for the Coyotes and their fans as plans to relocate to Salt Lake City could be officially announced as early as today. Former Coyotes captain Shane Doan attended the game and received his retirement banner from a fan who recovered it from the club’s former arena, now called the Desert Diamond Arena.

The Oilers will face the Los Angeles Kings or the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round. Both teams are playoff bound with the Golden Knights (98 points) holding a one-point lead over the Kings. They’re playing their final games of the regular season on Thursday.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov became the fifth player in NHL history to reach 100 assists in a season in a 6-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kucherov also tallied his 44th goal of the season. Leafs center Auston Matthews was held off the score sheet and finished the season with 69 goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning will meet the Florida Panthers in the first round while the Leafs face the Boston Bruins.

With 144 points, Kucherov has practically sewn up the Art Ross Trophy as this season’s points leader. Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon is six points behind as he and his teammates face off against the Edmonton Oilers in their final game of the regular season.

Kucherov is also the second player this season to reach the 100-assist plateau, joining Oilers captain Connor McDavid. It’s the first time two players have collected that many assists in a season since Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux each had 114 in 1988-89.

A shootout goal by Jason Robertson lifted the Dallas Stars to a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. The Stars clinched first place in the Western Conference with a record of 52-21-9 (113 points). Their win also means the Vancouver Canucks will face the Nashville Predators in the opening round of the postseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like the Oilers, the Stars are waiting to find out if they’ll face the Golden Knights or Kings.

The New York Islanders won their final game of the season by holding off the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4. Ilya Sorokin kicked out 40 shots while Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby collected two assists to finish the season with 94 points. Following the game, Penguins forward Jeff Carter announced his retirement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the opening round. Isles forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau suffered a lower-body injury in the first period and didn’t return.

Carter, 39, played 19 seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings and the Penguins. In 1,321 regular season games, he tallied 442 goals and 409 assists for 851 points, including 11 seasons with at least 20 goals. Carter also had 47 goals and 84 points in 133 playoff games, helping the Kings win the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The schedule for the first games of the Eastern Conference clubs in the opening round of the 2024 playoffs was released on Wednesday.

The Islanders and Hurricanes face off on Saturday, Apr. 20 at 5 pm ET followed by the Maple Leafs and Bruins at 8 pm ET.

Sunday sees the Lightning and Florida Panthers face off at 12:30 pm ET. The Washington Capitals square off against the New York Rangers at 3 pm ET.

NHL.COM: The King Clancy Trophy nominees were released on Wednesday. The award honors the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community.

The 32 nominees include Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Vancouver Canuck defenseman Quinn Hughes, Colorado Avalanche blueliner Cale Makar, Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi, and Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the 32 nominees. You can see the complete list by following the link provided above.

SPORTSNET: The Minnesota Wild signed goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. It will be Fleury’s 21st NHL season and he confirmed it will be his last.

ROTOBALLER: New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier said he dealt with a double MCL injury in his knee early in the season. He also suffered an oblique injury later in the campaign.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those injuries might explain why Meier’s production dropped from 68 points in 78 games in 2022-23 to 52 points in 69 games this season.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens have exercised their two-year option on head coach Martin St. Louis’ contract. He has a season remaining on his current deal.