NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 9, 2024

by | Oct 9, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 9, 2024

The Panthers, Blues and Utah HC win their season-openers, the Senators sign Linus Ullmark, Panthers re-sign Carter Verhaeghe, the Kraken name their new captain, Igor Shesterkin rejects a hefty offer from the Rangers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

**BREAKING NEWS**

The Ottawa Senators signed goaltender Linus Ullmark to a four-year contract extension with an average annual value of $8.25 million.

Ullmark, 31, was acquired from the Boston Bruins in June. The 2023 Vezina Trophy winner is earning an AAV of $5 million on his current deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier reports claimed the Senators wouldn’t pressure Ullmark into signing an extension, preferring to give him time to get established and adjust to his new team and city. There was speculation that this season would be “one and done” in Ottawa, suggesting he’d either get moved at the trade deadline if still unsigned or departing as a free agent next summer. 

This move should provide the stability between the pipes that the Senators have been lacking for some time, provided Ullmark plays up to expectations. While it’s a significant raise in pay, it’s only for four years, encompassing what should be the remainder of his playing prime. 

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers raised their 2024 Stanley Cup banner and scored four first-period goals to defeat the Boston Bruins 6-4. Sam Bennett tallied twice and Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers. Charlie McAvoy had a goal and an assist for the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo gave up six goals on 35 shots in his first regular-season game with the Bruins. He struggled to contain rebounds but his teammates’ sloppy defense didn’t help.

At one point, Panthers fans trolled the Bruins by chanting “We want Swayman!”, referencing Bruins starter Jeremy Swayman, who missed training camp and preseason over a contract dispute before signing an eight-year deal on Monday. He was the backup for this game.

Panthers defenseman Adam Boqvist left this game after taking a puck to the face during the first period.

Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe (NHL Images).

Following this game, the Panthers announced forward Carter Verhaeghe signed an eight-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $7 million. The AAV of his current contract is $4.16 million.

Verhaeghe, 29, has flourished as a scorer with the Panthers over the past four seasons. He tallied a career-high 42 goals and 73 points in 2022-23 and had 34 goals and 72 points last season.

Dylan Guenther scored the first regular-season goal for the Utah Hockey Club in a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at their inaugural game at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Guenther finished with two goals, Barrett Hayton had a goal and an assist and Nick Schmaltz collected two assists for Utah. Blackhawks center Connor Bedard picked up two assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah got two goals in the first period and was up 3-0 near the middle of the second period. The Blackhawks made it interesting by narrowing that lead to 3-2 before Utah scored twice within the final minute of the third period.

St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou scored twice as his club overcame a 2-0 deficit to nip the Seattle Kraken 3-2. Philip Broberg scored his first goal with the Blues while goaltender Jordan Binnington made 30 saves for the win. Vince Dunn and Eeli Tolvanen scored for the Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken also introduced Jordan Eberle as their new captain during the pregame player introductions. He’s their first captain since Mark Giordano, who was traded to Toronto in March 2022.

Kraken assistant coach Jessica Campbell became the first woman in NHL history to work a regular season game as an assistant, associate, or head coach.

HEADLINES

NEW YORK POST: Igor Shesterkin rejected an eight-year, $88-million contract offer from the Rangers. The $11 million AAV would’ve made him the league’s highest-paid goaltender.

The offer was leaked to the media one day before the Rangers’ season opener on Oct. 9, which is also reportedly the deadline set by Shesterkin’s representatives to get a deal done. The 28-year-old netminder is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He’s reportedly seeking an AAV of $12 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If an agreement isn’t reached by Oct. 9, the Shesterkin camp could shelve negotiations until the end of the regular season. I’ll have more about this story in today’s Rumors update.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers placed winger Evander Kane on long-term injury reserve (LTIR) and signed defenseman Travis Dermott to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level.

DAILY FACEOFF: Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson will start the season on injured reserve. He suffered the undisclosed injury during training camp and missed all their preseason games.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler could miss the club’s season opener on Friday against the Vancouver Canucks. He’s been dealing with numbness in his leg after taking a puck to the knee during the Flyers preseason game against the Bruins on Oct. 1.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Sabres forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel will be sidelined for three to six weeks with a lower-body injury.

SPORTSNET: The Vancouver Canucks placed defenseman Mark Friedman on waivers Tuesday. Others on waivers include Florida Panthers goaltender Chris Driedger and forward MacKenzie Entwistle, and Golden Knights forward Raphael Lavoie.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 11, 2024

by | Sep 11, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 11, 2024

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly talks about several notable issues such as league expansion and teams in no-tax states, the latest on Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Marchessault, and the latest signings in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly met with the media on Tuesday to discuss the notable issues facing the league entering 2024-25 and beyond.

Daly said the league isn’t in the expansion process nor is it a priority. Nevertheless, he admitted the success of the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken has spurred interest around North America in other potential ownership groups in other cities. He also didn’t rule out a potential return to Arizona provided there are definitive plans and progress on a new state-of-the-art arena.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league might not be actively pursuing expansion. Still, they’ll listen if a potential ownership group is willing to pay the expensive expansion fee, has a suitable marketplace to sustain that franchise, and possesses a viable NHL arena.

The deputy commissioner acknowledged conversations have grown over time regarding a perceived advantage for the six NHL teams in five states without a state tax (Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, Seattle Kraken, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights). However, there isn’t sufficient momentum at present that has created a paradigm shift, pointing to other factors that make other markets enticing such as cost of living and quality of family life.

Daly dismissed the notion of placing an artificially lower cap on teams in no-tax states.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Good luck getting the players who belong to those six teams and the owners of those clubs to agree to a lower cap than the other teams in the next round of collective bargaining.

Daly said he’s heard from the 32 NHL general managers regarding potential changes to salary cap exemptions teams receive for placing players on long-term injury reserve (LTIR). He indicated the majority would like to see the league make some kind of adjustment to alleviate some of the concerns. It’s a discussion they’ll continue having with the general managers before going to the players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is targeted at teams who place injured players on LTIR late in the season, use the cap savings to add players to their roster, and then activate those sidelined players during the postseason when the salary cap is no longer in effect. Daly is saying there’s little that can be done to address this issue until the next round of collective bargaining in two years.

Asked about the league’s view on the deferred salaries of Carolina Hurricanes players Seth Jarvis and Jaccob Slavin, Daly said deferred compensation is part of the CBA. He noted that determining what is permissible can be difficult and could be perceived as cap circumvention.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes were able to do it because those deferred payments are within the limitations set out in the CBA. Other clubs could try it provided the players they’re negotiating with are willing to defer part of their salary to help their team receive a more favorable cap hit. The league will review these types of payments carefully but it remains to be seen if it becomes a trend.

Daly also said he currently doesn’t see signs of contention in the league’s CBA discussions with the NHL Players’ Association.

SPORTSNET: Sidney Crosby remains optimistic he’ll have a contract extension in place with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He doesn’t foresee the season ending without one. The 37-year-old center doesn’t rule out playing at age 40, saying he’s more open to the possibility than he once was, though he admits it’s impossible to predict that right now.

Former Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A three-year deal will take Crosby to age 40

Jonathan Marchessault shed some light on his final contract discussions with the Vegas Golden Knights before signing with the Nashville Predators on July 1.

Marchessault said he called Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon on the Friday before July 1 and team president George McPhee the following day to find out if they were going to sign him or let him go. By Sunday, he said nothing had budged, adding he sought a four-year contract while the Golden Knights offered up three years.

The 33-year-old Marchessault admits the Golden Knights lack loyalty toward their players, but believes it is necessary in their quest to build a winner. He admitted he was disappointed but added he didn’t mind that mindset.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights have invested heavily in players they believe will help them win. However, they were reluctant to invest too much for too long in a player approaching his mid-thirties, even if that player won the Conn Smythe Trophy the previous year leading them to their first Stanley Cup.

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs signed winger Nicholas Robertson to a one-year, $875K contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson, 22, sought a trade earlier this summer but he had no leverage coming off an entry-level contract. He has an opportunity to establish himself as a regular middle-six forward with the Leafs.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports the Leafs are expected to bring veteran winger Max Pacioretty to training camp on a professional tryout offer.

DAILY FACEOFF/SPORTSNET: The Calgary Flames are bringing Tyson Barrie to training camp on a PTO and signed blueliner Jarred Tinordi to a one-year, two-way contract.

DAILY FACEOFF: Forward Adam Erne will attend the New York Rangers training camp on a PTO.

SPORTSNET: The Edmonton Oilers are bringing defenseman Travis Dermott to camp on a PTO.

PUCKPEDIA: Sam Gagner is expected to sign a PTO with the Carolina Hurricanes.

TSN: Defenseman Jordie Benn has announced his retirement. He played in 607 regular-season games from 2011-12 to 2022-23 with the Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs, scoring 26 goals and 111 assists for 137 points.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 24, 2024

by | Aug 24, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – August 24, 2024

Are the Canucks shopping for a goaltender? Could the Oilers look into adding a defenseman? What’s the latest on Max Pacioretty? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

ARE THE CANUCKS IN THE GOALIE MARKET?

THE ATHLETIC: Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal cite multiple sources claiming that Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko won’t be ready for training camp and preseason next month as he continues to rehab a knee injury.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (NHL Images).

The Canucks hope that Demko, 28, will be ready for their season-opener on Oct. 9 against the Calgary Flames. However, that seems in question at this stage of the offseason.

Dhaliwal reported earlier this week that the Canucks were poking around in the goalie market. They’re exploring all their options for additional insurance in net.

The Canucks reached out to unrestricted free agent Kevin Lankinen. The 29-year-old netminder played solid hockey for the Nashville Predators last season as a backup. There’s some familiarity between Lankinen and Canucks goalie coach Marko Torenius.

THE SCORE: Kayla Douglas suggested Antti Raanta and Martin Jones as other free-agent options for the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lankinen would be the best option for the Canucks. However, Dhaliwal and Drance noted that he had a one-year, $2 million contract last season and likely won’t be interested in a one-year deal for near the league minimum. They also suggest adding another goalie could affect their plans to accrue cap space this season to put toward the March trade deadline.

OILERS SEEK A DEFENSEMAN

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports the Edmonton Oilers are in the market for a right-shot defenseman after trading Cody Ceci to the San Jose Sharks and losing Philip Broberg to an offer sheet from the St. Louis Blues.

Former Oilers Tyson Barrie and Justin Schultz are believed to be on the Oilers radar. Kevin Shattenkirk is another possible target.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples wondered if Tony DeAngelo could be an option. The 28-year-old is much younger than Barrie, Schultz and Shattenkirk, and played his junior hockey with Oilers blueliner Darnell Nurse. Travis Dermott is a left-hand shot but he’s 27 and knows Connor McDavid and Connor Brown from their days with the Erie Otters.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seeing what the Oilers do will be interesting. They could go with Barrie as he’s more familiar with the current roster though his defensive deficiencies could be a concern. Schultz and Shattenkirk are now past their prime. DeAngelo comes with personal baggage while Dermott struggled last season in Arizona.

LATEST ON PACIORETTY

DAILY FACEOFF’s Frank Seravalli reports former Washington Capitals winger Max Pacioretty has “firm in-hand offers from three teams.” The 35-year-old winger is expected to make a decision soon.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 9, 2023

by | Nov 9, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 9, 2023

Anze Kopitar reaches a milestone goal as his Kings extend their road wins streak, a four-point night for the Senators’ Tim Stutzle, and the Wild make two trades. Get the details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar scored his 400th career goal as his club beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 to extend their season-opening road win streak to seven games. Kopitar and Adrian Kempe each had a goal and an assist while Cam Talbot made 37 saves as the Kings improved to 8-2-2. William Karlsson scored for the Golden Knights (11-2-1) as they’ve lost two straight but remain on top of the overall standings with 23 points.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings are road warriors but they’ve won only once (1-2-2) on home ice. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights were without center Chandler Stephenson as he is sidelined with an upper-body injury. He’s expected to miss one more game.

The Ottawa Senators defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3. Tim Stutzle had a goal and three assists, Claude Giroux and Dominik Kubalik each tallied twice and Mathieu Joseph collected three assists for the 5-6-0 Senators. William Nylander had a goal and an assist to extend his season-opening points streak to 13 games but his Leafs dropped to 6-5-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators were short three regular defensemen for this game with Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub and Erik Brannstrom sidelined. However, it was the Leafs who struggled defensively in this contest.

An overtime goal by Sam Reinhart lifted the Florida Panthers to a 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, Evan Rodrigues and Oliver Ekman-Larsson each had a goal and an assist as the Panthers improved to 7-4-1. Anthony Mantha tallied two goals for the 5-4-2 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Capitals, they placed center Nicklas Backstrom (hip) on long-term injury reserve. He’s taken time away from the team and isn’t expected to return to action this season.

HEADLINES

STARTRIBUNE.COM: The Minnesota Wild made two trades on Wednesday. They shipped defenseman Calen Addison to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for winger Adam Raska and a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. They also acquired defenseman Zach Bogosian from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bogosian is in the final season of a three-year contract with an average annual value of $850K while Addison is on a one-year deal worth $825K.

The Wild wanted an experienced physical presence on their blueline. They traded away Addison to free up room and salary-cap dollars to take on the 33-year-old Bogosian, who appeared in just four games this season with the Lightning. Raska is a 22-year-old winger with eight games of NHL experience who is likely heading to the Wild’s AHL affiliate.

Addison could use a fresh start after struggling with the Wild over the past two years. The 23-year-old blueliner should get plenty of opportunities to get his NHL career back on track in San Jose.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken winger Jordan Eberle suffered a deep cut from a skate blade to the upper part of his leg during practice on Wednesday. General manager Ron Francis said Eberle appeared to avoid serious injury but was taken to a hospital for an MRI to determine if there was any tendon damage. The Kraken have called up Shane Wright as an emergency replacement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Francis believes Eberle “dodged a bullet” but they won’t know for certain until they get the results of the MRI. An update on his condition could be released today.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick joined starter Igor Shesterkin on the “day-to-day” list. They’ve recalled netminders Louis Domingue and Dylan Garland.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers are being cautious with Shesterkin and Quick, who have experienced “soreness” from recent play. Shesterkin participated in an optional practice on Wednesday so he could be ready for their matchup tonight with the Wild.

NHL.COM: League commissioner Gary Bettman has upheld the four-game suspension of Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Bruins, forward Morgan Geekie is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Defenseman Derek Forbort (undisclosed) remains questionable for Thursday’s contest with the New York Islanders.

TSN: Edmonton Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell cleared waivers yesterday and has been sent to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. The Oilers are expected to recall netminder Calvin Pickard.

DAILY FACEOFF: Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton was fined $5,000.00 by the department of player safety for crosschecking New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier on Tuesday.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott is expected to miss some time with an undisclosed injury.

CBS SPORTS: San Jose Sharks defenseman Jacob MacDonald could be out for at least a week with an undisclosed injury.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins placed forward Andreas Johnsson on waivers to terminate his contract. Johnsson, 28, is expected to return to his native Sweden.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnsson tallied a career-best 20 goals and 43 points with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018-19 but never regained those heights again.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 22, 2023

by | Oct 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 22, 2023

The Golden Knights set an NHL record, Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard reached a milestone, Oilers captain Connor McDavid suffered an injury and Kings captain Anze Kopitar set a franchise record. Details on these and other stories in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights became the first defending Stanley Cup champion to start a season with a 6-0-0 record in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago rookie Connor Bedard opened the scoring with his first NHL goal on home ice but the Golden Knights put the game out of reach with third-period goals by Nicolas Roy, Mark Stone and Paul Cotter. The loss dropped the Blackhawks to 2-4-0.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

An overtime goal by Mark Scheifele capped a three-goal rally in a 3-2 win by the Winnipeg Jets (2-3-0) over the Edmonton Oilers. However, their win was overshadowed by an injury to Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who missed the final minutes of regulation and the overtime period. McDavid appeared to injure his hip in the first period after getting entangled with Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The loss dropped the Oilers’ record to 1-3-1. We should get more details about McDavid’s condition on Sunday. With the Oilers stumbling from the gate, losing their best player for any significant period could be a significant blow.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand scored two goals and added an assist to double up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2. Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied his fifth goal of the season while Jeremy Swayman got the win with a 32-save performance as the Bruins improved to 4-0-0. Kings captain Anze Kopitar set a franchise record by skating in his 1, 297th game as his club’s record dropped to 2-2-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk was a healthy scratch from this game as he was late for a team meeting.

The Colorado Avalanche are 5-0-0 after beating the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4. Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and three assists while Logan O’Connor scored a shorthanded goal for the third straight game. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jaccob Slavin each had a goal and an assist for the 3-3-0 Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The injury-depleted Hurricanes lost another player as Brett Pesce missed this game with a lower-body injury. He joins center Sebastian Aho and goaltender Frederik Andersen on the sidelines.

The Detroit Red Wings downed the Ottawa Senators 5-2. Dylan Larkin had a goal and two assists, Joe Veleno tallied twice and Ville Husso made 35 saves as the Wings improved to 4-1-0. Jake Sanderson and Ridly Greig replied for the 3-2-0 Senators, who managed to hold Alex DeBrincat scoreless in his first game in Ottawa since being traded to Detroit in July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators fans gave DeBrincat a “warm” welcome by booing him every time he touched the puck. Nevertheless, the Wings’ convincing victory gave him the last laugh.

Arizona Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka stopped 32 shots in a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Jason Zucker and Clayton Keller scored for the Coyotes (3-2-0) while Frank Vatrano tallied for the 1-3-0 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zucker left this game with a lower-body injury while teammate Michael Carcone suffered an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott became the first NHL player to defy the league’s ban on using Pride Tape, sporting a few strands of the rainbow-colored tape near the top of his stick.

The Buffalo Sabres defeated the New York Islanders 3-1. Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist while Casey Mittelstadt collected two assists as the Sabres moved to 2-3-0. Semyon Varlamov made 40 saves and Noah Dobson scored for the 2-1-1 Islanders.

Third-period goals by Andrei Kuzmenko and Brock Boeser gave the Vancouver Canucks a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers. Kuzmenko and Elias Pettersson each had a goal and an assist, Ilya Mikheyev collected an assist in his first game since his knee surgery in January, and Casey DeSmith kicked out 34 shots for the 3-2-0 Canucks. Sam Reinhart scored two goals for the 2-3-0 Panthers.

An overtime goal by Cole Caufield lifted the Montreal Canadiens over the Washington Capitals 3-2. The Canadiens (2-1-1) led 2-0 on goals by Sean Monahan and Brendan Gallagher but Capitals forward Dylan Strome netted two goals to force the extra frame. Jake Allen got the win with a 31-save performance while the Capitals sank to 1-2-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin remains stalled at 822 career goals four games into his season as he’s yet to find the back of the net.

The Toronto Maple Leafs (3-2-0) overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 on an overtime goal by John Tavares. Matthew Knies scored twice and collected an assist while Joseph Woll made 29 saves for the win after Ilya Samsonov got the hook when he gave up three goals on four shots. Nikita Kucherov also scored twice and collected an assist while Jonas Johansson stopped 48 shots as the Lightning dropped to 2-2-2.

Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski scored in overtime to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4. The Flyers overcame a 4-2 deficit to force the extra frame. Stars forward Wyatt Johnston had a goal and two assists as his club improved to 3-0-1. Travis Konecny scored twice for the 3-1-1 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers defenseman Marc Staal is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury after being placed on injured reserve on Friday. He was sidelined during Thursday’s win over the Edmonton Oilers.

An overtime goal by Jack Roslovic lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Wild. Blue Jackets rookie Adam Fantilli netted his first career NHL goal while his club improved to 3-2-0. Filip Gustavsson made 49 stops for the 2-2-1 Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Blue Jackets announced that center Patrik Laine is day-to-day after being elbowed in the head on Friday by Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who received a four-game suspension for the incident. Earlier in the day, the Blue Jackets lost forward Liam Foudy as he was plucked off the waiver wire by the Nashville Predators.

Speaking of the Predators, they got two goals from Tommy Novak to down the San Jose Sharks 5-1. Juuse Saros stopped 31 shots to backstop his club to a 3-3-0 record. Tomas Hertl replied for the 0-4-1 Sharks.

A two-goal performance by Brandon Saad gave the St. Louis Blues a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jordan Binnington got the win with 31 saves as the Blues improved to 2-1-1. Evgeni Malkin scored to extend his goal streak to four games but his Penguins dropped to 2-3-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The second period has been death for the Penguins in their last three games as they’ve been outscored 6-0 in that frame.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored twice in a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Filip Chytil collected three assists as the Rangers moved to 3-2-0 on the season. Justin Schultz tallied for the Kraken as they sank to 1-4-1.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 12, 2023

by | Jul 12, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 12, 2023

Pierre-Luc Dubois believes he’s been misunderstood, Ed Belfour and Ken Hitchcock named to the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame, the Rangers re-sign K’Andre Miller, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: Pierre-Luc Dubois said he’s looking forward to the opportunity to fully be himself with the Los Angeles Kings. He was traded to the Kings on June 27 and signed an eight-year, $68 million contract with the club.

Dubois felt he’s been misunderstood at times stemming from his trade requests from the Jets and the Columbus Blue Jackets. He said he had “three unbelievable years in Columbus” and “three great years in Winnipeg,” the 25-year-old forward felt he was ready to move on and do what was right for him and his career. He believes he’ll get that opportunity with the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubois’ departure from Columbus and Winnipeg stoked the opinion among fans and pundits that he puts himself above his team. Nevertheless, he has the right to do what he believes is best for himself over the remainder of his playing career.

This move to the Kings could work out quite well for Dubois and his new teammates, so his tenures in his last two NHL cities will become footnotes to his career. On the other hand, if things go sideways and he requests a trade it will only feed the perception of Dubois as a selfish player.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Ed Belfour and Ken Hitchcock will be enshrined this season into the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame. Belfour backstopped the Stars to the 1999 Stanley Cup with Hitchcock as their head coach. Belfour was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011 while Hitchcock will be inducted as a builder among the Class of 2023 in November.

New York Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s fair to say that the Stars wouldn’t have won the Stanley Cup without Belfour in goal and Hitchcock behind the bench.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed defenseman K’Andre Miller to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.872 million. Miller, 23, is completing his entry-level contract and coming off a career-best 43-point season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers’ limited cap space for 2023-24 combined with Miller’s lack of arbitration rights made this bridge deal possible. It’s an affordable contract for Miller, who is quickly becoming a key part of the Blueshirts’ defense corps.

Miller will be in line for a more substantial raise on his next contract when the salary cap will be significantly higher. By that point, the Rangers should be able to pay him a more lucrative salary.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens signed forward Alex Newhook to a four-contract contract with an AAV of $2.9 million. Newhook, 22, was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche where he tallied 33 points in his rookie season (2021-22) and 30 points last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A speedy forward who can play center or wing, Newhook saw checking-line minutes on a deep Avalanche roster. He could be skating on the second line with the rebuilding Canadiens. It’s an equitable contract that could become a real bargain if Newhook exceeds expectations.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes signed Brendan Lemieux to a one-year, $800K contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes are adding more grit to their lineup after getting swept from the Eastern Conference Finals by the Florida Panthers. They signed winger Michael Bunting on July 1 to a three-year deal.

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: The Predators signed winger Denis Gurianov to a one-year, $850K contract.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Arizona Coyotes signed defenseman Travis Dermott to a one-year, two-way contract worth $800K at the NHL level.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks hired Brent Thompson and David Rook as assistant coaches to head coach Greg Cronin. Thompson is the former head coach of the New York Islanders AHL affiliate in Bridgeport. Rook spent five years as the goaltending development coach with the Nashville Predators.

TSN: The Ottawa Senators have parted ways with assistant general manager Trent Mann. The move comes a day after Anthony LeBlanc resigned as president of business operations. These changes come as the club completes an ownership change led by billionaire Michael Andlauer.

NEW YORK POST: The Philadelphia Flyers have issued an apology after members of their social media team were heard making disparaging remarks about a reporter’s question to new Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway during a live stream on Twitter.