NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 1, 2024

by | Oct 1, 2024

Recapping Monday’s preseason action, the Canadiens awaiting word on Laine and Reinbacher, the Bruins indicate who their starting goalie will be in their season-opener, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We are experiencing technical difficulties today affecting the site’s layout and comments section. We hope to have these issues rectified today and appreciate your patience as we deal with this matter. 

GAME RECAPS (PRESEASON EDITION)

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-1 in split-squad action for the Wings. Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury and will be re-evaluated on Tuesday. Joel Blomqvist stopped 20 of 21 shots for the Penguins.

An overtime goal by Konsta Helenius gave the Buffalo Sabres a 4-3 victory over the Red Wings in split-squad action.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jeremy Brodeur made 29 saves in a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers. Brodeur is the son of Hall-of-Fame netminder Martin Brodeur.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Rangers announced that forward Jimmy Vesey is expected to be sidelined for several weeks with a lower-body injury suffered during practice on Sunday.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected two assists as his club nipped the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in a shootout.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers released winger Mike Hoffman from his professional tryout offer (PTO) earlier in the day. He had a goal and four points in four preseason contests. Meanwhile, the Canucks released forward Sammy Blais from his PTO contract.

The New York Islanders beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 as Kyle Palmieri scored the tiebreaker with 51 seconds remaining in the third period.

Pierre-Luc Dubois scored his first preseason goal with the Washington Capitals in a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Dubois and Tom Wilson each had a goal and an assist and Logan Thompson turned aside 24 shots for the Capitals.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got a 26-save performance by goalie Jonas Johansson to beat the Florida Panthers 3-1.

An overtime goal by Nazem Kadri lifted the Calgary Flames to a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. Tyson Barrie had two assists and Dan Vladar kicked out 30 shots for the Flames.

Los Angeles Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper turned in a 23-save shutout to blank the Anaheim Ducks 4-0. Tanner Jeannot and Akil Thomas each had a goal and an assist.

HEADLINES

TSN: The Montreal Canadiens were still awaiting word on Monday of the severity of the lower-body injuries Patrik Laine and David Reinbacher suffered during Saturday’s preseason game against Toronto.

Laine was injured following a knee-on-knee collision with Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare. Reinbacher left the same game in the opening seconds following a check from Leafs forward Marshall Rifai.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laine watched practice on crutches from the Canadiens’ bench yesterday. The Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan reports hearing Laine could be sidelined for four-to-six months. There was no confirmation from the team. An update could be made on Tuesday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said Joonas Korpisalo will be the club’s starter for their season-opener on Oct. 8. The news comes amid the ongoing contract standoff between Bruins management and goalie Jeremy Swayman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Swayman’s stalled negotiations got spicy yesterday when Bruins president Cam Neely seemed to reveal how much the club offered the 25-year-old netminder. I’ll have more details in today’s Rumor update.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The NHL will honor Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau with helmet stickers displaying their uniform numbers worn by all NHL players starting with games on Friday and Saturday in Czechia during the league’s Global Series.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning captain Victor Hedman and his wife, Sanna, have pledged to donate $150, 000 to charities helping those affected by Hurricane Helene in the Tampa community.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators released forward Nikolay Kulemin from his PTO contract.

NHL Headlines and Rumors – September 15, 2024

by | Sep 15, 2024

NHL Headlines and Rumors – September 15, 2024

Several Capitals face pressure this season, Oilers winger Evander Kane to undergo surgery, plus the latest on the Canucks and Blue Jackets in today’s NHL Headlines and Rumors.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau believes Washington Capitals forwards Alex Ovechkin, Pierre-Luc Dubois and defenseman Jakob Chychrun will feel the heat entering this season.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images)

Ovechkin is chasing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record of 894. Dubois seeks a bounce-back performance after a lackluster 2023-24 campaign with the Los Angeles Kings led to his trade with the Capitals. Meanwhile, Chychrun hopes to re-establish himself as a top-pairing defenseman in his contract year after being traded by the Arizona Coyotes and Ottawa Senators in successive years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin is already well-established as a future Hall of Famer and the greatest player in Capitals history. Few fans and pundits will fault the 39-year-old winger if it takes him a couple of seasons to break Gretzky’s goal record.

Dubois and Chychrun have much more at stake. They must silence the growing criticism about their recent performances and prove they still belong among the league’s best players.

THE SCORE: Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane is scheduled to undergo sports hernia surgery within the next 10 days or so.

Kane, 33, played through the injury last season. It affected his performance, limiting him to 24 goals and 20 assists in 77 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane has a $5.125 million annual salary cap hit through 2025-26. He could end up on long-term injury reserve to start the season. The Oilers could use that cap relief to bolster their roster during his absence but must be cap-compliant when he’s ready to return to action.

CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal reported Friday that the Vancouver Canucks offered a one-year contract to free-agent goaltender Kevin Lankinen. However, it’s believed worth under $1 million, which is less than the $2 million the 29-year-old netminder earned last season with the Nashville Predators.

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston reports the Canucks also reached out to free-agent goalie Antti Raanta but the 35-year-old is not interested in playing in the NHL anymore.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks seek a veteran insurance policy between the pipes in case starter Thatcher Demko hasn’t recovered from a nagging undisclosed injury when the season opens next month. They’re bumping against the $88 million cap ceiling and don’t want to go into LTIR to address the issue. Perhaps they’ll consider a trade if a dollar-in, dollar-out deal can be found.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH’s Brian Hedger reports Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell said he’s down to 10 healthy forwards with Justin Danforth seeing a doctor on Monday for a wrist/hand issue that required offseason surgery.

Waddell indicated he’ll look at pursuing unsigned free-agent veterans to fill the void at forward.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports Waddell wants to sign players to actual contracts and not professional tryout offers. Portzline listed James van Riemsdyk, Kevin Labanc and Kyle Okposo among the notable UFA forwards still available. He also noted Phil Kessel is looking for an opportunity to play in the NHL after going unsigned last season.

Portzline also noted that Waddell could sign free agents currently on PTO contracts with other clubs.

Waddell also said he’s spoken with the league and the NHL Players’ Association for guidance about how to measure the Blue Jackets’ salary-cap figure for this season following the death of Johnny Gaudreau last month.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 20, 2024

by | Jun 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 20, 2024

The latest on the Oilers and Panthers, the fallout from the Dubois-for-Kuemper trade, Barclay Goodrow reportedly unhappy about being claimed off waivers by the Sharks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP NOTEBOOK

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers captain Connor McDavid has put his team on his back in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. McDavid’s back-to-back four-point games rallied his club from a 3-0 series deficit against the Florida Panthers to Game 6 in Edmonton on Friday and a chance to tie the series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has risen to the occasion with his club on the brink of elimination. The Oilers aren’t out of the woods yet as the Panthers still hold a 3-2 series lead and can win the Stanley Cup in Game 6. Nevertheless, this series would’ve ended by now if not for McDavid’s impressive play.

If the Oilers beat the odds it’ll be the biggest comeback in Stanley Cup Final history. All due respect to the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, who were the first and (to date) the only team to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win hockey’s holy grail, but they weren’t led by a superstar like McDavid.

Be prepared to pay a lot for tickets to Game 6 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Prices have jumped 97 percent with the average price (according to SeatGeek) costing over $9,200.00. The most expensive is $87, 452 while the cheapest start at $1,896.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers have raised prices for their Game 6 watch party at Amerant Bank Arena.

Tickets for the first two watch parties were $10 each and seating was first come, first served. It now costs $40.00 for reserved seating in the lower bowl and $10 for reserved seating in the upper bowl.

Meanwhile, the pressure to win has shifted onto the Panthers even if head coach Paul Maurice won’t say it. They still hold a 3-2 series lead but the Oilers’ back-to-back wins may have shifted the momentum.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: History still favors the Panthers heading into Game 6 and the odds remain in their favor to win the Cup. However, it’s no longer the certainty it appeared to be heading into Games 4 and 5. There will be no denying that the pressure is getting to them if they lose Game 6.

HEADLINES

LOS ANGELES TIMES: Kings general manager Rob Blake took responsibility for Pierre-Luc Dubois’ disappointing performance this season. He acquired and signed the 25-year-old center last June but traded him yesterday to the Washington Capitals for goaltender Darcy Kuemper.

Los Angeles Kings tradedcenter Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Washington Capitals(NHL Images)

“I don’t think I did a good enough job integrating (Dubois) in the right roles for the team,” said Blake. “It wasn’t a great fit in that aspect for us and we take responsibility for that.”

Blake didn’t hold Dubois responsible for the Kings being eliminated from the first round of the playoffs by the Oilers for the third straight year. “I put it on us,” he said. “We’ve got to work better as a group within this organization to make that fit.”

THE ATHLETIC: Blake admitted his mistake with Dubois, shored up his goalie depth by acquiring Kuemper, and freed up $3.25 million in salary-cap space. However, history won’t be kind to Blake for acquiring Dubois, giving up forwards Gabriel Vilardi and Alex Iafallo as part of the return to the Winnipeg Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As one reader put in the comments section yesterday, Blake has traded Dubois, Vilardi, Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a second-round pick for an aging starting goalie who struggled last season in Washington.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Capitals GM Brian MacLellan believes the addition of Dubois gives his club “a talented 25-year-old with immense potential to become a top-tier center in the NHL.”

MacLellan praised Dubois’ size, skating and high hockey IQ. He believes the big center will thrive with increased responsibility and opportunity.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals beat writer Sammi Silber acknowledged Dubois’ baggage but suggests the gamble could work in the Capitals’ favor if he blossoms as hoped into a reliable first-line center. He’s shown tantalizing glimpses of his capabilities during his tenures with the Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets.

This could turn into a steal for the Capitals. On the other hand, they could end up stuck with an underachieving center carrying a burdensome contract.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks claimed Barclay Goodrow off waivers yesterday from the New York Rangers. However, a report in the New York Post claimed the 31-year-old forward wasn’t pleased with how this went down. The report claimed the Sharks were on Goodrow’s 15-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Putting Goodrow on waivers was a gamble that paid off for the Rangers. This could become a problem for the Sharks if he remains unhappy.

The Sharks also made a trade yesterday, acquiring forward Ty Dellandrea from the Dallas Stars in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Dellandrea was selected 13th overall by the Stars in the 2018 NHL Draft. The 23-year-old forward saw a reduced role with the Stars this season, appearing in 42 games. With youngsters Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque proving they were NHL-ready, Delladrea couldn’t claim a regular roster spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dellandrea will get more opportunities with the rebuilding Sharks. This could turn into a good move for his NHL career.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders signed center Kyle MacLean to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $775K. He was slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

TSN: The Vancouver Canucks re-signed defenseman Mark Friedman to a one-year, $775K contract.

TSN: Forward Lias Andersson has signed a two-year contract in Switzerland with EHC Biel-Bienne. Chosen seventh overall by the New York Rangers in 2017, Andersson has 17 points in 110 NHL games since 2017-18 with the Rangers and Los Angeles Kings.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins named Kirk MacDonald as the new head coach of their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.










Kings Trade Pierre-Luc Dubois To Capitals for Darcy Kuemper

by | Jun 19, 2024

Kings Trade Pierre-Luc Dubois To Capitals for Darcy Kuemper

The Los Angeles Kings traded center Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Washington Capitals in exchange for goaltender Darcy Kuemper.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a stunning move by both clubs involving two players thought to be untradeable because of their contracts and performance in 2023-24. Cap Friendly and PuckPedia indicate that no salary was retained in this deal.

Los Angeles Kings trade  Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Washington Capitas (NHL Images)

The Kings acquired Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets last June and signed him to an eight-year, $68 million contract with an average annual value of $8.5 million. His contract contains a no-movement clause that begins on July 1. It’ll be interesting to find out if Dubois knew of this deal beforehand or was asked if he didn’t mind getting traded to Washington.

Dubois was expected to fill the second-line center role for the Kings. However, he struggled this season, managing 16 goals and 40 points in 82 games. He was held to one goal in five games during their first-round series against the Edmonton Oilers.

Kuemper signed a five-year, $26.5 million contract with the Capitals in July 2022 after backstopping the Colorado Avalanche to the Stanley Cup. Like Dubois, he struggled with his new team, finishing last season with a 3.31 goals-against average and a save percentage of .890, losing the starter’s job to Charlie Lindgren. He had a 10-team no-trade list and it appears the Kings weren’t on it.

Both teams hope this change of scenery helps these players rediscover their game. However, the Capitals are taking the biggest gamble. Dubois has seven seasons left on his contract with a more expensive cap hit while Kuemper only has three years left.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – June 16, 2024

by | Jun 16, 2024

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – June 16, 2024

A look at Daily Faceoff’s list of potential contract buyout candidates in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli has Los Angeles Kings center Pierre-Luc Dubois atop his list of potential contract buyout candidates this summer.

Seravalli acknowledged Kings general manager Rob Blake indicating the club doesn’t plan on buying out the 25-year-old Dubois. However, he thinks it makes too much sense to do so if it can be done before the forward turns 26 on June 24. Until that date, they could buy him out at one-third of the remaining value over twice the remaining tenure of the contract. If he’s bought out at age 26 or older, it’s at two-thirds the remaining value.

Los Angeles Kings center Pierre-Luc Dubois (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The buyout period begins on June 15 or 48 hours following the completion of the Stanley Cup Final, whichever is later. The latest the current series runs is June 24.

Blake was firm when he said that Dubois wouldn’t be bought out. We’ve since seen or heard little indication he or his superiors will change their minds.

Seravalli’s other buyout candidates include Edmonton Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell, New York Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow, Ottawa Senators goalie Joonas Korpisalo, New York Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug, Philadelphia Flyers netminder Cal Petersen, Flyers winger Cam Atkinson, and Dallas Stars defenseman Ryan Suter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Petersen and Atkinson are the most likely to be bought out. On June 7, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said his club was examining its options, including buyouts for those two players.

Campbell was a free-agent bust for the Oilers. They’ve put their faith in Stuart Skinner as their starter this season, banishing Campbell to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. A buyout wouldn’t be out of the question, especially if they want to free up cash to re-sign restricted free agent Evan Bouchard this summer.

Goodrow is another possibility as the cap-strapped Rangers consider their options this summer. However, there could be a trade market for him given his playoff experience. Suter could also become a cost-cutting casualty.

The Islanders could prefer to trade Pageau rather than go the buyout route to free up salary. He popped up in trade rumors earlier this season.

The Senators are rumored to be shopping for an upgrade between the pipes. That could require clearing Korpisalo from their books.

Most reports out of Ottawa thus far suggest they could return with the tandem of Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg and hope they improve next season. Still, if there’s a chance to add someone like Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom or Boston’s Linus Ullmark, buying out Korpisalo could become a realistic option.

Krug used his no-trade clause last summer to reject a trade with the Flyers. He could become a buyout candidate if the Blues become desperate to create cap space for next season.










NHL Rumor Mill – May 24, 2024

by | May 24, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – May 24, 2024

Assessing the recent speculation linking Mitch Marner to the Predators, the latest on Matt Duchene, and an update on the Kings in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

DEBUNKING THE LATEST “MARNER TO THE PREDATORS” SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun dissected the speculation earlier this week linking Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner to the Nashville Predators.

The rumors arose after Predators general manager Barry Trotz laughed off a reporter’s question over whether his club would pursue a big-ticket talent like Marner.

LeBrun confirmed that the Predators and Maple Leafs had no discussions about the 27-year-old winger. “In fact, the Leafs as of Tuesday hadn’t talked to a single team regarding a Marner trade,” he wrote.

Currently, the Marner camp isn’t working on a list of preferred trade destinations for their client and has no intention of producing such a list. The Leafs will have to come to him about a trade, not the other way round.

Marner holds all the cards with his full no-movement clause. LeBrun believes any team approaching the Leafs about the winger will want to know if it can sign him to a contract extension. He carries a $10.9 million cap hit for 2024-25 and is expected to seek a substantial raise on his next deal.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

LeBrun also doesn’t see the Predators acquiring a player that doesn’t fit within their carefully curated salary-cap culture, where the highest-paid player is Roman Josi at $9.059 million. A contract extension for Marner would blow that to pieces.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This story arose because the Predators traded Ryan McDonagh back to the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier this week. That move freed up nearly $7 million in cap space per season for the next two years.

The theory was the Predators could use that windfall to invest in someone like Marner. They could also free up more cap room if they decide to part ways with goaltender Juuse Saros, who has a year left on his contract with an average annual value of $5 million.

Trotz could make one or two moves this summer to boost the Predators’ scoring depth. However, he could find more affordable options than Marner through the trade or free-agent markets. Whether he trades Saros remains to be seen. Trotz will also likely use some of his cap room to acquire a suitable replacement for McDonagh on their blueline.

COULD THE BLACKHAWKS TARGET MATT DUCHENE?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Rob Couch suggested Dallas Stars forward Matt Duchene could be a good free-agent target for the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Stars lack sufficient cap space to re-sign Duchene. He’s on a one-year, $3 million contract that he signed after being bought out last summer by the Predators. Duchene’s enjoyed a bounce-back performance this season in Dallas. Unless he’s willing to accept a pay cut, he’s likely to hit the open market this summer.

Couch believes the Blackhawks could offer Duchene two things the Stars can’t: more money and a three or four-year contract. He thinks the versatile 33-year-old forward could bring much-needed leadership and experience to the rebuilding club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks could add one or two experienced forwards to ease the burden on franchise star Connor Bedard. Duchene could be a good fit there if he’s willing to play for a rebuilding club.

UPDATE ON THE KINGS

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens recently looked at which players will be back with the Los Angeles Kings next season and those who could be moving on.

Stephens doesn’t expect to see Viktor Arvidsson, Carl Grundstrom, Trevor Lewis, Arthur Kaliyev and Pheonix Copley returning with the Kings. Arvidsson, Lewis and Copley are unrestricted free agents while Grundstrom and Kaliyev are restricted.

The Kings could face difficult decisions on UFAs Cam Talbot and Matt Roy. With Brendt Clarke waiting in the wings, it might be best to reallocate the $5 million it could cost to re-sign Roy. The 36-year-old Talbot had a good season with the Kings. At his age, however, he can no longer steal games for them.

Kings GM Rob Blake recently dismissed the notion of buying out Pierre-Luc Dubois. However, Stephens wondered if they should rule out retaining half of Dubois’ salary to get out from under his contract if it would get another team interested in him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Based on Blake’s season-ending comments, Dubois isn’t going anywhere. They intend to work with him to improve his game.