NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2023

by | Jan 27, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2023

The Lightning match a franchise home win streak, the Sabres’ Owen Power sets a franchise record for rookie defensemen, the Canucks re-sign Andrei Kuzmenko, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning matched a franchise record with their 11th straight home win by nipping the Boston Bruins 3-2, snapping the latter’s six-game win streak. Victor Hedman broke a 2-2 tie in the third period while Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point each had three points for the 31-15-1 Lightning, who hold third place in the Atlantic Division. Brad Marchand and Pavel Zacha replied for the Bruins (38-6-4), who sit atop the overall standings with 80 points.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power (NHL Images)

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power scored for the third straight game in a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each had two points for the 26-19-3 Sabres, who’ve won five straight contests and moved within two points of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 55 points. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 33 shots for the Jets (31-18-1), who sit in second place in the Western Conference with 63 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Power became the first Sabres rookie defenseman to record a goal streak of three games.

Speaking of the Penguins, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Washington Capitals on shootout goals by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. Alex Ovechkin tallied his 32nd goal while Darcy Kuemper made 35 saves for the Capitals (26-19-6), who hold a one-point lead over the Penguins for the first Eastern wild-card spot with 58 points. Casey DeSmith stopped 43 shots for the 24-15-9 Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals winger Tom Wilson missed this game with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Mats Zuccarello lifted the Minnesota Wild over the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 3-2. Matt Boldy scored twice and collected an assist for the Wild (26-17-4) as they vaulted back into third place in the Central Division with 56 points. The Flyers slipped to 20-21-9 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers forward Wade Allison left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury while Zack MacEwen suffered an upper-body injury from his fight with Wild winger Marcus Foligno. Wild center Ryan Hartman was a healthy scratch from this game.

Anaheim Ducks winger Frank Vatrano tallied a hat trick to upset the Colorado Avalanche 5-3, ending the latter’s six-game win streak. John Gibson kicked out 41 shots for the 15-29-5 Ducks. Mikko Rantanen scored twice for the Avalanche 26-18-3 as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 55 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar collected an assist as he returned to the lineup after missing four games with an upper-body injury.

The Calgary Flames missed an opportunity to surpass the Avalanche for that wild-card berth as they were upset 5-1 by the Chicago Blackhawks. Rookie goalie Jaxon Stauber made 34 saves to win his second straight NHL start for the 15-28-4 Blackhawks. The Flames (23-17-9) have 55 points but the Avs hold two games in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews missed this game with a non-COVID-related illness.

Nashville Predators forward Matt Duchene had a goal and an assist in the third period in a 6-4 win over the New Jersey Devils to end the latter’s eight-game points streak. Juuse Saros turned aside 34 shots for the Predators (24-18-6) as they moved within one point of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 54 points. Devils center Jack Hughes collected two points as the 31-13-4 Devils remain two points behind the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with 66 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Predators announced that defenseman Alexandre Carrier will be sidelined for four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury.

The Arizona Coyotes (16-28-5) got a natural hat trick from Nick Schmaltz and a 33-save shutout from Karel Vejmelka to blank the St. Louis Blues 5-0. The Blues dropped to 23-23-3 and sit six points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Robert Thomas left this game with a lower-body injury. Coyotes forwards Matias Maccelli and Lawson Crouse returned to the lineup after being sidelined by injuries. However, the club announced before this game that defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere will miss four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury. That could affect management’s efforts to trade the pending free agent before the March 3 trade deadline.

An overtime goal by Robby Fabbri gave the Detroit Red Wings a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Moritz Seider had three assists for the Wings as they improved to 21-18-8 to keep their slim playoff hopes alive with 50 points. The Canadiens (20-25-4) got two goals from Rafael Harvey-Pinard but also lost defenseman Joel Edmundson to a lower-body injury. 

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks re-signed winger Andrei Kuzmenko to a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $5. 5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I predicted this in yesterday’s Rumor Mill as reports emerged Kuzmenko’s camp sought a two-year bridge deal worth between $5 million and $6 million. The 26-year-old rookie winger has 21 goals and 43 points in 47 games with the Canucks this season as he’s played well alongside center Elias Pettersson.

The signing disappoints those who believe the struggling Canucks should trade Kuzmenko for draft picks and prospects while his value was high. However, that would’ve meant rebuilding and that’s something the Canucks don’t do. This signing is also considered another indication that the club will move pending free agent center Bo Horvat before the March 3 trade deadline.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen reportedly avoided serious injury when he left Wednesday’s game against the Dallas Stars with an upper-body injury.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed defenseman Ben Harpur to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $787, 500.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2023

by | Jan 25, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2023

The Penguins’ Kris Letang returns to action with a four-point performance, the Bruins reach a league milestone, the Canucks win their first game under new coach Rick Tocchet, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang returned to action after an 11-game absence with an overtime goal in a 7-6 victory over the Florida Panthers. Letang finished with two goals and two assists while Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Danton Heinen each had a goal and two assists for the Penguins (24-15-8) as they moved into the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 56 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carter Verhaeghe scored twice and Aaron Ekblad had a goal and two assists as the 23-21-6 Panthers sit four points behind the Washington Capitals for the final Eastern wild-card spot with 52 points. Florida forward Sam Bennett missed this game with a lower-body injury while Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry was a late scratch with an undisclosed injury.

Speaking of the Capitals, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 37 shots while Nathan MacKinnon picked up an assist for his 700th career point as the Avalanche (26-17-3) have won six straight games to move into third place in the Central Division with 55 points. Alex Ovechkin returned to action with his 31st goal of the season but his Capitals slipped to 25-19-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals and Penguins each have 56 points but the latter holds three games in hand. Ovechkin returned from a lower-body injury but admitted he wasn’t at 100 percent. Capitals winger Tom Wilson left this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day while Nicklas Backstrom missed this contest with a non-COVID-related illness.

The league-leading Boston Bruins became the fastest team in NHL history to reach 80 points in a season (47 games) by doubling up the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. David Pastrnak had a goal and three assists while Patrice Bergeron snapped a 2-2 tie with the winning goal as the Bruins improved to 38-5-4 to hold a 14-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes in the overall standings. Kirby Dach scored both goals for the Canadiens as they dropped to 20-25-3.

Rick Tocchet picked up his first win as the new head coach of the Vancouver Canucks as they downed the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 5-2. Andrei Kuzmenko tallied twice for the Canucks (19-25-4). Petr Mrazek stopped 43 shots for the Blackhawks as they dropped to 14-28-4 to sit second-last in the overall standings with 32 points.

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy picked up his 250th career win with a 33-save performance in a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Corey Perry netted two goals as the Lightning (30-15-1) sit in third place in the Atlantic Division. Joel Eriksson Ek had two points for the 25-17-4 Wild as they tumbled one point behind the Calgary Flames for the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 54 points.

The New Jersey Devils nipped the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2. Dougie Hamilton scored the tying goals and then scored in overtime for the second straight game as the Devils (31-12-4) moved into a tie with the Hurricanes with 66 points. Goalie Logan Thompson kicked out 33 shots for the 29-17-3 Golden Knights as they cling to first place in the Pacific Division with 61 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights activated Brett Howden (lower body) off injured reserve.

An overtime goal by Kevin Fiala lifted the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Anze Kopitar scored two goals as the 27-17-6 Kings move one point behind Vegas in the Pacific Division. Carter Hart stopped 34 shots while James van Riemsdyk had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who slipped to 20-21-8.

The Nashville Predators nipped the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 as Tanner Jeannot snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period. Cody Glass also scored for the Predators (23-18-6) as they moved to within three points of a Western Conference wild-card berth with 52 points. Pierre-Luc Dubois replied for the 31-17-1 Jets as they sit one point behind the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars with 63 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Logan Stanley returned to the Jets lineup for the first time since being sidelined by a lower-body injury on Dec. 9.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson had a goal and two assists as his club picked up their fourth straight win by holding off the St. Louis Blues 5-3. Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (25-19-3) to move within three points of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 53 points. The Blues slipped to 23-22-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues activated Vladimir Tarasenko, Torey Krug and Logan Brown off injured reserve for this contest. They also placed winger Pavel Buchnevich (ankle) on IR.

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on an overtime goal by Andrew Copp. Michael Rasmussen had a goal and an assist as the Wings improved to 20-18-8. Erik Karlsson collected two assists for the Sharks as they dropped to 14-25-10 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Red Wings activated forward Matt Luff off injured reserve and assigned him to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler scored twice in a 5-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Anthony Stolarz got the win for the Ducks (14-29-5) with a 37-save performance. Barrett Hayton had a goal and an assist for the 15-28-5 Coyotes, who’ve dropped 12 of their last 14 games.

HEADLINES

MONTREAL GAZETTE: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman took questions from the media yesterday on a variety of topics prior to the Bruins-Canadiens game.

Bettman dismissed the notion of teams deliberately tanking this season to improve their odds of winning the draft lottery. “Nobody tanks because we have a weighted lottery,” said Bettman. “You’re not going to lose games to increase your odds by a couple of percentage points. That’s silly.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Finishing dead last is no guarantee of winning the lottery but it doesn’t hurt your chances despite what Bettman says.

Bettman also said it is conceivable that next season’s salary cap could rise by more than the projected $1 million if the outstanding escrow still owed to the owners from the players is paid off by the end of this season. However, he cautions that will depend on whether their projected revenues come in higher than anticipated.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We won’t learn for certain what it will be until sometime in June. General managers are preparing for next season expecting a $1 million hike rather than a significant increase.

DAILY FACEOFF: Hall-of-Fame goaltender Roberto Luongo will participate as a “celebrity goaltender” in the breakaway challenge during the skills competition at the 2023 NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 3.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators have rallied to support assistant coach Bob Jones after he was diagnosed with ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devastating news for Jones and the Senators organization. My best wishes to Jones and his family as he battles this disease.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 20, 2023

by | Jan 20, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 20, 2023

The Sabres retire Ryan Miller’s No. 30, milestone games for the Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron and the Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov, the final 12 players are named to the 2023 All-Star Game, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres retired Ryan Miller’s No. 30 in a pregame ceremony before downing the New York Islanders 3-2 on an overtime goal by Dylan Cozens. Rasmus Dahlen collected two assists for the Sabres (22-19-3) as they sit four points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 47 points. Ilya Sorokin stopped 42 shots for the Islanders (23-19-6), who remain tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins with 51 points. The Penguins, however, hold the last wild-card spot with three games in hand over the Isles.

Buffalo Sabres raise Ryan Miller’s banner (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Miller played 11 seasons with the Sabres from 2002 to 2014. He’s their all-time goaltending leader with 284 wins, 540 games played, 14, 847 saves and single-season wins with 41. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2009-10 and was named to that season’s First All-Star Team. He retired in 2021 after 18 NHL seasons.

Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron scored the game-winning goal and Jeremy Swayman made 31 saves in a 3-1 win over the New York Rangers. Bergeron surpassed Phil Esposito to move into second place among Bruins scorers with 78 game-winning goals. Boston (35-5-4) maintains a 12-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the overall standings with 76 points. The 25-14-7 Rangers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 57 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: John Bucyk is Boston’s all-time leader in game-winning goals with 88. Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo left this game after blocking a shot with his left leg.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they defeated the Minnesota Wild by a score of 5-2. Frederik Andersen turned aside 29 shots while Martin Necas had a goal and an assist for the 28-9-8 Hurricanes. Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored his 100th career goal, becoming the third-fastest active skater to reach that milestone by doing it in his 180th career NHL game. The Wild (25-14-4) remain in third place in the Central Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly loss for the Hurricanes as winger Max Pacioretty left the game in the third period after suffering an injury to the same leg that sidelined him for all but five games this season. It remains to be seen if he reinjured the Achilles tendon.

The Dallas Stars got a 34-save shutout from Scott Wedgewood to blank the Los Angeles Kings 4-0. Tyler Seguin scored twice and collected an assist as the Stars (27-13-7) took over sole possession of first place in the Western Conference with 61 points. The Kings slipped to 25-16-6 and hold third place in the Pacific Division.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored twice and Ilya Samsonov kicked out 37 shots in a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Mitch Marner scored to extend his home points streak record to 20 games as the Leafs (28-11-7) sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 63 points. Kyle Connor replied for the Jets (29-16-1) as they slipped two points behind the Stars in the Western Conference standings.

The Edmonton Oilers picked up their fifth straight win by downing the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3. Connor McDavid netted his league-leading 39 goal of the season to snap a 3-3 in the third period while Zach Hyman tallied twice for the 26-18-3 Oilers, who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 55 points. Brayden Point had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (29-14-1) as their five-game win streak came to an end, leaving them four points behind the Leafs in third place in the Atlantic Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers winger Evander Kane faces two trials next week in a San Jose courtroom after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy two years ago. The two creditors hope to block a discharge that would allow Kane to walk away from his remaining debts. His trial briefs revealed he borrowed $48 million between 2014 and 2019.

An overtime goal by Andre Burakovsky lifted the Seattle Kraken over the New Jersey Devils 4-3, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Ryan Donato scored two goals and added an assist for the 27-14-4 Kraken, who moved ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights into first place in the Pacific Division with 58 points. Devils captain Nico Hischier tallied his 21st goal of the season as they sit two points behind the Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes with 62 points (29-12-4).

Speaking of the Golden Knights (28-16-2), they fell 3-2 to the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso made 33 saves while Joe Veleno scored what proved to be the game-winning goal. Reilly Smith collected two assists for the Golden Knights, who have the same number of points as the Kraken (58) but the latter hold first in the Pacific with a game in hand. The Wings, meanwhile, improved to 19-17-8 on the season.

Washington Capitals goalie Darcy Kuemper made 26 saves to pick up his league-leading fifth shutout of the season to beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-0. Dylan Strome scored twice for the Capitals (25-17-6) as they opened a five-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins for the first Eastern wild-card spot with 56 points. The Coyotes (14-26-5) played without leading goal scorer Lawson Crouse (16 goals) as he’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

St. Louis Blues forwards Brandon Saad and Robert Thomas each had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators. The Blues improved to 23-20-3 (49 points) to sit two points behind the Calgary Flames for the final Western wild-card spot. The Predators (21-18-6) sit one point back of the Blues.

The Florida Panthers (22-20-5, 49 points) moved to within two points of the Penguins for the final Eastern wild-card spot with a 6-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Matthew Tkachuk scored twice and Aleksander Barkov collected two assists for the Panthers. The Canadiens fell to 19-24-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and forward Eric Staal left this game with injuries. Backup netminder Alex Lyon made 23 saves for the win. Earlier in the day, Panthers coach Paul Maurice was fined $25,000 by the NHL for making comments about the officiating in their game against the Leafs on Jan. 17.

Five unanswered goals rallied the Anaheim Ducks over the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3. Trevor Zegras, Cam Fowler and Adam Henrique each had a goal and an assist for the 13-28-5 Ducks as they snapped a five-game losing skid. The Jackets dropped to 13-20-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks activated forward Isac Lundestrom off injured reserve but forward Mason McTavish missed this contest with a lower-body injury.

The Chicago Blackhawks ended a 17-game regular-season road winless skid against the Philadelphia Flyers with a 4-1 victory. Petr Mrazek stopped 37 shots while Jonathan Toews had a goal and an assist for the 13-26-4 Blackhawks. The Flyers fell to 19-20-7.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The final 12 players were named to the 2023 NHL All-Star Game. Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, Leafs center Auston Matthews, Bruins winger David Pastrnak and Rangers winger Artemi Panarin were among the notables chosen by fan voting.

Speaking of the All-Star game, the jerseys for the event were also unveiled yesterday.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers head coach John Tortorella continued to support Ivan Provorov after the defenseman declined to participate in a warm-up skate before Tuesday’s game against Anaheim wearing an LGBTQ+-themed jersey during Pride Night citing his religious beliefs. “Prov did nothing wrong,” said Tortorella. “Just because you don’t agree with his decision doesn’t mean he did anything wrong.”

DAILY FACEOFF: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman weighed in on the situation to put the focus on the 700 players who supported LGBTQ+ Pride and embrace inclusivity.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those comments did little to quell the wave of criticism from a number of fans and pundits on social media over Provorov’s stance and Tortorella’s support of his decision.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forward Mathieu Joseph was scratched from the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Penguins for breaking a team rule. Neither he or the club elaborated on the situation but Joseph is keen to return to action for Friday’s rematch in Pittsburgh.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 12, 2023

by | Jan 12, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – January 12, 2023

Updates on the asking prices for the Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun and the Ducks’ John Klingberg plus the latest on the Blackhawks in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

UPDATES ON CHYCHRUN AND KLINGBERG

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Arizona Coyotes remain patient on the Jakob Chychrun trade front. With the 24-year-old defenseman signed through 2024-25, they don’t have to move him before the March 3 trade deadline.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

The Coyotes’ asking price for Chychrun is believed to be two first-round picks plus a prospect. However, LeBrun writes that they’re willing to be flexible regarding the quality of the prospect.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s also talk that the Coyotes are willing to accept a first-round pick plus a former first-round pick. The quality of the latter, however, will still have to be high. A first-round bust won’t suffice.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy also reports the Coyotes are willing to be more flexible on specific prospects with interested teams. The one constant is the addition of another 2023 first-round pick. Murphy also reported the Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers have been scouting Coyotes games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes have just one pick (their own) in the first round of this year’s draft. It’s understandable why they’d want another as the 2023 draft pool is considered to be a deep one.

They’ve also got seven combined picks in the second and third rounds of the 2024 draft and four second-rounders in 2025 to draw on for trade bait if necessary. Perhaps one or two of those get added to a larger Chychrun deal if it comes to pass.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau listed several other Coyotes who could be shopped leading up to March 3. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, goaltender Karel Vejmelka, forwards Nick Bjugstad and Nick Ritchie and blueliner Troy Stecher could become trade candidates. Proteau also speculated they could weaponize their cap space to become a third-party broker for cap-strapped playoff contenders at the trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gostisbehere, Bjugstad, Ritchie and Stecher are all unrestricted free agents this summer so it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re all skating on other clubs by March 3.

Vejmelka, however, has two more seasons left on his contract and is playing well for the Coyotes. I don’t see them moving him unless they get one hell of an offer.

THE ATHLETIC: LeBrun reports the Anaheim Ducks’ asking price for John Klingberg starts with a first-round draft pick. However, he doesn’t expect anyone will pay that much given the 30-year-old defenseman’s struggles this season.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Lisa Dillman reports Klingberg knows that he’s trade bait this season. He’s also seen an improvement in his performance since the holiday break in December.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun believes Klingberg, who tallied 40-plus points six times in his eight seasons with the Dallas Stars, could regain his form on a playoff contender. The Ducks would probably retain half of his prorated $7 million cap hit if a club meets their asking price. Nevertheless, I don’t see anyone parting with a first-rounder for him unless his production significantly improves over the next couple of months.

LATEST ON THE BLACKHAWKS

THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers reports Max Domi would like to remain with the Chicago Blackhawks beyond this season. An unrestricted free agent in July, the 27-year-old forward inked a one-year, $3 million contract with the Blackhawks last summer.

Domi understands he could still end up traded to a playoff contender by deadline day. Nevertheless, he said he’d like to stay with the Blackhawks and be a part of their rebuilding program.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The well-traveled Domi seems to have found a home in Chicago. He’s been among their few bright spots in an otherwise miserable season, leading them with 28 points 39 games.

Blackhawks management could move Domi if they get an enticing return that helps them with their rebuilding process. However, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of him coming back to Chicago next summer as a free agent.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Charlie Roumeliotis wondered if Blackhawks backup goaltender Alex Stalock would draw any interest in this season’s trade market. He’s put up solid numbers this season with a 6-5-1 record, a 2.54 goals-against average, and a .923 save percentage. Stalock is also among the league’s best puckhandling goalies and carries an affordable $750K cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stalock could indeed draw the attention of cap-strapped playoff contenders looking to bolster their depth between the pipes for the remainder of the season. It’s difficult to tell right now which clubs would make that move but the picture should become clearer in about four-to-six weeks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 7, 2023

by | Jan 7, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 7, 2023

Recaps of Friday’s games include the Jets welcoming back four sidelined players, plus injury updates on Patrick Kane, Mats Zuccarello and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets picked up their fourth straight win by doubling up the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 4-2. Pierre-Luc Dubois scored twice, Josh Morrissey collected three assists and Kyle Connor tallied the game-winner for Winnipeg (25-13-1), who sit one point behind the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars with 51 points. Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov replied for the 24-13-1 Lightning.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets welcomed back Blake Wheeler, Nikolai Ehlers, Cole Perfetti and Nate Schmidt after they’d been sidelined by various injuries. Wheeler’s was particularly painful as he suffered a ruptured testicle (ouch!) in a game last month when struck by a shot by Morrissey.

Meanwhile, Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman missed this game as he was in Tampa Bay for the birth of his family’s second child.

Earlier in the day, the San Jose Sharks claimed forward Mikey Eyssimont off waivers from the Jets.

Three first-period goals by Milan Lucic, Blake Coleman and Nikita Zadorov carried the Calgary Flames to a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Jacob Markstrom turned aside 24 shots as the Flames improved to 19-14-7 to hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 45. Zach Parise replied for the Islanders (22-17-2) as they hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 46 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders forward Mathew Barzal was a late scratch due to a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad scored two goals while Eric Staal collected his 600th career NHL assist to nip the Detroit Red Wings 3-2. Sergei Bobrovsky made 20 saves as the Panthers improve to 18-18-4. Filip Hronek assisted on both Red Wings goals as their record dropped to 16-14-7.

Ryan McDonagh’s first goal of the season for the Nashville Predators was the game-winner in a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. Yakov Trenin scored and collected an assist for the Predators (18-14-6) while Sonny Milano and Nicolas Aube-Kubel replied for the 22-14-6 Capitals, who hold the first wild-card spot in the East with 50 points.

An overtime goal by John Klingberg lifted the Anaheim Ducks past the San Jose Sharks 5-4. Mason McTavish scored twice and set up two others for the Ducks (12-24-4) while Timo Meier tallied twice for the 12-20-8 Sharks.

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock kicked out 22 shots to shut out the Arizona Coyotes 2-0. Jake McCabe and Tyler Johnson were the goal scorers as the Blackhawks (9-25-4) ended a five-game losing skid while the Coyotes (13-20-5) lost their 12th straight road game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane missed this game with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. It’s the first game he’s missed due to injury since 2015.

HEADLINES

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello will miss the club’s next two games with an upper-body injury. Teammate Brandon Duhaime returns to the lineup after missing 18 games with an upper-body injury.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens rookie defenseman Kaiden Guhle is expected to miss the next eight weeks with a knee injury though he’s not expected to undergo surgery. The Habs also announced defenseman Mike Matheson (lower-body injury) and center Sean Monahan (injured foot) are expected to return to action in two weeks’ time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Losing Guhle is a blow to the struggling Canadiens. He’d earned top-pairing minutes this season and was considered to be their best defenseman.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers signed forward Justin Bailey to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level and placed him on waivers for the purpose of sending him to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken assigned Shane Wright to the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs. They’d loaned him to Team Canada for the 2023 WJC, where he captained them to a gold medal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move wasn’t unexpected. Wright saw limited playing time with the Kraken this season and it was expected that he’d finish the remainder of this season with his junior club.

The Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Dylan Guenther from Hockey Canada.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes loaned Guenther to Team Canada for the 2023 World Juniors. He scored the gold-medal goal for Canada in overtime to defeat Czechia 3-2. He’d already spent 21 games with the Coyotes and collected 11 points.

LA KINGS INSIDER: The Kings placed winger Trevor Moore (upper body) on injured reserve and have loaned defenseman Brandt Clarke to the OHL’s Barrie Colts.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Clarke being sent back to his Junior team came as a surprise to a number of Kings fans on social media. The expectation was that he would rejoin the Kings after having played nine games with them earlier in the season along with five games with their AHL affiliate.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 5, 2023

by | Jan 5, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – January 5, 2023

What could the Rangers have in store for the trade deadline? Could the Ducks shop a goaltender? Are the Oilers interested in Jake McCabe? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT WILL THE RANGERS DO AT THE TRADE DEADLINE?

THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple recently explored the New York Rangers’ options for the March 3 trade deadline. He believes general manager Chris Drury is pondering whether to make a big-ticket acquisition or a couple of smaller ones.

Staple mentioned Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane, St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly and Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat as the big-ticket players.

Much will depend on whether Kane wants to be traded, where he wants to go and if the Rangers could get him for an affordable cost with the Blackhawks retaining half of his cap hit. O’Reilly is sidelined for six weeks with a broken foot and it could take until the week of the deadline for his market value to become clearer. Horvat could still re-sign with the Canucks but Staple doubted the Rangers could out-bid other clubs for his services.

Drury could instead look at bolstering the left side of his third defense pairing with a rental player. Staple mentioned the Anaheim Ducks’ Nathan Beaulieu or Dmitry Kulikov as well as the Philadelphia Flyers’ Justin Braun.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It would be something of a letdown if Kane isn’t traded to the Rangers given the months of speculation linking the Blackhawks star to New York. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing for the Blueshirts to do. Given the hype, however, it would feel a little disappointing.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (NHL Images).

Drury will do what he needs to do to affordably improve his club. The Rangers aren’t in a position where their Stanley Cup window is closing. The youth and talent on their club should ensure that they have several years ahead of them where they could become legitimate Cup contenders.

Unless they’re getting Kane or another quality top-six scorer at a reasonable rental price, the Rangers will likely tweak the roster before the trade deadline and see how things play out. Drury can then look at making more significant additions during the offseason in the trade and free-agent markets.

WILL THE DUCKS TRADE A GOALTENDER?

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens wonders what the Anaheim Ducks will do about their goaltending after promising Lukas Dostal’s solid performance during his recent call-up. He’s been sent back to their AHL affiliate in San Diego but he clearly doesn’t belong there.

Stephens believes John Gibson needs a trade. He has a 10-team no-trade list but Stephens believes that can be worked around. However, the remaining four years of his contract, with its average annual value of $6.4 million, is a big obstacle. It would be difficult finding a team in need of an upgrade in goal with the cap space to take on his contract.

Another option could be moving backup Anthony Stolarz, who carries a more affordable $950K cap hit and is slated to become a UFA. If the Ducks want to move Stolarz they’ll have to showcase him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks are stuck with Gibson unless they either buy him out this summer or retain half of his cap hit to facilitate a trade. They won’t do the former while the latter would leave them with four years of $3.2 million in dead cap space each year, which Stephens doubts they’ll want to do.

They might be able to find a taker for Stolarz over the next couple of months among playoff contenders looking to shore up their goaltending depth. Otherwise, Dostal will have to spend the remainder of this season in the minors unless injuries sideline Gibson or Stolarz again.

COULD THE OILERS LAND MCCABE?

SPORTSNET (stick tap to NHL Watcher): On Jan. 3, Elliotte Friedman said the Chicago Blackhawks really like Jake McCabe and are in no hurry to move the defenseman. However, they also understand he probably wants to play for a winner. Friedman expects the Edmonton Oilers to be among the suitors.

The following day on The Jeff Marek Show, Friedman expressed doubts about the Oilers landing McCabe. He’s not sure the blueliner wants to play in Canada and has some no-trade control. Friedman thinks Oilers GM Ken Holland will have to look elsewhere for help on his blueline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In shorts, the Oilers are interested in McCabe but he’s apparently not interested in them or any other Canadian team. He has a seven-team no-trade list.