NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 1, 2024

by | Dec 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 1, 2024

The Capitals and Wild each get 10 wins in November, Lightning captain Victor Hedman reaches a franchise milestone, the Blue Jackets trade David Jiricek to the Wild, the Avalanche and Predators swap backup goalies, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Third-period goals within 10 seconds by Taylor Raddysh and Pierre-Luc Dubois enabled the Washington Capitals to hold off the New Jersey Devils 6-5. John Carlsson collected three assists as the Capitals (17-6-1, 35 points) vaulted over the Devils (19-9-2, 34 points) into first place in the Eastern Conference. Devils center Jack Hughes also had three assists.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

An overtime goal by Jared Spurgeon lifted the Minnesota Wild to a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Spurgeon and Kirill Kaprizov each had a goal and an assist as the Wild (16-4-4, 36 points) moved into a tie with the Winnipeg Jets (18-6-0, 36 points) atop the overall standings. Fedor Svechkov and Ryan O’Reilly scored for the Predators, who dropped their fourth straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals and Wild were the only teams to win 10 games in November. The Jets still hold first overall based on wins. Kaprizov scored his 61st career power-play goal, surpassing Mikko Koivu for the second-most PPGs in franchise history. Zach Parise holds the record with 69.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got two assists from Auston Matthews and a goal and an assist from Matthew Knies to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3. Lightning captain Victor Hedman collected two assists to pass Martin St. Louis for the most assists (590) in franchise history.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews missed nine games with an undisclosed injury while Knies missed two games with an upper-body injury. Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury. Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov missed this game with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day.

New York Rangers winger Kaapo Kakko scored with 24 seconds remaining in regulation to nip the Montreal Canadiens 4-3. Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist and Adam Fox collected two assists as the Rangers snapped a five-game losing skid. Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Missed calls on both teams sparked criticism of the officiating in this game. Meanwhile, the Canadiens placed forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard on waivers.

The Florida Panthers crushed the Carolina Hurricanes 6-0 to sweep their home-and-home series. Spencer Knight turned in a 20-save shutout, Aleksander Barkov had a goal and an assist, Matthew Tkachuk collected two assists and Sam Bennett scored for the third straight game.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and forward Michael Bunting each had a goal and two assists in a 6-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. Alex Nedeljkovic made 30 saves as the Penguins picked up their third straight win. Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri each had a goal and an assist for the Flames, who are winless in their last four games (0-3-1).

An overtime goal by rookie winger Matvei Michkov lifted the Philadelphia Flyers over the St. Louis Blues 3-2. Michkov also had an assist while Aleksei Kolosov made 25 saves for the Flyers, who’ve won three straight to hold the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Dylan Holloway and Jake Neighbours each scored for the Blues.

The Los Angeles Kings picked up their third straight win by dropping the Ottawa Senators 5-2. Anze Kopitar, Trevor Moore and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist for the Kings. Senators center Tim Stutzle scored to extend his points streak to six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings center Trevor Lewis left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves for his first shutout of the season in a 3-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, ending a three-game winless skid (0-2-1). Simon Holmstrom tallied twice and Anders Lee netted his 10th goal of the season.

The Edmonton Oilers beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist, Stuart Skinner stopped 27 shots and Kasperi Kapanen scored his first goal with the Oilers, who picked up their third straight win. Nikolai Kovalenko replied for the Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Avalanche acquired goalie Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators in exchange for netminder Justus Annunen and a sixth-round pick in 2025. Wedgewood backed up Avs starter Alexandar Georgiev in this game.

The Avs hope the experienced Wedgewood will bring more stability to their goaltending, but he struggled with the Predators after signing a two-year contract with them during the summer.

Four first-period goals powered the Utah Hockey Club to a 6-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Jaxon Stauber made 29 saves for his first NHL shutout and Nick Schmaltz scored two goals for Utah, ending the Golden Knights’ five-game points streak.

The San Jose Sharks doubled up the Seattle Kraken 4-2 to sweep their home-and-home series. Mackenzie Blackwood kicked out 36 shots and Will Smith scored for the third straight game as the Sharks held off a late rally by the Kraken, who got goals from Jaden Schwartz and Jared McCann.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn returned to action after missing 19 games with a mid-body injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE ATHLETIC: The Columbus Blue Jackets traded defenseman David Jiricek and a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Minnesota Wild for blueliner Daemon Hunt, a 2025 first-round pick (top-five protected), a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2026 third-round pick and fourth-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets were concerned about Jiricek’s skating, which is the key reason they were willing to part with the 21-year-old defenseman, the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. However, the Wild consider Jiricek worth the investment, hoping the big defenseman with the booming shot reaches his potential as a top-four NHL blueliner.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The NHL department of player safety fined Penguins center Evgeni Malkin $5,000.00 for slashing and Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov $5,000.00 for unsportsmanlike conduct during an incident between the two players in Friday’s game between their two clubs.

SPORTSNET: Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury suffered during Friday’s game against the Golden Knights. However, he hasn’t been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Stars.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 10, 2024

by | Nov 10, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 10, 2024

The Jets set an early-season wins record, Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of the all-time goal record continues, Nathan MacKinnon takes over the scoring lead with a multipoint game, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets are the first team in NHL history to win 14 of their first 15 games with a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Vladislav Namestnikov and Alex Iafallo each had a goal and an assist and Cole Perfetti collected two assists for the 14-1-0 Jets, who sit atop the overall standings with 28 points. Roope Hintz replied for the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets goaltender Connor Hellebucyk set a franchise record for the longest shutout streak (191:47), which ended late in the third period when Hintz scored.

Alex Ovechkin scored two goals to lead the Washington Capitals to an 8-1 rout of the St. Louis Blues. Connor McMichael also scored two goals, Dylan Strome had three assists and Jakob Chychrun had a goal and an assist as he returned to action after missing the last five games with an upper-body injury. Scott Perunovich scored for the Blues, who gave up five goals in the third period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin has 10 goals in 14 games and 863 for his career. He needs 32 to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. The Capitals placed forward Sonny Milano on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and three assists to lead his club over the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4, snapping the latter’s eight-game win streak. Mikko Rantanen tallied twice and picked up an assist as the Avalanche overcame 2-0 and 3-2 deficits. Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook scored two goals and picked up an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon moved past Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (27 points) into first place in the scoring race with 29 points.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists as his club cruised to a 7-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Connor Brown scored two goals and Mattias Janmark collected three assists for the Oilers. Canucks forward Elias Pettersson had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks played without winger Brock Boeser as he remains sidelined with a suspected concussion. There is no timetable for his return.

A shootout goal by Evan Rodrigues gave the Florida Panthers a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Rodrigues also picked up two assists in regulation while netminder Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 34 shots in regulation and overtime as the Panthers picked up their seventh straight victory. Scott Laughton had two assists for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. Teammate Samuel Ersson made 28 saves as he returned to action following a two-game absence with a lower-body injury.

Nashville Predators netminder Juuse Saros had a 26-save shutout to blank the Utah Hockey Club 4-0. Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault each tallied two goals as the Predators ended a three-game losing skid. Utah has only three wins in their last 10 games (3-5-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators placed defenseman Dante Fabbro on waivers before this game. He’s been the subject of recent trade speculation. I’ll have more in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-1, handing the latter their sixth straight defeat (0-5-1). Leafs winger Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to eight games. Brendan Gallagher scored his seventh of the season for the floundering Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs winger Max Pacioretty left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury following a collision with Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson. He’s listed as day-to-day.

The rebuilding Canadiens hoped to improve when this season began but that optimism has now evaporated. Management is reportedly shopping around for a defenseman and a gritty forward but deals are difficult to find at this time of year. Head coach Martin St. Louis is safe from losing his job but he might benefit from a better staff of assistant coaches, particularly those with goaltending and defense expertise.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes scored in overtime as his club rallied from a 3-1 deficit to nip the New York Islanders 4-3. Hughes finished the game with two goals and an assist while teammate Dougie Hamilton had three helpers. Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin stopped 29 shots while Simon Holmstrom had a goal and an assist.

The New York Rangers got 37 saves from goalie Jonathan Quick to shut out the Detroit Red Wings 4-0. Rangers winger Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist while Chris Kreider, Jimmy Vesey and Reilly Smith also found the back of the net. The Red Wings have lost two straight games.

Los Angeles Kings winger Warren Foegele had a goal and an assist as his club beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe each had two assists for the Kings. Dmitri Voronkov and Ivan Provorov each netted their first goals of the season for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings placed forward Alex Turcotte on injured reserve before this game. He missed their previous two games with an upper-body injury.

The Buffalo Sabres blew a 2-0 lead but a shootout goal by JJ Peterka gave them a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. Tage Thompson tallied his 10th goal of the season and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen kicked out 24 shots for the Sabres’ third straight win. Matt Coronato and Mikael Backlund replied for the Flames.

An overtime goal by Brady Tkachuk gave the Ottawa Senators a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark made 14 saves for the win over his former team. Pavel Zacha and Brad Marchand scored for the Bruins.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the NHL will reveal the full rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off on Dec. 4. The tournament will take place from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston and replaces the 2025 All-Star Game.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins recalled goaltender Tristan Jarry from his conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. They also assigned forward Matt Nieto to their affiliate for conditioning.

ROTOWIRE: Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn is expected to remain sidelined for another three weeks as he recovers from an upper-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame as an influencer on Saturday. Former NHLers Pekka Rinne and Jussi Jokinen were among the inductees in the player category.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 22, 2024

by | Oct 22, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 22, 2024

The Leafs down the Lightning, the latest on Panthers center Anton Lundell and Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, and injury updates on Anthony Duclair, Alexis Lafreniere and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 in the only NHL game on Monday. William Nylander scored twice and collected an assist, Auston Matthews scored for the third straight game and Anthony Stolarz made 32 saves for the Leafs. Nick Paul and Brayden Point replied for the Lightning, who pulled goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy after he gave up four goals on 14 shots.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: George Richards reports Panthers center Anton Lundell is gaining more recognition for his two-way play. He’s performed well filling in for sidelined captain Aleksander Barkov on the Panthers’ first-line centering Sam Reinhart and Eetu Luostarinen.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lundell started drawing attention around the league during the Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup last spring, earning the nickname “Baby Barkov”. The 23-year-old is off to a hot start this season, sitting second in team scoring with eight points in seven games.

Lundell will move out of that first-line role when Barkov returns but he’s shown that he can handle top-line minutes when required.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Lane Hutson is settling in well with the Canadiens. The 20-year-old defenseman has four assists in his first six games while averaging over 23 minutes of ice time per game, including over 30 minutes during the Canadiens’ 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson began this season among the favorites to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year. It remains to be seen how the rest of his season pans out but he’s off to a good start, drawing positive reviews from his coaches, teammates and Canadiens fans for his creativity and puck-possession skills.

NEW YORK POST: Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said winger Anthony Duclair will be sidelined for a while. He injured his right leg during Saturday’s game against the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lamoriello also said the injury won’t end Duclair’s season. Nevertheless, his absence will deplete the Isles’ popgun offense.

Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere missed practice on Monday with an upper-body injury but skated on his own after the session ended. He’s listed as day-to-day and isn’t expected to miss much time.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks GM Mike Grier said Macklin Celebrini is expected to be out for at least two more weeks as he recovers from a hip injury. The 18-year-old rookie center suffered the injury during training camp but played in the Sharks’ season opener on Oct. 10.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Grier indicated that Celebrini’s injury was an off-and-on issue, adding the youngster claimed he felt great in the lead-up to their season opener.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Kraken placed defenseman Vince Dunn (upper body) on long-term injury reserve retroactive to Oct. 17. The earliest he can return to action is Nov. 12.

OTTAWA SUN: Goaltender Linus Ullmark (strain) and center Ridly Greig (upper-body injury) are expected to return to action in Tuesday’s game against the Utah Hockey Club.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils sent defenseman Seamus Casey to their AHL affiliate in Utica after eight games. Head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated the return of sidelined defensemen Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce is imminent.

DAILY FACEOFF: Vegas Golden Knights winger Victor Olofsson is week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered during last Tuesday’s game against the Washington Capitals.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Ryan Kennedy reports a source told him the next NHL collective bargaining agreement could include a rule permitting AHL eligibility for 19-year-old Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players.

Under the current CBA, CHL-eligible players must be 20 years old by Dec. 31 of the select calendar year or have played four years of Junior A hockey to become eligible for pro hockey in the AHL. Unless 18- and 19-year-old players play more than nine NHL games, they must return to their CHL team, which retains their rights until age 20.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 18, 2024

by | Apr 18, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – April 18, 2024

What’s in store during a long offseason for the Devils, Kraken and Wild? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

DEVILS FACE A BUSY OFFSEASON

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols looked ahead at what could be a busy offseason for Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald.

First and foremost, Fitzgerald needs to hire a new head coach. Potential candidates could be former NHL bench bosses like Craig Berube and Todd McLellan or two-time NCAA Frozen Four champion David Carle.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That means interim head coach Travis Green reverts to associate coach or moves on to another club.

Fitzgerald must also address his goaltending. He addressed part of the problem by acquiring Jake Allen last month at the trade deadline. The Devils GM made it clear he intends to go “big-game hunting” this summer. He could revisit his interest Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom or turn to other options like Boston’s Linus Ullmark, Nashville’s Juuse Saros or St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington.

SPECTOR’S NOTE:  Binnington seems the least likely to be available. Ullmark is the most likely candidate, followed by Markstrom and Saros.

The Devils also need to add a defenseman. Nichols suggested someone like Dallas’ Chris Tanev.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tanev’s shutdown defensive game will make him a popular free-agent target for several teams this summer. However, his age (34) and injury history could make Fitzgerald seek other options for his blueline.

Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright (NHL Images).

PROPOSED OFFSEASON TRADE CANDIDATES FOR THE KRAKEN

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Geoff Baker believes the Kraken must improve by bringing in an elite performer. Finding one means giving up a player other teams want.

Baker believes defensemen like Vince Dunn, Will Borgen and Adam Larsson and goaltender Joey Daccord would be enticing trade chips. If the Kraken believes young center Shane Wright is a good complementary piece rather than a future star, the time to sell high is now.

Kate Shefte noted that Brandon Tanev and Jamie Oleksiak are being mentioned as trade candidates. She doesn’t see Wright getting shopped but wondered if they might offer up promising prospect Jagger Firkus.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see what Kraken general manager Ron Francis has in store for his club this summer. He could remain patient with his club and maybe make depth additions. Perhaps he considers a coaching change rather than a big trade. Francis has made big splashes via free agency and could go that route again. Or he could surprise us with a big trade.

I agree with Shefte regarding Wright but they could consider moving another prospect like Firkus for more immediate help. 

LATEST ON THE WILD

STARTRIBUNE.COM: La Velle E. Neal III noted the Minnesota Wild’s youth movement, bringing up promising Jesper Wallstedt and forwards Liam Ohgren and Marat Khusnutdinov late in the season. They join a core of 20-something talent that includes Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi and Brock Faber.

The Wild have one more season of carrying over $14.7 million in dead cap space from buying out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. That will give him the cap flexibility needed when those young players are ready for new contracts.

Neal also suggested the Wild move on from goaltender Filip Gustavsson and defenseman Alex Goligoski. Trading Gustavsson would make room for Wallstedt, who would benefit from being an apprentice to Marc-Andre Fleury next season. Goligoski, 39, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Neal’s suggestion to trade Gustavsson is interesting considering the Wild signed Fleury on Wednesday to a one-year contract extension. Maybe Wild GM Bill Guerin is looking at a Fleury-Wallstedt tandem for next season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 22, 2023

by | Jul 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 22, 2023

The Kraken avoid arbitration with Vince Dunn while the Leafs and Ilya Samsonov await an arbiter’s decision. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken avoided arbitration with Vince Dunn by signing the defenseman to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $7.35 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dunn was coming off a two-year contract with an AAV of $4 million. He earned that pay raise by becoming the Kraken’s best puck-moving defenseman, tallying 35 points during their inaugural season in 2021-22 and a career-best 64 points in 81 games.

Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn (NHL Images).

The term is reasonable for both sides. It’s not overly long for the Kraken while Dunn gets an opportunity at unrestricted free agency at age 30 when he’s still in his prime.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs and Ilya Samsonov failed to reach an agreement on a contract and went into arbitration yesterday. The mediator has until Sunday to decide between Samsonov’s ask of $4.9 million on a one-year deal or the Leafs’ $2.6 million. Whatever the outcome, Samsonov will only get a one-year contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Going into this process could lead to Samsonov’s departure as an unrestricted free agent next summer regardless of whether the 26-year-old goaltender gets what he wants for a salary. Arbitration is a bruising process for a player’s ego. It’s rare that a player who went through it ends up signing a long-term deal with his club.

CAP FRIENDLY: Only eight players have arbitration hearings upcoming. The most notable are Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman (July 30), Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry (Aug. 2) and Minnesota Wild netminder Filip Gustavsson (Aug. 4).

Samsonov and Chicago’s Philipp Kurashev have gone before an arbiter with the latter’s result expected on Saturday. Most of the others (such as Dunn) have settled before their hearings.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Despite a difficult transition last season from the Vancouver Canucks to the Islanders (especially after linemate Mathew Barzal was sidelined), Bo Horvat is looking forward to his first full season on Long Island.

Horvat said he likes the pressure and intensity of playing for passionate fans on Long Island. “You want to be in a market where they care about the game, and they care about the team, and that’s where I am right now.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The piece also noted that Horvat will face considerable pressure in the first season of his eight-year, $68 million contract. A full season playing alongside a healthy Barzal should result in a productive performance for the 28-year-old center in 2023-24. That could prove crucial for the Isles’ playoff hopes this season.

NHL.COM: Long-time league executive Brian O’Neill passed away at age 94. Hired in 1966-67 as director of administration. O’Neill oversaw the NHL’s expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967. He was named executive director four years later, overseeing the NHL draft, several expansions and regular season and playoff schedules before retiring from that position in 1992.

O’Neill was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 1994 and served as an advisor, including helping with the operation of the NHL’s Player Emergency Assistance Fund.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to O’Neill’s family, friends and colleagues.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 6, 2023

by | Jul 6, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 6, 2023

Jeremy Swayman, Troy Terry and Vince Dunn are among 22 players filing for arbitration, Vladimir Tarasenko changes agents, Alain Vigneault, Patric Hornqvist, Darren Helm and Michael Stone retire, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHLPA.COM: Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry and Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn are among 22 players who filed for salary arbitration by the 5 pm ET deadline on July 5.

The deadline for club-elected salary arbitration notification is 5 pm ET on July 6.

The salary arbitration period begins on July 20 and ends on Aug. 4. A schedule for those hearings will be released shortly.

Here is the complete list of players who filed for arbitration:

Morgan Barron (Winnipeg Jets)
Will Borgen (Seattle Kraken)
Noah Cates (Philadelphia Flyers)
Ross Colton (Colorado Avalanche)
Brandon Duhaime (Minnesota Wild)
Vince Dunn (Seattle Kraken)
Cale Fleury (Seattle Kraken)
Trent Frederic (Boston Bruins)
Filip Gustavsson (Minnesota Wild)
Brett Howden (Vegas Golden Knights)
Tanner Jeannot (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Philipp Kurashev (Chicago Blackhawks)
Jack McBain (Arizona Coyotes)
Ryan McLeod (Edmonton Oilers)
Ian Mitchell (Boston Bruins)
Drew O’Connor (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Ilya Samsonov (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Brandon Scanlin (New York Rangers)
Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins)
Troy Terry (Anaheim Ducks)
Alexei Toropchenko (St. Louis Blues)
Gabriel Vilardi (Winnipeg Jets)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be surprising if any of these filings end up going to arbitration. Players and teams usually file to use their dates with an arbiter as a deadline to complete their contract negotiations. It’s expected that all of them will agree to new contracts before their scheduled hearings.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman yesterday reported that Vladimir Tarasenko has replaced agent Paul Theofanus with agents Pat Brisson and J.P. Barry. This means the unrestricted free-agent winger has no deal yet with any team and his process of negotiation begins anew.

Vladimir Tarasenko (NHL Images).

NEW YORK POST’s Larry Brooks tweeted that Tarasenko had multiple offers of varying lengths with average annual values between $5.5 million and $6 million from teams ranging from contenders to rebuilding clubs. The Carolina Hurricanes were among those bidders. However, the 31-year-old winger rejected those offers and changed agents.

Brooks also indicated that Tarasenko had wanted to remain with the New York Rangers. However, the club lacks the cap space to make it happen.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford also reports that it’s back to square one for Tarasenko as his new representatives attempt to find the right fit for the UFA winger. They’ve been reaching out to clubs, including those that previously made offers to Tarasenko.

There were reports Tarasenko was close to signing a deal with the Carolina Hurricanes before changing agents. The Hurricanes declined to comment but Rutherford indicates his new representatives have reached out to the club and are waiting for a reply.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tarasenko remains the best player available in this summer’s thin UFA market. He’s coming off an eight-year contract with an AAV of $7.5 million.

Tarasenko will still generate plenty of interest. However, the high number of clubs with limited salary-cap space could make it difficult for him to find better offers than those he reportedly received before changing agents.

RDS: Former NHL coach Alain Vigneault has no interest in pursuing another head-coaching job. The 62-year-old remains under contract with the Philadelphia Flyers but was fired as their head coach in Dec. 2021. He now considers himself a retiree and wants to move on and enjoy his life.

Vigneault ranks 15th in NHL history for games coached (1,363) and is tenth in wins with 722. He spent 19 seasons as a head coach with the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vigneault won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2006-07 and guided the Canucks to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final and the Rangers to the 2014 Cup Final. He leads all Canucks coaches with 313 wins. Best wishes to Vigneault in his retirement.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers winger Patric Hornqvist has announced his retirement, citing the concussions he suffered in December that ended his 2022-23 season. He spent 15 seasons in the NHL with the Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers.

In 901 games, Hornqvist tallied 264 goals and 543 points, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017. He scored the Cup-clinching goal for the Penguins against the Predators in the 2017 Final.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche forward Darren Helm is calling it a career after 16 NHL seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and the Avalanche. In 823 games, Helm tallied 119 goals and 266 points as a checking-line center, winning a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2018 and with the Avs in 2022.

CALGARY SUN: Defenseman Michael Stone has announced his retirement and is joining the Flames as part of their player development team. He played 552 games and netted 145 points skating with the Arizona Coyotes and the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Hornqvist, Helm and Stone in their future endeavors.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets signed restricted free-agent defenseman Dylan Samberg to a two-year, $2.8 million contract.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Philadelphia Flyers signed defenseman Victor Mete to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level.

NHL.COM: David Reinbacher signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens. The 18-year-old Austrian defenseman was chosen fifth overall by the Canadiens in the 2023 NHL Draft.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings promoted Kris Draper to assistant general manager. He will still retain his title of director of amateur scouting.