NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 13, 2023

by | Jun 13, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 13, 2023

The latest on the Golden Knights and Panthers on the eve of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, Flames name Ryan Huska as head coach, Rangers to reportedly hire Peter Laviolette as their new bench boss, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP FINAL NEWS

FLA HOCKEY NOW: The Florida Panthers return to Las Vegas hoping to bounce back from the 3-2 loss in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Vegas Golden Knights hold a 3-1 lead in the series and can win the Cup tonight in Game 5.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Panthers forwards Matthew Tkachuk, Nick Cousins, and defensemen Brandon Montour and Radko Gudas skipped practice on Monday. Head coach Paul Maurice offered no updates on their conditions heading into Game 5 but said he would provide an update on Tuesday.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those four would have to be seriously injured to miss Game 5 with the Stanley Cup on the line. I wouldn’t be surprised if they play but how effective they’ll be depends on how banged up they are.

All eyes will be on Tkachuk. The Panthers’ leading scorer was clearly hampered in Game 4 by what appeared to be a shoulder injury. Montour’s performance will also be worth monitoring as he’s been their top defenseman in this postseason.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Jack Eichel provided context to his recent meeting with former NBA great and TNT basketball analyst Charles Barkley. In an interview on Hockey Night in Canada during Game 4, Barkley said Eichel didn’t seem to know who he was when he approached the Golden Knights center in a hotel to wish him good luck in the series.

Eichel insisted he knew who Barkley was but was engaged in conversation with someone else when Barkley approached him. He said Barkley was polite and didn’t want to interrupt him but wanted to meet him. “That was the extent of it,” said Eichel, adding he was a big fan of Barkley but felt the encounter was taken a bit out of context.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski reports Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will not face supplemental discipline for leaving the penalty box for joining a scrum at the end of Game 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: During his 32 Thoughts podcast on Monday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the league looked into the incident and decided against a suspension. Pietrangelo was released from the penalty box at the end of the period and was not the aggressor in the scrum.

THE TORONTO STAR: Kevin McGran cited Hockey Night in Canada’s Ron MacLean wondering if NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman would break with tradition and award the Stanley Cup to Golden Knights owner Bill Foley instead of team captain Mark Stone if Vegas wins the Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McGran noted that MacLean was merely musing but he hopes that doesn’t come to pass. “Who wants to see an owner be first to hoist the Cup?” writes McGran. “It would be a bit of an emotional letdown”.

I don’t expect Bettman will break the longtime tradition of awarding the Cup to the team captain. If he does, the reaction from fans and pundits will be swift and furious.

IN OTHER NEWS…

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: As expected, the Flames formally announced Ryan Huska has become their new head coach. Huska had been an assistant coach with the Flames for the past five years. He replaces Darryl Sutter, who was fired last month.

DAILY FACEOFF: cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman tweeting that it appears Peter Laviolette will become the new head coach of the New York Rangers. The former Washington Capitals bench boss would replace Gerard Gallant, who was fired on May 6.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson isn’t considering retirement, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Johnson is due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He’d like to return with the Avs but if not, he will hit the open market.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong said he guarantees the Chicago Blackhawks will get inquiries about their willingness to part with the first-overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It would take one hell of an offer to tempt Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson into trading that pick. The prize is generational center Connor Bedard, who’s been compared to Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby.

Some fans and pundits are dreaming up trade scenarios that would see the Blackhawks part with that pick. Don’t expect any of them to take place. The Hawks will retain that pick and select Bedard as expected.

THE ATHLETIC’s Aaron Portzline cites multiple sources indicating former NHL goaltender Niklas Backstrom will be named as the new goalie coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the sale of the Senators could be days away. He writes that the estate of the club’s late owner Eugene Melnyk is closing in on selling the team to a preferred bidder. Once an agreement in principle is reached, it will require approval from the league.

Three suitors remain in the bidding. Toronto billionaires Michael Andlauer and the Kimel brothers are believed to be the finalists. Los Angeles-based producer Neko Sparks remains in the pictures.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The recent departure of billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos from the bidding might have sped up the evaluation process. He reportedly made the biggest bid ($1 billion USD) but withdrew over the weekend as he was apparently frustrated by the slowness of the process.

**UPDATE** The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch cites sources this morning saying Andlauer is to become the Senators’ new owner**

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Valerie Camillo is leaving her posts as president and CEO of Comcast Spectacor, which owns the Flyers. She was also the club’s alternate governor.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 12, 2023

by | Jun 12, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 12, 2023

Updates on the Panthers and Golden Knights, the latest on the bidding for the Senators, Connecticut governor expresses interest in moving the Coyotes to Hartford, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

STANLEY CUP FINAL NEWS

FLA HOCKEY NOW: Matthew Tkachuk’s status for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final remains uncertain after the Florida Panthers winger saw limited playing time in his club’s Game 4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (NHL Images)

Florida head coach Paul Maurice said the club has two days to evaluate Tkachuk’s condition. It appears the Panthers star was playing with an injured shoulder during the 3-2 loss on Saturday.

CBS SPORTS: Tkachuk isn’t the only Panther nursing an injury. Winger Anthony Duclair is being evaluated to determine his availability for Tuesday’s crucial game. He was shaken up during Game 4. An update on his status is expected on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Losing Tkachuk and Duclair for Game 5 would rob the Panthers of two of their leading scorers as they try to stave off elimination. Even if they play, their injuries could hamper their effectiveness.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel is expected to play in Game 5 on Tuesday in Las Vegas. Eichel left Game 4 during the second period when he suffered an upper-body injury after being struck with a puck off the stick of teammate Jonathan Marchessault. He returned to action in the third period.

HEADLINES

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports NHL officials have reportedly served notice to representatives of the estate of Eugene Melnyk to complete the sale of the Senators as soon as possible. The three remaining bidders are also pushing for a decision.

This comes after Toronto billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos recently withdrew his rumored $1 billion USD bid. He was reportedly frustrated about the ongoing selection process.

That has made Toronto billionaire businessman Michael Andlauer more aggressive in his pursuit of the franchise. He’s reportedly informed officials with the Melnyk estate and broker Galatito Sports Partner that he’s ready to sign immediately and wants this done. His bid is believed to be between $900 million and $950 million.

Andlauer and billionaire brothers Jeffrey and Michael Kimel are considered the two legitimate bidders remaining in the process. Los Angeles-based producer Neko Sparks has also made a bid but it’s being considered a fall-back position in case the other two bids fall through.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league could be understandably anxious after Apostolopoulos become the second major bidder in less than a month to withdraw from the process. Garrioch claims sources indicate the sale would be completed soon as it’s believed negotiations are in the final stages with the preferred bidder. It’s worth noting that Andlauer is now considered the front-runner and has NHL experience as he owns 10 percent of the Montreal Canadiens.

WTNH.COM: Connecticut governor Ned Lamont said he has a group in place to buy the troubled Arizona Coyotes and move them to Hartford. The club would replace the Whalers, which relocated to Carolina in 1997 and become the Hurricanes.

Lamont said the XL Center (formerly known as the Hartford Civic Center) would have to be refurbished to accommodate an NHL franchise.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As I said yesterday on Twitter, as much as I’d love to see the NHL return to Hartford, the league (especially Commissioner Gary Bettman) isn’t interested in relocating the Coyotes. They’ll continue fighting to keep the club in Arizona.

Should the league’s efforts fail, I expect their preference would be moving the Coyotes to a western US city such as Houston, Salt Lake City or Portland.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen was disappointed that prospects Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson didn’t take part in the physical testing during last week’s NHL draft combine in Buffalo. The pair opted out citing their recent participation in the World Championships as a competitive disadvantage.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets have the third-overall pick in the upcoming draft. Fantilli or Carlsson could be available to the Jackets when it’s time to make their selection. Could their decision to skip the physical testing affect who Kekalainen chooses with that pick? We’ll find out during the opening round on June 28.

THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers reports Jonathan Toews isn’t returning to the Chicago Blackhawks. He believes we’ll hear from Toews in the coming weeks whether he’ll retire or continue his NHL playing career with another club.

Power also wrote that the Blackhawks aren’t expected to re-sign their remaining unrestricted free agents after inking Andreas Athanasiou to a new contract last week. Those UFAs include goaltender Alex Stalock and winger Jujhar Khaira.

THE ATHLETIC: Retired Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is making a smooth transition as an in-studio NHL analyst for TNT.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: An upcoming ESPN documentary traces the Anaheim Ducks franchise from its founding 30 years ago based on a Disney movie to reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2003.

ECHL: The Florida Everblades are the Kelly Cup champions for the second straight year. They won the ECHL championship on Friday night with a four-game sweep of the Idaho Steelheads in front of a franchise-record crowd of 7,855 fans at Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida. The Everblades are the ECHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers and the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 6, 2023

by | Jun 6, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 6, 2023

The Golden Knights take a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final, the Canadiens sign Cole Caufield to a long-term contract, the Ducks hire a new head coach, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS TAKE 2-0 LEAD IN THE STANLEY CUP FINAL

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights thumped the Florida Panthers 7-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final. Jonathan Marchessault scored twice and added an assist, Brett Howden tallied two goals, Jack Eichel had two assists and Adin Hill made 29 saves for the win.

Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky got the hook early in the second period after giving up four goals on 13 shots as the Golden Knights jumped to a 4-0 lead. Anton Lundell and Matthew Tkachuk replied for the Panthers.

Tkachuk leveled Eichel with a hard, clean open-ice hit late in the second period. Eichel briefly left the game but returned to action in the third period. Tkachuk received a 10-minute misconduct and a two-minute roughing penalty in a scrum following the hit.

The Panthers winger would receive another misconduct late in the third period. He has a combined 36 penalty minutes in this series thus far, setting an NHL record for the most through the first two games of a Stanley Cup Final.

Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas left the game early in the first period following a hit by Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev. Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen remained sidelined for the second straight game due to a lower-body injury suffered in the final game of the Eastern Conference Final.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault (NHL Images).

The series shifts to Florida for the next two games. Game 3 will be Thursday at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights dominated Game 2 from the opening faceoff, taking advantage of Florida’s porous defense and undisciplined play. Bobrovsky had a rough outing but Panthers coach Paul Maurice believed his club should’ve played better in front of their goalie. Their sloppy performance has prompted some to suggest that their 10-day layoff between series has done them more harm than good.

Tkachuk’s thunderous bodycheck on Eichel was done in part to try to light a spark under his floundering teammates. Following the game, the Golden Knights center said it was a clean hit. “Got to be aware of it,” Eichel said. “Got to keep your head up. I’ll be fine.” He shrugged off concerns about an injury, claiming that he left the game because he’d had the wind knocked out of him. He would set up Marchessault’s second goal in the third period.

Speaking of Marchessault, he is likely moving into consideration for the Conn Smythe Trophy. After managing just two assists in Vegas’ first seven games of this postseason, he’s since tallied 12 goals and 19 points, including three goals and four points against the Panthers. The Golden Knights’ Twitter handle trolled Florida during Game 2, pointing out that they chose Marchessault when the Panthers left him unprotected in the 2017 expansion draft.

HEADLINES

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens signed Cole Caufield to an eight-year, $62.8 million contract worth an average annual value of $7.85 million. That makes the 22-year-old winger the second-highest-paid skater on the team next season, earning just $25,000 less than linemate and team captain Nick Suzuki.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Caufield’s contract is front-loaded as he’ll earn $9.975 million in each of the first two seasons as well as a $5 million signing bonus for each of those seasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Caufield emerged as a gifted young sniper since joining the Canadiens late in the 2020-21 season, helping the Habs reach the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

The young winger struggled through the first half of 2021-22 until Martin St. Louis took over as head coach. Under St. Louis, Caufield has tallied 48 goals in 83 games, including 26 goals in 46 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder surgery in January.

Caufield has the potential to become a consistent 40-goal scorer. If he regularly reaches that plateau, his contract will be a bargain for the Canadiens over the next eight years.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks announced yesterday that they’ve hired Greg Cronin as their new head coach. Cronin spent the past five seasons coaching the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.

“Being a young team, I felt we need a teacher of the finer points of the game, and someone who has worked extensively over time with talented young players, helping them develop into successful NHL players,” said Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek. “Greg has done all that and more, and we are excited to name him head coach of the Anaheim Ducks.”

NEW YORK POST: Despite rumors linking Patrick Roy to the New York Rangers, the club does not consider him a coaching candidate and will not interview him for the position. Former Nashville Predators coach John Hynes and former Washington Capitals bench boss Peter Laviolette are considered the front-runners for the job.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Roy guided his Quebec Remparts to the QMJHL championship and the Memorial Cup this season. He was also the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche from 2013-14 to 2015-16. There’s speculation one of the prospective owners of the Ottawa Senators could be interested in hiring Roy if their efforts to purchase the club are successful.

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Chelios will not have his contract as an in-studio hockey analyst with ESPN renewed at the end of this season. The move is part of a series of budget cuts by the network.

TSN: Michael Thompson, the general manager of infrastructure services for the city of Calgary, said the $1.2 billion deal to replace the aging Saddledome comes with a 35-year lease that includes a commitment from the Flames to remain in the city.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The deal is drawing increasing criticism from those concerned with the high cost of the project and how it will be funded. One critic said the agreement would ultimately generate no operating revenue for the city.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 3, 2023

by | Jun 3, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 3, 2023

The latest on the Golden Knights and Panthers ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Blues won’t buy out contracts, more changes to the front offices of the Flyers and Penguins, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TSN: Jack Eichel is making the most of his first-ever NHL postseason as his Vegas Golden Knights prepare for the upcoming Stanley Cup Final.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (NHL Images).

“It’s where you want to be as a player and (it’s) been taking a few years for me to get here,” said Eichel. “It’s been a great experience. It’s been a lot of fun sharing with the guys in the room, the emotions, winning and moving on.”

Eichel, 26, is tied for fourth in this postseason with 18 points.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill has been enjoying the ride to the Stanley Cup Final. Hill took over as their starter midway through their second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers, backstopping them to victory in that series and in the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars.

In 11 postseasons appearance, Hill leads all goalies with two shutouts and a sparkling .937 save percentage.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has found his underdog team’s march to the Stanley Cup Final to be “an unbelievable experience.” He’s applied the lessons learned from the disappointments of the past to his performance in the 2023 playoffs. Bobrovsky’s won 11 of his 12 playoff games, including six in overtime.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bobrovsky’s performance has made him a front-runner for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Hill should also be considered a Smythe candidate.

NHL.COM: The Panthers long layoff has benefitted forward Eetu Luostarinen. Sidelined during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final, he has returned to his usual spot with linemates Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart.

STLTODAY.COM: Don’t expect the Blues to go the buyout route to free up some salary-cap space this summer. “I don’t see us buying out players, no,” said general manager Doug Armstrong. “I’m not sure this is the summer for substantial changes for us. We talked about that at the end of the year. We want to see internal growth from some of the guys.”

Armstrong also said he was flattered to learn that his name was mentioned by Toronto sports media as a potential candidate to become the GM of the Maple Leafs. He said he was glad he was in Europe when those rumors came out. “My intentions, I’m a St. Louis Blue,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those rumors appear to be based on pundits thinking out loud and spitballing potential candidates for the job. It turns out the Maple Leafs never reached out to the Blues to speak with Armstrong, who’s under contract through 2025-26.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The shakeups continue in the Penguins’ front office. Their latest departures include director of pro scouting Kerry Huffman, senior vice president of integrated performance Teena Murray and director of hockey operations Alec Schall. No replacements have been named yet.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers have parted ways with senior advisor to the general manager and player development Mike O’Connell and player development coaches John Riley and Kjell Samuelsson.

They named Alyn McCauley as assistant GM, Riley Armstrong as director of player development and Nick Schultz as assistant director of player development.

THE SCORE: Player agent Kurt Overhardt doesn’t anticipate any problems reaching an agreement with the Minnesota Wild on a new contract for client Filip Gustavsson. “I don’t think it’s a matter of getting something done. It’s just a matter of when it’s done. It’s only June 2. So there’s still a lot of time.”

Gustavsson is completing a two-year contract with an average annual value of $787, 500. He’s a restricted free agent this summer with arbitration rights. The 24-year-old Swedish goaltender appeared in 39 games with the Wild, starting 37 of them. He ranked second in save percentage (.931) among goalies with at least eight games played this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gustavsson has taken over the starter’s job from the aging Marc-Andre Fleury, who has one season remaining on his contract.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Toronto billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos is considered the front-runner in the bidding to purchase the Senators. He had the highest bid ($1 billion USD) and is thought to be in the driver’s seat because he has what’s considered to be the “cleanest” bid.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, Apostolopoulos hasn’t had to get outside investors involved to come up with the money to purchase the team. Garrioch indicated that his partners are his two brothers and his bid isn’t heavily leveraged with debt.

TSN: The Montreal Canadiens have signed checking-line forward Michael Pezzetta to a two-year, $1.625 million contract. The average annual value is $812,500.

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes are mourning the loss of Bob Brind’Amour, father of head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Bob passed away on Thursday in Campbell River, BC, surrounded by family and friends.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the Brind’Amour family.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Bark-Andre Furry, the beloved Jack Russell terrier who became the furry friend of the Vegas Golden Knights, passed away on Friday at age 14. Bark was named after former Golden Knights star Marc-Andre Fleury in 2018 and frequently appeared at their home games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Condolences to the Golden Knights and to Bark’s owners.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 13, 2023

by | May 13, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 13, 2023

The Panthers advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Golden Knights push the Oilers to the brink of elimination and the Hart Trophy finalists are announced. Get the details in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1996 with a 3-2 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 5 of their best-of-seven second-round series. Nick Cousins tallied the game-winner after the Leafs overcame a 2-0 deficit on goals by Morgan Rielly and William Nylander. Aaron Ekblad and Carter Verhaeghe also scored for the Panthers.

Florida Panthers forward Nick Cousins (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals. The date has yet to be announced for Game 1 but it will likely be Wednesday at the earliest.

After upsetting the Boston Bruins in the first round, the Panthers suffered no letdown in this series. They outworked and out-hustled Toronto during the first three games while their best players were consistently at their best. While the Leafs improved in the final two games, the Panthers made the most of their opportunities. They also took home-ice advantage away from their opponent, winning three of their four games in Toronto.

Down 2-1 late in the second period, Rielly appeared to have tied the game for the Leafs but the NHL situation room claimed the referee deemed the play to be dead before the puck crossed the line. Nylander would tie the game in the third period but it might have been the game-winner had Rielly’s goal counted.

Despite winning their first playoff round in 19 years during this postseason, there’s a feeling of disappointment and heartbreak in Leafs Nation amid speculation that big changes are coming in this offseason. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumors update.

The Vegas Golden Knights are on the verge of advancing to the Western Conference Finals following a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of their second-round series. They overcame 1-0 and 2-1 deficits and held off the Oilers’ third-period push after Connor McDavid cut their lead by one goal. Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault each had three points while Adin Hill stopped 32 shots. McDavid scored twice for the Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eichel is thriving in his first-ever NHL playoffs. He leads the Golden Knights with 13 points and is tied for the club leads in goals (six) with Chandler Stephenson.

All of the Oilers’ goals in this game came on the power play but they also gave up two on the penalty kill. Their difficulties in scoring at even strength are becoming an issue for them in this series. There’s also concern about their goaltending as Stuart Skinner got pulled again after giving up four goals on 22 shots.

Both clubs were without their best defensemen for this contest as Vegas’ Alex Pietrangelo and Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse were both serving one-game suspensions.

Speaking of Connor McDavid, he joins Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak and Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk as finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy as this season’s most valuable player on his team.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 17, 2023

by | Apr 17, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 17, 2023

The opening round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs begins tonight. Check out the latest on the Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron, the Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel, the Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

POSTSEASON HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The opening round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs kicks off tonight with the Florida Panthers facing off against the Bruins in Boston, the New York Islanders traveling to Carolina to meet the Hurricanes, the Minnesota Wild squaring off against the Stars in Dallas, and the Los Angeles Kings journeying to Edmonton to face the Oilers.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery acknowledged it’s possible captain Patrice Bergeron could miss Game 1 against the Panthers tonight. Bergeron suffered an upper-body injury during the last game of the regular season and has missed practices for precautionary reasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best for the Bruins not to rush Bergeron into the lineup and worsen his condition. They’ve got sufficient depth to skate without him until he’s ready to return later in this series.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel is looking forward to playing in his first playoff series in his eight-year NHL career. He spent six seasons with the rebuilding Buffalo Sabres before being traded to the Golden Knights last season.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eichel was in a difficult situation during his tenure with the Sabres given the haphazard way the club was managed and coached during those years. He miss over half of last season recovering from neck surgery before debuting with a struggling Golden Knights club and ended up playing through a wrist injury that hampered his performance.

TSN: A day after declaring himself good to go, Nikolaj Ehlers (upper-body injury) missed Sunday’s practice with his Winnipeg Jets teammates. He skated prior to practice but he’s listed as day-to-day.

CBS SPORTS: Minnesota Wild defenseman John Klingberg’s availability for tonight’s game against the Stars is unclear due to a lower-body injury. He skipped practice yesterday after suffering the injury during practice on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Klingberg played most of his NHL career with the Stars before departing for the Anaheim Ducks last summer as a free agent. He was acquired by the Wild at the trade deadline.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov will miss Game 1 tonight against the Hurricanes with an upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day and will be replaced tonight by Samuel Bolduc.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland anticipates sidelined defensemen Cale Makar and Josh Manson will return for their upcoming series with the Seattle Kraken. Manson took part in the optional skate on Sunday.

IN OTHER NEWS…

WGR 550: Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo hasn’t made any plans yet regarding his future after 16 NHL seasons. The 35-year-old forward is an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He indicated if he does continue his career he would like to do so with the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Okposo had 11 goals and 17 assists in 75 games this season as a bottom-six forward. He’s coming off a seven-year, $42 million contract and won’t get anything like that again if he intends to continue playing in the NHL.

With over $19 million in cap space and 20 roster regulars under contract for 2023-24, the Sabres have the cap space to bring him back if they wish on an affordable short-term deal.

DAILY FACEOFF: San Jose Sharks defenseman Markus Nutivaara was sidelined for the entire season by a potentially career-ending hip injury. He suffered the injury prior to the 2021-22 season while with the Florida Panthers. He underwent surgery and has been recovering ever since.

Nutivaara, 28, signed with the Sharks last summer as a UFA and played some preseason games but the injury still nagged him and he was unable to fully heal, remaining on long-term injury reserve for the season. He’s played 275 games over six seasons with the Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals winger Carl Hagelin still hopes to resume his NHL career following an eye injury and four hip procedures in 12 months that sidelined him for the entire 2022-23 season. The 34-year-old winger is an unrestricted free agent in July.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Nashville Predators signed forward Michael McCarron to a one-year, $775K contract extension.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Detroit Red Wings have shaken up the coaching staff of their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids after the club missed the Calder Cup playoffs for the second straight year. Head coach Ben Simon, assistants Matt MacDonald and Todd Krygier and goalie development coach Brian Mahoney-Wilson will not have their contracts renewed for next season.