NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 21, 2022

by | Apr 21, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 21, 2022

Alex Ovechkin reaches 50 goals for the ninth time, the Golden Knights keep their playoff hopes alive while ending those of the Jets, the date for the 2022 Draft Lottery is revealed, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored twice, including his 50th goal of the season, but it wasn’t enough to prevent his club from dropping a 4-3 decision to the Vegas Golden Knights. Shea Theodore tallied the winner in overtime for the Golden Knights (89 points), who moved within two points of the Dallas Stars for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

Ovechkin, meanwhile, reached an important scoring milestone, joining Hall-of-Famers Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy as the only NHL players to score 50 goals in nine seasons. His Capitals are tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins with 97 points but the Penguins still hold third place in the Metropolitan Division on the basis of regulation plus overtime wins.

The Golden Knights’ win over the Capitals officially eliminated the Winnipeg Jets from playoff contention.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights head coach Pete DeBoer raised eyebrows by replacing starting goaltender Robin Lehner with Logan Thompson following the first period with the score tied at one after he gave up just one goal on 13 shots. DeBoer claimed the move was made to shift the momentum during the game.

Connor McDavid scored and collected two assists to lead the Edmonton Oilers over the Dallas Stars 5-2. The Oilers hold a four-point lead over the Los Angeles Kings for second place in the Pacific Division with 96 points while the Stars failed to widen their lead over the Golden Knights. McDavid regained first place in the NHL scoring race with 113 points, two ahead of Florida Panthers winger Jonathan Huberdeau.

Seattle Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer made 25 saves as his club held on for a 3-2 upset of his former club, the Colorado Avalanche. Kraken rookie Matty Beniers picked up an assist to extend his points streak to four games. With the loss, the Avalanche drop to second place in the overall standings behind the Florida Panthers. Avs center Nazem Kadri returned to action after missing eight games with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Beniers only has four games of NHL experience but he’s not looking out of place with the Kraken. The second-overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft appears to be on his way toward a bright future in Seattle.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Alex DeBrincat’s 40th goal of the season was also the game-winner as his club nipped the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 in overtime. The Coyotes have dropped eight in a row.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The 2022 NHL Draft Lottery will be held on May 10 at 6:30 PM ET, setting the order for the 16 teams that failed to qualify for the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Central Scouting’s final rankings will be released on May 5 while the annual Scouting Combine is set for May 29 to June 4 in Buffalo.

TSN: Evander Kane’s grievance hearing over the San Jose Sharks’ termination of his contract will require a second day. The date has yet to be determined.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry’s status remains “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury. His right foot appeared to be in a boot cast during their recent annual team photograph.

The Penguins also announced Amanda Kessel will be joining their executive management program. Kessel, an Olympic gold medalist in women’s hockey, is the sister of former Penguin and current Arizona Coyotes winger Phil Kessel.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark is expected to return to the lineup this weekend. He’s been sidelined since last Thursday with an upper-body injury. The Bruins are still waiting on sidelined winger David Pastrnak and defenseman Hampus Lindholm.

MLIVE.COM: Longtime Detroit Red Wings Zamboni driver Al Sobotka was reportedly fired because another employee caught him urinating into a drain used for ice runoff at Little Caesars Arena. He’s filed a lawsuit claiming he was discriminated against due to his age and disability.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 20, 2022

by | Apr 20, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 20, 2022

Jonathan Huberdeau takes over the scoring race, Matt Duchene sets a Predators record, the battle for the Western Conference wild-card berths continues and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers winger Jonathan Huberdeau collected three assists to take over the lead in the NHL scoring race as his club downed the New York Islanders 3-2. Huberdeau (111 points) sits one point ahead of Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid. Aleksander Barkov tallied a hat trick for the Eastern Conference-leading Panthers, who’ve won 11 straight games. With 116 points, they’re tied with the Colorado Avalanche but the latter holds first place on the basis of regulation wins.

Florida Panthers winger Jonathan Huberdeau (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Islanders honored their late Hall-of-Famer Mike Bossy with a video tribute and a moment of silence. Bossy passed away last Thursday at age 65 of lung cancer.

A shootout goal by Mikael Granlund gave the Nashville Predators a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. Matt Duchene set a personal and franchise record with his 40th goal of the season while teammate Filip Forsberg tallied his 39th. The Predators sit in the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 93 points, two up on the Dallas Stars. Andrew Mangiapane tallied twice for the Flames (104 points) as they hold a 10-point lead over the Edmonton Oilers atop the Pacific Division.

A third-period goal by Phillip Danault lifted the Los Angeles Kings over the Anaheim Ducks 2-1. Jonathan Quick made 29 saves for the win as the Kings (93 points) sit two behind the second-place Oilers in the Pacific Division and five points ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Vancouver Canucks’ playoff hopes suffered a setback following a 4-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Drake Batherson and Adam Gaudette scored in the shootout to give Ottawa the win. Alex Formenton tallied twice in regulation for the Senators as they ended Vancouver’s six-game win streak. The Canucks gained a point to move into a tie with the Golden Knights (87 points) and sit four behind the Stars for the final Western wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks goaltender Jaroslav Halak left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury. He won’t be traveling with the club during its upcoming road trip.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell kicked out 37 shots to backstop his club over the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2. William Nylander and Ilya Mikheyev each had two points for the Leafs, who’ve won 11 of their last 13 and hold the second-best record in the Eastern Conference with 108 points. Leafs star Auston Matthews missed his second straight game dealing with what’s described as a minor injury but took part in practice yesterday with his other injured teammates.

An overtime goal by Charlie McAvoy gave the Boston Bruins a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues, snapping the latter’s nine-game win streak. Jake DeBrusk scored and had the assist on McAvoy’s game-winner as the Bruins (99 points) moved within one point of the third-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division. Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas scored for the Blues, who sit in third place in the Central Division with 103 points.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Cam Talbot made 26 saves to shut out the Montreal Canadiens 2-0. Kevin Fiala and Matt Boldy were the goal scorers as the Wild (103 points) hold second place in the Central with a game in hand. Canadiens goalie Carey Price made 28 saves in his second game of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens forward Paul Byron left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury. Earlier in the day, the club announced that forward Joel Armia has been granted a leave of absence to attend to a family matter in Finland.

Speaking of the Lightning, they were upset by the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on a third-period goal by Jakub Vrana. Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos collected three assists to tie Martin St. Louis as the franchise career points leader with 953.

The New York Rangers picked up their third consecutive shutout and 50th win over the season by blanking the Winnipeg Jets 3-0. Igor Shesterkin stopped 31 shots, Ryan Strome tallied twice and Artemi Panarin reached the 70 assist mark.

San Jose Sharks netminder Kaapo Kahkonen made 22 saves as his club held off the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 3-2 victory, snapping a 10-game losing skid. Scott Reedy scored twice for the Sharks while Jack Roslovic netted both Jackets’ goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks coach Bob Boughner said sidelined winger Kevin Labanc won’t play in the club’s final seven games. He’s been sidelined by a shoulder injury since Dec. 11. Boughner also doubted goalie Adin Hill will return to action from the lower-body injury that’s kept him out of the lineup since March 12.

HEADLINES

THE SCORE: Marc-Andre Fleury isn’t ready to hang up his skates yet. The 37-year-old Minnesota Wild goaltender said he hopes to play “at least another season.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Will he re-sign with the Wild if they can afford him? Is a reunion with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the cards? Let’s get the speculation started early.

TSN: Evander Kane’s grievance hearing over the termination of his contract in January by the San Jose Sharks was held on Tuesday. He was in the fourth year of a seven-year deal with the Sharks and stands to lose over $22 million.

The Sharks placed him on unconditional waivers on Jan. 8 citing breach of contract over a violation of the AHL’s COVID-19 protocols. Kane was skating with the Sharks AHL affiliate at the time. In late January, he signed a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN’s Chris Johnston reported this isn’t expected to end quickly. He points out there could be significant salary-cap ramifications for the Sharks. The outcome could take months before a settlement is reached.

THE ATHLETIC: Kane also settled a seven-year-old lawsuit filed against him by a Buffalo woman who accused him of assault while he was a member of the Sabres.

GOPHNX.com’s Craig Morgan reports Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun and forward Christian Fischer will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

LE JOURNAL DE MONTREAL: The Canadiens issued a statement in full support of Hall-of-Famer Guy Lafleur during his ongoing battle with lung cancer. They asked fans to respect the privacy of Lafleur and his family and indicated they would not issue any further comment on the matter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Lafleur, who issued a statement last week mourning the passing of Mike Bossy.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 12, 2022

by | Apr 12, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – April 12, 2022

More speculation about possible offseason moves by the Jets and the Sharks in today’s NHL rumor mill.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: Mark McIntyre believes the Jets’ offseason priority must be repairing a defense that is “comically painful to watch.” Part of the solution could come from promising young blueliners such as Dylan Samberg, Ville Heinola, Johnathan Kovacevic, Declan Chisholm and Leon Gawanke.

Making room for those players, however, should force general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to seriously consider moving one or two of his veteran core players. McIntyre believes Josh Morrissey should be the only full-time Jets defender considered untouchable. He recommends Cheveldayoff explore peddling any one of Brenden Dillon, Nate Schmidt, Dylan DeMelo and Neal Pionk.

NBC SPORTS: Sean Leahy also recommends the Jets repair their blueline corps. He believes that will require trades as Cheveldayoff isn’t the type of GM to toss around money in the free-agent market.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (NHL Images).

Leahy feels the Jets cannot afford to waste the prime years of Morrissey, goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and forwards Pierre-Luc Dubois, Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele. “Maybe someone in that group is moved this summer in order to facilitate improvement elsewhere”, he writes.

WINNIPEG SUN: Scott Billeck believes it seems clear that Scheifele isn’t buying into the system of Jets interim coach Dave Lowry. He wondered if a new head coach could help the center improve his performance after an inconsistent effort this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets have reached a critical crossroads. They were expected to be much better after a solid performance during last season’s COVID-shortened schedule. Cheveldayoff cannot make marginal changes and expect things to get better next season. A shakeup to the roster core seems likely.

That could involve trading Scheifele but he has two more seasons remaining on his contract with a $6.125 million annual cap hit and a 10-team no-trade clause. Perhaps hiring a coach that Scheifele would respect might get him back on track but it won’t create the cap space needed to make room for younger blueliners.

Schmidt, 30, also has a 10-team no-trade clause and a $5.95 million annual cap hit through 2024-25. Dillon would be easier to move given his lack of no-trade protection and $3.9 million cap hit for two more seasons. However, the 31-year-old could be at the stage in his career where his best seasons are now behind him.

Pionk is younger at 26 and still has some prime years left in him. He also lacks a no-trade clause but his $5.875 million cap hit through 2024-25 might not be easy to move with the salary cap rising marginally for next season. DeMelo, 28, has a six-team no-trade clause but a cost-effective $3 million annual cap hit for two more seasons.

THE ATHLETIC: Corey Masisak was asked which of the San Jose Sharks goaltenders could be traded this season. He doesn’t see them shopping recently-acquired Kaapo Kahkonen. Veteran James Reimer would have the most trade value but wondered if the Sharks would want to ship out their best goaltender. Adin Hill would have the least trade value given his injury history.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kahkonen’s not going anywhere so it’s down to Reimer or Hill. They could move Reimer if, as Masisak suggests, they get a solid offer for him, such as a middle-six forward. However, if the goal for next season is reaching the playoffs, I suspect it’ll be Hill getting shipped out for whatever they can get for him.

Asked about Evander Kane’s contract situation, Masisak indicates multiple sources suggest a resolution could be reached before teams start reshaping their rosters in the offseason. He speculates there could be negotiations regarding a settlement between the Sharks and Kane between now and a yet-to-be-determined date for his grievance over his contract termination. That would mean the Sharks would still be on the hook for part of Kane’s salary but not the full $7 million annually for the next three seasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane could be receptive to a settlement. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s keen to stay with the Edmonton Oilers. A settlement of, say, $4.5 million annually could make it easier for the Oilers to re-sign him to an affordable deal.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng reports the agent for forward Jonathan Dahlen confirmed his client wants to re-sign with the Sharks. The struggling winger is a restricted free agent this summer and there was speculation he wants to return to Sweden.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 9, 2022

by | Apr 9, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 9, 2022

The Panthers earn another comeback win, the Avalanche’s Cale Makar downs the Jets in overtime, 2021 first-overall pick Owen Powers signs with Sabres, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers earned their third multi-goal comeback victory for the third time in their last four games by defeating the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. Sam Bennett netted the winner in the third period while Aleksander Barkov and Claude Giroux each had two points as Florida overcame a 3-1 deficit to pick up their league-leading 30th home win. With 106 points, the Panthers hold a six-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Eastern Conference.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they failed to pad their lead in the Metropolitan Division after falling 2-1 to the New York Islanders. Kyle Palmieri tallied the game-winner with 15 seconds remaining in regulation after Carolina center Vincent Trocheck tied the game 32 seconds beforehand. The Hurricanes remain two points up on the New York Rangers for first place in the division.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar tied a franchise record with his third overtime goal of the season in a 5-4 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Andre Burakovsky and Alex Newhook finished the night with two points each as the Avalanche hold first place in the overall standings with 108 points. Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers each had two goals and an assist as the Jets (77 points) kept their fading playoff hopes alive to move within seven points of the Dallas Stars for the final Western Conference playoff berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets captain Blake Wheeler missed this game after suffering an undisclosed injury during Wednesday’s loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

The St. Louis Blues overcame a 3-1 deficit to tame the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on an overtime goal by Robert Thomas. Ville Husso kicked out 35 shots for the win as the Blues moved into a tie with the Wild with 92 points, though the latter holds second place in the Central Division with a game in hand. Kirill Kaprizov tallied his 41st goal of the season and only needs one more to tie the franchise record.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No sophomore slump for Kaprizov following his Calder Memorial Trophy season. He’s among the league’s top-10 scorers, proving worthy of the $9 million per season cap hit on his contract while breaking the Wild’s single-season points record.

An overtime goal by Charlie Coyle lifted the Boston Bruins over the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1. Jake DeBrusk opened the scoring and got the primary assist on Coyle’s goal while Linus Ullmark stopped 29 shots for the win. The Bruins moved into third place in the Atlantic Division with 95 points, one ahead of the Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins got the win with winger David Pastrnak and defenseman Hampus Lindholm on the sidelines. Speaking of the Bolts, they’ve dropped four straight after four consecutive wins.

HEADLINES

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres signed top prospect Owen Power to a three-year entry-level contract. Power was the Sabres’ first-round pick (first overall) in the 2021 NHL draft.

NHL.COM: The Columbus Blue Jackets inked prospect Kent Johnson to an entry-level deal. They selected him with the fifth-overall pick in last year’s draft.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks have secured their backup goaltender for next season by signing Spencer Martin to a two-year, one-way contract.

NHL.COM: The NHL department of player safety fined Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane $5,000.00 for kneeing Los Angeles Kings defenseman Sean Durzi during Thursday’s game between the two clubs.

Nashville Predators forward Colton Sissons was fined $2,500.00 for spearing Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris on Thursday.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers forward Tyler Motte is sidelined for the near future with an upper-body injury. He’s expected to return before the end of the regular season on April 29. Forward Filip Chytil is also out with an upper-body injury but is expected to return to action soon.

NHL.COM: Minnesota State goaltender Dryden McKay is the 2022 winner of the Hobey Baker Award as the top college hockey player in the United States. The undrafted McKay will be free to sign with any team following the national championship game on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McKay is named after Hall-of-Fame goaltender Ken Dryden and wears the same number (29) in his honor.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 30, 2022

by | Mar 30, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – March 30, 2022

How would a new contract for Filip Forsberg affect the Predators’ salary-cap payroll next season? Can the Oilers afford to sign Evander Kane? Find out in today’s NHL rumor mill.

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Adam Vingan was asked what it would mean for the Nashville Predators’ salary cap if they signed Filip Forsberg to a new contract in the range of $9 million per season. The increase of next season’s salary cap to $82.5 million would leave the Predators with $26.2 million in cap space.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg (NHL Images).

Setting aside $9 million for Forsberg, Vingan believes they have enough to re-sign such players as Luke Kunin and Yakov Trenin to modest raises. It would also mean trimming payroll around the edges such as replacing backup goaltender David Rittich with Connor Ingram. He advised the Predators to spend wisely as Alexander Carrier, Dante Fabbro and Tanner Jeannot will need new contracts following 2022-23.

Asked if Ryan Johansen’s resurgence this season could make it possible for the Predators to trade him, Vingan pointed out he’ll soon turn 30 and has three more seasons left on his deal with an annual cap hit of $8 million. He doubted there will be many takers unless the Predators retain some salary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forsberg is 27 and likely seeking an eight-year deal worth between $8 million and $9 million per season. Predators general manager David Poile will obviously attempt to sign him at the low end of that asking price and perhaps seek a shorter-term close to five years.

I concur with Vingan regarding Johansen. Poile would have to retain some salary in a trade, something he’s never done.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Kurt Leavins recently pondered how the Oilers can hang onto Evander Kane. He’s had a positive effect on the lineup since joining them two months ago as an unrestricted free agent after the San Jose Sharks bought out his contract.

Making that happen could require some hard decisions about younger players such as Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi, who will become restricted free agents this summer. Both have endured highs and lows this season, leaving Leavins to wonder whether they’ve shown enough to invest in for the long term or perhaps one or both receive short-term bridge deals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane’s future with the Oilers could also depend upon the outcome of the grievance he filed against the Sharks for terminating his contract. If an arbiter determines Kane should receive most or all of the remainder of his contract with the Sharks ($7 million AAV through 2024-25) while allowing him to remain a free agent, it shouldn’t cost much for the Oilers to retain him if he wants to stay.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 24, 2022

by | Mar 24, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 24, 2022

​A scoring milestone for Patrick Kane, the Canucks keep their playoff hopes alive, the fallout for the Golden Knights after the league invalidates the Dadonov trade, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Patrick Kane reached a career milestone with a goal and two assists as the Chicago Blackhawks doubled up the Anaheim Ducks 4-2. Kane reached the 20-goal plateau for the 14th time, tying Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby for second among active players for the most 20-goal seasons.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Speaking of Crosby, he scored his 23rd goal of the season as his Penguins dropped a 4-3 decision to the Buffalo Sabres. Tage Thompson scored twice for the Sabres and netted the only goal in the shootout. The Penguins (88 points) picked up a point to move within two points of the first-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division.

The Vancouver Canucks kept their playoff hopes alive by holding off the Colorado Avalanche 3-1. Jaroslav Halak made 32 saves and J.T. Miller scored what proved to be the winning goal. With 70 points, the Canucks are three points behind the Dallas Stars for the final Western Conference playoff berth. The Avalanche, meanwhile, remains atop the league’s overall standings with 95 points.

Shorthanded goals by Ilya Mikheyev and Pierre Engvall gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Mark Giordano saw over 18 minutes of ice time in his debut as a Maple Leaf following his acquisition from the Seattle Kraken on Sunday. Nico Hischier had a goal and an assist for the Devils. The Leafs (85 points) sit one point ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning for second place in the Atlantic Division.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The NHL has invalidated the Vegas Golden Knights trade of forward Evgenii Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks. In a statement, the league indicated the trade could not be concluded because the deal didn’t comply with the forward’s modified no-trade clause.

LAS VEGAS SUN: Danny Webster reports the Ducks were on Dadonov’s 10-team no-trade list, which was filed last June 30 while he was a member of the Ottawa Senators. He was acquired by the Golden Knights on July 28. The Golden Knights claimed it didn’t receive Dadonov’s no-trade list and they and the league believed it hadn’t been filed correctly or had expired. However, documentation subsequently revealed it was filed on time.

Moving Dadonov to the Ducks would’ve freed up $3.4 million in cap space, enabling the Golden Knights to activate Mark Stone or Alec Martinez off long-term injury reserve. It’s expected they will attempt to trade Dadonov to a non-playoff club. Teams can still make trades after the deadline but the player becomes ineligible to play for the remainder of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports several NHL clubs would listen to offers by the Golden Knights but the price could be at least a first-round pick.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng reports there’s still no hearing date set for Evander Kane’s grievance against the Sharks for terminating his contract in January. There doesn’t seem to be much of a hurry on either side to get it done during this season.

Kane subsequently signed with the Edmonton Oilers and apparently enjoys playing with them. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent in July. The Sharks need clarity regarding their salary-cap payroll for next season but they don’t really need it until the offseason. A league source told Peng they will try to schedule the hearing before the NHL Draft in Montreal on July 7-8.

THE ATHLETIC: Bill Shea examined this season’s NHL Fan Cost Index by Team Marketing Report, which annually measures the fan costs for the major US sports leagues. The average cost for a family of four to attend an NHL game this season is $462.58, up from $439.91 in part because of the expansion Seattle Kraken joining the league.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have the highest FCI at $697.75 USD while the Arizona Coyotes have the lowest at $314.70 USD. The Kraken has the second-highest at $672.89 USD.

Shea considers the Florida Panthers as the best deal for NHL fans. The top team in the Eastern Conference standings has the second-lowest FCI at $319.74.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bear in mind that teams charge their fans what the market will bear. That’s why it’s so expensive to attend a Leafs game and so affordable to go to a Coyotes or Panthers game.