NHL Rumor Mill – March 3, 2023

by | Mar 3, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – March 3, 2023

The Trade Deadline is 3 pm ET today. Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE FLYERS

THE ATHLETIC: Charlie O’Connor explains why the Philadelphia Flyers haven’t been active leading up to deadline day. It’s because the Flyers lack the kind of assets that other teams believe should be prioritized. They’re either fall-back rentals (James van Riemsdyk) or veterans with expensive contracts (Kevin Hayes) that can be difficult to move by the deadline.

Philadelphia Flyers winger James van Riemsdyk (NHL Images).

TSN: Chris Johnston believes van Riemsdyk remains on the Vegas Golden Knights’ radar. The Winnipeg Jets could also be interested. The Flyers could retain half of his $7 million cap hit to facilitate a trade.

TEAMS INTERESTED IN JOEL EDMUNDSON

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports a couple of teams are interested in Montreal Canadiens defenseman Joel Edmundson. One of them could be the Calgary Flames.

SPORTSNET: Eric Engels also cited a couple of sources claiming at least two playoff-bound clubs are interested in the 29-year-old Canadiens defenseman. Edmundson has a year remaining on his contract with a $3.5 million cap hit.

FLAMES GETTING CALLS ABOUT MIKAEL BACKLUND

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Steve MacFarlane reports there’s some late-breaking trade buzz around Flames forward Mikael Backlund as the club could be trending toward selling at the deadline. MacFarlane cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting that the Carolina Hurricanes are among the clubs calling the Flames to see whether they’re buying or selling.

CANUCKS STILL WORKING THE PHONES

CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal reports the Vancouver Canucks are still working the phones. They’ve had talks with the Florida Panthers but he’s hearing it’s nothing major. Dhaliwal also shot down speculation linking J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

LOGAN STANLEY REQUESTS TRADE FROM THE JETS

WINNIPEG SUN: Scott Billeck cited a report from Bally Sports’ Andy Strickland claiming defenseman Logan Stanley has asked the Jets for a trade.

LEAFS NOT DONE DEALING?

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos believes the Maple Leafs could be in the market for some goaltending depth behind Ilya Samsonov.

WHICH SHARKS ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE TRADED?

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng listed Nick Bonino, James Reimer and Alexander Barabanov among his list of 10 Sharks who could be trade candidates. He also speculated recently acquired forward Vladislav Namestnikov could be flipped to a playoff contender.

ISLANDERS EYEING A DEFENSEMAN

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Stefen Rosner reported league sources claimed the Islanders have been in discussions with the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues. Isles GM Lou Lamoriello could be looking at acquiring a defenseman. Rosner mentioned a source believes Lamoriello should be looking at Predators blueliner Dante Fabbro.

MORE SPECULATION FROM TSN’S INSIDER TRADING

TSN: Chris Johnston reports the Ottawa Senators are still working the phones. They could be seeking another center.

Darren Dreger believes the Winnipeg Jets aren’t done dealing after acquiring winger Nino Niederreiter on Feb. 25. He thinks they’re still seeking a forward. He also thinks the Vegas Golden Knights could still be active.

Pierre LeBrun reports the Carolina Hurricanes are still trying to add to their roster. However, they have no appetite to part with their first-round pick for a rental player.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – February 26, 2023

by | Feb 26, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – February 26, 2023

The Blackhawks and Rangers are believed working on a Patrick Kane deal, the latest on Timo Meier, what’s next for the Jets and Predators, the Flyers are shopping James van Riemsdyk, plus the latest on the Oilers, Blue Jackets, Senators and Leafs in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

BLACKHAWKS & RANGERS WORKING ON PATRICK KANE TRADE

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the New York Rangers have started moves to clear cap space in anticipation of acquiring Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks. They traded winger Vitali Kravtsov to the Vancouver Canucks and placed forward Jake Leschyshyn on waivers. However, there’s nothing official yet regarding Kane and the Rangers.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

He believes the earliest the Rangers could acquire Kane would be Tuesday when they would’ve accrued sufficient cap space. However, that could become as early as Sunday if Ryan Lindgren ends up on long-term injury reserve after he was injured during Saturday’s game against Washington.

TSN: Chris Johnston reported Kane would not play in Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks as he returned home to Chicago. His agent said the decision was a collective one based on the situation.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports Rangers general manager Chris Drury still has to find a third team to broker this deal and spread around Kane’s $10.5 million cap hit after the Blackhawks retain half of it. Brooks feels this deal could be inevitable with Kane perhaps joining the Rangers lineup by Wednesday.

THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus report Drury remains stuck to his position of not parting with a first-round pick in June’s draft or any upcoming year or surrendering prime prospect Brennan Othmann. They also suspect the Rangers GM could be unwilling to part with prospects Matthew Robertson, Will Cuylle, Dylan Garand or perhaps even Adam Sykora.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It doesn’t sound like the Blackhawks will get much of a return for the Rangers for Kane. At this stage, a second-round pick and defenseman Zac Jones could be the main pieces of a return based on recent speculations.

LATEST ON TIMO MEIER

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the leading contenders for Timo Meier (New Jersey, Carolina, Vegas) want to get an answer from the San Jose Sharks. As of Saturday, the Devils remain the lead contenders while the Hurricanes don’t sound as likely though Friedman cautioned that could always change. Some teams wanted to make a contract extension for Meier as part of the deal but that doesn’t sound as likely now.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reported things seemed to be heating up on the Meier trade front. The list of suitors is shrinking as the Sharks zero in on what they want to do.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng cited a source claiming the Golden Knights are “in hard for Meier.” Peng remains doubtful they can win a bidding war citing the lack of depth in Grade-A prospects within their system. One option could be for the Golden Knights to become a middle-man team that re-routes Meier to another club. There is the possibility of Vegas offering up their 2023 first-rounder plus a future unprotected first-rounder in a package offer.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Luke DeCock reports the Hurricanes have the cap space to spare, the prospects to dangle and could perhaps part with their 2023 first-rounder for a roster upgrade. Meier would make sense as the pending restricted free agent would be a “sort-of” rental but the asking price would be expensive. DeCock believes the Hurricanes would be willing to move a prospect such as Jack Drury or Scott Morrow but not both while Alexander Nikishin is untouchable.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It sounds like Meier could be moved well before Friday’s 3 PM ET deadline. The Devils remain the favorite but I don’t rule out the Hurricanes. The St. Louis Blues are reportedly willing to offer up two of their three first-rounders in this year’s draft but not their own pick, which could be a deal-breaker for the Sharks. I don’t see the Golden Knights having a realistic chance unless the Devils, Hurricanes and Blues drop out.

PREDATORS ARE SELLERS

THE TENNESSEAN: Paul Skrbina reports Nashville Predators GM David Poile confirms his club is a seller after shipping winger Nino Niederreiter to the Winnipeg Jets. Poile isn’t going to forecast anything and won’t just make a trade for the sake of doing so. However, he adds that most teams know he’s willing to listen to offers.

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek believes captain Roman Josi, goaltender Juuse Saros and winger Filip Forsberg are the only untouchables. He anticipates defenseman Dante Fabbro could be moved this week with the San Jose Sharks as a leading contender for his services. Teams have been calling about power forward Tanner Jeannot. Marek wondered if the Dallas Stars could pursue him though the asking price is high.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jeannot might be drawing interest from contenders but he might not be available. Poile opened contract extension talks recently with his agent. Unless those discussions have gone south, Jeannot could also be untouchable.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE JETS

SPORTSNET: Ken Wiebe expects the Winnipeg Jets will have a busy week leading up to deadline day after acquiring Nino Niederreiter on Saturday. They could have up to $5.5 million in accrued cap space by Friday to add one or two more players, though Timo Meier isn’t expected to be one of them given the Sharks’ high asking price and the difficulty of working out a contract extension. A middle-six forward like St. Louis’ Ivan Barbashev or Arizona’s Nick Bjugstad could make sense.

THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates also believes the Jets aren’t done shopping before Friday’s deadline. He also sees them looking at rental players like Barbashev, Bjugstad or Vancouver’s Luke Schenn. James van Riemsdyk would be worthwhile if the Flyers agree to retain half of his $7 million cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t believe the Jets are done here. They’ve got sufficient cap space and wouldn’t have to give up a lot to land that middle-six forward.

COULD THE OILERS AND BLUE JACKETS BECOME TRADE PARTNERS?

THE ATHLETIC: Daniel Nugent-Bowman believes the Edmonton Oilers must do something to improve their defense after watching their dispiriting 6-5 loss on Saturday to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He feels they can’t just stand pat or pick around the edges at the trade deadline.

The odds of acquiring Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks seem minuscule while it’s unlikely they can pry Jakob Chychrun away from the Arizona Coyotes.

Aaron Portzline, meanwhile, wondered if the Oilers could become a destination for Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov now that the deal with the Boston Bruins has fallen by the wayside. He wondered if packaging Gavrikov with goaltender Joonas Korpisalo might convince Oilers GM Ken Holland to part with his 2023 first-round pick along with picks and prospects. The Jackets would also have to acquire winger Jesse Puljujarvi and his $3 million cap hit to make the dollars work for the cap-strapped Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers clearly have to do something to improve their defense. I don’t see how Karlsson is possible given his expensive contract and the high asking price that the Sharks would set for him. The Coyotes remain steadfast in their demand for two first-rounders plus a top prospect for Chychrun.

Gavrikov could help the Oilers. He has his critics but I don’t believe he could do any worse than what they’ve already got playing left-side defense on their second pairing. They can’t afford Korpisalo what with Jack Campbell and his $5 million cap hit already on their books.

FLYERS SHOPPING JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek reports the Philadelphia Flyers have let teams know that James van Riemsdyk is available. Teams like the Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets have been lined to the 33-year-old winger, though Marek isn’t certain if the Jets’ acquisition of Nino Niederreiter changes things for them.

SENATORS, LEAFS SHOPPING FOR DEFENSEMEN

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Ottawa Senators are in the market for a right-side defenseman. He believes they have a little bit of flexibility to add a blueliner with some term remaining on his contract.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are committed to seeing what the trade market is for defensemen. There’s a surplus of blueliners in the market right now and cap-strapped teams like the Leafs could be hoping the prices come down as sellers get squeezed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel and James Mirtle believe the Leafs must shore up their defense for a matchup with the Boston Bruins or Tampa Bay Lightning in the playoffs. They indicated that Canucks blueliner (and former Leafs) Luke Schenn is among their targets. Another enticing option would be Nashville’s Mattias Ekholm if the Predators are willing to move him and retain some salary.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 17, 2023

by | Feb 17, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – February 17, 2023

Could the Blues trade a defenseman? Are the Predators about to become sellers? What’s the latest on the Canadiens and Senators? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE BLUES COULD SHOP A DEFENSEMAN

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the St. Louis Blues could give some consideration to moving a defenseman. Their top four of Colton Parayko, Justin Faulk, Torey Krug and Nick Leddy all have no-trade clauses which could complicate things. Nevertheless, Parayko has been drawing the most interest among this group.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE Parayko, Krug and Faulk are each earning an average annual value of $6.5 million. Krug and Faulk are signed through 2026-27 and Parayko to 2029-30. Leddy’s AAV is $4 million through 2025-26.

I don’t doubt that Blues general manager Doug Armstrong is willing to entertain offers for those four. As Dreger pointed out, however, they all have full no-trade clauses. It’s possible they could be moved but the potential destinations will be limited. Their cap hits could also prove difficult for most clubs to absorb unless Armstrong retains a portion, which I don’t see him doing for contracts with that much term remaining on them.

WILL THE PREDATORS BECOME TRADE DEADLINE SELLERS?

TSN: Pierre LeBrun believes the Nashville Predators could become sellers by the March 3 trade deadline if they don’t soon get on a winning streak to salvage their playoff hopes. He believes GM David Poile could be willing to listen to offers on a lot of his players, including Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen, Mattias Ekholm or Mikael Granlund.

NHL WATCHER: cited Elliotte Friedman’s recent appearance on The Jeff Marek Show where he said he doesn’t think the Predators will move Ekholm or Alexandre Carrier. Instead, he speculated it could be Dante Fabbro “or something else”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The good news is those players all lack no-trade protection. The bad news is that all but Fabbro and Carrier have two years or more remaining on their respective contracts with annual salary-cap hits between $5 million and $8 million per season. Good luck peddling them before the March 3 trade deadline with so many teams carrying limited cap space. I doubt Poile is willing to retain salary on any of them.

Fabbro and Carrier would draw more interest given their more affordable cap hits. They’re both due to become restricted free agents with arbitration rights this summer which could also make them enticing for clubs seeking more than a rental defenseman.

LATEST ON THE CANADIENS

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Montreal Canadiens could have difficulty drumming up interest in their trade candidates. Sean Monahan and Joel Edmundson are considered to have the most value but their respective injury histories have teams wary about acquiring them. There’s very little interest in Jonathan Drouin while winger Evgeni Dadonov’s improved play of late might draw attention as a secondary trade target.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens got a first-round pick from the Flames last summer for taking Monahan off their hands so he’s already provided them with draft capital going forward. They also got value for Dadonov by acquiring him from the Vegas Golden Knights last summer as it enabled them to shed the entirety of the remainder of Shea Weber’s contract.

Edmundson is under contract through 2023-24 so the Canadiens can try again in the offseason or next season. There was talk of re-signing Sean Monahan before he was sidelined in December. If they can’t move him now, they could sign him to an affordable one-year deal and try again to peddle him if there’s real interest.

As for Drouin, his plethora of injuries and inconsistency torpedoed his trade value. Nevertheless, the Toronto Star’s Nick Kypreos wondered if the Colorado Avalanche might look into reuniting Drouin with his old Halifax Mooseheads teammate Nathan MacKinnon. I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one.

UPDATE ON THE SENATORS

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Senators GM Pierre Dorion dismissed speculation suggesting he might trade winger Alex DeBrincat. He said the 26-year-old winger won’t be traded. “No chance,” said Dorion, adding the club still hopes to re-sign the pending restricted free agent before the end of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators gave up a lot to acquire DeBrincat last summer. Yes, it will be expensive to re-sign him but they’ll get it done, especially with new ownership soon to take over.

The Senators have received lots of calls regarding rugged forward Auston Watson. Dorion is willing to listen to offers for goaltender Cam Talbot, winger Tyler Motte and defenseman Nick Holden. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings have been linked to Talbot but his recent injury hasn’t helped drum up interest.

Dorion indicated he’s 99.9 percent certain that he’s not trading veteran center Derick Brassard. The club has been pleased with defenseman Travis Hamonic and likely won’t move him.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – November 27, 2022

by | Nov 27, 2022

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – November 27, 2022

Could the Sabres be a suitor for Jakob Chychrun? Which defensemen should the Leafs target to shore up their injury-ravaged blueline? Are the Oilers shopping for a forward? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

COULD THE SABRES OR LEAFS PURSUE CHYCHRUN?

SPORTSNET: With Jakob Chychrun returning to action last week for the first time this season, Jeff Marek wondered if the Buffalo Sabres might be a dark-horse candidate to acquire the 24-year-old Arizona Coyotes defenseman.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams has maintained he’s sticking with youth. However, Marek noted that “there is a feeling out there” that they’re running their young blueliners (Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson) hard this season. He believes they’ve got their young core locked in that doesn’t need any more prospects and need to start putting together their team.

Marek also expects the New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets will be linked to Chychrun.

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos believes Chychrun would be the best answer to address the Maple Leafs’ banged-up blueline corps. He claims Leafs GM Kyle Dubas had a great interest in the Coyotes’ rearguard from the start and that hasn’t wavered.

Kypreos claims the Leafs will have competition, saying there are believed to be six clubs sniffing around for a deal. Four of the more serious contenders have a wider range of prospects than the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Chyrchrun rumor mill will grind away now that he’s returned to action from off-season wrist surgery. So far, he’s looked good in the three games he’s played, collecting three points with a plus-minus of plus-four. The longer he plays, the more interest he’ll draw and perhaps the sooner this year-long saga will come to an end.

The Kings have long been linked to Chychrun and possess considerable depth in prospects and young players to tempt the Coyotes. So do the Blue Jackets, who were rumored to have looked into acquiring him leading up to this year’s draft.

I don’t see where Chychrun’s a fit with the Islanders. They’ve already got two solid left-side defensemen in Adam Pelech and Alexander Romanov plus right-shot Noah Dobson has emerged as their blueline point producer. Their focus over the summer was finding a scoring forward.

The Sabres’ biggest need thus far seems to be reliable goaltending. If they want to bolster their blueline perhaps they’ll consider more affordable, healthier options than Chychrun.

As for the Leafs, I can’t see them outbidding other clubs for Chychrun, especially if the Coyotes insist on getting a couple of first-rounders and a high-end prospect or good young NHL player in return.

MORE PROPOSED LEAFS TRADE TARGETS

Nick Kypreos also suggested several other defensemen that could address their blueline woes if Chychrun wasn’t feasible. One was the Nashville Predators’ Dante Fabbro, who’s a restricted free agent next summer. Word is the Predators are willing to move the right-shot defenseman for the right price. Kypreos believes it could cost the Leafs prospect Matthew Knies.

The other is Vladislav Gavrikov of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July and could cost a first-round pick and more to acquire.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I must confess this is the first I’ve heard that Fabbro might be available. Perhaps the right price would be a scoring forward. The Predators, however, won’t be under any significant pressure to move him by the March 3 trade deadline given his RFA status.

I still believe the Blue Jackets will try to retain Gavrikov. Nevertheless, he will draw plenty of interest if he hits the trade market before March 3.

Other options include the Seattle Kraken’s Carson Soucy, the Vancouver Canucks’ Luke Schenn, the Anaheim Ducks’ John Klingberg and the Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Soucy and Dumba won’t be going anywhere as long as their clubs remain in playoff contention by the trade deadline. Klingberg, on the other hand, will become available when his no-trade clause expires on Jan. 1. Expect the Ducks to start peddling him between then and deadline day.

OILERS SEEK A FORWARD

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes the Edmonton Oilers are in the market for “edgy”, grinding depth forwards. There’s a feeling since Evander Kane was sidelined that they’re easier to play against. He points out that they’re close to the salary cap and wonders if they can find a budget player to address their needs.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 21, 2022

by | Jul 21, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 21, 2022

Matthew Tkachuk expected to be traded after telling the Flames he won’t sign a long-term extension. Check out the latest plus updates on J.T. Miller, Alex Ovechkin, Carey Price and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: The Calgary Flames are expected to trade Matthew Tkachuk “imminently” after he informed management that he doesn’t intend to sign a long-term extension. On Monday, the Flames filed for club-elected salary arbitration to make the 24-year-old winger ineligible to receive an offer sheet from a rival club.

Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk (NHL Images).

The move buys the Flames some time to work out either a sign-and-trade deal or trading Tkachuk’s rights to another club. Arbitration hearings begin July 27 and run through Aug. 11 but a date for his hearing has not yet been set.

Tkachuk will become the second major star to leave the Flames this summer. Johnny Gaudreau last week stunned the hockey world by signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As a restricted free agent, Tkachuk lacks no-trade protection. However, The Athletic reported he has provided the Flames with a list of preferred trade destinations with whom he would agree to a long-term extension.

A source told The Athletic those teams included the St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. However, Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reports the “alleged list” is not accurate.

The Calgary Sun’s Wes Gilbertson believes would-be suitors will seek permission from the Flames to speak with Tkachuk’s agent about a new contract before any trade is finalized. I’ll have more on possible trade destinations for Tkachuk in the Rumor Mill.

TSN: The agent for J.T. Miller believes there’s a realistic path toward a contract extension for his client with the Vancouver Canucks. The 29-year-old center earns an average annual value of $5.2 million on his current deal. He’s slated to become a UFA next summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Miller’s free-agent status in 2023 and the Canucks rebuilding process made him the frequent subject of ongoing trade speculation. I daresay that path is a pay raise worth between $8 million and $9 million per season due to his career-best 99-point performance last season. Whether that’s a path the Canucks wish to go down remains to be seen.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: The Capitals have no concerns about Alex Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov being allowed to return from Russia to rejoin the club in the coming season. Russian law dictates men between the ages of 18-27 must serve one year in the military. Ovechkin is 37 and Orlov 31.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those concerns arose due to Philadelphia Flyers prospect Ivan Fedotov being detained and deployed to a Russian naval base while Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov faces allegations of draft dodging. However, other Russian players of military age, such as the New York Islanders’ Alexander Romanov and the Vancouver Canucks’ Ilya Mikheyev, are back in North America to begin training for the upcoming season.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Former Canadiens goaltending coach Stephane Waite expects Carey Price will be ready to return to the net for 2022-23. The 34-year-old netminder continues to receive treatment to address complications arising from last summer’s knee surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll believe it when I see Price suited up for the Canadiens’ season-opener on Oct. 12.

SPORTSNET: Hockey Canada said in a statement that its National Equity Fund will “no longer be used to settle sexual assault claims,” effectively immediately. An investigation by The Globe & Mail revealed those funds came from revenue from hockey registration fees.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Well, that’s a relief…yes, I’m being sarcastic. The fact that the people running Hockey Canada thought it was a good idea to settle sexual assault claims by using funds drawn from money that parents paid to put their kids in hockey says all we need to know about their character and competence.

Speaking of Hockey Canada, their executives along with the president of the Canadian Hockey League will be back in Ottawa next week to answer questions from members of parliament over the organization’s handling of a sexual assault allegation involving eight members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team and the out-of-court settlement earlier this year. Public outrage over the investigation and settlement prompted the investigation to be reopened.

TSN: Anaheim Ducks forward Maxime Comtois is the latest member of Canada’s 2018 world junior team to issue a statement denying involvement in that alleged sexual assault of a young woman in 2018.

THE TENNESSEAN: The agent for Nashville Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro said his client was not involved in that incident and knew nothing about it. He added that Fabbro fully complied with the initial investigation and will continue doing so in any forthcoming investigations.

CBC EDMONTON: Oilers owner Daryl Katz has been accused in a civil suit of paying $75,000 to a teenage ballet dancer for her “sexual favors.” The unproven allegations are in response to a sexual abuse lawsuit filed against a dance teacher and his wife.

Katz’s lawyer said his client never engaged in a sexual relationship with the young woman and intends to vigorously defend his reputation against the “baseless and scurrilous” claims in the lawsuit. He said the money Katz arranged to be sent to her was funding for a film project, calling the allegation “a distraction and a shakedown.”

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Former Bruins defenseman John Gruden has been named as their new assistant coach. He spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 6, 2021

by | Aug 6, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 6, 2021

Salary arbitration schedule set, the latest notable contract signings and an update on the salary cap in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHLPA.COM: The hearing dates have been set for players who selected salary arbitrations last week:

August 11
Adam Pelech (New York Islanders)
Michael McNiven (Montreal Canadiens)
Jakub Vrana (Detroit Red Wings)

August 12
Victor Mete (Ottawa Senators)*

August 13
Neal Pionk (Winnipeg Jets)

August 14
Vince Dunn (Seattle Kraken)
Zach Sanford (St. Louis Blues)*

August 16
Adin Hill (San Jose Sharks)*
Ross Colton (Tampa Bay Lightning)

August 17
Kevin Fiala (Minnesota Wild)

August 18
Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators)

August 20
Dante Fabbro (Nashville Predators)*
Jason Dickinson (Vancouver Canucks)

August 21
Adam Erne (Detroit Red Wings)
Dennis Gilbert (Colorado Avalanche)

August 23
Zach Aston-Reese (Pittsburgh Penguins)*

August 26
Andrew Copp (Winnipeg Jets)
Nikita Zadorov (Calgary Flames)
Travis Sanheim (Philadelphia Flyers)

​*indicates player had settled.

New Jersey Devils sign Tomas Tatar (NHL Images).

  NORTHJERSEY.COM: The New Jersey Devils signed Tomas Tatar to a two-year, $9 million contract. The 30-year-old winger spent the past three seasons with the Montreal Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bang goes my theory of the Devils acquiring St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko via trade. Tatar reached or exceeded 20 goals six times between 2014-15 and 2019-20 and 45-plus points five times. He’ll likely slot in alongside Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes on the Devils’ top-two lines. Tatar is the third significant UFA signing by the Devils this summer, joining Dougie Hamilton and Jonathan Bernier.

THE SCORE: Speaking of the Devils, they signed winger Yegor Sharangovich to a two-year, $4 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: According to Cap Friendly, these moves leave the Devils with $14.7 million in projected cap space with restricted free agent Janne Kuokkanen to sign. They still have plenty of room to make another significant addition if they so choose.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators avoided salary arbitration with Dante Fabbro, signing the 23-year-old defenseman to a two-year, $4.8 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators have over $17.6 million in projected cap space with Juuse Saros and Eeli Tolvanen to re-sign. 

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins avoided arbitration with Zach Aston-Reese, inking the 26-year-old winger to a one-year, $1.725 million deal.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports the NHL is projecting an increase in the salary cap by $1 million for 2022-23. It will be the first raise in the cap since COVID-19 affected the league’s business operations, delinking the salary cap from revenue and creating a $1 billion debt that players are still working to pay back to the owners.

Seravalli believes the anticipated increase in revenue when the NHL resumes a normal 82-game season in 2021-22 could trigger a “lag formula” agreed upon by the owners and players in the CBA extension. Starting in 2022-23, the cap will increase by $1 million each season until 2025-26, when the players’ debt is expected to be repaid should revenue rebound strongly over that period.

Should the debt be repaid by the end of 2025-26, Seravalli indicates the CBA would automatically extend by one season to 2026-27. The cap would revert back to the usual formula where it is tied to actual revenue projections.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The debt Seravalli refers to stems from the artificially set cap of $81.5 million for last season and this season. League revenue was far less than projected because of the pandemic. The cap would’ve been significantly lowered had it remained tied to revenue, forcing teams to shed salary. That would’ve been almost impossible because most teams would’ve lacked sufficient cap space to acquire those contracts. It also would’ve left a large number of free agents unsigned.

Instead, it was agreed the cap would be decoupled from revenue and artificially set at $81.5 million. That created an imbalance as the players were receiving most of the revenue. Because the CBA mandates a 50-50 split, the players have to pay back the excess via escrow to make the owners whole.

NHL’s coffers should receive a boost from its new broadcasting deals with ESPN and Turner plus the addition of the Seattle Kraken. Nevertheless, it remains largely a gate-driven league. The number of fans returning to the arenas post-pandemic will determine how much revenue increases. As Seravalli points out, short of a revenue bonanza, the cap will only slowly rise over the next five seasons.