NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 6, 2021

by | Dec 6, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 6, 2021

The Canucks fired Jim Benning and Travis Green, the Flyers fire head coach Alain Vigneault, Blake Wheeler reaches a career milestone, the Lightning picked up a notable win, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

CANUCKS FIRE BENNING AND GREEN

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks fired general manager Jim Benning and head coach Travis Green. Assistant GM John Weisbrod and assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner were also relieved of their duties.

The Vancouver Canucks fired head coach Travis Green (left) and general manager Jim Benning (NHL.com).

Bruce Boudreau takes over as head coach on a two-year contract. Stan Smyl replaces Benning on an interim basis as the club begins its search for a full-time replacement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Team owner Francesco Aquilini reportedly decided to remain patient with the club following a meeting with Benning last month. What likely spurred Aquilini to clean house was their 4-1 loss on Saturday to the Pittsburgh Penguins in which a fan tossed a jersey on the ice in the third period as others chanted “Fire Benning”.

That frustration among Canucks fans has been building for some time. The club reached the playoffs only twice in the past seven years under Benning’s management.

They seemed to be on the rise in 2019-20, coming within one game of reaching the Western Conference Final. A poor start and a COVID-19 outbreak scuttled their 2020-21 campaign. Things didn’t get any better this season despite a healthier roster, the additions of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland and the re-signing of core players Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Canucks respond to Boudreau’s coaching. He’s an experienced NHL bench boss who’s had success in turning struggling or rebuilding clubs into playoff contenders. He faces a daunting challenge this season. With 18 points in 25 games, the Canucks are nine points out of a wild-card berth in the Western Conference.

FLYERS FIRE VIGNEAULT

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reported the Philadelphia Flyers fired head coach Alain Vigneault and assistant coach Michel Therrien. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports Mike Yeo will replace Vigneault behind the bench for tonight’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Seravalli also believes Rick Tocchet will be high on the Flyers’ list as Vigneault’s full-time replacement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vigneault was on increasingly thin ice as the Flyers dropped their last eight games. Last night’s lifeless 7-1 shellacking at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning was the last straw for general manager Chuck Fletcher.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler celebrated his 1,000th career game with two assists in a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois each had a goal and an assist for the Jets, who’ve won three of their last four games. Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin departed in the third period following a knee-on-knee collision with the Jets’ Neil Pionk. There was no update on his condition following the game.

The Tampa Bay Lightning collected their 1,000th regular-season victory by crushing the Philadelphia Flyers 7-1. Victor Hedman, Corey Perry, Ryan McDonagh and Ross Colton each had three points. The Flyers have dropped eight straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the Canucks cleaning house yesterday and the Montreal Canadiens conducting a front-office purge a week ago, could the Flyers be next? Their season has rapidly gone off the rails following a promising start, prompting calls from their fans for Alain Vigneault to be relieved of his coaching duties.

Speaking of teams mired in a winless skid, the New York Islanders dropped their 11th straight in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Patrick Kane potted the game-winner while Marc-Andre Fleury picked up his 499th career victory. Mathew Barzal assisted on both Islanders’ goals while teammate Matt Martin was a late scratch.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries and a COVID outbreak decimated the Isles’ lineup over the past month. However, they also seemed to lack the spark that sent them to two straight conference finals and had them projected as a potential Stanley Cup contender this season.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner made 23 saves as his club held off the Calgary Flames 3-2. Nicolas Roy had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights while teammates Max Pacioretty and Evgenii Dadonov netted the other two goals. Following the game, Lehner announced he had withdrawn from consideration for Sweden’s Olympic team citing health reasons after consulting with his psychiatrist and his agents.

Drew Doughty had a goal and two assists and Adrian Kempe scored twice as the Los Angeles Kings upset the Edmonton Oilers 5-1. Oilers captain Connor McDavid received a five-minute major and game misconduct for boarding Kempe in the third period. Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse scored in his first game since being sidelined six games with an injured finger.

The Columbus Blue Jackets snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the San Jose Sharks 6-4. Adam Boqvist scored twice for the Jackets. Timo Meier and Matt Nieto each had two assists for the Sharks.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 4, 2021

by | Dec 4, 2021

NHL Rumor Mill – December 4, 2021

​Check out the latest on Jake DeBrusk, Evander Kane and Claude Giroux, in today’s NHL rumor mill.

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Duhatschek doesn’t see the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames as potential trade destinations for Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk. He felt the Seattle Kraken are a better fit, suggesting a swap of DeBrusk with Mason Appleton going to the Bruins.

TSN: Darren Dreger believes New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald could be in the market for a scoring winger or two. He expects Fitzgerald will check with the Bruins about DeBrusk, though the cost of qualifying his rights next summer might not be a good fit for the Devils.

Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Duhatschek mentions Appleton as he carries an affordable $900K for this season. Like DeBrusk, he’s a restricted free agent next summer with arbitration rights. His cap hit is much lower than DeBrusk’s $3.675 million, enabling the Bruins to free up cap room for their anticipated signing of goaltender Tuukka Rask in January. Whether a DeBrusk deal is possible with the Kraken, the Devils or another club remains to be seen.

Dreger was referring to DeBrusk’s actual salary for this season of $4.85 million. Under last year’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) that extended the CBA, DeBrusk’s qualifying offer will be $4.41 million. That’s because he signed his current contract last November after the MOU was implemented. Under the new rules for qualifying offers, it’s based on the lower of the salary of the final year of the deal or 120 percent of the annual average value.

Duhatschek also suggested the Carolina Hurricanes as a trade destination for Evander Kane if the San Jose Sharks were willing to absorb half of his $7 million annual salary-cap hit. He pointed out the Hurricanes tend to swim against the NHL tide and were willing to take a chance on Tony DeAngelo when nobody else would. Kane’s edgy play and goal-scoring ability would provide the Hurricanes with another weapon in their offensive arsenal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Duhatschek’s not the only pundit to suggest the Hurricanes as a potential suitor for Kane. However, they’re currently in LTIR country by $2.9 million with Jake Gardiner on the shelf. Even if the Sharks picked up half of Kane’s salary, the Hurricanes couldn’t afford him unless they send some salary to the Sharks or another club in a separate deal.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Olivia Reiner reports Flyers captain Claude Giroux said he’s not thinking about waiving his no-movement clause. The 34-year-old forward said he’s more worried about the club’s upcoming games and how they’ll climb out of the early-season hole they’ve dug for themselves in the standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Giroux’s status as an unrestricted free agent next summer gave rise to some speculation suggesting he might waive his NMC before the trade deadline if the Flyers remain out of playoff contention. Giroux could ask to be traded if he and the Flyers haven’t agreed to a contract extension by then. However, the more likely scenario, in that case, is GM Chuck Fletcher asking him to provide a list of acceptable trade destinations if the Flyers become sellers leading up to the March 21 trade deadline.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 2, 2021

by | Dec 2, 2021

NHL Rumor Mill – December 2, 2021

​Check out the latest Flyers and Bruins speculation in today’s NHL rumor mill.

FLYERS COULD SOON FACE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS.

PHILLY.COM: Sam Carchidi believes it could be time for Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher to make some tough decisions if his club falls out of playoff contention. They’re mired in a lengthy losing skid and losing ground in the postseason race.

Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux (NHL Images).

One of those decisions could involve shopping captain Claude Giroux. The 34-year-old Flyers forward is their leading scorer and still has something left in the tank. He’s also slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Carchidi believes Giroux could fetch a solid return if shopped before the March 21 trade deadline.

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox also speculated on some of those difficult decisions facing Fletcher. He wondered if Giroux would agree to waive his no-movement clause. Fox noted Elliotte Friedman mentioning Giroux on the Jeff Marek Show. “I’ve wondered about him going to Ottawa before,” said Friedman, who also pondered the possibility of the Flyers perhaps shaking up their core again after having done so in the offseason.

Fox felt any number of options could be on the table for the Flyers, including shopping winger Travis Konecny. While that would be a bold move, he also felt it would be a long shot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fletcher recently spoke about being patient with the lineup but I think he’ll soon reach the stage where he’ll have to do something to shake this club out of its doldrums. That could include replacing Alain Vigneault as head coach in hope of saving the season.

If that doesn’t work or if Fletcher doesn’t go that route, trades will be in the offing at some point if the club fails to reverse its fortunes. He could sit down with Giroux to determine where his captain sees his future and if it’s with a rebuilding club.

THE LATEST ON THE BRUINS

THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa believes it could take some time before Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney pulls the trigger on a Jake DeBrusk trade. The Bruins still need him in the lineup with Brad Marchand serving a three-game suspension plus their farm team in Providence is going through a COVID outbreak. He also pointed out Sweeney’s reputation for carefully considering trade offers and playing hardball for as long as he can.

Shinzawa also pointed out one of Sweeney’s preferences is clearing salary-cap space for Tuukka Rask. The play of current goalie tandem Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark has been the club’s other weakness besides its offensive production.

THE PROVINCE: Ben Kuzma took note of recent speculation linking the Vancouver Canucks to DeBrusk. He pointed to the Canucks’ limited cap space as a sticking point, suggesting it might have to be a dollar-in, dollar-out deal to take on DeBrusk’s $3.675 million cap hit.

One option could be shopping Tanner Pearson, who’s in the first season of a three-year, $9.75 million contract. However, he has a no-trade clause for this season.

NBC SPORTS: Sean Leahy believes the Bruins are keeping their crease warm for Tuukka Rask when he’s finally ready to return to action from offseason hip surgery. He’s currently training five days a week and could be ready in early January. Rask is an unrestricted free agent but has made no secret of his wish to sign with the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rask has also indicated he’s willing to accept an affordable one-year deal with the Bruins. Still, it would be worthwhile to clear sufficient cap space to sign him. However, it could also complicate efforts to swap DeBrusk for another middle-six forward.

DeBrusk has been linked to around a dozen teams. Most of those mentioned, like the Canucks, are cap-strapped clubs. Sweeney might have to focus on those with cap space to make a deal happen.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 17, 2021

by | Nov 17, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 17, 2021

​The Penguins are reportedly on the verge of being sold, Ryan Getzlaf reaches a points milestone, the Panthers extend their home winning streak, Dion Phaneuf retires and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Fenway Sports Group LLC is in advanced talks to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins. They are the owners of the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park, and Liverpool FC.

The cost of the sale could be $850 million. Sources indicate Mario Lemieux would maintain a small stake in the team and continue to have a say in hockey matters. The status of co-owner Ron Burkle remains uncertain.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move will ensure long-term stability for the Penguins. This comes at a time when they will be approaching a rebuild as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin head into the home stretch of their long careers.

As The Hockey News’ Adam Proteau points out, this is good news for the Penguins. Fenway Sports Group provides them with deep-pocketed ownership with a well-documented history of building and maintaining competitive sports franchises.

GAME RECAPS

Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf (NHL Images).

  NHL.COM: Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf collected an assist to reach his 1,000th career NHL point in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals. Trevor Zegras scored twice, including the game-winning goal while Troy Terry had an assist to extend his points streak to 15 games. The Ducks (10-4-3) have won eight straight games. Capitals center Lars Eller missed this game as he was placed on COVID protocol earlier in the day.

The league-leading Florida Panthers (11-2-3) remain unbeaten at home (8-0-0) after thumping the New York Islanders 6-1. Patric Hornqvist and Brandon Montour each had two points on the night. It was the Panthers’ first win in five games but came at the cost of losing captain Aleksander Barkov, who left the game in the second period following a knee-on-knee hit by Isles defenseman Scott Mayfield. Barkov will be reevaluated today. The Islanders, meanwhile, played without Ryan Pulock (upper-body injury) and Josh Bailey (COVID protocol).

Third-period goals by Seth Jarvis and Vincent Trocheck lifted the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Trocheck and Sebastian Aho each had a goal and an assist as the Hurricanes (12-2-0) sit one point behind the Panthers with 24 points. The Golden Knights played without Jonathan Marchessault as he entered COVID protocol earlier in the day.

The Winnipeg Jets tallied three goals in the second period on route to downing the Edmonton Oilers 5-2. Connor Hellebucyk picked up the win with a 32-save performance. Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl scored both Oilers goals to extend his lead in the goals (17) and points race (33) while Connor McDavid (two assists) stretched his season-opening points streak to 15 games.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Dustin Tokarski kicked out 45 shots as he backstopped his club to a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Colin Miller and Kyle Okposo tallied for the Sabres (7-6-2) while Jake Guentzel replied for the Penguins, who drop to 5-6-4. Sidney Crosby collected his first point of the season assisting on Guentzel’s goal.

Jack Campbell made 24 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Toronto Maple Leafs blanked the Nashville Predators 3-0. He also leads the league among goalies with three or more games played with a 1.68 goals-against average and .943 save percentage. Auston Matthews scored the winning goal and collected an assist as the Leafs record sits at 11-5-1.

The New York Rangers (9-3-3) picked up their fourth straight win by hanging on to nip the Montreal Canadiens 3-2, whose record drops to 4-12-2. Igor Shesterkin turned aside 31 shots for the win while Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher earned a misconduct penalty late in the game for sucker-punching Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow. The Habs played without Mike Hoffman (back injury) and Jake Allen (concussion). Earlier in the day, the Rangers learned winger Sammy Blais will be sidelined for the season with a torn ACL.

An overtime goal by Cam Atkinson lifted the Philadelphia Flyers over the Calgary Flames 2-1. Flyers center Kevin Hayes scored his first of the season and pointed skyward to honor his late brother Jimmy. Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau was held off the score sheet despite tallying 10 shots on goal.

The Arizona Coyotes picked up their second win of the season (2-13-1) by dropping the St. Louis Blues 3-2. Barrett Hayton scored twice, including the game-winner in the third period, while Scott Wedgewood picked up the victory with a 34-save effort.

Jason Robertson scored two goals and collected an assist to power the Dallas Stars over the Detroit Red Wings 5-2. Jake Oettinger made 28 saves in his season debut with the Stars. Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was removed from the game following the second period and placed in COVID protocol.

San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. Logan Couture and Rudolfs Balcers each collected two assists while James Reimer made 26 saves.

IN OTHER NEWS…

ESPN.COM: The Los Angeles Kings arena will be getting a new name. Starting Christmas Day, the Staples Center will become Crypto.com Arena in a $700 million arena naming rights deal.

TORONTO STAR: The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired forward Kyle Clifford from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for future considerations. It’s Clifford’s second tenure with the Leafs, playing 16 games for them in the 2019-20 season.

THE ATHLETIC: Former AHL coach Clark Donatelli was indicted on four counts of sexual assault. The charges stem from a November 2018 incident involving the wife of Donatelli’s former assistant coach during their tenure with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the affiliate of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.

NHLPA.COM: Dion Phaneuf officially announced his NHL retirement yesterday. Phaneuf last played in 2018-19. He spent 14 seasons in the NHL with the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings, tallying 494 points in 1,048 games. Phaneuf was captain of the Leafs from 2010-11 until his trade to the Senators late in the 2015-16 campaign.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Phaneuf’s best seasons were during his first four years with the Flames, netting 47-or-more points in each of those campaigns. He was captain of the Leafs during a difficult time as the club endured a number of management and coaching changes while reaching the playoffs just once. Best wishes to Phaneuf and his family in their future endeavors.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 16, 2021

by | Nov 16, 2021

NHL Rumor Mill – November 16, 2021

​Could teams regret not pursuing Vladimir Tarasenko? Should the Canadiens try to acquire Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard? Check out the latest in today’s NHL rumor mill.

COULD TEAMS REGRET NOT PURSUING TARASENKO?

NBC SPORTS: Adam Gretz believes there are teams that should regret not making a push to acquire Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues after the 29-year-old winger requested a trade this summer.

St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko (NHL Images).

Gretz acknowledged there were some concerns over Tarasenko’s health following three shoulder surgeries in two years. He also had two seasons left on his contract with an annual average value of $7.5 million. However, Tarasenko has regained his high-scoring form with seven goals and 14 points in 14 games with the Blues.

The Seattle Kraken passed on selecting an unprotected Tarasenko in the expansion draft. The winger also submitted a 10-team list of preferred destinations that was believed to include the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Vegas Golden Knights, New York Rangers and Boston Bruins. Gretz points out several of those clubs (Flyers, Bruins, Rangers) could’ve used Tarasenko.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some of the general managers of those clubs could be kicking themselves over failing to pursue a Tarasenko trade this summer. Hindsight, as always, is 20/20. The concerns over Tarasenko’s shoulder were realistic while his contract (paying him a whopping $9.5 million in actual salary this season) was difficult for most of those clubs to absorb under a flattened salary cap.

Let’s not overlook the rumored high asking price of Blues general manager Doug Armstrong. He wasn’t going to just give Tarasenko away. A first-round pick, a top prospect and an affordable young forward with top-six potential were reportedly part of the sought-after package. Armstrong was also said to be unwilling to absorb any portion of the winger’s annual cap hit.

Tarasenko could still end up getting traded if the Blues should tumble out of playoff contention later in the season. That appears unlikely at this point. Interested clubs will likely have to wait until next summer to take another crack at pursuing Tarasenko, provided the winger hasn’t changed his mind about getting traded by then.

SHOULD THE CANADIENS PURSUE GIRARD?

TVA SPORTS: Jean-Charles Lajoie suggested the Montreal Canadiens could use a defenseman to improve their blueline shortcomings this season. Philippe Boucher agreed, proposing they look at acquiring Samuel Girard from the Colorado Avalanche. Girard recently surfaced in trade rumors following a report in The Denver Post suggesting the Avs could shop the 23-year-old rearguard.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Several factors sparked the Girard speculation. He struggled during the Avalanche’s second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights last spring. He had a slow start to this season while rookie Bowen Byram emerged as a top-four blueliner.

However, Byram’s recent concussion combined with an improved effort on Girard’s part highlighted the latter’s ongoing value to the Avalanche defense corps. That doesn’t mean he’s untradeable but it shows the Avs probably aren’t in any hurry to move him.

If Avalanche GM Joe Sakic dangles Girard in the trade market he’ll likely seek a top-six forward in return. Given the Canadiens’ offensive woes, there might not be a deal to be had there.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 13, 2021

by | Nov 13, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 13, 2021

​Alex Ovechkin moves up again on the all-time goal-scoring list, Jack Eichel undergoes surgery, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Alex Ovechkin tallied his 742nd career NHL goal while Conor Sheary scored the game-winner late in the third period as the Washington Capitals defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. Ovechkin overtook Brett Hull to move into fourth place on the all-time goal-scoring list. Garnet Hathaway netted two goals for the Capitals while Sean Kuraly replied for the Jackets with two goals.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin now sits 24 goals behind Jaromir Jagr for third place. At his current rate of production (12 goals in 14 games), the Capitals captain could surpass Jagr by mid-January.

The Buffalo Sabres upset the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 thanks to two goals by Dylan Cozens and a 33-save performance by Dustin Tokarski. Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl tallied twice to lead the league with 14 goals and 28 points while teammate Connor McDavid collected an assist to extend his season-opening points streak to 13 games. The Sabres improve their record to 6-5-2.

An overtime goal by Auston Matthews lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. William Nylander set up both goals by the Leafs, who’ve won seven of their last eight contests. The Flames are winless (0-2-1) in their last three games.

Carter Hart turned aside 39 shots to backstop the Philadelphia Flyers over the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1. Joel Farabee and Zack MacEwen netted third-period goals to give the Flyers the win.

The Chicago Blackhawks have three straight wins under interim head coach Derek King as they nipped the Arizona Coyotes 2-1 on Dylan Strome’s game-winner in the third period. Patrick Kane collected two assists as the Blackhawks improve their record to 4-9-2. The Coyotes, meanwhile, have just one victory (1-12-1) thus far.

HEADLINES

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel underwent successful artificial disk replacement surgery in Denver on Friday. He’s expected to spend three weeks in Denver recovering before returning to Las Vegas for the remainder of his expected three-month rehab.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators will play the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight in Kanata and the Calgary Flames on Sunday despite their COVID-depleted roster. Nine Senators are currently on the COVID protocol list.

The league instructed the club to cancel practice for the third time this week on Friday to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The Senators had hoped to convince the NHL to postpone several games until some of the players are well enough to return to action.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: According to the report, the league sympathizes with the Senators’ plight but hopes to avoid rescheduling games until the club has almost no more players left to recall from their AHL affiliate.

While I understand the league’s reluctance to face rescheduling games as they did last season, they’re not doing the Senators any favors here by forcing them to ice a significantly depleted lineup. There’s also the risk of spreading the virus among themselves or their opponents. The good news (so far) is no other players have tested positive since Thursday.

Speaking of the Senators, defenseman Erik Brannstrom will be sidelined for up to eight weeks with a broken hand suffered during Thursday’s loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

SPORTSNET: Seven San Jose Sharks players (Erik Karlsson, Timo Meier, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Kevin Lebanc, Jake Middleton, Matt Nieto and Radim Simek) and head coach Bob Boughner have returned to the active roster since being placed in COVID protocol on Oct. 30.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Karlsson, Middleton and Boughner described how their contracting COVID-19 affected their families. They were among the first of five others on the club to recently test positive for the coronavirus.

Karlsson said his wife and two-year-old daughter also tested positive. While his daughter is doing well, his wife is still dealing with symptoms. Middleton, meanwhile, had to put his girlfriend and their dog into a hotel during the 10 days he was in COVID protocol. Boughner’s parents were visiting when he got his positive test. He immediately quarantined himself into a hotel while his parents returned to Canada safe and sound.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicated the Sharks organization is fully vaccinated. Neither Karlsson, Middleton or Boughner know where or when they were exposed to COVID.

NHL.COM: The department of player safety suspended Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tucker Poolman for two games for high-sticking Colorado Avalanche forward Kiefer Sherwood on Thursday.

TSN: Braydon Coburn announced his retirement yesterday after 16 NHL seasons. The 37-year-old defenseman tallied 234 points in 983 games with the Atlanta Thrashers, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders. He won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2020.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Coburn and his family in their future endeavors.