NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2023

Oilers captain Connor McDavid reaches a scoring milestone, the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin and the Kings’ Adrian Kempe each tally four goals, the Blues’ Ryan O’Reilly returns from injury with an overtime goal, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. The Oilers (30-18-5) remain unbeaten in regulation in their last 11 games (9-0-2) and move one point behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division with 65 points. The Senators slipped to 24-24-3 on the season and sit 10 points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 51 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid joined Wayne Gretzky as the second player in NHL history with multiple-point streaks of 15-or-more games in the same season more than once in his career. Meanwhile, Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg was stretchered from the ice in the third period with a leg injury while defenseman Jake Sanderson also left in that period with an undisclosed injury.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored four goals (including a natural hat trick) and collected an assist to lead his club over the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 6-2. The Rangers (31-14-8) have won five straight and moved to within three points of the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points. The 34-10-8 Hurricanes remain atop the Metro with 76 points but their seven-game win streak has come to an end along with Sebastian Aho’s six-game goal streak.

The Los Angeles Kings crushed the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-0. Adrian Kempe tallied four goals, Anze Kopitar collected three assists while Pheonix Copley turned in a 25-save shutout as the Kings improved to 29-18-7 and sit third in the Pacific Division with 65 points. The Penguins (26-17-9) slipped to the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 61 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings got the win on the night they honored former captain Dustin Brown with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena and retiring his No. 23. Brown spent 18 seasons with the Kings, leading them to two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. He’s also the franchise leader in games played with 1,296. Before the game, the Kings activated forwards Arthur Kaliyev and Trevor Moore off injured reserve.

St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly’s overtime goal lifted his club to a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Pavel Buchnevich collected three assists and Sammy Blais scored his first goal for the 24-25-3 Blues since being reacquired from the New York Rangers. Nick Schmaltz had four points and Clayton Keller had three for the 17-28-8 Coyotes, who held defenseman Jakob Chychrun from this game for trade-related reasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly and Buchnevich returned to action following lengthy absences due to injuries. As for Chychrun, it appears he’s finally going to be traded following months of speculation stretching back to last season. I’ll have more about his situation in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. Dylan Larkin and Jonatan Berggren each scored two goals for the Wings (23-20-8) as they sit seven points out of the final Eastern playoff spot with 54 points. Anthony Beauvillier had a goal and an assist for the 21-28-4 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Beauvillier has two goals and an assist in four games since joining the Canucks from the New York Islanders in the Bo Horvat trade.

Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube had a goal and three assists while rookie Jakob Pelletier scored his first NHL goal in a 7-2 drubbing of the Buffalo Sabres (26-21-4). The Flames improved to 25-18-10 and sit just outside the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 60 points. Sabres center Tage Thompson scored his 35th of the season as his club sits five points behind the Penguins for the final Eastern wild-card berth with 56 points.

The Montreal Canadiens got an overtime goal by Mike Matheson to upset the New York Islanders 4-3 to snap a four-game losing skid. Mike Hoffman had three assists for the 21-27-4 Canadiens. Brock Nelson had two points to extend his points streak to 10 games for the Islanders (27-23-6) as they sit one point out of the final Eastern playoff spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was the Canadiens’ first win in their powder-blue “reverse retro” uniform. Habs coach Martin St. Louis is no fan of the jersey, calling them an affront to the franchise’s history.

An overtime goal by Matt Duchene gave the Nashville Predators a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. It was a costly win for the Predators (25-19-6) as winger Filip Forsberg left the game after falling awkwardly to the ice following a hit by Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. The Preds sit four points out of the final Western playoff berth with 56 points. The Flyers (22-22-10) are seven points out of playoff contention in the East with 54 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was a scary-looking injury for Forsberg, who appeared dazed as he struggled to get up and had to be helped off the ice. There was no update about his condition following the game but it looked like a concussion to me.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli scored twice and chipped in an assist in a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 28 shots for the win as the 34-16-2 Lightning moved to within two points of the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division with 70 points. Jamie Benn scored his 21st goal of the season for the Stars (30-14-10) as they remain atop the Western Conference standings with 70 points.

The Washington Capitals got goals from Nicklas Backstrom and Garnet Hathaway to hold off the Boston Bruins 2-1, handing the latter their fourth loss in five games. Darcy Kuemper made 27 saves for the 28-20-6 Capitals as they vaulted over the Pittsburgh Penguins into the first Eastern wild-card berth with 62 points. Nick Foligno scored for the Bruins (39-8-5) as they remain atop the overall standings with 83 points.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and collected an assist in a 5-3 victory over the Florida Panthers, snapping the latter’s three-game win streak. Alexandar Georgiev kicked out 42 shots for the win as the Avalanche (28-19-4) sit in third place in the Central Division with 60 points. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 45 shots for the 26-23-6 Panthers, who are three points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 58 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a big win for the Avalanche but they lost defenseman Erik Johnson as he left the game in the first period after blocking a shot. They’re already playing without blueliner Cale Makar following a blindside hit by the Penguins’ Jeff Carter earlier in the week.

The Columbus Blue Jackets upset the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 4-3. Kent Johnson snapped a 3-3 tie in the third period as he, Kirill Marchenko and Boone Jenner each had a goal and an assist for the 16-33-4 Blue Jackets. Mitch Marner and William Nylander each had two points for the Leafs (32-14-8) as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 72 points.

Shootout goals by Mats Zuccarello and Frederick Gaudreau gave the Minnesota Wild a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils to snap a three-game losing skid. Filip Gustavsson got the win for the Wild (28-20-4) with a 27-save performance as they cling to the final Western wild-card spot with 60 points. Tomas Tatar tallied twice for the Devils (34-13-5) as they sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 73 points.

Winnipeg Jets winger Blake Wheeler scored two goals and assisted on another to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. Josh Morrissey had a goal and an assist for the 33-19-1 Jets as they sit second overall in the Western Conference with 67 points. Tyler Johnson replied for the Blackhawks as they sank to 16-30-5.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 3, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 3, 2023

The Bruins defeat the Penguins in the 2023 NHL Winter Classic, the three stars of the week are announced, plus updates on sidelined stars such as Ryan O’Reilly and John Carlson in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 at the 2023 NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park. Jake DeBrusk tallied the game-tying and winning goals in the third period for the league-leading Bruins (29-4-4, 62 points) as they extended their home points streak to 22 games. Kasperi Kapanen scored for the Penguins (19-12-6) as they’ve lost five straight games.

Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury. No update was provided on his condition following the game.

The Pens also played without defenseman Kris Letang, who returned home to Montreal following the death of his father. He remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury. My condolences to Letang and his family for their loss.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Nicolas Roy scored twice as the Vegas Golden Knights held off the Colorado Avalanche 3-2. With the win, the Golden Knights (26-12-2) regained first place in the Western Conference with 54 points and sit two up on the Dallas Stars. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist for the 19-14-3 Avalanche, who’ve dropped four games in a row.

The Philadelphia Flyers (14-17-7) picked up their third straight win with a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist while goaltender Samuel Ersson made 28 saves. Ryan Strome replied for the Ducks, who dropped to 10-24-4.

HEADLINES

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg, San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson and Carolina Hurricanes goalie Antti Raanta are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Jan. 1, 2023.

The Seattle Kraken will host the Vegas Golden Knights at the 2024 NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 1, 2024, at T-Mobile Field.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m taking a victory lap having predicted this during a Bleacher Report roundtable last week. OK, I picked the wrong stadium where they’d play but I’m not sweating the minor details here.

TSN: Bad news for the St. Louis Blues as captain Ryan O’Reilly (broken foot) will be sidelined for six weeks while winger Vladimir Tarasenko (hand injury) will be out for four weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues are struggling to stay in the Western Conference playoff race. Losing their two core forwards for a month could sink their postseason hopes.

THE ATHLETIC: Tarik El-Bashir recently reported Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson could be sidelined for months with a head injury suffered against the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 23. His estimated return could be late in the regular season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals will miss Carlson’s presence on the blueline. He had 21 points in 30 games this season before his injury.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings have extended Jakub Vrana’s conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate from three days to the full two weeks. He only played two games with the Wings this season before voluntarily entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in mid-October.

The New York Islanders activated goaltender Semyon Varlamov off injured reserve.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning signed defenseman Nick Perbix to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.125 million.

DAILY FACEOFF: Top NHL prospect Connor Bedard broke the Canadian World Junior record for all-time goals (16) and points (33) to lead Canada to a 4-3 overtime victory over Slovakia in the quarter-final of the 2023 World Junior Championships.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard was considered the top prospect in the 2023 NHL Draft prior to the 2023 WJC. His performance in this tournament will cement his spot in that position.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 1, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 1, 2023

Kick off 2023 with recaps of the final games of 2022 – featuring hat tricks by Alex Ovechkin and Filip Forsberg – in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tallied a hat trick as his club crushed the Montreal Canadiens 9-2. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Erik Gustafsson each had three points as the Capitals (21-13-5) are 11-1-1 in their last 13 games. Cole Caufield tallied twice to reach the 20- goal plateau as his Canadiens (15-19-3) have lost five in a row.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals (47) sit one behind the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division. Caufield, meanwhile, joined Guy Lafleur and Stephane Richer as the only Canadiens with consecutive 20-goal seasons before the age of 22. The Canadiens also announced that defenseman Kaiden Guhle (lower-body injury) will miss their upcoming game against the Nashville Predators.

Speaking of the Predators, they got a hat trick performance from Filip Forsberg but fell 5-4 to the Vegas Golden Knights on an overtime goal by Nicolas Hague. Mark Stone collected three assists and Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two assists for the Golden Knights (25-12-2), who are tied with the Dallas Stars with 52 points but sit second in the Western Conference. The Predators (15-14-6) played without winger Cole Smith, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

The Dallas Stars, meanwhile, got a three-point performance from Joe Pavelski in a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Jason Robertson collected two points to move into sole possession of third place in the NHL scoring race with 54 points while his Stars (23-9-2) hold first place in the Western Conference with a game in hand. Erik Karlsson collected an assist to extend his point streak to 12 games but his Sharks drop to 11-20-7 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defenseman Radim Simek left this game with an undisclosed injury. There was no postgame update regarding his status.

Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch scored twice, including the winner in overtime, in a four-point performance to upset the Boston Bruins by a score of 4-3. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 37 shots for the win as the Sabres improved to 18-14-2 with their sixth straight win. David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand each had two points as the league-leading Bruins (28-4-4) extended their home points streak to 21 games.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got two goals from Michael Bunting in a 6-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche (19-13-3). Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares each had two points for the Maple Leafs (23-8-6), who sit two points behind the second-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference with 52 points. Nathan MacKinnon was held scoreless in his return to the Avalanche roster after missing the last 11 games with an upper-body injury.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos tallied his 498th career NHL goal as his club downed the Arizona Coyotes 5-3. Stamkos and Brayden Point each had two points while Victor Hedman collected three assists as the Lightning improved to 23-11-1. The Coyotes (13-17-5) played without forward Nick Schmaltz, who’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

The Winnipeg Jets nipped the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 on a third-period goal by Kyle Connor to finish the night with two points. Teammate Neal Pionk also had a goal and an assist as the Jets improved to 23-13-1. Klim Kostin replied for the Oilers (20-16-2) while teammate Connor McDavid had his point streak end at 17 games.

Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman tallied twice in a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Marc-Andre Fleury got the win with a 29-save effort for the Wild (21-13-2). Jordan Kyrou collected two assists for the Blues (17-17-3), who also lost winger Vladimir Tarasenko to an injured hand suffered in the first period after blocking a shot by Matt Dumba. An update was not provided on his status following the game.

Calgary Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar’s first goal of the season proved to be the game-winner as his club held on for a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Elias Lindholm also scored for the Flames (18-13-7) in his 700th career NHL game. Sheldon Dries and Elias Pettersson replied for the Canucks, who fell to 16-17-3.

The Detroit Red Wings got three unanswered third-period goals from Lucas Raymond, Elmer Soderblom and Michael Rasmussen to double up the Ottawa Senators 4-2. Raymond finished with two points as the Red Wings move to 16-12-7 while the Senators dropped to 16-17-3.

Two unanswered third-period goals by Noah Cates and Travis Konecny lifted the Philadelphia Flyers (13-17-7) to a 4-2 upset of the Los Angeles Kings. Cates, Owen Tippett and Scott Laughton each had two points for the Flyers. Adrian Kempe and Phillip Danault replied for the 21-13-6 Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings defenseman Alex Edler skated in his 1,000th career NHL game.

The Columbus Blue Jackets snapped a seven-game losing skid by downing the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Gustav Nyquist scored twice for the Blue Jackets (11-22-2) while Johnny Gaudreau collected two assists. Andreas Athanasiou replied for the Blackhawks, who sit at the bottom of the overall standings with a record of 8-23-4.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 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 2, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 2, 2022

Recaps of Tuesday’s action, stars and rookie of the month for February, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson’s plans, the latest on Filip Forsberg and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The league-leading Colorado Avalanche became the first club to reach 40 wins this season by downing the New York Islanders 5-3. Devon Toews had a goal and two assists as the Avalanche hold a five-point lead over the second-place Carolina Hurricanes in the overall standings with 84 points. Avs defenseman Jack Johnson also reached a notable milestone by playing his 1,000th NHL game.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Detroit Red Wings on an overtime goal by Lucas Raymond. Wings goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic made 27 saves for the win over his former team. The Hurricanes (79 points) hold a three-point lead over the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference standings.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point (NHL Images)

The Lightning, meanwhile, overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Ottawa Senators 5-2. Brayden Point had a goal and three assists while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves for the win. The Lightning (76 points) hold a one-point lead over the Florida Panthers for first place in the Atlantic Division.

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom kicked out 32 shots to backstop his club to 5-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, Elias Lindholm, Tyler Toffoli, Andrew Mangiapane and Mikael Backlund each had two-point performances. The Flames have won 12 of their last 13 games and hold a five-point lead over the second-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division with 70 points. The Wild remain in third place in the Central Division with 65 points.

The Vegas Golden Knights got two goals by Reilly Smith to beat the San Jose Sharks 3-1. Robin Lehner made 16 saves in his first game since being sidelined for a month with an upper-body injury. It was Vegas head coach Peter DeBoer’s 500th career NHL victory. Sharks goaltender James Reimer left the game with a lower-body injury. With 64 points, the Golden Knights are third in the Pacific Division. The Sharks, however, are nine points out of the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 54 points.

Edmonton Oilers goalie Mikko Koskinen picked up his first shutout since 2019 with a 39-save performance in a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl scored his 37th goal of the season to tie Toronto’s Auston Matthews for the league lead. With 63 points, the Oilers hold a two-point lead over the Dallas Stars for the final Western wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers defenseman Duncan Keith returned to action after suffering a concussion on Feb.9. However, the club also revealed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered last week.

Trevor Zegras scored with 22 seconds remaining in the third period to lift the Anaheim Ducks over the Boston Bruins 4-3, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf had three assists as the Ducks (61 points) remain two points behind the Oilers. The Bruins still hold a three-point lead over the Washington Capitals for the first wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

The Winnipeg Jets kept their playoff hopes alive with an 8-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens, ending the latter’s five-game win streak. Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois each had three points for the Jets. Canadiens winger Josh Anderson tallied a hat trick. With 57 points, the Jets are six behind the Oilers.

Patrik Laine had a goal and an assist as the Columbus Blue Jackets nipped the New Jersey Devils 4-3. Elvis Merzlikins made 30 saves for the win. Devils center Jack Hughes scored to extend his points streak to eight games.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner, Calgary Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom, and Columbus Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine were the NHL’s three stars for February 2022. Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman was named the rookie of the month for February 2022.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: New Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said he’s looking more at a rebuild than a retool of his roster. “There are some things that we really need to fix that are going to take time,” he said, adding he’s not going to put a timeline on how long it’ll take to complete the rebuild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s going to provide fodder for speculation over his trade deadline plans and where certain veterans such as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews fit into the club’s long-term plans. I’ll have more in today’s Rumor Mill.

NHL.COM: Nashville Predators GM David Poile maintains his intent is to re-sign Filip Forsberg before the March 21 trade deadline. He added he’s not trying to trade the pending free-agent winger. Poile also indicated a deal isn’t done yet but they’re working on it.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forsberg became fodder for trade speculation following a report last week claiming Poile was shopping the winger. He quickly denied it but there’s conjecture he’s conducting “due diligence” in case he decides a contract extension won’t be reached by the trade deadline.

TSN: CCM Hockey announced it will stop using Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin and other Russian NHL stars in any of its global marketing. The move comes in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 24, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – February 24, 2022

Check out the latest on Filip Forsberg, Johnny Gaudreau and Joe Pavelski plus updates on the Canadiens and Penguins in today’s NHL rumor mill.

LATEST ON FORSBERG, GAUDREAU AND PAVELSKI

BALLY SPORTS MIDWEST’s Andy Strickland tweeted yesterday the Nashville Predators “are actively shopping superstar Filip Forsberg.”

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m sure we’ll see other pundits and insiders later today weighing in on this. As of this morning, there’s no indication as to which teams the Predators are talking to regarding the 27-year-old winger, who’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Forsberg’s popped up at times this season in the rumor mill. With the Predators in a playoff spot, the assumption was they’d stick with him as an “own rental”. He leads them with 26 goals in 38 games and sits third in points with 44.

This seems to be an unusual move for a club in postseason contention. It would signal contract extension talks have completely broken down. Forsberg would draw considerable interest from postseason contenders seeking additional scoring punch and could fetch a significant return for the Predators.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Steve Macfarlane cites Flames assistant general manager Craig Conroy yesterday telling Sportsnet 960 saying a contract extension for Johnny Gaudreau is “a done deal”. The 28-year-old left winger is a UFA this summer and leads the Flames with 64 points in 49 games.

That’s a done deal. We’re going to get that done. We’ll get that done,” said Conroy. He added he doesn’t know when that will happen, adding he has to talk with Gaudreau’s agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Macfarlane observed, Conroy’s remark was off-the-cuff and doesn’t appear to be confirmation that a deal has indeed been negotiated for Gaudreau. The winger and Flames GM Brad Treliving both said they wouldn’t discuss the contract talks with the media.

Prior to this season, Gaudreau frequently indicated his willingness to remain with the Flames. Doing so, however, will be expensive. His current annual average value is $6.75 million. On pace to exceed 100 points this season, he could command between $9 million and $10 million on a seven- or eight-year extension.

Cap Friendly indicates the Flames have $54.45 million invested in 12 players for next season. They must also re-sign Matthew Tkachuk, Andrew Mangiapane and Oliver Kylington. Tkachuk could also be in line for over $9 million annually. They’ll have to shed some salary in the offseason to accommodate those signings.

SPORTSNET: Appearing on The Jeff Marek Show (stick tap to NHL Watcher), Elliotte Friedman believes the Dallas Stars will attempt to sign Joe Pavelski to a contract extension. The 37-year-old forward is a UFA this summer.

Friedman said Pavelski is receptive to staying in Dallas. He plays alongside young forwards Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz, who are a key part of the Stars’ future.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Depending on Pavelski’s asking price and what the Stars do with John Klingberg, I can see him spending another two seasons in Dallas. He’s still an effective and productive player whose leadership is valued by the Stars.

LATEST ON THE CANADIENS, PENGUINS AND COYOTES

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Sammi Silber wondered if the Capitals could have Montreal Canadiens forward Artturi Lehkonen on their radar. She cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli recently reporting the Capitals seek a “jack of all trades” forward to take pressure off young forwards such as Connor McMichael, suggesting the Canadiens forward as an option.

Silber also noted an RDS report last week claiming the Canadiens had an interest in Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov. Moving him, however, would leave the Caps seeking an experienced netminder who can play with consistency.

TSN: Chris Johnston (stick tap to NHL Watcher) reports Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot is someone the Toronto Maple Leafs have made at least some calls to Montreal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chiarot is expected to be the next player traded by the Canadiens because of his UFA status. With the Leafs allowed to exceed the salary cap by roughly the equivalent of Jake Muzzin’s $5.625 million cap hit when the blueliner was placed on LTIR, that gives them the wiggle room to acquire someone like the Habs blueliner.

Lehkonen is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights who’s also a year away from UFA eligibility. The Canadiens could ship him out before the March 21 trade deadline if the two sides fail to agree on a long-term extension.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Mike DeFabo examined the Penguins’ roster needs and the possible trade targets and assets they could move.

The Penguins could use a reliable backup goaltender. Possible rental goalies could include Vancouver’s Jaroslav Halak, Dallas’ Braden Holtby, Detroit’s Thomas Greiss and Columbus’ Joonas Korpisalo.

DeFabo also feels they could use a bigger, stronger body on defense, suggesting Philadelphia’s Justin Braun or Detroit’s Marc Staal as trade options. Given the Penguins’ limited trade assets and cap space, he doesn’t see them pursuing big-ticket blueliners like Dallas’ John Klingberg, Anaheim’s Hampus Lindholm or Seattle’s Mark Giordano. He also suggested the Ducks’ Rickard Rakell as a trade target to add a big-bodied scoring forward.

Trade assets could include wingers Kasperi Kapanen and Jason Zucker. Their production with the Penguins has been mixed. DeFabo suggested trying to move expensive left-handed defensemen Mike Matheson and Marcus Pettersson. They could also attempt to move Pierre-Oliver Joseph.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski believes the Penguins could use some help among their middle-six forwards. His suggested trade targets include Columbus’ Max Domi, Philadelphia’s James van Riemsdyk, Vancouver’s Brock Boeser, Montreal’s Artturi Lehkonen and Seattle’s Jared McCann.

Of these, Kingerski believes former Penguin McCann to be the most likely candidate. If not for the Seattle expansion draft last summer, he’d still be in Pittsburgh.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zucker’s on LTIR and even if he returns before the trade deadline I doubt he’ll draw much interest if he’s put on the trade block. His declining production makes him a tough sell.

Kapanen could be enticing but his inconsistency hurts his trade value. Joseph could be a worthwhile trade chip but they’ll probably have to package him with a decent draft pick to get a quality return.

The contracts of Matheson and Pettersson could be difficult to move this season. Those moves would probably have to be made in the offseason. Even then, they won’t be easy to move because of the length of those deals. Both earn over $4 million annually but Matheson has four years left on his deal while Pettersson has three.

Forget about seeing van Riemsdyk or Boeser suiting up for the Penguins. However, I think McCann, Lehkonen or Domi are doable, though the Blue Jackets would have to retain a healthy chunk of the remainder of Domi’s $5.3 million cap hit.

I also wouldn’t rule out the Penguins pursuing an affordable and experienced backup goalie. Landing former Capital Holtby would certainly be intriguing but I don’t think the Stars will part with him. Greiss or Korpisalo could be more likely options.