NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 5, 2021

by | Sep 5, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 5, 2021

The Canadiens don’t match the Hurricanes’ offer sheet for Jesperi Kotkaniemi and acquire Christian Dvorak from the Coyotes. Details and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

KOTKANIEMI OFFICIALLY WITH THE HURRICANES

MONTREAL GAZETTE/THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Montreal Canadiens announced yesterday they would not match the one-year, $6.1 million offer sheet Jesperi Kotkaniemi signed with the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canadiens received the Hurricanes’ first and third-round picks in the 2022 NHL Draft as compensation.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the first time a player has been successfully signed away from another club via offer sheet since the Edmonton Oilers inked the Anaheim Ducks’ Dustin Penner to a multi-year contract in 2007. While the Hurricanes PR department delighted in taunting the Canadiens on social media, at least there were no threats of a barn fight among general managers.

Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin was pressed for salary cap space, the Hurricanes boxed him in with that offer sheet and he couldn’t justify that investment on a promising but inconsistent young forward. Matching the offer would’ve blown his salary structure apart, leaving the Canadiens with limited cap room for the coming season and create a potential cap headache for next season to qualify Kotkaniemi’s rights.

Cap Friendly shows the Hurricanes above the $81.5 million cap by over $1.5 million but they’re expected to put defenseman Jake Gardiner on long-term injury reserve for the start of the season. Given their depth at center, Kotkaniemi will likely be a winger on their second or third line.

CANADIENS ACQUIRE DVORAK FROM COYOTES

MONTREAL GAZETTE/ARIZONA REPUBLIC: The Canadiens wasted little time finding a replacement for Kotkaniemi, acquiring center Christian Dvorak from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for two draft picks.

The Coyotes will receive the highest of the Canadiens’ two first-round picks in the 2022 draft plus a 2024 second-rounder. However, if either or both of the Canadiens’ picks are among the top-10, the Coyotes get the lower of the two picks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens were linked to the 25-year-old Dvorak throughout last week. He’s a skillful underrated two-way center carrying a $4.45 million annual average value for the next four seasons. Dvorak should prove a worthwhile fit as the Habs second-line center.

Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong has been busy this summer rebuilding his club by shipping out veteran assets for draft picks. He now has eight picks in the first two rounds of next year’s draft, including three first-rounders. Armstrong could keep those picks but it wouldn’t surprise me if he uses some of them as trade bait to acquire promising young NHL talent.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars head coach Rick Bowness said Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov, Roope Hintz and Joel Hanley have recovered from the injuries that sidelined/hampered them for much of last season. Goaltender Ben Bishop is skating again but the club remains uncertain if he’ll be available for the coming season. He missed all of 2020-21 recovering from knee surgery.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW‘s Adrian Dater tweeted Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz has returned to full health and is anxious to resume his NHL career.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A lower-body injury sidelined Francouz for the entirety of last season.

TORONTO SUN: Columbus Blue Jackets forward Nathan Gerbe will be sidelined four-to-six months following hip surgery.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild unveiled their jerseys for the 2022 NHL Winter Classic at Target Field on New Year’s Day when they face off against the St. Louis Blues.

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 3, 2020

by | Feb 3, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 3, 2020

Game recaps plus updates on Aleksandar Barkov, Quinn Hughes, Filip Zadina, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Matt Murray made 29 saves as the Pittsburgh Penguins held off the Washington Capitals 4-3. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin’s goal-scoring streak ended at five games while teammate Lars Eller scored two goals. The Penguins (71 points) move to within four points of the first-place Capitals in the Metropolitan Division.

A three-point effort by Pierre-Luc Dubois carried the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens (Photo via NHL Images).

Pierre-Luc Dubois extended his points streak to eight games with two goals and an assist in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The struggling Habs (55 points) remain eight points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Jackets (65 points) sit third in the Metropolitan Division.

Shootout goals by Teuvo Teravainen and Justin Williams gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Carolina winger Andrei Svechnikov tallied his 20th goal of the season. Elias Pettersson scored twice for the Canucks as their five-game winning streak came to an end. The Hurricanes (63 points) hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPORTSNET: Results from an MRI on the knee of Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov came back “all good”. He was injured during Saturday’s game against the Canadiens. Barkov is questionable for tonight’s tilt with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers need a healthy Barkov if they hope to clinch a playoff berth. 

VANCOUVER SUN: Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (39 points) moved ahead of Colorado Avalanche blueliner Cale Makar in the NHL rookie scoring race.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Until recently, Makar appeared a lock to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as this season’s rookie of the year. Hughes, however, has made this a two-horse race.

MLIVE.COM: Andreas Athanasiou is set to return to the Detroit Red Wings lineup after a 13-game absence with a lower-body injury. Rookie winger Filip Zadina, however, will be sidelined two-to-three weeks with a lower-body injury.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild placed defenseman Nick Seeler on waivers.

TSN: The Blue Jackets signed forward Nathan Gerbe to a two-year, two-way contract extension. Cap Friendly indicates he’ll receive $750K at the NHL level.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 16, 2018

by | Mar 16, 2018

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 16, 2018

Game recaps, injury updates, plus milestones for Patrik Laine and James van Riemsdyk  in your NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: The Nashville Predators extended their points streak to 13 games by downing the Arizona Coyotes 3-2 on third-period goals by Kyle Turris and Kevin Fiala. With 102 points, the Predators hold the top spot in the overall standings. Earlier in the day, however, they learned center Calle Jarnkrok will miss the rest of the regular season with an upper-body injury. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Winners of nine of their last 10 games, the Predators are the league’s hottest team right now. With the playoffs looming, they’re peaking at the right time. 

Winnipeg Jets 19-year-old winger Patrik Laine set an NHL record for consecutive points by a teenaged player. (Photo via NHL Images)

The Winnipeg Jets (94 points) strengthened their grip on second place in the Central Division by thumping the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2. Jets winger Patrik Laine collected an assist to extend his point streak to 14 games, setting a record for the longest NHL points streak by a teenage player. Kyle Connor also scored twice for Winnipeg. Before the game, the Jets learned center Matt Hendricks will miss the remainder of the regular season and the opening round of the playoffs with a lower-body injury. 

The Washington Capitals (87 points) maintained their hold on first in the Metropolitan Division by crushing the New York Islanders 7-3. T.J. Oshie scored two goals while Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov had three-point performances. The Isles (70 points) sit ten back of the New Jersey Devils for the final wild-card berth in the East.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barring an impressive late surge by the Isles, their playoff hopes are all but dashed now. With just one victory in their last 10 games, they’ve lost too much ground in the standings.

Patrick Hornqvist scored twice and Evgeni Malkin netted his 40th goal of the season as the Pittsburgh Penguins overcame an early 2-0 deficit to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3. Bryan Rust returned to the Pittsburgh lineup and collected two points. The Penguins remain tied with the Capitals for top spot in the Metro Division, though the Caps hold the advantage by having two games in hand.

Cam Atkinson’s hat trick powered the surging Columbus Blue Jackets to a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Jackets (81 points) have won six straight games and hold the first wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. The Jackets also announced yesterday the signing of veteran forward Nathan Gerbe to a two-year, two-way contract. 

Toronto Maple Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk had his second straight multi-goal game to lead his club to a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. He tallied twice to reach a career-best single-season mark of 31 goals. No update on the status of Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen, who remains sidelined with an upper-body injury suffered during Wednesday’s game against Dallas.

A four-point effort by Anze Kopitar gave the Los Angeles Kings (84 points) a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Kopitar had a goal and set up three others, while teammate Drew Doughty collected three assists. The Kings sit third in the Pacific Division.

Colorado Avalanche forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Miko Rantanen each scored twice to lead their club to a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. The Avs (84 points) hold the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. For the Blues (79 points), the loss puts them five points out of a playoff spot. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues have won only three of their last 10 contests. With 12 games remaining in the season, they’re running out of time to turn things around. 

James Riemer made 46 saves as the Florida Panthers shut out the Boston Bruins 3-0. Nick Bjugstad had a goal and an assist while Evgenii Dadonov picked up two assists. The Panthers sit three points back of the Devils for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. The Bruins were playing without defenseman Zdeno Chara and winger Jake DeBrusk, who are both sidelined with upper-body injuries. 

TSN: Over four years after a group of former players filed a lawsuit against the NHL over its perceived inability to protect them from concussion injuries, the two sides will face off Friday for the first time in court. 

 











NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2018

by | Jan 25, 2018

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2018

Game recaps, Brad Marchand suspended five games, Joe Thornton sidelined several weeks. Details and more in your NHL morning coffee headlines. 

 

Tanner Pearson scored in overtime as the LA Kings edged the Calgary Flames 2-1 (Photo via NHL Images).

NHL.COM: William Nylander’s overtime penalty-shot goal lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. It was the Leafs second win in their last seven games, while the Hawks dropped their fourth straight game. 

Tanner Pearson tallied with 27 seconds remaining in overtime as the Los Angeles Kings edged the Calgary Flames 2-1. 

Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand received a five-game suspension for elbowing New Jersey Devils forward Marcus Johansson in the head on Tuesday. Johansson reportedly suffered a concussion. Marchand, however, will still be allowed to participate in the upcoming 2018 NHL All-Star Game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is Marchand’s sixth suspension in his NHL career. If he weren’t among the league’s leading scorers, I believe he would’ve had an in-person hearing and received at least 10 games. Marchand’s actions aren’t sitting well with some in the Boston media, as NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty has called upon the winger to clean up his act.

Over the years, Marchand has grown into a very talented player worthy of All-Star recognition. Unfortunately, his growth as a player remains overshadowed by his reputation as a cheapshot artist. 

THE MERCURY NEWS: San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton will be sidelined at least several weeks after injuring the MCL in his right knee. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is bad news for the Sharks. They’ll miss Thornton’s playmaking skills as well as his experienced leadership. His absence could have an adverse effect upon their play over the rest of the season.

LOS ANGELES TIMES: Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick will be skipping the upcoming 2018 NHL All-Star Game owing to a nagging injury. As per NHL rules, he’ll have to sit out one regular-season game as punishment for withdrawing from the event. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quick’s replacement will reportedly be Calgary Flames goalie Mike Smith. 

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Sidelined Blue Jackets’ center Brandon Dubinsky’s unexplained return to Columbus sparked speculation it was a disciplinary move by the club over supposedly career-threatening personal issues. His agent, Kurt Overhardt, denied the rumors, claiming his client return to Columbus to seek additional medical advice related to his recent injuries. He claims we’ll see Dubinsky with the Blue Jackets next week following the All-Star break. The team has declined to discussed the matter. 

Speaking of the Blue Jackets, they signed forward Nathan Gerbe to a one-year, two-way contract. 

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning forward Brayden Point will be replacing sidelined teammate Victor Hedman in the 2018 NHL All-Star Game.

SUNSENTINEL.COM: The Florida Panthers are expected to provide an update today on the status of goaltender James Reimer, who left Tuesday’s game against Dallas with an apparent injury to his right leg. 

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled defenseman Jason Garrison to replace sidelined blueliner Brayden McNabb, who’s day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. 

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators placed veteran forward Cody McLeod on waivers. 

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins demoted goaltender Tristan Jarry.