NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 2, 2024

by | Jul 2, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 2, 2024

Contract extensions for Jaccob Slavin, Juuse Saros and Juraj Slafkovsky, analysis of the Jakob Chycrhun and Reilly Smith trades, reaction to some of the notable UFA signings from the opening day of free agency, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

**UPDATE**

The Tampa Bay Lightning signed defenseman Victor Hedman to a four-year contract extension with an average annual value of $8 million. He has a year remaining on his current contract with a cap hit of $7.875 million.

EXTENSIONS FOR SLAVIN, SAROS, AND SLAFKOVSKY

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes signed defenseman Jaccob Slavin to an eight-year, $51.69 million contract extension. The average annual value is $6.46 million and comes with a no-movement clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carolina re-signed their top defenseman at a bargain price. He could’ve gotten a much bigger cap hit in next summer’s free-agent market but opted for the security of an eight-year deal with his long-time NHL club.

The Hurricanes also moved quickly to address the departures of Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce via free agency. They signed Shayne Gostisbehere to a three-year deal with an AAV of $3.2 million and Sean Walker to a five-year contract with a $3.6 million AAV. They’re more affordable but won’t fully replace the skills of Skjei and Pesce.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators officially announced Juuse Saros’ contract extension. It’s an eight-year, $61.92 million deal with an AAV of $7.74 million.

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators general manager Barry Trotz indicated last week that Saros was also entitled to some trade protection toward the end of the contract. There’s currently no indication on PuckPedia and CapFriendly what that is but it’s safe to assume Saros will have some sort of no-trade clause in this contract.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens signed winger Juraj Slafkovsky to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $7.6 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens are betting on the promising Slafkovsky blossoming into a scoring star based on his 20-goal, 50-point sophomore season. He will be the third-highest-paid skater on the Canadiens behind captain Nick Suzuki ($7.875 million) and winger Cole Caufield ($7.85 million). Those contracts will look like bargains if this trio reaches their expected potential.

JAKOB CHYCHRUN TRADED TO THE CAPITALS, REILLY SMITH TO THE RANGERS

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators traded Jakob Chychrun yesterday to the Washington Capitals for defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick. They had to lower their asking price from a first and second-round pick or a high-end prospect before the 2024 NHL Draft.

Jensen, 33, is a right-shot defenseman carrying an AAV of $4.05 million through 2025-26.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sammi Silber reports Chychrun could earn a contract extension with the Capitals if he plays well for them this season. He’ll bolster their defense corps and provide some additional offense from the blueline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators had to move Chychrun because he’s slated to become a UFA next summer and they weren’t re-signing him. Still, this is a disappointing return. Jensen is approaching his mid-thirties when a player’s skills begin to deteriorate.

Adding Chychrun and signing former Los Angeles Kings defenseman Matt Roy to a six-year contract should significantly boost the Capitals’ defense.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers acquired “a proven playoff performer” in Reilly Smith, acquiring the 33-year-old winger yesterday from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a conditional 2025 fifth-rounder pick and a 2027 second-rounder. Smith has a year remaining on his contract with an AAV of $5 million but the Penguins retained $1.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Smith was a reliable scoring winger during his six seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights, helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2023. Traded to the Penguins last summer, he struggled in Pittsburgh amid rumors he wasn’t happy with his new club.

Smith gets a chance for a reset with the Rangers as they attempt once again to boost their depth at right wing. The Penguins, meanwhile, cut ties with a player who didn’t fit with their roster.

PREDATORS MAKE THE BIGGEST MOVES TO OPEN THE UFA MARKET

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators were the big spenders from the opening day of free agency, investing more than $111 million on Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, Brady Skjei and Scott Wedgewood.

Trotz claimed this was a statement to the rest of the league that these players wanted to come to Nashville. “These players see what we’re doing with the franchise. We have lots to offer, and we’re very determined to win.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: These moves, especially the additions of Stamkos, Marchessault and Skjei, could turn the Predators into a Stanley Cup contender again. However, it’s risky because of the ages of Stamkos (34) and Marchessault (33). If those players decline quicker than expected their contracts will become burdensome for the Predators even if the salary cap continues to rise significantly in the foreseeable future.

STAMKOS DEPARTURE MARKS THE END OF AN ERA IN TAMPA BAY

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning fans and pundits, meanwhile, are mourning the departure of Stamkos as the end of an era. Chosen first overall by the Bolts in 2008, Stamkos became the franchise’s greatest star. He’s their all-time leader in games played (1,082), goals (555) and points (1,137), leading them through the franchise’s greatest era, winning two Stanley Cups and a Presidents’ Trophy.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning GM Julien BriseBois cut ties with Stamkos and opted to sign the younger Jake Guentzel because he felt his captain was past his prime and on the decline. It could prove to be the right decision but BriseBois’ handling of the situation hasn’t sat well with many of the Lightning faithful.

ROUNDUP OF NOTABLE UFA SIGNINGS WE MAY HAVE MISSED

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I compiled a quick list of the noteworthy signings from the opening day of the 2024 free-agent market. NHL.com has a complete breakdown by team. Here are a handful of some other notable signings of Day 1.

The Edmonton Oilers brought back forward Adam Henrique on a two-year contract with an AAV of $3 million.

The Vegas Golden Knights signed goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a one-year, $1.8 million contract.

The Chicago Blackhawks signed defenseman T.J. Brodie to a two-year contract with an AAV of $3.75 million.

The Tampa Bay Lightning signed forward Zemgus Girgensons to a three-year deal with an AAV of $850K.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That one’s notable because Girgensons is moving on from the Buffalo Sabres after 10 seasons.

IN OTHER NEWS…

PHILLY.COM: The Flyers officially announced Matvei Michkov signed his entry-level contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Expectations are high for Michkov. The 19-year-old winger is expected to be a key piece of the retooling Flyers. He could make his NHL debut this season.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Alex Burrows has stepped down as an assistant coach with the Canadiens for family reasons. He will remain with the club as a consultant and could assist in their search for a new head coach for their AHL affiliate in Laval.

NHL.COM: The league has reinstated Joel Quenneville, Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac. They had been suspended since Oct. 2021 due to what the league called an inadequate response upon being informed in 2010 of allegations that Chicago Blackhawks player Kyle Beach had been sexually assaulted by video coach Bradley Aldrich.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Typical of the NHL to try and sneak this in during one of the busiest days on their calendar. There’s greasy and then there’s NHL greasy.

This decision means Quenneville, Bowman and MacIsaac can now seek employment with NHL teams. The old boys’ network remains alive and well.

I’ll leave the final word on this with The Athletic’s Scott Powers:

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 1, 2024

by | Jan 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 1, 2024

Another milestone for Marc-Andre Fleury, the Senators make some front office changes and the Golden Knights prepare to face off against the Kraken in the 2024 Winter Classic. Details on these and other stories in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury appeared in his 1,000th career NHL game but his club dropped a 3-2 decision to the Winnipeg Jets. Fleury made 26 saves and Frederick Gaudreau had a goal and an assist for the 16-15-4 Wild (36 points) as they sit four points out of a Western Conference wild-card berth. Laurent Brossoit stopped 24 shots while Dominic Toninato snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period as the Jets (22-9-4) extended their points streak to eight games and sit one point out of first place in the Central Division with 48 points.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury became just the fourth goaltender in NHL history to reach the 1,000-game plateau, joining Martin Brodeur (1,266), Roberto Luongo (1,044) and Patrick Roy (1,029) on the all-time list.

The Ottawa Senators defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-1. Anton Forsberg kicked out 45 shots while Thomas Chabot collected two assists in his first game back with the Senators since being sidelined on Dec. 2 with a leg injury. Tage Thompson tallied for the Sabres, who sank to 14-19-4 while the Senators are 14-18-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Senators announced several front-office moves. President of hockey operations and interim general manager Steve Staios becomes the full-time general manager, former NHL player and TSN hockey analyst Dave Poulin is their new senior Vice-President of Hockey Operations and Ryan Bowness becomes associate general manager.

The Senators made a management change earlier this season when Staios replaced GM Pierre Dorion on Nov. 2. They also replaced head coach D.J. Smith on Dec. 18 with Jacques Martin on an interim basis. It’s expected they’ll announce a full-time replacement in the offseason.

With Staios now fully in charge of the front office, the focus is likely to shift toward possible roster moves if the Senators fail to show any significant improvement between now and the March 8 trade deadline.

Speaking of the Sabres, Zemgus Girgensons returned to action after being sidelined since Nov. 24 by a lower-body injury.

Edmonton Oilers winger Warren Foegele had a career-high five points (two goals, three assists) as his club thumped the Anaheim Ducks 7-2. Leon Draisaitl has a goal and two assists for the 18-15-1 Oilers (37 points) as they won their fifth straight game and sit three points out of the final Western wild-card spot. John Gibson made 32 saves for the 13-23-0 Ducks.

The Tampa Bay Lightning overcame a 2-0 deficit in a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist to become the first player to reach 60 points this season as the Lightning (17-11-6) vaulted one point over the idle Washington Capitals into the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 41 points. Cole Caufield, Johnathan Kovecevic and Nick Suzuki replied for the 15-16-5 Canadiens as they dropped their third straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens center Christian Dvorak missed this game with an upper-body injury and is sidelined indefinitely.

Dallas Stars winger Mason Marchment netted a hat trick and set up another goal in an 8-1 drubbing of the Chicago Blackhawks. Tyler Seguin had a goal and two assists for the 22-9-4 Stars, who sit in third place behind the Jets in the Central Division with 48 points. Philipp Kurashev netted the lone goal for the 11-23-2 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Winnipeg and Dallas have identical records but the Jets hold second place in the Central with 20 regulation wins.

Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic scored twice and set up another as his club defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-3. Charlie McAvoy collected three assists for the 22-7-6 Bruins (50 points) as they moved to within one point of the league-leading New York Rangers. Patrick Kane’s six-game points streak came to an end as the Red Wings dropped to 17-16-4.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got a 37-save performance from Alex Nedeljkovic in a 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Lars Eller scored twice for the 18-13-4 Penguins (40 points) as they picked up their third straight win and extended their points streak to six games, sitting one point out of the final Eastern wild-card berth. Ilya Sorokin stopped 35 shots for the 18-15-5 Islanders as they sit in the first Eastern wild-card spot with 43 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield returned to the lineup after missing the last eight games with an upper-body injury.

Calgary Flames forward Blake Coleman got a goal and an assist in his 500th career NHL game while Andrew Mangiapane collected three assists to nip the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3. Dennis Gilbert also had a goal and an assist for the 15-16-5 Flames. Travis Konecny had two helpers for the 19-12-5 Flyers as they remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 43 points.

Third-period goals by Valeri Nichushkin and Josh Manson lifted the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Nathan MacKinnon picked up two assists to extend his home points streak to 19 games as the Avalanche (23-11-3) hold first place in the Central Division with 49 points. Tomas Hertl scored for the 9-25-3 Sharks, who’ve dropped eight straight games and also lost top defenseman Mario Ferraro with a suspected shoulder injury following a check by MacKinnon.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights will face off against the Seattle Kraken at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park at noon PT on Jan. 1. This will be the Kraken’s first outdoor game and the second for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll watch it for the novelty of seeing an outdoor game as usual. Besides, there are no World Junior Championship games scheduled for today.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Toronto Maple Leafs placed goaltender Ilya Samsonov on waivers before sending him to their AHL affiliate. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres placed goalie Eric Comrie on waivers before sending him to their AHL affiliate in Rochester.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both netminders are expected to clear waivers today. Samsonov has struggled this season and the Leafs intend to work with him during his time with the Marlies to help him improve his game. Comrie, meanwhile, is the third man out behind Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen among the Sabres’ goalies.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils forward Timo Meier left Saturday’s game against the Boston Bruins with an injury. There’s been no update yet regarding his status.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 21, 2023

by | Jun 21, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 21, 2023

The Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will be announced today, the Canadiens re-sign Sean Monahan, an update on Carey Price, the Flames allow Milan Lucic to speak with other teams, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.com: The Hockey Hall of Fame will vote on its Class of 2023 inductees today. They will be announced at 3 pm ET.

Former New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (NHL.com)

Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is expected to be among that group. This is his first year of eligibility.

Other former NHL stars among the candidates include Tom Barrasso, Rod Brind’Amour, Corey Crawford, Patrik Elias, Theo Fleury, Sergei Gonchar, Curtis Joseph, Reggie Leach, Alexander Mogilny, Chris Osgood, Jeremy Roenick, Keith Tkachuk, Pierre Turgeon, Mike Vernon, Justin Williams and Henrik Zetterberg.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I will continue stumping for Butch Goring until he’s inducted or I shuffle off this mortal coil, whichever comes first.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens yesterday re-signed Sean Monahan to a one-year, $1.985 million contract extension. The 28-year-old center was slated to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After several injury-plagued years in Calgary, Monahan was enjoying a bounce-back performance this season until suffering a season-ending lower-body injury in December. He was a good addition to the rebuilding Canadiens, acting as a mentor to their young players while providing experienced depth at center.

This signing allows Monahan to continue playing a prominent role with the Canadiens and perhaps improve his stock in next summer’s free-agent market. He could also become a valuable asset for the Habs at next year’s trade deadline if he has a healthy and productive season.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Speaking of the Canadiens, long-time goalie Carey Price and his family have put their Montreal-area home up for sale and are moving to Kelowna, BC. Price, 35, has three years remaining on his contract but is unofficially retired because of a knee injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Price carries an average annual value of $10.5 million. It’s expected the Canadiens will place him on long-term injury reserve, providing them with additional cap space to spend on other players this summer. There’s also speculation that Price could take up a player development role with the Habs.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: The Flames are allowing Milan Lucic to speak with other clubs about a new contract. The 35-year-old winger is slated to become a UFA on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lucic is no longer the dominating power forward of his youth but he played a significant leadership for Canada during their gold-medal run at the 2023 IIHF World Championships. That could entice playoff contenders seeking veteran leadership and toughness to sign him to an affordable one-year contract.

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan cites a “well-placed source” dismissing rumors of the Maple Leafs buying out defenseman T.J. Brodie. He has one season left on his contract with an AAV of $5 million and a full no-trade clause until July 1 when it becomes a 10-team no-trade clause for 2023-24.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Someone in the media was likely musing over how the Leafs could garner some cap relief and suggested buying out Brodie. It got shared on social media and twisted around into the Leafs buying him out.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports it will take until September before the sale of the Senators to incoming owner Michael Andlauer is completed. Until then, he cannot make any changes to the club. That means he will have no say over possible offseason roster moves by general manager Pierre Dorion.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dorion’s biggest potential move is his anticipated trade of Alex DeBrincat. Garrioch reports the Senators would like a first-round pick as part of the return for the 25-year-old winger, who refuses to ink a long-term extension with the club.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres have signed forward Zemgus Girgensons to a one-year contract extension worth $2.5 million. This move was made to preserve the club’s leadership group.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Girgensons is the longest-serving active member on the Sabres roster, having played nine seasons.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes yesterday placed forward Zack Kassian and defenseman Patrik Nemeth on waivers for the purpose of buying out their contracts.

TSN: Player agent Ray Petkau confirmed clients James Reimer of the San Jose Sharks and Thomas Greiss of the St. Louis Blues will be hitting the UFA market on July 1.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman doesn’t anticipate trading his two first-round picks in the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft (June 28-29) in Nashville. The Red Wings hold picks No. 9 and No. 17.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Yzerman could change his mind if a rival GM makes a tempting offer but it doesn’t appear as though he’s actively shopping those picks.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders signed restricted free agent defenseman Samuel Bolduc to a two-year, one-way contract worth an AAV of $800K.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 31, 2022

by | Jan 31, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 31, 2022

​The Avalanche maintain their win streaks, Carey Price talks about his future, All-Star Game updates and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Colorado Avalanche extended two winning streaks with a 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. They’ve won 10 straight and are undefeated at home in their last 20 (19-0-1). Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin each had a goal and an assist as the Avs regained first place in the overall standings with 67 points. The Avalanche tied an NHL record for the most victories (15) in one month.

Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen (NHL Images).

Speaking of unbeaten streaks, the Minnesota Wild extended theirs to nine games (8-0-1) by holding off the New York Islanders 4-3. Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy each had a goal and an assist as the Wild (57 points) moved into third place in the Central Division. Wild winger Kevin Fiala collected an assist to extend his points streak to 11 games.

Andrei Svechnikov broked a 1-1 tie to lift the Carolina Hurricanes over the San Jose Sharks 2-1. Goaltender Frederik Andersen made 27 saves as the Hurricanes have won four straight and sit in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 64 points.

A third-period goal by K’Andre Miller lifted the New York Rangers to a 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Igor Shesterkin kicked out 40 shots while teammate Mika Zibanejad had a goal and two assists to keep the Rangers (62 points) within two points of the Hurricanes.

Los Angeles Kings winger Trevor Moore tallied twice to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Kings captain Anze Kopitar collected two assists while Bryan Rust scored two goals for the Penguins. With 53 points, the Kings move within one point of the second-place Anaheim Ducks in the Pacific Division while the Penguins (61 points) remain one point behind the second-place Rangers in the Metro Division.

Tyler Seguin scored twice and picked up an assist while Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist as the Dallas Stars rolled to a convincing 6-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Dallas forward Roope Hintz reached the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career. The Stars moved into a tie with the Calgary Flames with 48 points but the Flames hold the final wild-card spot with two games in hand.

The Columbus Blue Jackets rode a four-goal first period to a 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Patrik Laine scored twice for the Jackets while Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens.

HEADLINES

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens goaltender Carey Price spoke to the media yesterday for the first time since the Stanley Cup Final in July. He still hopes to return to action this season after suffering setbacks in his recovery from off-season knee surgery. Price also insisted he wants to remain with the Canadiens and has no plans to move anywhere.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Price also entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program for a month back in October. He has been the subject of trade speculation as some pundits mused about whether he’ll want to stick with a struggling team that appears headed for a rebuild after this season. Even if he was willing to waive his no-movement clause, his injury and his $10.5 million cap hit through 2025-26 would ensure he remains in Montreal for the rest of this season and probably beyond.

NHL.COM: Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi and Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov were added to the rosters for next weekend’s NHL All-Star game. They are replacing New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon as both are sidelined by injuries.

CBS SPORTS: Carolina Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Buffalo Sabres forward Zemgus Zirgensons is out past the All-Star weekend with an undisclosed injury.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights signed defenseman Brayden McNabb to a three-year contract extension with an annual average value of $2.85 million. Forward Michael Amadio was inked to a two-year extension with an annual cap hit of $762,500 while goaltender Logan Thompson inked a three-year deal worth an AAV of $766, 667.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Former Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton will take over as head coach of Canada’s Men’s Olympic hockey team after Claude Julien slipped on ice and fractured some ribs during training camp in Switzerland.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 31, 2021

by | Aug 31, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 31, 2021

Check out the latest on Jonathan Toews, Connor McDavid, Matthew Tkachuk, Nikolaj Ehlers and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: in an exclusive interview with Mark Lazerus, Jonathan Toews acknowledged he’s probably a COVID “long hauler” given the tell-tale signs of a bout with the coronavirus in February 2020 before the pandemic became widespread. Combined with the cumulative effect of his long NHL career, it led to the symptoms of a mysterious illness that cost him a year, including the entirety of the 2020-21 season.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews (NHL Images).

Toews’ doctors initially believed his condition was due to chronic immune response syndrome. Feeling rejuvenated, he intends on returning to action this season. He also said he doesn’t want his story to overshadow the lawsuits by two former players against the Blackhawks alleging the club’s inaction to address their allegations of sexual assault by the team’s former video coach a decade ago.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toews might not be the only NHL player who contracted COVID-19 well before the league shut down the remainder of the regular season in March 2020. Many of them may have been asymptomatic.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid’s focus this season is on becoming a more complete player. He believes the key to helping his club go deeper in the playoffs is improving his play without the puck and in his own zone.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Working on the defensive aspects of his game may help McDavid improve his all-around game, but he still needs a good supporting cast for his Oilers to become a serious Stanley Cup contender. While the roster has improved they still have a ways to go no matter how much their captain’s game evolves.

THE SCORE: Matthew Tkachuk is entering 2021-22 determined to help the Calgary Flames stage a long postseason run. The Flames reached the playoffs in three of his five seasons in Calgary but failed to advance beyond the first round.

NBC BOSTON: An emotional funeral and procession were held on Monday for former Bruin Jimmy Hayes in his hometown of Dorchester, Massachusetts yesterday. Hayes died suddenly last week at age 31. His brother, Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes, recalled Jimmy bringing a cancer-stricken youngster to the Bruins locker room, giving the child one of his best memories before he succumbed to the disease.

NHL.COM: Denmark defeated Norway 2-0 to qualify for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics thanks to an insurance goal by Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers.

WGR 550: Buffalo Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons collected an assist to help Latvia qualify for the Beijing Games in a 2-1 win over France in Group E qualification action on Sunday.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators re-signed winger Eeli Tolvanen to a three-year, $4.35 million contract.

Former NHLer Matt Calvert has joined the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings as a development coach. Injuries forced Calvert to announce his retirement earlier this year after 11 seasons.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes signed Dylan Guenther to a three-year entry-level contract. He was the ninth overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft.

PHILLY.COM:The Philadelphia Flyers will name a new inductee into their Hall of Fame for the first time in five years.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 7, 2021

by | Jan 7, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 7, 2021

​The latest on Tuukka Rask, Mika Zibanejad, and Jack Eichel, plus the latest signings, injury updates and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask opened up about his decision to leave the 2020 playoff bubble in August to attend to a family emergency.

Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (NHL Images).

He based the decision on a phone call from his family indicating his young daughter was ill and an ambulance was called. “So obviously at that point, my mind is spinning and I’m like, ‘I need to get out of here’”, said Rask, adding he had no regrets about returning home.

Rask also said his preference is to stay with the Bruins beyond this season. He’s due to become an unrestricted free agent in July and was the subject of offseason trade rumors. The 33-year-old goalie appeared open to talking contract during the season. “If they don’t, we’ll just wait it out and see what happens.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rask caught flak from some Bruins fans upset over his decision to leave the club but he had the full support of the club, including his teammates. In my opinion, he did the right thing by putting his family first as any decent parent would.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers center Mika Zibanejad missed his third straight day of practice but the club remains optimistic he’ll be ready in time for their season-opener against the New York Islanders on Jan. 14. Zibanejad, 27, has been sidelined for undisclosed reasons.

WGR550: Jack Eichel and Victor Olofsson joined their Buffalo Sabres teammates on the ice yesterday after each was recently sidelined by upper-body injuries. Meanwhile, Sabres winger Zemgus Girgensons’ season is over before it began, undergoing surgery to repair a hamstring injury. His recovery period is expected to last six months.

TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets signed forward Oliver Bjorkstrand to a five-year, $27 million contract extension yesterday. The annual average value is $5.4 million.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators inked forward Luke Kunin to a two-year, $4.6 million deal. The AAV is $2.3 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can read my take on both signings here.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw admitted he considered retirement during his 14-month recovery from post-concussion symptoms. Shaw says he’s now fully recovered and excited about resuming his playing career.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shaw’s gritty style of play contributed to his injuries. It’ll be interesting to see if he changes his game.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes received approval from the City of Glendale allowing 25 percent capacity (3,450 fans) during their six home games in January.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers are also allowed 25 percent capacity (around 5,000 fans) at the BB&T Center to start the upcoming season.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning are permitted to allow 23 percent capacity (3,900 to 4,000 fans) at the Amelie Arena to start the season.

Meanwhile, the Lightning reached an agreement with the Panthers to share their AHL affiliate (Syracuse Crunch) for the 2020-21 season. The Panthers affiliate (Charlotte Checkers) opted out of playing this season because of the pandemic.