NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2024

by | Mar 26, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2024

Kings captain Anze Kopitar reaches an assist milestone, the three stars of the week are announced, Martin St. Louis returns to the Canadiens’ bench, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist as his club held off the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Kopitar reached the 40-assist mark for the 14th time, tying Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby for the most among active players. Sam Lafferty and Brock Boeser replied for the Canucks, who slipped to 45-19-8 and dropped to second overall with 98 points. The Kings (38-22-11) sit in third place in the Pacific Division with 87 points, one behind the second-place Edmonton Oilers.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks missed an opportunity to become the first team to reach 100 points and clinch a playoff berth this season. Canucks center Elias Lindholm missed this game for what is believed to be a hand or wrist injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

An overtime goal by Jonathan Marchessault lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Logan Thompson stopped 32 shots for the Golden Knights (39-25-7), who hold a five-point lead over the Blues for the final Western Conference wildcard berth with 85 points. Brandon Saad scored and Jordan Binnington made 32 saves for the 38-30-4 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist left this game in the second period favoring his right leg following a hit by Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid are the league’s three stars for the week ending March 24, 2024.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis has returned to the club following a two-week leave of absence to take care of a family-related matter. His son, Mason, suffered complications from an injury sustained while playing hockey in Connecticut requiring hospitalization. His condition has stabilized and he’s now recovering at home.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Anthony Duclair has been on fire since joining the Tampa Bay Lightning in a trade from the San Jose Sharks earlier this month. He has points in all seven of his games with the Lightning.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Sharks, winger Mike Hoffman has been sidelined since March 9 recovering from a concussion following a hit from Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk. Meanwhile, rookie defenseman Ty Emberson’s season may be over due to a lower-body laceration suffered on Feb. 29.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes recalled forward Josh Doan from their AHL affiliate. The 22-year-old is the son of former Coyotes star Shane Doan.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Jaromir Jagr bobblehead dolls stolen on their way to Pittsburgh have been recovered. The 18,000 dolls were to be handed out during a game on March 14 at PPG Paints Arena. Fans who received vouchers for the dolls can redeem them during a drive-through event at the arena on Apr. 6.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 24, 2024

by | Mar 24, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 24, 2024

The Predators set a franchise-record points streak, the Canucks and Rangers continue their push for the Presidents’ Trophy, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Nashville Predators extended their points streak to a franchise-record 17 games (15-0-2) by blanking the Detroit Red Wings 1-0. Juuse Saros turned in a 23-save shutout and Filip Forsberg scored the only goal for the Predators (42-25-4) as they hold the first Western Conference wildcard berth with 88 points. Alex Lyon stopped 31 shots for the 36-29-6 Red Wings as they cling to the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot with 78 points.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forsberg also dropped the gloves with Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider in a rare fight between NHL stars. It was Forsberg’s third career scrap and Seider’s first. Meanwhile, the Predators’ points streak is the league’s longest this season.

Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander tallied twice in a 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. Canucks center Elias Lindholm scored against his former club as the Canucks improved to 45-18-8 to move into first place in the overall standings with 98 points. A.J. Greer assisted on both Flames goals as his club’s record dropped to 33-31-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lindholm has been struggling to score since the Canucks acquired him on Jan. 31. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the 29-year-old center will be meeting with a specialist this week as he and the Canucks manage his undisclosed injury on a day-to-day basis.

The New York Rangers rallied to down the Florida Panthers 4-3 on a shootout goal by Artemi Panarin, who scored twice in regulation, including the tying goal late in the third period. The Rangers improved to 47-20-4 to sit second overall with 98 points. Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist each as the Panthers (45-20-5) are winless in their last four games (0-3-1) and slipped to fifth overall with 95 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks hold first overall with 39 regulation wins over the Rangers’ 38.

Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins (41-16-15) tumbled out of first overall into third with 97 points following a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Tyson Foerster snapped a 2-2 tie late in the third period and Travis Konecny scored two goals for the 36-29-9 Flyers as they remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 81 points. Bruins forward Justin Brazeau scored to extend his goal streak to three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers captain Sean Couturier returned to action after being a healthy scratch from the last two games.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann scored twice and collected an assist in a 6-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Pontus Holmberg also had two goals and Auston Matthews netted his league-leading 58th goal of the season for the 40-20-9 Maple Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 89 points. Oilers winger Zach Hyman moved into second place in the goalscoring race with his 49th of the season as his club (42-22-4) sits second in the Pacific Division with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov left this game in the third period with what appeared to be an injured left leg. After the game, head coach Sheldon Keefe said he believes Samsonov will be fine. Meanwhile, Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi missed this game with an illness.

An overtime goal by Vladislav Gavrikov lifted the Los Angeles Kings over the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3. Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar had two points each for the 37-22-11 Kings, who sit three points back of the Oilers in third place in the Pacific Division with 85 points. Steven Stamkos scored twice in the third to force overtime for the 38-25-7 Lightning as they hold the first Eastern wildcard with 83 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov collected an assist for his league-leading 123rd point of the season.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel scored two goals to reach 500 career NHL regular-season points in a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov kicked out 43 shots for the Blue Jackets. The Golden Knights hold the final Western wildcard with a record of 38-25-7 (83 points) while the Blue Jackets slipped to 23-36-12.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill left this game with an undisclosed injury in the third period. There was no update on his condition following the game.

The St. Louis Blues kept their playoff hopes alive with an overtime goal by Brandon Saad to nip the Minnesota Wild 5-4. Jordan Kyrou tallied a hat trick and Pavel Buchnevich picked up three assists for the 38-30-3 Blues as they sit four points behind the Golden Knights with 79 points. Marco Rossi scored two goals for the 34-28-9 Wild.

Speaking of keeping playoff hopes alive, the New York Islanders ended a six-game skid with a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Cal Clutterbuck scored twice while Mathew Barzal and Hudson Fasching had a goal and two assists each for the Islanders (30-25-15) as they’re three points back of the Red Wings with 75 points. The Jets dropped to 44-21-5 but hold third place in the Central Division with 93 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck got the hook in the second period after giving up five goals on 26 shots. However, it’s fair to say that his teammates let him down, playing terribly in front of him.

The Ottawa Senators ended a three-game skid by downing the New Jersey Devils 5-2. Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot and Mathieu Joseph collected two points each for the 29-36-4 Senators. Jesper Bratt and Tomas Nosek replied for the 34-33-4 Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No disrespect to the Senators but the Devils should’ve taken this must-win game. With 72 points, they’re six points out of the final Eastern wildcard berth. Losing to one of the league’s worst teams could be the final nail in the coffin for the Devils’ postseason hopes.

A four-goal rally culminated in a 5-4 overtime victory for the Chicago Blackhawks over the San Jose Sharks. Seth Jones scored twice, including the game-winner for the 20-46-5 Blackhawks. Fabian Zetterlund and Thomas Bordeleau scored two goals each for the 16-46-8 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a season of suck for the Sharks but there is a glimmer of hope for their future. Top prospect Will Smith scored four goals for Boston College in a 6-2 win over Boston University to win the NCAA Hockey East Championship. Smith leads the NCAA this season with 67 points.










Don’t Punish NHL Players to Close LTIR Loophole

by | Mar 23, 2024

Don’t Punish NHL Players to Close LTIR Loophole

For the second straight year, the Vegas Golden Knights placed captain Mark Stone on long-term injury reserve, freeing up his $9.5 million cap hit to bolster their roster at the trade deadline.

Stone was sidelined last season by back surgery, returning for the start of playoffs and leading his team to the Stanley Cup. This time, he’s out with a lacerated spleen. There is no timeline for his return but it seems unlikely he’ll be back for the start of the playoffs.

Conspiracy theorists among NHL followers accused the Golden Knights of cheating, overlooking the fact that every team can and has availed themselves of LTIR to garner salary-cap flexibility at any time during the regular season and offseason. It’s within the rules of the collective bargaining agreement.

Some teams acquire the contracts of players all but retired to career-ending injuries to free up cap room to boost their rosters or re-sign a star. Budget-conscious clubs have done so to ensure they reach the salary-cap floor.

Most of the complaints, however, are aimed at playoff contenders putting a sidelined player on LTIR and using the savings to add depth to their rosters before the playoffs, with the injured player returning at the start of the postseason.

As The Athletic’s Michael Russo observed, it’s a complaint that goes back to the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, when winger Nikita Kucherov missed the entire regular season recovering from offseason hip surgery. It also dates back to 2014-15 when Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane missed the rest of the regular season with a broken collarbone.

Like the Golden Knights with Stone, the Lightning and Blackhawks placed Kucherov and Kane on LTIR, using the cap savings to add depth to their rosters. Both stars returned for the start of the playoffs and helped their teams win the Stanley Cup.

That’s sparked calls in some circles for changes to LTIR rules to prevent teams from legally circumventing the salary cap. It was discussed at this week’s meeting of NHL general managers and will likely be on the agenda when they meet again in September.

NHL general managers can discuss proposed changes to the LTIR rules. However, they won’t be able to do anything about it until the next round of collective bargaining between the league and the NHL Players Association in 2025-26.

Russo suggested perhaps a rule extending the salary cap into the playoffs. Another was a player on LTIR not being healthy to play in the final game of the regular season being ineligible to play at the start of the postseason.

There’s a greater likelihood of Russo’s first suggestion being implemented than his second one. The NHLPA will fight that one tooth and nail because it’ll be seen as unfairly punishing a player for an injury.

If you’re talking about one game, it’s almost pointless if the player in question can return for the rest of the playoffs. But if you’re talking about the entirety of the opening round, I don’t see any team or its fans taking that well.

Most folks who complain about LTIR don’t like it unless it benefits their team. Then, they’re only too happy to point out how other teams do the same thing.

It’s worth remembering that the NHL had the opportunity to negotiate changes to LTIR during CBA negotiations in 2012 and 2020. It wasn’t a pressing issue for them back then.

Whether any major changes are implemented in the next round of CBA negotiations remains to be seen. It’s probably not a hill that the NHL will want to die on.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 22, 2024

by | Mar 22, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 22, 2024

Four-assist performances from the Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov and the Oilers’ Connor McDavid, a hat trick for the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov assisted on each of his club’s goals in a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Brayden Point scored twice to reach the 40-goal mark as the Lightning extended their win streak to five games. With a record of 38-25-6, they hold the first Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 82 points. William Eklund replied for the 16-46-7 Sharks.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov leads the scoring race with 122 points, opening a five-point gap over Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon. Lightning winger Anthony Duclair scored against his former team, reaching the 20-goal plateau for the fourth time in his career. Since being acquired by the Lightning before the March 8 trade deadline, Duclair has four goals and seven points in five games.

The Edmonton Oilers erupted for five unanswered third-period goals to crush the Buffalo Sabres 8-3. Connor McDavid collected four assists while Zach Hyman and Mattias Ekholm scored two goals each for the 42-21-4 Oilers, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 88 points. JJ Peterka tallied two goals for the 33-33-5 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hyman is just two goals away from reaching the vaunted 50-goal plateau for the first time in his career. Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (Hyman’s former teammate) leads the league this season with 57 goals.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin collected the third hat trick of his NHL career in a 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins. Jonathan Quick made 24 saves as the Rangers (46-20-4) moved within one point of the league-leading Bruins with 96 points. Justin Brazeau had a goal and an assist for the 41-15-15 Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quick picked up his 391st career win to tie Ryan Miller for the most NHL victories by an American-born goaltender.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored twice in his triumphant return to the lineup to beat the New York Islanders 6-3, leaving the latter winless in their last six games (0-5-1). Andrew Copp also had two goals and Christian Fischer had a goal and two assists for the Red Wings (36-28-6) as they opened a three-point lead over the Washington Capitals for the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot with 78 points. Mathew Barzal netted his 21st goal for the 29-25-15 Islanders as they slipped five points behind the Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin missed the last eight games with a lower-body injury. During his absence, the Wings went into a tailspin that threatened to derail their playoff hopes. They’re a different team when their captain is in the lineup.

The Vancouver Canucks gained ground on the Bruins in the overall standings with a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Nikita Zadorov scored two goals for the Canucks (44-18-8) as they sit one point behind the league-leading Bruins. Juraj Slafkovsky scored to extend his points streak to six games for the Canadiens (25-32-12), who are winless in their last four games (0-2-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Slafkovsky remains a bright spot for the Canadiens this season. He had just eight points in his first 31 games but now has 30 points in his last 38 contests. Speaking of the Canadiens, they announced that Joshua Roy will be sidelined for four to six weeks with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of gaining ground in the overall standings, the Carolina Hurricanes moved to within three points of the Bruins by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on an overtime goal by Seth Jarvis. Frederik Andersen stopped 30 shots for the 44-20-6 Hurricanes (94 points) as they’ve won five straight games. Travis Konecny netted his 28th goal of the season for the Flyers (35-26-9), who remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers captain Sean Couturier was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. Flyers head coach John Tortorella declined to discuss Couturier during a pregame interview. However, benching his captain has drawn plenty of media attention as rumors grow of a possible rift between the two.

The Nashville Predators continue to tighten their grip on the first Western Conference wildcard berth as they blanked the Florida Panthers 3-0. Kevin Lankinen kicked out 33 shots for the shutout and Filip Forsberg tallied twice for the 41-25-4 Predators (86 points) as they extended their points streak to 16 games with their fourth straight win. Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 34 shots for the 45-20-4 Panthers (94 points) as they’ve lost three straight and sit three points behind the Bruins in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers were without team captain Aleksander Barkov as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Speaking of the Western Conference wildcard spots, the Vegas Golden Knights cling to the final berth following a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Keegan Kolesar snapped a 1-1 tie and Chandler Stephenson netted the insurance goal for the 37-25-7 Golden Knights (81 points). Jaden Schwartz replied for the 28-28-12 Kraken.

The New Jersey Devils got two power-play goals from Jack Hughes to defeat the Winnipeg Jets 3-1. Nico Hischier and Timo Meier each had a goal and two assists for the 34-32-4 Devils. Nikolaj Ehlers replied for the Jets (44-20-5) as they remain in first place in the Central Division with 93 points.

St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou had a goal and two assists to keep their playoff hopes alive in a 5-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Jake Neighbours scored twice and Joel Hofer made 37 saves for the 37-30-3 Blues (77 points) as they sit four points behind the Golden Knights for that final Western wild-card berth. Mark Kastelic and Dominik Kubalik scored for the 28-36-4 Senators.

The Anaheim Ducks snapped a seven-game losing skid by blanking the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0. Lukas Dostal stopped 29 shots for his first NHL shutout while Alex Killorn scored two goals for the 24-43-3 Ducks. Arvid Soderblom made 21 saves for the 19-46-5 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks center Leo Carlsson left this game in the second period following a knee-on-knee collision with the Blackhawks Alex Vlasic. There was no postgame update on his condition.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson was offered an in-person hearing by the NHL department of player safety for high-sticking Toronto Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor on Thursday. Wilson faces the possibility of a suspension beyond five games.

CALGARY SUN: Flames goaltender Dan Vladar will undergo season-ending hip surgery next week. He’s expected to be ready for the start of next season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 18, 2024

by | Mar 18, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 18, 2024

The race for the Presidents’ Trophy intensifies as the battle for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth continues. Check out the details in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers picked up their fifth win in their last six games by downing the New York Islanders 5-2. Igor Shesterkin made 25 saves and Jonny Brodzinski scored the game-winning goal for the 45-19-4 Rangers (94 points), who moved into second place in the overall standings and are one point behind the Boston Bruins. Bo Horvat scored twice for the 29-23-15 Islanders (73 points) as they sit one point behind the Detroit Red Wings for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren left this game in the second period with an injured left leg. An update on his status could come on Monday. Meanwhile, the Islanders are winless in their last four games (0-3-1).

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

Speaking of the Red Wings, they missed an opportunity to put distance between themselves and the Islanders and Washington Capitals (73 points) by dropping a 6-3 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sidney Crosby snapped a 12-game goalless drought as he was among four Penguins forwards with a goal and an assist. Lucas Raymond scored twice for the Red Wings (34-28-6) as they lost for the eighth time in nine games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Detroit still clings to that final Eastern wild-card berth only because the Islanders have just one point in their last four games. If the Red Wings don’t get their act together soon, they’ll be overtaken by the Isles or Capitals. Meanwhile, the Penguins (30-28-6) kept their playoff hopes alive as they’re five points back of the Wings.

A four-goal second period lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-1. Tyler Toffoli scored twice and collected an assist and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 30 shots as the Jets (43-19-5) moved into first place in the Central Division with 91 points. Brendan Gaunce scored for the 23-34-11 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets are tied in points with the Colorado Avalanche but hold first place in the Central with a game in hand. They’ve also moved into fifth place in the overall standings, just four points behind the league-leading Bruins.

Jake Guentzel scored his first goal with the Carolina Hurricanes in a 7-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Dmitry Orlov scored twice and had two assists and Sebastian Aho picked up three assists for the 42-20-6 Hurricanes (90 points), who remain four points behind the first-place Rangers in the Metropolitan Division. Thomas Chabot had a goal and an assist for the 28-34-4 Senators.

Third-period goals by William Carrier, Jack Eichel and William Karlsson powered the Vegas Golden Knights over the New Jersey Devils 3-1. Noah Hanifin picked up two assists for the 36-24-7 Golden Knights, who hold the final Western Conference wildcard spot with 79 points. Nico Hischier replied for the 32-32-4 Devils.

The St. Louis Blues picked up their fourth straight win by doubling up the Anaheim Ducks 4-2. Robert Thomas netted two power-play goals for the Blues (36-29-3) as they remain four points behind the Golden Knights. Troy Terry scored both goals for the 23-42-3 Ducks.

Three goals by Ryan Donato, Kevin Korchinski and Joey Anderson within 1:23 in the third period gave the Chicago Blackhawks a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Connor Bedard and Philipp Kurashev had a goal and an assist for the 19-44-5 Blackhawks. Devin Cooley made 26 saves for the 16-44-7 Sharks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers general manager Daniel Briere admitted he and his club were surprised to learn Ryan Johansen was injured when they acquired him from the Colorado Avalanche before the recent trade deadline.

The Flyers intended to send Johansen to their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley. However, that was overturned because an injured player cannot be demoted to the minors. He remains with the Flyers as he continues rehab on his injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johansen played in all 63 Avalanche games before the trade. Maybe he suffered the injury in his final game before the trade. Perhaps he was nursing an injury for several weeks that worsened after the trade.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov faces a disciplinary hearing on Monday with the NHL department of player safety for an illegal hit to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning winger Conor Sheary on Saturday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Edmonton Oilers defenseman Vincent Desharnais suffered a broken finger during his fight with Colorado Avalanche blueliner Josh Manson on Saturday.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 15, 2024

by | Mar 15, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – March 15, 2024

Check out the latest on Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Jacob Markstrom, Linus Ullmark, Jeremy Swayman, Filip Hronek and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST PENGUINS SPECULATION

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman doesn’t see Sidney Crosby walking away from the Pittsburgh Penguins next summer without giving management a chance to turn things around. His guess is the Pens will offer Crosby a two or three-year contract extension this summer worth around $10.5 million annually.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers wonder if Crosby might demand a trade to a contender this summer or sign with one next summer as an unrestricted free agent. The Athletic’s Penguins beat writer Rob Rossi maintains that Crosby intends to retire as a Penguin and will sign an extension this summer.

I’m with Rossi on this one. I don’t believe Crosby will demand a trade or sign elsewhere. He’ll finish his NHL career with the Penguins.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Shelly Anderson reports Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson dismissed rumors suggesting he might make his way back to the Ottawa Senators.

“Yeah, that’s Canada for you,” chuckled Karlsson. “I played there for a long time so I kind of know how that game works. They’ve got a lot of things to talk about every day to fill a lot of air time, but they only have a few things to actually discuss.”

Karlsson added, “They like to make up these what-if scenarios. That’s just the way it is, and it’s not something that I really look into or worry about too much.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, Karlsson isn’t heading back to Ottawa for a reunion with the Senators. Moving on…

RUMOR TIDBITS FROM FRIEDMAN’S LATEST “32 THOUGHTS” COLUMN

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes this summer’s goalie market will be interesting. He noted the Calgary Flames pulled Jacob Markstrom from the market leading up to last week’s trade deadline as did the Nashville Predators with Juuse Saros. The Boston Bruins looked into moving Linus Ullmark but punted that decision to the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Markstrom, 34, has two years left on his contract with an annual average value of $6 million and a full no-movement clause. The 30-year-old Ullmark has one year remaining with an AAV of $5 million and a 16-team no-trade list that drops to a 15-team list on July 1. Saros, 28, also has a year left on his contract with a $5 million cap hit but he lacks no-trade protection.

All three clubs could be willing to listen to offers but they will set high asking prices. Ullmark seems the most likely to move as the Bruins will want to free up some cap space this summer.

The Bruins reportedly rejected “at least one ask about Jeremy Swayman.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Swayman is expected to take over as the Bruins’ full-time starter after this season. He’s on a one-year deal worth $3.475 million and has arbitration rights this summer. It’s believed they’ll try to move Ullmark to free up cap room for Swayman’s new long-term contract.

The Tampa Bay Lightning were “incredibly disappointed” that they failed to acquire Noah Hanifin from the Flames. Friedman wouldn’t be surprised if he signed a contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights. He also believes the Dallas Stars will attempt to re-sign Hanifin’s old teammate Chris Tanev.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates the Golden Knights have 15 roster players under contract for 2024-25 with less than $10 million in cap space. They’ll garner another $5 million if Robin Lehner remains on long-term injury reserve. It could cost them half of that cap space to re-sign Hanifin.

Meanwhile, the Stars have a projected $18.3 million in cap space with 12 active roster players under contract. Joe Pavelski and Matt Duchene will be due for new contracts as well as Tanev.

There are “debates” over Filip Hronek’s contract discussions with the Vancouver Canucks. Friedman doesn’t expect those talks to be anywhere near as complicated as Elias Pettersson’s recent negotiations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The “debates” are over whether Hronek will be paid more than Quinn Hughes. He is pulling in an AAV of $7.85 million through 2026-27. Hronek, 26, is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights earning an AAV of $4.4 million. He’s enjoyed a career-best performance with 45 points in 67 games.

The Canucks have already tabled a contract extension to the Hronek camp. Some observers believe he could seek an AAV of over $8 million. Maybe the Canucks try to tempt him with an eight-year deal worth just under Hughes’ annual cap hit in the hope that he’ll prefer the long-term security.

The Edmonton Oilers showed interest in signing recently acquired forwards Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to contract extensions.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers have $14.2 million in projected cap space with 13 players under contract. As Friedman said, we’ll see how things shake out during the postseason.