NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 15, 2021

by | May 15, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 15, 2021

The Jets down the Leafs in their final regular-season game, Conference championship trophies won’t be awarded this season, plus the latest on Alex Ovechkin, Ondrej Kase and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets ended their regular season on a high note by doubling up the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2. Kyle Connor scored twice to finish the season with a team-leading 26 goals. The Leafs’ Auston Matthews was held pointless, finishing the season with a league-leading 41 goals.

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both clubs will have several days off before they begin their respective first-round series. The Jets face off against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday while the Leafs meet the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski reports the NHL won’t be handing out the Prince of Wales Trophy or the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl to the conference champions this season. The Prince of Wales Trophy is usually awarded to the Eastern Conference champion while the Campbell Bowl is awarded to the Western Conference champion.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The bright side is we won’t have to listen to any of the superstitious nonsense over whether the winning teams will touch those respective trophies. Because, of course, everyone knows touching those awards could determine the outcome of the Stanley Cup Final (end sarcasm mode).

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: The lack of a new contract for Alex Ovechkin isn’t bothering Capitals owner Ted Leonsis. He said he and Ovechkin are focused on the upcoming playoffs.

“Alex knows that if he plays five more years, 10 more years, whatever it is, we’ve got his back,” Leonsis said, adding the team’s commitment to his captain is to continue to have great teams. “We’ll spend to the cap, we’ll try to win championships. And that’s what he’s focused on because that’ll be his legacy.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin is completing a 13-year, $124 million contract. He and Leonsis agreed at the start of this season to put aside contract discussions until after the playoffs are over. Based on Leonsis’ comments, it sounds like Ovechkin won’t be going anywhere.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins winger Ondrej Kase won’t be playing in Game 1 of his club’s opening-round series against the Washington Capitals tonight. Kase suffered an upper-body injury unrelated to the suspected concussion that sidelined him for all but three games this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Whatever the issue, it sounds like Kase could miss more than just Game 1.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins backup goaltender Casey DeSmith left Friday’s practice early to receive medical treatment after making a routine save. It’s suspected to be a lower-body injury. The Penguins open their first-round series against the New York Islanders on Sunday.

TSN: Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman was fined $5,000.00 for a dangerous trip on St. Louis Blues forward Sammy Blais on Thursday.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators signed defenseman Artem Zub to a two-year, $5 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zub, 25, joined the Senators as a free agent from the KHL and played well in his first NHL season. He finished with 14 points in 47 games and a plus-minus of plus-4 while logging over 18 minutes of ice time per game.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Senators, team owner Eugene Melnyk declined to comment about lawsuits filed against five defendants by his traveling companions related to his Caribbean vacation last Christmas.

THE SCORE: cites a report by The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun indicating Alain Vigneault will return as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers next season.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Speaking of returning coaches, Stars general manager Jim Nill confirmed Rick Bowness will be back behind the bench with his club next season. Nill also said forward Roope Hintz will undergo surgery next week in New York to repair a groin injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 23, 2021

by | Apr 23, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 23, 2021

​The Avalanche clinch a playoff berth, a big night for Jakub Vrana, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Colorado Avalanche are the second team to secure a playoff spot by doubling up the St. Louis Blue 4-2. Andre Burakovsky scored twice and Nathan MacKinnon collected three assists for the Avalanche, who were playing their first game since their schedule was postponed by a COVID-19 outbreak last week. They sit two points behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Honda West Division. Jaden Schwartz scored both goals for the Blues (44 points), who remain one point behind the fourth-place Arizona Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jared Bednar surpassed Bob Hartley as the Avalanche’s longest-tenured head coach with his 360th game. He’s now in his fifth season in that role and has done a magnificent job coaching this former bottom-feeding club into a Stanley Cup contender.

Two shorthanded goals by Sebastian Aho carried the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-2 win over the Florida Panthers. Carolina’s Martin Necas picked up three assists while Florida captain Aleksander Barkov scored twice. The Hurricanes sit in first place in the Discover Central Division with 67 points, two up on the second-place Panthers. They also played without defenseman Brady Skjei as he remains sidelined indefinitely by a concussion.

The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 to sit one point back of the Panthers. Blake Coleman scored twice and Ondrej Palat netted the game-winner.

Detroit Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana (NHL Images).

Detroit Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana scored four goals to lead his club over the Dallas Stars 7-3. Thomas Greiss made 43 saves for the win. The Stars (50 points) remain two points behind the fourth-place Nashville Predators in the Central. The Wings played without captain Dylan Larkin (upper-body injury) and announced Tyler Bertuzzi is done for the season with an upper-body injury.

Auston Matthews tallied his 34th goal of the season as the Toronto Maple Leafs downed the Winnipeg Jets 5-3. Mitch Marner scored twice and Nick Foligno collected an assist in his debut with the Leafs. Mark Scheifele had two points for the Jets, who lost center Adam Lowry following a headshot from Leafs winger Alex Galchenyuk. The Leafs played without defenseman Zach Bogosian, who’s sidelined for more than a week with an undisclosed injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 63 points, the Leafs now hold a six-point lead over the Jets for first place in the Scotia North Division.

Shootout goals by Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov gave the Washington Capitals a 1-0 victory over the New York Islanders. Ilya Samsonov made 26 saves for his second shutout of the season. The Capitals (64 points) hold a one-point lead over the Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins for the top spot in the MassMutual East Division.

Speaking of the Penguins, Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, Kasperi Kapanen and Teddy Blueger each had a goal and an assist in a 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils, Kapanen returned to action after missing 13 games with a lower-body injury. The Penguins hold second place over the Islanders with 30 wins.

The Boston Bruins picked up their sixth straight win by beating the Buffalo Sabres 5-1. David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand each had a goal and an assist and Jeremy Swayman kicked out 29 shots. The Bruins sit in fourth place in the East Division with 60 points, three behind the Islanders and eight up on the New York Rangers.

Two power-play goals by James van Riemsdyk powered the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-2 victory over the Rangers. Brian Elliott made 33 saves for the Flyers (49 points), who sit three points back of the fifth-place Rangers in the East Division.

Matt Murray had a 31-save shutout as the Ottawa Senators blanked the Vancouver Canucks 3-0. Drake Batherson had a goal and an assist as the Senators have won four of their last five games.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: Arizona Coyotes winger Conor Garland is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

STAR-TRIBUNE.COM: The Minnesota Wild re-signed forward Ryan Hartman to a three-year, $5.1 million contract extension. The annual average value is $1.7 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hartman accepted a slight pay cut from his currently $1.9 million AAV for the security of an extra year. Cap Friendly indicates the signing leaves the Wild with $59.6 million invested in 13 players for 2021-22.

TSN: Only four players were on the NHL’s COVID-19 list yesterday. Three of them were the Avalanche’s Joonas Donskoi, Philipp Grubauer and Mikko Rantanen. The fourth was the Devils’ P.K. Subban.

Frank Seravalli reports the NHL and NHLPA have given the International Olympic Committee until the end of May for a financial commitment for the 2022 Winter Olympics because they need to set their schedule for next season.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Seattle Kraken are being sued by Seattle’s Kraken Lounge for $3.5 million. The lawsuit alleges the risk of irreparable harm to their brand name due to the team’s name choice and plans to open the Kraken Bar & Grill at their planned training facility.










List of NHL Free-Agent Signings – July 1, 2019

by | Jul 1, 2019

List of NHL Free-Agent Signings – July 1, 2019

Check out the listing of today’s notable NHL free-agent signings. This will be updated throughout the day as signings become official.

The Chicago Blackhawks signed goaltender Robin Lehner to a one-year, $5-million contract. 

The New York Islanders sign left wing Anders Lee to a seven-year, $49-million contract. The Isles also signed goaltender Semyon Varlamov to a four-year contract worth $5 million per season. 

The Carolina Hurricanes sign goaltender Petr Mrazek to a two-year, $6.5-million contract. 

The Montreal Canadiens have tendered an offer sheet to Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho. The proposed contract is for five years, with an average annual value of $8.454 million. 

 

New York Rangers sign left winger Artemi Panarin to a seven-year, $81.5 million contract. The annual average value is $11.6 million.

Florida Panthers signed goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to a seven-year, $70 million deal. They also signed winger Brett Connolly to a four-year, $13-million contract, defenseman Anton Stralman to a three-year, $16.5 million contract and forward Noel Acciari to a three-year, $5-million contract. 

Artemi Panarin signs a seven-year contract with the New York Rangers (Photo via NHL Images).

The Nashville Predators sign center Matt Duchene to a seven-year, $56-million contract.

Dallas Stars sign center/winger Joe Pavelski to a three-year, $21-million contract. The Stars also signed winger Corey Perry on a one-year, bonus-laden contract worth up to $3.25 million. They also signed defenseman Andrej Sekera to a one-year contract with a $1.5 million base salary and $500K in bonuses.

Minnesota Wild sign winger Mats Zuccarello to a five-year, $30-million contract. The Wild also sign forward Ryan Hartman to a two-year contract with an annual average value of $1.9 million.

Vancouver Canucks sign defenseman Tyler Myers to a five-year, $30-million contract. The Canucks also signed blueliner Jordie Benn to a two-year, $4-million contract and rearguard Oscar Fantenberg to a one-year, $850K deal. 

Pittsburgh Penguins sign forward Brandon Tanev to a six-year contract with an AAV of $3.5 million. 

Columbus Blue Jackets sign forward Gustav Nyquist to a four-year, $22-million contract. 

Washington Capitals sign forward Richard Panik to a four-year, $10-million contract and forward Garnet Hathaway to a four-year, $6-million deal. 

Colorado Avalanche sign winger Joonas Donskoi to a three-year contract estimated at around $3.5 million per season. They also sign winger Pierre-Edouard Bellemare to a two-year, $3.6-million contract. 

Chicago Blackhawks sign center Ryan Carpenter to a three-year, $3-million contract. 

Detroit Red Wings sign center Valtteri Filppula to a two-year, $6-million contract. They also signed defenseman Patrik Nemeth to a two-year deal. 

St. Louis Blues sign forward Nathan Walker to a two-year, $1.4-million contract. 

New Jersey Devils sign winger Wayne Simmonds to a one-year, $5-million contract. 

Edmonton Oilers signed goaltender Mike Smith to a one-year, $2-million contract and sign forward Markus Granlund to a one-year, $1.3-million contract. They also re-signed winger Alex Chiasson to a two-year deal worth $2.15-million per season. 

Ottawa Senators sign Ron Hainsey to a one-year, $3.5-million contract and winger Tyler Ennis to a one-year, $800K contract. 

Toronto Maple Leafs sign center Jason Spezza to a one-year, $700K contract.  

Calgary Flames sign goaltender Cam Talbot to sign a one-year. $2.75-million contract.

Montreal Canadiens sign goaltender Keith Kinkaid to a one-year, $1.75-million contract. 

Tampa Bay Lightning sign goaltender Curtis McElhinney to a two-year, $2.6-million contract. They also signed defenseman Luke Schenn to a one-year, $700K contract. 

Buffalo Sabres sign forward Curtis Lazar,  goaltender Andrew Hammond, and defenseman John Gilmour to one-year contracts each worth $700K.  The Sabres also acquire forward Jimmy Vesey from the New York Rangers in exchange for a third-round pick in 2021.

Winnipeg Jets sign defenseman Nathan Beaulieu to a one-year, $1-million contract. 

Trade Alert: The New York Rangers trade Jimmy Vesey to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a third-round pick in 2021.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 25, 2019

by | Jun 25, 2019

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 25, 2019

The Hurricanes ship Calvin de Haan to the Blackhawks in a four-player trade, the Flyers re-sign Travis Sanheim and ship Ryan Hartman to Dallas, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES/NEWSOBSERVER.COM: last night reported the Carolina Hurricanes traded defenseman Calvin de Haan and forward Aleksi Saarela to the Chicago Blackhawks for goaltender Anton Forsberg and defenseman Gustav Forsling.

Carolina Hurricanes trade defenseman Calvin de Haan to the Chicago Blackhawks (Photo via NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE:  Having recently acquired Olli Maatta, the Blackhawks continue shoring up their defense corps with veteran players. de Haan brings a measure of “stay-at-home” defensive ability to a blueline that was missing that element this season.

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, move out a third-pairing rearguard who was earning $4.55 million annually for three more years. Taking back Forsberg provides additional goaltending depth that might be needed soon. The Athletic’s Craig Custance believes Hurricanes goalie Curtis McElhinney intends to test the unrestricted free agent market on Monday. 

COURIER-POST ONLINE: The Philadelphia Flyers re-signed defenseman Travis Sanheim to a two-year contract worth $3.25 million per season. They also traded winger Ryan Hartman to the Dallas Stars in exchange for winger Tyler Pitlick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sanheim gets a cost-effective short-term bridge contract. Hartman was a restricted free agent who no longer fit into the Flyers’ plans. Pitlick has a year remaining on his contract worth $1 million. The Flyers now have around $17 million in salary-cap space for 2019-20. 

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild re-signed defenseman Brad Hunt to a two-year deal worth $1.4 million.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: The Bruins will reportedly re-sign defenseman Steven Kampfer to a two-year contract extension.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues forward Robert Thomas underwent surgery to repair a tendon in his left wrist.

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 24, 2018

by | Dec 24, 2018

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 24, 2018

Game recaps, Erik Karlsson suspended, Ryan Hartman fined, plus an update on Rick Jeanneret, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes made Whalers Night a memorable one by overcoming a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Boston Bruins 5-3. Sporting Whalers jerseys, Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen each scored twice and added two assists. Ryan Donato scored twice for the Bruins. Hurricanes center Jordan Staal missed the game with an undisclosed injury. 

Carolina Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho scored twice in a 5-3 win over the Boston Bruins (Photo via NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brass Bonanza was blasting a lot last night in what was an entertaining game. 

Alex Galchenyuk scored twice and potted the only goal in a shootout as the Arizona Coyotes nipped the San Jose Sharks 4-3. The Sharks were playing without defenseman Erik Karlsson, who received a two-game suspension from the department of player safety for an illegal hit to the head of Los Angeles Kings forward Austin Wagner. 

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 39 saves to shut out the New Jersey Devils 3-0. Winger Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist for the Jackets, who’ve won four straight games.

Kaspari Kapanen scored twice, including the winner in overtime, as the Toronto Maple Leafs edged the Detroit Red Wings 5-4. The Leafs overcame 3-1 and 4-3 deficits to force the extra frame. The game was the 1,000th of Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley‘s NHL career. 

Florida Panthers rookie center Jayce Hawryluk scored his first two NHL goals to help his club defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3. Blackhawks forward Dylan Strome had a goal and two assists.

Goaltender Michal Neuvirth kicked out 32 shots and four shootout attempts backstopping the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers. Nolan Patrick tallied the winning goal.

The Los Angeles Kings picked up their third straight win as Tyler Toffoli’s overtime goal lifted them to a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Anders Lee scored the game-winner for the New York Islanders in a 3-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. 

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret was released from the hospital yesterday and is resting comfortably at home. Jeanneret fainted during Saturday’s Sabres-Anaheim Ducks game and was stretchered from the press box. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Get well soon, Rick!

SPORTSNET: Nashville Predators forward Ryan Hartman was fined $1,000.00 by the department of player safety for spearing Boston Bruins forward Chris Wagner on Saturday. 

SPORTEXPRESSEN: Former Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Since concussions forced his retirement three years ago, Franzen’s battled depression, memory loss, and severe anxiety. 

“Most of the time I think I am moving in the right direction, but when I have the down periods there is nothing positive. I almost give up then, and it is even worse because you think you have been better for a while,” Franzen said. “It’s embarrassing. I can speak to one person and the next day I’ve forgotten his or her name.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A heartbreaking story about a career cut short and another example of the lasting trauma of head injuries among professional athletes. As long as the NHL remains reluctant to adequately address this issue, more players could end up suffering Franzen’s fate. 

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 31, 2018

by | Oct 31, 2018

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 31, 2018

Game recaps and more in your NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Brayden Point had a career-high five-point game (one goal, four assists) while teammates Nikita Kucherov and Braydon Coburn each scored twice as the Tampa Bay Lightning romped to an 8-3 win over the New Jersey Devils.

Brayden Point’s five-point game powered the Tampa Bay Lightning to an 8-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. (Photo via NHL Images)

Jordan Eberle scored twice as the New York Islanders beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3. It was a costly win for the Islanders as goaltender Robin Lehner left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury. Penguins goalie Matt Murray was pulled after allowing four goals on nine shots.

Brad Marchand tallied two goals and Jaroslav Halak made 42 saves as the Boston Bruins downed the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2. Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho joined Wayne Gretzky and Ken Linesman in the NHL record book as the only players to open an NHL season with assists in 12 straight games. Prior to the game, the Bruins placed defenseman Charlie McAvoy (upper body) on injured reserve.

The Detroit Red Wings blew a three-goal lead but late third-period goals by Tyler Bertuzzi and Dylan Larkin gave them a 5-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Wings forward Thomas Vanek could be sidelined for at least two-to-three weeks after suffering an apparent knee injury in the first period.

Matthew Tkachuk’s late third-period goal set the stage for Johnny Gaudreau’s overtime winner as the Calgary Flames edged the Buffalo Sabres 2-1. Jack Eichel tallied the Sabres’ only goal.

The Dallas Stars picked up their first road win of the season by downing the Montreal Canadiens 4-1. Devin Shore had a goal and two assists for the Stars while teammate Jason Spezza played his 1,000th career NHL game.

Two second-period goals by Ryan Hartman helped the Nashville Predators defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1. The Predators lead the NHL’s overall standings with 18 points.

Mikael Granlund’s third-period goal gave the Minnesota Wild a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Eric Staal had a goal and two assists for the Wild.

The Arizona Coyotes picked up their fourth straight win by beating the Ottawa Senators 5-1. Alex Galchenyuk tallied his first goal with the Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After struggling to score in their first five games, the Coyotes have tallied at least three goals in each of their last six.

Nolan Patrick’s goal late in the third period lifted the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Pontus Aberg scored both goals for the Ducks.

Kevin Shattenkirk scored the only goal in a shootout to give the New York Rangers a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks, spoiling the return of long-time Sharks center Joe Thornton to the lineup. Chris Kreider had two goals for the Rangers.

CBS SPORTS: The St. Louis Blues placed defenseman Jakub Jerabek on waivers. 

THE WASHINGTON POST: Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik missed practice Tuesday with a lower-body injury but is expected to be in the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Canadiens. 

OTTAWA CITIZEN: The Senators secured a $30 million short-term credit line with BMO Bank of Montreal’s corporate finance division. “The hockey club said the five-year loan will be used to give the team access to short-term credit as well as allowing the team to buy U.S. dollars when exchange rates are more attractive. American currency is typically used by a hockey franchise to pay its players.”