NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 14, 2025

by | Jan 14, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 14, 2025

Notable milestones for Connor McDavid, Connor Bedard and Flames rookie Rory Kerins, the Flyers reveal their Quarter-Century team, the three stars of the week are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid celebrated his 28th birthday by scoring the game’s only goal in a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Stuart Skinner turned in a 30-save shutout as the Oilers collected their sixth win in their last seven games, sitting in second place in the Pacific Division with 57 points. Darcy Kuemper stopped 29 shots for the Kings, who remain four points behind the Oilers in third place in the division.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid tied Glenn Anderson for the most game-winning goals (72) in franchise history.

Chicago Blackhawks sophomore center Connor Bedard scored to reach his 100th NHL point but his club fell 5-2 to the Calgary Flames. Calgary rookie Rory Kerins collected two assists in the first period, becoming the fifth rookie in Flames history with multiple assists in his NHL debut. Jakob Pelletier scored twice and set up another as the Flames won three straight, vaulting over the Vancouver Canucks into the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 49 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks remain mired at the bottom of the NHL standings. Bedard expressed his frustration again as the losses kept mounting.

“It’s been hard. It’s been a lot of games to lose. It weighs on you,” Bedard said following the game. “Yeah, I mean, just keep trying to find a way, trying to get better every day. But it’s hard.”

Bedard wants to win and help the Blackhawks return to their glory days. The Blackhawks brought in veteran players to take pressure off him and his young teammates as they develop their game. However, management must do more to alleviate that burden. Being in contention to win the draft lottery every year is not the best path forward.

Flames forward Martin Pospisil received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for boarding Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall midway through the second period.

The Philadelphia Flyers got two goals from Noah Cates to upset the Florida Panthers 4-2. Cates snapped a 3-3 tie midway through the third period as the Flyers overcame a 3-1 deficit. Sam Reinhart scored twice for the Panthers to move into second place in the league goalscoring race with 27.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers unveiled their Quarter-Century Team on Monday.

The First Team comprises forwards Claude Giroux, Simon Gagne, and Mike Richards, defensemen Eric Desjardins and Kimmo Timonen, and goaltender Roman Cechmanek. The Second Team comprises forwards Sean Couturier, Jakub Voracek and Daniel Briere, defensemen Chris Pronger and Ivan Provorov, and goalie Brian Boucher.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes, and right wing Patrick Kane of the Detroit Red Wings are the league’s three stars for the week ending Jan. 12, 2025.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar denied recent reports claiming team captain Gabriel Landeskog’s comeback attempt was hampered by swelling in his surgically repaired knee. The Avs also reactivated goaltender Scott Wedgewood off injured reserve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Landeskog’s last NHL game was Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. He’s undergone two knee surgeries since then and is working on resuming his NHL career.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators owner Michael Andlauer completed the sale of the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs to Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman and his family. Andlauer is focusing solely on the Senators. It’s believed he received $20 million for the Bulldogs.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek has returned from his AHL conditioning stint. He’s a game-day decision for tonight’s contest against the Winnipeg Jets. The Canucks placed defenseman Erik Brannstrom on waivers.

TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets signed forward Zach Aston-Reese to a one-year extension worth $775K.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 29, 2023

by | Jun 29, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – June 29, 2023

The latest trade speculation involving William Nylander, Connor Hellebuyck, Noah Hanifin, Travis Konecny and more heading into Day 2 of the 2023 Draft in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

NYLANDER FOR KARLSSON OR LINDHOLM?

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan speculates contract extension talks between Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving and winger William Nylander might not go as smoothly as Treliving confidently predicted.

Koshan thinks it behooves Treliving to gauge Nylander’s value in the trade market for a return that improves the Leafs. “Speculation in a potential swap for Nylander has included Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: For what it’s worth, the Leafs have reportedly looked into the cost of acquiring Karlsson from the Sharks. Moving Nylander and his $6.9 million cap hit for next season could help offset the cost of taking on Karlsson’s contract, though the Leafs would want the Sharks to retain a healthy portion of his $11.5 million annual cap hit through 2026-27.

For now, I suspect Treliving will continue with his contract extension discussions with Nylander.

DEVILS LOOKING AT HELLEBUYCK

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the New Jersey Devils remain interested in Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. However, he doesn’t think they want to pay a big price to get him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils could also want the Jets to retain part of Hellebuyck’s $6.16 million AAV for 2023-24. Some observers suggest the possibility of the Jets starting next season with Hellebuyck and then perhaps attempting to move him before the trade deadline to a club like the Devils.

PANTHERS INTERESTED IN HANIFIN

LeBrun reports the Florida Panthers are interested in Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin. Panthers winger Anthony Duclair is part of that discussion but LeBrun isn’t convinced they have the best chance of landing Hanifin.

LATEST ON THE FLYERS

According to LeBrun, the Philadelphia Flyers continue to listen on Travis Konecny and received a few trade offers but nothing to tempt them into parting with the winger. Unless something changes, however, they’re likely to hang onto Konecny.

LeBrun’s TSN colleague Darren Dreger indicated before the opening round of the draft that Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim continues to draw interest.

WHEELER TO THE PENGUINS?

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman thought the Pittsburgh Penguins had some interest in Winnipeg Jets winger Blake Wheeler. However, he’s not convinced it’s going to happen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman published this before the Penguins acquired Reilly Smith from the Vegas Golden Knights yesterday. I’m just mentioning this in passing.

COULD THE LEAFS SIGN REAVES?

Friedman thinks it’s possible the Toronto Maple Leafs could sign rugged winger Ryan Reaves if he fails to land a new contract with the Minnesota Wild. The Leafs are looking to beef up their bottom-six forwards. Ottawa’s Austin Watson is another possibility.

KEEP AN EYE ON DVORAK

Friedman speculates there might not be a role for Christian Dvorak now that they’ve got so many centers. He could be someone worth keeping an eye on.

PREDATORS TRIED TO MAKE A BIG SPLASH IN THE OPENING ROUND

THE TENNESSEAN: Gentry Estes cited a report from Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli indicating the Nashville Predators tried to make a big splash during the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft. There was speculation they attempted to move up in the draft order by offering up promising goaltender Yaroslav Askarov as part of a package deal for one of the picks among the top 10.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: One rumor had them offering Askarkov and the 15th overall pick as part of a package deal to the Montreal Canadiens for the fifth-overall selection. It never came to pass.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 24, 2021

by | Sep 24, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 24, 2021

The Sabres strip Jack Eichel of his captaincy, plus several stars are already sidelined or returning from injuries as training camps open. Check out the details in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

WGR 550: Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams confirmed yesterday the club had stripped Jack Eichel of the captaincy. The 24-year-old center also failed his team physical and will be placed on injured reserve.

Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel (NHL Images).

Eichel and Sabres’ management remain in a standoff over which medical procedure he should receive to repair a herniated disc in his neck. He favors disc replacement surgery while the team doctors prefer fusion surgery. Adams also indicated the team is still open to trading Eichel at the right price.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I doubt any NHL fan or pundit is surprised by this news. It’s just another chapter in an impasse with no end in sight. There could be teams willing to let Eichel undergo disc replacement but they’re unwilling to pay the Sabres’ high asking price to acquire him.

Don’t expect to see Eichel on the ice this season unless one side blinks. I also don’t anticipate seeing him traded this season unless the Sabres drop their price. Even then, Eichel’s $10 million annual average value over the next five seasons is difficult for most teams to absorb even when he’s healthy.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin is expected to miss at least the first two months of this season recovering from offseason surgery on his right knee. The Penguins also have one unidentified player not yet fully vaccinated though he’s expected to be within the next few weeks.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane said he’s been dealing with a nagging injury since prior to the 2020 NHL playoffs but downplayed the severity. He and GM Stan Bowman didn’t elaborate but said it was a common ailment among hockey players.

Meanwhile, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews was back with his teammates in his first formal practice since missing all of last season with Chronic Immune Response Syndrome. He’s hoping to be ready to play when the season opens next month.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens goaltender Carey Price and winger Mike Hoffman are likely to miss training camp and the start of the season. Price is recovering from offseason knee surgery while Hoffman has been sidetracked by a lower-body injury.

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom is listed as week-to-week due to ongoing rehabilitation on his hip. Meanwhile, teammate Evgeny Kuznetsov said he’s feeling good mentally and physically and ready to put a difficult 2020-21 season behind him.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck confirmed he was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Aug. 20. He was unvaccinated at the time and took about 10 days to recover. He’s since been vaccinated but felt rushed into doing so in order to be ready for training camp so soon after recovering from the coronavirus.

“I’m not anti-vax by any means,” he said. “But I’d like to have that decision for myself. It felt very forced on me.” He added the post-vaccination symptoms made him feel as though he had COVID again.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck’s situation was unique and probably should’ve allowed him more leeway to become vaccinated so soon after recovering from COVID-19. NHL protocols would allow him to join his teammates under certain restrictions until he received his shots.

The league isn’t forcing its players to be inoculated. However, they face travel restrictions, additional testing, forfeiture of portions of their salaries if they miss playing time and social interaction limitations as a result.

Some might feel the NHL’s protocols are too restrictive. However, the league and the NHLPA don’t want a repeat of 2020-21 when multiple game postponements due to outbreaks of COVID-19 among several teams wreaked havoc on an already compressed schedule.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Center Tyler Seguin, winger Alexander Radulov and goaltender Ben Bishop were on the ice for the Stars’ opening day of training camp. Seguin missed all but three games last season to hip and knee surgeries. Radulov was sidelined most of last season by a core muscle injury requiring offseason surgery. Bishop, meanwhile, is hopeful of playing after missing all of last season to knee surgery.

CALGARY SUN: Flames center Sean Monahan revealed a hip injury bothered him for most of last season. He underwent offseason surgery and was on the ice for the club’s opening day of training camp.

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche forward Stefan Matteau and defenseman Roland McKeown had both tested positive for COVID-19 but are nearing the end of their recovery. Meanwhile, head coach Jared Bednar said defenseman Cale Makar underwent an upper-body procedure recently but isn’t expected to miss any practice or preseason time.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins center Charlie Coyle began training camp yesterday wearing a non-contact red jersey. He’s coming off a pair of knee surgeries but is expected to be ready for the start of the season.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken center Yanni Gourde took part in drills yesterday wearing a non-contact jersey. GM Ron Francis indicates Gourde could return to action sooner than expected from offseason shoulder surgery. He was originally expected to be sidelined until December.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets goaltending coach Manny Legace revealed he was recently hospitalized fighting for his life with a severe case of COVID-19. He spent a week in intensive care before being released. He and his wife must now wait eight weeks before getting vaccinated as per CDC guidelines, something they had put off based on advice from doctors related to medical conditions.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Legace and his wife for a speedy and complete recovery.

THE PROVINCE: An internal document shared with NHL teams earlier this week reveals the league believes 30 of its 32 teams could start the season with full capacity at their arenas. The exceptions are the Vancouver Canucks (50 percent) and the Montreal Canadiens (33 percent). The memo also revealed the various anticipated vaccine guidelines for all the franchises.