NHL Rumor Mill – December 13, 2024

by | Dec 13, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – December 13, 2024

​Check out the latest on the Sabres, Hurricanes and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST SABRES SPECULATION

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Buffalo Sabres are getting calls from other teams about Dylan Cozens. The 23-year-old right-shot center is two years removed from a 30-goal season but he’s struggling in 2024-25. He has five years left on his contract with an average annual value of $7.1 million, which Friedman believes helps his value in the trade market.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports no sense of panic among the Sabres’ organization despite their difficulties. Teams are calling in for promising young players like Jack Quinn but general manager Kevyn Adams isn’t moving him. He’s open to a trade that helps his team now but doesn’t want to force things.

THE ATHLETIC: Matthew Fairburn wonders what move could set the Sabres back after missing the playoffs for 13 consecutive seasons. They’re closer to last place in the league this season than they are to a playoff berth.

Buffalo Sabres forward Dylan Cozens (NHL Images).

Fairburn cited Adams saying he didn’t spend his $7 million in cap space because Quinn, forward JJ Peterka and goalie Devon Levi are restricted free agents next summer. However, Quinn has one goal this season, Peterka has one goal in his last 13 games, and Levi is back in the AHL.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There are plenty of reasons why the Sabres have struggled over the years, from meddling ownership to poor management to a revolving door of coaches. The issue now is whether Adams and head coach Lindy Ruff can find a way to turn things around before their postseason drought stretches to 14 years and counting.

HURRICANES SHOPPING FOR A GOALTENDER

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Carolina Hurricanes had discussions with the San Jose Sharks about Mackenzie Blackwood before the 28-year-old goaltender was traded to the Colorado Avalanche. They’re seeking insurance for starter Pyotr Kochetkov.

LeBrun mentioned Dan Vladar of the Calgary Flames, Anton Forsberg of the Ottawa Senators and Karel Vejmelka of the Utah Hockey Club as options. However, none of those teams are ready to be sellers.

The Hurricanes have spoken to the Anaheim Ducks about John Gibson. However, the asking price will have to go down before

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman also noted the Hurricanes’ interest in Gibson. He said there’s been an on-again, off-again courtship between the Hurricanes and Ducks over Gibson for years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson has a 10-team no-trade list but these reports suggest the Hurricanes are on that list. The Hurricanes could prefer the Ducks retain part of his $6.4 million average annual value through 2026-27, but the Ducks could seek something substantial to make salary retention worthwhile.

RUMOR TIDBITS FROM THE LATEST “32 THOUGHTS” COLUMN

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello isn’t tipping his hand about potential moves this season. His peers find it hard to believe that Lamoriello would move pending UFA center Brock Nelson if the Isles remain in playoff contention.

The Dallas Stars are expected to utilize its extra salary-cap space while Tyler Seguin recovers from hip surgery. Friedman indicates they’re doing due diligence on what centers and right-shot defensemen are available.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars are expected to put Seguin on long-term injury reserve and use the salary-cap savings to bolster their roster for the playoffs. Seguin is out for four to six months.

The Vancouver Canucks are trying to find a better fit for Vincent Desharnais. It hasn’t worked out as hoped for the 28-year-old defenseman, who signed a two-year contract in the offseason with the Canucks.

Seattle Kraken defenseman Will Borgen is being scouted as a potential depth addition.

Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz is doing all he can to avoid making head coach Andrew Brunette the fall guy for the club’s struggles this season. Friedman speculated that little-used forward Juuso Parssinen could follow Dante Fabbro and Philip Tomasino out of Nashville.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trotz might not have much choice if the losses keep mounting.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 16, 2024

by | Sep 16, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 16, 2024

The Blue Jackets sign James van Riemsdyk, the Devils bring in Kevin Labanc on a PTO, and Antti Raanta ends his NHL career. Check out the details on these stories and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets signed free-agent winger James van Riemsdyk to a one-year, $900K contract.

The 35-year-old van Riemsdyk had 38 points in 71 games with the Boston Bruins last season. He’s a 15-season NHL veteran with previous stops with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers.

Columbus Blue Jackets sign winger James van Riemsdyk (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This signing came shortly after Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell indicated his intention to shore up his forward depth by signing veteran players. Waddell probably isn’t done making additions via free agency and we can’t rule out a trade.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils are reportedly close to signing Kevin Labanc to a professional tryout offer. The 28-year-old winger spent the past eight seasons with the San Jose Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Labanc was once a promising forward with the Sharks, reaching a career-high of 17 goals and 56 points in 82 games during the 2018-19 season. He hasn’t regained those heights as his production and ice time declined.

DAILY FACEOFF: Antti Raanta is ending his NHL career after 11 seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks. The 35-year-old Finnish goaltender intends to continue his playing career in Europe.

Raanta had a record of 139 wins, 80 losses, and 20 overtime losses in 277 NHL regular-season games with a 2.48 goals-against average, a save percentage of .915, and 20 shutouts. He also had a 9-9 record in the playoffs with a 2.48 GAA, a .911 SP and one shutout.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Jack Quinn hopes to bounce back from a torn Achilles tendon and a broken left fibula that limited him to 19 points in 27 games during his sophomore campaign last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quinn showed considerable promise as an offensive forward during his rookie season with 37 points in 75 games. He also put up solid numbers despite last season’s setbacks. A healthy 2024-25 could see the 22-year-old winger become invaluable to the Sabres’ offense.

SPORTSNET: Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Fraser Minten left Sunday’s prospect game in Montreal during the second period following a hit by Canadiens defenseman David Reinbacher. He did not return as he was held out of the remainder of the game for precautionary reasons.

RG.ORG: Speaking of the Canadiens, top prospect Ivan Demidov scored his first career goal in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg. Former Washington Capitals star Evgeny Kuznetsov picked up the primary assist. The 18-year-old Demidov was chosen fifth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 5, 2024

by | Feb 5, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 5, 2024

The league returns to action from its All-Star break on Monday plus the latest on Mark Scheifele, Zach Parise, Ryan Pulock, Mattias Samuelsson, Jesse Puljujarvi and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon can regain first place in the race for the Art Ross Trophy as they visit the New York Rangers on Monday evening. MacKinnon (84 points) sits one point behind league-leader Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zach Parise will make his debut with Colorado in this game. The 39-year-old winger signed a one-year, prorated contract with the Avalanche on Jan. 26. He believes joining the Avs gives him a great opportunity to win the Stanley Cup.

Meanwhile, Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren is expected to return to action after missing the Blueshirts’ last game before the All-Star break with an upper-body injury.

In Toronto, Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews can build on his lead for the Maurice Richard Trophy when his club faces off against the New York Islanders. With 40 goals, Matthews holds a three-goal lead over Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders also got some good news as defenseman Ryan Pulock was activated off long-term injury reserve. He’d been sidelined since Dec. 7 with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, the Leafs placed forward Calle Jarnkrok on injured reserve while forward David Kampf remains out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of returning from injury, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele will suit up against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. He missed their last six games with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets went 2-3-1 during their leading scorer’s absence.

WGR 550: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson’s season is over as he faces surgery for an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, his teammate Jack Quinn will be sidelined for six to eight weeks recovering from surgery for a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Two big blows for the Sabres in a season that started with the promise of their long-awaited breakthrough as a playoff contender. Instead, they’re headed for another disappointing finish.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins yesterday signed Jesse Puljujarvi to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $800K. The 25-year-old winger underwent double hip resurfacing last summer. He’d been playing with the Pens’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a professional tryout offer (PTO) last month, collecting nine points in 13 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Puljujarvi worked hard to save his career and return to the NHL. It remains to be seen where things go from here but it’s admirable that he reached this point.

CAP FRIENDLY: indicates the Minnesota Wild placed forward Pat Maroon on injured reserve.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames claimed defenseman Brayden Pachal off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 30, 2024

by | Jan 30, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 30, 2024

The Senators rally to defeat the Predators, the three stars of the week are announced, plus updates on Jack Hughes, Tomas Hertl, Adam Fantilli, Jack Quinn and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: The Ottawa Senators overcame a 3-0 deficit to upset the Nashville Predators 4-3 on an overtime goal by Claude Giroux. Second-period goals by Drake Batherson, Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk set the stage for Giroux’s game-winner for the 19-25-2 Senators. Roman Josi and Philip Tomasino each collected two points for the Predators (26-22-2), who’ve dropped four of their last five and sit outside the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 54 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators and St. Louis Blues have the same number of points but the Blues hold the final wild-card spot with two games in hand. Preds defenseman Alexandre Carrier left this game in the second period with an undisclosed injury and didn’t return.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, and Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Jan. 28.

ESPN: Greg Wyshynski reports the NHL remains hopeful that New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes can still participate in the NHL All-Star Game and the skills competition this weekend. Hughes, 22, has been sidelined since Jan. 5 with an upper-body injury. The Devils star wants to take part in the All-Star weekend and continues to be evaluated.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes should be careful not to push too hard to take part in this weekend. While it means a lot to him to take part in the All-Star Game, aggravating his injury in a meaningless tournament could prolong his absence from the Devils lineup as they try to secure a playoff berth down the stretch.

THE MERCURY NEWS: Sharks center Tomas Hertl wants to know how long it will take the rebuilding club to become competitive and where he fits into their long-term plans. The 30-year-old Hertl has six years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $8.135 million and a no-movement clause.

From all indications, Sharks general manager Mike Grier is in no hurry to move Hertl, who’s been his struggling club’s best player this season. Nevertheless, Grier has indicated that he would listen if Hertl or team captain Logan Couture reached a point where they wanted to be moved.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Hertl decides he doesn’t fit into the Sharks plans his hefty contract will make it difficult to move him during the regular season. That type of trade would likely be an offseason move when clubs have more cap space to work with.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets rookie center Adam Fantilli suffered a lacerated left leg after he was cut by a skate blade during Sunday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. He won’t participate in tonight’s road game against the St. Louis Blues and will receive further evaluation when the club returns to Columbus.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fantilli sits second among Blue Jackets scorers with 27 points and is fourth among this season’s rookie class.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres winger Jack Quinn underwent surgery to repair a lower-body injury suffered on Saturday in a game against the Sharks. He’s expected to be sidelined for approximately eight weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s another blow for Quinn, whose sophomore season was already shortened by a ruptured Achilles tendon during offseason training. His latest injury isn’t related to that nor was it a knee injury. He has 12 points in 17 games.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues are awaiting the results of an MRI on defenseman Scott Perunovich, who suffered a lower-body injury during Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Minnesota Wild claimed defenseman Declan Chisholm off waivers from the Jets.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Seattle Kraken placed forward Devin Shore on waivers.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL forward Zack Kassian’s retirement was a brief one. After hanging up his skates before the start of this season, he’s resumed his playing career by signing a one-year contract with HC Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 28, 2024

by | Jan 28, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 28, 2024

The Oilers’ win streak reaches 16, Auston Matthews reaches 40 goals and Nikita Kucherov regains the lead in the scoring race. Get the details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers extended their win streak to 16 games with a 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists while Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists for the 29-15-1 Oilers, who sit third in the Pacific Division with 59 points. Colton Sissons replied for the Predators (26-22-1) as they cling to the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 53 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers are now one win away from tying the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins for the longest win streak (17 games) in league history. Corey Perry made his debut with the Oilers, logging 12:44 in ice time with two hits and two shots.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews netted his league-leading 40th goal as his club doubled up the Winnipeg Jets 4-2. Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly each collected two assists while Ilya Samsonov made 24 saves for the Leafs (25-14-8) as they hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 58 points. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 26 shots for the 30-12-5 Jets as they slipped to third place in the Central Division with 65 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews set a franchise record as the fastest player to reach 40 goals (46 games) and extended his team record for most 40-goal seasons with five. He also became the eighth player in Leafs history to reach 600 points and the fastest to reach that plateau. Meanwhile, the club announced that Calle Jarnkrok is sidelined week-to-week with a broken knuckle.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov collected two assists to regain the lead in the NHL scoring race with 85 points in a 6-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel each scored twice as the 27-18-5 Lightning sit one point ahead of the Leafs in third place in the Atlantic Division. Ondrej Palat and Nico Hischier each had two points for the 24-20-3 Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hischier wasn’t pleased with his club’s performance. “I’m embarrassed, to be honest,” he said in a postgame interview. With the Devils sitting six points out of a wild-card berth, he called on his teammates to play “pissed off.” They’ve won just three of their last 10 games.

The Vancouver Canucks overcame a three-goal deficit to nip the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 on an overtime goal by Elias Pettersson, who finished the game with two goals and an assist. Brock Boeser tallied a hat trick while Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller each collected three assists for the Canucks (33-11-5) as they hold first place in the overall standings with 71 points. Alexandre Texier had a goal and an assist for the 15-23-10 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blue Jackets announced winger Patrik Laine returned to Columbus after suffering a setback in his recovery from a fractured clavicle. They also placed defenseman Adam Boqvist (upper body) on injured reserve and recalled blueliner Nick Blankenburg from their AHL affiliate in Cleveland.

A four-goal first period powered the Boston Bruins over the Philadelphia Flyers 6-2. David Pastrnak tallied twice and collected an assist while James van Riemsdyk had a goal and two assists for the 31-9-9 Bruins, who sit second in the overall standings with 71 points. Tyson Foerster scored both goals for the slumping Flyers (25-19-6), who’ve lost five straight games but remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 56 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Flyers honored Mark Recchi with induction into their Hall of Fame. Recchi spent 10 seasons with the Flyers, tallying 627 points in 602 games. He also played three seasons with the Bruins, helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2011 during his final season.

Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart scored to extend his points streak to 13 games as his club nipped the New York Islanders 3-2 on an overtime goal by Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist for the 31-14-4 Panthers as they sit in fourth place in the overall standings with 66 points. Semyon Varlamov turned aside 24 shots for the Islanders (20-17-12), who sit five points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 52 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After beating the Dallas Stars 3-2 in Patrick Roy’s first game as their head coach, the Isles are winless in their last three contests (0-2-1). Before this game, Roy indicated that defenseman Adam Pelech is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He was sidelined by an illegal hit to the head on Thursday by Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher, who received a five-game suspension as a result.

The Dallas Stars moved ahead of the Winnipeg Jets into second place in the Central Division with 66 points by dropping the Washington Capitals 5-4. Thomas Harley scored in overtime after his club blew a 4-2 lead and finished the game with two goals for the 30-13-6 Stars. Alex Ovechkin and Anthony Mantha each had a goal and an assist for the 22-18-7 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals winger Max Pacioretty left this game in the third period with a lower-body injury unrelated to his surgically repaired Achilles tendon. No word following the game regarding his condition.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin sniped two goals in a 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider each had two assists while Alex Lyon stopped 28 shots for the Red Wings (26-18-5) as they hold the final Eastern wild-card berth with 57 points. Alec Martinez had two assists for the 29-15-6 Golden Knights (64 points) as they remain in second place in the Pacific Division.

A five-goal second period rallied the New York Rangers over the Ottawa Senators 7-2. Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists while Jonathan Quick made 29 saves for the Rangers (30-16-3) as they remain in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 63 points. Brady Tkachuk and Jakob Chychrun scored for the 18-25-2 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers captain Jacob Trouba missed this game as he’s serving a two-game suspension for elbowing Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev on Friday.

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Arizona Coyotes 3-1 as Dmitry Orlov broke a 1-1 tie with 36 seconds remaining in regulation time. Seth Jarvis collected two assists for the 28-15-5 Hurricanes, who sit two points back of the Rangers in second place in the Metro Division. Logan Cooley tallied for the slumping Coyotes (23-22-3) as they dropped their third straight game and sit four points out of the final Western wild-card spot with 49 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom kicked out 32 shots for a 1-0 shutout of the Chicago Blackhawks. Elias Lindholm scored the only goal as the 22-22-5 Flames (49 points) snapped a four-game losing skid and sit four points out of the final Western wild-card berth. Petr Mrazek made 30 saves for the 14-34-2 Blackhawks, who remain at the bottom of the overall standings with 30 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Flames announced that forward A.J. Greer is out for eight weeks with a fractured foot.

An overtime goal by Marcus Pettersson gave the Pittsburgh Penguins a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Penguins forward Lars Eller scored in his 1,000th career game as his club improved to 22-17-7 (51 points). Jake Allen made 30 saves for the 20-21-8 Canadiens.

Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry scored two goals as his club tamed the Minnesota Wild 3-2. Lukas Dostal stopped 35 shots for the 17-30-2 Ducks. Mats Zuccarello collected two assists for the 21-23-5 Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Marcus Foligno missed this game due to illness.

The Buffalo Sabres tallied five unanswered goals in a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. JJ Peterka scored twice while Dylan Cozens had a goal and two assists for the Sabres (22-23-4). William Eklund picked up two assists for the 13-32-4 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Sabres as forward Jack Quinn left the game with an injured left leg following a hit by Sharks forward Tomas Hertl. Head coach Don Granato indicated Quinn’s injury should be considered more than day-to-day for recovery.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 30, 2023

by | Jun 30, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 30, 2023

The 2023 Draft is completed, the Blackhawks acquire Corey Perry and Josh Bailey, the Red Wings acquire Klim Kostin and Kailer Yamamoto, plus updates on David Krejci, Tyler Bertuzzi, Jesse Puljujarvi and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

2023 NHL DRAFT NEWS

NHL.COM: The 2023 NHL Draft finished up yesterday with the completion of Rounds 2 through 7. You can see the complete list of each player selected (including Round 1) by following this link.

Among the notable numbers emerging from this year’s draft:

PICKS BY POSITION

Defense: 69
Center: 63
Right Wing: 34

Left Wing: 32

Goaltender: 26

PICKS BY BIRTH COUNTRY

Canada: 86
United States: 50
Sweden: 24
Russia: 19
Finland: 15
Czechia: 7
Slovakia: 7

Belarus: 5
Germany: 4
Kazakhstan: 1

France: 1
Switzerland: 1
Norway: 1
Italy: 1
Denmark: 1

Austria: 1

PICKS BY AMATEUR LEAGUE

USHL: 39 (includes NTDP)
OHL: 35 

WHL: 33 

SWEDEN-JR: 22 

RUSSIA-JR: 15 

QMJHL: 12 

FINLAND-JR: 11 

BCHL: 4 

BIG 10: 4 

FINLAND: 4 

HIGH-MN: 4 

RUSSIA: 4 

SWEDEN: 4 

AJHL: 3 

CZECHIA: 2 

ECAC: 2 

GERMANY-JR: 2 

HOCKEY EAST: 2 

RUSSIA-2: 2 

SLOVAKIA: 2 

SWEDEN U-18: 2 

SWEDEN-2: 2 

SWISS-JR: 2 

GERMANY: 1 

GOJHL: 1 

HIGH-CT: 1 

HIGH-IN: 1 

HIGH-MA: 1 

HIGH-ON: 1 

KAZAKHSTAN U-20: 1 

MJHL: 1 

NAHL: 1 

NCHC: 1 

SWISS: 1 

USMAAAE: 1 

Chicago Blackhawks acquire Corey Perry (NHL Images).

The second day of the draft also saw three trades involving NHL veterans:

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired winger Corey Perry from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round draft pick. The Blackhawks subsequently signed Perry to a one-year, $4 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning couldn’t afford to re-sign Perry so they shipped out his rights for a draft pick. As for why the 35-year-old winger signed with the rebuilding Blackhawks, the $4 million salary was one reason but the opportunity to play with a potential generational talent like Connor Bedard also likely appealed to him. If Perry plays well, the Blackhawks can peddle him to a playoff contender before next season’s trade deadline.

Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson was reportedly a big fan of Perry’s going back to when he coached the winger in Montreal two years ago. His experience and leadership will be invaluable to this team.

The Blackhawks also acquired winger Josh Bailey and a 2026 second-round pick from the New York Islanders in exchange for future considerations. They placed him on waivers for the purpose of buying out the final year of his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a straightforward salary dump by the Islanders. Bailey was their longest-serving active player but the cap-strapped club had to offload his $5 million cap hit for 2023-24 to free up space for other moves.

The Blackhawks can afford the buyout, which will count as $2.66 million against their salary cap for 2023-24 and $1.166 million for 2024-25. With 16 active roster players under contract, they’ll be roughly $3.2 million within range of the $61.7 million cap minimum for 2023-24.

Bailey, meanwhile, becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The Detroit Red Wings acquired forwards Klim Kostin and Kailer Yamamoto from the Edmonton Oilers for future considerations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was also a cost-cutting move as shipping out Yamamoto clears $3.1 million from the Oilers’ books. Kostin, meanwhile, is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights whom the Oilers evidently believed they couldn’t afford to re-sign. Part of that cap space could be spent on signing UFA Connor Brown on July 1 as well as re-signing RFA defenseman Evan Bouchard.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff believes Kostin was the main prize for the Red Wings while Yamamoto could be a buyout candidate. If so, the Wings have until 5 pm ET today to do so.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TORONTO STAR: The Maple Leafs have confirmed that Sheldon Keefe will return as their head coach next season. He has a year remaining on his contract but general manager Brad Treliving indicates that an extension will be discussed during this summer.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: cites a report out of Czechia indicating that Bruins center David Krejci remains undecided whether he’ll return to the club for another season. There was speculation he will retire or return to play in Czechia.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Bruins, winger Tyler Bertuzzi is expected to head to free agency when the market opens at noon ET on Saturday (July 1).

TSN: Jesse Puljujarvi will become a UFA as the Carolina Hurricanes will not issue him a qualifying offer. The 25-year-old winger recently underwent double hip surgery and could be sidelined for some time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could also spell the end of Puljujarvi’s NHL career. The fourth overall pick by the Oilers in the 2016 draft struggled to play up to expectations as a scoring winger.

DAILY FACEOFF: Buffalo Sabres rookie forward Jack Quinn will be sidelined for four to six months following surgery to repair his Achilles tendon. The 21-year-old winger suffered the injury during training this week.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Patric Hornqvist’s NHL playing career appears to be over following two concussion injuries this season. However, the Florida Panthers are hoping to bring him back in another role.