NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 1, 2023

by | Jul 1, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 1, 2023

The free-agent market opens today, Matt Duchene and Blake Wheeler join the list of notable UFAs, the Golden Knights re-sign Adin Hill, a large number of RFAs don’t receive qualifying offers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE TENNESSEAN: On the final day of the June buyout window, the Nashville Predators bought out the contract of forward Matt Duchene, making him an unrestricted free agent when the market opens today at noon ET.

Duchene, 32, had three years remaining on his seven-year contract with an average annual value of $8 million. The buyout counts as $2.55 million against the Predators’ salary cap payroll for 2023-24, rising to $5.55 million in 2024-25 and $6.55 million in 2025-26 before dropping to $1.55 million for each of the final three years of the buyout.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: New Predators general manager Barry Trotz continues to make an immediate impact on his roster. Duchene had been inconsistent over the previous four seasons and his play was not up to the level expected of his salary. The cap hit is significant in years two and three of the buyout but the anticipated sharp increase of the cap over the period will lessen the pain.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets bought out the final season of winger Blake Wheeler’s contract. The cap hit for that year was $8.25 million. The buyout will count as $2.75 million against their cap for this season (2023-24) and 2024-25.

Former Winnipeg Jets winger Blake Wheeler (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s the end of an era for the Jets. Wheeler, 36, was the last player remaining from the club’s relocation from Atlanta to Winnipeg in 2011.

Wheeler put up decent numbers this season (55 points in 72 games) but the wear and tear of his long career has caught up with him and he no longer fits into the club’s plans. Whispers of divisions within the dressing room saw him stripped of the club’s captaincy last year. The Jets tried to trade him before June 30 but couldn’t find any takers.

DAILY FACEOFF: Duchene and Wheeler join this summer’s unrestricted free-agent class, sitting among the top 10 on Frank Seravalli’s list of notable UFAs.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins bought out defenseman Mike Reilly before Friday’s buyout deadline. They’ll have a cap hit for 2023-24 of over $333K and $1.333 million for 2024-25.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings bought out recently-acquired Kailer Yamamoto. Because he’s under 26, the 24-year-old winger’s buyout is one-third of the remaining value over twice the remaining term. The cap hit for this season is over $433K and $533K for 2024-25.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like Duchene and Wheeler, Reilly and Yamamoto enter this summer’s UFA class. They could draw interest from clubs seeking affordable depth.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: As expected, the Golden Knights officially announced their signing of goaltender Adin Hill to a two-year contract with an AAV of $4.9 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The expectation is Hill will share the Golden Knights’ goaltending duties with Logan Thompson. However, there is some trade speculation swirling about Thompson. I’ll have more on that in today’s Rumor Mill.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Carolina Hurricanes signed winger Jesper Fast to a two-year contract extension with an AAV of $2.4 million.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers signed Mattias Janmark to a one-year, $1 million contract. The 30-year-old checking-line forward took a slight pay cut from last season’s $1.25 million cap hit, citing his desire to be part of “something special” with the Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, Janmark believes the Oilers are a Stanley Cup contender for 2023-24 and was willing to take less money to stay put.

PUCK PEDIA: 113 players did not receive qualifying offers by yesterday’s deadline, making them unrestricted free agents. Among the notables are Mackenzie Blackwood, Jesse Puljujarvi, Max Comtois, Christian Fischer, Tyson Jost, Denis Gurianov, Nolan Patrick, Daniel Sprong, Caleb Jones, Klim Kostin, Colin White and Sam Steel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some of these players had arbitration rights this summer which might’ve resulted in them receiving more from an arbitrator than their clubs could comfortably afford. The cost of qualifying some of them would’ve also been more expensive than their actual value based on performance.

Not every player will end up signing with other teams. Kostin, for example, is reportedly close to a new contract with the Detroit Red Wings, who acquired his rights earlier this week from the Oilers.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Columbus Blue Jackets will formally introduce Mike Babcock as their new head coach at a 10 am ET press conference today.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 4, 2023

by | May 4, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 4, 2023

The Golden Knights defeat the Oilers despite Leon Draisaitl’s four-goal performance, the Hurricanes cruise to an easy win over the Devils, and the Calder Trophy finalists are announced. Details and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl scored all four of his club’s goals but it wasn’t enough to prevent his team from falling 6-4 to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of their best-of-seven second-round series. Ivan Barbashev scored twice while Mark Stone and Jack Eichel each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights. Game 2 goes Saturday evening in Las Vegas.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the second time in this second round that a player scored four goals for the losing side in the opening game of their series. Dallas Stars winger Joe Pavelski set an NHL record as the oldest player to tally four times in a playoff game as his club dropped a 5-4 decision to the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday.

Edmonton opened the scoring but spent the rest of the game playing catch-up with Vegas. Their vaunted power-play went two-for-three on the night but Vegas did a good job limiting their trips to the penalty box. The Golden Knights outperformed the Oilers at 5-on-5 play, using an aggressive forecheck to create scoring opportunities.

The Oilers also lost forward Mattias Janmark in the first period after he fell awkwardly and struck his head against the boards.

The Carolina Hurricanes cruised to a 5-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils in Game 1 of their second-round series. Seth Jarvis scored what proved to be the winning goal, Frederik Andersen stopped 17 shots while Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook each collected two assists. Nate Bastian replied for the Devils while first-round hero Akira Schmid was pulled early in the second period after giving up three goals on 11 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schmid wasn’t solely to blame for the Devils’ loss. By the end of the first period, Carolina led 2-0 and outshot the Devils 10-1. Schmid and his teammates were dominated by the Hurricanes’ suffocating defensive game and did little to contain their offense.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power, and Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner as the finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy as this season’s rookie of the year. The winner will be announced during the 2023 NHL Awards at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on June 26.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant wasn’t pleased over recent speculation suggesting he could lose his job following his club’s first-round exit from the 2023 playoffs.

“I can’t believe I have to answer some of these questions about me getting fired,” he said during his end-of-season press conference. “If I can’t stand by my record and what I’ve done, I think there’s something wrong.”

Gallant said he hasn’t talked to Rangers general manager Chris Drury about his future. He’s the first coach in club history to have back-to-back 100-point seasons in his first two years with the franchise.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers media seems to be seeking a scapegoat for the Rangers’ disappointing end to their season. It’s possible that Gallant’s bosses decide to go in a different direction but I think he’s earned the right to return behind their bench next season. He’s not going anywhere unless the players are unhappy with his coaching and express their concerns to Drury.

Patrick Kane’s short tenure with the Rangers is likely over. The pending unrestricted free-agent winger was acquired from Chicago before the trade deadline. He’s mulling surgery for an injury that’s nagged him for the last two years and clearly affected his performance this season. Kane indicated he’d love to return but acknowledged their limited cap space and younger players they need to re-sign.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane has thus far declined to provide details about his health but it’s been rumored for months that he’s been hampered by a hip injury. That will affect his value in this summer’s free-agent market, especially if he requires surgery that could sideline him for the start of next season.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning captain Steven Stamkos has a year remaining on his contract but he hopes to finish his career in Tampa Bay. “This is the only jersey I ever want to wear,” said Stamkos, who was drafted first overall by the Lightning in 2008. He’s hopeful they’ll begin contract extension talks this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos is completing the seventh season of an eight-year, $68 million contract with an average annual value of $8.5 million. The Lightning captain was once again among his club’s leading scorers with 84 points in 81 games. He’s undoubtedly aware of the Bolts’ limited cap space in 2024-25 as they currently have a projected $26.9 million available with just nine players under contract for that season.

Because Florida doesn’t have a state tax, I can see Stamkos accepting a bit of a pay cut to finish his career in Tampa Bay. How much he’ll accept and whether the Lightning can afford him remains to be seen.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Bo Horvat admitted the trade from the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Islanders took a mental toll on him this season. However, he credited the Islanders’ efforts to relieve that pressure when it came to relocating his family from Vancouver to Long Island.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild seemed to lose confidence in young players Marco Rossi and Calen Addison this season. While that’s led to questions about their future, the Wild’s cap constraints could give them no choice but to give them another opportunity next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Addison recently surfaced as a trade candidate after becoming a healthy scratch once the Wild acquired John Klingberg at the trade deadline.

TSN: The Washington Capitals intend to interview Lightning assistant coach Jeff Halpern for their vacant head-coaching position. The Capitals recently parted ways with bench boss Peter Laviolette. Halpern spent seven of his 14-season NHL playing career with the Capitals.

OTTAWA SUN: NHL defenseman Mark Borowiecki announced his retirement after 12 NHL seasons spent with the Senators and Nashville Predators. A rugged blueliner, the 33-year-old Borowiecki missed all but four games this season to concussion symptoms. In 458 games, he tallied 15 goals and 56 points along with 848 PIMs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Borowiecki in his recovery and his future endeavors.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 20, 2023

by | Apr 20, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 20, 2023

The Hurricanes take a 2-0 series lead over the Islanders while the Oilers, Panthers and Stars tie their first-round series at a game apiece. Details and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Jesper Fast gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders in Game 2 of their first-round series. Brent Burns collected two assists for the Hurricanes while Jaccob Slavin’s game-tying goal in the third period set the stage for Fast’s game-winner. Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri each had a goal and an assist for the Islanders. The Hurricanes lead the best-of-seven series 2-0

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Isles defenseman Scott Mayfield was high-sticked by Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook prior to Fast’s goal. The incident occurred in front of two on-ice officials but there was no call on the play.

It was a costly win for the Hurricanes as Teuvo Teravainen suffered a broken hand in the third period from an unpenalized slash by Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau. He will undergo surgery and is sidelined for at least the remainder of this series.

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (NHL Images)

A hat trick by Roope Hintz led the Dallas Stars to a 7-3 romp over the Minnesota Wild to even their opening-round series at a game apiece. Hintz became the first player in eight years to score at even strength, shorthanded and with the man advantage during a playoff game. Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen collected four assists in this contest. Gustav Nyquist collected two assists for the Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eyebrows were raised when Marc-Andre Fleury started this game for Minnesota instead of Filip Gustavsson, who made 51 saves in their 3-2 double-overtime win in Game 1. Wild coach Dean Evason defended the decision by pointing out that his club has rotated both goalies throughout this season. Fleury called his performance in this one “embarrassing” but Evason put the blame on his club for giving up too many odd-man rushes.

Stars winger Joe Pavelski missed this game as he’s in concussion protocol recovering from a high hit by Wild defenseman Matt Dumba in Game 1. Head coach Peter DeBoer said Pavelski is getting better with each day but offered no timeline for the winger’s return.

The Florida Panthers evened their series with the Boston Bruins at a game apiece with a 6-3 win in Game 2. Brandon Montour scored two goals while Alex Lyon stopped 34 shots for the Panthers. Brad Marchand, Tyler Bertuzzi and Taylor Hall replied for the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A convincing win by the Panthers as they took advantage of Boston’s unusually sloppy defense. The Bruins were the top defensive team during the regular season but looked nothing like it during this contest.

Third-period goals by Klim Kostin and Evander Kane lifted the Edmonton Oilers past the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 to tie their series at one game apiece. Derek Ryan and Leon Draisaitl stake the Oilers to an early lead but the Kings rallied in the second period on goals by Phillip Danault and Gabriel Vilardi. Draisaitl finished with a goal and two assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers center Mattias Janmark missed this game amid reports he may be done for the series at least with an injured right foot.

POSTSEASON HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The department of player safety suspended Toronto Maple Leafs winger Michael Bunting for three games for an illegal hit to the head and interference on Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak during Game 1 of their first-round series on Tuesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs fans are drawing comparisons to former Leaf Nazem Kadri as he received suspensions during back-to-back playoff series against the Boston Bruins several years ago. The Leafs must adjust to the pesky winger’s absence as they try to shake off a poor outing in Game 1 against the Lightning.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning forward Tanner Jeannot (leg injury) could be in the lineup for Game 2 of their first-round series with the Maple Leafs. Cernak (upper-body injury) and Mike Eyssimont (upper-body) will be sidelined from tonight’s contest while defenseman Victor Hedman (undisclosed injury) is a game-day decision.

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jack Johnson and forwards Andrew Cogliano and Darren Helm are listed as day-to-day.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman once again denied the link made by medical doctors between hits to the head occurring in hockey and the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) during an interview with National Public Radio (NPR) on Wednesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Admitting the link means the NHL would face paying out expensive claims from former players and their families as the National Football League has done following their acknowledgment of the link in 2016.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Forward Alexandre Texier will be returning to the Blue Jackets next season after missing all of this season for personal reasons as per a recommendation from the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program.

THE PROVINCE: There could be two Elias Petterssons in the Vancouver Canucks lineup next season. The club signed defenseman Elias Pettersson to a three-year entry-level contract. He is not related to the Canucks star center.

THE MERCURY NEWS: Former San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson’s health has improved to the point where he might return to the NHL in some capacity. He stepped down as Sharks GM last April due to his recovery from an undisclosed illness.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 8, 2022

by | Oct 8, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 8, 2022

The Oilers enter this season with little cap room, the Flames face a decision with Juuso Valimaki, and a lack of tradeable assets could hurt the Bruins this season. Get the details in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

OILERS SQUEEZED FOR CAP SPACE

SPORTSNET: Mark Spector reports the Edmonton Oilers will enter this season with just $165.00 in salary-cap space for the upcoming regular season.

They could get $1.25 million in cap relief if center Mattias Janmark is claimed off waivers later today. If he’s not, they’ll have to place Devin Shore and his $850K cap hit on waivers to become cap compliant by Monday.

Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi (NHL Images).

This will affect the Oilers’ efforts to recall players from their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield this season.

Spector points out Oilers general manager Ken Holland attempted to trade winger Jesse Puljujarvi and his $3 million salary during the offseason but couldn’t find any takers. The same goes for winger Warren Foegele, who carries a $2.75 million cap hit but is harder to move because he’s signed through 2023-24.

Holland hoped to get a second-round pick in exchange for Puljujarvi. Spector wonders if the Oilers GM will accept a lesser return to solve his cap situation.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cousin Mark believes Holland will let the season play out and see if injuries provide some roster relief.At some point, however, the Oilers GM could find himself having to make a cost-cutting trade.

That could mean accepting less of a return for Puljujarvi or Foegele provided he can find a taker for either guy. It’s something worth keeping an eye on as the season progresses.

Speaking of Janmark, Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe wonders if the Winnipeg Jets might try to claim him off waivers today.

FLAMES FACE A DECISION WITH VALIMAKI

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Steve Macfarlane reports Juuso Valimaki could be the odd man out for one of the last two spots on the Flames blueline. If they try to send the 24-year-old defenseman to their AHL affiliate, he’ll have to clear waivers first. There’s a good chance another club could snap up the former first-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Macfarlane observes Valimaki has had difficulty nailing down a roster spot since Darryl Sutter returned as head coach. Given their blueline depth, perhaps he’ll become a trade candidate at some point.

BRUINS LACKING QUALITY TRADE BAIT

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: A lack of quality assets to make upgrades via the trade market is among Nick Goss’ list of five huge obstacles preventing the Bruins from winning the Stanley Cup this season.

GM Don Sweeney has shipped out a first-round pick in three of the last five NHL trade deadlines. Doing so again this season would further hinder the Bruins’ ability to draft and develop quality young talent. The Athletic’s February prospect pool ranking had the Bruins 27th out of 32 clubs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s worse than that. In The Athletic’s August prospect pipeline rankings, the Bruins are dead last in part because they’ve traded away so many first-round picks. If Sweeney’s going to make any deals to upgrade his roster this season he’ll have to draw upon players currently on the team or from his shallow pool of prospects.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 8, 2022

by | Oct 8, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 8, 2022

Recaps of Friday’s games, the Flames sign MacKenzie Weegar to an eight-year contract extension, the Blackhawks and Canucks make a trade and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Nashville Predators kicked off their regular season by downing the San Jose Sharks 4-1 at the NHL Global Series in Prague, Czechia. Juuse Saros made 30 saves for the win while Eeli Tolvanen scored what proved to be the game-winner early in the second period. Prague native Tomas Hertl tallied for the Sharks. The two clubs face each other again today.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

In preseason action, the Pittsburgh Penguins crushed the Buffalo Sabres 7-1. Sidney Crosby scored twice and added an assist, Evgeni Malkin had three assists, Jake Guentzel a goal and two assists and Bryan Rust tallied twice for the Penguins.

Leon Draisaitl had a goal and three assists to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Connor McDavid and Evander Kane each had a goal and an assist.

The Winnipeg Jets got a three-point performance from Kyle Connor and two goals from Pierre-Luc Dubois in a 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck kicked out 35 shots.

Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi scored twice as his club doubled up the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2.

Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko faced just seven shots to shut out the Arizona Coyotes 4-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s not a typo. The Coyotes only mustered seven shots on Demko.

HEADLINES

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: The Flames signed defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to an eight-year, $50 million contract extension yesterday. Weegar, 28, is in the final season of a three-year deal worth an average annual value of $3.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Weegar was acquired by the Flames from the Florida Panthers in the trade that also sent Jonathan Huberdeau to Calgary in July. The $6.25 million AAV on his new contract is a significant raise for the late-blooming defenseman, who tallied a career-high 44 points last season. The deal also comes with full no-trade protection for the first four seasons.

Weegar’s contract leaves the Flames with $80.3 million invested in 18 players for 2023-24. There’s no question they’re in “go-for-it” mode for the foreseeable future. Time will tell if they get good value for their expensive investments in Weegar, Huberdeau and free-agent addition Nazem Kadri.

THE PROVINCE/NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Vancouver Canucks trade forward Jason Dickerson and a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Riley Stillman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks needed to add a defenseman as well as free up salary-cap space. Swapping Dickinson and his $2.65 million cap hit through 2023-24 for Stillman and his $1.35 AAV through ’23-’24 addressed both needs. The rebuilding Blackhawks, meanwhile, were able to add a second-round pick to give them six selections in the first three rounds of the 2024 draft.

TSN: Speaking of the Canucks, blueliner Tyler Myers is out two-to-four weeks with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks are also missing rearguard Travis Dermott, who is recuperating from a concussion.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Some good news for the Flyers as winger Joel Farabee has been cleared for contact and could play in the club’s season-opener. He underwent disk replacement surgery in June.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings defenseman Robert Hagg has been cleared to return to play. He’s been sidelined by a concussion.

DAILY FACEOFF: Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook, Edmonton Oilers center Mattias Janmark and Dallas Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin are among the players to hit the waiver wire on Friday. Teams have until noon ET today to claim them.

NHL.COM: The St. Louis Blues released Tyler Pitlick from his professional tryout offer.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Hockey New Brunswick joins three other regional hockey organizations in withholding a portion of their player registration fees from Hockey Canada. Meanwhile, Nike joined a growing list of sponsors withholding support over a lack of confidence in the national governing body’s leadership stemming from its mishandling of sexual assault allegations levied against players from the 2003 and 2018 World Junior teams.

NHL.COM: Former goaltender Dave Dryden passed away on Tuesday at age 81. The older brother of Hall-of-Fame netminder Ken Dryden, Dave played in 203 NHL games with the New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers, as well as 242 games in the WHA from 1961-62 to 1979-80.

Dryden left his mark on the game by pioneering the first cage combination goalie mask. He continued working on improving and refining equipment following his retirement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Dryden’s family, friends and former teammates. Today’s goaltenders owe him a debt of gratitude for his efforts to improve their equipment.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 18, 2022

by | Jul 18, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 18, 2022

24 players apply for salary arbitration plus the latest on Matthew Tkachuk, Patrik Laine, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Nazem Kadri and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHLPA.COM: 24 NHL players filed for salary arbitration by the 5 pm ET deadline on July 17:

Mason Appleton (Winnipeg Jets)

Ethan Bear (Carolina Hurricanes)

Jesper Bratt (New Jersey Devils)

Lawson Crouse (Arizona Coyotes)

Morgan Geekie (Seattle Kraken)

Mathieu Joseph (Ottawa Senators)

Kaapo Kahkonen (San Jose Sharks)

Kasperi Kapanen (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Keegan Kolesar (Vegas Golden Knights)

Oliver Kylington (Calgary Flames)

Maxime Lajoie (Carolina Hurricanes)

Steven Lorentz (San Jose Sharks)

Isac Lundestrom (Anaheim Ducks)

Zack MacEwen (Philadelphia Flyers)

Niko Mikkola (St. Louis Blues)*

Andrew Mangiapane (Calgary Flames)

Matthew Phillips (Calgary Flames)

Jesse Puljujarvi (Edmonton Oilers)

Tyce Thompson (New Jersey Devils)

Yakov Trenin (Nashville Predators)

Vitek Vanecek (New Jersey Devils)

Jake Walman (Detroit Red Wings)

Kailer Yamamoto (Edmonton Oilers)

Pavel Zacha (Boston Bruins)

*Signed after filing

New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt (NHL Images).

The deadline for club-elected arbitration filing is July 18 at 5 pm ET. Arbitration hearings begin on July 27 through August 11.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bear in mind that this is usually a tactic designed to set a deadline to complete contract negotiations. In most cases, the player and his team reach an agreement on a new contract before the date of his arbitration hearing. Mikkola agreed to a one-year, $1.9 million contract with the Blues shortly after filing. The notables on this list include Bratt, Mangiapane, Kapanen, Puljujarvi and Yamamoto. 

TSN: Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk and Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois were among the notable restricted free agents who didn’t file for salary arbitration. Another is Columbus Blue Jackets left winger Patrik Laine.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline believes Laine’s decision not to file for arbitration suggests contract discussions with the Blue Jackets remain amicable. The same could apply to Tkachuk and Dubois with their respective clubs. It also leaves the door open for those players to accept their one-year qualifying offers before the July 22 deadline for doing so.

THE ATHLETIC’s Peter Baugh recently tweeted that a league source told him multiple teams are trying to clear salary-cap space in an attempt to sign Nazem Kadri. The 31-year-old free-agent center wants to play for a contender and has ruled out those who are not.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That explains why Kadri remains available nearly a week into this season’s free-agent period. Perhaps he’ll sign a new contract at some point this week.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: A source tells Jimmy Murphy that the Bruins’ contract extension talks with David Pastrnak could take longer than expected. The feeling is both sides are in wait-and-see mode. The Bruins are still dealing with Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci and could need to make a cost-cutting trade to make it all work. Meanwhile, the Pastrnak camp could be watching to see where things are headed with the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s also how much Pastrnak’s new contract will cost the Bruins. The 26-year-old winger is a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility and is earning $6.6 million on his current contract. It could cost them $10 million annually on an eight-year deal to keep him in the fold.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs signed restricted free agent winger Pierre Engvall to a one-year, $2.25 million contract.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers signed UFA forward Mattias Janmark to a one-year, $1.25 million contract.

The Florida Panthers inked UFA defenseman Michael Del Zotto to a one-year, two-way contract.

CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal reports the Vancouver Canucks have granted permission to goaltender Michael DiPietro’s agent to speak with other teams regarding a trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates DiPietro is signed for 2022-23 with a cap hit of $840K.